ENGLAND VS CROATIA PRE-KICKOFF BETTING ODDS

Stanjames.com has some solid odds on tonight's England match and we're all expecting plenty of excitement in tonight's Wembley fixture. England are listed as distinct favourites at nearly every betting site and Stanjames is no exception, with the English listed at a 4/7 price. Odds-on favourites for sure, but there are so many variables on this game- including the ghosts of the McLaren era, to really put an accurate prediction on what the exact margin will be. Croatia are 5/1 for the win while the draw is listed at 11/4. Personally, I think Slaven Bilic's comments will have riled up the English team, and in particular its core star-players like John Terry, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard. These men are icons of the sport and they ooze England from every orifice. I think they will all start with some extra bounce in their step tonight and it could be what makes the difference. There are big question marks over who will partner Wayne Rooney in the attack, and my money is going to be on the in-form Jermain Defoe. Typically, Fabio Capello has deployed Rooney with a bigger player, but I think Rooney could be the real battering ram here, opening up space for Defoe to operate. Wayne Rooney is at evens to score anytime while Defoe carries a 5/4 price tag. Steve Gerrard is listed at 7/4 with Stanjames alongside Frank Lampard. Peter Crouch will likely get on the field at one point and he is a slim 2/1 to score. Carlton Cole and Emile Heskey are at 9/4 and I think the odds indicate that the bookies think Defoe will get the nod to start. David Beckham and Ashley Young are both listed at 7/2 to score while Aaron Lennon and James Milner are alongside Shaun Wright-Phillips at 4/1. Michael Carrick and John Terry are both available at 5/1. One of the most interesting aspects of betting at Stanjames is that you can back scorecasts using the first or last goalscorer instead of just the first. I'm predicting England to win with goals from Rooney and Defoe.