Birmingham

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
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• Birmingham have scored 2 goals, and conceded 1 at home
• Liverpool have scored 0 and conceded 3 goals in their away matches
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• Birmingham have scored 83% of their goals in the second half
• Liverpool have scored 100% of their goals in the second half
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• 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

A Football Betting Guide to Birmingham (Back to Football Betting Guide Intro)

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Football Betting Prediction: Mid Table

Premier League Start: Sunderland 2, Blackburn 2

The Strengths: A fantastic defence is what boss Alex McLeish built at Birmingham, along with a fierce tenacity to battle for ninety minutes. They impressed a lot of people without doing anything in particular which had any kind of style or flair. Sometimes it was backs to the wall, but they dug in there and they won the matches against teams around and below them, and were confident enough to give good accounts of themselves to teams above them, such as holding Manchester United to a 1-1 draw, along with consecutive matches against Arsenal and Liverpool by the same scoreline. This is a team which is built for defence, and that is what worked for them and got them an unexpected ninth spot finish. The hard work will now be trying to back that up this season, which won’t be easy. Alex McLeish is a definite strength for them, and hopefully he can take the club forward a little bit this season, although he was asking the board for cash for help to do so. He’s a very canny manager, and they will be helped with giant striker Nikola Zigic coming in to the side, as Birmingham look for extra punch up front. Manchester United’s failed Ben Foster experiment moves on to Birmingham, where the goalkeeper will look to get his international future back on track, which could mean great news for Birmingham if he is hungry and determined enough.

The Weaknesses: Had an even worse goal scoring record than other Midlands goal-shy team Aston Villa. They seriously need to find more creative outlets so that they don’t have so much stress hanging on to one goal leads. The trouble with Birmingham is that they are not going to really threaten European qualification, and they shouldn’t be in any danger of going down, so they are one of the many middle of the road, middle of the table kinds of teams, who are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They need money to push onto challenge, but spending big and failing is major risk for a club like Birmingham. Baby steps, but that will likely mean plenty of ups and down, and mediocrity in between.

Birmingham Betting Home: Birmingham hit precisely one goal per game at home last season. That is just 19 in 19. However, that doesn’t tell the whole picture, as they only lost two matches at St Andrews all season, which is pretty staggering really. They won eight matches and drew nine, so looking for Asian Handicap Betting which pays out for a home tie should work wonders for a team like Birmingham. Betting odds on them should be pretty decent, as they clearly aren’t considered a major threat. Worth a shot at home, but don’t expect a fiesta of goals from them anytime soon. Home draws were the predominant feature for Birmingham at St Andrews, accounting for 47% of their home results.

Birmingham Betting Away: If last season’s Barclays Premier League is anything to go by, then avoid like the plague. Somehow, their great home form just didn’t translate to the road, where they lost twelve out of nineteen games. That’s just a 26% win record, which is well worth taking note of in your football betting on Birmingham. Also scored 19 goals away from home, but their defence shipped a not too great 1.78 average goals per away match.

Birmingham Best Football Betting Stat: Clean sheet at home 42%. Birmingham conceded just 0.68 average goals at St Andrews, which is worth backing in football odds (this may well have been influenced by keeper Joe Hart). Otherwise, Under 2.5 Goals in 68% of home match results is a strong stat to follow for betting on Birmingham. Expect the same style of play and shrewdness from them to back this up.

Birmingham Best Football Betting Odds

Season points over 45: 13/10 at Victor Chandler

Top Goalscorer:
Nikola Zigic: 10/11 at Victor Chandler
Cameron Jerome: 11/5 at Victor Chandler
James McFadden: 13/2 at Victor Chandler

More betting information:
Betting Site

Liverpool look as if they are ready to shake up things up at Anfield a little more, as the debt ridden club are considering a take over from a Chinese tycoon. This could have big ramifications for your football betting ahead of the new season, because with an injection of new money, new boss Roy Hodgson may have some funds to dip into the transfer market. Any deal will need to be completed before the close of the summer transfer window which is on August 31st. Liverpool, currently owned by Americans Tom Hicks and George Gillett, owe around £237 million to the bank, but the new Chinese investor wants to both clear the debt and make funds available to Hodgson top go shopping. Liverpool need strengthening after finishing seventh in the Barclays Premier League last season, and Hodgson, the successor to Rafa Benitez who bolted to Inter Milan has been working with his limited resources to enforce some changes. Steven Gerrard has pledged his future to the club, and if reports are to be believed, then the arrival of Joe Cole who was picked up free after leaving Chelsea, helped persuade Gerrard to stay. Hodgson has also captured young centre half Danny Wilson from Rangers and midfielder Milan Jovanovic to try and add some inspiration to a lackluster midfield. If money does become available to Hodgson, then the biggest thing it could do, is persuade Spanish striker Fernando Torres to stay at the club, with the promise of surrounding him with better talent. Torres is still priced at 1/3 with SkyBet to join Chelsea before the start of the new season

The problem for Liverpool is that there is no Champions League football on the horizon, and the best players want that action. That is a big lure for the big named players, something the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United can offer. With Manchester City spending big, and Tottenham making themselves a force to be reckoned with, there are no guarantee’s of Champions League football next year for Liverpool either. There is a huge amount of work to be done, but if the deal with the Chinese investor goes through, the path back to the top four in the Premier League, could be a little smoother. There is also a promise of a new stadium for Liverpool and being the only serious bidder for the club so far, it looks to be an offer that the current owners really can’t refuse to take. There is a lot at stake at Anfield this season, and before the season starts. If a deal can be struck in the next two weeks, it would give Liverpool a huge confidence boost going into the 2010/11 Premier League season. Liverpool are 7/4 at Totesport to make a return to the top four at the end of the season. Roy Hodgson not to win the Premier League with Liverpool is priced at 1/7 at Ladbrokes and is perhaps indicative at the uphill task he is perceived to have.

In transfer rumours flying around this week, Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti insists that England left back Ashley Cole is going nowhere. Cole has been linked with a big money move to join former boss Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid. Ancelotti has said that Cole will remain a Chelsea player next season without any doubt. Chelsea are still favourites in online betting odds for most things, and in football betting for the outright winner of the Premier League, Chelsea are 6/4 at Bet365 to retain their title.

Big spending Manchester City are never far from the headlines, and this time midfielder Patrick Vieira may be fine to start City’s opening fixture after being sent off in a friendly. The former Arsenal star was dismissed in a 3-0 defeat by Inter Milan after just twenty minutes. The Frenchman was apparently seen to elbow Marco Materazzi in the face, but when a player receives a red card in a friendly, it usually means that he will only miss the next friendly match, and not a competitive game. It could be a little more technically difficult for Vieira if a report comes back to the FA, as the game was played abroad, but the situation is likely to peter out into nothing, meaning that he will be available for the big opening day clash against Tottenham. In yet more Manchester City news, midfielder Gareth Barry is worried about the fans reacting badly to the England internationals for their disappointing failure at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He is expecting lots of booing.

Opening Day Premier League Fixture Odds
Tottenham to win: 6/4 at Bet365
Draw: 12/5 at Stan James
Manchester City to win: 2/1 at Bwin

City boss Roberto Mancini has ruled out sending out sought-after striker Craig Bellamy on loan, but is considering letting Roque Santa Cruz go to either Marseille or Fenerbache as a rental. This is probably something of a financial issue for Mancini, who knows that there are plenty of options on the table for Welshman Bellamy, and so can instigate a bidding war. Spurs have been head hunting Bellamy, inquiring about taking him on loan, but City won’t entertain the idea of a loan, probably because new Fulham boss Mark Hughes is very keen on Bellamy too. This means that whoever wants him will have to go out and pay for him instead of getting him on loan. A risky tactic maybe from Mancini, as it could deter both parties, but the likelihood is that Bellamy will be heading out of Eastlands ahead of the new Barclays Premier League. Betting on where Bellamy will end up goes like this at the moment: Bellamy is 8/15 at SkyBet to join Tottenham, 7/4 at SkyBet to join Fulham and 8/1 at SkyBet to join Celtic.

For Harry Redknapp’s Spurs, who are chasing their own threads in the transfer market, Brazilian goalscoring machine Luis Fabiano won’t leave current side Sevilla to join anyone else, stating that he is happy where he is. Redknapp is prepared to sell England striker Peter Crouch though for around £7 million, but only if he can find a replacement in order to add some fresh legs and variety to his pack of forwards. If he is up for sale, then Crouch shouldn’t have much of a problem finding a new home, it may not be at one of the top clubs in England, but with a crop of teams looking for help up front, including Premier League newcomers for the season, then the services of the England international will probably be highly sought after. Tottenham are 14/1 at SkyBet to do the Premier League double over rivals Arsenal this season.

Arsenal’s boss Arsene Wenger looks to be getting ready to defy football betting odds for the new season, where the Gunners are back at fourth favourites to win the league, but splashing out on the transfer market. You don’t see this very often from the London club, but there is interest in a couple of German players. Apparently Arsenal are ready to stump up £22 million to land their targets in central defender Serdar Tasci and Bayern Munich’s Rene Adler, who is Germany’s number one goalkeeper but missed out on the World Cup due to injury. Boss Arsene Wenger has said that youngster Jack Wilshere is ready for a full England call up at just 18 years old, after putting in some impressive performances during Arsenal’s pre-season friendly matches. Lionel Messi is sure that Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas will be playing alongside him at Barcelona next season, whereas Arsene Wenger still believes that the Spain star has an important role at Arsenal for the future and does not want to part with him. SkyBet have Fabregas at 6/4 to end up at Barcelona after the summer transfer window closes.

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has been hit with another problem in his defensive corp. Bruce is already unsure of three of his main defenders being fit for the new season, and now Anton Ferdinand has gone down with a hamstring problem in a recent friendly victory over Leicester. Injuries seem to be the biggest stories coming out of the Stadium of Light, but in a more positive light, winger Andy Reid looks to be finally recovering well after missing most of last season due to a calf injury. This means that there could be a weakened back line for Sunderland in their season opener against Birmingham (who need cash for new players) and it could of course have a big influence on the football betting for the match. Sunderland are 11/10 at Bet365 to finish Under 45 points, but are 5/4 at Stan James to beat Birmingham on the opening day.

With the 2010/11 Premier League football betting scene on the near horizon, there are still plenty of chances to fine tune your new enthusiasm for the new domestic season with club friendly matches. The Premier League sides are quite active at the moment, even if naturally it won’t be the main starting elevens. With tours going on in the State, across Europe and on the domestic front, there is plenty of football betting to get your teeth into. Here is a list of the forthcoming club friendly matches and best odds to satiate your online football betting cravings.

You might have thought that Stan James had learnt their lesson after their Spain promotion during the 2010 World Cup went horribly wrong. Despite losing their opening match against Switzerland, Vicente Del Bosque’s team went on to win the competition and this saw Stan James refund all losing outright bets as a result.

However, the Gibraltar-based bookmaker have decided to run with a similar promotion for the start of the Premier League season, offering to refund all losing outright bets as free bets if Manchester City are victorious. While it’s slightly less generous than the Spain promotion, Roberto Mancini’s men are available at a best price 5/1 (bet365) whereas the Spanish were trading at 4/1 to win the 2010 World Cup.

If you do want to get involved with Stan James, you can qualify for a free £25 bet when you register a new account with this bookmaker. They make Chelsea their 13/8 favourite, Manchester United available at 9/4 and Arsenal are on offer at 7/1. These are all sure to be popular selections thanks to the Manchester City money back offer!

Meanwhile, Paddy Power are sure to be making some early payouts again this season. Over the past few years, we have regularly seen the Irish bookmaker settle Premier League winner and relegation markets well before the end of the season and they are always a good option for antepost bets as a result.

Plus the fact that Paddy Power are offering £100 of free bets for any new customer opening an account between now and the start of the football season. They will also be running their popular Last Man Standing competition, where you can win £10,000 by accurately forecasting the outcome of a Premier League match every weekend.

Over at bet365, they are warming up for the new football season with a wide range of antepost Premier League markets and this includes betting on the winner ‘without the top 8’. This unusual market has been created on the basis that Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Everton are all considered to be in a mini-league and it’s Sunderland who are 4/1 favourite with bet365 to be ahead of the other eleven teams.

Birmingham and Blackburn can both be backed at 9/2 on the same market, while Fulham under Mark Hughes look an interesting proposition at 7/1 (bet365). Don’t forget that the former Manchester City manager steered Blackburn to sixth place in the Premier League during his first full season in charge at Ewood Park.

Bet365 are continuing to offer their generous £200 free bets offer, which is perfect when it comes to placing antepost wagers on the new Premier League season. Simply deposit up to £200 and you will get a matched deposit bonus. You then have to play the deposit and the bonus through at least three times before you can make a withdrawal.

Which three teams will go down from the top flight this season? No side will be contemplating the possibility of relegation nine months down the line, although there will be three sets of supporters weeping on the terraces come May and the bookmakers are expecting a wide open contest.

Indeed, it was unusual that all Premier League relegation matters were decided before the final round of fixtures last season, with Hull, Burnley and Portsmouth already figuring out the route to Scunthorpe and Doncaster. Blackpool would probably be happy to have a chance of staying up on the final day of the season, with the Tangerines no bigger than 3/10 (Paddy Power) to return from whence they came.

It will be interesting to see how Ian Holloway approaches the top flight matches from a tactical point of view. The seaside club got themselves promoted by playing an attacking brand of football, although the Premier League is an unforgiving division and there needs to be a big improvement defensively.

The same applies to West Brom, who continue to entertain supporters with their style of play, although Roberto Di Matteo will be figuring out how to win ugly in the Premier League. The Midlands club will not be spending big money to stay in the top flight and have truly become a yo-yo club which makes Ladbrokes’ even money about them being relegated an interesting prospect.

Newcastle are the third of the promoted clubs and the Magpies are as big as 7/2 (Sky Bet) to drop back down to the Championship, something which happened two seasons ago. Lessons should have been learnt from that disastrous campaign and the signing of Dan Gosling hints at a brighter future for the well-supported north-east club.

At the time of writing, the two teams that look the best value to be relegated are Wigan (9/4 Victor Chandler) and Fulham (8/1 bet365). The Latics have been treading water in the top flight for the past couple of seasons and a lack of support means that money is scarce to buy new players. The loss of Titus Bramble to Sunderland might be more significant than people think and Roberto Martinez’s adventurous tactics might ultimately prove to be the team’s downfall.

As for the Cottagers, seeing them relegated under Roy Hodgson might have been an unthinkable prospect although they are now desperately seeking a new manager and somebody has some pretty big shoes to fill. It will be interesting to see whether Brede Hangeland, Bobby Zamora and Mark Schwarzer stay at Craven Cottage now that Hodgson has left, especially as Arsenal are reported to be interested in the latter.

There are plenty of other teams trading at single figure odds on the Premier League relegation market and Wolves might not get away with scoring so few goals this time around. Mick McCarthy relies heavily on Kevin Doyle to hold the ball up and punters can get 9/4 with bet365 that Wanderers go down. Their west Midlands rivals Birmingham (7/1 Sporting Bet) should be more comfortable thanks to a solid defence and some money in the coffers if needed.

Birmingham vs Liverpool Barclays Premier League Betting Preview: Liverpool’s form in their chase for fourth spot in the Barclays Premier League is still blowing hot and cold, and another cold day for Rafa Benitez’s reds, could spell the end of their Champions League hopes for next season. What effect that will have on the club, for the security of Benitez himself and the status of their star players Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, who will want no doubt want Champions League football as part of their seasons, remains to be seen. What is definite, is that they only have six matches left to reach fourth spot, a position which they are five points out of. All that Liverpool can do now for the rest of the season is secure their victories and hope that Man City and Tottenham, the two teams above in the league slip up somewhere. But Liverpool are also under pressure from Aston Villa who are level on points with them.

What should give the Liverpool fans some hope, is that their Barclays Premier League run-in is not the toughest, with three of their six games against relegation threatened teams Burnley, West Ham and Hull. Their most difficult game will be the visit of Chelsea to Anfield on May 1. The game against Birmingham on Sunday is sandwiched in between their UEFA Europa League Quarter Final fixtures against Benfica. Liverpool lost 2-1 away in the first leg, and were reduced to ten men after Ryan Babel was sent off for raising his hands to the face of an opponent. This is their last chance for silverware in a highly disappointing season for the Anfield crew. Having lost ten Barclays Premier League matches alone is well below the standard needed to challenge for the title, and a lot of fingers have been pointed at Benitez for the team’s reliance on their two star players, Gerrard and Torres. Both players have missed chunks of the season through injury and has heaped misery on some woeful performances.

Recent losses in the league against Wigan and Manchester United have stalled their progress towards fourth place, and Sunday’s game will put them in a position of having played one more game than their Champions League spot rivals. One of Liverpool’s supposed salvation signings in the summer, Alberto Aquilani again has injury issues. After missing most of the season through injury, the Italian now has an ankle injury which could mean that he misses the rest of the season. Birmingham boss Alex McLeish is set to field the same side which drew against title challenging Arsenal last weekend. Birmingham have proven, for the most part of the season, to be extremely resilient, especially at home, and thanks to their defensive strengths are enjoying life in the top ten of the Barclays Premier League. Birmingham have taken points from Chelsea, Manchester United and now Arsenal at St Andrews this season, and Liverpool will know how tough it is against hem, needing a penalty to salvage a draw in the reverse fixture at Anfield earlier in the season.

Having not lost a game in their own back yard in the league since September, and having an excellent record against the reds, (especially in drawn match column which is something betting strategies for Sunday may take note of) Birmingham should be good for at least a point. The Midlanders are struggling for wins at the moment though, having only won once in their last five league matches. Liverpool’s form away from Anfield though really is not worth writing home about, as they have failed to pick up three points on the road in their last six matches. Eight of Liverpool’s ten league defeats this year have been on the road, which will make their visit to St Andrews quite a high pressured and difficult match for them to deal with. They need three points, for if they end Sunday still five points behind fourth placed Manchester City, and having played a game more, Champions League football may very well not be coming to Anfield next season. Can Benitez pull an important victory out of the bag to keep their hopes alive?

Birmingham v Liverpool Betting Stats

Last 5 Head to Head (all competitions)
Liverpool 2, Birmingham 2
Birmingham 2, Liverpool 2
Liverpool 0, Birmingham 0
Birmingham 0, Liverpool 1
Birmingham 0, Liverpool 7

Last 5 Match Goals
Birmingham: 7 For, 9 Against
Liverpool: 10 For, 5 Against

Last 10 Match Form
Birmingham: W3, D3, L4
Liverpool: W5, D2, L3

Win Percentage
Birmingham have a 43.8 win percentage at home
Liverpool have a 25.0 win percentage away from home

Match Prices
Birmingham to win:
Draw: 13/5 at SkyBet
Liverpool to win: 5/6 at Bet365

Asian Handicap Betting Advice: With Liverpool’s less than spectacular away form, coupled with Birmingham’s twelve match unbeaten run at home (plus only winning a quarter of their Barclays Barclays Premier League matches in 2010) this match does have draw written all over it. Liverpool need to raise their game again if they want that Champions League spot, while Birmingham don’t really have anything to play for. That could tip the balance. Birmingham will make life as difficult as they can for them though, relying on defence, and with Liverpool’s questionable creativity, they could cancel each other out quite easily. Favouring the home side with a plus should prove favourable.
Birmingham +0.75 Asian Handicap: 4/5 at Stan James

Brimingham v Arsenal Barclays Premier League Betting Preview: In what could be a crucial Saturday afternoon in the race for the Barclays Premier League title, Arsenal have a tough trip away to Birmingham. Birmingham, under boss Alex McLeish have transformed into a top ten side, thanks to their resilience in defence. While they may not exactly flourish going forward and finding the back of the net, they have showed plenty of mettle, much in the mould of Everton, in grinding out results to keep them in the top half of the season. Birmingham enjoyed a long unbeaten run earlier in the season, which has been the basis of their solid position in the Premier League. They are too far back to be challenging for a place in Europe, and too far ahead of anything to be worrying about a relegation battle, so they have little to play for but a bit of pride in the run in.

They suffered a defeat against Blackburn during midweek, but McLeish does have a fully fit squad, something which Arsenal would very much enjoy right now. It is much to the credit of Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, that the Gunners are still in the hunt for the Premier League title. They looked completely down and out at one stage, and with long term injuries to the likes of star striker Robin Van Persie, it looked as if they would not be able to sustain any kind of challenge to take to the title. Largely thanks to great consistency, while Man Utd and Chelsea have both been struggling to find theirs, Arsenal are just two points behind leaders Man Utd with just seven matches to go. Somehow, quietly, they have played their way into serious contention.

To compound Arsenal’s problems, one of their most consistent defenders, Thomas Vermaelen will miss the tough match, as he picked up a red card in the victory over West Ham last week. That means Veteran Sol Campbell, who returned until the end of the season, will continue to play an important role back in the centre of the Arsenal defence. With Gallas and Gibbs missing from the Arsenal defence, Mikael Silvestre will probably have to fill in. Along with Van Persie’s long term injury, youngster Aaron Ramsey broken his leg and Theo Walcott is trying to get his match fitness and performances up to the level expected of him after returning from a long injury. There is also a concern that Nicholas Bendtner will not play up front on Saturday, and that will be a huge blow with the forward being in a good run of form. It was at St Andrews last season that Arsenal striker Eduardo suffered a horrific broken leg.

What Arsenal do have, is great momentum, and that could well project them towards the top of the league. They will need strong away performances in their run in, having more away games left than home ones, but there looks to be great team spirit and belief that the underdogs could have their day and steal the title away from Manchester United. A run of six victories in the Barclays Premier League shows the kind of form that Arsenal are in, and this is an ideal chance to put more pressure on the two teams above them in the league. If they can get three points on Saturday, Wenger will know that the Man Utd v Chelsea fixture next week, will see points taken off at least one of the challengers. That could be just the chance that the Gunners need to get their hands on the title.

BETTING STATS

Last 5 Head to Head
Arsenal 3, Birmingham 1
Birmingham 2, Arsenal 2
Arsenal 1, Birmingham 1
Birmingham 0, Arsenal 2
Arsenal 1, Birmingham 0

Last 5 Match Goals
Birmingham: 7 For, 8 Against
Arsenal: 12 For, 3 Against

Last 10 Match Form
Birmingham: W3, D2, L5
Arsenal: W7, D1, L2

Win Percentage:
Birmingham have a 46.7 win percentage at home
Arsenal have a 53.3 win percentage away from home

Match Prices
Birmingham to win: 6/1 at SkyBet
Draw: 31/10 at Bwin
Arsenal to win: 4/7 at BetFred

Asian Handicap Betting Advice: Birmingham will cause Arsenal some problems, but the Gunners are clearly the stronger side. Birmingham have lost their last two, but St Andrews is one of those really tough places to go to and pick up a victory. Wenger won’t care about the scoreline, although he will still want to see his attractive style of football being played, and Arsenal’s momentum, confidence and form should ensure that they at least avoid defeat. Therefore a lean towards Birmingham to get a draw at home should suffice.
Birmingham +1 Asian Handicap: 10/11 at Paddy Power

FA Cup betting will be torn on this quarter final. The Portsmouth saga rumbles on this season, with the crisis club uncertain of its future still, and boss Avram Grant not promising to stay. But they are still living the dream in the FA Cup, and it could be their one outlet to salvage something from the season. Their fans certainly deserve something, after the hardship of all the financial woes, and being unable to prise themselves off the bottom of the Premier League all season. They have fought well in the FA Cup this season, in contrast to the league, where everything piece of bad luck seems to go against them. They came through a potentially tricky tie in the 5th round, a derby match away at fierce rivals, neighbours Southampton.

A late burst of goals saw Pompey run out 4-1 winners, to book their quarter final fixture at home against Birmingham. They have encountered Birmingham once this season, back in August, when Birmingham won a close match, 1-0. Portsmouth have already beaten Premier League opposition in the FA Cup this year, taking out Sunderland 2-1, and now boss Avram Grant will hope to get a little closer to that silver lining of a miserable season, an FA Cup final appearance. They do have home advantage, and all in all, it is not a bad draw for them. Their opponents, although stubborn and resolute in their defence, haven’t been setting the Premier League alight in goals scored.

Birmingham, under Alex McLeish are enjoying a season of comparative success. They were enjoying a long unbeaten run, until coming unstuck a little bit of late, and that will give Pompey heart. Birmingham’s game has been built around defence, and they, like Portsmouth, do struggle for goals. This could mean that there will be a tight game at Fratton Park on Sunday, with Birmingham looking to cap a fine season with at least a place in the Semi Final. For both of these teams, the FA Cup this season represents a lot to their fans. Whatever happens with Portsmouth in terms of administration, it is pretty much a dead cert that they will be relegated this year.

For Birmingham, it represents the opportunity to show that they are an up and coming club, giving them a further platform to build off for next season. Neither team are in great form at the moment, with just three wins between them in their last five matches. Still, it should make for an entertaining encounter, even if it is a tight, scrappy cup tie on the south coast. Birmingham have only scored 26 goals in the Premier League all season, but even that paltry amount tops Pompey, who have netted just 23 times. Therefore it is unlikely to be a goal fest down at Fratton Park, and every likelihood that this could head back to St Andrews for a replay.

BETTING STATS

Last 5 Head to Head
Birmingham 1, Portsmouth 0
Portsmouth 4, Birmingham 2
Birmingham 0, Portsmouth 2
Birmingham 5, Portsmouth 0
Portsmouth 1, Birmingham 1

Last 5 Match Goals
Portsmouth: 4 For, 10 Against
Birmingham: 5 For, 6 Against

Last 10 Form
Portsmouth: W2, D2, L6
Birmingham: W3, D4, L3

Win Percentage:
Portsmouth have a 23.1 win percentage at home
Birmingham have a 30.8 win percentage away from home

Portsmouth to win: 13/8 at SkyBet
Draw: 23/10 at Totesport
Birmingham to win: 2/1 at Victor Chandler

Asian Handicap Betting Advice: This is one of those games where trying to gain rewards from a draw would be worth investigating. If you want to be safe, then the first place to go for this, would be a Draw No Bet on whoever you think will sneak the tie, the equivalent of which, in Asian Handicap Betting is 0. Leaning towards Portsmouth though, simply because of the home fixture and nothing left to lose this season, and coverage with a half win, if they draw:
Portsmouth +0.25 Asian Handicap: 4/6 at Paddy Power

Saturday 27^th February

English Premier League

Birmingham City v Wigan Athletic

Birmingham have stuttered of late after a fantastic run of games unbeaten so they will be determined to get back on track and to winning ways when they host Wigan at St Andrews.

Alex McLeish has worked wonders with his Birmingham side after winning promotion to the top flight last season. He bought shrewdly with the acquisitions of Scott Dann, Roger Johnson, Christian Benitez and Barry Ferguson all coming in during the summer transfer window. All 4 have been exceptional for the most part and played a huge part in City’s 15 match unbeaten run earlier in the season. These 4, along with Joe Hart, Lee Bowyer and Cameron Jerome have built an excellent spine down the centre of the side which has made them resilient, hard to beat and disciplined. Their strength is shown with them having the joint best home defensive record in the league, losing just 8 goals in 13 matches thus far, which has resulted in them losing only 2 at St Andrews. Their record against sides below them in the table at home has been good, with wins over Wolves, West Ham, Blackburn, Sunderland and Portsmouth already. Bolton are the only team currently below Brum who have escaped with all 3 points – it took a late goal for this to occur.

Wigan are still in the thick of a relegation battle after going on a run of 6 games without a win in the league. Roberto Martinez’s side suffered a heavy defeat in their most recent game against Tottenham at home. The first goal in a 3-0 reverse was blatantly offside but it shouldn’t mask the fact that Wigan offered nothing in an attacking sense and looked decidedly weak, slow and cumbersome at the back. Unsurprisingly the have only scored 3 goals in their last 6 matches which doesn’t bode well for Saturday as they were playing against far weaker defences than the only they’ll be up against at St Andrews. Part of Martinez’s problems have been the lack of goals but the main problem is their porous defence. Wigan have the 2^nd worst away defence in the Premier League, the only above them in this table is Burnley who haven’t won away from home all season. Wigan’s away record isn’t too bad for a team fighting relegation as they have been victorious 3 times on the road already this season. Their wins have come against Wolves, Aston Villa and Burnley. The win over Villa was a freak result in the sense that it was the opening day of the season and they have never looked like emulating such a win again.

McLeish’s side are so good at frustrating the bigger teams so it will be interesting to see if they adapt this style of play and take the game to the visitors. If they do change and be more expansive, it could mean they leave space for the likes of Hugo Rodallega and Charles N’Zogbia. I think McLeish is too canny for that and he’ll stick to his side strengths of having two compact units of 4 and trying to hit the away side on the break using the pace of Benitez and Jerome. Both players should relish the prospect of playing against Gary Caldwell and Titus Bramble. Both are very awkward when up against pace and power in my opinion, especially Caldwell. The Scottish international is a good reader of the game and his distribution isn’t the worst but he’s not physical enough for a centre half which could prove to be Wigan’s downfall come the end of the season.

Birmingham have won both games against Wigan at St Andrews in recent years and they will have targeted this match as one where they can get back to winning ways. They’ve not lost a home game since that defeat to Bolton back in September and I can’t see a poor Wigan side altering that statistic come 5pm on Saturday. Birmingham will be pushing for their best finish in the league for a long time and I think they’ll get another 3 points in this fixture.

My selection: Birmingham to beat Wigan

Best odds available: Evens available with Betfred

English Premier League

Burnley v Portsmouth

It will be Premier League first on Saturday when Burnley take on the first top flight side in England to go into administration – Portsmouth.

Brian Laws took the reigns from Owen Coyle in January and has tasted victory once thus far – a 2-1 win over West Ham in their last home match. For all their failings on the road (and there have been many) their home form is still more than decent with 6 wins and 4 draws from the 12 games played at Turf Moor this season. The only team to beat them at home, other than Wigan, were Chelsea at the end of last month, and even that was a close run thing. They are most definitely difficult to beat on their own patch. They are also beginning to get key players back at the right stage of the season with Martin Paterson returning last week and Steven Caldwell also getting back to fitness.

Portsmouth have had a disastrous season already and it’s set to get worse tomorrow (Friday) when they officially enter administration and automatically incur a 9 point penalty deduction. They’re already 7 points adrift at the bottom so when the penalty is incurred they are as good as relegated. It’s a shame for the players, supporters and the likes of Avram Grant who have done nothing to deserve such problems, but for the likes of Peter Storrie and the multiple owners who have tried to make a quick buck and totally mis-managed the finances of the  club in the last few years, it’s nothing more than justice. You simply can’t break the rules so extremely and expect to get away with it in the long run. They’ll go down because they deserve to. On the field Pompey have 1 win and 10 defeats from 13 away games and have lost 7 of their last 8 away league games.

Laws and Burnley are running out of games between now and the end of the season and they know that Saturday’s game is a must win if they are to survive their maiden season in the Premier League. Home games will be vital in their bid, especially home games against sides in and around their own position in the league. Pompey are the only side below them in the league at this point but it’s not all bad, only 4 points separate 7 positions and a win on Saturday could arguably see the Claret’s move to 14^th providing other results go their way,

You expect nothing else other than Portsmouth to give 100% on Saturday as they have done in every match this season, but the hype, attention and scandal surrounding the club at this moment is bound to have an affect. They have struggled on the road for the whole season and as I have already proven, Turf Moor isn’t the easiest of hunting grounds.

Burnley need the points more and I think their desire will prove to be too much for a club in crisis.

My selection: Burnley to beat Portsmouth

Best odds available: 6/5 available once again with Betfred

Sunday 28^th February

Scottish Premier League

Rangers v Celtic

It’s derby weekend once again in Glasgow when Celtic travel across the city to take on their bitter city rivals at Ibrox.

Rangers go into the match with a 7 point lead, a game in hand an 20 goals better off in terms of goal difference. The league really is theirs to throwaway and it will be a surprise if they don’t make it back to back league championships in May. Their team is not the greatest to watch, they don’t play free flowing football but their style of play is effective. They have a strong goalkeeper and defence, a hard working midfield and a good partnership upfront with Kenny Miller and Kris Boyd. They are undefeated at home this season and have already defeated Celtic in the league earlier this season – a 2-1 win back in October. Manager Walter Smith is likely to have a fully fit squad to choose from with Allan McGregor likely to take his place in goals despite being assaulted last Saturday in Glasgow. Smith will more than likely line up 4-4-2 and try to overpower Celtic using Lee McCulloch and Kevin Thompson as his midfield partnership.

Celtic are massive underdogs in the league but anything can happen in this fixture as we all know. They have played Rangers off the park twice already but only have a single point to show for their efforts. The last match between these two was the most one sided game I’ve watched in a long time – if it a was a boxing match it would have been stopped at half time. With a mix of shocking refereeing and some horrible finishing from Celtic, the match ended in a 1-1 draw. Celtic have failed to record back to back wins in the league since the beginning of December which is a damning statistic only made worse hen you consider it’s against teams such as Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and Falkirk. Tony Mowbray knows his side are in last chance saloon on Sunday and it’s up to them whether they take it or not.

Marc Antoine Fortune has been a big player for Celtic of late and his performance in the last game against Rangers was excellent. He dominated both of their centre halves and they couldn’t cope with his pace and power. His partner that day was Giorgios Samaras who missed a glut of glorious chances which were created because Fortune pulled the defence all over the place. On Sunday his partner will be Robbie Keane so it’s a massive difference in terms of quality, ability and bottle. Keane has done it all throughout his career and he will be desperate to score for his beloved Celt’s at Ibrox, providing of cours it is in a Celtic win.

Celtic are due a victory over Rangers but I normally refrain from betting on the outcome of these games because they are so hard to predict. I think the 9/4 on offer for an away win is too big as I strongly believe that Celtic have far more quality in their ranks, so I wouldn’t put anyone off backing them. The bet I will advise is for Keane to score at anytime. Fortune will do a lot of the ‘ugly work’ for his strike partner and Keane’s movement and quick thinking should seem him have at least a couple of good chances. He’s also scored in his last two games for Celtic so the signs are there that he is hitting top form as he get’s his sharpness.

My selection: Robbie Keane to score at anytime

Best odds available: 21/10 available with PaddyPower

KTF