With Euro 2008 now in full swing you may be tempted to consider having a bet on the winners. The pre-tournament hype suggested that the likely winners would come from the usual trio of France, Italy or Germany and the odds that you would get for these teams reflected this. However, the first week of the tournament has highlighted that maybe these three are not quite good enough this time around.
France and Italy are on the verge of elimination and the tournament outsiders Spain, Portugal and Holland now look like the ones to put your money on. If you have never place a bet on soccer games before or you are unfamiliar with the sport then perhaps you should consider it. If you take some time to understand the odds and perhaps analyze the current form of the teams then it is very possible that you can win some money.
First let's deal with the basics. Soccer is very simple to bet on as you either back the home team or the away team to win or you can predict a draw. Therefore you have a one in three chance of predicting the correct result.
The bookmaker's odds will reflect the likelihood of each result on the basis of a team's current form. Their past results against the opposition, the form of the players and any player absentees. Also any other mitigating factor such as the weather conditions.
What you should not do is bet on a whim. So many people lose money because they just had a feeling for a certain team, or perhaps it's the team that they support. This is OK if you just want a bit of fun, but if you plan to make money then you should decide your bets on the basis of current form and reputation of the teams.
So if you are new to soccer betting what should you look out for? Firstly, you should use the Internet to acquire research on the teams involved. Look out for who the experts think are the likely winners. Most soccer websites post match previews where they list a predicted outcome. Aim to look at 4 or 5 of these previews to gage who the favorite is.
Second, you need to decide on what type of bet you wish to place. I would advise that you avoid accumulator bets. These are attractive because the payout is good. But this requires that you predict maybe 5 or 6 results correctly. If you just get one wrong you do not win any money. It is a safer risk if you just bet on individual matches.
In the case of Euro 2008 there are many different types of betting available. As mentioned you can bet on the straight result between two teams in a match. These are the safer bets but you might want to also consider such bets as the score at half-time, who the first goal scorer will be and what the exact final score will be.
Throughout the tournament, many bookmakers will offer betting specials. These may include who the top goal scorer will be at the end of the tournament, who will win the groups, who will win the tournament overall, who will be the first player to get sent off, will a game go to penalties and so on.
There are plenty of betting possibilities for those who are interesting in the longer odds. So if you have not tried soccer betting before then give it a try. There are many websites that offer live in-game betting and the thrill of winning makes it worth a flutter.
The Champions 2 Euro 2008
Berne is perhaps the most popular city in the country and also its capital. Its Old Town is a protected heritage site by UNESCO and both its parts (western and eastern) are very beautiful. One can visit the Cathedral of St. Vincent (The M'nster) from the 15th century. There you can see an outstanding tympanum over the main door, which depicts the Last Judgment and has more than 200 figures. Also interesting is the Bundeshaus ? the Federal Palace in Renaissance style. A landmark of the town is Zytgloggeturm (Clock Tower), dating back to the 12th century. Four minutes before every hour, lost of mechanical puppets make a great show for the crowd around the clock. Other places worth visiting are Kunstmuseum (Fine Arts Museum), Botanischer Garten (Botanical Garden), Nydegg Castle, Kindlifresserbrunnen (Ogre Fountain) and more.
Zurich is also a very popular place in Switzerland ? the largest city and the capital of the Zurich canton. Its Old Town is very beautiful, located on the banks of the Limmat River with lots of medieval buildings and narrow streets. If you like nature you can go to the Zoologischer Garten (Zoological Garden) and the Botanischer Garten (Zurich Botanic Garden). The Botanical Garden contains more than 15 000 living plants and its herbarium has the amazing 3 million plants. One should not miss the beautiful Grossm?nster Cathedral ? some parts of it dating from the 11th century. Its 3 storey towers also offer some gorgeous views of the city. Schloss Kyburg is also a recommended place ? the biggest castle in the eastern part of the country. It now houses a museum with art and armor from the Middle Ages. You can also visit the Urania Observatory, Landesmuseum (Swiss National Museum), Uetliberg and many more.
Geneve yet another important centre in Switzerland, located in its south-western part. The city is near Lake Geneva, between the Alps and the Jura Mountains. Palais des Nations houses the headquarters of the United Nations and is the second largest building in Europe. It is open for visit and there are guided tours available. Just across the entrance you will find another interesting place ? the Mus'e International de la Croix-Rouge et du Croissant-Rouge (International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum). There you will experience the history of the Red Cross from its founding in 1863 till present times. Maison Tavel is the oldest house in Geneva (14th century) and is now open as a museum. From Mont Sal've and Mont Blanc one can enjoy some amazing views of Geneve and its surroundings.
Last but not least, Basle is another city from the Euro 2008. The settlement is very old and is still the most important cultural centre of Switzerland. It is located on the Rhine River, surrounded by the Jura Mountains. In Basel there are numerous galleries and museums, but you can go to Kunstmuseum (Fine Arts Museum), Museum f'r Gegenwartskunst (Museum for Contemporary Art), Foundation Beyeler (a gallery of modern art), Historisches Museum Barf?sserplatz and Kunsthalle (also a gallery). Spalentor (Spalen Gate) is a gate from the 15th century which marks the end of the medieval part of the city. M'nster (Basel Cathedral) is also very popular, built in the 11th century. It offers some beautiful views of the Rhine River, Germany and Pfalz (the palace).
This is where my list of nice places to visit in Switzerland ends. Of course, there are numerous other interesting sites in the country ? one could say that every corner of Switzerland is beautiful. I do hope I was helpful to those who would like to see more than the football games.
Both Daniel Millions & Ivaylo are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Daniel Millions has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lose Weight, Cars and Writing. If love you sports betting such as and yo. Daniel Millions's top article generates over 301000 views. to your Favourites.
Ivaylo has sinced written about articles on various topics from Vacation, Real Estate and Vienna Travel. Ivaylo Yordanov is the author and can provide you with additional tourist info about Switzerland. Additionally, more comprehensive information is available at:. Ivaylo's top article generates over 18100 views. to your Favourites.
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