Tips for Betting on Summer Leagues (Irish Premier League, USA MLS, Brasil, Russian Premier League, Sweden)
As our season has now begun with all it’s usual upsets, I thought now might be an opportune time to look at the Summer Leagues as they start to sort out the wheat from the chaff duting the second half of their seasons.
It’s almost certain there will be a few "certs" going to the wall between now and the last days of their seasons. The main thing is to try and recognise where the pitfalls and pot-holes may be waiting.
IRISH PREMIER LEAGUE
Only ten teams in this set-up. the first three qualify for European football next season. Winner gets a Champions League Qualifying place. The second and third, a Europa League place.
As it stands four teams have a realistic chance of getting one of these places.
Four of the remaing six teams can quite easily find themselves fighting a relegation battle. The big surprise being that St.Patricks find themselves amongst the four. In reality the only team with nothing to play for is Dundalk.
My best advice is, leave well alone.
RUSSIAN PREMIER LEAGUE
Sixteen teams in this league. The first three vie for two Champions League places and the third gets a qualifier place. The next two secure Europa League spots.The bottom two are relegated.
Realistically the bottom two places are "a four horse race".
Places six to twelve have just six points between them.
Still much to play for for the majority of thses sides.
More than obviously any of the bottom four playing away must seriously be considered as LAYS.
BRAZILIERO
In typically baffling style there is not a championship, as such. The competition is run as a double Round-Robin. The team with most points is then declared the Winner.
Their equivalent of the Champions League is the Copa Libertadores. The top three sides qualify for this competition Group stage and the fourth placed gets a qualifying match to play. Fifth to twelth place teams contest the equivalent of the Europa Cup.
The bottom four sides are relegated.
At this point of the season only two teams look outstanding. And for the wrong reasons. Sporting Recife and Fluminense look doomed already.
There are a couple of free-scoring sides but they tend to have an off-day when least expected. Especially when plating away against lesser sides.
Taking a realistic view, after checking thru’ match results, there are still many games to come which have an "iffy" look about them. Do look at the Historic Form as well as the up-to-date results.
USA MLS
As might be expected the Yanks run their league in "Conferences". Eastern and Western.
Qualification for the play-off is a bit hit and miss. Depending where you are on the map as well as in the league table.
The season is two thirds gone and three teams do look in a hopeless position.
teams from seventh position downwards, (Colorado), look to have just reputation to play for. When any two of the sides are set to play each other, the form book might be the place to find the winner.
SWEDEN ALLSVENSKAN
One of the weaker European Leagues. Champions gets a Champions League Qualifying spot and second and third each get a Europa League Qualificaton spot.
Fourteenth placed side do a promotion/relegation battle with the third placed side in the Superettan. The bottom two are relegated.
The top five sides appear to be breaking away from the rest.Not much in it but the signs are there.
The bottom two look to have it to themselves unless there is a big turn around in the form book. Eleventh to fourteenth have a battle to sort themselves out. The sides currently sixth to tenth just have to go thru’ the motions, so to speak. When any of these play each other consideration to home wins must be given, especially when Trelleborg or Hacken are the hosts.
SWEDEN SUPERETTAN
Sweden’s answer to our Championship.
A little over two thirds of the games have been played and Mjallby have what appears an unbeatable lead. They also like to score for fun.
The top two win automatic promotion and the third placed has a play-off situation.The bottom three drop down a level.The presently placed fourth fifth and sixth could make a fight for that third place.
It’s quite tight at the bottom where any three from seven could go down, although Trollhattan and Vasalunds must be odds-on for two of those places.
Angelholm, Vasby and Norrkoping look capable of seeing off any other of the mid-table sides, when at home.
My view on these and a few other leagues, ( these will be covered next time), is to keep to middle of the table sides where the teams have little to play for.
It’s amazing how some struggling sides suddenly find form well above their punching weight when you least expect it.
Poor Old Bookie 1
SKYBET caught cold last weekend (22/24th).
They offered 22/1 against Adebayor, Rooney, Drogba and Torres all scoring over the weekend.The quartet all obliged and cost Skybet a pricely sum.
It’s worth checking out these anytime scorer bets as a handful of players are bang in form.
This is one type of bet were recent form can pretty much be relied upon.
Poor Old Bookie 2
Spread betting firm SPORTING INDEX have reported a loss of over £750,000 on high scoring matches in the last couple of weeks.
Whilst it’s very nice to read of such payouts, it makes me wary that things will go t*ts up
very soon. It’s known as Sod’s Law. Know what I mean? Sit back and watch, and results go the way you WOULD HAVE backed them. Then put your cash down and …………Sod’s Law takes over.
