Blackpool

It hasn’t take long for some of the bookmakers to start quoting odds-on that Chelsea retain their Premier League title this season. The Blues have won their first four matches of the season and, although they have been against relatively easy opposition, bet365 offer 5/6 that Carlo Ancelotti’s team are victorious again.

You can get even money with Paddy Power, although that may well disappear after Blackpool have visited Stamford Bridge on Saturday, something which is likely to see Chelsea collect another three points and potentially another hatful of goals.

Manchester United are looking vulnerable in defence right now and can be backed at 11/4 with bet365 to regain their title, although it should be remembered that the Red Devils are notoriously slow starters who tend to improve as the campaign wears on.

Arsenal are 5/1 with Sky Bet after a bright start and we can already start to be confident that the title race is no more than a three-team one, with Manchester City (14/1 Sky Bet) continuing to look defensive under Roberto Mancini.

That hasn’t stopped the bookies offering 8/11 (Paddy Power) that City finally get to experience Champions League football after such a massive investment of cash, although defeat at Sunderland and a draw at home to Blackburn would suggest that there’s progress that needs to be made if the dream is to be realised.

Tottenham Hotspur are available at 3/1 (Blue Square) to book their place in the Premier League top four again, while Liverpool are 15/8 (Bet Fred) to return to the European premier club competition, although the signs are not looking good for Roy Hodgson or his Reds team.

Looking at the other end of the table and there are once again any number of teams that can be relegated from the top flight this season. Blackpool remain odds-on favourites (4/7 Blue Square) despite wins away to Wigan and Newcastle which have elevated the Tangerines into the top half of the Premier League.

Wigan have had a shaky start to their campaign and time will tell whether that win at White Hart Lane was a freak victory or has set the Latics on the road to improvement. My personal opinion is that the even money is a value proposition with bet365 and that Roberto Martinez’s team are just too susceptible when it comes to conceding goals. They did also lose 20 of their 38 matches last season.

West Brom are 7/5 with Ladbrokes to go down, although they could easily have beaten Tottenham on Saturday and the Baggies are keeping things tight enough against some of the better teams to suggest that they will pass that magic 40-point mark. Perhaps Newcastle United are the newly-promoted team who could struggle, with the Magpies on offer at 9/2 (Paddy Power) to return to the Championship.

Stoke City have only three points to their name after four matches, with Coral offering 7/2 that the Potters are relegated during their third season in the Premier League. It promises as always to be an interesting tussle!

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

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Football Betting Prediction: Relegation Battle

Premier League Start: Wigan 0, Blackpool 4

The Strengths: The romantics will be pleased to see Blackpool back in the top flight of English football, and naturally they will be prime in football betting predictions. After finishing in the final play-off spot in the Championship last year, no-one really expected them to be playing Premier League football this season, but they are, and they welcomed in their season with resounding effect. Manager Ian Holloway, is one of those men who keep coming back for more and he simply won’t like down and accept the fate of his side without a fight. Naturally Blackpool have already been pencilled in as one of the sides who will get relegated this season, and that is understandable as promoted teams struggle, especially without large injections of cash. Blackpool will be out to defy football betting odds, and Holloway can be the man to do it. They are almost fighting a losing battle against fate, or so it seems, but as seen from their opening day, it looks as if they are going to enjoy themselves along the way. The crowd at Bloomfield Road will be another huge strength of Blackpool as they enjoy their Premier League adventure. It may not last very long, but they have nothing to lose and their pride and passion will be one of their biggest assets.

The Weaknesses: Realistically, as much as the romantics want to see Blackpool enjoying success, it is a long step up from finishing sixth in the Championship, to securing Premier League status in your first season. Many teams have tried and many have failed, and that could what is on the cards for Blackpool. Failure. Sure there will be the odd spirited game where they do defy expectations, but over the course of the season, it is hard to see them winning enough matches to keep themselves well clear of relegation. The Premier League is very unforgiving like that, especially when you look at established teams such as Bolton and West Ham struggling. They probably don’t have the resources to spend enough to keep them afloat, but under Holloway, one of the most down to earth managers around, they will give it their best shot. Reality is harsh though and bubbles can be burst very easily.

Blackpool Betting Home: The home crowd at Bloomfield Park will draw extra points out of them. They had thirteen home victories last year in the Championship, which equated to a 57% win percentage. Suffering only four losses that was a decent return on their home form. If they are going to win matches in the Barclays Premier League however, most of them will come at home. What carried them through was a great goal scoring record at home, having hit the back of the net 46 times, conceding just 22. Of course, these are Championship stats, so bear that in mind when planning your betting strategy. Their opening day salvo though looks promising for getting behind them on Over 2.5 goal betting odds.

Blackpool Betting Away: Blackpool’s away betting form wasn’t great last season, suffering ten defeats on the road. They only managed to pick up six wins, but did scrap and battle their way to seven drawn matches. That equates to looking for bets which pay out on drawn games away from home for Blackpool. The likelihood is, that over the course of the season they aren’t going to win that many, but vital points could be picked up here and there. Largely though for your betting strategy, especially as the season wears on, the away victories will be harder to get, so bank on the home team.

Blackpool Best Betting Stat: Over 2.5 goals. The potential is there for this to happen a lot. They are going to concede goals against the top side, but their home goal scoring exploits from last season, point to them being potent enough to get amongst the goal. Would reserve this for home matches more, but it is a market that is worth considering for Blackpool betting.

Blackpool Best Football Odds

Blackpool relegation: 1/3 at Totesport

Season Points over 28: 11/10 at Victor Chandler

Top Goalscorer:
Marlon Harewood: 11/10 at Victor Chandler
Charlie Adam: 7/2 at Victor Chandler
Gary Taylor-Fletcher: 6/1 at Victor Chandler

More betting information:
Best Betting Site

Arsenal v Blackpool Betting Odds

Arsenal to win: 2/11 at Paddy Power
Draw: 13/2 at BetFred
Blackpool to win: 18/1 at Bet365

Online Bookmaker Promotion: With Paddy Power you can get Daily Money Back Specials, Live In Play Betting and over 100+ markets per Premier League match. You can also get your initial stake on a new account matched with the online bookmaker, up to the value of a £50 free bet.

Arsenal v Blackpool Premier League Betting Statistics

• Arsenal had a  78.9 win percentage at home in the league last season
• Blackpool had a 26% win percentage away from home in the league last season
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• Arsenal scored 48 goals, and conceded just 15 at home
• Blackpool scored 28 and conceded 36 goals in their away matches
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• Arsenal scored the bulk of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket
• Blackpool scored the majority of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket
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• Arsenal opened the scoring in 65.79% of their matches
• Blackpool scored first in 52.17% of their matches
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• Arsenal 2010/11 top scorer: N/A
• Blackpool 2010/11 top scorer: Harewood (2)
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• Arsenal injuries: Aaron Ramsey, Nicklas Bendtner, Johan Djourou
• Blackpool injuries: Billy Clarke, Louis Almond, Keith Southern
•  
• Arsenal 2010/11 Season Form: D
• Blackpool 2010/11 Season Form: W

Arsenal v Blackpool Betting and Match Preview: 

Even though it is only the second fixtures of the new season for the two sides, suddenly this becomes a very interesting match. It really can be classed as a top vs. bottom clash, at least that is the way in which the season is expected to pan out. Blackpool have made a romantic leap back to the top flight of English football, after being a powerhouse from way back when. Arsenal of course, are one of the most dangerous and established sides in the Barclays Premier League and are always a joy to watch. It goes without saying when planning your football betting strategy for the weekend, that Arsenal will be outright favourites to win this one. They are the side with all of the glitz and glamour of being one of the top sides in the whole of the country. While Blackpool enjoyed a successful return to the top flight by winning their opening fixture, turning out at the Emirates against Arsenal will be a vastly different prospect than Wigan. Can Blackpool realistically upset the football betting odds and take points off Arsenal? A draw would probably be as good and as welcome to the northern club as a win would be. That, in all honesty, looks to be the best that the Premier League newcomers can hope for, so the sensible thing would be to back them in a strong plus Asian Handicap. But still, Arsenal have the capabilities to score a hatful of goals which may negate decent odds on even that. So perhaps it is a little better to back Arsenal having a field day in front of goal, and making a football bet on them to come from a negative Asian Handicap.

Arsenal v Blackpool Betting Tip:

Arsenal -2 Asian Handicap 5/6 at Paddy Power

Arsenal Betting: 

Look for Anytime Goalscorer bets from the regular party, such as Robin Van Persie and Cesc Fabregas. The likelihood is that Arsenal are going to find the back of the net, and should be at least a couple of goals better than Saturday’s opponents. This should firmly be the first three points in the bag for Arsenal, who started their campaign with a last gasp draw at Anfield against Liverpool. It was a Pepe Reina own goal which gave Arsenal the break through, but by and large they were the better team on the day. They should be a mightily strong football bet to back at home, and this home opener is no exception. Arsenal can get the ball down on the deck and play their way through the best of the tems in the Premier League, so that doesn’t leave a lot of chance for newcomers and potential relegation candidates such as Blackpool. Arsenal haven’t made a lot of movement in the summer transfer market, but perhaps their biggest deal was keeping Cesc Fabregas at the club. They are probably the most technically gifted side in the division, and Arsene Wenger will always stick to his guns and play the right way. These are the kind of days which Arsenal need to turn into eggs if they are going to mount a challenge to end their five year silverware drought. A good winning margin of two goals should suffice for the Gunners.

Blackpool Betting:

Showed some tremendous spirit and courage on their opening Premier League fixture, when they blitzed relegation candidates Wigan 4-0. Bloomfield Park still awaits its first Premier League match, as the opening day game was reversed due to renovations still ongoing at Blackpool’s home. That four goal haul while keeping a clean sheet will have done wonders for the confidence and belief that they can survive the season in the Premier League. They should be full of energy and that early season enthusiasm and will try their best to get stuck into one of the best passing teams in the country. Truthfully though, they will be hard pressed to even get much possession, as Arsenal keep the ball so well. The big challenge for Blackpool is not running out of steam in the second half, because that is the time when Arsenal’s total football will destroy teams. Blackpool will spend a lot of time chasing the ball and chasing the shadows of the Arsenal players. Saturday should see them get a real taste of what the Premier League is all about, and they could come down to earth with a bump. The best they can hope for is a drawn match, to put their backs to the wall and frustrate Arsenal all day. Their best chance of a goal will probably come from the experience of Marlon Harewood up front.

Arsenal v Blackpool Football Betting Prediction: Home win

Well its back! The football season really kicks into action this weekend with the return of both the English Premier League and the SPL. After a slightly underwhelming World Cup in South Africa now a mere afterthought, we can look forward to 10 months worth of drama, disappointments and hopefully delirium on the betting front.

Saturday 14^th August

English Premier League

Wigan v Blackpool

Our first port of call takes us to the DW Stadium where Premier League new boys Blackpool are the visitors in a fixture which should have taken place at Bloomfield Road but for reconstruction work.

Roberto Martinez achieved his mandate last season by keeping his Wigan charges in the league in an acceptable first year as manager. Survival will once again be the main target this season for the club but seeing as though Martinez has always been one of the games optimist, he will be hoping to surprise a few by avoiding a relegation battle this season. He’s been relatively busy this summer with the arrivals of 5 new players including £6m for Mauro Boselli who has been signed to solve their lack of goals. He will join Hugo Rodallega upfront in what looks a pretty decent strike partnership. They will have to do without Gary Caldwell for the foreseeable future after the Scottish defender had two hip operations over the summer. It will be a new look defence for Wigan as Titus Bramble has departed so expect to see new signings Antolin Alcaraz and Ronnie Stam make their debuts tomorrow afternoon.

Ian Holloway would no doubt have been very frustrated for much of the summer being unable to add to his squad the way he would have liked. He only signed one player up until this week where he landed 5 new signings. The most recognisable one for British readers would be Marlon Harewood. The former West Ham striker was on a free after being released from his Aston Villa contract at the end of last season. He’s expected to go straight into the squad to face Wigan and may even start due to the lack of senior strikers available at the club. Holloway is still on the look for new arrivals as he believes his squad to be weaker than the one that gained promotion due to the loan returns of Seamus Coleman and DJ Campbell. Both were stand-outs during the playoffs and will be missed by the Seasiders. One player that will be playing tomorrow is Charlie Adam. The Scot excelled in the Championship and he has stayed to lead out his side in their first Premier League match. If Blackpool are to do anything this season, he’ll be the man at the centre of it all.

Wigan are now an established Premier League side as they face their 6 successive season in England top’s flight. Despite being a very unfashionable club, they’re resilient and I can see them getting off to a winning start tomorrow. Charles N’Zogbia is still at the club and his undoubted talent should see him start tomorrow to provide that extra bit of class. James McCarthy will also be expected to perform at a consistently high level after an up and down debut season. The teenager exudes confidence and he can be a big player starting tomorrow.

Blackpool will have days in the sun during their debut season but I think this game will come too soon for a lot of their players as they seem behind in their preparations. Wigan have had a decent pre-season but most importantly, they’re experienced and Martinez is a shrewd character.

My selection: Wigan to beat Blackpool

Best odds available: 5/6 available several firms including with William Hill

English League One

Bournemouth v Peterborough

Dropping down the leagues for our next preview as we visit Dean Court for a battle of two sides who were separated by two leagues last season – Promoted Bournemouth host relegated Peterborough.

Bournemouth exceeded all expectations last season by gaining promotion despite having such a small squad. Manager Eddie Howe worked wonders and he will be desperate to show that last season was not just a flash in the pan. They had a difficult first match in League 1 last week away to Charlton, they done pretty well but eventually lost out by a single goal. They followed this up midweek with a 2-0 reverse in the League cup away to Southampton. Howe will not be panicking yet, nowhere near it, but at the same time, he’ll also know that the longer it goes without scoring a goal and gaining points, the harder it becomes.

Peterborough did not do themselves justice last season in the Championship. Darren Ferguson was one of 3 managers to ultimately fail to keep the side up in the 2^nd tier of English football. Last season, however, is behind them and they are now under new stewardship in the shape of Gary Johnson. The acquisition of the former Bristol City manager was a real coup and having already won promotion from this division previously, he knows what it’s all about. He has managed to keep the likes of Joe Lewis, Aaron McLean and George Boyd which has been very important, whilst also adding a couple of decent players, most notably Grant McCann from Scunthorpe.

Bournemouth were very strong last season, especially at home, but this is a massive step up as they are playing one of the promotion favourites. They’ve equipped themselves well thus far and still look hard to beat. With Brett Pittman upfront, they have a striker that is always liable to nick a goal so will be threatening. Peterborough, however, look irresistible at the moment after scoring 7 goals in their opening two matches. They followed last Saturday’s 3-0 league win at home to Bristol Rovers with a 4-1 cup victory against Rotherham. This will be their first away game but they have a lot more quality than their hosts and players who have thrived at this level beforehand.

I expect the likes of Boyd and McLean (if fit), to be too powerful for Howe’s Bournemouth. I think the Cherries will stay in this division but this will be one of their more difficult fixtures they face, as the fresh, grassy pitches will suit the Posh’s quick, passing game.

My selection: Peterborough to beat Bournemouth

Best odds available: 7/5 available with several bookmakers including Betfred

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.

There are three things certain in life: death, taxes and a Premier League manager being relieved of his duties before the end of the season. There were surprisingly few sackings last season as clubs looked for continuity in the English top flight, although the bookies will be expecting to price up this market several times as the campaign progresses.

It’s no surprise to see Newcastle United manager Chris Hughton feature as favourite (11/2 Ladbrokes) across the board, despite leading the Magpies to the Championship title last season. Indeed, he’s as short as 4/1 with William Hill to win this unwanted race and will come under pressure if the north-east club don’t get off to a fast start.

However, you might think that the board will stick with someone who couldn’t have done any better last term and there are more viable candidates. It will certainly be interesting to see what happens at Manchester City with such high expectations from the club’s owners and Roberto Mancini is as short as 4/1 (Paddy Power) to be axed first. However, you can currently get 7/1 with Ladbrokes if you think the Italian might suffer a similar fate to Mark Hughes last term.

Roberto Martinez struggled to keep Wigan afloat in the Premier League last season and there are many people (myself included) who think that the Spaniard’s tactical approach is not particularly effective when it comes to survival in the top flight. William Hill go 7/1 that he wins this unwanted Sack Race, while Mick McCarthy (14/1 William Hill) is another man likely to be feeling the pressure if Wolves get off to a slow start.

It’s interesting to note that there’s a big disparity between odds when it comes to Owen Coyle. The Scot left Burnley for Bolton last season and the supporters will be expecting him to steer Wanderers towards mid-table and beyond. However, the signing of Martin Petrov might not prevent them from floundering again and totesport’s 22/1 about him being the next Premier League manager out of a job looks like a big price. Ladbrokes go just 10/1 – perhaps they know something!

Alex Ferguson (80/1 totesport) and Arsene Wenger (66/1 Paddy Power) look to be among the untouchables and they will probably choose to stand down at the end of a season rather than halfway through a campaign. Carlo Ancelotti (40/1 totesport) is probably slightly less safe, although the most attractive outsider is Martin O’Neill (16/1 William Hill) who has regularly been linked with a departure from Villa Park. Perhaps the Irishman might feel that he’s taken the club as far as  possible this season, while the potential departures of Luke Young and James Milner could push him over the edge.

Sam Allardyce (16/1 Paddy Power), Steve Bruce (16/1 totesport) and Avram Grant (25/1 William Hill) have managed several clubs between them in the Premier League, although they seem to have the backing of their respective chairmen.

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.

Saturday 22^nd May

English Championship

Blackpool v Cardiff City

The richest game in football takes place on Saturday at Wembley Stadium as Blackpool take on Cardiff with both sides vying for a place in the English Premier League.

Ian Holloway as has done a superb job this season in getting a traditionally unattractive club such as Blackpool to this stage. He’s built his squad on a shoestring budget with players from all over the British Isles. Without doubt, his star player is Charlie Adam who has surpassed all expectations thus far. The Scottish internationalist has been a talisman since moving from Rangers last season, taking over the captains armband and scoring 18 goals from central midfield this term. He has been the subject of much interest from other Championship sides as well as teams from the Premier League. His future could well lie elsewhere come the start of next season but he’ll be doing his utmost to get his current employers into the top flight in England.

Cardiff have also surprised many this year with their play-off final appearance as they have had to endure all sorts of problems off the field. Not only have they been the subject of a takeover and change of Chairman, they have been up in court over an unpaid tax debt which could have seen them wound up earlier this year. They are far from being out the woods in that sense but they do have some more stability about them and a win and promotion would be more than enough to give them the financial footing they need to progress as a club. Dave Jones deserves a lot of credit for keeping his players focused and getting the maximum out of each one of them. He has relied on the goals of Peter Whittingham for much of the season and the winger will be desperate to get back in amongst the elite clubs after beginning his career with Aston Villa.

Both matches between the club during the regular season ended in draws and the signs are there again that this will be a tight match, especially with what’s at stake for the victors. Blackpool were very impressive in the semi-final’s against Nottingham Forest over the course of the two legs. They dug in at home before a fantastic 2^nd half display away which saw them score 4 goals with DJ Campbell notching a hat-trick. Cardiff were equally impressive in different ways with a hard fought victory in the first leg away to Leicester before coming from behind at home to win on penalties.

I think it’s very hard to predict a winner and with the games being as tight and with everything on this one match, I can see extra time and even penalties. These type of matches are normally settled by a mistake or occasionally, an act of brilliance from someone on the park. Either side could benefit from one of those as their strengths lie in attack as opposed to their defence so I’m inclined to go for both teams to score in 90 minutes and sitting on the fence with regards to the outcome and opt for the score draw.

Charlie Adam takes both the penalties as well as the free-kicks around the penalty box so the 11/4 with Paddypower for him to score in the 90 minutes is certainly worth a back, especially as he’s as short as 6/4 elsewhere.

My selections: Both teams to score at a best priced 4/5 available with Bluesquare

                            90 minute result to be a draw at a best priced 12/5 available with Betfred

                            Charlie Adam to score anytime at a best priced 11/4 available with PaddyPower

Saturday 17^th April

English Championship

Blackpool v Nottingham Forest

Both of these sides have aspirations of playing in the Premier League next season so there’s a lot on the line as Forest travel North to take on Blackpool at Bloomfield Road.

Ian Holloway has done a marvellous job this season to even get his side close to the play-off picture. In a league where the likes of Middlesbrough, Ipswich and Sheffield United are all behind Blackpool, it’s testament to the hard work and endeavour of one of the more colourful characters in the game. Holloway has transformed a side who were only ever hoping for a mid-table finish at best into a side who currently sit 2 points off the final play-off position with 3 games to go. Their success this season has been built on a very good home record. They have won 12 of their 21 home games, losing just 4 all season long. After a lull during January and February, they have picked up again and have went on a run of 1 defeat in 6 before last week’s defeat to Newcastle at St James’ Park – where everybody has struggled this season.

Nottingham Forest secured their play-off position last week with a comfortable win over Ipswich. Forest had a sustained challenge for automatic promotion which only petered out in the last couple of months, which can be put down to the loss of some key personnel to injury. Billy Davies will be determined to get his side back on a consistent run of good form before the play-off begins however, and after guiding Derby to the Premier League through the play-offs, as well as leading Preston to the play-off final before that, there is nobody better for the challenges which lie ahead. Forest, however, have struggled on the road of late and have not won on the road since their demolition of West Brom at the Hawthorns at the beginning of January. It’s a run of form which has seen them lose 7 and draw 1 of their last 8 on the road, scoring just 4 goals in the process.

Blackpool’s key player without a doubt has been Charlie Adam. Their skipper moved from Rangers in the summer for £500,000 and has never looked back. He has scored 15 goals from midfield and has been the catalyst for ‘Pool’s promotion bid. His form has earned him a call-up to the Scotland squad and he has been linked with a lucrative move to the Premier League in recent weeks. His future could lie in the top league with another club should Blackpool be unsuccessful in their bid to gain promotion, despite this, he will be as committed as anyone to push his side as far as they can go.

There has never been much between these sides when they play, as shown by the numerous draws in recent times (5 of the last 7 have ended in stalemates). This time around, however, a draw is not much good to the home side who need all 3 points to keep the pressure on Swansea and Leicester above them. With a play-off place assured and the likelihood it will be 3^rd place at that, I think Blackpool’s desire will be greater and can see them sneaking all 3 points.

My selection: Blackpool to beat Nottingham Forest at a best priced 6/5 with Betfred

English League 1

Gillingham v Leeds United

I think it’s always wise towards the end of the season to concentrate on matches involving teams who have something to play for and that is certainly the case for both Gillingham and Leeds.

Gillingham are still in deep trouble at the bottom end of the table where they currently lie 3 points and one place from the relegation zone, directly above Tranmere who have a game in hand as well. They are there in no small part because of their dreadful away form which reads zero wins, 6 draws and 15 defeats. It’s a shocking record which would normally see a side already relegated in most leagues. However, their home form has compensated for this somewhat as they have lost just 3 games all season at Priestfield, winning 10 and drawing the other 8. It’s the home form of a side who could be chasing promotion yet they are most definitely hampered by their inability to win away from home. Their recent home record is good as well, with 3 wins and 3 draws from their last 6.

Leeds are starting to recover from a shocking run of form which has saw them lose their lead at the top to Norwich, drop out of the automatic promotion spots for a couple of weeks, only to climb back up to 2^nd after 3 successive wins. Those run of wins were preceded by 4 straight defeats at the most crucial part of the season. Their return to form is most welcome for Simon Grayson who must have had visions of last season’s collapse at a similar stage. Their away form for much of the season has been pretty good with 11 wins and 5 draws from their 21 matches on the road thus far. They have won their last two away from home as well, against both Yeovil and Carlisle, and perhaps most encouragingly for all concerned with the club, is the fact they have created chance after chance in both these games.

Leeds have an excellent record against sides in the bottom half of the table away from home and will be looking to consolidate and continue this tomorrow. Gillingham have done reasonably well against the top sides at home, losing only to Norwich. I don’t think there is much between Leeds and Norwich when both are on form and the signs are there that Simon Grayson’s side are coming back to their best in recent games. They know they have to keep on winning with it being so tight for that 2^nd automatic promotion spot. A win tomorrow puts them within touching distance of playing in the Championship again and it’s a win I’m backing them to get.

My selection: Leeds to beat Gillingham at a best priced 5/6 available with Totesport

Saturday 7^th November

English Championship

Blackpool v Scunthorpe

Both Blackpool and Scunthorpe were expected to struggle at the wrong end of the table by many at the start of the season. Whilst it looks like being the case for the away side, it has been the polar opposite thus far for Ian Holloway’s tangerines.

Blackpool currently sit in 7^th position in the Championship, level on points with 6^th placed QPR and just 6 points off top. Their lofty position is mainly due to their excellent record at Bloomfield Road. Holloway has turned their home ground into something of a fortress this season with 5 wins from their 7 games, drawing the other two. Their unbeaten record is made to look even more impressive when you take into account some of the names that have tried and failed to take all 3 points home with them. Newcastle and Sheffield United were brushed aside whilst Cardiff did better than most and left with a point. Their defensive record at home has been nothing short of incredible. They have conceded just two goals this season – only Newcastle and Cardiff have managed to breach the home rearguard.

Scunthorpe came straight back up last season after suffering relegation in 2008. They were considered to be relegation candidates straight from the beginning and although they currently sit 5 points off of 22^nd, their poor form on the road looks likely to drag them down into a dogfight later in the season. Like Blackpool, they have performed better at home with 13 of their 17 points coming at Glanford Park. Nigel Adkins’ side have lost their last their last 3 away matches in the league, with defeats coming against Nottingham Forest, Plymouth and most recently Peterborough. With the exception of Forest, these are defeats against sides below them in the table which makes them all them more worrying.

Blackpool have strengthened considerably during the close season with a host of new arrivals already impressing. They managed to make last year’s loan signing of Charlie Adam from Rangers permanent whilst they also brought in Jason Euell, Hameur Bouazza and Jay Emmanuel –Thomas who has impressed since joining on loan from Arsenal. These players, along with David Vaughn, make up a potent, and vibrant, midfield and attack so it’s no surprise the problems they have caused other teams, especially at home. All 5 should be fit, ready and free of suspension to take their place tomorrow afternoon. As for Scunthorpe, they will be without their talismanic striker Gary Hooper who will miss the match through illness, this is a massive blow to United as he is their joint top scorer and also is vital to the way Adkins sets his side up.

A player I’ve not mentioned yet is Blackpool’s Ben Burgess. The Irish striker may not be everyone’s cup of tea and can be frustrating when he’s not on his game. However, I think he’s been very impressive for ‘Pool this term and his link up play allows the like of Adam and Bouazza to get into the box to create and score goals. Whoever he’s partnered with tomorrow, whether it be Euell, Brett Ormerod or on his own, he’ll be a constant pain for Scunny’s defence, especially their massive centre half Rob Jones. This will be a key battle in tomorrow’s match.

Blackpool may well be punching above their weight this season, whether they do so for the entire 46 games remains to be seen. I think their midfield and attacking options will be far too much for Scunthorpe who have already proven to be weak and feeble on the road.

My selection: Blackpool to beat Scunthorpe

Best odds available: 3/4 available with Paddypower

English Premier League

Manchester City v Burnley

Saturday see’s a North West derby between two sides who may be close together geographically, but are miles apart in terms of the current footballing climate in England.

Since Man City were taken over by the Abu Dhabi group in 2008, they have spent an obscene amount of money on a plethora of new players. This season has seen the purchase of players such as Emmanuel Adebayor, Carlos Tevez, Kolo Toure and Gareth Barry. All four came from teams who finished higher than City last season so it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to work out why they jumped ship. Hideous financial weight aside, Mark Hughes’ side have had a very decent start to the season, currently occupying 4^th spot and having a game in hand over the top two. They have stuttered of late with 4 draws from their last 4 matches. 3 of these matches were away from home and came against sides who have decent enough home records. Their home form this season has been good with 10 points from a possible 12.

I’ve tipped Burnley before on this blog but it was when they were defending their excellent home record, away from Turf Moor is another matter altogether. They have yet to pick up a single point on their travels losing all 5 matches thus far. They have conceded a massive 17 (joint 2^nd worst in the league) with only a couple of goals managed at the other end – both game against Blackburn incidentally which means they haven’t scored in the other 4. Owen Coyle should be praised for his sides home form but he may also be criticised for employing the same tactics away as he does at home. Their expansive football leaves them wide open for the better sides in the league to cut them open at will when they go visiting.

City will have Adebayor and Toure back fit so Hughes will have a load of options to fill his midfield and attack. I imagine the former Arsenal hitman will return to the starting line-up as they looked rather toothless without him last week. He may be partnered by Craig Bellamy and Tevez in attack with Stephen Ireland pushing for a recall in midfield. Coyle is expected to name the same side that defeated Hull last Saturday.

If Hughes does go with Ireland in midfield it will mean there will be a direct link between the other midfielders and the 3 upfront. This has been missing from City’s play in recent weeks as Ireland has found himself on the bench more often than not. Hughes may look at Burnley’s porous defence and style of play and see it as an ideal opportunity to restore the controversial Irish man to the side.

You won’t get much of a return backing City at 1/3 or so but there are several good value bets elsewhere in this match up. Burnley have lost 4 of their 5 away matches by at least two goals so my main bet in this game is Manchester City -1.

Another bet which caught my eye was for the home side to win both halves tomorrow. After a lacklustre couple of games recently, they’ll be sure to come out firing infront of their own supporters. In order for this bet to be successful they need to beat Burnley in both halves of the match (do not get this bet confused with the half time/full time wager.

My selections: Manchester City (-1) to beat Burnley – available at EVENS with several bookmakers including 888Sport

Manchester City to win both halves tomorrow – available at 5/2 with Skybet

English Premier League

Wolves v Arsenal

Arsenal travel to Wolves on Saturday evening looking to continue their strong start to the season by gaining all 3 points in what is sure to be an interesting and entertaining match.

Wolves foiled my Aston Villa tip a couple of weeks ago and have been stubborn opposition of late with 3 draws in as many matches. Their come from behind draws against Stoke and Villa have been particularly impressive considering the strength of both those sides.

Arsenal have went about their business pretty quietly on the whole considering they have lost to both halves of Manchester already. Despite those defeats they are 3^rd, 5 points behind leaders Chelsea with a game in hand. They have been particularly strong at home with 5 wins from 5 but the aforementioned losses have been the only times they have left with nothing this season. They have already defeated Everton and Fulham away which are both hard at the best of times whilst they were 2-0 up and coasting at Upton Park last month before a couple of dodgy decisions and before you know it it’s 2-2.

Despite Mick McCarthy’s home side being resilient of late, they have yet to face a team of Arsenal’s class and quality. A 4-1 mauling of AZ in the Champions League midweek is evidence that Arsene Wenger’s side are in top form.

I fully expect Arsenal to collect all 3 points tomorrow but again, you won’t get rich backing them at 2/5. So in order to make the bet a little more interesting I’m taking Robin Van Persie to score at anytime and Arsenal to win. Van Persie has been Arsenal’s go to guy this season and has scored in their last 3 away matches in the league, he has 7 in total this season.

My selection: Arsenal to beat Wolves and Robin Van Persie to score at anytime

Best odds available: 6/4 with several bookmakers including Boylesports

Good luck and happy punting.