Wales vs Northern Ireland Betting Odds Preview, Euro 2016 Round-of-16 Prediction

Two teams participating in their first UEFA Euro tournament will get an opportunity to advance to the quarterfinals when they square off Saturday in Paris, as Group B winner Wales takes on Group C third-place finisher Northern Ireland.

Wales took part in the qualifying round of the 1976 Euro tourney but did not make it to the championships and enters this round-of-16 matchup as the clear betting favorite at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark.

Match Odds: Wales +104, Northern Ireland +394, Draw +206 (Matchup Report)

Wales may not have been able to defeat England in Group B play, but the team’s impressive performances in wins over Slovakia and Russia proved to be enough to total more points.

The Welsh dominated the Russians 3-0 in their group finale to put pressure on the English to beat the Slovakians. Instead, England and Slovakia settled for a 0-0 draw, making Wales the Group B winner.

Now the Welsh will look to knock out another member of the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland, who may just be happy to be here after notching only one win in Group C. Northern Ireland is listed back at +20000 on the updated Euro 2016 odds; Wales sits at +2500.

The Green and White Army were the last team to qualify for the round of 16 among third-place teams based on goal difference, edging out Turkey and Albania, who also earned just three points.

Fortunately for Northern Ireland, its two losses were decided by one goal apiece as Poland and Germany both picked up 1-0 wins. A 2-0 victory against Ukraine got the team into the round of 16, although it will be difficult to repeat that result here versus Wales.

The Welsh are a more experienced squad and should have some additional confidence coming off their group win. Even scoring a goal is a feat Northern Ireland will find tough to accomplish, so watch for Wales to limit shots and turn in another stellar defensive performance like they did against Russia in an effort to post back-to-back shutouts.

Offensively, the Welsh will also have an advantage, scoring three times as many goals in group play (six) than Northern Ireland (two). To be fair, Northern Ireland’s competition was arguably better in Group C than Wales’ in Group B, and holding Poland and Germany to one goal each could be considered a minor victory.

However, in the end Wales will be too much for Northern Ireland and ultimately move on to the quarters.

Wales vs. Northern Ireland Prediction: 2-1 Wales

All betting lines data courtesy of Odds Shark. Check out the latest Euro 2016 news.