Football Betting
Premier League Betting
Thirty eight draws in a season will probably see Wolves relegated from the Premier League and so Mick McCarthy’s men need to start turning some of their promising performances into wins. 1-1 draws with Everton and Aston Villa and a good recovery to snatch a 2-2 draw at Stoke City have demonstrated that Wolves can compete, but they still hover perilously close to the relegation zone.
They host a free-scoring Arsenal side on Saturday afternoon and the Gunners will be looking to consolidate their place in the top Three and to take advantage of a slip up from one of the ‘big two’ who also meet this weekend. Despite the disappointment of their 2-2 draw at West Ham recently Arsenal are playing well and should be far too strong for Wolves.
Phil Brown would have been a little unlucky had he been sacked in the wake of Hull City’s defeat at Burnley on Saturday. A dubious penalty and a wondergoal from Geovanni wrongly chalked off contributed to the Tigers’ 2-0 reversal.
The pressure remains on Brown, however, and his side face a winnable but tricky tie against Stoke City on Sunday lunchtime. Tony Pulis team sit just two points behind Liverpool and Aston Villa and had they kept hold of their 2-0 lead against Wolves on Saturday we’d be talking about a European place. The Potters are hard to beat and I very much fancy them at 6/4 to pile more pressure on the under-fire Hull boss.
There are no bigger games in the Premier League these days than Chelsea against Manchester United and all eyes will be on Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon as the two title rivals go head to head.
Chelsea have been terrific this season so far, combining no small amount of flair and talent with their reputation for ruthless efficiency. United, on the other hand, have adopted a defensive tactic more suited to Ancelotti’s forefathers than the great Red traditions of old as they have grinded out points whilst simultaneously putting their watching fans to sleep. With recent form this one has a Chelsea win written all over it, but there is always a nagging suspicion that wily old Ferguson will have something up his sleeve for this type of match.
A defeat for Liverpool on Monday evening would mean they’d have lost exactly half their league fixtures so far this season. Six wins and five defeats is hardly title challenging form and the Reds over-reliance on Steven Gerrard and surprising lack of squad depth (considering Rafa’s spending) looks like making it another disappointing season for the Anfield faithful.
Birmingham City have acquitted themselves well so far this season and were unlucky not to take all three points in a spirited performance against Man City on Sunday. I think this might be a bridge too far for the Blues, however, but at 10/1 there are bound to be a few mischievous takers.
Premier League Betting
Championship Betting
It’s been a frustrating season for the Derby County faithful so far with their side producing some excellent wins punctuated by confidence-sapping defeats. The Rams have lost their last three league games including a 1-0 at bottom side Ipswich Town last time out and sit just two points above the Championship drop zone.
Coventry City’s recent form hasn’t been much better with no win since they beat Watford in September. Chris Coleman’s side sit just above Derby in the table and with both sides short on confidence and goals, the draw at 9/4 or the 0-0 draw at 15/2 look appealing.
It’s one of the most fiercely contested local derbies in the British football calendar on Saturday lunchtime as the two South Wales rivals meet at the Liberty Stadium. Paolo Sousa’s Swansea City side have beaten Sheffield United, QPR and West Brom this season and so can mix it with the big boys, but Cardiff City look increasingly like their long wait for promotion might come to an end this year. It’s a tough one to call but Chopra and Bothroyd can secure local bragging rights for the away side at 17/10.
Championship Betting
FA Cup Betting
When we talk about the ‘magic of the Cup’ it is worth remembering that with the exception of Portsmouth, Spurs and Everton (hardly a trio of no-hopers) one of the ‘Big Four’ has won the FA Cup every year since 1989.
Still, at this early stage anything is possible and so the minnows join the fallen giants as Round One of the Cup kicks off at lowly Paulton Rovers on Saturday lunchtime. The team from the Southern League Division One South and West host the mighty Norwich City who, lest we forget, finished third in the top flight as recently as 1993.
For a club in severe financial trouble a Cup run can provide lucrative income and that’s precisely what Northwich Victoria will be hoping for. The Vics take on League Two high fliers Charlton Athletic at the Victoria Stadium on Sunday and Phil Parkinson’s side will be looking to avoid an embarrassing defeat against the struggling Blue Square North side.
FA Cup Betting
SPL Betting
Hibernian have quietly manoeuvred themselves into second place in the Scottish Premier League this season with some excellent performances including a 1-1 draw at Ibrox and Saturday’s 2-0 win over Aberdeen. They make the short journey to Tynecastle this weekend to face a Hearts side languishing in the bottom half of the league. John Hughes has done a superb job at Hibs so far and they can continue their great start to the season with a victory at 15/8.
Celtic remain the team to beat north of the border and travel to Falkirk on Sunday. Tony Mowbray’s side beat the Bairns 4-0 in the Cup earlier in the season and I would expect a similar result on Sunday lunchtime.
Scottish Premier Betting
Eredivisie Betting
To say that Steve McLaren has achieved a career renaissance since taking the reins at Dutch Eredivisie outfit FC Twente would be something of an understatement. McLaren guided Twente to second place last season - the club’s highest ever league finish - and they sit on top of the league, undefeated, after twelve matches of this season.
Opponents in Holland come no bigger than Ajax who are visitors to the De Grolsche Weste on Sunday. Twente’s front line of Blaise N’Kufo and Bryan Ruiz continue to provide the goals and with Chelsea’s on-loan Slovakian Miroslav Stoch providing the service they can continue their fairy story with victory over Martin Jol’s side.
Football Betting
