Tag: football odds

Premier League Preview Sep 27

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

This weekend’s Premiership action gets off to a cracking start with Liverpool playing Everton in the Merseyside derby.

Both teams are struggling to find any consistency this season and arrive here in desperate need of a good result. Liverpool have survived Champions League and Capital One Cup games by the skin of their teeth and lost 3-1 to West Ham in between.

Everton were thrashed 6-3 by Chelsea but bounced back to beat West Brom and Wolfsburg. Progress came to a shuddering halt against Crystal Palace last weekend and they were then dumped out of the Capital One Cup by Swansea. Both sides are leaking goals at the moment and this has the makings of another thrilling encounter.

A repeat of the 3-3 draw at Goodison Park in November is not out of the question but I think Liverpool could just shade it, particularly if Sturridge is fit to play a part.

League leaders Chelsea lost their 100% record last weekend when Frank Lampard struck late on for Manchester City. That sentence still does not read true for Blues supporters and Lampard’s double-strike in midweek suggests that Chelsea were negligent in not offering the midfield player a one-year extension.

They play host to Aston Villa on Saturday, a side that have sometimes caused problems in the past. Villa made a flying start to the season before being brushed aside 3-0 by Arsenal. If you ignore that poor performance and judge them on their victory at Anfield, they look seriously overpriced at 16-1. Cynics may point to Chelsea’s 8-0 win in 2012/13 but Villa are a lot stronger now and Chelsea’s two draws and a scrappy 2-1 win over Bolton are a warning not to expect too much.

Crystal Palace and Leicester looks like a draw banker. The Foxes have not won in London in any of their last 15 Premier League visits but they look good enough to battle for a point. Hull play host to Champions Manchester City who look to have turned a corner this week. Lampard’s previously mentioned intervention rescued a priceless point against Chelsea and they then proceeded to blast seven goals past Sheffield Wednesday in midweek. With confidence on the up and Dzeko back in scoring mode, this should be another three points.

Perhaps the most intriguing fixture of the week is Manchester United versus West Ham. The Red Devils are brilliant going forward but leaking like a sieve in defence. They probably need to score at least three to be sure of a point! Angel Di Maria has been very impressive and he can be backed to score again with both sides finding the target. West Ham pulled off a great win over Liverpool last week and will approach this game with some optimism. Expect another feast of goals.

Southampton continue to confound their critics. Not only are they flying in the Premier League, they also knocked Arsenal out of the Capital One Cup in midweek and will be expected to see off QPR at St Mary’s. Ronald Koeman’s summer signings are all punching above their weight and they can continue their unlikely charge towards the top.

The late kick-off is the North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham. Rather like Liverpool and Everton, these two sides are having a topsy-turvy start to the season in Cup and League. Arsenal’s defeat against Southampton underlines a lack of depth in their squad while Tottenham still have two ways of playing. In recent seasons, Tottenham have disappointed in these types of fixtures and Wenger can recall Wojciech Szczesny, Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny, Mikel Arteta, Mesut Ozil and Danny Welbeck on Saturday.

Liverpool 3 Everton 2 (correct score) @22-1 Bet365

Liverpool v Everton over 3.5 goals @6-4 Coral

Chelsea 2 Aston Villa 1 (correct score) @11-1 BetVictor

Crystal Palace v Leicester DRAW @19-5 BetVictor

Edin Dzeko to score first @5-1 Paddy Power

Man City to win by 3 or more goals @4-1 Skybet

Man United to win by 2 goals @100-30 Bet365

Angel Di Maria to score first @7-1 Bet365

Southampton 3 QPR 0 (correct score) @10-1 BetVictor

Arsenal to win by 2 goals @4-1 Stan James

Premier League Preview Sep 20th – 21st

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

After a busy week in Europe, it will be interesting to see how the top teams cope with a return to PremierLeague action.

Probably the poorest showing by a Premiership side was Arsenal’s disappointing 2-0 defeat against Borussia Dortmund. They are really struggling to live up to the pre-season hype and face a very tricky game at a revitalised Aston Villa.

Paul Lambert managed to engineer a victory at Anfield last weekend and Villa fans must be getting dizzy after three victories that have left them in second place in the table. They are only two points behind leaders Chelsea who travel to Man City on Sunday so Villa could top the league on Saturday night!

Arsenal fans will point to their incredible record at Villa Park where they have not list in their last fifteen league visits. They ought to have beaten Man City last week but had to settle for a draw and they will be looking to Danny Welbeck to provide the goals. Arsene Wenger’s team are difficult to predict at the moment but I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see them come away with a draw at least.

The early kick-off sees QPR welcome Stoke after Harry Redknapp’s team were totally outclassed by Man United’s new-look side. Rangers did manage to beat Sunderland in their previous game but they have generally looked like a side we can expect to see in the thick of the relegation battle this season. Stoke beat Man City and then lost at home to Leicester and I am expecting Mark Hughes to galvanise them for a victory here.

Alan Pardew is surely on borrowed time at Newcastle. He has even had the dreaded vote of confidence from his employers, usually the kiss of death. The Magpies are bottom of the league and were slaughtered by Southampton last week. Hull are in buoyant mood after a successful venture into the transfer market and played well in a 2-2 draw with West Ham on Monday night. It may be worth supporting The Tigers to deal the hammer blow to Pardew, ironically the same clash that saw the infamous head-butting incident last season.

Swansea versus Southampton is an intriguing contest with the home side dropping their first points at Stamford Bridge and the Saints flying after thumping Newcastle. Ronald Koeman seems to be working a kind of mini-miracle at St Mary’s and Southampton beat Swansea twice last season. I thought that Swansea played well against Chelsea and a draw could be on the agenda here.

West Ham play Liverpool in the late kick-off and must fancy their chances of getting a result. The Reds were very poor in their return to the Champions League against a well-organised but moderate side. They needed an injury-time penalty to scrape a win and were beaten by Villa last week. Liverpool have won seven of the last meetings here but the Hammers showed plenty of resolve against Hull on Monday. I think it might be a struggle but Liverpool can take the points.

The big match on Sunday is the clash between champions Man City and high-flying Chelsea. The Blues had the wind taken out of their sails a bit in midweek when only managing a draw against Schalke 04. If nothing else, that game underlined just how important Diego Costa is to the team.  He will doubtless prove a handful for City and can get on the scoresheet.

City were unlucky to concede a late goal against Bayern Munich although they had been hanging on in that game. A draw would end Chelsea’s 100% record but would have to be seen as a decent result.

Man United’s huge investment finally brought a dividend last week against QPR and Leicester should go the same way while Everton brushed aside Wolfsburg in the Europa League and can see off Crystal Palace.

Stoke to beat QPR @9-5 Bet365

Aston Villa v Arsenal DRAW @14-5 Boyle Sports

Aston Villa 1 Arsenal 1 @7-1 BetVictor

Hull to beat Newcastle @11-4 Coral

Swansea v Southampton DRAW @12-5 Bet365

Swansea 2 Southampton 2 @16-1 BetVictor

West Ham 1 Liverpool 3 @14-1 Bet365

Man United to beat Leicester by 2 or more goals @7-2 Stan James

Everton to beat Crystal Palace by 2 or more goals @12-5 Stan James

Man City v Chelsea DRAW @12-5 William Hill

Diego Costa to score at any time @13-8 Ladbrokes

Premier League Preview Aug 30th – 31st

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The weekend’s Premiership action gets under way with the spotlight firmly on Louis van Gaal and Manchester United.

A stuttering draw at Sunderland last week at least got the Red Devils up and running for the season but few would have forecast the humiliating 4-0 defeat at Milton Keynes in midweek. With no European action this season, you would have thought that the League Cup was one of the few trophies that United could realistically have targeted. Van Gaal felt that a weakened team could do the job and he was mistaken.

Burnley have applied themselves well in their opening two fixtures without reward. The bookmakers have priced United up at odds-on but I wouldn’t want to be backing them in their current form. Burnley could give them a run for their money and a draw is a distinct possibility.

Manchester City should have no such problems overcoming Stoke at the Etihad Stadium. A 3-1 win over Liverpool confirmed City’s status as the team to beat this season and Aguero’s return to fitness is coming along nicely. Two goals in as many appearances suggests the Argentinian is returning to his best form and he can hit the target again this weekend. Stoke’s record against City is simply appalling and goals could be the order of the day.

I fear for Queen’s Park Rangers prospects in the Premiership this season and Sunderland could be worth a bet when they visit on Saturday. The Black Cats have played well in both of their games so far and enjoyed a confidence boosting 3-0 win in the League Cup in midweek. Harry Redknapp won’t be pressing the panic button just yet but I think Sunderland offer excellent value in this fixture.

Swansea have impressed with two league wins and a Cup victory, all by the odd goal. They face another tight encounter against West Brom but The Swans are growing in confidence and Wilfried Bony could be the man to seal the win here.

West Ham and Southampton could be draw material with neither side being totally convincing. The Saints surprised me with how well they played at Anfield after a wholesale clear-out of their best players through the summer. West Ham let three points slip away against Tottenham but were in good form against Crystal Palace last weekend and this looks a tough one to call.

Chelsea have been in excellent form so far but received a possible set-back with the news that £32million striker Diego Costa has picked up a knock in training. He has fitted in perfectly where so many have failed before him at the head of the attack and it will be a blow if he is side-lined. Drogba is not the force he was and Torres remains a pale shadow of his days at Liverpool. Everton were superb against Arsenal in the first half but allowed a 2-0 lead to slip away. This match could also end in a draw.

Tottenham play Liverpool in the pick of Sunday’s games. Spurs have enjoyed a bright start to the season while Liverpool are still trying to incorporate their new signings into the side. Both sides look capable of scoring here and 2-2 might be the way to go. North London rivals Arsenal can complete a busy but successful week by grabbing the points at Leicester.

Tips

Burnley v Man United DRAW @16-5 Boylesports

Sergio Aguero to score at any time v Stoke @4-5 BetBright

Man City v Stoke over 3.5 goals in the match @7-5 BetVictor

Sunderland to win at QPR @23-10 BetVictor

Swansea to beat West Brom @5-6 Bet365

Wilfried Bony to score at any time @6-4 Bet365

West Ham v Southampton DRAW @12-5 BetVictor

Everton v Chelsea DRAW @5-2 Totesport

Tottenham v Liverpool DRAW @5-2 BetVictor

Tottenham and Liverpool both to score @8-15 BetVictor

Tottenham 2 Liverpool 2 correct score @13-1 BetVictor

Arsenal to beat Leicester @5-6 BetVictor

Premier League Preview Aug 23rd – 25th

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Man City’s 2-0 win at Newcastle on the opening weekend of the Premier League netted us a tidy 8-point profit on all selections last weekend. The defeat of Manchester United at the hands of Swansea was the main talking point with the Welsh side providing a stark reminder of the task facing Van Gaal at Old Trafford.

Saturday’s action sees Chelsea and Arsenal back in action, the Blues having impressed in their comfortable 3-1 win at Burnley on Monday night. They now welcome another newly-promoted side in Leicester City to Stamford Bridge as they bid to underline their title claims.

Things could hardly be looking better for Jose Mourinho’s summer signings after a brilliant performance by Cesc Fabregas and a goal from Diego Costa. Both seem to have the ability to make things look simple and Leicester must be travelling to London with some trepidation. Costa could be a good bet to get on the score-sheet again this weekend with a comfortable home win for the Blues.

Crystal Palace put up a brave performance at Arsenal last week in the wake of the shock departure of Tony Pulis. It had looked a nailed-on three points for the Gunners but Palace made them fight every inch of the way. Palace now play West Ham who were undone by a late Spurs goal in their opening fixture. The Hammers can only have themselves to blame for not taking the opportunity presented to them with a penalty miss and playing against ten men for a lengthy period of the game. This looks like draw material, a result that would probably suit both sides at this stage of the season.

Another side to impress last week were Southampton. I, like many others, felt that the mass exodus during the summer would leave the Saints in a perilous situation. That may still be the case but you have to admire their gallant effort at Anfield.

Only the width of the cross bar prevented them from coming away with a point and Liverpool were undoubtedly breathing a sigh of relief to get three points. West Brom were held to a 2-2 draw by Sunderland in their opening game and this looks another tight fixture. It would be wrong to get too carried away with Southampton’s performance last week and another draw is predicted.

The late kick-off is an intriguing clash between Everton and Arsenal. Arsene Wenger’s side face the age-old problem of playing on a Saturday after a midweek Champions League game. Last season the Toffees dished out a 3-0 beating to the Gunners but the visitors will be desperate to show that they are genuine title contenders.

Arsenal do have some positive news in the return of Mesut Ozil, Per Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski to the squad after World Cup duty. Mikel Arteta will definitely be absent after picking up an injury against Besiktas. Everton allowed Leicester to sneak a point last weekend and will be looking to Romelu Lukaku to step up his game now that he is a permanent signing. Arsenal have not beaten Everton in their last four meetings and could be vulnerable to an upset here.

Sunday’s big game is Manchester United’s visit to Sunderland. Van Gaal looks like a man with a mission at Old Trafford and is still in the process of sorting out the wheat from the chaff. As David Moyes found to his cost, there is never as much time as you think there is and United fans will be distinctly uncomfortable if a second defeat follows the Swansea result. Gus Poyet has done a fantastic job at Sunderland and it is by no means impossible. Spurs sneaked past West Ham and should have a more comfortable time disposing of QPR on home soil.

On Monday, Man City host Liverpool in a clash of the first and second from last season. Liverpool did not look anywhere near as dangerous without Suarez against Southampton and Brendan Rodgers is still chasing shadows in the transfer market. City eased into the season with a clinical display at Newcastle and can follow up here.

Diego Costa to score first @10-3 Bet365

Chelsea to win by three or more goals @15-8 Skybet

Crystal Palace v West Ham DRAW @23-10 Bet365

Southampton v West Brom DRAW @11-4 Boylesports

Everton to beat Arsenal @9-5 Paddy Power

Sunderland to beat Man United @21-5 Bet Victor

Man City to beat Liverpool @6-7 BetBright

World Cup 2014 Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The World Cup is just now two weeks away and the market has been settled for some time. Brazil, as the host nation, are obvious favourites with South American rivals Argentina next best. Germany and Spain are expected to be the pick of the Europeans and it is 20-1 bar these.

It is hard to argue with the logic of any of the above and the bookmakers would be delighted with any result outside of those four. Needless to say, nobody seriously expects England to win and even the most faithful supporters would probably settle for a quarter-final spot. They are not entirely without hope as it is a knockout competition once you get past the opening group stages and anything can happen. Of course it usually does and England lose on penalty kicks!

In terms of talent, Brazil certainly seem to have the edge on their rivals. They should not struggle in their group against Croatia, Mexico and Cameroon and usually get stronger as the competition goes on. With home advantage, they are still a fair bet at 3-1.

I am not entirely convinced by Argentina or Spain but expect Germany to do well. There isn’t much value left in their odds of 6-1 but they have been one of the more progressive teams through qualifying and England would do well to avoid them as long as possible.

My best outsiders are undoubtedly Belgium. It has often been said that this is their “Golden generation” with a host of top players in the Premiership. The pick of them is Eden Hazard who will be looking to shine on the World stage to further enhance his growing reputation. They are also strong defensively and I think they are worth a flutter at 20-1. Russia, Algeria and South Korea should pose few problems. Their lack of experience at this level is a worry but they should have a great tournament.

As for England? They have a tough group with Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica. Interestingly, all four teams can be backed at 25-1 or bigger for the competition which suggests that the group is wide open. England will do well to get through the group. If they don’t, we could be looking at another managerial merry-go-round.

Brazil to win World Cup at 3-1 Coral

Belgium to win World Cup at 20-1 Coral

*Coral are offering money-back as free bets if Brazil or Argentina win up to maximum stake of £25