A titanic battle in the UEFA Euro 2024 takes place at Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on Thursday as two-time title winner Spain take on defending champion Italy in a Group B showdown. Spain, who rolled past Croatia 3-0 in their group-stage opener, captured the crown in Euro 2012 to become the first back-to-back winners in tournament history. Italy are looking to become the second, and they began that mission by edging Albania 2-1 in their first group-stage contest. The Italians got past the Spaniards on penalties in the Euro 2020 semifinals before knocking off England in identical fashion for the title.

Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET. The Spaniards are +125 favorites (risk $100 to win $125) in the latest Spain vs. Italy odds via SportsLine consensus, while the Italians are +260 underdogs. A 90-minute draw is priced at +200, and the over/under for total goals scored is 2.5 (For more soccer coverage, click here).

Before you lock in your Italy vs. Spain picks or Euro 2024 predictions, you need to see what proven soccer expert Martin Green has to say.

After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide. Last year, Green was profitable in multiple areas on his soccer picks, including the Champions League (+3.05 units), FA Cup (+3.07), EFL Cup (+4.47) and Euro 2024 qualifiers (+6.30), among others. He also was solid with his Premier League picks this year, going 30-22-1 (+7.07).

Green knows that under manager Luis de la Fuente, Spain have lost just one of their 11 competitive matches, winning seven straight. The Spaniards have gone 10-2-1 in their last 13 overall contests and have defeated Italy 2-1 in each of their last two meetings - both in the semifinals of the UEFA Nations League (2021, 2023). Striker Alvaro Morata opened the scoring for Spain in the opener of this tournament with his 35th goal, tying him for fourth place on the national team's all-time list.  

The expert also has taken into account that Italy are riding a seven-game unbeaten streak across all competitions (5-2-0) and have lost just one of their last 12 (8-3-1). After falling behind just 23 seconds into their group-stage opener, Italy took a 2-1 lead on goals by defender Alessandro Bastoni in the 11th minute and midfielder Nicolo Barella in the 16th and never relinquished it. 

For Thursday, Green has taken an in-depth look at the Spain vs. Italy matchup and is leaning Over on the goal total. He also has released a pair of confident best bets, including one that offers a plus-money payout, and is offering a full breakdown of this Euro 2024 match. You ABSOLUTELY need to see his picks and analysis before making any selections of your own. 

Who wins Spain vs. Italy on Thursday, and where does all the betting value lie? ... Join SportsLine now to see Martin Green's best bets for Italy vs. Spain, all from the soccer expert who has been profitable in multiple areas on his soccer picks.