Tag: Football Tips

Arsenal vs. Bournemouth: Will Wilshere Make the Difference?

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Could Jack Wilshere be the missing link on November 27 when Bournemouth travel to Arsenal? The Arsenal midfielder is currently on loan at Bournemouth following a spell of injuries and poor form, but he’ll have to sit this game out under the rules governing players on a temporary contract.

Since moving to Bournemouth, Wilshere has played nine games and looks to be returning to the sort of form that saw him hailed as one of Arsenal’s next great hopes. In fact, with injuries now a distant memory and his link-up plays starting to find their mark, Wilshere recently received an England call-up from Gareth Southgate.

Wilshere In Form but Out of Action

While it might be a little early to hail the “return” of the 24-year-old talent, he’s certainly looked comfortable in a Bournemouth shirt. Unfortunately, with the FA’s rules preventing him from playing, it looks as though Bournemouth will be up against it at the Emirates.

To date, Arsenal has faced Bournemouth three times and haven’t lost on any occasion. To heap more pressure on Eddie Howe, Arsenal has lost just once this season and currently sit fourth in the Premier League, while Bournemouth has lost five. In any other match, Howe would be looking to Wilshere for some inspiration in the middle of the park, but this Sunday he won’t have the luxury.

Fortunately, however, he does have Harry Arter. The feisty midfielder has been a powerhouse in the centre this season and often comes in with a crunch challenge when it really matters. According to the stats, Arter has won 25 tackles this season, which is the fifth-best total in the league so far this season.

Midfield Strength is Bournemouth’s Best Hope

With Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez often dropping deep from the frontline, a crunch battle between these two could define much of the match. If Arter can slow down Sanchez and prevent him from feeding into the likes of Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil, then it could stifle Arsenal’s attacks and give Bournemouth a chance to sneak a win.

However, even if Bournemouth can contain Sanchez, Arsenal are still a threat, and more importantly, the Cherries haven’t exactly been firing on all cylinders this season. With more conceded (16) than scored (14), Bournemouth is struggling for goals and that could be the deciding factor on Sunday.

The current betting line at Sun Bets has Arsenal as the 2/5 favourites and the visitors way out at 13/2. Although Ladbrokes and Paddy Power are both offering 4/1 on a draw, the market is clearly split between the two opposites of wins and losses. Of course, for a bit more value, Sun Bets will give you 8/1 on the familiar one nil to the Arsenal, but this game looks to have more goals in it.

If There Are Goals, They’ll Probably be Arsenal’s

Bournemouth is vulnerable at the back and Arsenal has netted 25 in 12. That would suggest we’re in for two or more goals from the Gunners, which makes 2-0 at 7/1 and 3-0 at 15/2 look highly attractive. For those that want to take advantage of a timely betting offer, Paddy Power is currently offering an instant payout if your team goes two goals up at any stage in the game.

Valid for all pre-match singles in the Win-Draw-Win market, this offer will see you paid out in full as a winner if your selection nets a two-goal lead. Given Arsenal’s current form and goals-per-game average just over the 2.0 mark, this looks like an offer that’s worth taking advantage of.

That deal aside, Arsenal certainly look like the clear favourites heading into this game and it could well be Wilshere’s absence that’s helped this fact. The Arsenal player might not be contributing to his team’s current run, but he may still end up earning three points when Bournemouth travel to London on Sunday.

Leicester City v Middlesbrough: A Day For Defences

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

While Leicester City continued to buck the odds by topping Group G of the UEFA Champions League after a relatively comfortable 2-1 victory over Club Brugge on Tuesday, it’s fair to say that the Foxes have had to face something of a reality check in the Premier League this season.

Claudio Ranieri’s men have struggled to replicate their phenomenal title-winning form from the 2015/2016 campaign and currently sit just two points above the relegation zone in 14th place. A 2-1 defeat to Watford last time out did little to improve morale as Leicester became only the third reigning champions after Leeds United in 1992 and Blackburn Rovers in 1995 to start a season without a win in their first six away games.

Fortunately, the Foxes will be able to fall back on home comforts on Saturday as they face a Middlesbrough side who are one point and one place behind them in the Premier League table, but their erratic domestic form means a straightforward afternoon is far from guaranteed. In truth, there is little to separate the two sides in terms of results, with Boro edging it with five points from their last four games to Leicester’s four.

Foxes Failing To Fire

The worry for Leicester will be that while the two teams’ recent returns are comparable, the way in which those points have been accrued most certainly isn’t. Aitor Karanka’s men have shown incredible defensive resilience to secure hard-earned points at Arsenal and Manchester City while also derailing an in-form AFC Bournemouth at the Riverside, whereas Leicester lost their last Premier League home clash to West Brom.

Despite this fact, the bookmakers still have the reigning champions as favourites for the win against newly-promoted Middlesbrough, with Betfred and Betway both offering a best price of 10/11 on a home victory. The visitors, meanwhile, are out at 15/4 with Bet Victor and the draw is also available at 13/5 with Bet365; with both of these outcomes undoubtedly offering better value than the odds-on price on a Leicester win.

The main problem for the home side here is that while Boro has been busy making a name for themselves thanks to their dogged defending in recent weeks, Leicester is badly struggling for goals. Having been one of the driving forces behind their title push last season with 24 goals, Jamie Vardy has found the net twice so far and has now fallen behind slight injury doubt Islam Slimani in Coral’s first goalscorer market at 5/1.

Chances At A Premium

The Algerian, meanwhile, is rated at 9/2 with the same bookie and arguably represents more of a threat if he is passed fit; as does Leicester’s top scorer in all competitions this season, Riyad Mahrez, who comes in at 6/1 with Bet365 and also has penalty duties in his locker. Picking a marksman for the visitors is similarly problematic, with Middlesbrough being the league’s joint-lowest scorers alongside Hull City with 10 goals.

All this adds up to a game where defences are likely to be on top, and you can get a tasty-looking 7/2 on Boro keeping their fourth clean sheet of the season with Sky Bet. Similarly, Betfred is offering 12/5 on the match featuring fewer than 1.5 goals and – despite being odds-on at 4/5 – under 2.5 goals looks about as close to a certainty as you’re ever likely to find in the Premier League with the same online bookmaker.

Those wishing to take this defensive mindset a step further can find a generous 9/1 on the game finishing 0-0 with Sky Bet, while if you do fancy Leicester to snap their recent losing streak in the Premier League, your best bet is certainly to back the Foxes to win to nil with Bet Victor at vastly improved odds of 21/10.

Burnley vs Manchester City: Tough Turf for City

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Turf Moor has long been considered to be a graveyard for the top teams that play there. This tight little stadium with a small capacity almost looks out of place in the Premier League. Burnley have been defying the critics for some time. The fact of the matter is this. Everton and Liverpool have both lost at Turf Moor this season while Arsenal were lucky to scrape a 1-0 win.

Despite their recent away win at Crystal Palace, City still look like a team that is capable of conceding goals. They are still many peoples’ bet for the title. It is difficult to ponder the variables when it comes to predicting whether Guardiola will lift the title in his first season. City has the potential and they certainly have the manager with the right philosophy. The question is will that philosophy work in the Premier League? Then we might ask if it will work in time for City to be Champions this season?

Bookies Buy into the Guardiola Effect

The betting firms have certainly bought into the famous “Guardiola effect”. Manchester City are favourites again for the title but should they be? Chelsea have been champions more recently than City and they don’t have to worry about European football this season. Guardiola freely admits that he is still “learning” the nuances of the Premier League.

This means that the bookies will certainly have them too short when they face Burnley in the lunchtime kick-off on Saturday. William Hill has City at 2/7 to win. You can get odds of 5/1 with Stan James for the draw and 10/1 with BoyleSports for a Burnley win. The recent wins over Barcelona and the 4-0 win away to West Brom still haven’t convinced a lot of people that City have what it takes.

Buoyed by the Return of Toure

City have never really recovered since the loss of club captain Vincent Kompany. A succession of injuries is now looking to threaten his entire career. He went off injured again last weekend in the 2-1 win away to Crystal Palace. The plus side is the return of Yaya Toure. Guardiola claims he is back to full fitness and that is going to be a big boost for City. This is providing that Toure delivers and doesn’t drift in and out of games like he has done in recent seasons.

It is clear that City must start as favourites against Burnley but 2/7 favourites? Burnley have recorded consistent results this season. Their recent goalless draw at Old Trafford and the home win against Everton has left them with a respectable 14pts so far. The value bet seems to be the 5/1 for the draw. City are frail at the back and Turf Moor is a tough ground to visit….just ask Liverpool and Everton fans.

Arsenal v PSG: Can The Gunners Top Group A?

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Having already secured their progress to the knock-out stages of the UEFA Champions League for the 14th consecutive season, Wednesday’s clash between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain represents something of a straight shoot-out for top spot in Group A and – potentially – a more favourable draw in the Round of 16.

The Gunners punched their ticket to next phase of the competition with a thrilling 3-2 comeback against Bulgarian champions Ludogorets Razgrad, with Mesut Ozil’s sublime winner ensuring the North London side maintained their unbeaten start to the group despite being 2-0 down within the opening 15 minutes.

The jubilant scenes among the away supporters were, however, tempered by news of Thomas Meunier’s 90th-minute strike handing PSG all three points away to Basel, with this late victory ensuring that the two teams go into this week’s fixture deadlocked on 10 points apiece, with Arsenal ahead on goal difference.

The French Connection

The last time the two teams met in Group A, Arsenal managed to salvage a point through Alexis Sanchez’s second-half goal, but the visitors were behind within a minute when Edinson Cavani’s glancing header sent the Paris faithful into raptures. The Gunners were run ragged in the opening exchanges and were indebted to the Uruguayan’s wayward finishing as they held on before striking late in the final quarter of the game.

With Arsene Wenger’s men benefiting from home advantage this time out, the bookies are predicting a far smoother ride at the Emirates, with Arsenal priced as 13/10 favourites with Betfair ahead of PSG at 12/5 with Sky Bet. The draw, meanwhile, is available at a best price of 9/4 from Unibet, indicating that despite their slightly more favourable odds, Wednesday night’s game should largely be an evenly-matched affair.

One statistic that does stand out, however, is the fact that Arsenal has conceded in each of their last three games in all competitions, with this making 138.com’s price of 10/13 on both teams finding the back of the net seem an easy way to make money. Should these odds not appeal, you can double both teams scoring with the result, with Betfair offering 7/5 on Arsenal emerging victorious and 9/2 on PSG doing the same.

Attack! Attack! Attack!

With both sides able to field a glittering array of attacking talent, it seems fairly safe to assume that the game is unlikely to finish goalless – and the current trends in this year’s competition indicate that there may be some value to be had when betting on the time that the first goal will be scored at the Emirates.

In the two games in which they’ve conceded in Group A, Arsenal has gone behind in both the 1st and 12th minutes, while in their remaining two games they’ve opened the scoring in the 7th and 12th minute against Basel and Ludogorets respectively. It is therefore somewhat surprising to see William Hill decide that a goal in the opening 1-15 minutes is an odds-against proposition at 21/10, with this offering some potential value.

Arsenal’s current run of three games without a clean sheet also makes it strange to see 1-0 to the home side being touted as the most likely scoreline by Coral and Boyle Sports at 15/2. Given what we already know about the Gunners’ defensive frailty in the competition this year, a 2-1 victory therefore, looks more appealing at 33/4 with 138.com, and you can also get 39/4 on the visitors winning by the same scoreline.

 

 

UEFA Champions League: Will City Clinch a Knockout Place?

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Manchester City reached the semi-finals of the Champions League last season without Pep Guardiola. They will surely expect the same again with him at the helm. City currently lead Borussia Monchengladbach by 3pts going into their pivotal tie with the Germans at Borussia-Park. The odds heavily favour City despite this seemingly tough away fixture.

Poor Recent form Hampers Borussia

Borussia Monchengladbach has been in poor form of late. Recent league defeats in the Bundesliga against Hertha Berlin and more recently FC Cologne at home has left them struggling in the bottom half of the table. The Germans know that nothing short of a win against City will be good enough. That fact will surely play into City’s hands.

City, on the other hand, has just had a morale boosting league win. They have dropped valuable points recently in the league with several drawn games. The late winner that gave them a 2-1 win away to Crystal Palace on Saturday was badly needed. The big plus for Guardiola from that game was the presence of Yaya Toure.

Will Toure Play on Wednesday

There is no doubt that Yaya Toure is one of the best players in the Premier League when he is fully fit and on his “A” game. If Guardiola gets a fully fit Toure back into his squad playing regularly then it will seem like signing a new player. Toure hadn’t played since August before Saturday’s game at Palace. The look on Guardiola’s face at the final whistle was that of a man that knew Toure would make a big difference to their season.

City cannot afford any slip-ups on Wednesday. They will surely want to qualify for the knockout stage before they host Celtic in the final game. There is another factor at work too. City beat Barcelona 3-1 in their previous group game. That only puts them 2pts behind the Spaniards. So they will not want to miss out on a Barcelona slip up and not claim top spot in the group.

Qualification is Key

The big goal for City though is to qualify for the knockout stages. A defeat in Germany would put that in doubt. Bet365 are quoting City at 4/5 against Borussia which seems fair. Borussia is 16/5 and the draw is 11/4. Manchester City has the players to pick the Germans apart, who must surely press for the win.

Guardiola’s team dominated the Germans in the home leg and the gulf in class was obvious. It will be a huge result for Monchengladbach to get all three points from this tie. Realistically they are probably fighting Celtic for the third place spot and a Europa League place after Christmas.

The Germans will probably secure that anyway seeing as Celtic face Barcelona and then a trip to City in their remaining fixtures. It is worth repeating, though, that the return of Yaya Toure could be the pivotal point for Manchester City this season both in the league and in Europe.

Tottenham To Keep Their Slim Champions League Hopes Alive

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IT’S a must win match for Tottenham on Tuesday when they travel to the south of France to face Monaco in Champions League Group E.

Despite the Londoners’ still being the only unbeaten side in the Premier League, their Champions League campaign has been truly shocking.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side have won just once in their four group E matches, which leaves their qualifications hopes hanging by a thread, but despite that poor from I am very confident that they will get something from this tough trip.

When the two met in the reverse fixture back in September Monaco came away with a 2-1 win, but Spurs’ home Champions League matches are being played at Wembley and with two defeats in their two matches at the national stadium, they aren’t coping well with the unfamiliar surroundings and other sides raise there game at the iconic venue and they do look a much better side away from home.

On their two European road trips they remain unbeaten with a win and a draw, and the best defence in the Premier League has been unblemished on their travels without conceding in those two games and another close one looks on the cards.

Tottenham are a general 2.85 for the win and they will be full of confidence after their last gasp 3-2 success against West Ham at the weekend, and a big boost for the hopes of success is the return of striker Harry Kane.

Last season’s Premier League top goalscorer scored two late goals in the West Ham win, and with three goals in his two matches since returning from a long injury he will be a very popular pick to score the opener at 6.50 with William Hills.

Monaco are in great form at present, unbeaten in their last ten matches and scoring 31 in those games, and Leonardo Jardim’s side are 2.60 with Paddy Power for the win to do the double over Spurs.

The quality of the Ligue 1 isn’t great so you can’t look too much into those results, as a home clash with Spurs will be one of their toughest, if not their toughest challenge of the season.

Despite their recent high scoring matches I expect this one to be very close, and under 2.5 goals at 1.83 with BetStars looks a safe bet; and with a draw a good result for the home side and not a complete disaster for the visitors at the biggest price of all three match outcomes, 3.50 with Bet365, it looks the most likely result.