Tag: Manchester City

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.

Manchester Derby Betting Preview: Three Hidden Wagers

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The first Manchester derby of the season is set to take place on September 10 and this time around the tension is palpable.

With Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola about to square off for the first time under the bright lights of Old Trafford, fans, pundits and neutrals are all licking their lips in anticipation of this tactical master class.

Options Galore for Fans and Punters Alike

Will Guardiola invert his wing-backs and go with a 4-1-4-1 system and if he does, how will Mourinho counter City’s attacking flow? What if Mourinho floods the middle of the park with players in a bid to shut out City and counter on the break?

The tactical possibilities for both sides are enough to get football fans around the world salivating, but what about those who sense a chance to make a few extra quid during this Manchester derby? What do all these possibilities mean for the pre-game betting markets?

From a general perspective, United are the betting favourites with Sun Bets. 13/10 is the current price on Mourinho’s men to do the business, while 11/5 says City will take three points back across Manchester.

However, with so much potential on the pitch, there’s a lot more value out there then a simple outright bet. In fact, with Paddy Power offering some off-the-wall bets, the canny punter could pick up a pretty penny when the tackles start to fly this Saturday.

Manchester United vs. Manchester City Best Bets

So, with this in mind, we’ve cherry picked some of Paddy Power’s more interesting bets you might have missed ahead of the big showdown:

Jose Mourinho to be sent to the stands – 10/1

If there’s anyone with more passion on the touchline than Mr. Mourinho then we’re yet to see him. While the likes of Rooney or Ibrahimovic are more likely to score a caution than Mourinho, he’s never been one for shying away from a tense situation. If the score line is tight and things aren’t going his way, Mourinho could easily find himself watching from the stands which makes 10/1 a price you can’t ignore.

Ibrahimovic and Iheanacho to both score in 90 minutes – 13/2

With United and City both firing on all cylinders this season, goals will certainly be on the cards this Saturday. If that’s the case, then Ibrahimovic and Iheanacho are likely to be in the mix, and that makes 13/2 a hugely attractive proposition. In fact, if you’re looking for slightly more value from this intriguing head-to-head, then one player to outscore the other could also be a solid bet. 2/1 says Ibrahimovic will reign supreme while 4/1 says his counterpart will bang in the most goals. Either way the odds make these wagers worth a punt.

Goal to be scored between the 86th minute and fulltime – 25/1

A Manchester derby at Old Trafford just wouldn’t be the same if there wasn’t some late drama. While the days of the Ferguson 94th minute winner might have gone, there’s no denying that United have a knack of stealing games at the death. Of course, nothing is certain in a game of this magnitude, but given United’s history of late goals there’s no reason this bet couldn’t materialise. Indeed, if you treat it as one of those small stake/high return propositions, then 25/1 is a price you should be more than willing to take.

Whichever way you slice it and however you ante-up, Manchester United vs. Manchester City looks set to be a barnstormer. Whether you take advantage of the bets outlined above or you visit Paddy Power for the latest live odds, there’s plenty of potential this weekend if you’re willing to look for it.

Premiership Preview 10th May

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Sunday’s Premiership fixtures were expected to have a say in the outcome of the title race but Chelsea secured the title last weekend against Crystal Palace. That has left City battling to secure second spot and they ought to collect a fourth consecutive victory at home to QPR.

Rangers are set to pay the price for their terrible away record which just one victory in seventeen including fourteen defeats. The gap between QPR and safety is already a yawning nine points and this is probably the last place they would want to be going. Sergio Aguero scored his memorable title-winning goal in this fixture in 2011-12 and has hit the target in his last four games.

The Argentinian striker will have one eye on the Premiership Golden Boot prize and this fixture looks set up for him to add to his tally. QPR know that the game is virtually up and anything less than a shock victory will not be good enough. Charlie Austin poses a threat and it may be worth looking at 4-1 and 5-1 to City in the score markets.

Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace means that they are champions so you could forgive them if they suffered a slight dip in form. They welcome Liverpool to Stamford Bridge in the late kick-off and the Reds will be forming a guard of honour for the home side. I remember Manchester United having to do the same thing some years ago and we can only hope that Liverpool are more gracious than one or two of the United players that day.

Jose Mourinho has paved the way for a friendly occasion with his kind words about Liverpool Captain Steven Gerrard. The absence of Diego Costa takes out another potential flash-point after his clashes with Liverpool in the League Cup. The way to go here may be a draw and it could be worth supporting Branislav Ivanovic to get on the score-sheet. He has scored against the Reds in the past and will always be a threat from set-pieces.

Sergio Aguero to score and Man City to win @3-4 Ladbrokes

Sergio Aguero to score 2 or more goals @3-1 Skybet

Man City 4 QPR 1 @15-1 BetVictor

Man City 5 QPR 1 @25-1 BetVictor

Chelsea v Liverpool DRAW @5-2 Bet365

Chelsea 1 Liverpool 1 @13-2 BetVictor

Branislav Ivanovic to score first @20-1 Paddy Power

Branislav Ivanovic to score at any time @17-2 Unibet

Chelsea set to seal Premiership title

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

There are two Premiership fixtures on Sunday and Chelsea have the chance to seal the title in the early kick-off at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues had to come back from a goal down to beat Leicester in midweek but they did so in some style. Goals from Drogba, Terry and Ramires put them on the verge of winning the title for the first time since 2010. A win over London rivals Crystal Palace will be enough to wrestle the prize away from Manchester City who have been left trailing since drawing level on points on New Year’s Day.

Chelsea have led the Premier League since the start of the season and have only been beaten twice. Defeats at Newcastle and Tottenham have been the only blips on an otherwise dominant campaign. They have come in for criticism in recent weeks for being boring but the league table does not lie and a thirteen point lead illustrates their superiority.

Jose Mourinho has been keen to keep his players focussed on the job in hand and he will not take the visitors lightly. A one-goal victory would be perfectly satisfactory, even if it does leave their supporters biting their nails for the closing minutes. The superb Hazard is likely to have Loic Remy ahead of him in attack but I am taking a punt on Nemanja Matic to score the winner. His capture was a masterstroke by Mourinho and he would be a very appropriate player to strike the championship winning goal.

If Chelsea have secured the title, there could be something of a cloud over Manchester City for the late kick-off at Tottenham. It will be a surprise if Manuel Pellegrini is still at the helm next season after a moderate campaign with no silverware. A top four spot looks virtually assured after Liverpool dropped further points at Hull so there isn’t any real pressure on City here.

Tottenham have a miserable record against City, most particularly Sergio Aguero who scored four goals in the reverse fixture. That game included four penalty awards but the result flattered City. This game should be entertaining and the sides can share the points at 2-2.

Tips

Chelsea 1 Crystal Palace 0 @6-1 Paddy Power

Nemanja Matic to score first @25-1 Paddy Power

Tottenham v Man City DRAW @11-4 Bet365

Tottenham 2 Man City 2 @13-1 BetVictor

Premiership Preview – April 25th

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

It’s another cracking weekend of Premiership football action including the London derby between Arsenal and Chelsea on Sunday. A win for the Blues would put them on the brink of lifting the title and I shall be previewing that game separately.

Saturday’s action kicks off at 12.45 with a really tricky fixture between Southampton and Tottenham. Both sides have taken their foot off the gas in recent weeks as the dream of a Champions League spot disappeared over the horizon. Whatever magic Ronald Koeman used in the early months of the season at St Mary’s seems to have worn off and they are struggling for goals and points. Tottenham are totally unpredictable at present and this looks like a game to swerve.

While the title battle seems to be heading to a predictable conclusion, the same cannot be said of the battle for Premiership survival. You have to admire the battling qualities of Burnley and Leicester in recent weeks and the two sides clash on Saturday afternoon at Turf Moor.

The Clarets have home advantage but they are meeting a Leicester side with an incredible never-say-die attitude. Sometimes these games can be disappointing but I just have the feeling that this could be a thriller and it may be worth looking at some ambitious score draw prices.

QPR have also won many admirers with their battling performances in recent weeks. They are at home to London rivals West Ham who have lurched into obscurity after a promising first half of the season. It’s almost as if they reached their points total too soon and did not really believe they could maintain that level of form. QPR are in their position because of their horrific away form but they have always been difficult to beat at home. Take Charlie Austin to score in a home victory.

Aston Villa did this column a massive favour last week when knocking Liverpool out of the FA Cup. Christian Benteke’s contribution helped us to a 20-point profit on the game and they now travel to Manchester City. Villa are still not safe from relegation so any thoughts of Tim Sherwood picking anything other than his best team are wide of the mark. City beat a lack-lustre West Ham to end their own miserable run but is this match really a foregone conclusion as the bookmakers suggest? Maybe we should re-invest a little of last week’s profits in the hope of another Villa upset.

Burnley 2 Leicester 2 @15-1 BetVictor

Burnley 3 Leicester 3 @80-1 BetVictor

QPR to beat West Ham @29-20 BetVictor

Charlie Austin to score and QPR win @3-1 Paddy Power

Christian Benteke to score at any time @7-2 Totesport

Christian Benteke to score and Villa win @20-1 Paddy Power

Premiership Preview April 18th – 19th

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The big match this weekend is the clash between leaders Chelsea and third-placed Manchester United in Saturday’s evening kick-off.

The Blues are edging ever-closer to the Premiership title but still have United, Arsenal and Liverpool to play. A defeat at home to a resurgent United could still cause a few jitters with the winning post in sight. Had Chelsea gone into this match with a fully-fit Diego Costa, it would be very difficult to see them slipping up. As it is, not only is Costa out but there is also a doubt about the fitness of Loic Remy.

United are in buoyant mood after beating champions and neighbours City 4-2 last weekend. That game could signal the end of the brief reign of Manuel Pellegrini while Louis van Gaal looks set to achieve his goal of restoring Champions League football to Old Trafford. The return to form of former Chelsea star Juan Mata has had a great impact in recent matches and he could be worth a bet to silence the home fans on Saturday.

The Blues still have Eden Hazard and he is the kind of player to rise to the big occasion. Jose Mourinho will be calling on him once more and I’m sure that he would settle for a draw, just as he did when City visited.

West Brom are really struggling for form and face a tricky visit to Crystal Palace. Alan Pardew’s side have put up some brilliant displays recently and another defeat for Tony Pulis’s side could have them looking anxiously over their shoulders in the league table. Among those scrapping for survival are Leicester City who are at home to Swansea. They dug out an unlikely 3-2 win at West Brom last week and will fancy their chances of following up here.

Southampton’s season was in danger of falling away but Ronald Koeman’s side beat Hull decisively last week. They travel to Stoke who have little left to play for. A draw seems highly likely but Pelle’s first goal in months will have boosted his confidence and the Saints could come away with all three points.

Sunday’s games are Man City at home to West Ham and Newcastle facing Spurs. The two home teams are among the worst performing sides in the league at present so it is a brave man that takes 2-7 about City. They may struggle to a win but 11-2 for a draw looks tempting while Spurs should see off a lack-lustre Magpies outfit.

Crystal Palace to beat West Brom @20-21 Paddy Power

Leicester to beat Swansea @6-5 Ladbrokes

Southampton to beat Stoke @11-8 Ladbrokes

Chelsea v Man United DRAW @5-2 Totesport

Man City v West Ham DRAW @11-2 Bet365

Spurs to beat Newcastle @11-8 William Hill