Category: Football Tips

Everton v West Brom: Toffees Still Dreaming of Champions League

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Everton currently lies eight points adrift of Liverpool in the race for the fourth and final Champions League qualifying spot ahead of this coming Saturday afternoon’s clash with West Bromwich Albion at Goodison Park.

A win for Ronald Koeman’s men would narrow the gap on their city rivals Liverpool to just five points, with Arsenal and Manchester United also still challenging strongly for a top four finish, something the Toffees haven’t achieved since 2004-05.

West Brom meanwhile, currently sitting eighth under Tony Pulis’ tutelage, go into the match on Merseyside just nine points short of their highest ever total of 49 in the Premier League. And with 11 matches still to play, the Baggies look in good shape to possibly even better their highest ever finish of eighth achieved in 2012/13.

However, to do so Pulis’ men could do with overcoming the Toffees on Saturday who currently holds a four-point advantage over them in seventh place. They will also have to contain the Premier League’s second top goalscorer Romelu Lukaku, who has bagged 18 goals already this season, one more than he finished with back in 2012/13 when on loan at The Hawthorns.

Everton to Win and Lukaku to Score a No Brainer

Everton’s number nine has been in imperious form of late, notching nine goals, seven of them in the league since the turn of the year, including four in one game against Bournemouth at the start of February. One goal more will see him beat his previous career high total of league goals, which he achieved last term while two goals will incredibly see him become the first Everton player since Gary Lineker in 1985/86 to hit 20+ league goals in a single season. The big Belgian has also scored his club’s first goal on eight occasions already this season and is the 3/1 favourite with BetFred and Ladbrokes to make it nine occasions on Saturday.

Koeman’s main concern, as always, will be how Everton will cope if something happens to Lukaku. Ross Barkley and right-back Seamus Coleman are Everton’s second top goal scorers thus far with a paltry four goals each, while West Brom’s Salomón Rondón is hardly streets ahead of them himself as West Brom’s top goalscorer with just seven goals this season and none since a hat-trick against Swansea in mid-December.

McAuley to Notch Once Again?

Baggies veteran centre-back Gareth McAuley, with six goals to his name to date, offers a huge threat in the air from set pieces, something Pulis perennially has his teams extremely well drilled on. The Northern Ireland international is a superb 13/1 with Paddy Power to increase his tally at any time on Saturday and a massive 35/1 to open the scoring, both wagers surely worth digging deep for.

However, with Lukaku in such impressive form and with Everton having lost just one league match at home all season, it’s difficult to look past them extending their record and my top tip for this one will be for the Toffees to come out on top in a match where both teams hit the back of the net. Bet365 will offer that exact outcome with lucrative odds of 3/1 available for any willing punters.

If Everton’s vociferous home support can cheer them to yet another victory on Saturday and a few other results go in their favour, the odds of Koeman’s men qualifying for the Champions League qualifying rounds for the first time in 12 years, currently on offer at 125/1 with Bet365, will undoubtedly lower. And if you’re thinking Everton achieving a top four finish is impossible, let’s just cast our minds back to Tuesday evening when Barcelona proved that sometimes dreams can come true when they sealed a stunning 6-5 aggregate victory over Paris Saint-Germain to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals despite losing the first leg in Paris 4-0.

As the great British poet and author C.S. Lewis once said: “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” Keep dreaming Everton fans, you just never know!

Arsenal vs. Bayern Munich Preview: Are the Gunners Mentally Broken?

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

If you’re an Arsenal fan you might want to look away now because this Champions League betting preview is neither going to be flattering or easy to stomach. Let’s start off by getting the elephant out of the room and into the open: Arsenal was poor against Bayern Munich and probably won’t overturn the 5-1 deficit so don’t bet on them progressing to the next round.

Now that’s out of the way, let’s take a look at why Arsene Wenger’s men flopped so spectacularly in Germany. For starters, the loss of Laurent Koscielny didn’t help. The centre-back has played a pivotal role for Arsenal this season and it’s no surprise that Bayern took the opportunity to capitalise on his removal from the game during the first leg. Three goals in ten minutes with Koscielny by the sidelines just goes to highlight his importance to the side.

The Injury Hurt but it’s the Mind that’s Suffering

However, although that injury blow effectively killed off the game and Arsenal’s chances of making the Champion’s League quarter-finals, it was the team’s mental state that was the main concern. With rumours swirling that Wenger will be out at the end of the season and Bayern having done a number on the Gunners in the past, the players appeared to break far too easily. In fact, it’s something Koscielny commented on to the media after the game.

Although Wenger downplayed the “mental problems” comment by suggesting his vice-captain meant the team lacked confidence against Bayern, it appears as though the rot may have set in. Any time a player stands up and suggests there’s a psychological epidemic running through the side, it should raise a red flag to fans. Whether or not the Frenchman’s assessment is correct or not, the mere fact he said it is enough to cause an issue.

With this in mind, it’s hard to see how Arsenal can recover on March 7. Four unanswered goals would do it for them and, if you’re in the mood for a punt, you can currently get odds of 66/1 on that happening with Sun Bets. Now, while that might be a few goals too far, the second leg shouldn’t be seen as all doom and gloom for Arsenal. In fact, the betting odds suggest that the game might actually be quite close.

The Odds are Close but is the Mental Divide too Wide?

Paddy Power has its betting line set at Arsenal to win 2/1 and Bayern to win 13/10. In a similar vein, Coral’s odds makers have it 15/8 for Arsenal and 6/5 for the visitors. From this perspective, the odds aren’t predicting another 5-1 romp for Bayern. Part of that could be due to the fact Koscielny and Aaron Ramsey are likely to be fit for the game. With some extra meat in the middle and a steady head at the back, Arsenal could easily pinch a result.

Sun Bet’s 9/1 on a 2:1 win for Arsenal doesn’t look bad at the price, while Paddy Power’s 12/5 on the draw could offer some decent value. Of course, even with two key players returning, it may not be enough. If Arsenal is suffering from mental problems as Koscielny said, it will be a long night in London. A single goal early could break the team’s spirit and, if that happens, we could be on for another high scoring game.

While we’re unlikely to see Wenger’s men give up five goals at home, 3-1 Bayern looks a strong bet with odds of 14/1 at Coral. There’s no doubt Arsenal will want to salvage at least some sort of consolation from the game, but if those psychological demons strike at any point, then it’s hard to see how they’ll win the match let alone the tie.

Napoli v Real Madrid: Partenopei Face Uphill Battle To Progress

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

European football’s premier club competition, the Champions League, returns on Tuesday evening with 11-times champions Real Madrid travelling to Naples aiming to secure their place in the quarter-final draw.

They will take a two-goal advantage into the match in southern Italy after recording a 3-1 victory in the first leg at the Bernabeu three weeks ago. However, Lorenzo Insigne’s opening goal for the visitors that night gives the passionate Partenopei supporters real hope that their heroes can overturn their two-goal deficit and progress at the expense of their more illustrious opponents.

Madrid Looking for ‘La Dos Décima’

Reigning European champions Real, who defeated cross-city rivals Atlético on penalties in last May’s final in Milan to win their 11th title, overcame that early goal from Insigne thanks to goals from Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos and a stunning Casemiro volley to put themselves in the driving seat for a place in the tournament’s last eight.

And despite a concerning run of form of late for Zinedine Zidane’s men, a run including defeat on the road at Valencia and dropped points at home to Las Palmas, leading some dramatists to declare it a crisis, Los Merengues will head into Tuesday’s match in the intimidating atmosphere of the Stadio San Paolo as the overwhelming favourites to emerge as aggregate victors. BetVictor are currently quoting them as low as 1/12 to progress and 9/2 to become the first club since Arrigo Sacchi’s dominant AC Milan of the late 1980s and early 1990s to retain the much-coveted trophy.

Napoli, under the guidance of Maurizio Sarri, finished top of their group in the pool stages and will be hoping Real suffer from stage fright as the club strive to move a giant step closer towards winning the ultimate prize in club football, adding to their sole previous European triumph when the legendary Diego Maradona inspired them to UEFA Cup glory in 1991.

Napoli Out to Overcome Long Odds

Currently sitting third in the Serie A table behind dominant leaders Juventus and second-placed Roma, Napoli is a huge but tempting 6/1 with Ladbrokes to overcome the odds and the doubters to eliminate the current holders.

They do however possess the necessary firepower to achieve the impossible with the likes of Insigne, Belgian forward Dries Mertens, former Madridista José María Callejón and goalscoring captain Marek Hamšík within their ranks. Mertens, Napoli’s top scorer in the competition with four to date and an impressive 16 goals in Serie A this season is a tempting 5/1 with Sky Bet to open the scoring, while Callejón is a tasty 13/2 to net first against his former employers.

However, if the Italian giants are to progress in the competition, they will need to shut out Real’s own trio of superstars, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Welshman Gareth Bale who has extra motivation to reach a third final in four seasons with his home city of Cardiff set to host this year’s showpiece event.

Ronaldo to Renew Rivalry with Reina

Ronaldo, Real’s leading marksmen once again this term with 18 league goals, has yet to hit the heights in Europe during this campaign, netting just twice to date. He is nevertheless the favourite with Sky Bet to silence the home fans with the game’s first goal at 7/2, while he is 9/1 with the same bookmaker to claim a sixth career Champions League hat-trick.

The man tasked with the responsibility of stopping his former Manchester United rival Ronaldo and his fellow superstars will be Spanish international goalkeeper Pepe Reina, born in Madrid and son of Miguel who donned the gloves for Real’s arch-rivals Barcelona and Atlético Madrid during his own distinguished career. Reina Jr, a beaten finalist with Liverpool in 2007, is 4/1 to keep a clean sheet with Paddy Power. If he can achieve such an impressive feat and his teammates can find two goals from somewhere, Napoli will progress on away goals at Real’s expense.

Anything can happen in football of course and I may find a spare fiver from somewhere to wager on Napoli achieving a major shock. But I wouldn’t bet my mortgage on it!

Tottenham v Everton Preview: Hedge Your Bets on this One

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

“We’ve had good results against really good teams and that gives everyone the confidence to get a good result on Sunday.” That’s what Everton manager Ronald Koeman recently told the club’s official website when asked about their impending clash with second-place Tottenham.

Reviewing the Toffees’ season-to-date, a season that’s seen them beat Manchester City, Arsenal and pick up a point against Manchester United, Koeman is confident his players have the skills to win on March 5. However, as buoyed by these results as Koeman may be, Mark Lawrenson can’t see Everton maintaining their current streak of nine games unbeaten.

Despite acknowledging the quality of the side, Tottenham’s defensive abilities and their desire to bounce back from a disappointing Europa League exit will be enough to tip the balance according to Lawro.

“Generally Spurs are very good defensively and, at the other end, they just ripped the Potters apart last week – Harry Kane’s hat-trick was top drawer. I know Everton are nine games unbeaten in the league, but going to White Hart Lane and continuing that run is a huge ask,” Lawrenson told BBC sport.

The Battle Between the Physical and the Mental

Ahead of the match, it seems as though one of two factors could decide this game. On the one hand, those in favour of Tottenham can look towards the team’s superior physical skills. With Harry Kane currently banging in goals for fun and leading the Premier League’s top scorer race, there’s no doubt Everton will be under pressure from the off. In fact, when you factor in the loss of defensive midfielder Muhamed Besic due to an injury, Everton may be forced into their shell in a bid to stop Kane from running riot.

On the other hand, Everton supporters could feasibly claim that their players will have the psychological edge heading into the match. As Koeman has pointed out, big results from big games this season bodes well for the upcoming fixture. Add to that the fact Everton picked up a point against Spurs the last time they met on top of a nine-run win streak and supporters have every right to be confident. There’s no doubt the absence of Besic and Yannick Bolasie will hurt, but maybe the team’s mindset can overcome this hurdle.

Indeed, with Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Danny Rose and Erik Lamela all looking unlikely, the time may be right for Everton to do a bit better than a point. If the boys in blue can ride this wave of confidence, 9/2 on a win with Sun Bets looks to be a strong price. On the flip side, those with the confidence that physical skills will overcome mental agility can find odds of 4/6 on Tottenham at Coral.

Double Your Bets for a Chance to Win Twice

For those looking to sniff out a bargain, Paddy Power’s weekend “2 Up” offer may be worth taking. If Spurs can bag a couple of quick goals, you’ll be paid out instantly at 8/13 regardless of the end result. Given that we could easily see Everton fight back and earn a point as they did last time out, this could be a great way to hedge your bets. By combining Paddy Power’s offer with Coral’s 3/1 on the draw you to pick up two wins on what looks to be a highly likely outcome.

With both teams playing well and positives on both sides, Tottenham v Everton looks set to be an entertaining but close game. Current league standings would suggest the home side will just edge it. However, if you’re willing to double your bets and use some online offers, the draw could be the wisest move you’ll make this weekend.

More Travel Sickness for Chelsea

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Under Antonio Conte, today’s Chelsea squad is enriched with an abundance of talent and leadership that is the envy of all.

Meanwhile, West Ham’s future in the Premier League remains uncertain but not necessarily bleak. A strong January transfer window, which saw the arrival of dead ball specialist Robert Snodgrass, appears to have given the team a massive boost.

The ninth-placed Hammers are now in a good position to finish in the top half and build from there. Sadly, a European finish is seemingly out of the question.

Unsurprisingly, just one bookmaker is now offering odds for West Ham to achieve a top-six berth. The certifiably insane can back the Hammers to pull this off at 250/1 with Bet 365.

Can Bilic restore the faith?

West Ham has not made a particularly impressive start to life at the London Stadium. Yet, aside from two league defeats at home (to both Manchester clubs), 2017 has begun reasonably well for the East End club.

Neutrals will also do well to remember that the Hammers have already beaten Chelsea at home this season. That victory came in the EFL Cup fourth round on 26 October.

Tellingly, Bilic’s battlers have also scored twice against Chelsea in three of the last four encounters. That noted, Chelsea has seldom conceded against West Ham without response. Ultimately, this means that the Anytime Goalscorer Double market is a potential goldmine ahead of Monday evening.

Adventurous bettors may be willing to explore less obvious options, but at 11/2 (William Hill), the inclusion of Diego Costa and Andy Carroll on the scoresheet is a tempting proposition to back.

Awayday Blues

The EFL Cup exit was, in many ways, the best thing that could have happened to Chelsea. With no other distractions, Conte’s side became unplayable over the autumn of 2016. Though Chelsea is seemingly invincible at home, away games have occasionally disrupted the flow of West London’s finest.

One notable case in hand is Chelsea’s recent trip to Turf Moor. Drawing 1-1 in a flurry of East Lancashire sleet and hostility, the Blues badly under-performed against a spirited Burnley side. Not long before that came a 2-0 defeat at White Hart Lane. The latter match was comfortably Chelsea’s worst performance of this season to date.

Those matches are just two examples of Chelsea’s fallibility on the road, making Monday night’s London derby very difficult to predict. Therefore, we delve into the HT/FT market for potential gems.

West Ham owe it to the oft-suffering home faithful to make a strong start, and Bet Victor is currently offering generous odds of 19/1 for Chelsea to gain a draw after trailing at halftime.

Our Prediction

For away sides, Sky’s Monday Night Football represents the ultimate experience in crowd hostility and subjective scrutiny. It was a psychological test which Liverpool failed with flailing colours in the most recent edition – the heavy favourites went down 3-1 at relegation-battling Leicester.

The context of a local rivalry multiplies any impending psychological hardships many fold. For all its self-evident skill, the Chelsea starting XI will have to fight its way through hell for three points.

The official Betcirca prediction is West Ham 2-2 Chelsea. This exact scoreline can be backed at a market-high of 18/1 with Bet365.

City To Run Riot At The Stadium Of Light

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

PREMIER League basement boys Sunderland faces a very tough test on Sunday when they host Man City at the Stadium of Light, and I don’t give the Black Cats much hope of moving off the bottom of the table in this one.

David Moye’s has a massive job on his hands to keep this Sunderland side in the top flight and with injuries piling up and other teams around them getting results I am not surprised that they are just 1.14 for the drop.

The home side is in free-fall after just one win in their last 11 matches, and there looks little to no chance that they can pull off an 11.00 surprise win with Bet365 against a City side that arrives here in rampant form.

Pep Guardiola’s side has finally hit their stride and is still going strong in three tournaments; last week’s 5-3 Champions League win over Monaco was the best match of the season so far, and with 11 wins from their last 15 matches, they will get the job done again at the weekend.

The bookies, however, are taking no chances and rate the visitors just 1.30 to close the gap on leaders Chelsea with a win, which might interest you if you are a big staking punter, but even though I do anticipate another City success, I will just be including them in my Premier League accumulator.

City has now scored at least two goals in their last EIGHT matches and against a Sunderland that have failed to score in FIVE of their last six games that bring a couple of alternative ways to get with City.

In two of the last three meetings in this fixture, City has won by a 4-1 margin and another easy afternoon is expected. I would take the visitors to cover the -1.5 on the Asian handicap which is 1.81 with BetVictor.

Also in SEVEN of the last eight clashes between the two, over 2.5 goals has been a winning bet, and with City more than capable of doing that on their own, that also looks appealing at the general quotes of 1.45 with most bookies.

Sergio Aguero has capitalised on regaining his place in the starting line-up due to the injury to Gabriel Jesus, and the Argentinian who scored twice in the win against Monaco and four in his last three starts against Sunderland looks an outstanding bet to open the goal scoring again in this latest meeting at 3.50 with BetVictor.