Tag Archives: bradford city

Brest vs Vannes OC

Posted on by

Today’s featured games is the Ligue 2 encounter between Brest and Vannes OC. The hosts have been very impressive in Ligue 2 this year and currently find themselves in fourth place in the table. They’ve won three of their last five games and are unbeaten on that particular run. The main reason for their success has been their consistent home form which has seen them yield five wins from seven games, drawing once and losing just once. Brest are looking twice the side that they were last year and look one of the harder sides to beat currently. Vannes OC, by contrast, are not having a good season. They’re currently thirteenth in the Ligue 2 table with one win and four defeats from their last five games, which isn’t good enough. Whereas their away record isn’t exactly the worst in the league, it’s still poor with three defeats, two draws, and one defeat from their six away games played this year. Vannes OC basically are not looking good enough to take anything from this game so I’m going to call a home win at bargain odds of 5/6 for a very much in-form and reliable Brest.

Friday’s Picks

My tips:

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

Brest vs Vannes OC – home win at 5/6 – see introduction for full details.

Universidad de Chile vs Fluminense – home win at 11/10. I don’t know what it is about Chilean sides playing Brazilian sides but they seem to have more success in stopping their Brazilian counterparts playing football much better than any other South American nation does. Perhaps it’s their dogged style of football that really gets to the Brazilians – I’m not sure. This point was illustrated in the first leg of this game as Universidad de Chile drew 2-2 in Brazil against Fluminense. Universidad de Chile are one of the more experienced continental sides in South America, I think it’s fair to say, and stand a great chance of progressing to the Copa Nissan Sudamericana here tonight against a Fluminense side more focal upon avoiding relegation from Serie A. The hosts have a good enough squad to win this game and the home advantage against a potentially distracted Fluminense makes the home win at 11/10 look a good call tonight.

Liga de Quito vs Velez Sarsfeld – home win at evens. Copa Libertadores reigning champions Liga de Quito tonight host Velez Sarsfeld in the Copa Nissan Sudamericana quarter-final game. An impressive 1-1 draw in Argentina in the first leg leaves the Ecuadorians with the edge as the Argentinians vist their lofty fortress in Quito. Many sides have travelled here and failed so it will take a mighty display from Velez Sarsfeld to avoid falling to a similar fate. What convinces me of this outcome is not only that this is a nightmarish away game for any side and that Velez Sarsfeld have to come here and attack to have a chance of success but also that Velez Sarsfeld’s performances of late have been inconsistent at best. For instance – they’ve beaten lowly Godoy Cruz de Mendoza and newly-promoted Atletico Tucuman but have also lost at home to Newell’s Old Boys. When travelling to a good home side like Liga de Quito, you really need to be at your best. Basically, I don’t think Velez Sarsfeld are currently in a position to get a result here so I think the home win at evens for the Ecuadorians looks a good bet tonight.

Sedan-Ardennes vs Metz – away win at 15/8. I can’t quite fathom why these odds are so long! Visitors Metz are not the best travellers in Ligue 2 – far from it. However, they remain one of the best sides in the division, regardless of that point. Aside from that, Metz have really entered their stride lately with four wins from their last five games. If this statistic isn’t impressive enough for you then consider that all of the sides they have beaten/drawn with in those five games either are a very good side or showed that they can be a very good side last season. Metz have lately won away to Chateauroux and drew away to high-flying Nantes whilst beating Guingamp, Laval, and Strasbourg at home. This list of sides is very impressive, in my humble opinion, and a weak Sedan-Ardennes shouldn’t really pose a great threat here tonight, despite having a decent home record. Sedan-Ardennes have lost three of their last five games, including two embarassing defeats to Nimes and Istres. Therefore, to be frank, the away win at 15/8 could turn out to be a real bargain tonight.

Arles vs Le Havre – away win at 13/8. Although currently unbeaten at home in Ligue 2 this year, hosts Arles will face one of their toughest tests yet as they host a very much in-form Le Havre. The visitors have won three of their last five games, losing just once. Their most recent victory was a monday night 4-0 demolition of promotion rivals Nantes, which will have inspired Le Havre greatly. Arles are doing well with keeping sides out but that record simply has to end soon enough because Arles are punching above their weight. Visitors Le Havre certainly have a classier side and look far more capable of winning this game than the hosts do. For me, the away win at 13/8 could prove to be a great bet tonight, particularly as Le Havre have already won three from seven away games this season, losing just once along the way.

Empoli vs Reggina – home win at evens. Anyone who reads this blog knows that I love my Serie B home wins and Empoli are amongst my favourite sides to back for it, too! Although atrocious away from home, Empoli become a very different side when playing on their own turf as five wins from six home games indicates. Some poor form lately has cast a few doubts in my mind over the reliability of Empoli but they’re hosting a Reggina side tonight that have lost four of their last five games and look destined to fail in this division despite having only joined Serie B from Serie A this year. Comparing Empoli’s superb home record with an average of nearly three goals scored per home game to Reggina’s away record of four defeats from six away games, conceding nearly two goals per away game, you have to feel that there’s potentially a great deal of value in the home win at evens!

Groningen vs Heracles Almelo – away win at 9/5. I never thought I’d see the day that I backed Heracles Almelo to win an away game but here we are! Visitors Heracles Almelo are playing some of the best football that they’ve ever played, in my humble opinion, and have well-earned their current Eredivisie placing of sixth. They’ve won four of their last five games but their most impressive feature is the fact that they’ve won four from six away games this year with only FC Twente Enschede having won more away games this year. Heracles Almelo’s strength isn’t goalscoring; it’s keeping sides out. They’ve conceded just one goal away from home in six games this year, which is pretty damn impressive! Although I formerly rated Groningen as the better of these two sides, statistics for this year show otherwise in a big way. The hosts have lost so many home games that only bottom-placed RKC Waalwijk have lost more home games than they have. Groningen have lost four of their six home games this season and scored a feeble two goals. Considering the lax attack of Groningen and the watertight defence of Heracles Almelo makes me think an away win is very likely here, particularly with the sharp contrast in momentum and ability at the moment, particularly as Groningen are without a win in their past four games and have lost their last two consecutively. For me, there’s potentially some serious value in the away win at 9/5.

Lechia Gdansk vs Korona Kielce – home win at evens. Many people have dubbed Lechia Gdansk’s start to this Ekstraklasa campaign as “fortunate”; maybe they’re right. However, fortune has no place in what will surely be a home win against a weak, newly-promoted Korona Kielce as the visitors have now lost four games in a row. Korona Kielce looked to be playing ok but all of a sudden they’ve completely capitulated and the result is a sharp descent down the Ekstraklasa. The visitors have lost four from five away games in the Ekstraklasa this season and Lechia Gdansk are well-placed to take advantage of that fact. The hosts may have a somewhat impassive home record this year but they’re resilient, experienced in the Ekstraklasa dogfight and won their last game to give them momentum as they enter this game. With all of the above in mind, the home win at evens could be a real bargain today.

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

Copa Nissan Sudamericana:

Universidad de Chile vs Fluminense (7) under 2.5 goals
Liga de Quito vs Velez Sarsfeld (7) under 2.5 goals

Argentinian Primera Division:

Argentinos Juniors vs Rosario Central (5) 1-1
Independiente vs Gimnasia De La Plata (7) 2-0

Australian A-League:

Adelaide United vs Brisbane Roar (7) 2-1

Austrian Liga 1:

Austria Vienna II vs Wacker Innsbruck (8)
SCR Altach vs Gratkorn (8)
Hartberg vs Admira Wacker (8)
Lustenau vs Salzburg II (6)
First Vienna vs Dornbirn (5) over 2.5 goals

Belgian Eerste Klasse:

Charleroi vs AA Gent (6) 1-2

Bulgarian A PFG:

Lokomotiv Mezdra vs Montana (7) 1-0

Danish 1st Division:

Viborg vs Skive (8)

English Championship:

Derby County vs Coventry City (4) draw no bet

English FA Cup:

Bristol Rovers vs Southampton (6) 1-1
Notts County vs Bradford City (8) 2-0
Huddersfield Town vs Dagenham & Redbridge (6) 2-1

French Ligue 2:

AC Ajaccio vs Dijon FCO (6)
Angers SCO vs Bastia (6)
Brest vs Vannes OC (8)
Clermont Foot vs Nimes (7)
Sedan-Ardennes vs Metz (6)
Strasbourg vs Istres (6)
Arles vs Le Havre (6)
Stade Malherbe de Caen vs Tours (8)
Chateauroux vs Laval (6)

German Bundesliga:

Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs Eintracht Frankfurt (8) 3-1

German Bundesliga 2:

Kaiserslautern vs Rot-Weiss Oberhausen (7)
St.Pauli vs Fortuna Dusseldorf (7)
Paderborn vs Koblenz (6)

Greek B Ethniki:

Ilioupoli vs Ethnikos Asteras (7)

Hungarian Soproni Liga:

Ujpest vs Fehervar (6) 1-1

Italian Serie B:

Empoli vs Reggina (7)

Dutch Eredivisie:

Groningen vs Heracles Almelo (7) 0-1

Dutch Eerste Divisie:

Cambuur Leeuwarden vs Excelsior (7) over 2.5 goals
AGOVV Appeldoorn vs Volendam (6)
Den Bosch vs Dordrecht ’90 (6)
Eindhoven vs Veendam (7)
Fortuna Sittard vs RBC Roosendaal (7)
Go Ahead Eagles vs Haarlem (8)
Helmond Sport vs Top Oss (6)
MVV Maastricht vs Omniworld (8)
Stormvogels Telstar vs Zwolle (7)

Polish Ekstraklasa:

Odra Wodzislaw vs Zaglebie Lubin (5) 1-1
Lechia Gdansk vs Korona Kielce (8) 1-0
Wisla Krakow vs Legia Warsaw (7) 2-1

Portuguese Liga Sagres:

Belenenses vs Pacos de Ferreira (6) under 2.5 goals

Romanian Liga:

Pandurii Targu Jiu vs Gloria Bistrita (7) 2-0
International vs Universitatea Craiova (8) 1-1

Singaporean S-League:

Sengkang Punggol vs Woodlands (5) 1-1

Turkish Super Lig:

Bursaspor vs Genclerbirligi (8) 2-0

Welsh Premier League:

Aberystwyth Town vs Bala Town (7) 2-1
Airbus vs Connah’s Quay Nomads (6) 1-0
Haverfordwest County vs Neath Athletic (6) 1-1
Prestatyn Town vs Newtown (7) 2-1
The New Saints vs Newi Cefn Druids (8) 2-0

Enjoy your free betting tips!

Australia vs Netherlands

Posted on by

Today’s featured game is the international friendly between Australia and the Netherlands. It should be one hell of a featured game, too, considering that my fundamental point behind is that Netherlands are simply better than Australia! Despite Australia having played their best football for some years, they’re still some distance off the bigger nations of the world i.e. Netherlands. Wins against Republic of Ireland and Japan certainly show that they’re a more capable side nowadays but defeats like the 3-1 loss to South Korea show that there’s still a long way to go. Netherlands have been their usual efficient selves in World Cup Qualification and generally dispose of sides that they’re better than with no great difficulty, a good example being their demolition of Japan in their most recent friendly. I don’t really care if Australia are playing Netherlands in Australia or on the moon – the Dutch simply have too much quality at their disposal to do anything but win the game whether they try or not. Frankly, I’d take 4/5 on the away win before the odds inevitably drop.

Saturday’s Picks

My tips:

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

Australia vs Netherlands – away win at 4/5 – see the introduction for full details.

Liechtenstein vs Azerbaijan – home win at 13/8. This is a very risky call but it should be an interesting one. Both of these sides are generally cannon fodder for bigger and better sides but Liechtenstein have got a bit better over the last year or two, something indicated by an impressive 1-1 draw at home to Finland in their last World Cup Qualifier. Most people will say these two sides have nothing to play for and I generally agree but then again – they never do have anything to play for. I think both sides will really play for pride here and when I look at the players in each squad, Liechtenstein have just got better players with more experience, sufficiently so for me to believe they’ll win the game. Neither side can keep a clean sheet for shit so I do expect goals in this game. Either way I think 13/8 is a tad overpriced so I’ll be happy to take advantage of it today!

France vs Faroe Islands – Faroe Islands with +3.75 handicap at 11/5. I’ve tried this one before the last time these two sides met in the reverse fixture and it worked like a charm. I’m especially coaxed into this as I’ve heard that Ribery is missing this game. I’m not really able to confirm how accurate that is yet so it’s probably wise to check the line-ups beforehand to decide if you want to take this bet or not as he makes things tick for them. Either way, France simply aren’t a big goalscoring side anymore and Faroe Islands aren’t a pushover anymore. Therefore, 11/5 on giving Faroe Islands a +3.75 handicap is a worthwhile bet for me.

Portugal vs Hungary – under 2.5 goals at 5/4. Hosts Portugal have only scored more than two goals in a game once in their last eleven games in all competitions and that was against lowly Liechtenstein. The fatal flaw of Portugal’s football is there for all to see – they don’t really have a natural goalscorer. Well, that was a case before Liedson decided to play for them, anyway! However, Portugal simply don’t score many goals – fact. That said, they do have to win this game to have any hope of qualification from this group and given that Cristiano Ronaldo is on the field of play, you have to feel that’s well within reach. Hungary are a good side nowadays though – they’re certainly not going to lie down for Portugal. Generally, the Magyars are solid defensively and hard to break down. However, the irresistable Ronaldo will find a way – he always does, after all! The worst thing that can happen here for my bet is if Hungary score early in the game. However, I can’t see that happening in this particular game so 5/4 on under 2.5 goals for two low-scoring sides seems a good bet to me.

Colombia vs Chile – home win at 6/5. Ahhh, good old crazy South American football returns to our screens as we await the inevitable bloodbath between Colombia and Chile. Neither of these sides have particularly good temperaments, as indeed do none of the South American nations anyway, but my own observations tell me that more players are sent off when playing in Colombia than anywhere else, either for the home side, away side, or even club side. Why? Well, maybe it’s the height, or maybe it’s just that they’re all crazy – who knows? Nonetheless, we have a game here that Colombia have to win to have any hopes of achieving a World Cup place next year whereas Chile don’t really need anything from the game as they’re virtually assured a place in next year’s World Cup already. Chile have played fantastically well in the qualifiers this year, better than I’d expected them to, in fact. They enter this game as one of the best away sides in the qualifiers and boast arguably a marginally better squad than Colombia do at the present time, although it is a young squad. However, one point that remains is that only Paraguay have won more home games in this campaign than Colombia have and the hosts have only conceded three goals over the eight home games they’ve played. They’re not big goalscorers, as a rule, but they’re generally pretty good at carving out a result at home to sides. It should be a fantastic game to watch but I think Colombia will be more motivated and will take three points today at 6/5.

Aldershot Town vs Morecambe - home win at 10/11. This game was close to being game of the day for me because I really like the look of it! Aldershot Town are not a great side and I don’t expect to see them launch a title challenge. However, truth be told, they’re not that far away from it. They showed last season that they’re incredibly difficult to beat at home and they’re doing the same again this season although with a better ratio of home victories as they’ve played five, won three and drawn two so far this season. Although recent form hasn’t smiled too kindly on them with a draw and a defeat from their last two games, they remain a force at home and Morecambe have a hard test ahead of them today. That said, the ever-bizarre Morecambe are currently one of the most difficult sides in the league to beat as they’ve only lost two games this season despite being fourth bottom in the League Two table! They just seem to draw an awful lot of games, which is an interesting approach to survival but has to come unstuck at somepoint. Basically, I expect a doggedly tenacious and boring game but I think Aldershot Town have more than enough to win this game and 10/11 on the home win looks good odds to me.

Bradford City vs Crewe Alexandra – home win at 4/5. There’s not much difference between these two sides in terms of quality but I’m siding entirely with momentum today. It’s not always the most loyal of fundamentals but a wayward Crewe Alexandra have now lost five consecutive games and face a side today that are arguably better than the majority of the sides they’ve already lost to. Bradford City have made a slow start to this campaign but are beginning to come good as they’re unbeaten in their last five games. Their problem is doing enough to secure a win instead of drawing but an out-of-luck and demoralised Crewe Alexandra should really gift them enough opportunities to make it count so 4/5 on the home win could well be a good bet today!

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

World Cup Qualifiers – European section:

Finland vs Wales (6) 0-0
Russia vs Germany (5) 1-1
Belarus vs Kazakhstan (9) over 2.5 goals
Luxembourg vs Switzerland (8) 0-1
Armenia vs Spain (9) -1.75 handicap
Estonia vs Bosnia-Herzegovina (7) over 2.5 goals
Ukraine vs England (7) under 2.5 goals
Cyprus vs Bulgaria (6) 1-1
Montenegro vs Georgia (7) over 2.5 goals
Denmark vs Sweden (8) 1-1
Liechtenstein vs Azerbaijan (6) 2-0
Greece vs Latvia (7) 2-1
Czech Republic vs Poland (8) 2-1
Slovakia vs Slovenia (6) 2-1
Serbia vs Romania (8) 1-0
Austria vs Lithuania (9) -1.75 handicap
Belgium vs Turkey (6) 2-2
Israel vs Moldova (7) 1-0
France vs Faroe Islands (8) 2-0
Republic of Ireland vs Italy (7) 1-1
Portugal vs Hungary (7) under 2.5 goals

World Cup Qualifiers – South American section:

Colombia vs Chile (6) under 2.5 goals
Venezuela vs Paraguay (6) 2-1, draw no bet
Argentina vs Peru (10) -1.75 handicap
Ecuador vs Uruguay (7) under 2.5 goals

World Cup Qualifiers – North American section:

Mexico vs El Salvador (9) -1.75 handicap
Honduras vs USA (6) 2-1, draw no bet
Costa Rica vs Trinidad & Tobago (8) 2-1

World Cup Qualifiers – African section:

Zambia vs Egypt (5) 2-1, draw no bet
Malawi vs Ivory Coast (8) over 2.5 goals
Cameroon vs Togo (9) 3-1
Gabon vs Morocco (6) 2-0

World Cup Qualifiers – Play-offs:

Bahrain vs New Zealand (8) 2-0

UEFA European U21 Championships:

Wales U21 vs Bosnia-Herzegovina U21 (8) 2-1
Russia U21 vs Faroe Islands U21 (10) -1.75 handicap
Moldova U21 vs Andorra U21 (8) under 2.5 goals
Azerbaijan U21 vs Austria U21 (9) -1.75 handicap
Scotland U21 vs Belarus U21 (5) 1-1
Bulgaria U21 vs Montenegro U21 (6) 2-1

Brazilian Serie A:

Corinthians vs Gremio (5) 1-1
Flamengo vs Sao Paulo (6) 1-1
Santo Andre vs Fluminense (7) 2-1
Internacional vs Atletico Paranaense (9) 3-1
Coritiba vs Gremio Barueri (8) 2-1

Chinese Super League:

Guangzhou Yiyao vs Changchun Yatai (6) 1-1
Chongqing Lifan vs Shandong Luneng (5) 1-0
Hangzhou Lucheng vs Shaanxi Zhongxin (5) 1-2
Henan Jianye vs Beijing Guoan (6) 1-1

English League One:

Carlisle United vs Norwich City (7)
Charlton Athletic vs Oldham Athletic (8)
Gillingham vs Wycombe Wanderers (7)
Huddersfield Town vs Exeter City (6)
Leyton Orient vs Colchester United (6)
Milton Keyones Dons vs Walsall (7)
Swindon Town vs Millwall (6)
Yeovil Town vs Brighton & Hove Albion (6)

English League Two:

Accrington Stanley vs Cheltenham Town (8)
Aldershot Town vs Morecambe (7)
Bournemouth vs Chesterfield (7)
Bradford City vs Crewe Alexandra (7)
Bury vs Northampton Town (7)
Dagenham & Redbridge vs Darlington (4)
Grimsby Town vs Burton Albion (7)
Macclesfield Town vs Lincoln City (6)
Rochdale vs Barnet (6)
Rotherham United vs Hereford United (8)
Shrewsbury Town vs Port Vale (8)

Finnish Ykkonen:

Klubi 04 Helsinki vs KPV Kokkola (6)

Greek B Ethniki:

Ilioupoli vs Ionikos Nikaias (6)

International Friendlies:

Australia vs Netherlands (8) 1-2
Japan vs Scotland (7) 1-0
Norway vs South Africa (7) 2-0
Kuwait vs Jordan (6) 1-0
Malta vs Angola  (5) 1-1
United Arab Emirates vs Palestine (7) 2-0

Mexican Primera Division:

Estudiantes Tecos vs Guadalajara (6) 1-1
San Luis vs Atlante (6) 1-0

Norwegian 2 Divisjon:

Avdeling 1:

Vindbjart Vennesla vs Mandalskameratene (7)
Eidsvold vs Strommen (7)
Ullensaker Kisa vs Fram Larvik (6)
Start Kristiansand II vs Tonsberg (7)
KFUM Fotball Oslo vs Pors Grenland (5)

Avdeling 2:

Lorenskog vs Nardo Trondheim (7)
Rosenborg II vs Levanger (9)
Follo Fotball Ski vs Ullern (9)

Avdeling 3:

Varg Haugesund vs Fredrikstad II (8)
Fyllingen Bergen vs Randaberg (5)
Fana Nestun vs Kopervik (6)
Lyn Oslo II vs Asane Ulset (6)
Stromsgodset II vs Algard (7)

Avdeling 4:

Valdres Fagernes vs Tromso II (8)
Bossekop vs Bodo Glimt II (4)
Kjelsas Oslo vs Korsvoll Oslo (5)
Asker Fotball vs Mo (9)

Spanish Segunda Liga:

Huesca vs Numancia (6)
Gimnastic de Tarragona vs Levante (8)
Real Murcia vs Cordoba (7)
Las Palmas vs Hercules Alicante (6)
Elche vs Recreativo de Huelva (6)
Celta de Vigo vs Albacete (6)
Villarreal II vs Rayo Vallecano de Madrid (7)
Girona vs Castellon (6)

Spanish Segunda B:

Group 1:

Lemona vs Lugo (7)
Guijuelo vs Zamora (6)

Swedish Superettan:

Ljungskile vs Assyriska Sodertalje (7)
Trollhattan vs Qviding Goteborg (6)

Welsh Premier League:

Airbus vs Carmarthen Town (6) 1-1
Connah’s Quay Nomads vs Welshpool Town (6) 1-0
Newtown vs Haverfordwest County (5) 0-0
Port Talbot Town vs Prestatyn Town (6) 2-1

Enjoy your free betting tips!