Category: Football

Southampton vs. Chelsea: Can the Saints Pull off a Miracle?

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

To say Southampton have over performed so far this season would be an understatement. The Saints are currently sitting eighth in the Premier League after nine matches with three wins and four draws. Add to that record just two losses and eight goals against, and Southampton are nipping at the heels of Manchester United.

However, with another tough match against Chelsea set to take place this Sunday, the question is: can Claude Puel’s men upset the odds?

Peruse the current betting markets for Southampton vs. Chelsea and you’ll see the odds are firmly in favour of the visitors. Heading into the game, Chelsea are priced at 11/8 for the win at Paddy Power and 7/5 with Sun Bets. Although not overwhelming odds, especially since you can find betting lines around the 19/10 mark, the current state of play would suggest that Chelsea are the betting favourites at the very least.

Chelsea Scoring Goals for Fun

Antonio Conte certainly hasn’t had it all his own way at Chelsea this season. Indeed, the Blues’ recent cup defeat to West Ham won’t exactly go down as a glittering moment in his career. However, with three straight wins in the Premier League, including a 4-0 drubbing of Manchester United, he certainly appears to be doing something right.

Perhaps the biggest threat Chelsea pose a lot of teams at the moment is their firepower. 19 goals for and just nine against in their first nine games is an impressive figure. Diego Costa has already bagged seven this season, and with his presence being felt on the training pitch this week, there’s every chance he’ll find the mark on October 30. According to Coral’s odds makers, Costa is 6/4 to score at anytime during the match and 4/1 to score in either half. Given his form so far this season, 4/1 for him to score in the first half looks a great bet.

However, if there’s one thing we know about Southampton this season, it’s that they know how to draw. Much like an artist knows how to draw a straight line, Southampton has managed to stifle teams with a strong defensive line. Cedric, Maya Yoshida and Jordy Clasie have all held strong at crucial times this season, and that’s allowed the Saints to pick up a point against Manchester City. Of course, holding a team to a draw isn’t quite the same as out-playing them and getting the win, but given the club’s relative size (metaphorically), a draw with the league leaders isn’t a bad result.

A Strong Saints Side Could Score a Draw

23/10 on the draw is the current price at Sun Bets, but if you want to take that a step further and start predicting the scoreline, 11/2 on a 1-1 draw is a fair price at Paddy Power. If you stick to this assumption that Southampton will be able to fend off Chelsea’s attacks long enough to secure a point, then 6/1 on the Blues to come from behind to draw is great value.

Southampton took the lead against Man City early but couldn’t stay strong long enough to get the win. The same could certainly happen again on Sunday. An early goal for the Saints would certainly settle the nerves, but there’s little chance it would be enough against a Chelsea side seemingly capable of scoring at will this season.

From an objective perspective, this game looks to have a Chelsea win written all over it. However, Southampton’s players have shown they’re more than capable of thwarting the ambitions of bigger clubs and there’s no reason they couldn’t do the same over the weekend. Indeed, while the majority of the money will be on an away win, the smart money is likely to be on a draw in all its forms.

Make sure you check out our betting partners for the latest Southampton vs. Chelsea betting odds.

Tottenham and Man City Need to Bounce Back

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The 2016/17 Premier League season may just turn out to be the most unpredictable league season on record. No fewer than six teams are in with a shout of winning the title, but which six you may ask?

In the past, perhaps two or three teams had a chance of taking home the big prize. This season is a different story. Would you bet against Liverpool, Man City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea or Man United winning the title next May?

Spurs Need to Exercise the Ghost

The ghost of last seasons’ poor finish to the season that handed Leicester City the title still haunts the fans at White Hart Lane. Tottenham always flatter to deceive but then crack when the pressure is on. They were held to a 0-0 draw at Bournemouth last weekend. So, getting all three points at home to Leicester on Saturday holds even more importance now.

The problem for Spurs is that the Foxes are coming into form. Leicester have been winning game after game in the Champions League. They also beat Crystal Palace 3-1 last weekend. Tottenham are firm favourites at 4/6 with William Hill, while Leicester City can be backed at 5/1 with Betfred.

The best price on the draw is 14/5 with Boyle Sports, and opposing Tottenham is probably where the value is. Tottenham are strong at home and have recently beaten Pep Guardiola’s Man City, but Leicester City are the champions and that shouldn’t be forgotten.

Man City Badly Need a Win

Man City were absolutely brilliant in all competitions until they recently went to Celtic Park in the Champions League. That 3-3 draw against Celtic was the start of a five game winless run. Pep Guardiola now needs a big result away to West Brom on Saturday. If City fail to win again, this could signal a crisis at the Etihad!

The number of individual errors that City players are making is growing in number. It is too early to suggest that City have a problem, but they certainly need a win against West Brom. Pep’s boys are 2/5 with Betfred, but those odds seem terribly short.

West Brom are strong at home and can be backed at 15/2 once again with Betfred. The best odds for the draw are 7/2 with Stan James. It seems that the short odds for City are based on their early season form.

Current Form is a More Accurate Indicator

If you want to find a good value bet current form reveals more clues than league position. Man City are still top of the league, but their form isn’t that of table toppers. The recent City performances seem to indicate that all is not well with Guardiola’s team of would be champions. City are deservedly favourites against West Brom, but a City victory is far from certain.

Best Bets Ahead of a Premier League Super Sunday

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

WE’VE finally got a real “Super Sunday” in the Premier League this weekend and the first match sees title favourites Manchester City host in-form Southampton at the Etihad.

Manchester City vs. Southampton

Pep Guardiola had a homecoming to forget after his former side Barcelona inflicted a 4-0 Champions League midweek defeat on City; this was the Spaniard’s heaviest loss in management, and in the middle of a difficult time at present he faces a tough challenge again at the weekend.

After a perfect 10 match winning start to the new season, City are just clinging on to top spot after four matches without a success, and they offer little value to win at just 1.55 with Coral.

Southampton’s season is a polar opposite to City’s; The Saints’ failed to win in their opening four matches, but they arrive in the blue half of Manchester flying without a loss in their last seven.

Claude Puel’s side are 7.00 to continue their winning form, and even though that does look very tempting on paper, six successive loses in this fixture is putting me off having a small wager on them.

Sergio Aguero was amazingly rested at the Camp Nou. The Argentinian looks certain to lead the line and he will be up against another in-form striker in Southampton’s Charlie Austin. With those two in excellent goalscoring form, I like both teams to score at 1.80 with BoyleSports for the sixth time in the last seven years in this fixture.

Chelsea vs. Manchester United

ALL eyes will be on the “special one” Jose Mourinho when he returns to Stamford Bridge for the first time since being sacked last season, with his new Manchester United to take on Chelsea.

I was staggered when I looked at the prices for this and saw that Chelsea were just 2.10 for the win. Why?

The Blues’ did produce their best performance of the season last time out with a 3-0 win against Leicester. But the Foxes’ were dreadful, and prior to that win, Antonio Conte’s side had only won just once in their last five, and the Italian was backed into odds-on favourite to be the next Premier League manager to lose his job.

Mourinho produced a tactical masterclass to frustrate Liverpool at Anfield on Monday, and I can see him doing the same again, cranking up the mind games in the press conferences before Sunday.

United are in very good form arriving in West London unbeaten in their last five matches, and why they are 3.75 for the win with Betfred is staggering.

I can’t see Mourinho walking away as a loser and if you are not tempted by the price on United to win the match, then 2.50 on them on the draw no bet market also makes a lot of appeal.

Goals might be hard to come by if United’s tactics at Anfield are anything to go by, and in seven of the last eight matches between these two rivals, under 2.5 goals has been a winning bet. At 1.91 again with Betfred, throwing in the “Mourinho” factor as well, that looks an obvious play.

The Best Premier League Bets This Saturday

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Two of the biggest clubs in London are in action this Saturday. In fact our Premier League betting recommendations feature both of these clubs. Tottenham and Arsenal will look to continue their good midweek results in the Champions League with wins in their respective Premier League clashes. Tottenham travel to Bournemouth while the Gunners host Middlesbrough.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger seems to have silenced his critics with a string of good results of late. The big question is how long will this last? We have highlighted some cracking bets from these two encounters starting with Bournemouth vs Tottenham.

Will Spurs Survive the Bournemouth Test?

Bournemouth were many people’s favourites to be relegated last season. In fact their story was almost as remarkable as Leicester’s title win, given how much money they had to spend. Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has worked miracles on a shoestring budget and a small squad. That good work has certainly continued on into this season.

Solid results have led to Bournemouth climbing the table in recent weeks. They beat Everton 1-0 and crushed a dismal Hull City 6-1 at the Vitality Stadium. The question is will Tottenham have a European hangover after a tough midweek Champions League encounter?

The Vitality Fortress

Bournemouth can be backed at odds of 14/5 with SunBets and that seems like the standout bet here. This is closely followed by the draw at 5/2. Tottenham are Evens with SunBets but that seems too short given how erratic Tottenham can be. Couple this with Spurs having a tough game at Bayer Leverkusen in midweek, and we have the perfect ingredient for an upset.

The Arsenal Juggernaut Rolls on

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will be happy at the recent run of results his team has had. He has certainly silenced the critics for a while. Many of the harshest critics were their own fans. The opening day loss at home to Liverpool now seems a distant memory and the Arsenal faithful are starting to believe again.

The Gunners are currently joint top of the Premier League, and just behind Man City on goal difference. Arsenal also lead their Champions League group with 7pts and look strong favourites to progress there too. The 6-0 thumping of Ludogorets merely confirmed to us how good Arsenal are playing at the moment.

The Home Banker

So can Middlesbrough stop the red tide and hold back the mighty Gunners? Arsenal can be backed at 1-4 at SunBets with the draw at 5-1. Middlesbrough are deemed to be no hopers at 11/1! Usually after a Wednesday night Champions League encounter, energy levels are often a serious problem with teams playing Premier League fixtures on the Saturday.

However Arsenal had such an easy time of it against Ludogorets that this will hardly matter. It is very difficult to see Middlesbrough taking any points from the Emirates, and the best bet in this encounter is surely a home win for the Gunners!

Champions League Betting Preview: Arsenal, Man City and Bayern

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The latest round of UEFA Champions League action is set to get underway on October 19 and this time around there’s not an easy game in sight (unless you’re Arsenal). While it’s fair to say there aren’t many easy games in the Champions League, this week’s selection of showdowns looks particularly tough for the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Celtic.

Arsenal vs. Ludogorets

With so many tough games to pick through, let’s start with opponents that shouldn’t pose much of a threat to the Gunners: Ludogorets. The Bulgarian champions are far from the biggest names in the competition, but that’s not to say they’ll just come in and roll over for Arsenal. Indeed, an early goal against Paris St Germain almost caused an upset, while a point away at Basel will go down as one of the club’s standout performances of the last decade.

On top of Ludogorets’ propensity to make it difficult for teams, Arsenal have been known to squander “easy” points in the competition before. In fact, you only have to cast your minds back to last season’s home defeat to Olympiacos and you’ll remember the anguish on Arsene Wenger’s face when his side almost failed to make it out of the group stages.

This time around, however, Arsenal should secure a home win before taking a further three points on their trip to Bulgaria. A quick look at Sun Bets’ odds sees the home side enter the match as the overwhelming betting favourites at 1/8. On the other side of the coin, Ludogorets are the proverbial underdogs at 18/1. If you do fancy hedging your bets and believe the Bulgarians can replicate their result against Basel, 15/2 on the draw is a bet you certainly shouldn’t dismiss outright.

Barcelona vs. Manchester City

While Arsenal should be enjoying a gentle Champions League stroll on Wednesday October 19, Barcelona and Manchester City will be engaged in what promises to be another high octane showdown. Despite City’s issues with UEFA in recent years, Pep Guardiola is a man on a mission in the Champions League this season.

City’s 4-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach last month was just the tonic the club needed, and has since inspired the players to even greater things in the Premier League. However, Monchengladbach and Barcelona are two different beasts and no one will know that more acutely than Guardiola. Having taken Barcelona to Champions League success in 2008/2009, the Spaniard not only knows what it’s like to win the competition, but what makes Barcelona tick.

Unfortunately, as if a group stage match against Barcelona wasn’t enough, City will have to travel to the fabled Nou Camp on Wednesday night. To compound that fact, a three-game winless run means the pressure will be on when the tackles start to fly. For analysts and fans alike, the current problem with City seems to be a lack of tactical consistency.

Guardiola doesn’t seem to have found a groove he likes, and despite sitting atop of the Premier League, there’s still work to do if he’s going to mount a serious challenge in the Champions League. In contrast, Barcelona aren’t short of goals at the moment and a 4-0 win over Deportivo last Saturday just goes to prove that (as does September’s 7-0 hammering of Celtic).

Although there have been some bumps in the road of late (i.e. a 2-1 loss to Alaves on September 10), the Spanish side will enjoy a slight advantage heading into the game. Of course, if you’re not quite sure how the land lies before the kickoff, there’s always the option of making an in-play bet. At bet365 this week you can earn a free in-play bet for the Barcelona vs. City game by making a pre-match wager.

As advertised, you can get a free in-play bet by: “placing a bet before kick-off then, once the game starts, place another bet on any In-Play market. If your FIRST In-Play bet loses we will refund this stake, up to the same value as your largest pre-match bet (max refund £50*)”.

As it stands, Barcelona are 8/15 for the win, while City will start the game as the 5/1 underdogs. A draw with bet365 will return you 15/4 on your money and if you want the latest live odds you’ll have to check out the site during the game for the best prices.

Bayern Munich vs. PSV Eindhoven

The other standout fixture in the Champions League this week is Bayern Munich vs. PSV Eindhoven. Two veterans of the competition, the odds would suggest that Munich will come away with a comfortable win, but they certainly can’t take things for granted. PSV haven’t lost in five matches, and while those results have been mainly draws, Phillip Cocu’s side have shown they have a certain amount of resilience on the pitch.

In fact, when you look at Munich’s last five results there’s not much more to get excited about. A 3-0 win against Hertha back in September was then followed by a 1-0 win over Hamburger SV before a loss to Atletico Madrid. Despite a less than stellar string of performances, Munich are currently commanding odds of 2/9 at Ladbrokes while PSV are the 12/1 outsiders. However, if you’re looking for a value bet based on recent form, 11/2 on the draw is more than worth a look. Although Munich are undoubtedly the better side, nothing is ever guaranteed in the Champions League; especially when the opponents are as experienced as PSV.

Champions League Best Bets: Matchday Three Kicks Off

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

THE Champions League is back on Tuesday and we start our look at the best bets in Germany where Bayer Leverkusen host Tottenham at the BayArena.

Leverkusen have had an indifferent start to their Bundesliga season, currently sitting in a lowly ninth place in their league table; they are short in the betting markets for the win here at just 2.20 with BetBright.

On the other hand, Tottenham are riding high in the Premier League. Maurico Pocchetino’s team are unbeaten in their last six matches, and they will prove popular at the general 3.50. However, the draw looks a big runner as Leverkusen have drawn their opening two matches in this competition, and with that as the outsider of all three match outcomes, 3.60 with William Hill looks appealing.

One Thing we do Expect to See is Goals

In both Leverkusen’s Champions League games this season, both teams have scored. That has been a winning wager in eight of the Germans’ ten matches this season, and 1.70 with BoyleSports on another yes in the ‘both teams to score’ market looks a sensible play.

Premier League Champions Leicester are Having a Very Strange Season.

The Foxes have been woeful in the Premier League, but they boast a 100 per cent winning record in the Champions League, and I am expecting that to continue when they host FC Copenhagen at the King Power.

Claudio Ranieri’s side were awful in the 3-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge at the weekend, but at home they are unbeaten and they are a strong selection to win this at 1.91 with William Hill.

The home side look to have already given up on the Premier League, and is concentrating solely on Europe. With two Champions League wins already without conceding a goal against Bruges and Porto, another Leicester win to nil looks a spot of value at 3.00 with BetVictor.

Guardiola Returns to the Club Where he Made His Name

The biggest match of the week comes from the Camp Nou on Wednesday when Barcelona host Manchester City in Group C, and this promises to be a cracker.

Pep Guardiola returns to Catalan and he’s a massive 6.00 to get a win, with Barca just 1.57 and those prices look bang on the money and hard to disagree with.

These two teams boast some of the best attacking quality in world football, and it’s just impossible not to see goals, but both teams to score and over 2.5 goals in the match are very short at 1.57 and 1.45; there is better value elsewhere to be found.

Barcelona have scored a staggering 27 goals in their last seven matches, including TEN in their two Champions League games. With Man City scoring 17 in the same period, you’ve got to get involved in over 3.5 goals in the match at 2.20, and we can also make a case for over 4.5 goals as well at 3.60 with Coral.

My best bet on Wednesday night are Celtic, who look very big at 3.25 with Sportingbet to beat Borussia Monchengladbach at Parkhead.

Celtic are unstoppable in the Scottish League, and in Europe, the rule when betting on the Scottish champions is to back them at home and avoid them like the plague away from Glasgow.

Celtic have won nine of their ten matches at home this season. The only time they failed to win was their last Champions League match against Man City, a 3-3 thriller.

They’ve played four home matches already in this competition scoring 13 goals, and winning three and drawing one. With their passionate home fans behind them, look for Celtic to have the edge against a Monchengladbach side that has lost their two Champions League matches and have failed to win a Bundesliga away match this season.