Odds courtesy of TonyBet.
Ukraine vs Sweden Odds
Sweden sits at +147 odds at soccer betting sportsbooks Ukraine returns at +204, while the O/U is set at 2.5 goals.
These two have previously met six times across all competitions, with Ukraine notching four victories. Sweden has just one win against Thursday’s opponents, while the other clash ended level.
Ukraine vs Sweden Analysis
Ukraine, of course, wasn’t permitted to play on home soil during qualifying due to the war, and with that in mind, they actually had a respectable campaign. In a group with Iceland, Azerbaijan, and France, their only two defeats were to Les Bleus. Ukraine compiled a 3-1-2 record, finishing as a runner-up, allowing them to book a spot in the Playoff.
However, Serhiy Rebrov’s men have struggled at the back in qualifying. They’ve conceded more times (11) than they’ve scored themselves (10), and the side hadn’t kept a clean sheet in any qualifying fixture until their final one, shutting out Iceland by a score of 2-0. Ukraine haven’t featured in the World Cup since 2006, the only time they’ve ever made the tournament.
Sweden, despite having lots of quality, were poor in qualifying. They finished dead last in Group B alongside Switzerland, Kosovo, and Slovenia. Their two points from six games was not enough to make the playoffs, but rather, their previous UEFA Nations League form.
Graham Potter, the former boss at Chelsea, has now taken over for the Swedes, and he’ll be looking to lead the side to the Playoff final. The likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Anthony Elanga, and Alexander Isak have struggled to produce the goods, with Sweden only scoring four times in qualifying. Their backline, meanwhile, conceded 12 times.
Ukraine vs Sweden Injury News
Ukraine will be shorthanded for this clash, with Ruslan Malinovskyi and Yukhym Konoplia both suspended due to accumulated bookings. Artem Dovbyk is sidelined with a groin issue, while Oleksandr Zinchenko is also unavailable due to a knee injury, leaving Rebrov without several key contributors on both ends of the pitch.
Sweden are dealing with multiple notable absences, headlined by Isak, who remains out with a leg injury. Emil Krafth and Dejan Kulusevski are both sidelined with knee problems, while Viktor Johansson is also unavailable, forcing Potter to lean on the likes of Gyokeres and Elanga to carry the attacking load.
Ukraine vs Sweden Picks
Both of these sides are incredibly vulnerable defensively, and that makes me believe we’ll see a fair share of goals in Valencia on Thursday. Hammer the Over with confidence here.
Pick: Over 2.5 goals (+130)/TonyBet
