Category: Football

Can England and Germany March on to Russia 2018?

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

There is no greater rivalry in world football than England versus Scotland. It is the oldest international football fixture dating back to 1872. There is nothing that Scottish fans love more than to defeat the “auld enemy” and they will have every chance to witness that on Friday. England takes on Scotland in a World Cup qualifier that will be vital for both countries chances of making it to Russia 2018. Both teams are coming into this match with recent setbacks to overcome.

England had a disastrous Euro 2016 and the defeat to Iceland was a new low for English international football. Scotland has had their fair share of problems too. Recent qualifying defeats have placed their manager Gordon Strachan under pressure. The consensus is that Scotland will find England a tough nut to crack at Wembley.

Going With the Money

If your betting strategy is to go with the betting masses for this fixture, you can get 4/11 on an England win with William Hill and Coral. The Scots will be really pumped up for this game, and their players will need no motivation to do well. Scotland came to Wembley three years ago for a friendly against England and only lost 3-2 after twice taking the lead.

Scotland will clearly fancy their chances against what is a suspect England team. If Scotland can get an early goal and rattle England, then anything could happen. If you fancy an upset then BetVictor are a best priced 19/2 on a Scotland victory and they quote 19/5 for the draw.

Surely No Chance for San Marino

Germany plays their next Group C fixture on their march to Russia 2018 against San Marino. There is no chance whatsoever of a San Marino victory even though they are the home side. There have been discussions over the years as to whether or not little San Marino should even be an international team at all.

So betting on anything other than a Germany win would be futile. In fact, the odds for a Germany win are so prohibitive that only the alternative odds markets will appeal to bettors. Bet365, for example, quote odds of 6/1 for a 5-0 German victory. That bet could well be worth taking. San Marino is unlikely to score, while Germany will surely score at least three times making those odds quite attractive.

Will Germany Win Group C

German manager Joachim Low has just signed a new contract until 2020. He is leading Germany and trying to defend the trophy they won two years ago. Germany currently lead Group C with maximum points from their opening three matches.

There is nothing to suggest that Germany will not win this group easily given the competition they will face. The Czech Republic are a shadow of their former selves, while Azerbaijan and Northern Ireland are clearly not good enough to top the group. Germany will surely have four wins from four matches by Friday evening.

North London Derby: Arsenal To Pile More Misery On Spurs?

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Regardless of players or league position, the first North London derby of the season is always one of the most hotly-anticipated fixtures on the Premier League calendar – and this Sunday the stakes couldn’t be higher, as Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur go into the game in second and fifth in the table respectively.

While November has traditionally been something of a troublesome month for Arsene Wenger’s men, the Gunners took the first steps to banishing their winter blues with a 3-2 comeback victory against Bulgarian champions Ludogorets in the Champions League on Tuesday, despite being two-nil down after 15 minutes.

The same certainly could not be said for Tottenham the following evening as Mauricio Pochettino’s side continued to struggle to adapt to their temporary Wembley surroundings; turning in an insipid display in their 1-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen. The result came as part of a wider slump that has seen Spurs fail to win in their previous six games, making it far from the ideal time to travel to the home of their bitter rivals.

Arsenal, by contrast, have not lost since their opening day horror show against Liverpool and have only dropped points once in their last six games in all competitions – the 0-0 draw with Middlesbrough. It is perhaps for this reason that both Paddy Power and Bet Victor have home side as evens to get the win on Sunday, with Spurs coming in at a best price of 10/3 with Totesport.

Despite the bookies’ quotes, Arsenal will need to be wary of a fit again Harry Kane who – if given a start by Pochettino – has a fine goalscoring record against the Gunners. The England striker is priced at 7/1 with Ladbrokes to open the scoring at the Emirates, but such sentiment should be tempered by the fact that Mousa Dembele was withdrawn through injury in the last game, and Kane often struggles in his absence.

Similar doubts could be expressed over Arsenal’s top scorer Alexis Sanchez who, though imperious on his travels, has struggled to have the same impact at home. The Chilean is priced at 5/1 with Sky Bet to be the first player to find the net, but should Theo Walcott make his return, he represents better value at 13/2.

Wherever your allegiances lie on Sunday, one thing that seems certain is that the game should be a cagey affair. With Spurs yet to concede more than a single goal in any of their Premier League games so far, you can get 10/3 with Betfred on the game featuring less than 1.5 goals, with the classic “1-0 to the Arsenal” being the preferred scoreline at 17/2 and the visitors being 14/1 to win by the same margin (both Bet365).

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Can Liverpool March on Under Jurgen Klopp?

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Jurgen Klopp has only been in charge at Liverpool for just over a year. The turnaround in their form since Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers has been amazing. Despite this success, numerous football pundits have rubbished Liverpool’s title chances this season, but are they correct to do so?

One important fact needs to be remembered. Leicester City did remarkable things last season simply because their players bonded with their manager Claudio Ranieri, and they were prepared to “sweat blood” for him.

It is very difficult to win a league title without having a lot of spirit within the team. Whenever Liverpool have played this season, the team spirit has shone through. If you throw into the mix a talented bunch of players and a top class manager, then what you have at Liverpool are the key ingredients for a title winning side.

Can Watford Stop The Red Surge

Liverpool are certainly on the march. The question is can Watford stop the juggernaut? The bookies don’t seem to think so. Stan James are a best priced 3/10 for a Liverpool victory at Anfield. BetVictor and PaddyPower go as high as 11/1 on a Watford away victory.

It is hard to see Watford leaving Anfield with any points. However, one thing that we have learned about Premier League betting is that we cannot take anything for granted. Most of the leading so-called “title contenders” have dropped points in recent weeks. Watford have started the season very well, and are currently in 7th place in the table.

Will The Hornets Sting The Reds?

Watford have enough scoring potential to create an upset at Anfield. They have recorded recent league wins against Middlesbrough and Hull, and they haven’t conceded a Premier League goal in their previous three matches. The Hornets will go to Anfield full of confidence and that is the main ingredient for an upset. BetVictor and PaddyPower are both priced at 5/1 for the draw if you think The Hornets will deny Klopp’s army.

Despite the fact that Liverpool have been regularly winning matches, they still seem to concede goals. So Watford will feel that they are in with a chance against what could be a suspect defence. The first twenty minutes will be vital for Watford. If Liverpool score during this period, they could win by three or four goals. If Liverpool really do want to be considered as true title contenders, these are the types of matches they must win.

 

City to Continue Their Winning Run

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POOR old Middlesbrough face the toughest of challenges this weekend when they travel to an expectant Ethiad Stadium to face top of the table Manchester City.

City will still be buzzing after their super midweek 3-1 Champions League win against Barcelona. After a winless run of six games in October, they’ve won their last two matches remaining at the top of the Premier League table, and on course for the last 16 in the Champions League.

Pep Guardiola’s side are the shortest price on the Premier League coupon this weekend at just 1.25, and although those prices are far from attractive, they will win and should be included in all of our weekend accumulators.

City won their last Premier League match at West Brom 4-0. At home they’ve been scoring goals for fun, and this is a real test for the newly promoted visitors at the weekend.

Middlesbrough arrive in Manchester not in the best of form after just one win in their last eight matches; they haven’t won away from The Riverside since August at arch-rivals and bottom of the table Sunderland, and I really don’t give them much of a chance of an upset even at the 15.00.

Aitor Karanka’s side has drawn their last two away matches at West Ham and Arsenal, but this is a much tougher challenge, and if the home side get off to a flying start as I expect, this could turn into a rout very quickly.

City will win, but 1.25 is too short for me; but 1.72 with Coral is a decent price on City to be leading at half-time and then again at full-time, and on the asian handicap lines I also like the general 1.80 on a City win -1.5 goals.

Sergio Aguero has been getting all the plaudits for his goals and performances this season, and the Argentinian is a very short 3.75 to open the goalscoring. However, former Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan is in fine goalscoring form with four goals in his last two games. In a match that is expected to feature a whole host of goals, and mostly City ones, the 4.50 with Betfred on the German to score at anytime looks worth taking as well.

Chelsea vs. Everton: Will the Blues Unstick the Toffees?

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In the battle between fourth and sixth, many would expect the former to snatch a narrow victory, but will Chelsea really have it that easy when Everton come knocking on November 5? In seasons gone by, a visit from the Toffees would have been seen as another routine win for Chelsea. However, this season, things look set to be a little different.

Although the Premier League stats are currently weighting in favour of Antonio Conte’s side, it’s worth remembering that the last time the two teams squared off it was Everton who clinched the win. Yes, that game was back in March, and yes it was an FA Cup quarterfinal, but the fact remains that Everton won 2-0.

The Odds Tell a Different Story

Now, if you looked at the current football betting odds on Sun Bets, you’d probably never guess that the last meeting between these two went the way of Ronald Koeman’s men. At the time of writing, £10 on Everton will earn you a £50 profit thanks to a 5/1 betting line at Sun Bets.

Branching out across the industry, Sky Bet’s odds makers have a similar outlook at 19/4, while BetVictor has priced the away team at 11/2. On the other side of the coin, 11/20 and 5/9 can be found at BetVictor and Sun Bets respectively, which would suggest all three points will stay at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

At this point, it’s important to say that living in the past isn’t a particularly strong strategy for a team playing in the present. But, it’s hard to ignore the fact Everton hold the upper hand. Of course, if we leave the past behind, the current dynamics certainly favour Chelsea. 21 goals in ten Premier League games is a testament to the work Diego Costa et al have put in so far this season.

Equally impressive has been Chelsea’s defensive record of late. The combination of David Luiz, Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta paid dividends in October with clean sheets becoming the norm. Indeed, it’s this combination of defence and attack that has left Chelsea nipping at the heels of the top three.

Stats Belie an Everton Injury Crisis

However, as strong as Chelsea’s stats are, Everton have been equally impressive this season. Just eight goals against in ten games (compared to Chelsea’s nine) have earned Everton some impressive results. Indeed, with 18 points already in the bag and a place in the Champions League still on the table, the Toffees will start the game with a lot of confidence.

Unfortunately, confidence might not be enough to get Everton through an untimely injury spell. Keeper Maarten Stekelenburg is out due to a foot injury while Leighton Baines will also be watching from the sidelines with a hamstring strain. The loss of two key players couldn’t come at a worse time, and that could be the reason the odds are against Everton this time around.

There’s no doubt Everton have a much better chance of beating Chelsea than they have in previous seasons; however, that might not be enough. Although 5/1 is an extremely attractive price given the situation, it’s hard to see past Chelsea and that’s why the bookies appear to have it right this time.

Champions League: Man City Need Perfection, Arsenal Need a Repeat

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The Champions League proved to be a tale of two major scorelines for English clubs in recent weeks as Arsenal and Man City both found themselves in the middle of some end-to-end action.

For the former, the flow of action against Ludogorets was certainly a lot more positive than the latter’s experience against Barcelona. This time around, the action may not be as juicy, but there’s certainly likely to be some goals when Man City welcome Barcelona and Arsenal travel to Bulgaria to face Ludogorets.

No Pressure on Arsenal but Players Can’t Become Complacent

Starting with the more positive of the two match-ups, Arsenal will head into their second game against Ludogorets with almost no pressure. After blitzing the Bulgarians 6-0 in their Week 3 showdown, the Gunners can afford to take it easy on Tuesday night.

Now, that doesn’t mean Arsenal can completely relax, but it’s certainly safe to say they can play below par and still come away with a result. Indeed, we only have to look to Arsenal’s recent match against Reading in the League Cup. Yes, Wenger’s men won and yes they didn’t look under threat at any point, but it’s important to point out that they lacked a certain lustre.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was undoubtedly the shining light during the 2-0 win, but when it came to other forms of attack, the side was severely lacking. Now, it’s worth saying that it wasn’t the strongest Arsenal side possible, but if the players put in a similar performance against Ludogorets they could find themselves in trouble.

Arsenal Have too Much Firepower for Ludogorets

Of course, fans of the North London side will point to the 6-0 drubbing and say there’s nothing to worry about. This may be true, but in the Champions League, it’s also true that anything can happen, and a loss of concentration could prove costly going forward.

Now, if you’re of the mindset that Arsenal’s lacklustre performance against Reading will cost them valuable points in the Champions League, then Sun Bets will give you 17/2 on a Ludogorets win. If, however, you’re more inclined to think the Gunners will have too much firepower for the home side, 1/3 is the going price at Paddy Power.

For something a little more lucrative, Arsenal to win 4-0 is currently 14/1 at Paddy Power. Given that the last meeting between the two sides was all one-way traffic, this looks like a potentially juicy bet. For those wanting to spread their risk a little more, 5/6 on an Arsenal win + over 2.5 goals looks to be the value bet of the night.

City Face a Tough Task at Home

While Arsenal can look back to their previous Champions League game with a smile, Man City will want to forget theirs as quickly as possible. Although a loss to Barcelona is nothing to be ashamed of, the 4-0 deficit was possibly a little too much for even the most die-hard City fans to bear. According to the odds makers at Coral, the current Champions League betting line for a City win stands at 15/8.

Contrasting this with the 29/20 on offer for Barcelona and the 5/2 odds for the draw, anyone with any appreciation of betting lines can surmise that it’s going to be a lot closer this time around. City manager Pep Guardiola has already acknowledged that he faces an uphill struggle on November 1, but does believe Barcelona are beatable.

“I’d like us to show courage and put everything into the game. Hopefully, our quality can make the difference. For them it’s not a final, for us, it is like a final,” Guardiola told the media.

Perfection is Paramount if City wants to Beat Barca

Will it take an almost perfect performance to do it? Almost certainly. Is City capable of near perfect football? Again, almost certainly. In reality, the result of this Champions League clash will come down to two factors: who wants it more, and who makes the fewest mistakes. City has been sublime in the Premier League this season, but the Champions League has been a different story.

If City is going to win, they’ll need Sergio Aguero to be on top form. The Argentinean forward has scored 13 times this season, which is only one less than Lionel Messi. With both players proving they’re more than capable of scoring this season, 19/4 on Aguero to score first and 4/1 on Messi look like fantastic value. Indeed, even if you leave the outright odds to one side, these markets look to offer impressive alternative value.

Of course, if you do want to speculate on the outright winner, the smart money would be on Barcelona. The first encounter was, for all intents and purposes, a whitewash, and if all goes to plan, things won’t be any different this time around. Naturally, home advantage will give City something extra to play for this time around, but it’s hard to see past Luis Enrique’s men in this one.