Yearly Archives: 2011
Chelsea vs Ipswich 090111
FA Cup betting – Chelsea vs Ipswich
Chelsea vs Ipswich betting preview
With league form dwindling fast and after a truly embarrassing defeat at the hands of Wolves midweek, Carlo Ancellotti may be right in thinking that a good cup run may be the best his ailing Chelsea side can manage. Chelsea’s main problem has been that they have lacked depth in their squad, meaning that rotation could be a risky move for Ancellotti. However it is possible that youngsters Daniel Sturridge, Gael Kakuta and Josh MacEachran could all be handed rare starts. In the games young English striker Sturridge has played he has shown that he is definitely capable in front of goal, so his price of 6.5 on Bet365 could be a clever one against a fragile Ipswich defence.
Chelsea was crowned FA Cup champions this year, which meant that the infamous Ashley Cole picked up a record breaking 6th winners medal. Last year the blues faced Championship opposition in the form of Watford and at Stamford Bridge they embarrassingly put 5 past the visitors. The odds on Chelsea scoring over 5 goals in this match are priced at 4.0 on Bet365 if you believe Ipswich are in for a routing as Watford were last season. A loss for Chelsea though could be big for the club though. Roman Abramovich is known to have quite an itchy trigger finger and may be forced to send Ancellotti packing if the result does not go the right way Sunday; Ancellotti has odds of 9.0 to be the next Premier League Manager to leave his post in this situation.
Ipswich
Ipswich find themselves managerless 20 months after Roy Keane’s appointment and have only won 1 game in their last 9 fixtures. The statistics speak for themselves here, that the Tractor Boys look unlikely to cause an upset here, however if there is to be one man to turn their fortunes around it can only be Ex-Wigan striker and top scorer Jason Scotland. He has odds of 5.0 on SkyBet to score at any time and with the Chelsea back line looking frailer than ever, it could be an intelligent bet.
Ipswich did make the fourth round last season when they eventually lost to Southampton, and let us not forget that they were in the top division last decade. However the chances of an upset at Stamford Bridge do look bleak after Roy Keane’s sacking, but who knows what caretaker boss Ian McParland has in store.
Highlighted Bets
First Goalscorer Daniel Sturridge 6.5 Bet365
Chelsea score over 5 goals 4.0 Bet365
Next Premier League Manager to leave post Carlo Ancellotti 9.0 SkyBet
Anytime Goalscorer Jason Scotland 5.0 SkyBet
By John Fernandez
Chelsea vs Everton 190211
FA Cup betting – Chelsea vs Everton
Chelsea vs Everton betting preview
Chelsea and Everton will battle out another tie at Stamford Bridge on Saturday after the 4th round tie finished 1-1 at the end of January. The game is also a repeat of the 2009 cup final which the London side won 2-1. The winner of the match will play Reading at home in the next round.
Chelsea vs Everton odds
Chelsea
Chelsea’s January revival has been halted somewhat over the last few weeks after failing to win their last two games. With their title hopes fading after another draw in the week, though they have Petr Cech to thank for keeping them from defeat, it now seems they have a fight on their hands to even finish in the Champions League places. This may mean that manager Carlo Ancelotti puts an added importance on retaining the FA Cup for a third successive season. However, despite the two recent slip-ups, the Blues have still only lost 1 of their last 7 games and are firm favourites to progress on Saturday and best priced at 1.6 with William Hill. While a 2-1 home win is showing good odds of 9.0 with SkyBet as Chelsea may struggle to overcome a resilient Everton side. January signing Fernando Torres is cup-tied for the game so the focus may be on top scorer Nicholas Anelka to find the net and the Frenchman is a nice price at 6.0 with Bet365 to open the scoring.
Everton
Everton’s form has been quite up and down in recent weeks after good displays against Chelsea and Blackpool have been followed by a not so convincing performance against Bolton in the midweek defeat. Everton do have a decent record at Stamford Bridge though having drawn on their last 3 visits. Tim Cahill returned to the starting line up for the game against Bolton but looked rusty after returning from the Asia Cup with Australia. The midfielder, who has scored 9 goals for the Toffees this season, is a real threat in the air and a good price at 10.0 with Paddy Power to score at anytime with his head. Both of the games between the sides this season have ended in a 1-1 draw and Coral are offering good odds of 8.5 for that to happen again at the weekend with Paddy Power even offering odds of 14.0 for either side to win it on penalties. Although Everton will head to London this weekend without top scorer Louis Saha and the Frenchman will be sadly missed after scoring 7 goals in his last 6 games before his injury.
Highlighted Bets
Chelsea win – 1.6 William Hill
First Goalscorer Nicholas Anelka – 6.0 Bet365
Chelsea to win 2-1 – 9.0 Skybet
1-1 Draw – 8.5 Coral
Either side to win on penalties – 14.0 Paddy Power
Tim Cahill to score a header at any time – 10.0 Paddy Power
By Sam Markham
Scottish Betting Tips 301010
Scottish football betting tips
Scottish betting preview for matches on weekend of 30th October
This week, looking at the SPL fixtures, there is not a lot of value to be had. Fortunately the First Division looks more fruitful. If you look at the table there is a gap building as the top three teams begin to gather momentum. Raith Rovers, who sit top of the league on 23 points, are hosted by Morton, who sit joint bottom on 9 points with Partick Thistle and Ross County. Dunfermline, who are in second place, host Stirling, who are only 3 points clear of the bottom three and Falkirk play hosts to cash stricken Dundee.
Morton have been suffering from some woeful form at Cappielow this season, chalking up only one victory thus far. Raith Rovers have not been in stellar form away from home but their overall form has been steady and consistent, which is represented by their ascendance to the top of the table. Morton have been suffering somewhat of a goal drought at home, scoring only once in front of their home fans in their last 6 home games. With these numbers it is very hard to predict anything other than an away win at a best priced 11/10 with Bet 365.
Falkirk come into this game on the back of a domineering performance against SPL side Aberdeen in the cup midweek. Dundee got the upper hand last time these two sides met, on the opening day of the season but, with their perilous financial position and the SFL’s decision on their punishment for entering administration looming, they are not the same side that faced the Bairns that day. Several key players have been let go and the management team of Gordon Chisholm and Billy Dodds has been lost, leaving Dundee a shadow of the team that started the season. This puts Falkirk in a prime position to capitalise and take all 3 points from this fixture. They are a best price 8/13, available with a number of bookmakers.
Dunfermline has turned East End Park into a fortress so far this season. They are unbeaten at home and I don’t feel the Bino’s have the required man power to storm the gates this weekend. This game is by no means an easy game for Dunfermline. Stirling toppled Raith Rovers in their last away game. This aside, on paper Dunfermline are the stronger team with the better form. Also, Stirling haven’t won at East End Park since 1993. The home team are a best priced 4/9 with Stan James.
Recommended bets for Celtic vs Rangers
As a single bet these games do not offer much value for your average punter but as a top three treble excellent value is there to be had. Bet 365 offer the best returns with £47.50 for a £10 Stake. This is well worth getting on. Elsewhere in Scotland, Ayr (6/4) are a solid shout to beat Peterhead away from home and value is to be had backing Livingston (19/20) who are away to Forfar.
from online bookmakersClick here to view all free bets
By Neil Macintosh
Celtic vs Rangers 241010
Scottish Premier League betting – Celtic vs Rangers
Celtic vs Rangers betting preview
This Sunday provides us with one of the most exciting fixtures of the Scottish football calendar. Celtic Park will resemble a boiling cauldron as they take on their fierce rivals Rangers. This game is made even more tantalising given that both teams are unbeaten in their last eight games and they are deadlocked at the top of the table with twenty four points a piece.
It’s tough to choose between the two teams for this match which is reflected in the odds offered. Celtic are favourites with a best price 11/8 being offered for the home win by William Hill. They are also best priced about an away win for Rangers at 5/2. The draw could offer the safest bet with Ladbrokes offering a tempting 12/5. After Rangers impressive performance against Valencia mid week, I am tempted to be a bit cavalier and go for an away triumph. Lee Mculloch and Kirk Broadfoot return for the Gers further strengthening their position against Celtic, who are missing the influential midfielder Scott Brown. A safer option would be to take advantage of Extrabet’s 7\5 for Rangers to win, draw no bet.
With so much at stake for both teams I don’t necessarily believe it will be a high scoring game but, with both teams scoring in three of the last four Old Firm fixtures, Blue Square’s 4/5 for both teams to score is a solid bet. On the goal scorer front, Kenny Miller has been prolific for Rangers so far this season topping the scoring table with 11 goals. Coral’s 13/2 for Miller to score first seems excellent value, too good to pass up. Coral also offer 11/5 for the more cautious punter for Miller to score anytime.
Celtic also haven’t been short of goals this season, only sitting second place by one goal difference. Shaun Maloney and Gary Hooper spearhead the attack with 4 goals and 3 goals respectively. My preference would be for Hooper to get his name on the score sheet in this game. Unfortunately the bookies agree with this assumption and he is a best priced 2/1 with Coral to score anytime.
If Celtic send out their same team from their 2-1 victory over Dundee United, only six of those players will have experienced an Old Firm derby. The Rangers team is more battle hardened, captained by the experienced David Weir and managed by the wily old head of Walter Smith. This is the difference that can give them the edge over a green Celtic team.
Recommended bets for Celtic vs Rangers
Rangers to win at best odds 5/2 with William Hill – Free £25 bet
Kenny Miller first goal scorer at best odds 13/2 with Coral – Free £10 bet.
Click here to view all free bets from online bookmakers
By Neil Macintosh
Wales vs England 260311
Wales vs England betting
Wales vs England odds
Wales will be hoping that they can come out victorious in this battle of Britain and get off the mark in qualifying. On the other hand England will be looking to regain top spot in the group with a win in Cardiff. The two teams form going into the match on Saturday is quite different, England are so far unbeaten, but Wales have lost all three of their matches so far.
Wales
Wales record in qualifying so far has been pretty poor, after losing all three games and scoring just one goal, but they will be looking to halt that run against their local neighbours England on Saturday. Gary Speed has the chance to turn that form around after being appointed Wales boss in December but the former Sheffield manager lost his first game 3-0 back in February. This form is represented in the odds with Wales priced as long as 9.0 with Paddy Power to get the victory. Aaron Ramsey is set to captain his country, but Tottenham winger Gareth Bale is set to miss out through injury and he will be a big miss. Andy King has had a great season at Leicester so far, scoring 13 league goals, and the midfielder is a great price at 9.0 with Bet365 to score at any time.
England
England will be looking to kick on with their qualification campaign on Saturday with a win that could see them return to the top of the group. After the disappointing World Cup, manager Fabio Capello will be looking to qualify with ease for the competition next summer with one eye on the final prize. With this in mind a correct score of 2-0 is looking good at Betfred with odds of 6.5 available. It is often difficult to predict how a national team with shape up after such long periods without a game, but England shouldn’t be too dissimilar from the side that beat Denmark 2-1 with Ferdinand and Gerrard both out injured. This would mean Wayne Rooney and Darren Bent starting upfront together with Jack Wilshere expected to start in midfield. Bent looks good to score the opening goal in Cardiff with odds of 6.5 available from Bet365.
Highlighted Bets
Wales 0-2 England – 6.5 Betfred
Darren Bent first goal scorer – 6.5 Bet365
Andy King anytime scorer – 9.0 Bet365
Any Player from outside the Premier League to score – 2.5 Coral
Wales WIN – 9.0 Paddy Power
By Sam Markham
Scotland vs Brazil 270311
Scotland vs Brazil betting
Scotland vs Brazil odds
Scotland
Scotland’s manager Craig Levein has already been accused of being overly negative, playing an extremely conservative 4-6-0 formation, with no out and out striker. Scotland have also been hit by a number of high profile injuries to the likes of striker Steven Naismith, defender Phil Bardsley and goalkeeper Iain Turner. Kenny Miller is left as the only experienced international forward and will most likely be chosen to lead the blues attack against the Samba boys. Therefore if you think Scotland can nick a goal in this fixture, it’s most likely to come from Kenny Miller, so a bet on him being the first goalscorer is good value at 12.5 on UniBet.
With David Luiz likely to start for Brazil there is a chance that his reckless tackles could reward Scotland with a penalty which will most likely be taken by central midfield star Charlie Adam, so why not have a bet on him scoring at any time in the fixture at 7.0 on ExtraBet. Late addition to the squad Craig Mackail-Smith has been in fantastic form of late and has netted 27 times in all competitions all season, so why not look at him as a late super sub scoring the last goal.
Brazil
Brazil are trying to usher in the new era of stars now, with the Ronaldinho’s, Robinho’s and Ronaldo’s having reached their peaks. The new generation are incoming alongside the old guard, expect appearances from Lucio, Julio Cesar and Maicon alongside young blood like Neymar, Ramires and David Luiz. Neymar’s selection will have excited many Brazilian fans as he looks to spearhead the next generation of Brazilians attack, so why not put a bet on him being the first goalscorer at 6.0 on Bet365.
Brazil are clear favourites for this fixture, and they are expected to come out and severely outplay Scotland so a bet on Brazil winning this fixture by 4 or more goals at a price of 9.0 on StanJames. Brazil will be looking to restore some form after a failure to win at the world cup in South Africa. Alexandre Pato is a doubt for the fixture as well as Nilmar so the starting line-up will be touch and go until the start.
Highlighted Bets:
First Goalscorer Kenny Miller 12.5 UniBet
Anytime Goalscorer Charlie Adam 7.0 ExtraBet
First Goalscorer Neymar 6.0 Bet365
Brazil to win by 4 goals or more 9.0 StanJames
By John Fernandez
Ireland vs Macedonia 260311
Ireland vs Macedonia betting
Ireland vs Macedonia odds
Republic of Ireland: Euro Champion Qualifying Group Position: 2nd, Group Form: WWLD
With no Shay Given long term and Richard Dunne doubtful, and Leon Best and Seamus Coleman having withdrawn themselves from the squad with ankle injuries, the only positive fitness news is that Captain Robbie Keane is expected to start. Although without much first choice football in the past three weeks, he is still vital to his sides chances. Manager Trapattoni must be confident, having said on Keane “maybe after 60 minutes we can look at other options.”
Their group form has been good, and sees them in second place of European Championship Qualifying Group B, two points behind leaders Russia, after four games. Two wins, a draw and a defeat, at home to Russia can leave them confident of at least taking the playoff spot come the end of qualification, but to do this they must beat second rate teams like Macedonia.
Keane is the most experienced of a growing attacking threat, with Kevin Doyle, Aidan McGeady and others growing into their potential more and more with every game.
Macedonia: European Champion Qualifying Group Position: 5th, Group Form: LDWL
What to say about Macedonia? They have one player of real international repute in their squad, Goran Pandev, top scorer in his nation’s history over their only other notable player, Georgi Hristov. Results during and before the qualification are mixed, beating Andorra away and drawing with Armenia at home, whilst only losing by a goal each time against Slovenia and Russia in qualification. They also beat Romania in a friendly before the group stage started, which shows they are definitely improving.
Scoring only in games they’ve attained points, they are clearly not venturing forward at pace against teams they are not expecting to beat. Ireland shouldn’t be a team they can take more than a point from, and any positive result would be a shock.
To see how their qualifying campaigns usually go, they won only two games in World Cup Qualifying for South Africa 2010, one of them a shock home win over Scotland. Otherwise, they are generally beaten by teams of Ireland’s stature, and many below that.
Match Prediction: Ireland Win – Victor Chandler
It’s hard to see Ireland dropping points here, and if they want to qualify then they need to win games like this. They can still take first place, but only if they keep a high class record. Russia will take some stopping, so Ireland must be Macedonia.
Frankly, unless Pandev takes the game and single handedly takes Ireland down, Trapattoni’s men should take a comfortable three points.
The Irish beat Andorra 3-1 with ease, whilst Macedonia beat them 2-0 away from home. Clearly, the Macedonians aren’t pushovers, but they have little else than Pandev to threaten, and the Irish do carry a good attacking threat. A two goal margin in an Irish win would be of no surprise, neither would it shock if in form Kevin Doyle fired for them.
Highlighted Bets:-
Over/Under: Under 2.5 Goals – 1.67 Bet 365
First Goalscorer: Kevin Doyle – 6.5 Victor Chandler
Correct Score: 2-0 Ireland Win – 6.5 Bet Fred
By Chris Wilkerson
England vs Ghana 290311
England vs Ghana betting
England vs Ghana odds
England will face world cup quarter-finalist Ghana at Wembley on Tuesday after completing a solid 2-0 victory over Wales at the weekend. Since that win 5 of that team have been released from the squad for the midweek friendly with John Terry, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson and Wayne Rooney returning to their respective clubs, while Kyle Walker has dropped out through injury. Their opponents Ghana continued their African Cup of Nations qualification at the weekend with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Congo to take themselves top of group I.
England
England played well in Wales on Saturday as goals from Frank Lampard and Darren Bent secured a good win for a new look team. Capello opted for a 4-3-3 system with a front 3 of Rooney, Young and Bent looking very dangerous. Although the personal may chance, with Capello admitting he could change his entire starting 11, it looks as though the formation may continue for the friendly on Tuesday. Despite this change in personnel England are still firm favourites and best priced at 1.62 with Bet365 to claim victory on the night. Young midfielder Jack Wilshere put in another good performance on Saturday and the Arsenal player is a good price at 17.0 with Stan James to open the scoring. Darren Bent scored his third goal in 3 games for England and the striker is looking good at 2.5 with William Hill to score again at any time. This game could be a lot more difficult for England than at the weekend and so a 2-1 home win is showing nicely at 9.0 with Skybet.
Ghana
Ghana will be looking towards the game on Tuesday with plenty of confidence as England will be without most of their top names and they are a team with plenty of technical ability. They lost out only on penalties in the quarter finals of the World Cup last summer and the Black Stars have risen to 16th in the FIFA world rankings. They have several players from top European Clubs with Asamoah Gyan and Andre Ayew up front particularly dangerous. Sunderland fans will know all about Gyan but Ayew has scored 7 goals for Marseille this season and is looking good at 6.0 with Sportingbet to score at any time. Finally, it is looking like Ghana may well get on the score sheet and so Ghana to score first is most definitely worth a look at 3.4 with Bwin.
Highlighted Bets
England 2-1 Ghana – 9.0 Skybet
Jack Wilshere first goal scorer – 17.0 Stan James
Jordan Ayew anytime scorer – 6.0 Sportingbet
Ghana to score first – 3.4 Bwin
England WIN – 1.62 Bet365
By John Fernandez
World Cup Playoffs
World Cup Playoffs Betting Preview
With FIFA deciding at the last minute to introduce the seedings rule into the Football World Cup 2010 Playoffs, many feathers were ruffled and many unseeded teams were unhappy at the thought of having to play the likes of Argentina, Portugal and France, with no chance of them playing each other. However the draws were made and it is our neighbours Republic of Ireland who are playing a two-legged tie with the 2008 World Cup finalists France for a place in the finals.
Ireland vs France Betting preview
Looking across the bookmakers, most, if not all, have made France heavy favourites to win outright and qualify for the tournament with Ladbrokes offering poor, but average odds of 1/3 and Coral offering slightly better with 2/5. Although you won’t get much back from your money if France do go through, Raymond Domenech’s team do seem to be in decent form having only lost one game during qualifying, however I would not put a huge amount on the French going through. They will be missing star player Franck Ribery through injury and without the winger the team looks tired and I believe it’ll be difficult for the likes of Thierry Henry and Karim Benzema to break down a Republic of Ireland defence that boasts the likes of Richard Dunne and John O’Shea, without a creative playmaker like Ribery behind them, so those who do put a large amount on France to get through, they might be in for a shock – I just don’t think the odds are good enough for me to bet. Although I do believe France will be eventual winners of the tie and go through to the final, I think the Republic will give them a good game on home turf on the 14th November, and would suggest you take a bet with William Hill allowing you to bet on each game in the tie, with odds of 13/8 on the Republic beating France in Ireland on the 14th.
The other European Playoffs include Portugal vs. Bosnia, with Portugal expected to be the runaway winners. As expected the bookmakers are backing Portugal to qualify for the tounament, with most giving odds 1/5 and 1/6, and Coral seeming the best odds with 1/3. Although you will not have much of a return, it seems almost an inevitability that Portugal will go on to qualify, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Deco on display against a Bosnia side who are ranked 42nd in the world and have never Qualified for the World Cup.
Other playoffs include Ukraine vs. Greece, and I would take the offer up on Ladbrokes who are offering 5/6 on Ukraine to qualify for the tournament. Most of the bookmakers odds are favouring Ukraine only slightly, but I believe they will comfortably go through with Greece not looking like a team of quality since their shock Euro 2004 win.
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World Cup Betting News
Latest World Cup Betting
England are 7/1 to lift next year’s World Cup after finding themselves among the eight seeded nations, according to bookmakers Ladbrokes.
Sven Goran Eriksson’s team are third favourites behind holders Brazil at 11/4 and 6/1 shots Argentina, who they recently beat in a friendly.
The surprise of the seeding was that Holland were not seeded, meaning they could face one of the “big boys” such as Brazil or Argentina in a group match. The final draw for the group stage will take place later this month.
The current betting market is as follows:
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