Wales entertain Belgium next Monday in a crunch 2026 World Cup qualifier. Will Craig Bellamy’s side stay focused on Thursday?
England vs Wales Betting MarketsOddsHarry Kane Anytime Goalscorer-138Marcus Rashford Anytime Goalscorer+162England Over 2.5 Goals+125
All odds are courtesy of bet365, correct at the time of publishing and subject to change.
Are goals the value play for England against Wales?
England defied most pre-game expectations in their impressive 5-0 away win in Belgrade over Serbia last month. Thomas Tuchel’s men took further control of their 2026 World Cup qualifying group with the three points, and the way they won suggested the players were increasingly adapting to Tuchel’s style of play.
Prior to the win over the Serbians, England had only managed four goals in their previous three games, two of which were against minnows Andorra.
Betting markets are uncertain about whether England’s upcoming friendly with Wales will see plenty of goals. Their last three meetings have seen three goals scored per game, and England have scored eight of the nine goals.
It’s therefore surprising to see that the betting markets believe there is less than a 45% chance of England scoring three or more goals on Thursday.
Question marks surround the fitness of Harry Kane, who sustained a minor foot injury last weekend. However, the England captain is determined to play, especially since he’s the only in-form striker Tuchel has at his disposal right now.
Kane has scored a staggering 11 goals in six Bundesliga matches so far this season. Meanwhile, the likes of Ollie Watkins and Marcus Rashford have managed just one goal apiece so far in 2025/26.
England’s goal line is particularly appealing given Wales’ focus elsewhere. They have bigger fish to fry next Monday when they host Belgium in Cardiff. Victory there could put them in contention to top their 2026 World Cup qualifying group.
Wales’ boss, Craig Bellamy, may choose to rotate his own squad at Wembley to avoid any unnecessary injuries prior to the Belgium game. That could give players like Watkins, Rashford and co. the chance to shine, regain their scoring form, and boost their confidence in front of goal.
Diving into the Anytime Goalscorer market
Providing Kane passes a fitness test, backing the England skipper to score any time on Thursday looks like a sound move. The Bayern icon boasts an incredible domestic strike rate of 183% so far this season.
Internationally, Kane’s strike rate has also been a rock-solid 83.33% in 2025, netting five goals in six appearances in an England shirt.
Despite this, the betting markets believe there’s only a 56.50% chance of him scoring on Thursday. Based on the above data, it seems like a serious value play, providing the foot injury is one he can easily shrug off.
Marcus Rashford has previously scored against the Welsh national team. He scored two of England’s three goals in their comfortable win in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The on-loan Barcelona forward has yet to make a major impact at the Nou Camp but has been a regular fixture in Hansi Flick’s side. Consequently, he could also be a value pick to score any time on Thursday at a current probability of just 37.04%.