Tag: Soccer tips

Cash in on Super Saints at 6-1

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Southampton stunned Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday and now head to Ipswich in search of a place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The incredible first season in charge for Ronald Koeman came off the back of a summer that appeared to see a mass exodus of star players from St Mary’s. The forecasters of doom were in their element and even Morgan Schneiderlin sought reassurances about the clubs ambitions.

Those predictions look pretty silly now with Saints sitting in third position and as short as 7-4 to finish in the top four for an unprecedented Champions League spot. The wheels appeared to have come off in November with five straight defeats but they are firmly back on an even keel now.

A hard-fought draw against Chelsea and a win over Arsenal preceded Sunday’s victory. Koeman has admitted that he hates the squad rotation methods used by other Premiership sides and will always try to use the best side available to him. Understandably, he was not pleased to be taken to a replay by Ipswich but he is unlikely to change his approach now.

Ipswich are now slouches and are third in the Championship but they are reported to be struggling with a virus that force three midfield players home earlier this week. Mick McCarthy has tried to play it down but there must be a real danger that Ipswich struggle to put a fit team out on Wednesday night. If that is the case, the Saints must be great value in the win and goal markets.

32Red and Paddy Power are offering 6-1 about a Southampton win to new customers up to a maximum of ten pounds. That looks very tempting if you do not already have an account with them. I also like the chances of Pelle getting on the score-sheet here. It was his shot that cannoned back to Tadic on Sunday and he was always a threat in the 1-1 draw at St Mary’s.

Wednesday’s other big tie sees an all-Premiership clash between Spurs and Burnley. Tottenham fans are well used to the roller-coaster ride and had hardly returned to earth after beating Chelsea before suffering a defeat at Crystal Palace. Reports suggest that Harry Kane will not be in the squad on Wednesday while Sean Dyche likes consistency as much as Koeman does at Southampton.

Burnley are a good, honest team and have shown great determination to get points against Man City and Newcastle recently. They thoroughly deserved their win over QPR on Saturday and could be over-priced if Pochettino is too casual about his team selection.

Southampton to win @6-1 32Red & Paddy Power*

*special offer new customers up to a maximum £10

Southampton (-1.0 handicap) @9-4 Coral

Pelle to score and Southampton win @9-4 Ladbrokes

Burnley to beat Tottenham @13-2 Bet365

Hammers can end Everton FA Cup hopes

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

There are some interesting FA Cup third round replays taking place this week, none more so than the clash between West Ham and Everton at Upton Park on Tuesday night.

The Hammers were robbed off a place in the fourth round by an injury-time equaliser from Romelu Lukaku at Goodison Park.  Under-fire Everton coach Roberto Martinez must have been a relieved man to see that go in and the Toffees picked up enough encouragement to hold champions Man City on Saturday.

I have been most impressed by West Ham this season and they could be doing even better with a bit more luck in recent matches. They led Swansea thanks to a superb goal from Andy Carroll at the weekend but a Mark Noble own-goal left them sharing the points. They also drew with West Brom and should have got at least a point from a pulsating London derby against Arsenal.

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce could pick his strongest possible side at Upton Park on Tuesday night and that will really put the pressure on a weakened Everton line-up. Only Diafra Sakho and Cheikhou Kouyate are missing from Allardyce’s regular squad and the return to form of Carroll gives them an obvious attacking threat. Stewart Downing continues to earn rave reviews in midfield and the Hammers are deservedly favourites to go through.

Martinez endured a miserable festive season with four straight defeats against Southampton, Stoke, Newcastle and Hull. The 1-1 draw against West Ham and a league point against the City have temporarily stopped the rot but he continues to struggle with an injury-hit squad. Tim Howard, Sylvain Distin and Leon Osman are among those still absent as Everton look for a first win since mid-December.  Lukaku has been working tirelessly in recent matches and he will be the most likely goal threat for the visitors.

The pick of the remaining replays on Tuesday is the clash between Wolves and Fulham at Molineux. The home team will be without top scorer Bakary Sako but should still have too much power for a team ten places below them in the Championship. The winners are rewarded with a trip to The Stadium of Light to face Premiership Sunderland in the fourth round. The winner of the West Ham/Everton game visit either Doncaster or Bristol City.

West Ham to beat Everton @7-5 William Hill

Wolves to beat Fulham @19-20 Coral

Premiership Preview 10th-11th January

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Premiership returns after last weekend’s FA Cup third round and battle is resumed between Chelsea and Man City.

The two teams are now locked together with the Blues ahead in alphabetical order only. The jury is still out as to whether Chelsea’s awful defensive performance at Tottenham was just a blip or exposed deep-rooted weaknesses in the side. They are certainly no longer regarded as “invincible” having already lost at Newcastle.

They now welcome the Magpies to Stamford Bridge and will be expected to resume normal service. The visitors are yet to find a replacement coach for Alan Pardew and will be without talisman Papiss Cisse, the player almost solely responsible for his side’s last two victories over the Blues. Despite finishing on the losing side at White Hart Lane, Eden Hazard was quite superb and he will relish this game after being rested for the FA Cup win over Watford.

One of the most astonishing statistics is that Cesc Fabregas has created more goals already (14) than any player managed in the entire 2013-14 season. Assuming he remains free from serious injury, he could easily double that tally by the end of the season. Tim Krul is back in goal for Newcastle but I’m expecting him to have a very busy afternoon and am taking Chelsea to win comfortably.

City have coughed and spluttered their way through several games without a recognised striker and now have the luxury of both Aguero and Dzeko for the trip to Goodison Park. Everton are in something of a slump and it is hard to see them turning things around on Saturday. Romelu Lukaku may have bought some valuable time for Roberto Martinez with his last-gasp equaliser against West Ham in the FA Cup last week but this is a much tougher test.

If Chelsea and City record comfortable victories, the match of the day may be the relegation clash between Burnley and QPR. Harry Redknapp’s side have lost their first nine away games, just one short of the all-time record for the Premier League. I have been very impressed with Burnley’s fighting spirit in recent matches, particularly when rescuing points at Man City and Newcastle. I’m going to go out on a limb here and forecast a 3-2 result, although I am not sure which way it will go.

Leicester have also found some battling qualities in recent weeks and can beat Aston Villa at home. Arsenal should be too strong for Stoke on Sunday but the game of the day is the clash between Man United and Southampton at Old Trafford. The Saints have bounced back from a run of five defeats to keep their lofty position in the table. They were deserving winners over Arsenal recently and can hold United to a draw.

Chelsea (-2.0 handicap) to beat Newcastle @6-4 Skybet

Eden Hazard to score and Chelsea win @6-5 Ladbrokes

Burnley 3 QPR 2 @33-1 Bet365

Burnley 2 QPR 3 @56-1 Betfair

Man City (-1.0 handicap) to beat Everton @2-1 Ladbrokes

Leicester to beat Aston Villa @6-5 Bet365

Arsenal (-1.0) to beat Stoke @11-8 Skybet

Man United v Southampton DRAW @14-5 Paddy Power

FA Cup 3rd Round Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The 3rd Round of the FA Cup has provided plenty of shocks down the years as the Premier League clubs entered the competition. Most of the big guns do not play until Sunday following a dramatic week of Premiership action.

West Brom will be desperate to avoid any embarrassment with the visit of Gateshead while the all-Premiership clash between Leicester and Newcastle is the pick of Saturday’s ties. Both teams were involved in entertaining draws on New Year’s Day, Leicester pulling back a two-goal deficit at Anfield and the Magpies being pegged back to a 3-3 draw by Burnley. Newcastle look decidedly shaky at the moment but will Leicester be keen to get involved in a Cup run with the threat of relegation hanging over them? My guess is no so I’m siding with Newcastle.

Swansea are the only other Premier League team in action on Saturday and they face a tricky encounter at Tranmere. The Swans received a late boost with the news that Wayne Routledge’s red card against QPR has been rescinded and he is free to play on Saturday. Garry Monk is expected to make wholesale changes but they can still prove too strong for a Tranmere side that languishes third from bottom of League Two.

Neil Lennon has brought about some dramatic improvement at Bolton since he took over. They have only dropped two t home in their last six matches and can see off an out-of-sorts Wigan at the Macron Stadium.

Chelsea fans will still be reeling from that 5-3 defeat at Tottenham when the Blues take on Watford at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea’s second XI are good enough to compete with most Premiership sides so any number of changes won’t affect the result here. Jose Mourinho will demand a response from their New Year’s Day nightmare and it may be worth chancing a big win with the likes of Remy and Schurrle keen to impress.

Man City have clawed their way back level with the Blues in the Premiership and can see off Sheffield Wednesday despite their continuing lack of a front-line striker. Jovetic can make the most of his opportunity in the absence of Aguero and Dzeko.

Man United’s all-stars travel to lowly Yeovil and can also score a decisive victory but Southampton and Arsenal look more vulnerable. The Saints have resurrected their league form but don’t have the strength in depth to afford too many changes against Ipswich while the Gunners face last year’s Cup finalists Hull. It may be worth taking a chance on the draw in both games.

The action continues on Monday with Burnley hosting Tottenham and Wimbledon welcoming Liverpool. On Tuesday Everton play West Ham in another all-Premiership clash. Everton are really struggling lately while West Ham have been playing well without getting the results. A combination of poor refereeing and poor finishing cost them points against Arsenal and they should have beaten West Brom on New Year’s Day.

Bolton to beat Wigan @6-4 Bet365

Newcastle to beat Leicester @2-1 Coral

Swansea (-2.0 handicap) to beat Tranmere @11-4 Skybet

Man City (-2.0 handicap) to beat Sheffield Wednesday @6-5 Bet365

Stevan Jovetic to score and Man City win @11-10 Bwin

Southampton v Ipswich DRAW @15-4 BetVictor

Man United (-2.0 handicap) to beat Yeovil @13-8 Skybet

Chelsea (-2.0 handicap) to beat Watford @6-5 Bet365

Andre Schurrle to score and Chelsea win @7-5 Bwin

Arsenal v Hull DRAW @9-2 Bet365

West Ham to beat Everton @3-1 Totesport

Hazard to keep Chelsea on course for title

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Sunday’s Premiership football did not exactly go to plan for punters with Chelsea, Man City and Man United all held. The Blues can count themselves unlucky after the Cesc Fabregas penalty incident but they received a late Christmas present from the Etihad when Burnley completed an unlikely comeback to draw 2-2 with the champions.

Once again, City appear to have much the easier task on New Year’s Day with a home game against Sunderland. The injuries to Aguero and Dzeko have left Manuel Pellegrini’s side looking extremely light up front but the fixture list has contrived to put them up against five of the bottom seven teams in recent matches. Sunderland have improved considerably from their nightmare 8-0 defeat at Southampton and will try to emulate Burnley but it looks like another three points for City. David Silva has been outstanding in recent matches and can again get on the scoresheet.

Chelsea are in the late kick-off at White Hart Lane where they face a Tottenham side who are unbeaten in seven matches since losing 3-0 at Stamford Bridge. Spurs had chances to take a shock lead that night but were outclassed once Chelsea engaged top gear. The home side have an appalling record against Chelsea over the years but look a tougher side to beat this season. Eden Hazard is in top form and he could be worth a bet in the goalscorer markets.

It’s been a hectic week in the hiring and firing stakes with Newcastle, Crystal Palace and West Brom all involved. Alan Pardew’s imminent departure from the Magpies probably suits both he and the club after a turbulent couple of seasons. He did well to come through an early-season crisis and leaves the club in the top ten while Newcastle will receive compensation for ending his contract early. I think Newcastle may struggle against Burnley on Thursday as a result and you have to admire the Clarets for battling away at Man City.

Liverpool hit form with a 4-1 win over Swansea on Monday night and, like Man City, are enjoying a very soft run of fixtures. They should be too strong for Leicester while Man United can overcome Stoke at the Britannia Stadium. Louis van Gaal and Wayne Rooney have both been having a moan about the fixture list this week but United are still in fine form and can take all three points.

West Ham impressed me against Arsenal and were desperately unlucky to lose 2-1. They should have gone ahead when Alex Song’s fired home from 25 yards only to have the goal ruled out for a controversial offside decision. They battled back well from 2-0 and had late chances to snatch a point.

They have yet to register a point over Christmas but can put matters right when they face manager-less West Brom. Arsenal face a tricky visit to Southampton who managed to hang on for a point against Chelsea. The key player here could be Alexis Sanchez who has scored in both previous games against the Saints.

Burnley to beat Newcastle @17-4 Bet365

Spurs 1 Chelsea 2 @8-1 Bet365

Eden Hazard to score first @13-2 Bet365

Man City (-1.0 handicap) to beat Sunderland @8-13 Bet365

David Silva to score first @11-2 Bet365

Man United to beat Stoke @21-10 BetVictor

Liverpool (-1.0 handicap) to beat Leicester @6-5 Spreadex

West Ham (-1.0 Handicap) to beat West Brom @9-4 Paddy Power

Alexis Sanchez to score first @11-2 Bet365

Man City to keep the pressure on Blues

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

It was business as usual for the top teams on Boxing Day with victories for Chelsea, Man City, Man United, Southampton, Tottenham and Arsenal. Punters will be eager to re-invest their winnings on Sunday with the action getting under way with the lunchtime clash between Spurs and United at White Hart Lane.

Wayne Rooney has been instrumental in United’s surge up the table into third place, albeit ten points off the leaders Chelsea. He has now scored five in his last seven following a double against Newcastle on Friday.  The England skipper has a fine record against Spurs with nine goals in thirteen games so he will be a popular choice to score for the visitors here.

United’s away form has been moderate but they have only lost one of their last 18 league games in the capital. Tottenham have been battling to beat minor opposition recently and are enjoying a decent run themselves. United may just have too much firepower for them here and Rooney to score in an away win is the bet.

The Newcastle defeat apart, Chelsea have been rolling over teams like a well-oiled machine and now travel to Southampton. The Saints hit the buffers recently with five straight losses but a confidence-boosting win over Everton was followed by three points at Palace on Boxing Day. They have struggled against the top teams and it is difficult to seem doing any better against a full-strength Chelsea team. Eden Hazard has been superb in recent games and could be worth a bet to score at any time, especially considering that he is first choice penalty taker.

Manchester City are set to break a club record that has stood for over a century when they welcome Burnley to the Etihad. They are still without Aguero and Dzeko while Jovetic could play a part in their injury-stricken front-line. You would hardly have known they were lacking a striker when they went 2-0 up in 13 minutes at West Brom with David Silva in fine from. They should have too much flair for a hard-working Burnley side and are worth backing on the handicap markets. I am not convinced that City can hit them for six without a leading striker but they can take the three points to keep them in touch with Chelsea.

There was a distinct lack of festive spirit at Crystal Palace with the yuletide departure of Neil Warnock after just four months in charge. He was unable to pick up where Tony Pulis left off and the bookmakers believe that Tim Sherwood could be the man to fill his shoes. In the meantime, the Eagles face a tricky game at QPR who are having a real Jeckyl and Hyde season. Incredibly, they have yet to take a single point away from Loftus Road but have moved out of the bottom three. Charlie Austin is the man in form and he can score in another home victory.

If there is to be a shock for the top clubs it could come at Upton Park where West Ham face Arsenal. The Hammers were outclassed by Chelsea but will line up differently with home advantage against an Arsenal team that still looks strangely vulnerable in defence. Backing Diafra Sakho to score earlier in the season was a licence to print money and he is back in the side for this London derby. An entertaining draw could be on the cards here and 2-2 might be worth a punt.

Newcastle face Everton in the late kick-off and I favour the home side in view of Everton’s injury list. They are expected to start without Tim Howard or Phil Jagielka and the Magpies must surely fancy their chances. Since beating Chelsea, Alan Pardew’s team have gone into freefall and have shipped 12 goals in four successive defeats. That is hardly inspiring but Everton have been stumbling badly, losing at home to Stoke on Friday.

Tips

Wayne Rooney to score and Man United win @7-2 BWin

Eden Hazard to score and Chelsea win @3-1 BWin

Man City (-2.0 handicap) to win @6-5 Paddy Power

Charlie Austin to score and QPR win @11-4 BWin

West Ham 2 Arsenal 2 @12-1 Bet365

Newcastle to beat Everton @19-10 BetVictor