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Ventspils vs BATE Borisov

I could not believe my eyes when I saw the odds on BATE Borisov to overcome FK Ventspils in Latvia for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Qualifier. They're at an amazing 6/5! We're talking about a side from Belarus that is more than capable of being good enough to compete in the Russian Premier League. They're travelling to play a side that would struggle to cope in the Russian Division One. BATE Borisov can now be considered an experienced European opponent and not only do they possess that but also grit and talent. I mean, FK Ventspils aren't going to make this game easy for their opponents; of course they won't. However, they're about par with Makedonija Gjorce Petrov Skopje, the side that BATE Borisov comfortably disposed of last round in both legs. I honestly expect the exact same thing to occur again. I wouldn't be surprised to see BATE Borisov break down the handicap barrier today - 6/5 is an absolute steal!

Wednesday's Picks

My tips:

As ever, below are my recommended value tips for today in no particular order:

Ventspils vs BATE Borisov - away win at 6/5 - see introduction for full details.

Levadia Tallinn vs Debreceni VSC - away win at 8/5. I must emphasise that people take advantage of these odds because they won't appear again if what I think is going to happen does happen. Levadia Tallinn claimed a heroic victory over Wisla Krakow of Poland last round, a side they by all rights shouldn't have even been able to score against. However, the Poles had their own issues both on and off the pitch and were abysmal in both legs. Debreceni VSC, however, played well enough to overcome Sweden's Kalmar with some good football. I've been impressed with the Hungarians these last couple of years as they're starting to become a bit of a force again. However, I just can't fathom why the bookies rate an away win as such an unlikely prospect. The Hungarian Soproni Liga is ten times better than the Estonian Meistriliiga, I assure you! I cannot grasp any other result occurring today than an away win - Debreceni VSC should absolutely walk this and should in the return leg too!

Palmeiras vs Fluminense - home win with -1.75 goal handicap. After an emphatic win at the fortress of Corinthians last match, Palmeiras are more than well equipped to annihlate a Fluminense side that is rapidly in freefall. The hosts average scoring just under two goals per game and the visitors echo that record with goals conceded. Fluminense have lost four out of six away games this season and have lost four from their last five games. The hosts have won four games from five of their last games. The hosts have the incentive, the goalscoring, the form, the momentum and the opportunity to lay waste to Fluminense and I'll be surprised if they don't break the -1.75 goal handicap barrier.

Slovan Bratislava vs Olympiakos Piraeus - away win at 10/11. These odds emphasise the caution of the bookies for this game. On paper, Olympiakos Piraeus will walk this and I'll be surprised if that doesn't occur. They've not played a competitive game yet this campaign, however, so I'd stay away from handicaps. I've been impressed with Slovan Bratislava over the past year or two as they've become a real force in Slovakia again. However, the Greeks should have too much class and experience for the Slovaks to get a foot in. The only way I can see this not being an away win is if the Greeks fail to score (which is a rarity in itself) or via a poor refereeing decision.

FC Copenhagen vs Stabaek - home win with -1.75 handicap at 7/5. The Danes have been absolutely impeccable so far this season in my opinion. For example, take their encounter with Mogren Budva in the previous round. The Montenegrins are new to Europe, fair enough - that can account for their 6-0 defeat in Denmark for the first leg. After that, however, the Danes travelled to a hostile ground with little motivation as the tie was over and won 6-0 again! Their general performances and ability to score goals has increased dramatically these past couple of years and I rather like the look of them beating the handicap here. Stabaek are a funny side - most Norwegian sides are in Europe - as they can be good when it's least expected. However, their big weakness is their away games and strength is their home games. I can't see them getting anything here and I expect a relatively comfortable home win.

Atlantis FC Helsinki vs PK 35 Helsinki - away win at 4/5. These odds are too good to pass up on. Eternally relegation-battling Atlantis FC Helsinki entertain in-form PK 35 Helsinki. The hosts appear to finally be destined for the division below as they're currently bottom of the table with a demoralising ten defeats from thirteen games. In that time span, they've managed just one victory. They've lost countless games on the bounce and as they entertain a side that have won two on the bounce and have a good away record, you can only expect an away win here.

Ural Sverdlovskaya Oblast vs Sibir Novosibirsk - home win at 10/11. This is one of my risky bets of the day being as there's little between these two sides in terms of ability and form. However, Yekaterinburg isn't an easy place to go and play football. Sibir Novosibirsk know that - they've not won here the last three times they've been here. In fact, they've lost two and drawn once in their past three trips. In addition to that, they've not even scored on their last two trips here. For that reason, I do fancy a cheeky punt on a home win, particularly with inviting odds like 11/10.

Anzhi Makhachkala vs Alaniya Vladikavkaz - home win at 10/11. These are yet more generous odds on the Russian Division One. Again, however, this is another risky call. Anzhi Makhachkala and Alaniya Vladikavkaz don't have much between them in terms of quality but both sides are impeccable home sides. Anzhi Makhachkala boast an impressive record of eight wins and one draw from their nine home games this season. Their visitors may be the best away side in the division but the amount of games they've won away from home is just four from nine. The most daunting fact that faces Alaniya Vladikavkaz is that Anzhi Makhachkala have only conceded two goals at home this season. That's an average of just over one goal every four games. The visitors will most likely be afraid of falling behind and rightfully so. I'm feeling the vibes for a home win here and I'd jump on a home win if the home side take the lead if you can find good odds on it!

FK Krasnodor vs Baltika Kaliningrad - away win at 2/1. This has to be riskiest call of the day. Again, there's not a lot between these two sides but there's one very interesting fact here - FK Krasnodor are much better away from home than they are at home. The hosts have only won a meager two games from their opening nine home games, losing a shameful five of those games. Baltika Kaliningrad have a good away record with four wins from nine games and enter the game on the back of three straight wins. The hosts were on a good run but have lost and drawn their last two games. I think the bookies are giving very generous odds on an away win here and I'm certainly tempted to take them - it's very much a possible away win here.

As ever, any questions/explanations required, feel free to email me at thefootytipster@gmail.com. For the complete picks listing, see below!

UEFA Champions League Qualifiers:

Ventspils vs BATE Borisov (8) 0-2
Levadia Tallinn vs Debreceni VSC (7) 1-3
Shakhtar Donetsk vs FC Poli Timisoara (8) 3-1
APOEL Nicosia vs Partizan Belgrade (4) 1-1
Sheriff Tiraspol vs Slavia Prague (5) 0-0
Slovan Bratislava vs Olympiakos Piraeus (7) 1-2
FC Zurich vs Maribor (8) 2-0
FC Copenhagen vs Stabaek (8) 2-0
Salzburg vs Dinamo Zagreb (7) 2-1
Celtic vs Dinamo Moscow (6) 1-0
Sporting Clube de Lisbon vs Twente (6) 2-1

Brazilian Serie A:

Coritiba vs Botafogo (7) over 2.5 goals
Nautico vs Santos (4) 1-1
Goias vs Atletico Paranaense (8) 2-0
Internacional vs Gremio Barueri (7) 2-1
Santo Andre vs Corinthians (6) under 2.5 goals
Palmeiras vs Fluminense (9) -1.75 handicap
Cruzeiro vs Sport Recife (8) 2-0

Finnish Ykkonen:

Atlantis FC Helsinki vs PK 35 Helsinki (8)

Moldovan Divizia Nationala:

Viitorul vs Dacia Chisinau (8) 0-2
Zimbru Chisinau vs Iskra-Stal (7) 2-1

Norwegian Adeccoligaen:

Alta vs Lov-Ham Bergen (6) under 2.5 goals

Russian Division One:

FK Chita vs Luch-Energiya Vladivostok (7)
NoSta Novotroitsk vs Vityaz Podolsk (6)
Ural Sverdlovskaya Oblast vs Sibir Novosibirsk (6)
Anzhi Makhachkala vs Alaniya Vladikavkaz (7)
KamAZ Nab Chelny vs Salyut Belgorod (6)
Volga Nyzhnyi Novgorod vs Metallurg Lipetsk (6)
Volgar Gazprom Astrakhan vs FK Nizhnyi Novgorod (6)
Cherno Novorosisk vs Shinnik Yaroslavl' (8)
FK Krasnodor vs Baltika Kaliningrad (5)

Singaporean S-League:

Home United vs Super Reds (6) 1-1
Armed Forces vs DPMM (9) 3-1

Enjoy your free betting tips!

Sparta Prague vs Panathinaikos

Today's featured game is between Czech giants Sparta Prague and Greek legends Panathinaikos. These two sides have an unfortunate habit of bumping into each other as this is now the second year in a row. Even more unfortunately for the Czechs, they've never beaten Panathinaikos in four attempts. In fact, they've lost all four meetings, two at home and two away. What makes things worse for the hosts is that their squad has actually weakened since last season whereas their visitors today have strengthened their squad considerably. Panathinaikos showed last season that they're actually better at playing football in Europe than they are in the Greek Super League. They're a very composed and experienced side with the right amount of flair and creativity. Despite there having only been one competitive game for both sides combined thus far this season, I can only envision a really difficult game for the hosts with a relatively comfortable away win for a very good side. Odds of 7/5 for this outcome are very much worthwhile and it's certainly worth a flutter.

Tuesday's Picks

My tips:

As ever, below are my recommended value tips for today in no particular order:

Sparta Prague vs Panathinaikos - away win at 7/5 - see introduction for full details.

Bnei Yehuda Tel-Aviv vs Pacos de Ferreira - home win at 7/5. This is a risky call but I do fancy it. Both of these sides are very low-scoring and generally pretty dull. To put it bluntly, this isn't a game for football lovers. However, there has to be a winner here and my call today is a home win. Israel is a tough place for any side to travel to, particularly lowly Pacos de Ferreira. The Portuguese outfit naturally have their fair share of talented individuals but they're a poor travelling side in general. The hosts are little more than a decent side in their own league but I fancy them to just edge it with the home advantage in what should be a very tight, low-scoring game.

Mjallby Solvesborg vs IFK Norrkoping - home win with -1.75 goal handicap. What can I say? Mjallby Solvesborg are the daddies in this league. Although IFK Norrkoping have only just entered the division from the Allsvenskan, you still have to really fancy a convincing home win for a side that averages nearly four goals per game when at home. They've a great record at home with five wins from seven games. The visitors aren't too bad away from home considering their poor league placing but I can't see anything other than a whitewash here, particularly as the hosts concede less than a goal per game at home on average!

As ever, any questions/explanations required, feel free to email me at thefootytipster@gmail.com. For the complete picks listing, see below!

UEFA Champions League:

FK Baku vs Levski Sofia (6) 1-2
Aktobe Lento vs Maccabi Haifa (5) 0-0
Sparta Prague vs Panathinaikos (7) 1-2
Anderlecht vs Sivasspor (7) 2-1

UEFA Europa League:

Bnei Yehuda Tel-Aviv vs Pacos de Ferreira (7) under 2.5 goals

Estonian Meistriliiga:

Flora Tallinn vs Sillamae Kalev (8) 3-1
Flora Paide vs Trans Narva (9) 1-3

Malaysian Super League:

Terengganu vs Pulau Pinang (8) 2-0

Norwegian Adeccoligaen:

Sogndal vs Kongsvinger (7) over 2.5 goals

Singaporean S-League:

Gombak United vs Balestier Khalsa (7) 3-1

Swedish Superettan:

Mjallby Solvesborg vs IFK Norrkoping (8) -1.75 handicap

Enjoy your free betting tips!

JJK Jyvaskyla vs TPS Turku

Today's featured game is in the Veikkausliiga between JJK Jyvaskyla and TPS Turku. The hosts are still battling relegation whilst their opponents today are making a very legitimate challenge for the title. Boasting one of the highest goalscoring records in the division, TPS Turku are rapidly becoming the side that nobody wants to play. With just two defeats from fifteen games in the present campaign, TPS Turku are flying high with HJK Helsinki, Honka Espoo and Haka Valkeakoski. For today's game, TPS Turku enter it averaging two goals per game on the road. Their hosts, JJK Jyvaskyla, are just beneath an average of a goal per game. The pitch isn't the easiest to play on but both sides need the points for different reasons. The result isn't my focal point of today's bet, although for the record, I do feel an away win is imminent. My focal point is taking over 2.5 goals at 6/5 for this game because of the above facts. If I had to name a scoreline, it would probably be 1-2 but as I say, that particular target really should be reached.

Monday's Picks

My tips:

As ever, below are my recommended value tips for today in no particular order:

JJK Jyvaskyla vs TPS Turku - over 2.5 goals at 6/5 - see introduction for full details.

Throttur Reykjavik vs KR Reykjavik - home win with draw no bet. This is a risky but but potentially profitable. Throttur Reykjavik are amongst the rubbing rags of the division and they're hosting a side that is generally considered to be a title contender. I'm banking on the fact that KR Reykjavik's attention will be firmly fixed upon the hefty cheque they'll receive if they overcome Basel of Switzerland in the UEFA Europa League Qualifier, the first leg of which is three days from now. Whether Throttur Reykjavik are focused enough to take three points here or not is another matter. To their credit, however, all of their wins this season have been at home. I'm a little concerned with their goalscoring ability, particularly if they concede before they've scored. For that reason, it may be worthwhile taking them at double chance, where you'll still receive good odds.

AIK Solna vs GAIS Goteborg - under 1.75 goals at 9/4. This is another relatively risky call. AIK Solna are generally a dull footballing side that enjoy low-scoring games. They're also generally viewed as a difficult side to break down. At home in this campaign they've scored five goals and conceded four in seven games. That is my primary incentive for taking under 1.75 goals in the game. Couple that with the fact that GAIS Goteborg aren't a good side and can't seem to get a win and you have a potentially very low-scoring game. However, do keep punts low on this one because it is a risky call.

Schaffhausen vs Winterthur - home win at 11/10. There's not much to seperate these two sides - they're basically mid-table sides that have a primary aim of overtaking each other for each new campaign. Looking back to the previous season, Schaffhausen were stronger at home than away and vice versa for Winterthur. What has swayed me, however, is the voodoo sign that Schaffhausen have over Winterthur. In the last three meetings between these two sides, Schaffhausen have emerged victorious. Add that to the fact that it's the first game of the season, the day not to be an away side and we have a potential home win on the cards. 11/10 for this outcome could turn out to be very profitable.

As ever, any questions/explanations required, feel free to email me at thefootytipster@gmail.com. For the complete picks listing, see below!

Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:

Bohemians 1905 vs Brno (7) 1-1

Danish Superligaen:

Randers vs AGF (6) 0-0

Finnish Veikkausliiga:

JJK Jyvaskyla vs TPS Turku (8) over 2.5 goals

Icelandic Landsbankadeild Karla:

Throttur Reykjavik vs KR Reykjavik (5) 1-0, draw no bet
UMF Grindavik vs Fjolnir Reykjavik (5) 0-0
Valur Reykjavik vs Keflavik (7) 1-1
Fylkir Reykjavik vs Fram Reykjavik (6) 2-1

Norwegian Tippeligaen:

Aalesunds vs Fredrikstad (6) 2-1

Swedish Allsvenskan:

AIK Solna vs GAIS Goteborg (8) under 1.5 goals
Orgryte vs Hammarby (5) 0-0
Halmstads vs Malmo (8) 1-1
BK Hacken vs Orebro (7) under 2.5 goals

Swedish Superettan:

GIF Sundsvall vs Jonkopings Sodra (7)
Sirius Uppsala vs Vasby United (6)
Atvidabergs vs Trollhattan (8)

Swiss Challenge League:

Schaffhausen vs Winterthur (7)

Enjoy your free betting tips!