England seemed in dire straits last time out, on the verge of needing a playoff to get back into UEFA Nations League A, but interim head coach Lee Carsley pulled all the right strings to engineer a dominant 3-0 win in Athens.
Carsley decided to bench captain Harry Kane to give Ollie Watkins a start, and the Aston Villa star came through with a goal just seven minutes into the match to send the Three Lions back to the top of the group standings.
Now, England just need to beat the Republic of Ireland if they wish to confirm automatic promotion back to League A next Nations League competition. With Thomas Tuchel set to come in as permanent boss after this match, Carsley has one more shot to take charge of the team and secure a positive result.
Republic of Ireland, meanwhile, are locked into their third-place spot in the group, unable to either move up into a promotion position or drop to a confirmed relegation spot.
MORE: Lineup predictions and team news for England vs. Republic of Ireland in UEFA Nations League
England vs. Republic of Ireland prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: England (-500 on BetMGM)
- Score prediction: England 2-0 Republic of Ireland
Despite having a ton of key players missing, the Three Lions looked a revitalized team against Greece. Lee Carsley was able to select players on best fit for the job rather than being restricted to shoving his most talented players together.
There are advantages to both, but clearly he knows how to organize a group for a particular setting when a job is required. Republic of Ireland have not scored on England in three straight matches and they don’t look likely to do so again here.
MORE: A complete guide to betting on soccer in the United States
| BetMGM (USA) |
|
| England win | -500 |
| Draw | +525 |
| Rep. of Ireland win | +1250 |
| Both teams to score |
Y: +150 N: -225 |
| Over / Under 2.5 goals |
O: -155 U: +110 |
| England -1.5 goals |
-150 |
| Rep. of Ireland +1.5 goals |
+105 |
England vs. Republic of Ireland match facts
- Date: Sunday, November 17, 2024
- Kickoff Time: 5 p.m. local (12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT)
- Location: Wembley Stadium (London, England)
- Referee: Erik Lambrechts (BEL)
- Last meeting: Rep. of Ireland 0-2 England (Sep. 7, 2024 | UEFA Nations League)
England vs. Republic of Ireland best bet
- Pick: Under 2.5 total goals
- Odds: +110 (BetMGM)
With England just needing victory to confirm their place atop the group, they will first and foremost be looking to keep the Republic of Ireland at bay in the attacking third.
That’s not been terribly hard to do of late — they have scored three goals across their last five games, all coming against Finland. They’ve also been shut out in each of their last three games against England, including a 2-0 victory for the Three Lions at home their last meeting back in September.
Republic of Ireland can defend, though. They are on an incredible defensive streak — since falling 3-2 to Serbia in World Cup qualifying back in March of 2021, they have conceded more than two goals to a opponent just one time across their last FORTY matches, coming in a 3-0 friendly loss to Portugal this past summer.
England vs. Republic of Ireland prop bet
A player who has flown under the radar at both club and country is Noni Madueke, who has not only helped propel Chelsea’s attack under Enzo Maresca but also has taken his chance well with England.
In the Bukayo Saka role down the right, Madueke was electric against Greece, ripping off two shots and creating three chances for teammates across his 66 minutes of action. He should see the field against Republic of Ireland, and if so, he could be a main outlet for England against the Republic of Ireland’s weaker left defensive flank.
