You Bet | You Bet: England set to open floodgates against San Marino in Euro 2016 qualifying tie
Punters can chase a 'correct score' as Hodgson's charges take on minnows in Euro 2016 qualifier
The Euro 2016 finals may well be more exciting with the expansion to 24 countries, which virtually ensures all the big nations will join hosts France and opens the door to world-class players such as Gareth Bale of Wales, however, one drawback is that the qualification process is less nail-biting than usual.
England, for example, will book their place in France with victory over San Marino tonight, even though there are still three games to play. That will draw at least some of the competitive tension out of Tuesday's home match against Switzerland - currently second in group E - and that is never a good thing for punters and spectators alike.
Switzerland will still be motivated to fend off Slovenia for the second automatic qualifying place from group E, but England's commitment will be open to question once they have qualified. That could lead to some unexpected results not only in England's remaining matches but also in the other groups as more countries qualify with time to spare and decide to try different players and formations, or simply ease off completely.
Hodgson has compiled an impressive home record with England, having drawn his first competitive match at Wembley, but won all seven since
Punters hardly need another layer of difficulty when it comes to finding bets in qualifiers, especially in mismatches such as San Marino v England tonight. The reverse fixture at Wembley was won 5-0 by Roy Hodgson's side, while in the last World Cup qualifying campaign England beat San Marino 5-0 at home and 8-0 away.
The 8-0 result might have a slight freak element, given that 9-0 is England's record scoreline in a competitive match, and 5-0 or 6-0 might be more "normal". This looks a match to take a chance on a correct score for bigger odds and 5-0 is a decent shout. At least correct-score backers will not lose interest when England establish an almost inevitable clear lead over the minnows.
Hodgson has compiled an impressive home record with England, having drawn his first competitive match at Wembley (1-1 with Ukraine), but won all seven since. All of those victories have been achieved by two goals or more and another clear-cut win looks the best bet when they host Switzerland on Tuesday, even if their whole-hearted commitment has to be taken on trust.
Tonight's other qualifiers may not capture the interest of neutrals, but there are two or three potential bets.
