Tag: international football tips

Unbeaten Ireland Face Stern World Cup Qualifying Test

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Life is fairly rosy if you’re a Republic of Ireland supporter right now.

The boys in green currently sit joint top at the summit of FIFA World Cup Qualifying Group D, and only trail leaders Serbia on goal difference after their unbeaten start on the long and winding road to Russia 2018.

This weekend, however, Martin O’Neill’s team face a very tricky assignment in the form of an away trip to the Ernst-Happel Stadion, where they face fourth-placed Austria. True, the hosts were fairly wretched at last summers’ European Championship, but their home record makes grim reading for Republic of Ireland.

Ten Of The Best

Marcel Koller’s men are currently unbeaten in their previous 10 competitive home matches and have a 100% record against R.O.I. in Austria in recent years, winning their past four encounters while scoring 11 goals to the visitors’ one. With their biggest win being a 6-0 demolition in the 1972 Euro Championships, O’Neill will be mindful of keeping things tight so as not to derail his side’s current qualifying momentum.

While a repeat of that damaging encounter looks highly unlikely here, the bookies are currently giving Austria the edge, with Matchbook offering a best price of 21/10 on the home side emerging victorious. R.O.I. are meanwhile priced at 10/3 to get the win at William Hill, with the draw also available at 11/5.

Austrian frontman Marc Janko is currently rated as the 4/1 favourite to open the scoring on Saturday with Boyle Sports, while R.O.I. stalwart Jonathan Walters perhaps represents the best value for the visitors at 10/1 with Bet365. Whatever way you cut it, however, it should be far from an easy night for the away team, with a 1-1 draw being the best-priced positive result for the Republic at an enticing 6/1 with William Hill.

Spain Expected To Stroll

Over in Group G, meanwhile, things are expected to be far more straightforward for top-of-the-table Spain as they take on a FYR Macedonia side who are yet to record a point in this year’s FIFA World Cup Qualifying campaign. La Furia Roja has scored 11 goals in their three games so far – conceding just once to Italy – but this should be tempered by the fact that the majority of those strikes came as they beat Liechtenstein 8-0.

FYR Macedonia, on the other hand, has shipped seven goals in their opening three games; and though they have found the back of the net on each occasion, the team currently have nothing to show for their efforts in Group G so far. The disparity in the two sides’ form going into this one is certainly reflected by the prices on offer from the bookies, with Spain rated as red hot favourites at 1/20 with Bet365, Betfred and Sky Bet.

Indeed, the home side is so highly-fancied here that you can get odds as big as 70/1 with Betfair on the visitors causing an upset, with even the draw coming in at a prohibitive 14/1 with Betfred. Despite the huge prices on offer, backing such an outcome looks sheer folly, so if you are determined to bet on Macedonia causing Julen Lopetegui’s men problems, both teams to score is as good as it gets at 27/10 with Betfair.

In terms of first scorer picks, the veritable who’s who of attacking talent in the home side’s ranks and the paucity of options for the opposition makes it a tough market to call. Diego Costa is currently the 13/5 favourite with Bet Victor – and with the Chelsea man currently on fire in the Premier League, you can also find an improved price of 15/8 on the burly centre-forward scoring two goals or more courtesy of Bet365.

Goals Hard to Come by on Friday Night

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

THE World Cup qualifiers are back this weekend, which usually means a lack of goals and a lack of excitement, and that certainly looks the case in Group C on Friday night when Northern Ireland host Azerbaijan.

The Irish performed heroics for boss Michael O’Neil to make it to last summer’s European championship finals, but they are a side that seems to do better when given the underdog tag and as the 1.62 favourites for a Belfast win that’s not a price that I would be rushing to take.

Azerbaijan is an improving nation, and under the guidance of manager Robert Prosinecki they’ve picked up seven points from three qualifiers and are more than capable of holding the favourites at Windsor Park.

You can get a massive 7.00 on an away win, which looks a little beyond them but the draw certainly does appeal at the 3.75 that Bet365 are offering.

In all four previous international matches between these two countries everyone has produced under 2.5 goals, and with Azerbaijan’s three matches in this campaign resulting in just TWO goals, under 2.5 on a freezing cold Belfast night looks a certainty at the 1.50 that Coral will offer you.

One goal, if we get one, should be enough for either side to win this and with Azerbaijan yet to concede in this qualifying campaign under 1.5 goals at 2.50 with William Hills looks appealing as does no goalscorer in the match at a more working man’s price of 7.00 with the same company.

GROUP A’s table-topping clash in Paris between France and Sweden looks a lot more appealing on the eye, but this is another that could disappoint.

These two countries have an identical record in qualification so it should be very difficult to split the two sides.

But that is not the case at all, as France are a very short price 1.28 with William Hills to claim top spot; however, if there is any international side in Europe who can let you down at short prices the French will be very close to the top of that list.

The French did impress in their last home match, coming from behind to beat Bulgaria 4-1, but I don’t believe the gulf between these two sides is as big as the bookies have it, and the Swede’s look huge at 16.0 with Bet365.

Sweden did lose 1-0 on their last visit to Paris in 2014, and in their last five matches in the French capital they’ve never been beaten by more than one goal, so the best bet in the match is Sweden +1.5 on the Asian handicap lines at the generally available 11/10 with most firms.

This looks another match where goals will be hard to come by, as six of the last seven matches between these two countries have featured under 2.5 goals; again that looks a spot of value at the 2.10 with Paddy Power.

If the French don’t score early, then an expectant Paris crowd usually gets on the team’s back. This could turn into a very nervy night and one goal might be enough to win it for either side and under 1.5 is also on my bet radar at 4.10 with BetVictor.

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.