People back underdogs in biggest sports events of 2020

Four in 10 think England will claim victory at Euro 2020

It is hoped Southgate will lead England to lift the trophy at Euro 2020 (AP)

People in Britain have been predicting the results of the biggest sporting events of 2020 - and they're backing the underdogs.

A survey of 2,000 adults revealed 53 per cent think an outsider could follow in the footsteps of Boris Becker and Martina Hingis by causing an upset on Centre Court at Wimbledon this summer.

There’s also good news for Gareth Southgate, with more than four in 10 thinking England will end their trophy drought by winning Euro 2020.

In boxing, ahead of their hotly anticipated rematch in the ring, 38 per cent believe Tyson Fury will defeat Deontay Wilder - while eight per cent are backing a shock second draw.

A spokesperson from Casumo, which recently launched their brand-new sportsbook, said: “It’s going to be an action-packed year of sport - and fans have given a fascinating insight into how they think it’s likely to pan out.

“The Premier League never fails to capture the imagination of followers, even those casual fans who don’t necessarily back a particular team.

“The top tier is shaping up once again to thrill us in the title race, the battle for the top four and of course the relegation scrap at the foot of the table.”

The study also saw Leicester City backed by a quarter of respondents to pull off the most shock results in the remainder of the Premier League season.

More than one in five think they can once again surprise the big boys by lifting the FA Cup for the first time in their history come May.

Sadly for some, 71 per cent are sure that VAR will continue to be used heading into the 2020/21 Premier League season.

In athletics, people in Britain don’t see so much success on the horizon this summer, with 55 per cent of respondents not backing Team GB to better their medal haul from four years ago - predicting they'll win no more than 20 golds.

There’s also bad news for rugby outsiders Italy, as four in 10 don’t think they will ever win the Six Nations championship.

It also emerged Leicester City's Premier League win in 2016 is considered the biggest sporting upset of all time, ahead of Greece winning Euro 2004 - and a 17-year-old Boris Becker winning Wimbledon in 1985.

From those surveyed, 46 per cent of respondents have never been involved in a sporting upset of their own - no doubt making cheering on an underdog to victory all the more appealing - according to the One Poll survey.

One in five have been on either end of winning or losing money as the result of a sporting upset – and 60 per cent say seeing an underdog pull off a surprise victory is one of their favourite things in sport.

Huge odds being stacked against them, overcoming adversity and simply being likeable were the main things that make the best sporting underdog according to those surveyed.

Leicester gained many fans following their title success, and 58 per cent of those polled support a Premier League team - with more than half also backing one or two clubs further down the football pyramid.

Just under a third of respondents support a team close by as they've either always lived in the area or adopted the team of where they have settled down.

Geographical location, parents' allegiance and clubs having the most success at the time were the main influences on those choosing which football team to support.

Casumo's spokesperson added: “It seems as though there is an instinctive human drive to support the underdog when pitted against a comparative giant.

“Many are thrilled when they witness a sporting upset as the results of the survey suggest - and by the looks of it, we can look forward to many more shocks in 2020."

SWNS