THE Republic of Ireland will face Bulgaria in the Hristo Botev Stadium in the first leg of their UEFA Nations League promotion/relegation clash on Thursday.
Bulgaria vs Republic of Ireland betting tips
- Ireland to win or draw – 1/3 with SBK
- No in BTTS – 4/6 with Spreadex
- Under 2.5 goals – 40/85 with BetVictor
Bulgaria vs Republic of Ireland odds
Find our latest Bulgaria vs Republic of Ireland betting odds here. All odds are provided by our recommended football bookmakers and are subject to change.
Bulgaria vs Republic of Ireland predictions
The Boys in Green are back in action in a two legged UEFA Nations League promotion/relegation tie against Bulgaria.
The first leg is on the road in Plovdiv, with the second leg taking place at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday.
There is plenty at stake in this tie. If Ireland lose they will be relegated to League C of the Nations League. The Bulgarians seek promotion from League C to B at Ireland’s expense.
Heimir Hallgrimsson‘s team haven’t played since their forgettable 5-0 humbling by England in November. The result meant Ireland finished third in League B with six points from six matches.
Bulgaria sealed their place in the promotion/relegation playoff with a 1-1 home draw with Belarus on Matchday 6. The stalemate secured a second place finish in their League C group with nine points from six matches.
Bulgaria vs Republic of Ireland betting tips
Heimir Hallgrimsson has reiterated his desire for Ireland to remain in the second tier of the UEFA Nations League. To do that, he needs to beat Bulgaria over two legs. Here’s our match betting tips for Thursday’s first leg:
Ireland to win or draw – 1/3 (SBK)
Bulgaria manager Ilian Iliev tendered his resignation in recent days after arguments about him doubling up and also managing at domestic level with Cherno More. The offer was rejected, and for now, Iliev is still in charge of the national team.
It’s easy to see why the Bulgarian hierarchy are keen to keep him. The team has tightened up defensively under Iliev. They only conceded six goals in their six Nations League matches, and five of them came against Northern Ireland in one match.
The problem is Bulgaria doesn’t score many, and they don’t win many matches either. The hosts drew three of their six Nations League matches and only scored three goals on their way to claiming nine points.
Along with the turmoil in the camp, Ireland should have enough quality to not lose the match at the very least.
Back the Republic of Ireland to win in the draw no bet market at 1/3 with SBK
No in both teams to score – 4/6 (Spreadex)
Both teams scored in just one of Bulgaria’s six Nations League matches. Ilian Iliev’s team scored just three goals and conceded six (don’t forget, five were in the one match).
It was the same story for the Irish. Both teams scored in just one of their six. Ireland found the net just three times, and conceded 11, with five coming in one match.
Back no in both teams to score at 4/6 with Spreadex
Under 2.5 goals – 40/85 (BetVictor)
If you think this match has a feel of 1-1 about it, rather than 1-0 or 0-0, then under 2.5 goals might be the way to go.
Like with the tip above in both teams to score, we know this isn’t going to be an end to end footballing master class.
We all know how Ilian Iliev will set up his Bulgaria team, and we all know that Heimir Hallgrimsson will want to ensure his team doesn’t come back to the Aviva Stadium needing to overturn a deficit.
Don’t expect much goalmouth action when the two teams meet.
Back under 2.5 goals at 40/85 with BetVictor
How to watch Bulgaria vs Republic of Ireland
- Location: Hristo Botev Stadium, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
- Date and time: Thursday 20th March, 7.45pm GMT.
- How to watch: RTE 2.
About the author
Craig Mahood
Craig Mahood is an expert in sports betting and online casinos and has worked with the company since 2020. He joined the Betting & Gaming team at The Sun in June 2022 and works closely with the leading bookmakers and online gaming companies to provide content on all areas of sports betting and gaming. He previously worked as a Digital Sports Reporter at the Scottish Sun, covering Scottish football with particular focus on Celtic and Rangers, As well as football, he has covered horse racing, boxing, darts, the Olympics and tennis for the Sun.
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