There's a marquee matchup straight from the jump as European heavyweights France and Italy clash to begin the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League group stage on Friday.
Group A2 is stacked, with Belgium and Israel also in the mix, so points will be key in this match for anyone harboring hopes of making the quarterfinals. Only the top two sides in the group advance to the knockout round, to be contested next summer.
Les Bleus are hoping to rebound after a semifinal exit at Euro 2024, as head coach Didier Deschamps remained in charge with the full backing of the French federation.
Italy, meanwhile, continue trying to drag themselves back from back-to-back World Cup qualifying failures. They reached the Round of 16 at Euro 2024, but were overmatched by Switzerland en route to their exit, showing there's still significant work to be done.
MORE: A complete guide to betting on soccer in the United States
France vs. Italy prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: France (-145)
- Score prediction: France 2-0 Italy
You look at the Italy squad, and it's just...completely bereft of talent, especially in the attack. Azzurri boss Luciano Spalletti confusingly left Federico Chiesa off the squad, and the remaining players just do not inspire confidence of scoring goals in the slightest, even against an occasionally leaky France back line.
It's unclear what the plan is for Italy at the moment, and with France clearly the better side, there's no reason not to back them at decent 2/3 moneyline odds.
| BetMGM (USA) | |
| France win | -145 |
| Draw | +290 |
| Italy win | +380 |
| Both teams to score | Y: -120 N: -120 |
| Over / Under 2.5 goals | O: -120 U: -120 |
| France -0.5 goals | -160 |
| Italy +0.5 goals | +115 |
France vs. Italy match facts
- Date: Friday, Sept. 6, 2024
- Kickoff Time: 8:45 p.m. local (2:45 p.m. ET / 11:45 a.m. PT)
- Location: Parc des Princes (Paris, France)
- Referee: Sandro Scharer (SUI)
- Last meeting: France 3-1 Italy (Jun. 1, 2018 | Friendly)
France vs. Italy best bet
- Pick: Italy under 0.5 goals
- Odds: +125 (BetMGM)
Both teams to score sits at -120, but Italy failing to find the net is +125, the clear winner of those two picks. It's hard to imagine France failing to net, and while their defense has been occasionally vulnerable, the Italy squad just doesn't have anyone capable of carrying the load.
With the likes of Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Giacomo Raspadori up front with Mattia Zaccagni and Lorenzo Pellegrini in support, do we really feel like they can engineer a goal against a top three team in the world?
Federico Chiesa failing to get a spot in the squad is laughable, and Ciro Immobile hasn't been called up in over a year even as he's scored seven goals in six games to start life at Besiktas this season. The Italy attack hasn't been this thin in decades, and plus odds for them to fire a blank is a gift.
France vs. Italy prop bet
- Pick: Marcus Thuram anytime goal scorer
- Odds: +200 (BetMGM)
Kylian Mbappe remains the top threat for this France side, but he simply hasn't been his best in the last six months. The facial injury hampered him at Euro 2024, but even at the club level, the finish to his PSG tenure was rocky and his start to life at Real Madrid has been muted. Mbappe has scored just two goals in his last 10 international appearances dating back to the hat-trick he scored against Gibraltar last November.
Marcus Thuram has tried his best to nudge his way into the fold regularly, and now could be his chance. He's struggled at the national team level to finish chances consistently, but with four goals in three Serie A matches to start the season at Inter, he figures to be a major factor in this match.
France vs. Italy live stream, TV channel
| TV channel | Streaming | |
| USA | — | Fubo, ViX |
| Canada | — | DAZN |
| UK | — | — |
This UEFA Nations League match between France and Italy from Paris will be streamed in the United States on Fubo, who are offering a FREE trial to new users, and on Spanish-language platform ViX.
In Canada, this match will be streamed exclusively on DAZN.
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