Birmingham

It is round two of Wolves v Birmingham FA Cup betting, as the two Midlands rivals go at it again in a replay for a place in the fourth round. The two sides scrapped out a 0-0 draw at St Andrews at the first attempt, in what was a far more dreary than dynamic affair. It was fair result in the end though, with neither team looking as if they really wanted to go on and take the game by the scruff of the neck and actually win it. Neither side were really helped by a pretty terrible pitch as well at St Andrews, so hopefully we have a better affair here, because it should be a heated and passionate affair a Midlands derby. Chris Hughton’s Birmingham are actually doing a pretty decent job in the Championship, in an attempt to get back up to the Premier League. After dealing with exploits in the Europa League and catching up on league matches because of it, the Blues are looking in decent shape. They are just outside the play off zone in the Championship, and haven’t lost in the league for five matches, and fired off a thumping 6-0 away victory at the struggling Millwall, just to give themselves a nice bit of confidence for the rematch against rivals Wolves. You can’t ignore Birmingham’s away form this season though, which hasn’t been great in truth. They have won just three out of thirteen attempts in the league, racking up seven defeats (although they are on a two game streak with no defeat). But after having the lions share of the few spoils there were at St Andrews in the FA Cup Third Round match, they will fancy their chances against Wolves, who can’t seem to buy a win at the moment.

Mick McCarthy’s men are hovering perilously close to the relegation zone again in the Premier League, although they are showing that usual grit and fight, as opposed to flair. Wolves have drawn four of their last five league matches, including their recent showing against the in form Tottenham. In total, Wolves haven’t won in eight matches now in all competitions. Boss McCarthy looks to have decided to give their most obvious route to goal, Steven Fletcher a rest, clearly with one eye on Premier League survival no doubt. In will come Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Kevin Doyle as McCarthy looks to balance a cup run with stayi8ng alive in the Premier League. Clearly there is a major preference out of those two options. Wolves aren’t a side which knows how to win games very well. They have a pretty woeful defence and that certainly doesn’t help out their somewhat limited attack. They will go without captain Roger Johnson, who was signed from Birmingham in the summer, as he limped out of the match at St Andrews after launching a crunching tackle. Probably going to be much changed sides from both managers, and it should be another tight match. But hopefully there is a lot more to cheer about on Wednesday night in this replay than there was in the first match. Wolves lead the Midlands derby head to head against Birmingham 61 to 38 (with 31 drawn matches) and a place in the fourth round against Sheffield United awaits the winner of Wolves v Birmingham FA Cup Betting.

Wolves v Birmingham FA Cup Betting Odds
Wolves to win: 11/10 at Bet365
Draw: 12/5 at Totesport
Birmingham to win: 29/10 at Stan James

Online bookmaker BetFred are running their Double Delight football betting promotion for the Wolves v Birmingham FA Cup replay on Wednesday. If you back a correct First Goalscorer in the match, and that same player then goes on to score a second goal in the game, then you will be paid out at double your original Goalscorer odds. So a pretty good Goalscorer promotion to look at. In the market you have Kevin Double and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake at 5/1 so you can imagine either of those nice prices doubled! Online bookmaker BetFred offer a free £50 bet for new customers registering an account. The bookie will match the value of your first stake on a new account with a free bet up to the maximum value of £50.

Birmingham v Maribor Europa League Betting on Thursday night, sees yet another British side trying to avoid exiting the competition early. The Blues don’t entirely have all of their fate in their own hands, as they need a win and a result in the other group match on Thursday night to go their way. Birmingham go into the match in third place, three points behind joint leaders Club Bruges and FC Braga. So, to start with Birmingham simply need a win to put themselves in with a chance, that is their starting point. In order for them to qualify though, they would need Portuguese side Braga to beat Club Bruges, because Birmingham have a better head to head record against the Belgians, but don’t have a superior one against the Portuguese. So if Club Bruges lose and Birmingham win, the Midlands side would edge through. However, a draw in the other match, or a win for Club Bruges would send Birmingham packing no matter what they do. So good indicators for Birmingham, is that they did beat Maribor in Slovenia back on Match Day Two. So there is hope that they can at least get the result they need at St Andrews on Thursday night, it doesn’t matter the margin of Birmingham’s victory, they just to win and hope for the best. The trouble is though, that Birmingham don’t have a great home record in the tournament so far, picking up a draw against Club Bruges and suffering a home defeat against Braga. Birmingham go into the match of an away defeat against Braga, but it is their two wins in their other away matches which have just about kept them alive. Now they are down to the wire though, and will be hoping that Braga can get revenge for a 2-1 home defeat against Bruges earlier in the group stage.

There is not a lot of history to go on between English and Slovenian side, Birmingham’s encounter against Maribor earlier in the group was only the third ever UEFA meeting between an English and Slovenian side. Birmingham have conceded five times in their two home matches in the group so far, and with Maribor firing in eleven goals so far, the Blues could be in for a tough match. However, the Slovenians have not managed to pick up an away win in their last four away matches winning three and drawing one. So that should give Birmingham a bit of hope. It has been a tough season for Birmingham in the Championship, sitting down in 13th position in the league, having won only two of their last eight matches in the league. They did win on the weekend to give themselves a boost of confidence. They need a big night on Thursday and some luck to go their way in Birmingham v Maribor Europa League Betting.

Birmingham v Maribor Europa League Betting Odds
Birmingham to win: 8/15 at Bet365
Draw: 3/1 at Totesport
Maribor: 13/2 at Victor Chandler

Online bookmaker BetFred have an online betting promotion running for this specific match. If home side Birmingham take the lead in the game, but fail to go on and win the match, then BetFred will refund all losing First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, Correct Score and Scorecast bets placed on the match. This provides some great coverage for your alternative market betting for Birmingham v Maribor. Highly popular online bookmaker BetFred offer a free £50 bet for new customers registering an account. The bookie will match the value of your first stake with a free bet, up to the maximum of £50

Birmingham have to face more Portuguese opposition as they take on Braga in their first Europa League match. Birmingham battled their way past Nacional in the play off round to get to this stage and now they go up against the stronger Braga. This is actually a good first match for Birmingham in the Group Stage, as they can at least try and take some comfort and inspiration from playing in front of their home crowd. It should be a big night for them. So, not a great deal of history of Birmingham to look at here, but they have kept two clean sheets in their play offs matches, so there is something to build upon there. Birmingham actually do have a strong European home record, if you go back and look at history from the 1950’s and 1960’s which is not going to have any effect here. After their dramatic late Carling Cup Final win against Arsenal last season, this is the real big reward for Birmingham, matches like this. However, they are going to have to raise their game, because Braga are going to be a more formidable force than Nacional were. Braga have never won in England though (drawing two and losing four) and they have conceded a lot on their travels. You may remember Arsenal thumping them 6-0 in the group stage of last season’s Champions League at the Emirates, but then Braga responded well and dented Arsenal with a 2-0 win back in Portugal. After failing to get out of their Champions League group, they went into the Europa League, when they beat Liverpool at home and then drew 0-0 away, sending the Anfield crew crashing. That was on the path to Braga reaching the final of last year’s Europa League, an adventure which ended in defeat to Andre Villas Boas’s FC Porto. So, the Arsenalistas, as they are nicknamed (after a famous story about their coach watching Arsenal play once and wanting his club to be just like them, even changing their kit to match that of the Gunners). Tough match for Birmingham here and this has the potential of being a real eye-opener of a test for them. Good bit of value in taking Braga here, as they do carry a threat.

Birmingham v Braga Europa League Betting Odds
Birmingham City to win: 17/10 at William Hill
Draw: 5/2 at VC Bet
Braga to win: 7/4 at Bet365

Saturday 19^th February

English FA Cup

Birmingham v Sheffield Wednesday

Both Birmingham and Sheffield Wednesday have not performed as well as they would have wished in the league this season so the Cup is proving a welcome distraction.

Alex McLeish’s side are looking forward to one cup final already as they take on Arsenal in the League cup at the end of the month at Wembley. With a home tie against lower league opposition in the FA Cup, things are looking good for an extended run in this competition as well. Currently in 14^th position in the league, the Blues have not hit the heights of last season but have put a decent enough run together. Before losing the Newcastle during the week, Birmingham had won four of their last five in all competitions. At home they remain hard to beat as the defeat to Newcastle was only their third all season. Their main problem has been the amount of draws they have accumulated with seven games already ending in stalemate.

Sheffield Wednesday have been desperately disappointing and look as though they could miss out n the play-off’s altogether in their current form. They currently sit in 16^th position and a massive 10 points off the final play-off position. Their current form is deplorable for a club of their size with just one win, in the last round of the cup, from their last eight matches. Gary Megson has been brought to the club to attempt to save their season but the impact has been slim to none. Players look as though they are lacking discipline and organisation. No club is too big to go down when players are not performing and Megson will be only too well aware of the fact that the Owls are just five points off the final relegation spot. The cup may well provide the distraction that is needed to get things back on track but the priority for Wednesday is most definitely the league, and staying in it at this point.

Birmingham seemed to have been rejuvenated in recent weeks with the signings of players such as David Bentley and Obafemi Martins. These signings have put pressure on the players currently there and one man who has risen to the challenge and proven he has a role to play is Nikola Zigic. The giant striker has scored three goals in his last four games including winning goals against both Stoke and West Ham. Often subject to criticism from his own fans, Zigic seems as though he’s proving the doubters wrong of late. A player of his size should always be a threat and it looks as though he’s finally matching the effort to stature.

Wednesday have impressed with comprehensive wins over Bristol City and Hereford thus far in the competition but this is by far their biggest test to date. Megson will no doubt look to frustrate the home side with a resolute, dogged display. Birmingham will be used to it by now and although they may have struggled previously, there seems to be more creativity in the side nowadays. With that in mind, I fully expect the home side to advance to the quarter finals of another cup competition.

My Selection: Birmingham to beat Sheffield Wednesday

Best odds available: 7/10 available with William Hill

English Championship

Millwall v Middlesbrough

These two sides need points for very different reasons as Millwall attempt to chase down a play-off position whilst Middlesbrough are desperate to move further away from the relegation zone.

I have previewed a couple of Millwall games in the last couple of months and most of the analysis still applies. They are a hard side to beat, especially at home; their style of play is very effective, especially at home; and they continue to accumulate points, especially at home. Currently on a run of six straight home wins in the league, Millwall are still a serious contender for promotion. Kenny Jackett’s side have shown a tremendous attitude in their first season back in the Championship since winning the League One play-off final last season. This attitude has been reinforced in recent weeks with three points from a possible six being rescued with goals in the last minute. The man who has notched both times is Kevin Lisbie who was scoring only his second and third goals of the season, and first since August. This is testament to the team morale and spirit within the camp as Lisbie has had to contend with a place on the bench more often than not. However he has continued to work hard and has got his rewards in recent weeks.

Tony Mowbray was welcome like a prodigal son when taking the reins earlier this season. The former ‘Boro defender has probably not had the impact he wished to have by now but things are slowly beginning to turn for the better. That was the case until recently as after a run of six matches unbeaten in the league came to a halt with back to back defeats. They were on the wrong end of reverse in a seven goal thriller at home to Swansea last Saturday which followed on from a narrow defeat away to Crystal Palace. Those losses have pushed Middlesbrough back into the relegation mix as they sit four points off the drop zone. Mowbray has attempted to be more cavalier in recent weeks by going three upfront. The formation has meant more chances created and goals scored but also leaves them open at the back. This was of course highlighted in the goals fest last Saturday.

The rule of three applies in this fixture as Millwall have lost just three games from a total of 15 games played at the New Den this season whilst ‘Boro have won just three on the road from the same number of games. It really does underline the difference between the two sides. I’m always a fan of Millwall at home and even more so in this match up.

My Selections: Millwall to beat Middlesbrough

Best odds available: 11/10 available with Skybet

Scottish Premier League

Aberdeen v Kilmarnock

Thirteen points separate these two sides but incredibly, it’s Kilmarnock who are streets ahead of tomorrow’s hosts, Aberdeen, as we approach the SPL split.

Craig Brown had an instant impact when replacing Mark McGhee as manager towards the end of last year. Confidence was high, results were noticeably better and performances definitely improved. Things have unravelled a little of late, however, and the Dons are currently on a run of three defeats in four games in all competitions. Granted, two of those defeats were against league leaders and the form side of the division – Celtic. However they turned in a very lacklustre performance on Tuesday when losing 2-1 at home to Motherwell. Even before losing Paul Hartley to a red card, it wasn’t the Aberdeen we came to expect under Brown, who was certainly not shy in telling his players that displays such as Tuesdays will not be tolerated in future. The positive thing for all concerned at Aberdeen is that they have a chance to quickly rectify things tomorrow.

Kilmarnock have enjoyed a terrific season to date and have earned many plaudits for the style of play. One man who was key to their success was Connor Sammon who has since departed to pastures new in the form of Wigan. It’s hard not to underestimate how important the tall striker was as he is still the second top scorer with 15 league goals. It was an incredible return for a striker playing with one of the lesser sides in the SPL and since he left, Kilmarnock have found it hard to kill off teams like they were with him in the side.  Despite taking the lead in several matches, Killie have won just once in seven matches. Last time out they were very poor as they lost to Hibs at Easter Road.

I’m a big fan of Craig Brown and believe he is one of the best managers in the SPL. Having watched them several times recently, Aberdeen have decent quality, especially going forward but need to shore up defensively. I was also a great admirer of Connor Sammon this season as he had everything you would look for in a striker – pace, strength, good finisher and good in the air. Without him Kilmarnock are a much weaker side and I can see them struggling without him in the closing months of the season. Aberdeen are too big a price tomorrow to resist and the value definitely lies with the Dandy Dons.

My Selection: Aberdeen to beat Kilmarnock

Best odds available: 13/8 available with PaddyPower

llSunday 6^th February

English Premier League

West Ham v Birmingham

These two sides have already met three times already this year as they clashed in the League Cup semi finals, they do battle again when three crucial league points are up for grabs.

West Ham have been disappointing for much of the season and have failed to live up to their expectation with so many quality players. When Avram Grant took over in the summer, he would have been hoping for a top half finish with the likes of Scott Parker, Carlton Cole, Matthew Upson and Robert Green through the spine of his side. As it is, they are struggling at the wrong end of the table and are right in the thick of the relegation scrap. What has been some sort of consolation for the Hammers, has been the nature of this Premier League season as the majority of teams have failed to put any sort of run of form together. As such, West Ham are only a couple of points off of safety despite winning just five games to date. Their form was so bad that there were even rumours of Grant being sacked and replaced by Martin O’Neill. In a strange turn of events, however, O’Neill rubbished the link and Grant has lived on to fight another day. 

Birmingham enjoyed a terrific season last time around and once again, expectations were extremely high for them to repeat that feat. Once again, however, that has failed to materialise and Alex McLeish’s men are also involved in the dogfight at the bottom of the table. The problem for Brum has been their inability to create and score chances. They currently boast the fewest amount of goals scored in the division which highlights their paltry efforts going forward. One crumb of comfort for McLeish has been his side’s efforts in the cup competitions. Having come back to dispose of West Ham to reach the final of the League cup, they are also in the fifth round of the FA Cup. McLeish is under no illusions as to what is more important and firmly believes that survival is worth far more to the club than anything else. In order to survive and remain in the Premier League, they will need to pick up more points on the road as they have won only once on their travels from 11 efforts.

West Ham strengthened considerably in the January transfer window with the purchase of Gary O’Neill from Middlesbrough, Demba Ba from Hoffenheim and the loan signings of Robbie Keane and Wayne Bridge. Keane instantly became a hero on Wednesday night when he notched on his debut against Blackpool whilst O’Neill has added some much needed energy in the middle of the park.

Birmingham were also busy in the transfer window as they brought in David Bentley, Obafemi Martins and Curtis Davies. All three have a chance of starting tomorrow and they could provide the spark for others to ignite their season.

West Ham won the home leg of their cup tie and have started to score more goals and in turn, accumulate more points in the last few weeks. Birmingham remain poor travellers and have it all to do when they travel to East London as they have not won at the ground since 2002. It’s a run I can envisage continuing tomorrow.

My selection: West Ham to beat Birmingham

Best odds available: 11/10 available with Boylesports

The bookmakers are struggling to split the Red Devils and the Gunners after both teams booked their place in the quarter finals of the competition this week.

Manchester United had to take the lead three times to see off a spirited Wolves team and the Carling Cup might represent their best chance of winning silverware this season, especially with Chelsea storming ahead in the Premier League. Sir Alex Ferguson’s men are 2/1 with Paddy Power to retain the trophy that they landed last season when beating Aston Villa in the final.

Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger was able to rest the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri for the Gunners’ match at Newcastle on Wednesday, although Arsenal were still far too strong for the Magpies at St James’ Park.

Impressive performances from Theo Walcott and Nicklas Bendtner helped the visitors win 4-0 and they have been cut to 2/1 with bet365 to claim their first piece of silverware in several seasons.

The competition continues to enjoy a resurgence as many Premier League clubs take it seriously and Aston Villa once again feature at the business end of the competition, with Gerard Houllier’s team finally going through in extra-time against Burnley on Wednesday night.

Houllier was successful in the League Cup with Liverpool ten years ago and you can get odds of 6/1 with Ladbrokes that he steers the Villans to glory, with the Midlands side having been cruelly denied in the final last season when Nemanja Vidic was lucky not to be sent off.

Birmingham City are also in the mix after their penalty shoot-out victory over Brentford and the Blues will be tough opponents for any team when the quarter final draw is made on Saturday lunchtime. Alex McLeish will be hoping for yet another home game and they can be backed at 12/1 (bet365) on the outright market.

Perhaps the value lies with West Brom, who look a bit overpriced at 16/1 (Blue Square) despite victories over Manchester City and Leicester to reach the quarter finals. Roberto Di Matteo’s side have enjoyed a fine start to the season and the Baggies will fancy their chances of beating any team having come away with a positive result at the Emirates and Old Trafford this term.

West Ham United might be sitting bottom of the Premier League, although we should remember that Avram Grant steered Portsmouth to the FA Cup final last season and nearly took Chelsea to Champions League glory! He will hope that this cup run helps inspire the players for the long run and Ladbrokes offer 14/1 that they get their hands on this particular piece of silverware.

Wigan Athletic are as big as 25/1 (Stan James) following their 2-0 win over Swansea, while Ipswich Town are the only team from outside the Premier League still in the competition. Roy Keane’s team are 40/1 with Paddy Power to claim the Carling Cup.

Blackpool now have ten points on the board after seven matches, a ratio that will be more than enough to keep them afloat in the Premier League should it continue all the way through to game 38. There’s every reason to believe that the Tangerines’ attacking approach in away matches can keep landing the spoils and they have drifted out to 8/13 on bet365’s relegation market following that win at Anfield.

Alternatively, you can back Ian Holloway’s team at 7/4 with Sky Bet to stay in the top flight this term and there’s no doubt that the seaside club have had tough fixtures considering trips to Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool have been included.

Perhaps it’s worth looking elsewhere for value on the relegation market and this could be a good time to back Wigan Athletic at even money (bet365). Yes, the Latics had a morale-boosting 2-0 win over Wolves on Saturday lunchtime, although they were up against ten men for most of the match and still laboured for large parts of the game.

Roberto Martinez’s team will still be struggling for survival come the end of the season and the same might apply to the team that they beat this weekend. Wolves spent a fair amount of money last summer to try and help the club survive a ‘difficult second season’ although Mick McCarthy’s team have the losing habit at the moment and William Hill now offer 6/5 that the Midlands side is relegated.

Meanwhile, their Black Country rivals appear to be thriving in the top flight and perhaps their difficult campaign will come next season instead. Bet365 offer 11/4 that the Baggies get relegated and it is possible that the West Brom bubble might burst at some point further down the line. However, that win at Arsenal appears to have given Roberto Di Matteo’s team the belief that they can compete with any team in the league.

There are lots of other candidates in the running to be relegated and that includes Birmingham City, who are 6/1 with Ladbrokes to return to the Championship. A recent goalless draw with Liverpool suggested that they would have few problems surviving although the Reds’ current plight doesn’t make that result as good as it would seem. Alex McLeish still hasn’t solved the team’s goalscoring problems and they could struggle.

As for Liverpool, it would have been unthinkable that the Reds would have a season like this although any early season optimism has vanished and the Merseyside club are now as short as 14/1 with Ladbrokes to be relegated. The only bookie not taking them seriously as candidates for the drop are Paddy Power who offer 50/1.

Another Merseyside team down at the foot of the Premier League are Everton and they are next up against Liverpool in a fortnight’s time. However, there could be brighter times ahead for the Toffees after a 2-0 win at Birmingham City and they are now back out to 33/1 on the Paddy Power relegation market.

Saturday 25^th September

English Premier League

Birmingham v Wigan

Both Birmingham and Wigan only have one win apiece this season so neither side will be lacking in fight or desire at St Andrews tomorrow.

Alex McLeish has recently signed a new long term contract with the midlands club which is a sign of intent as he has done a fantastic job and transformed the club into an established Premier League outfit. He will be satisfied with his start to this season but frustrated nonetheless. An opening day draw at Sunderland was followed up with a home win over Blackburn. Since then, they have suffered their first defeat of the season in the derby against West Brom last week. Their most impressive display was arguably their home draw with Liverpool. But for Pepe Reina, the Blues would have easily won the game.

Wigan have been this season’s whipping boys, especially at home. Blackpool, Chelsea and Manchester City have all comfortably won at the DW Stadium already. Roberto Martinez’s side did spring a surprise on the road when they held on for a 1-0 success against Spurs at White Hart Lane. That, to date, is their only away match of the season thus far so Martinez will be hoping his side can replicate that form at St Andrews tomorrow. The biggest problem for Wigan has been their defence as they have conceded 13 goals already, the joint worst record in the Premier League along with West Ham. Add to that the fact they’ve only scored two goals all season (the worst in the league) then it’s fair to say that drastic improvement is needed if they are to survive this season.

Birmingham have a fantastic home record which they will be looking to preserve for as long as they can. The last side to take three points from St Andrews was Bolton Wanderers just under a year ago. It’s testament to how hard they are to beat and the belief that McLeish has instilled to the club. Wigan, on the other hand, have only won twice in 12 away games in England’s top division.

Alexander Hleb surprisingly moved to Birmingham on loan from Barcelona at the end of August. But it’s another midfielder who has caught the eye already – Craig Gardener. The former Villa player has been in scintillating form and has three goals already to his name.

Wigan are an unknown quantity away from home as they have only played the one match on the road and Spurs were particularly poor that day. However, you cannot get away from how strong the home side are on their own patch and I’m taking them to enhance their fantastic run at their ground with their second 3 points of the season.

My selection: Birmingham to beat Wigan

Best odds available: 5/6 available with several bookmakers including Betfred

English Championship

Norwich City v Hull City

These sides were separated by two divisions this time last year but both Norwich and Hull are both vying for wins in the Championship, at opposite ends of the table.

Paul Lambert has been in charge of Norwich for little over a year but what a year it’s been. The club were propping up the League 1 table before Lambert joined but the Scot got them playing attacking, winning football, and before long, they were well clear and won the League 1 Championship. This season has been much of a continuation and they find themselves in the Play-off places after half a dozen matches. Despite losing their first match of the season, at home to Watford, they have surprised many with such a young, and small squad.

Hull City have had a complete opposite start to the season.  An opening day win at home has been their sole success of a terrible season thus far. Nigel Pearson knew what he was inheriting when he took over in the summer – an ageing squad which needed trimmed due to massive financial problems. He has had to deal in free transfers as well as loans from the EPL in order to try and build a squad capable of staying in the division let alone being promoted. From their three away matches this term, they have zero points, conceded nine and scored one, it doesn’t bode well for their trip to Carrow Road.

Norwich have defeated Swansea and Barnsley already at home and will be looking for their third consecutive win to carry on their momentum. Key to their fortunes will be Grant Holt who is their main source of goals and their captain. He is the experienced head in amongst the youngsters around him and will be pivotal to anything that Norwich which to do this season. Hull have recalled Jimmy Bullard lately despite the fact he looked destined to leave due to his high wages. He could prove a talisman but you have to question how much desire he has at this level.

I watched Hull’s last game at home to Nottingham Forest and it was such a poor match, low in chances, low in entertainment and low in quality. Norwich can take advantage of the disarray tomorrow’s opponents find themselves in and add to their already decent tally at this stage of the season.

My selection: Norwich to beat Hull

Best price available: Evens available with several bookmakers including William Hill

Scottish Premier League

 Celtic v Hibernian

Celtic will be looking to maintain their 100% domestic record as Hibs travel to Parkhead tomorrow afternoon.

Neil Lennon is still boasting a 100% record in the SPL since taking over in March and it shows no signs of stopping soon. Since they were last previewed, Celtic have defeated Hearts and Kilmarnock in the league before destroying Inverness 6-0 in the league cup during the week. Lennon will be hoping that the run can continue with the first Old Firm game of the season creeping ever closer with the 24^th of October looming. He will also know that Rangers are doing just as well as his own side and will want to keep the pressure on their arch rivals as they play on Sunday this week.

Hibs have had a dreadful run since winning on the opening day of the season away to Motherwell. Two defeats at St Mirren and at home to Rangers have been in amongst a couple of poor home draws with Hamilton and Inverness. Boss John Hughes will feel the pressure even more now since his side crashed out of the League Cup away to Kilmarnock despite taking the lead. On top of all that, they lost their star striker, Anthony Stokes, to tomorrow’s opponents.

Celtic are a different proposition at home than they are on the road. Three narrow away wins have kept their run going but it’s at Celtic Park where they have been most impressive. A 4-0 thumping of St Mirren was followed up with a 3-0 success against Hearts and as already mentioned, the 6-0 win over Inverness means from three domestic home games, they have scored 13 and conceded zero.

With the form Hibs are on at the moment and the fact confidence is low within the Easter Road camp, you fear for them when they travel to Glasgow. They look toothless upfront and very leaky at the back so it probably won’t come as a surprise to note I am siding with the home side for a very comfortable win.

Also, Stokes has scored 3 in 2 for his new club and should start against his old club. It would be typical if he notched another against his former employee’s so it would be negligent not to side with him

My selections: Celtic (-2) to beat Hibernian at best priced 12/5 available with Paddypower

                            Anthony Stokes to score at anytime at a best priced 10/11 available with Bet365

Birmingham v Liverpool Premier League Betting Odds

Birmingham to win: 23/10 at Ladbrokes
Draw: 23/10 at Totesport
Liverpool to win: 7/5 at Bet365

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Birmingham v Liverpool Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Birmingham 1, Liverpool 1
Liverpool 2, Birmingham 2
Birmingham 2, Liverpool 2
Liverpool 0, Birmingham 0
Birmingham 2, Liverpool 2

• Birmingham have a 100% win percentage at home in the league this season
• Liverpool have a 0% win percentage away from home in the league this season
•  
• Birmingham have scored 2 goals, and conceded 1 at home
• Liverpool have scored 0 and conceded 3 goals in their away matches
•  
• Birmingham have scored 83% of their goals in the second half
• Liverpool have scored 100% of their goals in the second half
•  
• Birmingham 2010/11 top scorer: Gardner (3)
• Liverpool 2010/11 top scorer: Ngog (1)
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• Birmingham injuries/suspensions: Alexander Hleb, Sebastian Larsson, Stuart Parnaby, Kevin Phillips
• Liverpool injuries/suspensions: David Ngog, Dirk Kuyt, Joe Cole
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• Birmingham 2010/11 Season Form: DWD
• Liverpool 2010/11 Season Form: DLW

Birmingham v Liverpool Betting and Match Preview:

Having not lost at St Andrews in the Premier League for sixteen matches, and with Liverpool’s away form last season bordering on the horrendous (they actually have just one away win in their last ten Premier League fixtures away from Anfield) it is hard to see Birmingham’s form ending here. With the last five Premier League encounters between the two sides ending in drawn matches, there really is nothing to suggest that that betting streak won’t continue on Sunday afternoon. The biggest problem for Liverpool last year was finding the back of the net often enough from home. With Torres looking to get back his full match sharpness, they will again need him to fire on all cylinders and have him carry them in the goal scoring department, the one area where they do lack genuine back up. This could be a tough midfield battle at St Andrews on Sunday, with Birmingham seeming as if they have any slight advantage between the two teams. A Liverpool win is probably the longer shot out of the three fixed odds football betting options, so again, in what is expected to be a tight game, the better option to go with is Asian Handicap football betting, and backing whichever team you want. It’s likely than neither team are really going to win by more than one goal, so that is a pretty good bench mark to base your football betting on.

Birmingham v Liverpool Betting Tip: Birmingham +0.25 Asian Handicap Evens at BetFair

Birmingham Football Betting

Manager Alex McLeish was busy at the transfer deadline window and looks to have purposely set about rectifying one of  their main problem, that is not scoring enough goals. Former Arsenal midfielder Alexander Hleb is the most notable name coming into action at St Andrews, but after picking up an injury on international duty, there is some doubt as to whether or not he will be able to see out the full 90 minutes against Liverpool, or take any part at all. McLeish also signed Jean Beausejour who will not make the squad for Sunday, but the exciting Chilean winger, who really shone at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, should give them a bit more cutting edge up front upon his arrival. The winger is waiting for a work permit to be authorized before he heads to St Andrews. Birmingham also added Martin Jiranek, a towering centre half which should only add an extra dimension of attack to set plays. That’s another player with plenty of experience at international level now in the squad at St Andrews, and adds to the off season signings of Nikola Zigic, Matt Derbyshire, Enric Valles and goalkeeper Ben Foster. After a typically solid Birmingham start to the season, with one win and two draws under their belt, the Blues look as if they are going to be in for another season of being hard to beat, especially at home. After scoring two goals in each of their three games this season (which is a nice betting streak to jump on the back of), the Birmingham fans will be hoping to capture their first big scalp of the season. After holding Liverpool to a draw both at home and away, they look a good bet to hold up their end on Sunday, and at least produce a point from the game. Football betting on Birmingham at St Andrews isn’t a bad bet as they are on a long unbeaten run there, and there are just signs that they are going to be a little bit stronger again this year. With the Liverpool side also trying to find their new identity, Birmingham are well worth a solid draw bet here. The best option would be to take them in an Asian Handicap as it’s hard to see them losing, and if a win is going to come from them, then it’s unlikely to be by more than one goal.

Liverpool Football Betting

New Manager Roy Hodgson still has a long way to go to prove himself at the top level of English football. After just one win to start the new season with, Liverpool head to St Andrews knowing that this could be another tricky away day. They could only manage a 1-1 draw at St Andrews last year, and after struggling to get the best of Premier League new boys West Brom in a recent 1-0 victory at Anfield, Liverpool are looking to find some kind of rhythm. After being completely outworked and pulled apart in a heavy defeat against Man City, the signs are that getting back into a Champions League spot is not going to be as easy as expected. To his credit, Hodgson has shuffled the pack in his squad, and managed to hold on to Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres in the summer transfer window. One of the biggest tasks that Hogdson looks to be facing, is clearing out many of the fringe players that former boss Rafa Benitez brought into the club, which never showed enough promise to make a regular first team spot. There have been many departures including Alberto Aquilani, Javier Mascherano and Yossi Benayoun, and while Hodgson has done some spring cleaning, at the same time he has tried to put his own stamp on the club by picking up players like Joe Cole and Milan Jovanovic. Before the close of the transfer window, Hodgson added left back Paul Konchesky and Portuguese international Raul Meireles, who was one of the few bright sparks at the World Cup for Portugal. So there are winds of change blowing for Liverpool, but they aren’t quite all collectively working as a team yet, which is understandable as that needs time. Unfortunately in such a high position job, there is not much time to get things right as the stakes are really so high for Hodgson. Liverpool have been dealt another blow with the news that one of their most influential players Dirk Kuyt will be missing from action for a while after injuring himself while on international duty. Kuyt could be sitting on the sidelines for at least a month, which could be a big factor in upcoming Liverpool betting with a big notable fixture to come against Manchester United, plus the start of their Europa League group matches. Birmingham have gotten off to the better start than Liverpool and this is no easy game for the Reds. Football betting on Liverpool for this one may take a braver punt to back them fully outright for a win, but it is the kind of fixture which they need to produce big wins in, in order to reclaim their fallen status.

Birmingham v Liverpool Football Betting Prediction: Draw