Euro 2024 opening match odds: Germany favored at home against Scotland

Euro 2024 is nearly here with the first match of the tournament kicking off on Friday. The host Germans open against Scotland in Group A play in the Allianz Arena in Munich.

This is the only match on Friday before the tournament hits a three-match-per-day cadence for the next three days. Germany is heavily favored to win at home.

Germany is behind only England and France in the odds to win the tournament and is heavily favored to win Group A. Scotland is the longshot in the group, with the longest odds to win the group (+1000) and to advance (-110). If you read that sentence and wondered how -110 are the so-called longest odds to advance, well, the odds are a bit silly. Even if two-thirds of the 24-team Euro 2024 field will make it to the knockout stage, some of the more balanced groups on paper have minus-odds for all four teams due to the hold taken by sportsbooks. Safe to say, that might not be the best spot to place your bets.

All odds from BetMGM.

Germany vs. Scotland

Kickoff time: 3 p.m. ET/8 p.m. BST/9 p.m. CEST

This isn’t exactly starting the tournament with a marquee match, but Scotland is a good embodiment of the expanded Euro field. The Scots made two of the 12 the Euros (1992, 1996) from 1968-2012. Since it expanded to 24 teams with the 2016 tournament, they have made it two out of three times. Scotland managed a draw and two losses in the 2020 (2021*) edition, but did not score a goal.

Scotland was more impressive in qualifying this cycle though. Scotland beat Spain 2-0 in Glasgow and only suffered one defeat in eight qualifying matches, which was a 2-0 loss at Spain.

The Germans have much higher expectations and anything other than a win on Friday would send alarm bells ringing. As a host nation that did not need to go through qualifying, Germany hasn’t played a competitive match since the shocking group stage exit at the 2022 World Cup. In the interim, Germany has six wins, three draws and six defeats in friendlies. While there are losses to the likes of Poland, Japan, Turkey and Austria in that stretch, Germany did beat France and the Netherlands in back-to-back matches in March.

Germany is in need of a good result at a tournament, not only because of the host status but because Germany has not had good results in recent tournaments. Germany went out in the group stage in the last two World Cups and lost in the Round of 16 at the last Euros. That means Germany doesn’t have a win in a knockout match since 2016, which is hard to believe. That’s a big drop off from the run from 2002-2016, which saw the Germans make at least the semifinals in seven of eight major tournaments. Germany is even money to make the semifinals in this tournament.

On a player level, plenty of eyes will be on Toni Kroos. The German midfielder is retiring after the tournament. He won everything possible in Germany and Spain during his club career and was on Germany’s 2014 World Cup-winning squad, but has never won the Euros. This trophy would round out his trophy set.

More Euro 2024 coverage

Euro 2024 predictions: Top scorer, tournament winner and more – Tips and Tricks

Euro 2024 predictions: Best player, dark horses, biggest disappointment? Our writers’ picks

Jamal Musiala: My game in my words

Euro 2024: How are England, France, Germany, Spain and the other favourites shaping up?

Euro 2024 security: How is Germany combating hooliganism and ‘hot red’ terrorist threat?

(Photo of Toni Kroos: Alex Grimm / Getty Images)