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On this page you find articles on fa cup and sports betting in general.
We are down to the last sixteen now in the FA Cup betting for this season and the field is narrowing, but the competitors at the head of the field are pretty tightly packed. Naturally the announcement of the firth round draw was all important in the recent reshuffle of prices and it is Spurs, Chelsea and Liverpool who are joint favourites to take the trophy this time around. Spurs saw off Watford to book their place in the fifth round, while Liverpool scored a dramatic late win over Manchester United at Old Trafford, thanks to Dirk Kuyt capitalising on some shoddy defending by the Red Devils. While Liverpool get to stay at home for the fifth round, as they take on Brighton again in cup competition, Spurs travel away to Stevenage. Liverpool played Brighton in the Carling Cup this season on their way to the final, and the Seagulls gave the Anfield crew a great run for their money before succumbing 2-1. Brighton saw off Premier League opposition in Newcastle in the fourth round and will be up for the challenge at Anfield. League One side Stevenage drew Spurs in an attractive fixture for them, their reward for edging past Notts County, so both of the FA Cup front runners have decent draws. Crawley Town get to host a Premier League side competitively for the first time ever at the Broadfield Stadium, while Chelsea, who navigated a dour trip to QPR entertain Birmingham at Stamford Bridge. Arsenal have a tricky fixture away from The Emirates, as they will face either Sunderland or Middlesbrough.
There are three fourth round replays to be settled, which are to be played on February 7th. Sheffield Wednesday v Blackpool, Middlesbrough v Sunderland and Southampton v Millwall.
FA Cup fifth round – February 18th-19th
Liverpool v Brighton
Everton v Blackpool or Sheffield Wednesday
Chelsea v Birmingham
Crawley Town v Stoke
Stevenage v Tottenham
Norwich v Leicester
Sunderland or Middlesbrough v Arsenal
Millwall or Southampton v Bolton
2011/12 FA Cup Outright Winner Betting Odds
Spurs 7/2 at BetVictor, Liverpool 7/2 at Bet365, Chelsea 7/2 at SkyBet, Arsenal 5/1 at Bet365, Everton 12/1 at Blue Square, Stoke 16/1 at Bet365, Sunderland 25/1 at Boylesports
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January 31st, 2012 / Lee A Jackson - Category: Football Betting
January 22nd, 2012 / marcus - Category: Betting Fixtures
Well, the third round of the FA Cup shook things up a little bit. We saw Manchester United take charge of rivals Man City at the Etihad Stadium, and then have to weather a brave comeback storm from the home side. We saw Chelsea look thoroughly unconvincing in their flattering score line of 4-0 over Portsmouth at Stamford Bridge, while Liverpool took an easy route through to the fourth round with a comfortable home victory over Oldham. The biggest Premier League casualty was Wigan going down against Swindon. The draw for the Fourth Round has provided us with another great batch of matches, with the highlight of it being Liverpool v Manchester United. The basic upshot of the Fourth Round Draw, is there will be one more big name scratched off the list for this year’s cup, as the two sides come together in a repeat of last season’s Third Round clash. Manchester United won that encounter with a 1-0 win at Old Trafford, so Liverpool have a chance at revenge on their home turf. The Reds were held to a 1-1 draw there by United earlier in the season, and they will still be missing Luis Suarez because of his eight match ban, for the encounter. So it looks as if Manchester United are going to have to do things the hard way if they want to get their hands on the FA Cup this season.
All that action has left us with Chelsea, and their pretty decent FA Cup pedigree in recent years, as front runners to take the trophy this year. Andre Villas Boas though has yet to win over all the critics with his tactical selections, especially missing the obvious move of putting Juan Mata, arguably Chelsea’s best player in the pocket behind the forwards. Are Chelsea strong enough to pull off a cup victory? A trophy for Villas Boas in his first season would ease some pressure. Chelsea have been inconsistent, but can they show up on the day when it matters and produce a result? Their London rivals Tottenham are the closest challengers to them in FA Cup betting odds. Spurs have had a greatly consistent season, playing attractive football and are a real force to be reckoned with. Can Harry Redknapp guide Spurs to more FA Cup success? They certainly are one of the front runners. Then we have Manchester United trailing behind them. United’s defence has looked very unsteady with the loss of Nemanja Vidic at the back, and the bookies are recognising the fact that they looks as if they can be picked off. Liverpool are trading still pretty well considering their fourth round draw, back at 10/1 with Victor Chandler. A good price to take now if you think that Kenny Dalglish can overcome that challenge
Sunderland look to be one of the teams attracting the biggest amount of interest behind the front runners in this year’s FA Cup betting. With Martin O’Neill now in charge at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland have immediately taken an upwards swing in their form and they are attracting quite a bit of interest in the outright winner market. Sunderland have drawn a home tie in the Fourth Round, facing off against Middlesbrough, who are riding high in the Championship. But it looks as the bookies are expecting a three way tussle for the 2011/12 FA Cup betting. Of course there is the unpredictability of the draw to contend with still in the future rounds. But with Chelsea and Spurs drawing tricky but favourable away ties, and there being some Third Round ties still to be settled, this season’s FA Cup betting is shaping up nicely. There are some interesting all Premier League clashes on the cards as well for the Fourth Round, with Everton hosting Fulham and the potential for an Arsenal and Aston Villa match up
FA Cup Fourth Round Draw (January 28th/29th)
Brighton or Wrexham v Newcastle
Sunderland v Middlesbrough
Dagenham & Redbridge or Millwall v Southampton
Hull v Crawley
MK Dons or QPR v Chelsea
West Brom v Norwich
Blackpool v Sheffield Wednesday
Arsenal or Leeds v Aston Villa
Stevenage v Notts County
Watford v Tottenham
Liverpool v Manchester United
Derby v Stoke
Everton v Fulham
Macclesfield or Bolton v Swansea
Sheffield United v Birmingham or Wolves
Nottingham Forest or Leicester v Swindon
FA Cup Outright Winner Betting Odds
Chelsea: 9/2 at Ladbrokes
Tottenham: 5/1 at Bet365
Manchester United: 6/1 at Victor Chandler
Arsenal: 8/1 at Bwin
Liverpool: 10/1 at Victor Chandler
Newcastle: 20/1 at Ladbrokes
Sunderland: 25/1 at Stan James
Everton: 25/1 at William Hill
Stoke: 33/1 at Ladbrokes
Fulham: 40/1 at Stan James
Aston Villa: 40/1 at Bet365
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January 8th, 2012 / Lee A Jackson - Category: Football Betting
Saturday 12th November 2011
English FA Cup
Luton v Northampton
The league sides enter the FA Cup as all the sides have that dream of reaching Wembley. League Two Northampton, struggling in their division, travel to Luton who will be hoping they can cause a shock and knock out their higher ranked opponents.
Luton have been close to regaining their league status a couple of times in the past few years but they have not quite managed to get over that elusive line. This season is proving a little more difficult as they currently find themselves outside of the play-off’s. It’s still very early, however, and the seven points they are behind the league leaders is not much of a margin when there’s more than half a season and 27 games still to be played. Their home record has been their biggest strength thus far as they have won six of their 10 games at Kenilworth Road, losing three. Their most recent match was a 2-1 loss at home against Fleetwood Town last weekend which would have been a tough one to take as the sides are so close together in the league table. Gary Brabin, in his first full season as Luton boss, will be excited at the prospect of testing his squad against a side from League Two and it will be a measure of how far they have got to go.
Gary Johnson has enjoyed a lot of success in the FA Cup at his previous clubs, most notably Yeovil Town in the early 2000′s. He’s not having as much enjoyment, however, with his new club Northampton as they find themselves closer to the relegation zone than the top of League Two. A lot was expected from Town this season with the new man in charge and the batch of players he brought in. Things havent panned out that way though and with five losses from their last six matches they are currently in 20th positon, just three points off the second relegation spot. Fans are rarely patient in football and with Johnson being so experienced having been around a few clubs, he knows that results need to improve or a change may have to be made. They have managed to pick up more points on the road in the league than at home so another away game may be what they need to kick start their season.
Brabin will be hoping that Amari Morgan-Smith can transfer his goals from the Conference into the cup competitions like last season. Morgan-Smith scored a hat-trick in last season’s FA Cup and has started this campaign even better with nine goals from 15 matches.
Northampton have found it difficult to keep a clean sheet all season. From their 17 matches they have kept the opposition out just three times whilst they have scored in all but five of their League Two matches. Johnson will be aware that they need to shore things up at the back to get more wins but will be confident in the knowledge that if they do manage to do that, they have goals in the team to push them up the table and improve their season.
Kenilworth Road is a hard place to go at the best of times as it’s a tight pitch and the fans create an excellent atmosphere. Northampton, unfortunately for them, are not visiting at the best of times with the run of form they are currently on. They have lost their last three and four of the last five on the road. I think Luton can take advantage of the magic of the FA Cup and add to Northampton’s woe’s.
My Selection: Luton to beat Northampton
Best odds available: 11/8 available with Ladbrokes
English FA Cup
Swindon Town v Huddersfield
A mouthwatering clash at the County Ground see’s Paolo Di Canio’s Swindon entertain Huddersfield as two sides in form meet for a place in the next round of the FA Cup.
Swindon have been on a rollercoaster ever since Di Canio took charge of the club during the summer. There has been public fall-outs with players, impressive performances and the odd heavy defeat. Sometimes up, sometimes down but it’s always been interesting under the former Celtic, Sheffield Wednesday and West Ham talisman is getting to grips with being his own boss. He’s not started too badly at all as Swindon are currently in the play-off zone, seven points off an automatic promotion spot. Their recent form is very good as they are on an unbeaten run of eight games winning six of those. It’s been their most consistent period of the season thus far so it may be that Di Canio is growing into the job and instilling the same belief that he had, into the players.
Huddersfield have been in superb form all season and still remain unbeaten in the league. Lee Clarke’s men equalled Nottingham Forest’s record for the longest unbeaten run in the football league last weekend when they drew 1-1 with Walsall. Ordinarily it would have went down as a disappointing result for the Terriers but to equal the record as they did is an incredible achievement for any club, let alone one playing in the fiercely competitive League One. Clarke will be hoping that this season, unlike the others, will end in promotion to the Championship and that his side’s hardwork will get their deserved reward in May. As it is, league business is put to the side and the club’s focus is on progressing in the biggest cup competition in the World.
It promsises to be a very attractive tie as Di Canio and Clarke were both very good footballers in their own right. They also had a grounding as players which has formed their footballing philosophy as Clarke played under Kevin Keegan whilst Di Canio was signed by Tommy Burns and Harry Redknapp. All three were managers who wanted to play the ball on the ground, attack with purpose and provide the fans with entertainment. Those traits have been adopted by tomorrow’s managers so the fans should be in for a treat.
Swindon have been strong at home with five wins from their eight matches and only the one defeat. They average well over two goals per game as well whilst they don’t concede many either so they will be confident of holding their despite playing against a side a division above them.
Huddersfield have always struggled to turn draws into wins in the league which has been the main reason for them remaining in League One. This season they have won nine and drawn eight of their 17 league games so it looks as though that may still be a problem. They are consistently hard to beat though and will know that despite their lofty league position will count for nothing when they run out tomorrow.
I can see a game of goals at the County Ground on Saturday with so many attacking options on display. I would normally side with Huddersfield but they will have to do without Jordan Rhodes who is on International duty with Scotland this weekend. As that is the case I will go for the overs and hope that the phisophies of Di Canio and Clarke come to the fore.
My Selection: Over 2.5 goals
Best odds available: 7/10 available with BlueSquare
Scottish League Division Two
Cowdenbeath v Stenhousemuir
A rare step into the lower leagues of Scotland for our third preview this week as top of the table Cowdenbeath take on third place Stenhousemuir.
Cowdenbeath have been in superb form all season so it’s no surprise to see them at the top of the table at this stage of the season. They have a 100% record at home in the league winning all five of their matches thus far and have been beaten just twice all season. The Fife club have former Scotland international Colin Cameron as their play manager and his influence cannot be underestimated as his side continue to impress. Cameron was a dynamic midfielder in his prime and having been born just a few miles outside Cowdenbeath, his career has come full circle.
Stenny have surprised many with their form this season which see’s them sitting just five points off of tomorrow’s opponents. Like Cowdenbeath they have been very strong at home with five wins and a draw from six games. Their away form is not has clever with just one win on their travels. They’ve lost just one more game than Cowdenbeath though so they too are a team bang in form and hard to get the better of.
Cameron, unlike many well know managers starting in the lower leagues, has refrained from bringing in some old pal’s to imrpove the club’s fortunes. Instead he has decided to go down the route of inexperience and put his faith in younger players. It is already paying off as the enthusiasm and energy that come’s with using younger players is readily outweighing the fact they have little experience of being in this position.
Stenny have a more experienced squad than their opponents on Saturday but are proving that it can pay to go with an older head or two. The challenge will come over the winter and early Spring as that is when the race for promotion really starts. Will the older heads of Stenny prevail, or will the younger legs of the Cowndenbeath squad just have that vital edge.
Stenhousemuir got the upperhand earlier in the campaign when they beat Cowdenbeath 3-1 back in August. That was earlier in the season and the form Cowdenbeath have been in you can bet it will be a lot closer this time around.
Home form counts for a lot in the this league and having already won five on the bounce in the league, scoring 13 and conceding five, the selection has to be the home side against a team who have won just once on the road this term.
My Selection: Cowdenbeath to beat Stenhousemuir
Best odds available: 5/6 available with Coral
November 11th, 2011 / callum - Category: Football Betting
Saturday 16th April
English Premier League
Birmingham v Sunderland
Neither of these two sides would have expected to be fighting relegation at this stage in the season for different reasons, but the reality is that they are and makes this fixture such a crucial one.
Birmingham will remember this season as the year they won the League Cup, but they will not want to look back on the year 2011 with bittersweet memories. In order for that not to be the case they must ensure they survive the drop and remain a Premier League club. They can take a massive step in doing just that by defeating Sunderland on Saturday. St Andrews has long been a fortress for the Brum since their return to the top flight. Teams do not enjoy playing at the ground and that is backed up with their home form. Despite struggling for much of the season, they have lost just four games on their own turf.
Unfortunately for Alex McLeish and his men, two of those defeats have come from their last three games at St Andrews. They did, however, win last time out at home when they were successful against Bolton. That result was a big step in the right direction for the Blues and one which signalled their intent. They have three home games between now and the end of the season and they are all winnable. McLeish knows that they are in a real battle so will be looking towards his experienced players such as Steven Carr, Barry Ferguson and Lee Bowyer to dig deep and provide the mental strength needed to stay in the Premier League.
Sunderland started the season very well and continued that into the early part of this year. Thing have, however, tailed off in recent weeks with an alarming slide towards the foot of the table. Currently bottom of the form table, the Black Cats are without a win since the back end of January, a run of eight games without a win and indeed, only one solitary draw. The terrible run of form has coincided with the loss of Darren Bent who was sold to Villa in the January transfer window. His goals have not been replaced despite some attractive new signings. Bent had an excellent record, easily better than a goal every two games. The money was obviously right for him to leave at the time, but you just wonder if they will rue the decision come the start of the new season depending on which league they’ll be in.
Even before their poor run of form, Sunderland struggled on the road and only accumulated three wins on their travels. Their last away win was in January, against Blackpool. Since that match they have conceded 10 goals in four games and scored just two when away from home.
Both these sides have an urgent need for points to stay in the division, but both are out of form. Sunderland will be increasingly worried about the number of goals they have conceded in recent weeks. They have kept only one clean sheet in 10 games which Steve Bruce, such an accomplished defender himself, will be looking to rectify. Birmingham have also struggled to keep the goals out and they have kept just two clean sheets in 17 matches. McLeish was a defender as well in his heyday so such form will also be of a concern.
These two sides are not renowned for their attacking instinct, mainly because their managers have such an established record at the other end of the park. Both sides are clearly low in confidence and that results in mistakes being made. The odds for both teams to score are too high to ignore in this fixture.
My Selections: Both teams to score in Birmingham v Sunderland
English FA Cup
Manchester United v Manchester City (17.15)
The North West of England invades the country’s capital tomorrow evening as the two Manchester clubs go head to head for a place in the FA cup final.
United are chasing another historic treble as they are top of the league and in the semi finals of both this competition and the European Champions League. It doesn’t seem long ago that there were a few murmurings of this side coming to the end of their shelf life and it needed a serious transformation. The media were writing off their chances of winning anything this season as Chelsea made a storming start to the season and Man City were also on their coat tails – how times have changed!
Sir Alex Ferguson is the shrewdest manager in the business today and will not have been affected one bit by all the criticism that came his way, indeed, he would have used it to motivate his players. One man who has sprung to life in recent weeks is Wayne Rooney. The striker had been dogged with injuries as well as personal scandal. That seems a distant memory now although he will miss out tomorrow as a result of his foul mouthed rant to a television camera two weeks ago. Ferguson will look to Javier Hernandez to fill the gap left by Rooney – Hernandez has surpassed all expectation this season by notching a goal every other game in the league.
Man City have had to contend with the news that their captain and star man, Carlos Tevez, is all but out for the rest of the season. Their top scorer had to go off early on in their match against Liverpool on Monday night. His influence cannot be underestimated and will prove to be a huge loss for his boss Roberto Mancini.
Having watched City’s game on Monday, it appeared there was a lack of desire and they displayed the wrong attitude from the outset. When things are going well they look a really good team, as proved by their demolition of Sunderland the week earlier. However the test of a strong team is how they react to adversity. When losing Tevez, and an early goal, the heads went down because there was no leadership or morale amongst the players. They play for each other and do not look as though they enjoy themselves. That stems from the manager whose job is to build a team. Over a year in charge now, and it’s unclear whether or not Mancini actually knows his best eleven.
United have been strong, consistent, attractive and creative since the turn of the year – everything City have not been. They head into this match in good heart having dismantled Chelsea over the course of two legs in the Champions League. City look out of form, bereft of ideas and lacking in any real motivation (other than money). It’s impossible to oppose the red half of Manchester – and we all know how good a record United have in semi-finals under Ferguson.
Although Rooney is missing, and there may be a few changes to the side that beat Chelsea, United still look formidable. They brushed aside Arsenal in the last round of this competition and they can do the same to their city rivals tomorrow.
My Selections: Manchester United to beat Manchester City
Best odds available: 11/10 available with Betfred
English Championship
Middlesbrough v Barnsley
Both of these sides can just about begin to plan for life in the Championship next season after battling relegation for much of the season, so the pressure will not be as intense as it may have been when they meet tomorrow.
Tony Mowbray and his men are enjoying their best run since he took charge earlier in the season. They are unbeaten in six matches with three wins and three draws. It may not be earth shattering form but it is certainly a step in the right direction for a much maligned team. ‘Boro were expected to challenge for promotion this season under former manager Gordon Strachan who had purchased a lot of high profile players for quite a bit of money. Things have clearly not worked out like that but Mowbray will be hoping to finish this season in a positive fashion to stand them in a good stead for the beginning of the new season. What is clear is they have to start the season much better than they did this one as it will set the tone for the rest of the campaign.
Barnsley have not flirted with relegation as much as tomorrow’s opponents but they have never really threatened to do much else. It’s been a season that Mark Robins will take many positives from due to their performances against the better sides in the league. They have managed to take points off of Cardiff, Leeds, Swansea and Forest since the turn of the year, three of which have come away from home. What will be more of a concern for Robins is the lack of consistency which has plagued his sides at times throughout the season. The Championship is of course fiercely competitive but Robins is an ambitious manager who will be hoping that his side build on this season’s form and become more consistent next season.
Just one point separates these two sides with Barnsley holding a narrow advantage over their hosts tomorrow. With ‘Boro 12 points clear of the relegation zone, the points will help boost their chances of finishing as high as possible as opposed to help them in their bid for safety. It can often be dangerous betting on matches with such little to play for but with the home side in such good form at the minute, I believe they will have that extra motivation and use it to gather three points.
My Selection: Middlesbrough to beat Barnsley
Best odds available: 10/11 available with Totesport
April 15th, 2011 / callum - Category: Football Betting
West Ham, in their unpredictable form are actually worth taking in your betting here. The cups seems to have been a good outlet for Avram Grant’s men this year, with the Hammers reaching the semi final of the Carling Cup. This is a big opportunity for them, a break from their relegation battle, and after hammering Stoke 3-0 at Upton Park at the start of March, then they should be confident. You can also go back to last October when the two sides met in the Carling Cup, a match which West Ham also won by a 3-1 scoreline. In their troubled season, the Hammers look to enjoy breaking out against Stoke, and are therefore worth backing again, as there are not too many team selection problems for Grant to worry about. Even Robbie Keane may be ready to make an appearance for them. Many will perceive West Ham to be the weaker side, because Stoke are at home and they can be a stubborn side to break down at times, and their tough tackling, direct football under Tony Pulis, may upset West Ham’s rhythm. Still it is worth taking some value on West Ham, as they have proven that they can get the better of their northern opponents.
Stoke haven’t managed to beat West Ham in three attempts this season. They were held at home by the Hammers in September, before losing at Upton Park in the league and the Carling Cup. Although Stoke are six places higher in the Premier League than West Ham, it is the London side who are carrying the better form. Over the last four league matches, Stoke have lost three and drawn one, while Saturday’s FA Cup opponents West Ham have won two, drawn one and lost one. The Hammers are on something of a bit of a revival and there are only three points separating those six places in the league. Stoke’s only recent victory was the 3-0 victory over Brighton in the FA Cup, which set up this all Premier League Quarter Final. However, Stoke haven’t actually been beaten at the Britannia Stadium in 2011, so that may tip the favour in the FA Cup football betting markets. Stoke did do the double over West Ham in the league last year, and at home, City have a 52% win percentage against West Ham. Out of 42 matches between the two sides at Stoke, the home side have won 22, with West Ham tallying 12 victories there. Eight of the encounters have been draws. Stoke have netted 59 goals, while the Hammers have responded with just 44.
So, looking at things, there may not be too much between the two sides, but the match going to a replay doesn’t look to be too high of a possibility. Neither team are great and chances at both ends should come, and should be plenty enough for someone to grab a semi final place. The Hammers are carrying decent form to cause an away upset here, and they haven’t been beaten away since the end of January, when they lost to Birmingham in the Carling Cup. It is worth looking at West Ham in your football betting for this one, they seem to be getting things together a bit, and could edge this one.
Stoke v West Ham FA Cup Odds
Stoke to win: 6/5 at Bet365
Draw: 5/2 at BetFred
West Ham Utd to win: 11/4 at Blue Square
Stoke v West Ham Betting Tip:
Both teams to score – YES Evens at Totesport
March 11th, 2011 / Lee A Jackson - Category: Football Betting
Having seen Everton crash out of the FA Cup, Arsenal will be wary of another upset on the cards. Arsenal replay against Leyton Orient on Wednesday night, and another test of their fortitude will arise. How will Arsenal bounce back after losing the Carling Cup final to Birmingham City on the weekend? A howler at the back landed Birmingham with an easy winner there, and Arsenal still have to wait for that piece of silverware which they so desire. Further bad news has been heaped upon Arsene Wenger after learning that Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott will be out of action, and both will likely miss the return leg against Barcelona in the Champions League. With captain Cesc Fabregas already nursing an injury, two further crocked players will miss the match against Leyton Orient, with Laurent Koscielny and Alex Song both missing through injury are well. Arsenal will be expected to get the job done, and they looked comfortable enough in the first leg, until they suffered a late blow with the O’s equalising through an opportunist Jonathan Tehoue. Arsenal really have had problems against lower opposition in the cups this year, and will the Emirates see another match which the Gunners just scrape through. Of course they have the class and the strength in depth to get the match done here, even though this replay is an extra game that Arsene Wenger really didn’t want.
Leyton Orient, the only remaining team from League One in the competition, have a couple of injury concerns of their own, and have Harry Kane suspended. The same uphill task is facing Orient, as they barely made an impact in front of goal in the first match in front of their home support, so it will likely be even harder for them to get a look in on goal at the Emirates. Manuel Almunia starts in goal for Arsenal, with youngster Wojciech Szczesny moving to the bench, presumably to think some more about the mistake which cost the Gunners the Carling Cup. The match could have even great importance in terms of the FA Cup, because the winners of this one will go on meet Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Quarter Finals. United and Arsenal are front runners to lift the title, so one of them (at least) will be gone by the quarter final stage. This naturally should influence your Outright Winner betting for the famous old cup. Arsenal should prevail, albeit with a somewhat second string team again. Ignore the strong outright price on Arsenal, look instead for a winning margin bet where a sensible 2 goal margin fetches 3/1 at Bet365. Also look for Marouane Chamakh in the Anytime Goalscorer market for 5/6 at 888Sport, the Moroccan badly needs a goal.
Arsenal to win: 1/5 at William Hill
Draw: 13/2 at Totesport
Leyton Orient: 18/1 at Totesport
March 2nd, 2011 / Lee A Jackson - Category: Football Betting
Saturday 19th February
English FA Cup
Birmingham v Sheffield Wednesday
Both Birmingham and Sheffield Wednesday have not performed as well as they would have wished in the league this season so the Cup is proving a welcome distraction.
Alex McLeish’s side are looking forward to one cup final already as they take on Arsenal in the League cup at the end of the month at Wembley. With a home tie against lower league opposition in the FA Cup, things are looking good for an extended run in this competition as well. Currently in 14th position in the league, the Blues have not hit the heights of last season but have put a decent enough run together. Before losing the Newcastle during the week, Birmingham had won four of their last five in all competitions. At home they remain hard to beat as the defeat to Newcastle was only their third all season. Their main problem has been the amount of draws they have accumulated with seven games already ending in stalemate.
Sheffield Wednesday have been desperately disappointing and look as though they could miss out n the play-off’s altogether in their current form. They currently sit in 16th position and a massive 10 points off the final play-off position. Their current form is deplorable for a club of their size with just one win, in the last round of the cup, from their last eight matches. Gary Megson has been brought to the club to attempt to save their season but the impact has been slim to none. Players look as though they are lacking discipline and organisation. No club is too big to go down when players are not performing and Megson will be only too well aware of the fact that the Owls are just five points off the final relegation spot. The cup may well provide the distraction that is needed to get things back on track but the priority for Wednesday is most definitely the league, and staying in it at this point.
Birmingham seemed to have been rejuvenated in recent weeks with the signings of players such as David Bentley and Obafemi Martins. These signings have put pressure on the players currently there and one man who has risen to the challenge and proven he has a role to play is Nikola Zigic. The giant striker has scored three goals in his last four games including winning goals against both Stoke and West Ham. Often subject to criticism from his own fans, Zigic seems as though he’s proving the doubters wrong of late. A player of his size should always be a threat and it looks as though he’s finally matching the effort to stature.
Wednesday have impressed with comprehensive wins over Bristol City and Hereford thus far in the competition but this is by far their biggest test to date. Megson will no doubt look to frustrate the home side with a resolute, dogged display. Birmingham will be used to it by now and although they may have struggled previously, there seems to be more creativity in the side nowadays. With that in mind, I fully expect the home side to advance to the quarter finals of another cup competition.
My Selection: Birmingham to beat Sheffield Wednesday
Best odds available: 7/10 available with William Hill
English Championship
Millwall v Middlesbrough
These two sides need points for very different reasons as Millwall attempt to chase down a play-off position whilst Middlesbrough are desperate to move further away from the relegation zone.
I have previewed a couple of Millwall games in the last couple of months and most of the analysis still applies. They are a hard side to beat, especially at home; their style of play is very effective, especially at home; and they continue to accumulate points, especially at home. Currently on a run of six straight home wins in the league, Millwall are still a serious contender for promotion. Kenny Jackett’s side have shown a tremendous attitude in their first season back in the Championship since winning the League One play-off final last season. This attitude has been reinforced in recent weeks with three points from a possible six being rescued with goals in the last minute. The man who has notched both times is Kevin Lisbie who was scoring only his second and third goals of the season, and first since August. This is testament to the team morale and spirit within the camp as Lisbie has had to contend with a place on the bench more often than not. However he has continued to work hard and has got his rewards in recent weeks.
Tony Mowbray was welcome like a prodigal son when taking the reins earlier this season. The former ‘Boro defender has probably not had the impact he wished to have by now but things are slowly beginning to turn for the better. That was the case until recently as after a run of six matches unbeaten in the league came to a halt with back to back defeats. They were on the wrong end of reverse in a seven goal thriller at home to Swansea last Saturday which followed on from a narrow defeat away to Crystal Palace. Those losses have pushed Middlesbrough back into the relegation mix as they sit four points off the drop zone. Mowbray has attempted to be more cavalier in recent weeks by going three upfront. The formation has meant more chances created and goals scored but also leaves them open at the back. This was of course highlighted in the goals fest last Saturday.
The rule of three applies in this fixture as Millwall have lost just three games from a total of 15 games played at the New Den this season whilst ‘Boro have won just three on the road from the same number of games. It really does underline the difference between the two sides. I’m always a fan of Millwall at home and even more so in this match up.
My Selections: Millwall to beat Middlesbrough
Best odds available: 11/10 available with Skybet
Scottish Premier League
Aberdeen v Kilmarnock
Thirteen points separate these two sides but incredibly, it’s Kilmarnock who are streets ahead of tomorrow’s hosts, Aberdeen, as we approach the SPL split.
Craig Brown had an instant impact when replacing Mark McGhee as manager towards the end of last year. Confidence was high, results were noticeably better and performances definitely improved. Things have unravelled a little of late, however, and the Dons are currently on a run of three defeats in four games in all competitions. Granted, two of those defeats were against league leaders and the form side of the division – Celtic. However they turned in a very lacklustre performance on Tuesday when losing 2-1 at home to Motherwell. Even before losing Paul Hartley to a red card, it wasn’t the Aberdeen we came to expect under Brown, who was certainly not shy in telling his players that displays such as Tuesdays will not be tolerated in future. The positive thing for all concerned at Aberdeen is that they have a chance to quickly rectify things tomorrow.
Kilmarnock have enjoyed a terrific season to date and have earned many plaudits for the style of play. One man who was key to their success was Connor Sammon who has since departed to pastures new in the form of Wigan. It’s hard not to underestimate how important the tall striker was as he is still the second top scorer with 15 league goals. It was an incredible return for a striker playing with one of the lesser sides in the SPL and since he left, Kilmarnock have found it hard to kill off teams like they were with him in the side. Despite taking the lead in several matches, Killie have won just once in seven matches. Last time out they were very poor as they lost to Hibs at Easter Road.
I’m a big fan of Craig Brown and believe he is one of the best managers in the SPL. Having watched them several times recently, Aberdeen have decent quality, especially going forward but need to shore up defensively. I was also a great admirer of Connor Sammon this season as he had everything you would look for in a striker – pace, strength, good finisher and good in the air. Without him Kilmarnock are a much weaker side and I can see them struggling without him in the closing months of the season. Aberdeen are too big a price tomorrow to resist and the value definitely lies with the Dandy Dons.
My Selection: Aberdeen to beat Kilmarnock
Best odds available: 13/8 available with PaddyPower
February 18th, 2011 / callum - Category: Football Betting
How much will the transfer day deadline deals influence FA Cup Betting? Chelsea splashed out big on Fernando Torres and David Luiz to bolster their challenges on the domestic and European fronts, while other front runners Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City all kept things quite. That perhaps is more of a sign of their squads being settled than anything. Chelsea needed a change and they made big one. Expensive ones. There’s no doubt that Torres will make Chelsea a more potent threat. The Blues still need to get past Everton though, with a replay to come at Stamford Bridge, following the draw at Goodison Park last weekend. The winner of that will be graced with a home fixture against Championship side Reading. The big news of the fifth round draw though, was non league side Crawley Town, who landed the plum draw of Premier League leaders Manchester United at Old Trafford. This is the reward for Crawley’s heroics over Derby and Torquay so far in the tournament, and should be a wonderful experience for them. By manager Steve Evans’ words though, Crawley (who are 2500/1 FA Cup outsiders at Boylesports) aren’t turning up just to make up the numbers, reminding the press that “Miracles do happen,” and they are the only non-league team capable of beating Manchester United. Enough said. There’s an interesting draw between Aston Villa who will await the winners of the Notts County and Manchester City replay. City failed to a job in a tricky fixture and now have to complete the task back at Eastlands if they want to keep up their challenge for silverware on three fronts going. Arsenal, who are running as second favourites for the FA Cup, have themselves a trip to League One side Leyton Orient, while the only all Premier League clash comes at Craven Cottage where Fulham (who thumped a very poor Tottenham 4-0) are waiting to see who they play out of Bolton and Wigan who played out a scoreless draw. So, the fifth round draw is out, and the teams, some of them with new personnel on board, will be ready to duke it out again on Feburary 19th and 20th.
FA Cup Fifth Round Draw
West Ham v Burnley
Notts County/Manchester City v Aston Villa
Stoke City v Brighton
Birmingham City v Sheffield Wednesday
Leyton Orient v Arsenal
Everton/Chelsea v Reading
Manchester United v Crawley Town
Fulham v Bolton/Wigan
FA Cup Outright Winner Odds
Manchester United: 3/1 at Victor Chandler
Arsenal: 7/2 at Bet365
Chelsea: 5/1 at Totesport
Manchester City: 6/1 at SkyBet
Fulham: 22/1 at BetFair
Birmingham: 22/1 at William Hill
Stoke: 25/1 at Blue Square
Everton: 25/1 at Bet365
Aston Villa: 33/1 at William Hill
West Ham United: 33/1 at Bet365
Bolton: 40/1 at Bet365
Wigan: 80/1 at William Hill
February 1st, 2011 / Lee A Jackson - Category: Football Betting
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Arsenal make a great team for this, simply because they have so much firepower, and against lower opposition, you expect their players to get in amongst the goals. Look at Nasri, Chamakh, Bentdner and Van Persie for starters. Pick one out and they all have a good chance of getting on the score sheet. Will Carlos Tevez or Edin Dzeko net for City? You have to think that they would, as no-one from City really gets in amongst the goals too much, not with Balotelli out. These are the kind of places to look at when it comes to taking advantage with coverage like this. Check out Victor Chandler today for competitive prices on your football betting as well, not just for Sunday’s FA Cup, but for full coverage. If you are not a customer with Victor Chandler yet, then there is the added bonus of a free £25 bet waiting for you when you do open an account. With fantastic live in play betting services, and being packed full of sports betting promotions, Victor Chandler really are one of the stand out bookmakers available for your online betting.
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January 30th, 2011 / Lee A Jackson - Category: Free Bets & Promotions
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