Wayne Rooney

There are a couple of great football betting promotions to enjoy at Paddy Power this weekend, surrounding two of the biggest names in the Premier League. Firstly we start with Wayne Rooney, who heads to Wales with the Red Devils to face Swansea City. The Roo has lost a little bit of his goal scoring magic after a blistering start to the new season, but he is always a favourite to get in amongst the goals. You really can’t keep him quiet for all that long. For your Swansea v Manchester United betting, Paddy Power have a Money Back Special running if Rooney scores the last goal of the match. If the England striker, who is waiting on the outcome of his international ban appeal, scores the final goal in the game against Swansea, then online bookmaker Paddy Power will refund all losing First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, Correct Score and Scorecast singles placed on the match. This means that you can go and delve into the submarkets for this match such as the First Goalscorer market, where Rooney himself is 7/2 favourite, along with striker partner Javier Hernandez who can be taken at the same price. With Swansea earning themselves a fantastic 0-0 draw at Anfield on their last venture out in the Premier League, they will be keen to impress their fans again in this massive home fixture. So, another 0-0 draw for the Swans would fetch 11/1 at Paddy Power in the Correct Score Market, while a 2-0 United win is priced at 6/1, and remember that you have the insurance of lost stake refunds on this if Rooney nets the last goal of the game. While United have gone into their shell a little  bit, they will be favourites to pick up all three points in Swansea v Man Utd betting, three points which will be vital in closing the gap on Manchester City at the top of the table.

Swansea v Manchester United Betting Odds at Paddy Power
Swansea 6/1, Draw 3/1, Man Utd 1/2

Now on to Sunday’s big Premier League match, where we have the fun of Chelsea v Liverpool betting to look at. The big sensation about this of course, is surrounding former Liverpool striker Fernando Torres. Torres made his debut for his new club Chelsea at the start of the year against Liverpool, and failed miserably to make any kind of impact. With a couple of glaring misses in front of goal this season, the speculation of whether he will ever score against Liverpool will rage on. At least it will do until he does net against them. So Paddy Power are running a great promotion for your Chelsea v Liverpool betting on Sunday. If Fernando Torres scores at ANY TIME during the match, then the bookie will refund all losing First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, Correct Score and Scorecast singles which have been placed on the match. So there could be value in this, because Torres will be keen to make his mark against his former employees. So with this promotion in place we can take a quick look at the First Goalscorer Market where Daniel Sturridge, who has just shaken off a knock, is price at 11/2, the same as Didier Drogba and Torres himself. On the Liverpool front, the Reds will be hoping that Luis Suarez is going to be fit, and he is priced at 15/2 to open the scoring. With Liverpool struggling for goals despite all the cash spent in improving their attack, they need Suarez firing. Any losing bets in this market would of course be covered by a stake refund if Torres scores at any time during the match. There will be value in the Correct Score market as well for your Chelsea v Liverpool betting, with the Blues at 6/1 for a 1-1 win, while a 1-1 draw also seems handily priced for 11/2 with the bookie. So check out the sub markets which are covered by this Paddy Power promotion, and take full advantage of the insurance which it offers.

Chelsea v Liverpool Betting Odds at Paddy Power
Chelsea 5/6, Draw 5/2, Liverpool 7/2

Online bookmaker Paddy Power offer a free £50 bet for new customers registering a new account. The highly rated bookie gives out the free bet as sign up bonus when registering a new account with them. Paddy Power will match the value of your first bet with a free bet, up to the value of £50, giving you some great free cash to work with. Another weekend of top Premier League football action awaits us again, with Chelsea v Liverpool betting taking the headlines. Will Torres get that goal?

With England’s defensive, 10 man behind the ball victory over Spain on the weekend naturally this is a good opportunity to go and take a look at some England Euro 2012 betting specials. In the outright winner market, England are still nestled back in the chasing pack, out at 12/1 at Bwin. They are firmly behind Spain, Germany and Holland, which is understandable, because all three of those sides play wonderful, fluent, attacking football, and a winner of next summer’s finals will likely come from that trio. While England’s Spanish victory can give fans room for cautious optimism, there are likely going to be better markets for value to explore than getting behind England to win the tournament outright. Online bookmaker SkyBet are worth visiting to  check out England Euro 2012 Stage of Elimination betting. Of course, we don’t know what the group drawing is going to be, but surprisingly, England to go out at the Group Stage is 6/4 favourite in this market. Not a very optimistic outlook, and remember that England will be without Wayne Rooney, so how are England going to fare under competitive circumstances? After boring the world at the 2010 World Cup, has Capello progressed the national team enough to be competent Euro 2012 contenders? There is good value in 9/4 at  SkyBet for England’s elimination to come in the Quarter Finals which seems to be about the right kind of balance in the market. Other options here would be Semi Finals at 7/2 and Runners Up at 8/1. So good options and some genuine value than the one big outside shot of England lifting the trophy at the conclusion of Poland and Ukraine Euro 2012. One other bet along these lines can be found at Unibet, where England are 7/5 with the bookie to make the Semi Finals of Euro 2012.

So let us move on the players. Most of us could sit down and pencil in a squad, but with plenty of time to go until the summer finals, is there going to be a surprise inclusion? Arsenal ‘sAlex-Oxalde Chamberlein is the favourite selection in To Make The Squad betting at SportingBet, trading at 100/30 to muscle his way into the Euro 2012 squad. Or how about a longer shot of Owen Hargreaves, who is out at 7/2 to get back on the international scene next summer? Perhaps though, one of the most popular markets is going to be Top England Goalscorer betting. At least you can really narrow this one down a bit as you look down the coupon, against at SkyBet. Let’s assume Wayne Rooney is going to be missing from all group matches, so that will likely leave Darren Bent spear heading the attack. Bent is favourite at 5/1, with Manchester United winger Ashley Young just behind him at 6/1 with SkyBet. United team mate Danny Welbeck, who looks a genuine long term prospect for the national side, is priced at 8/1, the same price as the old steady hand of Frank Lampard, who continues to be in the right place at the right time. After his winner against Spain, and his recent form for his club Chelsea, he has to be good value. But the most interesting price in this market is Wayne Rooney at 6/1. Even if he misses the group stage, Capello is likely to take him and throw him into action in the knockout stages. Will he be hungry and explode into life with some golden boot magic? Naturally his games, and therefore chances as ending up as top scorer will be limited, but he is still trading well at 6/1 with SkyBet, so interesting considerations there.

So what do England really have to offer in the finals? Only time will tell. Will be worth heading to online bookmaker SkyBet for the markets above, because they have great coverage on alternative markets like this. SkyBet offer a superb sign up bonus as well for new customers registering an account. The bookie will automatically credit new accounts with a free £10 bet upon registration. This is completely free and there is nothing to do to get it, other than sign up. Which will make for the easiest free £10 bet you could possibly get!

The shortlist for the 2011 Ballon D’Or was announced this week, and naturally there was a huge Spanish influence once again. We have 23 men on the list for the Ballon d’Or, which is now of course one award for the FIFA World Player of the Year and the FIFA Ballon d’Or which used to be separate. No great surprises of last year’s winner, as that was the one and only Lionel Messi, picking up the great honour for the second year in a row. The list of 23 will be whittled down to just three on December 5th of this year, and the winner will be crowned on January 9th in Zurich. So we have a big man field in 2011 Ballon d’Or betting to look at, so that means right now there will be more value around than when the field is trimmed to the top three. Barcelona’s Messi is firm favourite to win the title yet again, and is as short as 1/6 at Ladbrokes to retain the title as the best footballer in the world. It is hard to raise an argument against him really. His incredible talent just continues to shine on and there is really no-one else on the world stage that can match his talent. The closest rival really is Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who continues his superbly impressive goal efforts in La Liga. It will likely all come down to Lionel Messi and Ronaldo occupying two of the top three spots, which leaves the final spot up for grabs. Again, it may all get a bit predictable again, as it will probably be filled by someone else from La Liga, probably Andres Iniesta or the always impressive Xavi, or maybe Cesc Fabregas with his impressive start with Barca. With the list of 23 nominees there have been, and always will be controversy. There is only one British player on the list, and that is Wayne Rooney from Man Utd, but again, stand him up alongside Lionel Messi and the Argentinean would win this award every time. The lack of British nominees again points to problems within the English game, and perhaps paints a worrying picture for the future and bleak prospects for Euro 2012 one would imagine.

But there are some other representatives from the Barclays Premier League on the 23 man list, with Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero, Liverpool’s Luis Suarez and Manchester United’s Nani making the cut so far. Naturally there are some glaring omissions such as Tottenham’s Gareth Bale, Man City’s David Silva, and of course there is the question of has Nani really been a better performer than Arsenal’s Robin van Persie? To that end, has anyone in the Premier League been better than the Dutchman? So, the arguments can all rage on about who should be on the 23 man list, and show should not, but at the end of the day, for your 2011 FIFA Ballon d’Or betting, it is not likely to matter, as Lionel Messi is once again the stand out talent and is worth backing.

2011 Ballon d’Or Betting Odds
Lionel Messi: 1/6 at Ladbrokes
Cristiano Ronaldo:  8/1 at William Hill
Andres Iniesta: 33/1 at Stan James
Xavi: 33/1 at Stan James
Wayne Rooney: 49/1 at Unibet
Luis Suarez: 74/1 at Unibet
Iker Casillas: 100/1 at William Hill
Mesut Ozil: 125/1 at SportingBet

Full 2011 Ballon d’Or Player nominees: Eric Abidal (France), Sergio Aguero (Argentina), Karim Benzema (France), Iker Casillas (Spain), Dani Alves (Brazil), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Cesc Fabregas (Spain), Diego Forlan (Uruguay), Thomas Muller (Germany), Nani (Portugal), Neymar (Brazil), Mesut Ozil (Germany), Gerard Pique (Spain), Wayne Rooney (England), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands), Luis Suarez (Uruguay), David Villa (Spain), Xabi Alonso (Spain), Xavi (Spain).

Online bookmaker Paddy Power have a Money Back Special running for the big Manchester United v Manchester City derby match on Sunday. The Manchester derby is the highlight of the weekend’s Premier League betting fixtures, as for once we see Sir Alex Ferguson looking to play catch up to his rival neighbours. City top the Premier League by two points ahead of the Red Devils, so there is a lot at stake at Old Trafford on Sunday, as these two unbeaten clubs go head to head. Highly rated online bookmaker Paddy Power are running a betting promotion on the big match, which involves the one and only Wayne Rooney. Many will remember his bicycle kick heroics in last year’s derby, which won Manchester United the game 2-1 in such spectacular style. Well, if Wayne Rooney scores in the Manchester derby on Sunday, then Paddy Power will refund all losing First Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, Correct Score and Scorecast singles which have been placed on the big game. This is a great offer, as Rooney has been in fine goal scoring form this season, and banged in a couple from the penalty spot midweek against Otelul Galati in the Champions League. He will no doubt be full of fire and hungry to shoot down his Blue rivals, and with the Paddy Power Manchester United v Manchester City Money Back special running, there is great coverage to consider on the game’s markets.

In the Manchester United v Manchester City First Goalscorer market, Javier Hernandez is at 1/3 with Danny Welbeck at 7/1 to open the scoring. City’s hot striker Sergio Aguero is at 7/1 to open the scoring, with team mates Edin Dzeko and Mario Balotelli both at 8/1. This market is covered by the Paddy Power promotion, so too is Correct Score market which has profitable options like a 1-1 Draw at 11/2, or a Manchester United 2-1 win for 7/1. Check out the many markets available for the big match, particularly those which are covered by this promotion, which will see lost bets refunded if Wayne Rooney scores at any time during the Manchester derby. Fantastic promotion by the highly rated online bookmaker, and Paddy Power offers a free £50 bet as a sign up bonus for new customers registering an account as well. Place your first bet on a new Paddy Power account, and the bookie will match the value of it, up to the maximum of £50, giving you some nice free betting cash to work with. Manchester United are favourites to pick up three points on home soil, priced at 21/20 with Paddy Power. The visiting Manchester City are at 13/5 to win the match , and the popular draw is at 12/5.

What will England boss Fabio Capello do with Wayne Rooney, as it will surely have an influence on your Euro 2012 betting. The England striker kicked out at a player in England’s final Euro 2012 qualification match in Podgorica, against Montenegro, an action which the UEFA disciplinary committee described as an assault. That has led to a three match ban for Rooney, meaning that he will miss the next three UEFA national competition matches. Here is where the dilemma is. Does Capello still take Rooney to the finals, even though the Manchester United striker would miss all group matches, or does he take an extra eligible player who can help in trying to secure passage through the group stage? The debates about this are raging. England are currently trading at a best price of 12/1 with Ladbrokes win Euro 2012, but what are the implications of Rooney’s Red Card for England Euro 2012 betting? The price on England winning at Euro 2012 has not really fluctuated much, with Rooney’s ban. But naturally, he is the focal point of the attack, and the forward system has been built around, the link up man between the midfield and the attack. Him dropping off a little deeper behind is what creates a lot of space for the England forwards. So is it worth taking him to come into the latter stages of the tournament? It is a bit of a headache for Capello, who is missing arguably his best player. It is not just a matter of keeping Rooney until the latter stages of a tournament, there is also the handling of the mental attitude of the player. Rooney will have to be in tip top physical and mental shape to walk back in the side, if his stand in does well in the group stage of Euro 2012.

While Rooney’s absence is a massive blow for England, because let’s face it, if he is fit, you pick him, but the United forward doesn’t have a great history for his country at major finals. There was the injury at Euro 2004, the red card at the 2006 World Cup, the complete absence of desire and form at the 2010 World Cup. Would England miss him all that much? The fact of the matter is that England have grown considerably as a team. They are still not world beaters by any stretch of the imagination, but losing Rooney is unlikely to be too much of a disaster. Here is why. England have won a higher percentage of games without Rooney than with him. England are clicking at a 69% success rate when Rooney isn’t in the team, compared to a 60% success rate when he is. So now Capello has to decide what to do. England have good forward capabilities still, with the likes of Darren Bent, Bobby Zamora, Jermain Defoe, Ashley Young, Danny Welbeck, Andy Carroll, Theo Walcott and outsiders such Chelsea’s Daniel Sturridge, Villa’s Gabby Agbonlahor, Peter Crouch and even perhaps Michael Owen. But it is finding that link up between midfield and attack, replacing that special talent which Rooney is. Our prediction is that Capello will take him, and watching from the stands Rooney will probably get fired up for action, wanting to right the wrongs of his impetuous kick in Montenegro. England play Spain (12th) and Sweden (15th) in November, and there we will see what Capello will do. The England boss has a good eight months to try and figure out what to do with his starting line up for the group stage of Euro 2012

Euro 2012 Outright Winner Odds
Spain: 11/4 at Totesport
Germany: 4/1 at Bet365
Holland: 6/1 at Bet365
England: 12/1 at Ladbrokes
France: 12/ 1 at Bet365
Italy: 12/1 at Victor Chandler
Portugal: 22/1 at Stan James

Naturally, with the Rooney saga raging, you would expect to have a punt on whether or not Rooney will make the England Euro 2012 squad. Well the expectancy really is that high that Rooney will go anyway, that Victor Chandler, where a No for Rooney making the squad is trading at 3/1 is about the best option you will find anywhere right now.

But it is also a good time to look at the Stage of Elimination for England at Euro 2012 with online bookmaker SkyBet. How much will Rooney’s absence from at least the group stage effect how far they get? Well the favourite selection in this market is England getting Eliminated at the Group Stage for 6/4. You look at the teams which have qualified alongside England (like Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Holland, Russia, Denmark etc) and there really doesn’t look as if there are going to be any easy games to come at the finals. But England getting Eliminated from the tournament at the Quarter Finals stage is 9/4 at SkyBet, while a Semi Final exit is trading at 7/2 with the bookies. The odds really don’t show a lot of confidence in England, and ex England defender Gary Neville has been quite vocal in his stance that England are not good enough, not mobile or strong enough to win the tournament. It is time to put you money down on England’s chances at Euro 2012, with or without Rooney.

Manchester United v Fulham Betting Tip & Odds: It will be a big surprise to see Fulham get anything out of this. You see that they are Premier League’s top drawing side (along with Everton) but even getting a point at Old Trafford this season seems to be beyond the Cottagers at the moment. United are just rolling along to well at the moment, and have only dropped two points on home turf. Nothing to suggest that is going to change on Saturday, even if they do have one eye on the visit of Chelsea on Tuesday in the Champions League. Shouldn’t be much wrong with gunning for a Man Utd -1.75 Asian Handicap for 6/5 at Bet365.

Manchester United to win: 1/2 at Victor Chandler
Draw: 10/3 at Bet365
Fulham to win: 15/2 at SkyBet

EPL Match Preview: Sir Alex Ferguson could be enjoying a great double on Saturday. His team could edge another three points closer to winning the Premier League title, while his horse What A Friend is gunning for Grand National glory at Aintree. United simply need to keep on winning, and they won’t be caught at the top, and this is not a game where you would picture them losing. Fulham have turned their season around after a first poor half, and have gathered some momentum. They are always worthy of scrapping for a draw, but the London side won’t relish this trip to Old Trafford where they have a terrible record. Seldom have visits to OT been rewarded with any points for Fulham, so don’t be surprised to see them head back to London empty handed.

Manchester United Form: After their stoic showing at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League midweek, Manchester United return to Premier League action, without the services of Wayne Rooney, who has been banned for two matches. Rooney, after swearing at the TV cameras during a game at West Ham, will sit this one out and the big FA Cup semi final against Manchester City. Rooney will join the banned Jonny Evans in the stands as well, but the Red Devils do get back Paul Scholes after his suspension. United are getting some strength back to their defensive corps, with Wes Brown and John O’Shea ready for action, but Rafael will sit this one out after picking up a problem against Chelsea. United hold a seven point lead at the top of the Premier League, with a game in hand over second placed Arsenal. After last weekend’s round of matches, it is hard to see United losing their grip on things now. This match should just be another formality for the Red Devils at home, and they aren’t really going to miss Rooney all that much. With questions about the quality of the squad, which is still a bit questionable, Manchester United simply have that factor of consistency which other teams strive to emulate. They just scrap and work hard in picking up result after result, and the bottom line is that they just suffer less uncharacteristic slip ups than other teams challenging for the title. That is the only difference, they have staying power, where Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City have all gone off the boil. Even United’s recent run of three defeats in seven matches has not halted their march forward. They’ve still go their tactical and defensive problems on the road, but as shown against West Ham last week when they were 2-0 down, they can stage mighty comebacks. Fulham were one of the many teams to hold United to a draw this season, with Hangeland’s 90 minute goal rescuing a point at Craven Cottage. United simply should not have the same problems at home, where they are just defensively much sounder, and with only two dropped points at OT all season in the Premier League, this should be another three points coming their way. Their rivals may have to wait a bit longer for another glimmer of hope in stealing the title from the one hand United have on it.

Fulham Form: Average is a word which can always pretty much sum up Fulham. They have picked up their form since the turn of the year, losing only three matches since New Year’s day. That was after going without a win from the start of November until Boxing Day last year, a run of nine games without a win. In fact, Fulham managed only three wins up until and including December 28th, but as usual, they battled their way to a lot of drawn games. Fulham, along with Everton, are the draw specialists in the Premier League this season, and you feel that if they managed that at Old Trafford on Saturday, they would be more than happy. They’ll be delighted with Rooney’s absence, as it is one less thing to worry about, but they wait on the fitness of Damien Duff, but defender Aaron Hughes should be ready to go. Fulham aren’t an easy side to play, and have only suffered one defeat in their last four games against United (although three of those games were at Craven Cottage). However, Fulham simply have a terrible record at Old Trafford, and have lost 3-0 on their previous two visits there, and have only managed one goal in their last four trips. The stats really don’t look good for a Fulham victory here, but as they have picked up their form, you can expect them to keep things as tight as possible for as long as possible, just to make a nuisance of themselves. They have held Chelsea and Manchester City to draws recently, so won’t be completely over awed. But, with United in strong home form, picking up a point there simply won’t be all that easy.

Head to Head: Fulham’s head to head record when playing at Old Trafford is abysmal. No other word for it really. Out of thirty three matches there, the London side have won just two, and drawn only three. That is a total of 28 defeats out of 33 visits to Old Trafford. In that period, Fulham have managed just 24 goals there, while United have banged in 73, averaging 2.21 goals per game. That all weighs heavily on the side of another Manchester United victory on Saturday, and it will probably be a victory to nil. United are just a different side at home, more powerful, more of a unit. With seven straight home victories over Fulham, it’s pretty much a banker here. That stats back it up.

Online Bookmaker Promotion: Boylesports are running their Every 2nd Counts promotion again this weekend. The popular bookie are applying this money back special to the Blackpool v Arsenal, Aston Villa v Newcastle and Liverpool v Man City Premier League matches this weekend. When you have a punt on the first goalscorer market in any of those matches, and the player backed fails to score first, but scores the second goal of the match, then the bookmaker will refund your lost stake. Boylesports offer a free £20 bet for new customers, when they open an account and place a first bet of £20, giving you a nice bonus of free cash to bet with!

Manchester United v Fulham Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Fulham 2, Manchester United 2
Manchester United 3, Fulham 0
Fulham 3, Manchester United 0
Fulham 2, Manchester United 0
Manchester United 3, Fulham 0

Manchester United have an 93% win percentage at home in the league this season
Fulham have a 7% win percentage away from home in the league this season

Manchester United are on a streak of 11 wins at home
Fulham are on a streak of 6 away matches with no win

Manchester United have scored 40 goals, and conceded 9 at home
Fulham have scored 13 and conceded 17 goals in their away matches

Manchester United average 2.6 goals per match at home this season
Fulham average 0.8 goals per match away from home this season

Manchester United have scored the bulk of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket
Fulham have scored the majority of their goals in the 46-60 minute bracket

Manchester United have opened the scoring in 71% of their matches
Fulham have scored first in 38% of their matches

Manchester United 2010/11 top scorer: Berbatov, 20
Fulham 2010/11 top scorer: Dempsey, 10

Manchester United 2010/11 Season Form: P31 W19 D9 L3 GF68 GA32 Pts 66 (1st)
Fulham 2010/11 Season Form: P31 W8 D14 L9 GF36 GA33 Pts 28 (10th)

England will not have to face the threat of Welsh winger Gareth Bale on Saturday in their Euro 2012 clash, as Wales manager Gary Speed has ruled the Tottenham star out with a hamstring injury. Bale was expected to make a start for Wales, who desperately need a win in the group, but will have to go through this one without him. Speed has installed Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey as captain for the match in Cardiff. Ramsey and Bale were the duo Wales were going to be looking to for that spark of inspiration to get something out of this game, now will have to explore other avenues. It’s not been a good time on the injury front for Wales, with Rob Earnshaw, Jack Collison and Sam Ricketts already out of action. Speed has been boosted by the news that Aston Villa centre half James Collins is fit and raring to go. Wales are bottom of Group G without a win so far in the Euro 2012 qualifiers, and they can’t leave it much longer to get their campaign going. There is already a lot of ground to make up between themselves and England, along with leaders Montenegro. But the Welsh can do themselves a huge favour in Cardiff on Saturday, and they are fired up for this one. What they really need is to get an early goal, and that will give them so much confidence and belief to get something out of this game. Even as the home side, the bookies have them down as underdogs, out as much as 8/1 with Paddy Power. That is the size of the task which is facing Wales at the moment, who truthfully don’t look a big threat up front, while not looking very solid at the back either.

As for England, there is a lot of competition for places going in the middle of the park. With Steven Gerrard absent, the time may just have gone for Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere to fully take the reins in the middle of the park. He has shown incredible maturity over this season with his club, and is being pencilled in as the future England captain. So now Fabio Capello, who will probably stick to his rigid 4-4-2 has to decide on a midfield partnership. Do Wilshere and Lampard play together, with Wilshere holding back more, or does Capello put Wilshere in the more aggressive role and leave Gareth Barry or Scott Parker to back him up? The competition for places can only be a good thing for England at the moment, and there is enough versatility among the contenders to shake things up if need be. When Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have played together over the past twelve months, England’s success rate has suffered compared to when just one of them start. England do need to keep the Welsh crowd quiet, and while it is being touted as nothing more than a Premier League style match, England need to rely on the professional qualification jobs they have done under Capello before, and not get wholly swept up into the occasion. The more sting they can take out of the Welsh, the easier it will be to pick them off. You can’t help but feel that Wilshere could be one of the main keys for unlocking the Welsh. England have firepower in the starting eleven and from the bench. Andy Carroll may get the chance to play the big man role up front in partnering Wayne Rooney (who only has one international goal in his last twelve matches), leaving the pace of Jermain Defoe to come off the bench if need be. England are hot favourites with the bookies, best priced at the moment for 4/9 with BetFred.

BetFred are running their Double Delight football betting promotion for this international match as well. Back a First Goalscorer in the match, and if that player opens the scoring and then goes on to score a second at any time in the match, BetFred will double the initial First Goalscorer odds. The same applies if that First Goalscorer goes on to score a hat trick in the match, and then you can get your odds tripled. This is a great offer from BetFred, where Wayne Rooney is 7/2, Darren Bent and Jermain Defoe 11/2 in the First Goalscorer Market at BetFred. The popular online bookmaker is the place to go, where you can get a £50 free bet as well when you sign up. It’s a big week of International Football, and BetFred have you covered very well.

Wales v England Betting Tip: Expect something of a cagey first half, with Wales running hard, but unable to really penetrate England’s solid back four. England should grow steadily into the match. England just have much better options off the bench and should be able to find a goal from somewhere. Therefore a Draw/England Half Time Full Time bet for 10/3 at BetFred is looking decent value.

Popular online bookmaker Victor Chandler are running a great football money back special on the huge Wales v England Euro 2012 Qualifier match at Cardiff on Saturday. Who will grab the last goal of the game? Will Wales cause an upset and sneak a late winner, or will the more powerful England strike force get the last look in of the game? Victor Chandler have your Wales v England betting well covered with their football special. If England’s Wayne Rooney or Wales (any Welsh player) scores the final goal of the game on Saturday, then Victor Chandler will be handing out lost bet refunds. So, have a pre match bet on either a First Goalscorer or a Correct Score, and if Wayne Rooney or Wales do happen to score the last goal of the match, then you will be in line for refunds if your bets in those markets lose. The coverage on the bet refund at Victor Chandler is a great £50, meaning that it gives you some good coverage for your Wales v England Euro 2012 qualifier betting. England’s Wayne Rooney is priced at 17/4 favourite at Victor Chandler to open the scoring in the match, but there is great value on Liverpool’s Andy Carroll at 6/1 as well. Over in the Correct Score market, Victor Chandler are offering a nice price of 4/1 for England to win 1-0, while a 1-1 draw will fetch 7/1 and a home Wales 1-0 win is priced out at 14/1. So plenty of value around, and even more with this little bit of betting insurance on offer from Victor Chandler. Victor Chandler, who run a highly recommended service, offer a free £25 bet as well for new customers opening an account with them. All in all, with such a huge match, this bit of coverage can make a big difference, making Victor Chandler a great place to go for your Euro 2012 football betting. Victor Chandler have England at 2/5 to win the match, with Wales 8/1 and a draw 15/4, some of the strongest market prices on the match anywhere.

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester United Betting Tip & Odds: Away win. Nothing too much more to say about it really. Wolves have dug a little deeper when facing the big teams this season, but you don’t expect slip ups from Manchester United, and when the Red Devils have an off day, they still manage to scrap at least a draw. United have had their problems on the road this season, but you still have to look at them as favourites to win the match here. It is what they do. Just get the job done, no need for all that pretty football and flair, just get the points and go home. A Manchester United -1.5 Asian Handicap for 7/5 at Victor Chandler looks like a decent prospect.

Wolverhampton Wanderers to win: 15/2 at BetFred
Draw: 7/2 at SkyBet
Manchester United to win: 4/9 at Bet365

EPL Match Preview: Well, Manchester United just don’t look as if they are going to slow their pace at all. One wonders if they are going to emulate Arsenal’s last title winning triumph, and go all season remaining unbeaten? Certainly at first glance you wouldn’t expect Wolves to be standing in their way, and truthfully this match looks all a bit academic. You expect the teams at the bottom of the table to raise their game and take on the big boys, as they really have nothing to lose. Combine that with the fact that Wolves desperately need points to get away from relegation, you would they would put up some kind of defiance, especially at home. However, you just cannot see it happening against Manchester United. When Chelsea were in the midst of their terrible slump, Wolves beat the defending Champions in one of the shocks of the season. You just cannot imagine a repeat of that happening when Manchester United head to the Midlands. To their credit, Mick McCarthy’s men put on a brave front when they went to Old Trafford earlier in the season, and they put in a decent performance put still lost in a tight 2-1 result. Wins have been hard to come by for Wolves this season, and they are currently on a three game losing skid. They were edged out in a thrilling 4-3 defeat against Manchester City, were thumped 3-0 by Liverpool and then lost in dying seconds of their midweek game against struggling Bolton.

This is top v bottom. There is a difference of 33 points between the two sides, which is exactly the amount which Bolton have sat eighth place in the league, and that is the gulf between United and Wolves. Is there another shock on the cards though? Wolves have had their last five successes in the league (their only wins after beating Stoke on the opening day of the season) against Chelsea, Liverpool, Sunderland and Manchester City, so that is some good which they have taken down. No matter how romantically you may look at this, either as a Wolves fan, or a neutral, you just can’t see three points going to the home side. That is because Manchester United’s defence, which has been one of their highlights this season, should not have any trouble coping with the light weight attack which Wolves can offer. The other factor is that Wolves have one of the worst defensive records in the league, and taking on the top scorers really isn’t what they want right now. Wolves need points, and they are probably going to trudge back to the changing rooms at the end of 90 minutes here without a point and still rooted to the bottom of the league.

Yes Manchester United have been less than perfect away from home this season. That can’t be argued with, and they have cut most of their away fixtures pretty close. They have still won only three on the road, while drawing all other eight which they have played. Their last trip away was an uphill struggle against Blackpool, in which United found themselves two nil down at half time. Was that enough to stop them? No, they still found a way to grind out a win, running out 3-2 winners when their unbeaten run looked on the line. They have been held to 0-0 draws at Tottenham and Manchester City, but have yet to hit the Emirates or Stamford Bridge this season. But for the immediate time being, Manchester United just look as if they will roll on. Wayne Rooney found his scoring touch finally, netting a brace against Aston Villa during midweek. That was a timely contribution from Rooney’s barren season, as he was on the brink of being dropped from the starting line up in favour of the red hot Hernandez. So, Manchester United, primarily through Dimitar Berbatov, just keep scoring and just keep winning. Incidentally, Berbatov has scored just five fewer than Wolves have managed collectively all season. United have scored at least three goals in each of their last three Premier League matches. Who can stop them? They have lost the services of Gary Neville, who has decided to hang up his boots, but Alex Ferguson’s red machine just keeps on going and going.

Wolves have held their end up in matches played at Molineux against Manchester United looking at the head to head. The home side has won 48% of the encounters between the two teams there, where Manchester United have won on 31% of their visits. Looking at the average goals per game in this fixture, Wolves have hit 1.9, while United have hit 1.5. United have already beaten Wolves twice this season, once in the Carling Cup and once in the league, and you expect them to net the hat trick. They have now won the last six straight against Wolves. If United win this one, they will hit a new club record for an unbeaten run of games. For a team which has looked so ordinary on the road, it is quite astonishing.

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Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester United Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Man Utd 2, Wolves 1
Wolves 0, Man Utd 1
Man Utd 3, Wolves 0
Wolves 1, Man Utd 0
Man Utd 1, Wolves 0

Wolverhampton Wanderers have an 42% win percentage at home in the league this season
Manchester United have a 27% win percentage away from home in the league this season

Wolverhampton Wanderers are on a streak of 8 home matches with no draw
Manchester United are on a streak of 11 away games with no defeat

Wolverhampton Wanderers have scored 15 goals, and conceded 18 at home
Manchester United have scored 17 and conceded 14 goals in their away matches

Wolverhampton Wanderers average 1.2 goals per match at home this season
Manchester United average 1.5 goals per match away from home this season

Wolverhampton Wanderers have scored the bulk of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket
Manchester United have scored the majority of their goals in the 31-45 minute bracket

Wolverhampton Wanderers have opened the scoring in 41% of their matches
Manchester United have scored first in 78% of their matches

Wolverhampton Wanderers 2010/11 top scorer: Ebanks-Blake, Fletcher, 4
Manchester United 2010/11 top scorer: Berbatov, 19

Wolverhampton Wanderers 2010/11 Season Form: P24 W6 D3 L15 GF24 GA42 Pts 21 (20th)
Manchester United 2010/11 Season Form: P24 W15 D9 L0 GF54 GA22 Pts 54 (1st)

Manchester United v Aston Villa Betting Tip & Odds: Well, Villa are finally showing some signs of improvement, but it is unlikely to be enough to go to Old Trafford and cause an upset. Manchester United are rolling along and dealing with everything which is getting thrown at them. United at home should be a banker for three points, and you have to look in that direction. They should have too much to offer up front against a Villa back line which isn’t renowned for keeping themselves out of trouble. Villa rattled United when they met earlier in the season, and still the Red Devils wouldn’t break. Not going to be great value in backing a United win, so it’ll be worth looking at Berbatov in the goalscorer markets. For the match outcome though, head to an Asian Handicap of Manchester United -1.75 for 6/5 at Bet365, paying out a half win for a two goal victory, full win on a 3 goal margin.

Manchester United to win: 1/3 at Paddy Power
Draw: 9/2 at Bet365
Aston Villa to win: 10/1 at SkyBet

EPL Match Preview: Manchester United will just not lie down. They were down at out at half time in last week’s away match against Blackpool, but then that old United resilience shone through in the last twenty minutes of the match, and their goals (including a brace from Dimitar Berbatov) saw the Blackpool hearts broken. All of Manchester United’s troubles have come on the road this season, and time and time again they have been backed into a corner, only for them to manage to find a way out. It is almost something which you come to expect from them on their travels this year, and they were at it again when they fell behind at Southampton in the FA Cup. It took a second half turn around to get them out of that mire as well. But, for all their ups and downs on the road this season, they still remain unbeaten at the top of the Barclays Premier League. It is quite remarkable, as prior to the season kick off, they did not look as sure fire a bet, with the level of quality throughout the squad, much poorer than it has been for years. They are still, despite their unbeaten record, far from being a great team, but the other teams challenging for the title race haven’t lived up to that mantle either. United don’t have the flair or passing quality of Arsenal, and they don’t have the quality in midfield that Chelsea can line up with, but despite all that they still get the job done. Does a home match against Aston Villa have the potential of being the one which ends their unbeaten run? No, even though Villa played a really great match earlier in the season when United went to Villa Park. Villa pulled out a two goal lead, but yes, inevitably, Manchester United managed to claw their way back to earn a point. Back in United’s back yard, you have to expect a home win.

Whatever Dimitar Berbatov (7/2 at SkyBet as First Goal Scorer) has been having for breakfast, Chelsea fans will want some for Drogba and Anelka. The Bulgarian is simply on fire, and unstoppable this season, and this was after much criticism last season, that he was lazy, unreliable and wasn’t fit to replace Rooney. How tables turn. Wayne Rooney is having a tough season, and seems to be a shadow of his former self. There is no indication of where the next goal is going to come from him, and with Berbatov carrying the can, Mexican striker Javier Hernandez (9/2 at SkyBet as First Goal Scorer) is really pushing hard with his goal scoring feats, to replace Rooney in the line up. Hernandez always seems to be right there when United need something special to salvage the game. He has done it time and time again, and he was a great capture by United in the summer. You have to think that United will find a way through the Aston Villa back line, although it was a back line which managed to keep out Manchester City in a recent match. However, this is at Old Trafford, where Manchester United  have won 65% of all matches at home between the two sides. They didn’t win in the corresponding fixture last year though, when Villa stole all three points, but that result really went against the trend of how this fixture has generally gone. United have had a lot of success against Aston Villa in recent times, and that, backed up with their record this season, it all points to a convincing home win. There is also a vast gulf in the goal tally’s when the teams play at Old Trafford, with United having scored over 100 more goals in the fixture than the visitors. Sounds as if more of the same is on the cards.

Aston Villa, despite being stuck in a relegation dog fight for a fair share of the season, really are not that bad a side, and finally are showing their true colours and are improving. Gerard Houllier is the man charged with taking them forward, and they went in with a big splash to get Darren Bent from Sunderland during the January transfer window, and that was a vital coup. Villa have been one of the lowest scoring teams in the Premier League all season, and one of the major reasons why they were in trouble. They have not been helped along this season with their terrible defence either, which are having a hard time not shipping and giving away goals. Aston Villa have climbed up to thirteenth in the league, and are giving their fans a lot more optimism than a few weeks ago. They are now unbeaten in their last three matches to their credit, and finally Houllier looks as if he is getting things together at the club. Villa have a lot of good young players at the club, and because of a tough break with injuries, they have suffered this season. However, maybe the youthfulness is beginning to pay off now, as more experienced is gained. Villa actually play some good football, and like to use width. They have a bit of quality in Ashley Young, Mark Albrighton and now with Darren Bent up front along with Gabriel Agbonlahor, they should have more firepower to ensure their safety. Villa really do have enough to play their way out of trouble, however, they aren’t going to do it at Old Trafford.

Villa did great last season, taking points of United in both games, including a victory at Old Trafford. They are not going to do it this season, as they are far less organized than they were last year. Still, this is good testing ground for them, to see just how much they have improved. They don’t have a particularly great record against United, and back to back wins there in the league? Unlikely. Villa won’t be helped by the fact that their away form has been pretty miserable, winning just two matches on their travels this season in the league. They have been beaten seven times in their twelve away matches, but as mentioned, they have shown better signs, going unbeaten in their last three road trips, including a 3-3 tie against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. There is still the feeling that Villa are a work in progress, and heading north to Old Trafford is just going to be too much for them. When you have conceded an average of 2.25 goals per match on the road this season, Old Trafford is pretty much the last place you want to go.

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Manchester United v Aston Villa Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Aston Villa 2, Manchester United 2
Aston Villa 1, Manchester United 1
Manchester United 0, Aston Villa 1
Manchester United 3, Aston Villa 2
Aston Villa 0, Manchester United 0

Manchester United have an 92% win percentage at home in the league this season
Aston Villa have a 17% win percentage away from home in the league this season

Manchester United are on a streak of 12 home games with no defeat
Aston Villa are on a streak of 3 away matches with no defeat

Manchester United have scored 34 goals, and conceded 7 at home
Aston Villa have scored 11 and conceded 27 goals in their away matches

Manchester United average 2.8 goals per match at home this season
Aston Villa average 0.9 goals per match away from home this season

Manchester United have scored the bulk of their goals in the 31-45 and 76-90 minute brackets
Aston Villa have scored the majority of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket

Manchester United have opened the scoring in 69% of their matches
Aston Villa have scored first in 50% of their matches

Manchester United 2010/11 top scorer: Berbatov, 19 (14 of them at home)
Aston Villa 2010/11 top scorer: Downing, 5

Manchester United 2010/11 Season Form: P23 W14 D9 L0 GF51 GA21 Pts 51 (1st)
Aston Villa 2010/11 Season Form: P24 W7 D7 L10 GF27 GA40 Pts 28 (13th)