Scotland vs England predictions: Women's Nations League tips

Scotland Women vs England Women predictions

England have their work cut out if they are to make it to the Uefa Nations League finals in February and, in turn, secure Team GB’s place in the Women’s Football tournament for next year’s Olympics (BBC One, 7.45pm).

Tuesday’s game is set to be a strange encounter. The Lionesses head to Glasgow on Tuesday needing a heavy win over Scotland to secure top spot in League A Group 1 ahead of Netherlands.

The Dutch sit ahead of England courtesy of superior goal difference and take on Belgium, who can also top the group.

England need to better Netherlands’ result or beat Scotland by such a margin as to overturn the three-goal advantage the Dutch have on them. That’s a big ask but football betting sites aren’t writing off Sarina Wiegman's team just yet.

One of the sticking points in this game is that Scottish players hoping to compete for Great Britain in the Olympics need England to qualify for the Nations League Finals. 

With so many permutations at Hampden Park, new betting sites are working hard to set the right odds.

Below are our three football tips ahead of the final game in League A Group 1.

Expect goals at Hampden

No matter what happens in the Netherlands vs Belgium game, goals are what's expected in Glasgow this Tuesday. 

An average of 3.4 goals have been scored in the five games England have featured in since they lost the World Cup final in August. Scotland have witnessed 2.4 goals per game in that period.

England know what they need to do to put pressure on the Netherlands. So we're expecting goals. 

Lauren Hemp and Lauren James could lead the line, although Chloe Kelly may be dropped for Beth Mead. England relied on Georgia Stanway to begin the comeback against Netherlands at Wembley on Friday and she should start again.

Wiegman will want to start fast but it may not go all England’s way. Scotland deserved more than the 1-1 draw they earned in Belgium on Friday and scared the Lionesses back in September. 

With Mary Earps under the spotlight for her mistake against Netherlands, there’s no reason why Scotland won’t get on the scoresheet.

Unibet are offering odds of 17/5 on over 4.5 goals scored at Hampden, which we're backing with our first prediction.

England to win both halves?

This game has the potential to be ultra competitive but England could also simply dominate from the off. UK bookmakers have Scotland at 20/1 to win, which shows just how confident they are in England.

There’s very little value in backing an England win at 1/7, so instead the HT/FT market for England/England makes sense given their need for the three points. 

At 1/2 with Betfred there's atleast the potential to get a reasonable return for your stake if you believe England will start fast this time.

The big worry for England is what happens if they’re stung early on, like in the Netherlands game. Yes, Wiegman’s side should recover from going a goal down but when that fightback comes could be an issue for our prediction.

But, we're confident England will get the job done without a hitch on Tuesday, so the HT/FT is the choice we're making. For those who worry about England’s defensive frailties then there are other options available.

Hemp to score

Hemp has scored three goals in five games for England since the World Cup final. 

On Friday she started as the centre-forward with James and Kelly either side of her. She kept her place when Wiegman made changes, despite Alessia Russo coming on.

England still don’t have a firm alternative to Ellen White since the Euro 2022 winner retired. In Hemp they at least have a disciplined forward who can lead the line when required, even if she rarely does so for her club.

Hemp is likely start on Tuesday, potentially up top. Whether she stays there for the full 90 remains to be seen but she will get her chance in front of goal. 

A deadly finisher, she’s priced wider than Rachel Daly, Russo and Mead to score any time. Given her form and propensity to deliver in big games, we're backing her to score any time at 6/4 with 10Bet.

Joe Short is a freelance journalist and former editor at the Daily Express, covering politics, football, tennis and darts, among other things. He contributes sports betting tips for The Independent.