Scotland vs. Ukraine World Cup Playoff Betting: Tartan Army to celebrate a home win

Scotland and Ukraine meet in this World Cup 2022 playoff semi-final at Hampden, Glasgow, on Wednesday in a match set for a 19:45 GMT kick-off.

This match was postponed for several months due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine involving Russia, with the national soccer team afforded extra time to ensure they have a fit squad and players with their focus on playing this game. Ukraine are now in a position to play, and their opponents are eager to make up for lost time.

During the weight for Scotland v Ukraine, we see Wales book their place in the Qatar 2022 playoff final. The Dragons will meet the winner of this game in Cardiff on Sunday from 17:00. Will Wales be playing Scotland or Ukraine? Read on as we preview this crucial midweek match.

Scotland vs. Ukraine Betting Odds and Match Information

• This is a World Cup playoff semi-final, with the winner progressing to the final, where they will play Wales in Cardiff.
• Scotland finished as runners up behind Denmark in World Cup qualifying Group F thanks to a five-match winning run.
• Ukraine finished second in World Cup qualifying Group D, finishing six points behind France with two wins and six draws.
• Venue & Location: Hampden Park (Glasgow, Scotland)
• Kick-Off Time: 2:45 p.m. Eastern Time (7:45 p.m. local time)

Scotland vs. Ukraine Betting Odds

Odds are from Bovada Sportsbook.

Moneyline

• Scotland to win +128
• Draw +190
• Ukraine to win +235

Over/Under

• Over 2.5 goals (+165)
• Under 2.5 goals (-200)

Both teams to score

• Yes +122
• No -155

Scots raring to go

Scotland were impressive in their World Cup European qualifying group when finishing second behind convincing pool winners Denmark. The Scots endured a slow start to the campaign but managed to finish with a flurry.

Steve Clarke’s men won each of their last five group games to secure the silver medal position, posting stats of seven wins, two draws and one defeat. They even beat the Danes on matchday 10 to wreck their hopes of finishing with a 100% record.

The Scots posted 23 points which was just four fewer than Denmark, leaving fans wondering what could have been if the team had started a little stronger. They enjoy an emphatic unbeaten run of form and will feel ready to continue their winning ways in this playoff.

Last five results for Scotland (3W-2D)

• Austria (away): Drew 2-2
• Poland (home): Drew 1-1
• Denmark (home): Won 2-0
• Moldova (away): Won 2-0
• Faroe Islands (away): Won 1-0

The results above show Scotland are unbeaten in their last five matches, but that purple patch goes back even further with eight games unbeaten, including six victories. The wins all came in competitive action, with both draws suffered back to back in friendly games against Poland and Austria – warm-up matches for this game.

Scotland’s last competitive defeat was inflicted by Denmark on the opening day of September last year, away from home. Since then, Scotland have beaten Moldova and Austria 1-0, Israel 3-2, Faroe Islands 1-0, Moldova and Denmark 2-0 before ending 1-1 with Poland and 2-0 with Austria.

Ukraine are up against it

Preparation for this playoff match has been far from ideal for Ukraine, with several of the country’s leading sportsmen abandoning training and taking up arms to defend their country. The Russian occupation of Ukraine is showing no signs of slowing down, and sports fans in the region would be forgiven for having other things on their mind.

A collection of supporters will turn out at Hampden on Wednesday evening as they aim to cheer their side on to the play-off final in Cardiff at the weekend. The visiting players know it will be an emotional occasion, but they are in a position to give everyone back home a reason to smile.

Will they achieve that? Ukraine ended second behind France in World Cup qualifying Group D with stats of just two wins against six draws, scoring 11 goals but conceding eight. The dozen points collected left Ukraine six off the pace and one better than Finland in third.

Last five results for Ukraine

• Bosnia & Herzegovina (away): Won 2-0
• Bulgaria (home): Drew 1-1
• Bosnia & Herzegovina (home): Drew 1-1
• Finland (away): Won 2-1
• Czech Republic (away): Drew 1-1

Ukraine’s last five results are promising ahead of this match, but there’s more to learn when digging a little deeper. This will be the visitor’s first competitive match of the year, with their last outing coming back in November when beating Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0.

The problem for Ukraine – apart from the six months without a match – is they have managed to win just one game since October, and that’s a worry. There may not be too much to take from a winning run, but Ukraine have been scoring goals, and we can take clues from the stats.

Back Scotland to win to nil

That’s an impressive run, but it gets even more interesting when learning the Scots conceded late against Poland when winning 1-0 and twice against Austria when 2-0 to the good. Their form encourages us to follow the trends, and we will suggest backing Scotland to win to nil or a 2-0 correct score for the home team.

Where will the goals come from for Scotland in this most crucial of matches? Che Adams has scored two in Scotland’s last four matches, and the striker will be asked to fire his side into the final with another important goal or two.

Scotland vs. Ukraine Betting Tip – Scotland win to nil @ +220 (Bovada Sportsbook)