Manchester United vs Besiktas

Today’s featured game is the UEFA Champions League game between Manchester United and Besiktas. Hosts Manchester United enter this game with the knowledge that they’ve already qualified for the knockout stage of the competition whereas visitors Besiktas know that they’re out of the competition already with a very slim chance of achieving a UEFA Europa League place if they manage a miraculous win here tonight.

Manchester United enter this game on the back of a highly polished 3-0 win against Everton at weekend, which was arguably their best performance of the season so far. When Manchester United enter the phase where they win games so convincingly, it’s generally the time to get out of the road or face being swept away. Manchester United have an away trip to managerless Portsmouth on saturday afternoon but there’s no particular concern regarding that trip so I can’t see Manchester United resting many players for this game tonight as I’m sure Sir Alex Ferguson would like to affirm the winning of this group before travelling to Germany in early December to face VFL Wolfsburg.

Visitors Besiktas have had a dismal campaign in Europe, losing three out of their four Champions League games and drawing the other game, scoring just one goal in the process. Ironically, their domestic form has improved drastically of late with seven consecutive Super Lig wins, conceding just one goal on this miraculous run, a run which saw them overcome rivals Fenerbahce 3-0 last match. There’s never been any doubt in my mind that Besiktas are a capable side but they’re simply been unlucky with injuries, something which has yet again affected their squad for this game as they’re missing Holosko, Simsek, Ankan, and Nobre through injury, as well as Sivok through suspension. There are some big losses here so Besiktas’ already slim chances are fading even faster!

I don’t need to tell you all that Manchester United are a class above Besiktas – that’s simply factual. I’m fairly confident that Ferguson will field a few second string players for this game but frankly a Besiktas side that cannot defend and don’t play well on the road shouldn’t have a chance against any Manchester United side at Old Trafford – it’s as simple as that. My biggest concern is that Michael “the crock” Owen will start in attack, which will hinder Manchester United’s goalscoring somewhat. However, Manchester United have scored at least two goals in both of their group stage games at home so far so it’s reasonable to expect them to do the same again tonight against lesser opponents than those they’ve already faced.

Verdict: Manchester United to win with a -1.75 goal handicap at evens.

Wendesday’s Picks

My tips:

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

CSKA Moscow vs VFL Wolfsburg – over 2.5 goals at 5/6.

Hosts CSKA Moscow have averaged scoring two goals per game since Leonid Slutski has taken over, including an action-packed 3-2 victory against bitter rivals Spartak Moscow last match, a result which handed the title to Rubin Kazan with one game remaining. Whereas CSKA have little compassion for Rubin Kazan, they do dislike Spartak Moscow immensely so the trophy being away from them is something that they’ll no doubt enjoy immensely. CSKA have been playing good attacking football and know that they need to win this game tonight to have any chance of qualifying for the knockout stages of this competition so they’ve no option but to attack. Unfortunately, the Russian outfit are missing Semberas through suspension, which is a big loss defensively. The missing Gonzalez and Guilherme will limit their attacking options but not massively due to the way that the team is performing currently.

Visitors Wolfsburg enter this game after a surprising 3-2 home defeat against Nurnberg, a game which perfectly illustrates how different Wolfsburg sides can be. However, one thing that it does emphasise is that Wolfsburg score lots of goals whatever their performance is like! They’ve scored ten goals in their last four games in all competitions with their biggest problem being defence as they’ve conceded seven goals during that run too. Wolfsburg could do with winning this game although avoiding defeat would probably seem them qualify for the knockout stages ultimately anyway.

Overall, what we have here is two sides that are currently in a very rich vein of goalscoring form and both are prone to conceding goals too. CSKA need to win this game and Wolfsburg would like to win it too so taking over 2.5 goals seems a logical and valuable bet for this game.

Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 5/6.

Bayern Munich vs Maccabi Haifa – under 2.5 goals at 11/10.

Bayern Munich simply haven’t been making the grade lately, which is no doubt frustrating for their fans, but it’s also been rather profitable for those like myself who have opposed them in recent times i.e. laying them against Schalke 04 and Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Bayern’s big problem is a lack of goals scored. They’ve managed to score just two goals in their last four games in all competitions, which naturally isn’t good enough. They may have won 3-0 in Israel in the reversal of this fixture at the start of the group stage but this fixture has a different atmosphere and meaning to it. Bayern are stumbling towards this game and are looking anything but reliable in regards to winning this game

Unfortunately for Bayern Munich, they’re facing a side that they’d probably not wish to face at the moment – Maccabi Haifa. Why’s that, you ask? Well, Maccabi Haifa are a side that have basically won the Champions League by getting to this stage. Every game they play in the group stages is about pride and I personally feel that they’ve achieved that with only Bayern having scored three goals against them in a game out of the four that they’ve played. Maccabi Haifa will come here to park the bus in front of the goal and when you’re misfiring as a team, this type of encounter tends to be rather difficult and wearisome! Maccabi Haifa have already kept two under 2.5 goals scorelines against Juventus in Israel and Italy respectively; I’m not seeing any particular reason why that should change for this game!

Maccabi Haifa are yet to score a goal in the group stages, which is something I’m banking on here tonight. I think Bayern will win the game but certainly not in a convincing fashion unless they get off to a flying start with an early goal or two.

Verdict: Under 2.5 goals at 11/10.

Real Madrid vs FC Zurich – home win with -2.75 handicap at 10/11, over 3.5 goals at 4/5.

Initially, I made a very similar bet to this for the game in Switzerland and I’ve seen little to sway me that this game will be any different. Both Real Madrid and FC Zurich play the same style of football but obviously at very different levels. Real Madrid have had problems breaking sides down and scoring a lot of goals in the process ever since Cristiano Ronaldo picked up his injury. However, he’s back in the squad tonight, which is sure to buoy the squad ahead of the big Spain derby at weekend against Barcelona. Real Madrid will want to put on a show and they couldn’t have picked a better opponent as FC Zurich simply cannot defend for shit, simply. FC Zurich do tend to score a lot of goals so between them I think you’re going to see over 3.5 goals at 4/5. However, my main call for this game is for Real Madrid to break the -2.75 goal handicap at 10/11 against a defensively inept FC Zurich as I expect them to hit form again with Ronaldo back with them tonight.

Verdict: Real Madrid to beat the -2.75 goal handicap at 10/11, over 3.5 goals at 4/5.

AC Milan vs Olympique de Marseille – lay AC Milan at 5/6.

This is a bold call but a potentially valuable one. AC Milan won the reversal of this fixture in France at the start of their group stages but were remarkably fortunate to do so, in my humble opinion. A couple of classy finishes from one of the most lethal strikers that European football has ever known – Filippo Inzaghi – did all the damage in their 2-1 win. However, despite some good results since that game, AC Milan are still failing to convince me. Maybe I have some secret agenda against them that I don’t know about but their performances have been poor. Take their win against Cagliari at weekend, for instance. AC Milan won the game, so fair play to them. However, to say that they deserved it would be a lie and to deny a Cagliari side that scored three goals at the San Siro is verging on criminal, frankly! A side with plenty of pluck and ability tends to cause AC Milan an awful lot of problems and visitors Olympique de Marseille certainly have both of those credentials.

Olympique de Marseille enter this game with good momentum and with a strong goalscoring record of late. Marseille have enjoyed a frantic and exciting 5-5 draw at Olympique Lyonnais in the league before annihlating Switzerland’s FC Zurich 6-1 in the Champions League and then overcoming Paris Saint-Germain in “le clasico”. All of the above leaves the visitors today with good morale ahead of this important game and their ability to put the ball in the net will bother an ageing and unreliable AC Milan defence that hasn’t kept a clean sheet in this competition yet this season. With that in mind, I find it hard to believe that Marseille won’t score in this game but I find it hard to believe that AC Milan will score more than their French opponents given the sharp contrast in footballing styles.

With AC Milan yet to win at home in the Champions League and putting in some unconvincing displays to boot, I feel there’s potentially a good level of value in laying AC Milan tonight. Both sides need a result here so it should be a good game to watch too. As a side-note – it may be worth taking Niang to score at any time with odds of 13/5 as he particularly caused problems when playing in France and is always a handful with his lightning pace and upper-body strength, two things that AC Milan really hate to defend against…

Verdict: Lay AC Milan at 5/6.

Arka Gdynia vs Lechia Gdansk – home win at 6/5.

This north Poland derby sees lowly Arka Gdynia entertain bitter rivals Lechia Gdansk in a game that both sides would not only love to win but a game that both of them could really do with winning from a form perspective. Arka Gdynia have won two games out of their last five but with just three wins out of fourteen games this season, Arka are understandably a little concerned with their Ekstraklasa placing and are keen to make amends. Arka have only lost one of their last five games, which will no doubt please them as it is a step towards obtaining some much-needed form. The fact that Arka have scored six goals in their last five Ekstraklasa games will also assist their confidence ahead of this encounter. Unfortunately, Arka are missing important midfielder Karwan through injury and promising defender Wilczynski is a doubt for this game. Whereas both players would be a loss for Arka, they’re still in decent shape ahead of this game overall.

Visitors Lechia Gdansk travel to this game from their training practice at the local hospital as that’s where the majority of their players are currently based given their crazy number of injured players at the moment! Lechia are missing Kawa, Bajic, Mysona, Bak, and Kasperkiewicz for this game, just to name a few! Mysona is their biggest loss from this listing but a small squad stretched to such levels is bound to suffer hence Lechia’s recent poor form with just one win in their last five games. Lechia have only scored three goals in their last five Ekstraklasa games, half of what Arka Gdynia have scored, whilst conceding four goals. Lechia are really starting to look stretched, however, and this could be the final straw that breaks the donkey’s back, so to speak!

There’s not much difference between these two sides quality-wise with both employing similar styles of football and generally gaining similar results. However, with Arka having lost their last three games against Lechia, they’ll have that extra edge with motivation as well as their home advanage, which should prove useful here although there’s almost a guarantee of crowd trouble which is why the number of police present at this game will almost double the number of away fans at the game! Lechia’s injury problems are too big for them to deal with, in my opinion, so I expect a home win to occur here tonight although under 2.5 goals is virtually a given for this game!

Verdict: Arka Gdynia victory at 6/5.

Hull City vs Everton – away win at 11/10.

Hull City may have taken a 3-3 draw from their home game against West Ham United lately but I’ll level with you; I’ve absolutely no idea how they did. The penalty they got was never a penalty and they were simply extremely fortunate to come up against a West Ham United side that appeared happy to gift them chances as well as missing a host of their own chances. The fact is that Hull City are not good enough to be in this division anymore and their footballing displays are proving this on every level. No side in the Premier League has conceded more goals than Hull City this season as they average over two goals per game conceded. Hull have won just once in their last five games, losing twice along the way and generally look likely to maintain their losses rather than their wins.

Visitors Everton are still ravaged by injury but have been playing quite well lately. Despite their ravaging at Manchester United at weekend, Everton are still playing decent football and they have a striker in Louis Saha that looks like scoring each time he has the ball. Whatever squad is fielded should be a class above Hull City, to be frank, because Everton are that much better than Hull City in every sense of the word. Everton’s recent form statistics aren’t great but they don’t always tell the full story. I completely believe that if Everton fail to win this game then they’ll have real problems this season because Hull’s defence is so leaky that it’s virtually impossible for a drunken team to not score in this game so how a team of professional footballers wouldn’t be able to is frankly beyond me.

Verdict: Everton to win at 11/10.

As ever, if there are any questions/explanations required then feel free to post a comment! For the complete picks listing, see below!

UEFA Champions League:

CSKA Moscow vs VFL Wolfsburg (7) over 2.5 goals
Girondins de Bordeaux vs Juventus (6) 0-0
Bayern Munich vs Maccabi Haifa (7) 2-0
Manchester United vs Besiktas (8) -1.75 handicap
Real Madrid vs FC Zurich (9) -1.75 handicap, over 3.5 goals, both sides to score
AC Milan vs Olympique de Marseille (5) 1-1
Porto vs Chelsea (6) 1-1
APOEL Nicosia vs Atletico Madrid (6) 1-1

Copa Nissan Sudamericana:

Liga de Quito vs Fluminense (8) 2-0

Argentinian Primera Division:

Estudiantes De La Plata vs Colon de Santa Fe (8) 2-1

Austrian Bundesliga:

Wiener Neustadt vs LASK Linz (6) over 3.5 goals
Rapid Vienna vs Sturm Graz (8) 2-1

Bulgarian A PFG:

Levski Sofia vs Litex Lovech (5) 1-1

Colombian Futbol Profesional:

Real Cartagena vs Deportivo Pereira (6) 1-1
Independiente Medellin vs Atletico Junior Barranquilla (8) 2-0
Deportes Tolima vs Independiente de Santa Fe Bogota (6) 2-1
Atletico Huila vs Atletico Nacional de Medellin (5) 1-1

English Premier League:

Fulham vs Blackburn Rovers (7) 2-1
Hull City vs Everton (7) 0-1

Polish Ekstraklasa:

Arka Gdynia vs Lechia Gdansk (4) 2-1, draw no bet, at least one red card in this game.

Uruguayan Primera Division:

River Plate Montevideo vs Cerro Largo (5) 2-1

Venezuelan Primera Division:

Zamora vs Deportivo Anzoategui (8) 2-0

Enjoy your free betting tips!

Tenerife vs Malaga

Today’s featured game is the Primera Liga clash between relegation-threatened Tenerife and bottom-placed Malaga. Both of these popular holiday resorts are proving to be distinctly unpopular in terms of footballing success. There’s been just one win for either side combined in their last five games respectively, which was for today’s hosts, Tenerife. Malaga are indicating just why they’re expecting to be relegated following a bad summer as they’ve now lost four of their last five games. Hosts Tenerife aren’t finding Primera Liga life easy but they’re adpated their home form to support them in these difficult times as they’ve already won three from four on their own turf. Tenerife have a better side than Malaga and although form indicates that they too have lost four of their last five games, Tenerife at least manage to win their home games more often than not. Malaga have lost three out of four away games this season and this doesn’t look likely to change today. My call for this game is the home win at evens as Tenerife will take this game very seriously as a potential six-pointer.

Saturday’s Picks

My tips:

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

Tenerife vs Malaga – home win at evens – see introduction for full details.

Lanus vs Chacarita Juniors – home win with -1.75 handicap at 7/5. It’s taken a while but Lanus are back in business again! They’ve not lost in seven games and have won their last two consecutively, setting the talented side up nicely for what should be a dominating home win against lesser Chacarita Juniors. Hosts Lanus have scored five goals in their last two games, which included a win away to Argentinian giants River Plate, so their camp will be buoyant and their football will be slick entering this game. Visitors Chacarita Juniors are facing Primera Division football as you’d expect a newly-promoted side to – with difficulty. Only bottom-placed Tigre have conceded more away goals than Chacarita Juniors this season with today’s visitors averaging over two goals per away game conceded. The visitors have also managed to lose five out of their six away games this season, leaving them precariously placed as they take on an in-form and impressive Lanus. For me, the home win with -1.75 goal handicap at 7/5 looks a good bet tonight.

Newell’s Old Boys vs River Plate – home win at 3/4. Yet another disappointing defeat leaves River Plate looking unsteady and extremely unreliable. They’re not scoring enough goals and are losing far too many games. River Plate have already lost four from six away games this season, a record not nearly good enough for arguably the biggest side in the country. Hosts Newell’s Old Boys will be keen to show them how it’s done, something they’ve already shown the majority of the division with their impressive performances and eight wins from twelve games. Newell’s Old Boys have won four consecutive games and have already won four from five home games this season. With all this in mind and the fact that only Banfield have conceded less goals than Newell’s Old Boys this season, the home win at 3/4 looks something of a bargain tonight.

Roeselare vs Zulte-Waregem – away win at 10/11. Hosts Roeselare look set for yet another nightmarish campaign with a horrendous start to their present one. They’ve lost eight of their thirteen games so far, winning just once in that time. They’ve lost two of their last three games and generally look weak opponents, weaker than the rest of the Eerste Klasse, in my opinion. Visitors Zulte-Waregem are beginning to show their potential as a good footballing side, something they failed to really register as last season despite some impressive displays. With three wins and two draws from their last five games, the visitors are now looking a force to be reckoned with. Zulte-Waregem have only lost once in six away games, winning twice and drawing three times. However, their recent form has convinced me that they’ve got more than enough quality to win against arguably the weakest side in the Eerste Klasse. For me, there’s good value in the away win at 10/11.

Sport Recife vs Cruzeiro – away win at 6/4. Although having only lost once in their past five games, Sport Recife appear to be consigned to relegation to Serie B, barring a miracle. I think they’ve still got enough fight to give a damn good fight to any side that plays here with no particular motivation for doing so but unfortunately for Sport Recife, Cruzeiro will be very much motivated with a Serie A title in their sights. Four wins in their past five games shows the intent of the visitors here tonight and although eight points is a steep mountain for Cruzeiro to climb, you can be damn sure that they’ll keep going until the end. Cruzeiro have a much better side than Sport Recife and interestingly also boast the best away record in Serie A with seven wins from sixteen away games. Brazil can be a dodgy place for away wins so do approach with caution but I can’t help and feel that Cruzeiro have everything in their favour to win this game at 6/4.

Chernomorets Burgas vs Litex Lovech – away win at 11/10. Chernomorets Burgas’ season so far has been something of a dream but that dream was brought to an abrupt end last match as they fell to a 2-0 defeat at lowly Minior Pernik. It remains to be seen just how today’s hosts will react to that but my prediction is that they simply don’t have the players to bounce back from that defeat so quickly and easily. Despite having already won five from six home games this season, I’m going to make a bold call that Litex Lovech will be the first side to win here in the A PFG this season. The visitors do have a better squad than today’s hosts and have looked very good lately with four wins and one draw in their past five games, beating bitter rivals CSKA Sofia along the way. Litex Lovech are unbeaten on the road this season with four wins from five games and they are starting to look very strong indeed. For me, the away win at 11/10 bears significant value today.

Atletico Nacional de Medellin vs Independiente Medellin – home win at 6/4. This is the last game of the current stage of the Colombian Futbol Profesional and witnesses the fearsome Medellin derby between Atletico Nacional de Medellin and Independiente Medellin. The visitors today have been far and away the best side so far and have already easily qualified for the latter stages of the Colombian Futbol Profesional along with Atletico Huila, Deportivo Pasto, and Deportes Tolima. The remaining four places are up for grabs and bitter rivals Atletico Nacional de Medellin currently possess one of those spaces. However, that place can be taken from them if they are defeated here today so they’ll be even more highly charged than normal for this Medellin derby. With the visitors already through, their focus on this game will have slipped slightly, as indeed their general performances of late have done with two defeats in their past three games. Hosts Atletico Nacional de Medellin are currently in patchy form and have only lost one home game out of eight this season, drawing a remarkable five games. However, this is a derby and a game that today’s hosts simply have to turn up for so I’m going to stick my neck out and call a home win at 6/4 – expect plenty of cards too!

Croatia Sesvete vs Cibalia - away win at 11/10. The Prva Liga’s surprise package Cibalia today travel to relegation battlers Croatia Sesvete in an attempt to extend their magnificent unbeaten run to nine games. The visitors have won two of their last four games, drawing the other two (one of which was away to giants Dinamo Zagreb). With the record of conceding the least goals in the whole of the Prva Liga, it’s going to take something monumntal for Croatia Sesvete to muster a result here. The visitors have already won three away games this season and today’s hosts enter the game on a four-game winless run that has seen them lose three games and draw once. With all this in mind, the away win at 11/10 looks good value today.

Osijek vs NK Zagreb – home win with -1.75 handicap at 13/8. I’m a little surprised by the quality odds on show for this bet! Osijek are no world-beaters but they’re playing very well this season, particularly at home. They’ve won three of their last four games and have won five from seven home games so far this season. Osijek average over two goals per game at home and look a real handful this year. Visitors NK Zagreb are still rooted to the bottom of the Prva Liga with just two wins from thirteen games. They’ve won two of their last five games, which is a marked improvement for them, but they’ve still got the unenviable away record of six defeats and one draw from seven away games. NK Zagreb have only managed to score four away goals this season and average conceding two goals per away game. With all of the above in mind, taking the home win with -1.75 goal handicap at 13/8 could be one of the bets of the day.

Blackpool vs Scunthorpe United – home win at 3/4. A whole-hearted and full-blooded approach to their Championship campaign has seen Scunthorpe United draw less games than any other side with just two draws all season, a record that can only be matched by Derby County and Barnsley. Although admirable in parts, this style naturally has its downsides and this has shown more often than the good sides have this season as Scunthorpe United have already lost eight games out of fifteen. The visitors have lost their last two games in a row and travel to Blackpool today, who are currently the best home side in the Championship with five wins and two draws from seven home games. They’ve only conceded twice at home this season but average scoring nearly two goals per game at home. Blackpool are unbeaten in four games with two wins and two draws being obtained in the process. With all of this in mind, you have to feel that a dominant Blackpool side playing at home is a side that are too good for a Scunthorpe United side that have already lost five from seven away games in the Championship this year. Therefore, the home win at 3/4 not only looks very logical and likely but also very good value too!

Le Mans vs Auxerre – away win at 17/10. I know that Le Mans aren’t that bad a side and that Auxerre aren’t that great of a side but these odds still mystify me when they’re considered in the cold light of day. Hosts Le Mans are currently second from bottom in Ligue 1 with three defeats from their last four games. They’ve already lost seven from eleven games so far this season and although they’ve only lost once at home, you have to feel that this particular record will change very soon if they don’t start improving. However, a massively in-form Auxerre are absolutely flying at the moment with five consecutive wins, including games away to Stade Rennais, at home to LOSC Lille, and at home to Girondins de Bordeaux. I highly respect all of these scalps and I’m just wondering when this magnificent run of wins/great performances are going to come to an end, which it surely will as Auxerre don’t have the quality to maintain it. Nonetheless, Auxerre have beaten a good portion of the better Ligue 1 sides so now it’s time to make waves against the lesser sides, starting tonight. For me, the away win at 17/10 could be a real gem here!

Sochaux vs Racing Club Lens – home win at 9/10. Three wins in their last four games has given Sochaux some momentum to hold onto as they try to push their way clear of the relegation zone. However, during this process, they’ve also managed to push Racing Club Lens into the relegation zone as the visitors have lost four from their last five games and have massive problems both on and off the field. Racing Club Lens are conceding far too many goals and aren’t scoring nearly enough to stay in Ligue 1 without dramatic and instantaneous improvement. However, Sochaux have long been a good home side and this is not the place to come to seek points to cure a bad run of games. The hosts have already won here three times this season and I really can’t see beyond that record reading “four home wins” by the end of this game as the hosts simply have too much for a distracted and demoralised Racing Club Lens at 9/10, particularly as the visitors have already lost four from five away games this season.

Bayern Munich vs Schalke 04 - lay Bayern Munich at evens. Although they created some decent chances mid-week against Girondins de Bordeaux in the UEFA Champions League, Bayern Munich still look toothless unless Arjen Robben and Frank Ribery bail them out. Only Robben was available for this game and that was only a second-half appearance, which turned out to be too late to save the Germans from a surprising home defeat against Girondins de Bordeaux. Arjen Robben will not be 100% fit for this game, based upon what we’ve seen in the UEFA Champions League game, which leaves Bayern Munich looking toothless against a very in-form and potent Schalke 04. Bayern Munich couldn’t even manage to score at a massively out-of-sorts VFB Stuttgart last weekend so I find it very unlikely that they’ll do so here today against Schalke 04 and restrict their opponents to scoring less goals than they do. Schalke 04 are unbeaten in their last five games and are unbeaten on the road this seasn with four wins and one draw from their five away games played. Whereas Schalke 04 aren’t scoring many away goals, there are very few goals being scored against them when they’re playing away from home too. For me, this game has draw written all over it or possibly even a sneaky away win so laying Bayern Munich at evens could be a very good bet today indeed.

Catania vs SSC Napoli – away win at 6/5. Hosts Catania face a rejuvenated SSC Napoli today with nothing but a three game run of successive defeats behind them in their arsenal. Visitors SSC Napoli are unbeaten in four games and have won three of those games. These games are even more impressive when closely examined as SSC Napoli have won away to Juventus, away to Fiorentina, at home to Bologna (probably the least impressive of the four!) and drew at home to AC Milan despite trailing for most of the game. Not only does this record indicate great momentum and form but also high resilience, something that you really need in Serie A. Catania are going from bad to worse with just one win in eleven games and a record that shows that only Genoa and AS Roma have conceded more goals than they have, which can’t be much comfort as both of these sides are light years ahead of little Catania. Although this certainly won’t be an easy game for in-form SSC Napoli, I do expect them to win it at 6/5.

Sparta Rotterdam vs Roda JC Kerkrade – home win at 5/6. Hosts Sparta Rotterdam enter this game on the back of thre straight wins, a run which was catalysted by beating bitter rivals Feyenoord Rotterdam in a bad-tempered affair. Since then, today’s hosts have won away to ADO Den Haag and at home to NEC Nijmegen. I rate all three of these sides as being better than relegation-threatened Roda JC Kerkrade so look like very acceptable cannon fodder for a Sparta Rotterdam playing the best football that they’ve played all season. Four wins from six home games and a strong level of momentum gives Sparta Rotterdam a tremendous chance of winning this game, particularly as visitors Roda JC Kerkrade have already lost four from six away games this season, scoring just three times and conceding over two goals per away game. Lastly, a record that reads no wins in five games and three defeats in the process tells me that Roda JC Kerkrade are in no position to amend their horrendous run against a tricky Sparta Rotterdam, which therefore leaves the home win bearing considerable value today at 5/6.

Polonia Bytom vs Lech Poznan – away win at 5/4. Two straight defeats have knocked the wind out of Polonia Bytom’s sails as they stare uneasily at the mast of an approach Lech Poznan. The hosts know that they’re not as good as today’s visitors but their lack of momentum gives them a real headache ahead of this tricky game. It’s not going to help their preperations that Polonia Bytom have been heavily fined after their fans were caught smuggling high numbers of explosives into their last match. All of this plays into the hands of a good Lech Poznan side with the capability to win this game. Although Lech Poznan are missing key midfielder Semir Stilic through injury for this game, I still feel they’ve got more than enough in their arsenal to overcome a massively distracted and demoralised Polonia Bytom at 5/4, particularly as the visitors have won two of their last three games.

Gaz Metan Medias vs Politehnica Iasi – home win at 10/11. I like the look of these odds! People seem quick to forget how woeful Politehnica Iasi can actually be and it’s only because of their recent poor run of form that people are taking notice again. They’ve now lost three consecutive games and are without a win in four games. I personally consider them to be one of the weakest away sides in the Romanian Liga, which is partially why I’m backing the home win today. Gaz Metan Medias are a decent home side – not great, but decent – and are unbeaten in their last six games, a run which saw them overcome giants Dinamo Bucharest. Gaz Metan Medias are a decent side but their biggest problem is scoring goals, something they’ve only done twice in in their last four league games. However, a Politehnica Iasi side that has conceded nine goals in their last three games will be sure to give the hosts today every chance of changing that record. Although this should be a close and relatively low-scoring game, I think there’s significant value in the home win at 10/11.

Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt vs Vaslui – away win at 5/6. Romania’s most in-form side currently Vaslui travel to newly-promoted Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt in a hope of making it five wins from five games. The visitors have won their last four games in a row and can boast that only three sides in the Romanian Liga have won more away games than they have this season. Vaslui have had a good side for the last few years but their consistency in proving this appears to be somewhat sporadic at best. However, when they are in form, they’re a real handful for each side they face. Hosts Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt are winless in their last five games, losing three times and drawing twice in the process. Having already lost four out of six home games this season, it’s not hard to see why the hosts are in the relegation zone and why I thoroughly expec them to still be there after this game. Therefore, the away win at 5/6 looks great value here today!

Khimki vs Tom Tomsk – away win at 11/10. A quick glance at the league table will tell you everything you need to know about my call here. Khimki are already relegated with nothing to play for and no motivation whatsoever as they’ve lost countless numbers of games in a row now. Tom Tomsk aren’t desperate for the points but they will want to ensure that they’re not troubled as the Russian Premier League draws to a close so I thoroughly expect them to go out and do a professional job on Khimki by winning the game with a low scoreline at 11/10.

Huesca vs Hercules Alicante – away win at 11/8. After a morale-boosting 5-1 thrashing of promotion rivals Real Sociedad last match, Hercules Alicante look back to their best. There’s no doubt in my mind that Hercules Alicante are one of the best sides in the Segunda Liga currently and it’s about time that they started showing it as consistently as they did last year. Although their records currently show that they’ve drawn more away games than they’ve won and lost put together but I expect their last match to have cast off their shackles, enabling them to play their football and start winning games again. Hosts Huesca are nothing but a middle-of-the-road side that are simply caught in the middle between bad form and a rampant Hercules Alicante, which could spell disaster for the hosts today. A winless run of five games leaves Huesca with little to contribute to this game in the way of opposition so I think taking the away win at 11/8 is a good bet, largely due to the strong momentum gained from Hercules Alicante’s emphatic win last match.

Istanbul BB vs Antalyaspor – home win at 13/10. This game was a very close competitor for my featured game of the day given the good value in it! Hosts Istanbul BB have won four of their last five games, impressively enough. Their home form isn’t overwhelmingly convincing but their momentum and tenacity certainly is. The other side of the coin is that Antalyaspor are one of the worst away sides in the Super Lig with only Sivasspor that have lost more away games than they have. Antalyaspor have lost four from their five away games this season, conceding two goals per away game on average. Although they’re on a three-game unbeaten run currently, it’s hard to see that continuing today against a forceful and in-form Istanbul BB. For me, the home win at 13/10 bears a great deal of value today.

As ever, if there are any questions/explanations required then feel free to post a comment! For the complete picks listing, see below!

Asian Champions League:

Al Ittihad vs Pohang Steelers (6) 1-1

Argentinian Primera Division:

Lanus vs Chacarita Juniors (8) -1.75 handicap
Godoy Cruz de Mendoza vs Racing Club Avellaneda (7) 1-1
Newell’s Old Boys vs River Plate (8) 2-1
Atletico Tucuman vs Tigre (5) under 2.5 goals

Australian A-League:

Melbourne Victory vs Central Coast Mariners (7) 2-0
Gold Coast United vs Sydney FC (6) 1-1

Austrian Bundesliga:

SV Mattersburg vs SV Kapfenberg (6) over 2.5 goals

Austrian Liga 1:

Austria Lustenau vs St.Polten (7)

Belgian Eerste Klasse:

Cercle Brugge vs Westerlo (6) 2-1
Lokeren vs Kortrijk (7) 1-1
Mechelen vs Excelsior Mouscron (7) 2-0
Roeselare vs Zulte-Waregem (7) 0-1
Germinal Beerschot vs Sint-Truiden (8) 2-0

Belgian Tweede Klasse:

Red Star Waasland vs Oostende (5)
Dender vs Eupen (7)
Liege vs Beveren (5) draw no bet
Mons vs Turnhout (9)
Tournai vs Tienen (6)
Brussels vs KVSK United (6)
Standaard Wetteren vs Boussu Dour Borinage (7)

Brazilian Serie A:

Santos vs Nautico (5) 1-1
Vitoria vs Avai (6) 2-1
Sport Recife vs Cruzeiro (7) 1-2

Bulgarian A PFG:

Beroe vs Botev Plovdiv (7) 2-0
Cherno More Varna vs Lokomotiv Sofia (7) 1-1
Sportist Svoge vs Sliven (5) 1-2
Chernomorets Burgas vs Litex Lovech (8) 0-2

Colombian Futbol Profesional:

Atletico Nacional de Medellin vs Independiente Medellin (6) 1-0, at least one red card in this game
Deportes Tolima vs America de Cali (8) 2-0

Croatian Prva Liga:

Istra 1961 vs Karlovac (7) 0-1
Zadar vs Varteks Varazdin (6) 1-1
Slaven Koprivnica vs Lokomotiva Zagreb (8) over 2.5 goals
Medimurje vs Hajduk Split (6) 1-2
Croatia Sesvete vs Cibalia (7) 1-2
Osijek vs NK Zagreb (8) 2-0
Inter Zapresic vs Rijeka (6) 1-1

Cypriot Division 1:

Aris vs Nea Salamis (6) 1-0
APOP/Kinyras vs A.E.Paphos (7) 2-1
Enosis Neon Paralimni vs Omonia Nicosia (8) 0-2
Anorthosis Famagusta vs Ethnikos Achnas (9) -1.75 handicap

Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:

Slovan Liberec vs Sigma Olomouc (7) 2-1
Banik Ostrava vs Kladno (9) under 2.5 goals
Teplice vs Jablonec (8) 1-1

Danish Superligaen:

HB Koge vs AGF Aarhus (6) 1-2
Silkeborg vs OB Odense (7) 1-2

Ecuadorian Primera A:

Manta vs Deportivo Quito (7) 0-1

English Premier League:

Aston Villa vs Bolton Wanderers (7) 2-1
Blackburn Rovers vs Portsmouth (7) 1-1
Manchester City vs Burnley (9) 3-1
Tottenham Hotspur vs Sunderland (9) 2-0
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Arsenal (8) 1-3

English Championship:

Swansea City vs Cardiff City (6)
Blackpool vs Scunthorpe United (8)
Crystal Palace vs Middlesbrough (6)
Leicester City vs West Bromwich Albion (6)
Newcastle United vs Peterborough United (7)
Nottingham Forest vs Bristol City (7)
Plymouth Argyle vs Doncaster Rovers (6)
Reading vs Ipswich Town (6)
Sheffield Wednesday vs Queens Park Rangers (6)
Watford vs Preston North End (7)

English FA Cup:

Pauliton Rovers vs Norwich City (8) -1.75 handicap
Bromley vs Colchester United (8) 0-2
Stourbridge vs Walsall (4) 1-0
Gillingham vs Southend United (6) 2-1
Grimsby Town vs Bath City (4) 1-2, draw no bet
Gateshead vs Brentford (6) 0-1
Chesterfield vs Bournemouth (7) 2-0
York City vs Crewe Alexandra (6) 1-0
Wycombe Wanderers vs Brighton & Hove Albion (5) 1-1
Hereford United vs Sutton United (7) 2-0
Nuneaton Town vs Exeter City (6) 1-1
Carlisle United vs Morecambe (7) 2-1
Forest Green Rovers vs Mansfield Town (6) 0-0
Oxford United vs Yeovil Town (5) 1-0
Swindon Town vs Woking (9) -1.75 handicap
Port Vale vs Stevenage Borough (7) 2-0
Luton Town vs Rochdale (6) 1-2
Shrewsbury Town vs Staines Town (9) -1.75 handicap
Wealdstone vs Rotherham United (8) 0-1
Torquay United vs Cheltenham Town (6) 1-1
Barnet vs Darlington (8) 2-0
Milton Keynes Dons vs Macclesfield Town (8) 3-1
Rushden & Diamonds vs Hinckley Town (6) 2-1
Aldershot Town vs Bury (5) 1-1
Tranmere Rovers vs Leyton Orient (6) 1-0
Stockport Conty vs Tooting & Mitcham United (7) 2-0
Telford United vs Lincoln City (6) 1-1
Barrow vs Eastleigh (7) 1-0
Accrington Stanley vs Salisbury City (5) 0-0
Millwall vs AFC Wimbledon (8) 3-1
Hartlepool United vs Kettering Town (8) 2-1
Wrexham vs Lowestoft Town (7) 2-0
Northampton Town vs Fleetwood Town (6) 1-0
Cambridge United vs Ilkeston Town (7) 2-1
Oldham Athletic vs Leeds United (8) 1-2

Estonian Meistriliiga:

Tallinna Kalev vs Sillamae Kalev (7) 0-2
Kuressaare vs Maag Tammeka Tartu (6) 1-1
Flora Paide vs Nomme Kalju (8) 0-2
Trans Narva vs Levadia Tallinn (8) 1-2
Flora Tallinn vs Tulevik Viljandi (8) 3-1

French Ligue 1:

Le Mans vs Auxerre (7) 0-1
Lorient vs Boulogne (7) 2-0
AS Monaco vs Grenoble Foot (9) 3-1
AS Nancy-Lorraine vs Saint-Etienne (7) 2-1
Paris Saint-Germain vs OGC Nice (7) 2-1
Valenciennes vs Montpellier HSC (7) 1-0
Sochaux vs Racing Club Lens (6) 2-1

German Bundesliga:

Bayern Munich vs Schalke 04 (6) 1-1
Hoffenheim vs VFL Wolfsburg (5) 2-2
VFL Bochum vs Freiburg (5) 1-0
Borussia Moenchengladbach vs VFB Stuttgart (6) 1-1
FSV Mainz 05 vs FC Nurnberg (7) 2-0

German Bundesliga 2:

Greuther Furth vs Augsburg (7)
FSV Frankfurt vs Arminia Bielefeld (8)

Greek Super League:

Aris Salonika vs Kavala (7) 1-0
Olympiakos Piraeus vs Iraklis (9) 3-1
Panthrakikos vs PAOK Salonika (8) 1-2

Greek B Ethniki:

Pierikos Katerini vs Aigaelo Athens (7)

Hungarian Soproni Liga:

Zalaegerszegi TE vs Vasas Budapest (8) 2-0
Budapest Honved vs Paksi SE (6) 1-1
Diosgyori VTK vs Kaposvari Rakoczi (7) 1-1
Szombathelyi Haladas vs Nyiregyhaza Spartacus (7) 2-1
Kecskemeti TE vs MTK Budapest (6) 1-1
Papa vs Ferencvaros (6) 2-1

Italian Serie A:

Catania vs SSC Napoli (7) 0-1
Atalanta Bergamo vs Juventus (5) 1-1

Italian Serie B:

Ascoli vs Cittadella (6)
Brescia vs Triestina (7)
Cesena vs Albinoleffe (5)
Crotone vs Ancona (6) draw no bet
Gallipoli vs Frosinone (6)
Padova vs Salernitana (8)
Piacenza vs Mantova (7)
Sassuolo vs Modena (6)
Vicenza vs Grosseto (6)

Mexican Primera Division:

Cruz Azul vs Puebla (7) 2-1
San Luis vs Santos Laguna (7) 1-1
Indios vs Jaguares (6) 0-0
Tigres UANL vs Atlante (5) 1-0
Atlas vs Guadalajara (6) 1-1

Dutch Eredivisie:

Vitesse Arnhem vs VVV Venlo (5) 1-0
Sparta Rotterdam vs Roda JC Kerkrade (8) 2-1
NEC Nijmegen vs RKC Waalwijk (7) 2-0

Polish Ekstraklasa:

Slask Wroclaw vs Piast Gliwice (6) 2-1
GKS Belchatow vs Arka Gdynia (8) 2-0
Polonia Bytom vs Lech Poznan (7) 1-2
Polonia Warsaw vs Cracovia Krakow (6) 1-0

Portuguese Liga Sagres:

Vitoria Setubal vs Olhanense (6) 1-1
Vitoria Guimaraes vs Sporting Clube de Lisboa (5) 1-1

Portuguese Liga de Honra:

Carregado vs Portimonense (6)

Romanian Liga:

Gaz Metan Medias vs Politehnica Iasi (7) 1-0
Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt vs Vaslui (8) 1-2
Brasov vs Unirea Urziceni (6) 1-1

Russian Premier League:

Khimki vs Tom Tomsk (7) 0-1
Krylya Sovetov Samara vs Spartak Moscow (7) 1-2
Rostov-na-Donu vs Saturn Moscow Oblast (6) 0-0
Kuban Krasnodor vs FK Moscow (8) 0-2

Scottish Premier League:

Hearts vs Hibernians (5) 1-2, at least one red card in this game
Aberdeen vs St.Johnstone (5) 1-0
Hamilton Academicals vs Motherwell (6) 1-1
Kilmarnock vs Dundee United (6) 1-2
Rangers vs St.Mirren (9) 2-0

Serbian Super Liga:

Jagodina vs Vojvodina Novi Sad (6) 1-2
Rad Belgrade vs Spartak Subotica (7) 1-1
Napredak vs BSK Borca (6) 1-0
Metalac GM vs Partizan Belgrade (7) 0-1
Smederevo vs Cukaricki (6) 2-1
Red Star Belgrade vs Hajduk Kula (9) 3-1
OFK Belgrade vs Javor Ivanjica (8) 2-0
Mladi Radnik vs Borac Cacak (6) 0-1

Slovakian Corgon Liga:

Senica vs Spartak Trnava (6) 2-1
Dukla Banska Bystrica vs Tatran Presov (7) 2-0
DAC Dunajska Streda vs Dubnica (7) 1-0
Nitra vs Artmedia Petrzalka (7) 2-1
Slovan Bratislava vs Ruzomberok (8) 2-1

Slovenian Prva Liga:

Koper vs Domzale (7) 2-1
Interblock Ljubljana vs Rudar Velenje (6) 1-1
Gorica vs Nafta Lendava (6) 1-2
Celje vs Olimpija Ljubljana (6) 0-0

Spanish Primera Liga:

Tenerife vs Malaga (8) 2-0
Getafe vs Deportivo La Coruna (5) 1-0
Barcelona vs Real Mallorca (8) over 3.5 goals
Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid (6) over 2.5 goals

Spanish Segunda Liga:

Real Sociedad vs Recreativo de Huelva (6)
Salamanca vs Levante (7)
Numancia vs Cordoba (6)
Huesca vs Hercules Alicante (7)
Gimnastia de Tarragona vs Albacete (7)
Las Palmas vs Rayo Vallecano de Madrid (7)
Celta de Vigo vs Castellon (5)

Spanish Segunda B:

Group 1:

Montaneros vs Osasuna II (6)
Lemona vs Sestao River Club (6)
Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa vs Barakaldo (7)
Pontevedra vs Palencia (6)

Group 3:

Alcoyano vs Denia (6)

Group 4:

Real Betis Balompie II vs Granada (6)
Jerez Industrial vs Roquetas (7)
Marbella vs Polideportivo Ejido (6)
Ciudad de Murcia vs Moratalla (5)

Swiss Super League:

Aarau vs St.Gallen (6) 1-2
Grasshoppers Zurich vs Bellinzona (6) 2-1

Swiss Challenge League:

Yverdon Sport vs Schaffhausen (7)
Lausanne Sports vs Stade Nyonnais (8)

Turkish Super Lig:

Istanbul BB vs Antalyaspor (7) 2-0
Trabzonspor vs Besiktas JK (6) 2-1

Uruguayan Primera Division:

Club Nacional de Montevideo vs Rampla Juniors (8) 3-1
Atenas vs Central Espanol (6) 1-1
Defensor Sporting vs Racing Club Montevideo (8) 2-1

Welsh Premier League:

Caersws vs Port Talbot Town (7) 0-1
Carmarthen Town vs Bangor City (6) 1-1
Rhyl vs Llanelli (5) 1-1
Welshpool Town vs Porthmadog (6) 1-0

Enjoy your free betting tips!