Tag: football odds

Can Arsenal Keep up Their Title Charge?

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

It has been twelve long barren years for Arsenal when it comes to lifting the Premier League trophy. They haven’t tasted success in the league since 2004. A combination of being outplayed in big games, a lack of consistency and other clubs simply outspending them have contributed to that long period without a league title. Many of the Arsenal fans are unhappy, and they were particularly boisterous after their early season 4-3 loss at home to Liverpool.

Since then, Arsene Wenger has really turned things around. After beating Stoke City 3-1 on Saturday at the Emirates, they are making a strong case to be champions this season. The problem for Arsenal isn’t so much what they do now but how they handle the pressure during the closing stages of the season. Arsenal has flattered to deceive so often that it is hard to put any faith in them when it comes to going all the way. They travel to Goodison Park on Tuesday to play Everton.

The Form Favours Arsenal

Everton under Ronald Koeman has made a decent start to the season with 20pts from their first 15 games. Their recent form isn’t good. They have had successive away defeats in the league to Southampton and Watford. They did draw at home to Manchester United but a home draw to Swansea and a 5-0 hammering at Chelsea appears to have taken its toll on their confidence.

There are no such issues with Arsenal. They are riding high after topping their Champions League group with an impressive 4-1 win away to Basel. There seems to be solidity about Arsenal this season. They have faced some stiff opposition in the form of Paris St Germain, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham and not been beaten in any of those games. It appears that the August loss to Liverpool was nothing more than a blip.

Can Everton Stop the Gunners

It is tough to make a case for Everton even though they are the home team. Clearly, they need to be respected, but their leaky defence shipped three goals at Vicarage Road on Saturday. Everton can be backed at odds of 3-1 with Bet365 which seems tempting. BetVictor quote odds of 14-5 for the draw while William Hill quotes 19-20 for an Arsenal win.

It is tough to see Everton taking three points from this fixture. A team that isn’t in form tends to find it tough to find form again very quickly. The value is in the Arsenal win even at 19-20 but if you want to play it safe then you can possibly place half a point on the draw. Then you win if the game is drawn or Arsenal win.

Leicester vs. Man City, All Set for a Thrilling Clash

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

This Saturday sees Leicester welcoming Man City at the King Power. The Champions are in a tailspin of shocking form, seeing them currently at 16th, only four points off the bottom of the table. City comes into the game fresh from their Champions League draw with Celtic on Tuesday, and the bitter defeat to Chelsea last Saturday at the Etihad. Both teams will be desperate for 3 points from this game, and with City all scoring, all conceding machine, it seems like goals are on the menu.

City looking for a fight

City’s last game in the league was a feast of drama; a tight game with some fantastic performances was marred by some truly appalling tackles and an embarrassing brawl. Neutrals all over the country rustled their popcorn furiously as Chelsea made a clear statement of intent, putting the onus firmly on City in the fight for first place. City will need to come back strongly in the next few weeks to keep their London rivals opening up clear daylight at the top of the table. With the Champions League group stage cleared up, they will be fully focused on their Premier League fixtures.

Going into the game, the major concern for City is the suspension of arguably their two most important players, Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho. Aguero’s horror challenge on David Luiz has seen him pick up a four-match ban, with Kelechi Iheanacho being touted as a possible replacement. City will certainly suffer without his goal scoring pedigree. Fernandinho is the engine of this City squad, arguably the hardest worker on the pitch for the Blues, and a three-match ban for violent conduct will be almost as big a hole to fill as Aguero. On the bright side, they will be able to welcome Raheem Sterling back into the fold from a knee injury that has seen him out since the 26th of November. Guardiola has the option of bringing in Sterling, Leroy Sané or Nolito on Saturday. In terms of injuries, the Catalan will have to do without captain Vincent Kompany, knee ligaments, and Fabian Delph who is recovering from groin surgery. Nicolas Otamendi is also ruled out due to suspension.

Recent form, the Chelsea game aside, has been fairly solid. What is absolutely worth noting going into the Leicester game is that they have conceded in their last seven straight games in all competitions. City has been scoring and conceding with gusto, coupled with the absence of key defensive and midfield players, all the signs suggest a game with free-scoring potential.

The Champions fighting relegation

How the mighty are falling. Those brave pundits who questioned whether Leicester would be able to regain their superlative form from last season are quickly becoming vindicated. It is increasingly looking like Leicester have been found out; at one point in November they had more points in their Champions League group than in the Prem. Taking one point in the last three games has left some asking the unaskable: can Claudio Ranieri actually be sacked? Even with such great European form, qualifying top of their group with a game in hand, the question will have to be asked if the form doesn’t improve.

Looking at the last three league games, losing 2:1 away to both Sunderland and Watford, and just scraping a 2:2 draw at home to Boro, these are the teams Leicester would be turning over last season, and these are the teams they absolutely have to be beating if they want to stay clear of a relegation battle, alongside a European campaign. One clear difference between this and last season is the absence of goals from star striker Jamie Vardy. If he fails to score against City on Saturday, it will be 11 consecutive games without a goal for the 29-year-old, in a season where he’s only managed four shots on target. It’s not just Vardy falling short, PFA Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez hasn’t been the player he was, with only 3 goals and 1 assist in the league. The loss of N’Golo Kante is another key difference, a player excelling at his new club Chelsea, Leicester hasn’t found a replacement for the intensely hard working player. We wonder, perhaps, whether selling Vardy and keeping Kante might have been the more canny move. Ifs and buts.

Both teams to score

I cannot emphasise enough the BTTS potential of this game. While nothing is certain in football, the stats heavily favour this outcome. 78.6% of City’s games have been BTTS in the league so far this season, and Leicester with 71.4%, these teams are 1st and 4th in the BTTS table. Sun Bets have BTTS at 8/11, while not the best odds, a must have in any weekend acca. Man City to win and BTTS Yes at 11/5 is worth a large stake.

Chelsea To Continue Their Good Form With An Entertaining Win

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

CHELSEA put a real marker down on their Premier League title aspirations last weekend with a mightily impressive 3-1 win at the Etihad against one of their main title rivals Manchester City.

This weekend they are expected to continue their excellent run of form with what looks a relatively straight forward three points at home to West Brom.

It’s incredible to think that just two months ago Chelsea boss Antonio Conte was the bookies favourite to become the next Premier League manager to lose his job, but eight Premier League wins for the Italian since then has seen the Londoners’ move to the top of table and installed as the 2.25 favourites to be crowned champions again.

Chelsea is very short for another win at just 1.30 with Stan James, and despite the visitors playing their best football under manager Tony Pulis, they should prove too strong against the Baggies.

West Brom is unbeaten in their last four games and was excellent in the 3-1 win last week at home to Watford, but this really is a massive jump in class to recent wins over Leicester and Burnley, and even at the huge 15.0 it’s very hard to find any case for a West Brom win.

Will They Park the Bus?

In recent years when manager at both West Brom and Stoke, Pulis’ has been guilty of parking the bus at the Premier League top sides and putting 10 men behind the ball in an attempt to frustrate his more illustrious opponents; I don’t think that will be the case at the weekend.

This season West Brom have been the entertainers with eight of their last ten matches seeing both teams scoring and 32 goals scored in that period.

Over 2.5 goals looks a nice bet to me at 1.70 with BetVictor, and despite Chelsea having a fantastic recent defensive record, I can see both teams scoring in this one at the general 2.20 that is with most firms.

Chelsea’s recent form has been mainly due to the return of goals from striker Diego Costa and the Spaniard looks a happy player again, currently topping the Premier League goalscoring charts; I like him to add to his impressive goal total by opening the goalscoring in this one at the general 3.75, with another 3-1 Chelsea win looking very tempting at 13.0 with Bet365.

Watford vs Everton: A Close One Tough to Call

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The Saturday lunchtime kick-off in the Premier League features Watford against Everton. While this isn’t one of the stellar Premier League fixtures, it does present a very interesting betting opportunity. Both clubs have had a decent start to the season. Watford under new coach Walter Mazzari have done very well and have 18pts from their first 14 games. If they continue that points per game ratio, that should see them safe with several games to spare.

The problem is that the Premier League isn’t as simple as that. Many smaller clubs have done well in the first half of the season and then really struggled after Christmas. Watford was forced into a managerial change that they didn’t really want to make last season. You have to give some serious credit to Walter Mazzari for steadying what appeared to be a very rocky ship.

The Strength to Survive

Watford clearly has the players to perform in the top league. They achieved a creditable 13th place in their first year back in the top flight last season. Everton too has had a turbulent time. Moving from David Moyes to Roberto Martinez and now to Ronald Koeman in such a short space of time has been difficult. You have to give Everton some credit as well because they haven’t been in serious trouble in any of that time. They currently sit in 8th place on 20pts and are looking at yet another solid season.

Everton travels to Watford this weekend with both clubs experiencing recent mixed results. They have only won once in their previous six combined matches. So both teams need a win, and both managers will know that a bad run of results could be waiting for them just around the corner.

Great Value Bets

This is a really tough game to call. Vicarage Road is not an easy place to go to for any visiting team. So it is surprising to see the bookies quoting 2-1 for a Watford victory. Those are the sort of odds that you would see for a match like this played on a neutral ground. There is value in backing Watford at 2-1 with BetFred, but there isn’t any value at backing Everton at odds of 11-8 with Bet365.

The facts are obvious. Everton has shaky recent form and is facing a tough away trip to a team every bit as strong as them. There may be some value in the draw at 12-5 with PaddyPower. Watford is tough to beat at home and only tend to lose to the top teams. They were beaten at home twice in August by Chelsea and Arsenal but that could be attributed to a slow start to the season. Since then they have only been beaten at Vicarage Road by Stoke City in the Premier League, and only by the odd goal.

Will Tottenham Qualify for the Europa League?

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Tottenham Hotspur takes on CSKA Moscow on Wednesday in what will be Spurs’ final game in this seasons’ Champions League. A string of mediocre performances means they cannot qualify for the knockout phase. They currently sit in third place in the group on 4pts and a point ahead of CSKA Moscow. So effectively this game has turned into a shootout for third place and a Europa League slot after Christmas.

It is debatable how much effort Tottenham have put into this years’ competition. Playing their home games at Wembley certainly hasn’t helped them. There may have been 80,000+ fans inside Wembley, but that can’t compensate for a home stadium back at White Hart Lane. In fact playing at Wembley seemed to motivate the opposition more than it did Tottenham in their two previous matches there. Given the recent mediocre performances of English teams in the Europa League, it will be interesting to see which team Mauricio Pochettino names for this match.

Will Tottenham go for the Win?

Under normal circumstances then Tottenham would be big favourites to qualify for the Europa League. They only need to avoid defeat at home and the Europa League place is theirs. CSKA Moscow, on the other hand, is a team to be respected. Their recent form hasn’t been good and recent defeats to city rivals Lokomotiv Moscow and Spartak Moscow within six days hasn’t done much for their confidence.

Tottenham won 1-0 in Moscow in their first encounter, but will the Wembley jinx strike again? CSKA currently sit 8pts behind leaders Spartak Moscow in the Russian Premier League. They do have some Europa League pedigree as they won the competition back in 2005. It’s really difficult to predict this game. Tottenham will likely take the Europa League spot, but you wouldn’t bet against CSKA Moscow getting a win at Wembley.

So Where is the Value

So which is the best bet? This isn’t an easy question to answer. Tottenham is 1-2 with Bet365 to win, but that isn’t a bet that should get you too excited. Now that Tottenham cannot qualify for the Champions League knockout stage, it will be interesting to see how much Spurs really want to be in the Europa League? The draw at 10-3 with Stan James is the preferred option and Bet365 quote 6-1 on a CSKA win.

An interesting side bet could be profitable here too. You can get 10-11 with Bet365 on both teams to score. Given that the Europa League will be a more attractive proposition for CSKA Moscow than for Tottenham, you would expect CSKA to go for goals. Tottenham should have enough quality in attack to score at some stage and this makes for a very interesting bet. As long as you stay clear of the really short odds for a Spurs win then you should be fine.

Exciting end to Group A: Can Arsenal finish top?

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Going into the last game of the Champions League group phase sees Arsenal level with Paris St. Germain with 11 points a piece at the top of Group A. Arsenal travels to Switzerland for a tough fixture against Basel, while PSG entertain Ludogorets in France. As the table stands, PSG has the edge over Arsenal in the table due to scoring one more away goal in their two games with Arsenal. In order for the Gunners to take the top spot, PSG will need to drop points at home against Ludogorets. With everything to play for, Arsenal absolutely must deliver a fourth victory in Europe this season.

Can Arsenal finally perform in Europe?

It has been a long time out in the cold for Arsenal, having been eliminated in the Champions League’s Round of 16 in the last six seasons running. A big contributing factor is failing to win their group and drawing a heavyweight straight off the bat – Barcelona last season, and Bayern Munchen for two straight seasons prior to crashing out against Monaco in 2015. Wenger will be desperate to avoid this trend and finish top of the group to potentially draw an opponent with less pedigree. But with it now out of their hands, the Arsenal faithful will need to keep one eye on the game in Paris.

Their form has been fairly solid in Europe so far. Two draws against high-quality PSG, a brace of victories against Ludogorets, at one point winning 2:3, after going two down in the first half, demonstrates an Arsenal with confidence and character perhaps greater than in previous seasons. But as always, their capacity to lose focus and slip up when it matters is still there, waiting, just below the surface.

Having beaten Basel 2:0 in the first fixture, Arsenal will go into the game on Tuesday on a good run of form, knowing that they have the capability to beat their opponents and that only a win will do to go through in top spot.

Fortress Basel

Travelling to Basel is nothing to be scoffed at. Basel has a daunting record against English clubs. Their 1:1 draw against Liverpool in 2014/15 ended a four-game run of victories over English clubs in the Champions League, and Arsenal’s win in September was only their second defeat to English opponents in the Competition. Basel is also currently on a 19 game unbeaten domestic run in the Swiss Super League.

However, It has been a particularly tough European campaign for Basel so far, currently tied on two points with Ludogorets at the bottom of Group A. No points taken against PSG, or in their first game against Arsenal, Basel’s only points have come from two draws with Ludogorets. Crucially, they conceded in their home games against the Bulgarians but drew 0:0 in the away fixture, meaning they will crash out bottom of the group on head-to-head away goals if they are still even on points at 90 minutes on Tuesday. Like Arsenal, they must take points on Tuesday to have any hope to qualify for the Europa.

Value in an Arsenal win?

All this sets up what could likely be an enthralling game, as the two sides will have to throw everything at each other in the slim hope of gaining an edge on their rivals.

Skybet currently has good value on an Arsenal win at 13/10 and 5/2 for a draw. Considering Arsenal have conceded in all but one game in this European campaign, Arsenal/BTTS Yes looks very interesting, 9/2 on Bet365. If you think Arsenal are going to throw it away, Coral has your back with 19/10.