Mixed martial arts Wales vs Ukraine Bet Builder Tips: Sunday June 5th
It’s the biggest match in years for both of these nations. Wales host Ukraine with a place at the 2022 World Cup on the line. 29 of the 32 places have been decided and the winner of this one will join England, Iran and the United States in Group B.
Wales got through after beating Austria in the semi-final of this Path A showdown. That was back in March which has given them plenty of time to prepare for this. Ukraine have a tight turnaround after beating Scotland in midweek after that semi-final meeting was postponed. They have just a four-day turnaround to get things right.
These two nations have met in the past but not for some time. Their most recent encounter was a friendly back in 2016 which saw Ukraine triumph 1-0 in Kyiv. The only previous competitive meetings between the two nations came way back in 2001. Wales and Ukraine played out two 1-1 draws while attempting to qualify for the 2002 World Cup.
Get more tips for this match on our Wales vs Ukraine Tips Page
Wales boss Robert Page played in those matches. He stood little chance of reaching the World Cup as a player but things are different now he is the manager. The bookies have this one on a knife’s edge with the match handicap line at +0 and the goal line as low as 2.
Wales are the marginal favourites to win the match in 90 minutes at 2.70 with Ukraine out at 2.75. Both teams are available at 1.90 to qualify which shows the bookies just don’t know how to call it.
I think Wales will benefit from the match being in Cardiff. It’s a difficult place for any visiting national team. Wales haven’t lost a match on home soil since 2018. That’s 18 matches without defeat dispute hosting teams such as Croatia, Belgium and the Czech Republic twice.
But Ukraine are playing well. They haven’t lost any of their last nine matches in all competitions. They’ve won actually won four consecutive away games for the first time since a run of five in 2013.
Wales vs Ukraine Stats and Facts
- Both teams have scored in eight of Ukraine’s last nine matches in all competitions
- Wales have scored the opening goal in six of their last eight matches
- There have been under 2.5 goals scored in six of Wales’ last nine matches on home soil
- Five of the seven matches in the UEFA playoffs this year have been won by the home side. Ukraine’s win over Scotland in midweek was one of only two victories for a visiting nation
- Eight different players have scored Wales’s last nine goals in all competitions
Wales vs Ukraine Bet Builder Tips
- Wales to Qualify
- Under 4 goals in the Match for Both Teams Combined
- Vitaly Mykolenko to be Booked
Bet Builder is available at 12.00 Odds
I’m backing Wales to reach the World Cup in 2022. I think home advantage will make all the difference for Robert Page’s men who rarely lose in the Welsh capital. They look good value to get through the tie on home soil and that’s the first part of my bet builder.
The goal line is remarkably low at 2 here. Both teams scoring is a strong possibility considering Ukraine are involved which raises some question marks with that goal line. I’m going for over 0 goals in the match considering my final leg of the builder.
The success of this builder relies largely on its final leg. There is tremendous potential in the player booking market. Some players draw fouls and Wales have plenty of them, especially out wide. This could turn into a stretched, nervy match. The Welsh rely on width
The stats back this pick up. In four of Wales’s last five home matches, opposition full-backs have been booked. I’ve identified Ukraine’s Vitaliy Mykolenko as a likely candidate. The Everton defender is no stranger to a booking, especially in international matches. His domestic average is around one in 10 but that rate halves for Ukraine. The odds for the bet builder are excellent considering.
Odds via bet365 correct as at 10:30 on 3rd June 2022. Odds may now differ.
WHAT IS A BET BUILDER?
A bet builder is a kind of accumulator bet solely focussed on one match. A standard acca features multiple selections across different selections combined together into one bet. If one selection loses, the whole bet loses. A bet builder is similar but each selection is placed on the same match. Similar to the American prop bet, the bet builder goes into detail on a single match. Common selections include match outcome, total goals, cards, corners, and players to score.
