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August 9th 2003
4pts
Northampton
/ Rangers @
2.10 Interwetten
1.97
Premierbet
1.95 Centrebet
Northampton
v Torquay
The other big spenders in Division
Three, other than Hull,
Northampton
have added several players to their squad over the summer. Low and Smith
are among many impressive players playing for
Northampton. Torquay had a decent season last time, but have struggled a little in
pre-season, and haven’t had the money to strengthen their squad. The
price on this game would be totally different a few weeks into the
season, so it is a good idea to snap up the odds on
Northampton
now. Probably the best bet of the day.
Rangers v
Kilmarnock
Rangers have lost a few players over the summer,
but only Amoruso was a key player. With replacements signed, Rangers
should win at home against virtually all of the non Old Firm clubs. Add
in the fact that
Kilmarnock
are missing a few key players, and it looks a very safe home win.
Kilmarnock
have lost heavily on their last 3 visits to Ibrox.
3pts
Hull
/
Clyde @
2.80
Centrebet
2.76 SportingOdds
2.72 Interwetten
Hull
v
Darlington
Hull
are the favourites for Division Three, and rightly so with the signings
they have made. Thelwell and Alsopp appear to be the most significant of
these.
Darlington
meanwhile, despite moving to a new stadium appear weaker than last
season, with a few players leaving.
Darlington
do normally do well against
Hull
, so it may be wise to tread slightly carefully. With a big crowd behind
them,
Hull
should have too much for
Darlington
though.
Clyde
v
Ayr
This looks a safe home win on early form.
Ayr
were defeated in the Challenge Cup by Third Division opposition at home.
Clyde
finished second last season and look set to do pretty well again with
their strong defence. The only downside is the suspension of their
regular goalkeeper here.
Ayr
may sign more players and improve as the season goes on, but they are
ripe to be opposed at the moment.
2.25pts
Bristol
City
/ Peterhead @ 3.46
Centrebet
3.39 Stanleybet
3.30 Bet365
Bristol City v Notts County
As always at the start of the season it is wise to
tread carefully. However,
Bristol
City
do stand out to win this one. The signings of Miller and Wilkshire in
recent weeks have improved the squad after the departure of
Murray
to
Reading
. Taking on a team who are in administration and haven’t improved
their squad since last season is a good chance to start the season with
a win. Over the past 3 seasons, the games between these teams have
tended to be won by the home side. All in all, a good bet at decent
odds.
Montrose v Peterhead
The fact that Peterhead are odds-against despite
beating Montrose 4 times out of 4 last season, is a reason to back them.
They have been one of the few Scottish lower league teams to spend money
on transfer fees over the summer, and look sure to go close to
promotion. Montrose are at best an average Division Three team and
should struggle here. Peterhead look good to follow up their impressive
3-0 Challenge Cup win over Stenhousemuir with another win here.
0.25pts
Bristol
City
/
Hull
/
Northampton
/ Rangers /
Clyde
/ Peterhead
@
18.89 Centrebet
17.02 Interwetten
16.68 Premierbet
Summary:
No out-standing value in decent-priced singles this week, so we
have gone for 3 safer looking doubles. Hopefully at least 2 will win to
guarantee a good profit. We also recommend a small 6-fold, just in case
all 6 win. This will pay a tidy little bonus for not much risk.
August
12th 2003
5pts
Celta
Vigo
/
Bradford
/
Walsall
@
3.08 Premierbet
3.02 UK
Betting
2.97
Centrebet
Celta
Vigo v Slavia Prague
Even
though they have not played a competitive game yet this season, Celta
have to be fancied to win this. Slavia weren’t overly impressive in
the previous round, and will probably in any case settle for a narrow
defeat here. In last season’s UEFA Cup, they lost every time they
played away, only managing to make it through with impressive home
performances. None of the opposition faced then was from a top European
league. Celta will be well-prepared for this game given the financial
incentives for making the Champions League group stages, and look like
winning fairly comfortably.
Bradford
v
Darlington
Bradford
did well to draw with
Norwich
at the weekend, and are one of the few
First Division teams looking likely to play close to their strongest
team in the Carling Cup.
Darlington
lost a few players over the summer, without making any good signings to
replace them. They look like finishing near the bottom of Division Three
this season.
Darlington
have also lost to
Bradford
in this competition in recent years. If
Bradford
can take their chances, they could win this very easily. A few weeks
into the season, the odds would be much shorter.
Walsall
v
Carlisle
Walsall
were arguably the most impressive
performers in Division One at the weekend. Key player Paul Merson looks
likely to play some part in this game, as
Walsall
look like fielding a strong team.
Carlisle
meanwhile were defeated at home by
York
at the weekend, and look set for another
season of struggle. They look likely to struggle to score goals again.
Walsall
managed 4 against
West Brom
at the weekend, but it will probably
only take 1 or 2 to win this one, and they should surely manage this
against poor opposition.
Summary:
Three fairly short-priced teams are worth taking in a treble
here. In our opinion, the odds on each of the three should perhaps be
even shorter. There is nothing to suggest that each of the selections
won’t win comfortably. At odds of over 2/1 , it is a bet worth taking.
5pts
West Brom
/
Walsall
/ Tranmere @ 3.04
Centrebet
2.66
Sporting Odds
2.49 Tote Bet Xpress
West Brom
v Brentford
Both of these teams lost 4-1 away from home on Saturday, but
West Brom
should bounce
back here. They make a few changes to their team, but do have a very
strong squad and should field a strong line-up whatever.
West Brom
will want to
bounce back from their defeat to
Walsall
.
West Brom
are usually
strong defensively, and should be able to score the goals to win this
one. Brentford look set for a struggle in Division Two this season, and
will do well to avoid defeat here
Walsall v Carlisle
Walsall, already advised, but the further news from BBC Radio Cumbria,
that manager Roddy Collins has warned fans travelling to the game that
he will field a reserve team, makes them a must to bet on again.
Carlisle's first team is pretty poor, so their reserves should really
struggle here and look set for a heavy defeat, even if Walsall rest a
few players.
Tranmere v Brentford
Tranmere have stated that they are eager to have a good cup run to earn
money, so we can be assured of a strong line-up. Tranmere scored 4
against Brentford at the weekend, while Bury were conceding 4 at
Swansea
. Tranmere are
a class above
Swansea
, and ended last season very strongly. Unless Bury
show a very unlikely major improvement, a defeat here is likely.
Summary:
Walsall
are already advised, but with
Carlisle
using a
reserve team, are worth taking again. It is normally not a good idea to
take a team on several bets, but this is an exception. Wolves and
Tranmere are both playing lower division teams at home. Both opponents
struggled on Saturday and look likely to do so again. Very good odds on
offer for a safe-looking treble, particularly from Centrebet.
August
13th 2003
5pts
Galatasaray
@
1.45 Centrebet,
Victor Chandler, Sporting Odds
Galatasaray
v CSKA Sofia
Galatasaray
should be able to win this match fairly comfortably. They have a pretty
good home record in European competitions, although they struggle at
times against the very best teams. CSKA won through the previous
qualifying round against Armenian opposition fairly easily, but this is
a big step up for them. Galatasaray have added Sukur and Frank de Boer
to their squad recently, and have retained most of their squad from
recent seasons. CSKA will no doubt approach this game defensively, and
will probably be happy not to lose too heavily. It looks highly unlikely
for Galatasaray not to qualify, so surely they will win at home.
Summary:
Just the one bet on a safe looking single. Others considered were
Chelsea
,
Reading
and
Sunderland
. All have fair chances to win, but
Chelsea
don’t strictly need to, and the other are pretty short-priced away
from home against Third Division opposition. I was close to recommending
Sunderland
, but the odds weren’t quite tempting enough.
August 16th 2003
5pts
Mansfield
@
1.85 Centrebet,
Victor Chandler, Sporting Odds
Mansfield
v Leyton Orient
Both of
these teams have lost both games so far.
Mansfield
played well at
Kidderminster
in the first league game, but lost. They then dominated against First
Division Sunderland in the Carling Cup, having almost 20 corners, before
conceding an injury time winner.
Mansfield
could have a couple of key players back from injury for this game.
Leyton Orient meanwhile, have a few injury concerns. They have lost 3-1
to
Doncaster
and 4-1 to
Cardiff
so far this season, and look set to struggle.
Mansfield
will score plenty of goals this season, and Leyton Orient don’t look
good enough to stop them here.
3pts
West Brom
/ Montrose @
3.60 Centrebet
3.55 Paddy
Power
3.49 Victor
Chandler
West
Brom v Burnley
After this
opening defeat against
Walsall
,
West Brom
bounced back to easily beat Brentford in the Carling Cup. It is hard to
judge their form, but they look to have a very strong team. Burnley have
lost to Crystal Palace, who ended the game with 9 men, and needed
penalties to beat Chesterfield, regarded as one of the worst teams in
Division Two, in the Carling Cup.
Burnley
have signed David May this week to strengthen their defence, which was
their main weakness last season. Their opening performances do not look
encouraging though, and May probably won’t be match-fit yet.
West Brom
are strong defensively, so may only need a single goal to win this.
East
Stirling
v Montrose
East Stirling
are by far the worst team in
Scotland
. They have several injury and suspension problems for this game.
East Stirling
have lost both games so far this season, 5-2 and 3-1. Last season, they
failed to win a single home game. Montrose have also lost both games so
far this season, but have performed far better. They lost to a brilliant
long-range goal against promotion favourites Peterhead last week.
Montrose have a good record against
East Stirling
recently, and if they can defend well, should be able to score a few
against
East Stirling
’s poor defence.
0.5pts
West Brom
/
Swansea
/
Mansfield
/ Montrose @ 23.31
Centrebet
22.39 Paddy
Power
21.81 Skybet
Cheltenham
v Swansea
Cheltenham
, relegated from Division Two last season, have started poor this time.
They were lucky to only lose 2-0 to Southend in the first league game,
then were out-played by QPR in the Carling Cup, despite playing against
10 men for 70 minutes.
Cheltenham
lost a couple of their better players over the summer and look to be
struggling. Meanwhile
Swansea
have improved their squad since last season. They beat Bury easily in
their first game, before taking
Bristol
City
, one of the best teams in Division Two, to extra time away from home
before losing.
Swansea
look to have every chance in this game if they can recover quickly from
the Carling Cup game.
Summary:
Mansfield
look the best bet of the day against Leyton Orient.
Mansfield
should make the play-offs, while Leyton Orient should be in the bottom 6
at the end of the season.
Mansfield
can score a few goals, so should win this time after their previous bad
luck.
West Brom
are taken in a double with Montrose, as both teams seem fairly likely to
win. Both are playing teams who are not playing well, and find it hard
to defend.
Swansea
are a value bet at high odds, which can be added to a small stakes
4-fold, which will pay a very tidy sum if all 4 teams win.
August
20th 2003
5pts
Denmark
/
Portugal
@
1.66
Totalbet
,
UK
Betting, Eurobet
Denmark
v Finland
Finland
are without Hyypia and Litmanen here, plus other key players.
Denmark
have named a strong squad for this game, with all of their regular
players. Players such as Sand and Tomasson may only play as little as
half a game each, but even in a friendly, it seems certain that their
team will be too strong for
Finland
.
Finland
struggle away from home in both competitive and friendly games, and will
find it hard to score here, so look likely to lose.
Portugal
v Kazakhstan
This game
should be pretty one-sided.
Kazakhstan
rarely play matches against European opposition, and when they do they
tend to lose comfortably. It is surprising that
Portugal
have chosen to play such weak opposition, but should win very easily.
They have named a fairly strong squad for this game, with a few younger
players to try out. Against a team lacking top-level experience,
Portugal
should run out very easy winners
5pts
Switzerland-France Over 2.5 goals
@
1.90 Scandic
1.85 Gamebookers
1.70 Interwetten
Switzerland
v
France
A close
look at the recent records of both of these teams shows that they are
rarely involved in low-scoring games. Both teams have named fairly
strong squads here, with all of
France
’s key attacking players present. Switzerland look to be better going
forward than defending, which is supported by the fact that they rarely
keep a clean sheet, but also rarely fail to score.
France
are clearly the better team here, but the odds are too short on them to
win. This promises to be an open match, with plenty of goals.
Summary:
Normally it is best to avoid betting too heavily on friendlies,
but a few bets do stand out.
Denmark
at home to a
Finland
team without most of their better players should surely win.
Denmark
may make a few substitutions, but the back-up players look to be better
than the
Finland
starting players.
Portugal
are added to this bet merely to boost the odds. It is impossible to see
them not winning at home against a team lacking any players with major
European clubs. A 4 or 5 goal victory would not be a surprise, with many
of the younger players trying to stake a claim for places in the Euro
2004 squad. Without any competitive games, most of
Portugal
’s players will be out to impress.
August
22nd 2003
5pts
Northampton
@
1.70 Centrebet,
Scandic, Premierbet
Northampton
v Darlington
Both teams
have lost both league games so far, and have both beaten First Division
opposition in the Carling Cup.
Darlington
, although they played well against
Bradford
, have been well-beaten in their two league games to date.
Northampton
, with a bit more luck, could have 2 wins so far. They lost an even game
to Torquay, but against
York
had 8 shots on target to
York
’s 1.
Northampton
will do well this season, and their 1-0 win against
Norwich
shows that they can play well. Defensively they are doing well, but need
to score. Martin Smith should get at least 20 this season, and this
could be his chance to score the first of those.
Northampton
really should win this one against a team that will struggle all season.
5pts
Manchester City-Portsmouth Over 2.5 goals
@ 1.90 Bet365
1.80 Scandic
1.75 Premierbet
Manchester
City v Portsmouth
Both of
these teams are undoubtedly better attacking than defending. Both also
had around 60% of their matches last season finishing with 3 or more
goals.
Man
City
opened with a 3-0 win, and
Portsmouth
a 2-1 win, so the trend of 3 or more goals is continuing. It seems
fairly likely that both teams will score, so a 2-1 or 3-1 score line wouldn’t be unexpected.
Summary:
Manchester City-Portsmouth looks the best Over bet of the season
so far. Both teams play an attacking style, and aren’t the best
defensively. The game should easily have 3 goals, and the odds are high
enough to make a bet worthwhile. Northampton
will come good eventually. Their new players are getting to know each
other gradually it seems, so their attacking play might be better than
previously here.
Northampton
have a much better team than
Darlington
, so should have the edge here.
August
23rd 2003
5pts
Chelsea
/
Hull
/
Stirling
Albion
@
3.17 Skybet
3.13 Premierbet
3.10 Bet365
Chelsea
v
Leicester
Chelsea
have Mutu making his debut, while Elliott and Ferdinand are out for
Leicester
here.
Chelsea
will win this if they perform like they did against
Liverpool
.
Leicester
have been talking with a defeatist attitude in the press before the
game. They look likely to be relegated this season, and should lose away
from home against one of the top teams.
Hull
v
Cheltenham
Cheltenham
will still be reeling after blowing a 3-1 lead against
Swansea
, eventually losing 4-3 last week. They seem to be easy to score
against, which isn’t good news against
Hull
, who have been creating a lot of chances.
Hull
did lose to
Oxford
last week, but were unlucky to do so. At home with a large support,
Hull
have every chance to win this, and the odds on offer look very good.
Stirling
Albion
v
East Stirling
Stirling
beat
East Stirling
3 times out of 4 last season, and have started this season fairly well.
They have had some tough games, but have done well, including beating
First Division Ayr in the Challenge Cup and Stranraer away from home
last week.
East Stirling
remain the worst team in
Scotland
, but picked up a welcome point against Montrose last week. They still
concede a lot of goals though, and against one of the stronger teams in
Division Three, should be beaten again.
4pts
Bristol
City
/
Clyde
@
2.48 Paddy
Power
2.47
Skybet
2.42
Tote Bet Xpress
Bristol
City
v
Hartlepool
Despite
being tipped to struggle, Hartlepool have done fairly well, beating
Peterborough and drawing with Tranmere, as well as beating Sheffield
Wednesday in the Carling Cup. However, they were out-played at home by
Tranmere, and
Peterborough
aren’t in
Bristol
City
’s class. At home,
Bristol
City
always seem to score a few. The odds are generous for this game, as they
have played well so far and have a good home record in Division Two over
the past couple of years.
Clyde
v Brechin
Brechin
have lost their only 2 league games so far 3-0 and 4-0 against pretty
average Division One teams.
Clyde
finished second last season with a very strong home record, and look set
to do well again. They got a creditable draw away at
Inverness
last week.
Clyde
score a few goals at home against weaker teams usually, so look good
favourites to win here. Brechin don’t seem to have adjusted to life in
Division One yet, and if they get hammered by Raith and
Ross
County
, they seem certain to struggle against
Clyde
, who are better than the other two teams.
3pts
Charlton not to lose /
Swindon
@
2.80 Centrebet
2.72
Scandic
2.65
Blue Square
Wolves v
Charlton
Wolves were
battered by
Blackburn
last week, and will be missing Miller, Ndah and Kennedy here, plus
possibly Blake also. Charlton lost against
Manchester
City
last week, but were a little unlucky with some decisions. A look at
Charlton’s away form last season, shows that they lost 9 away games.
They lost to all of the top 5 clubs, but performed very well against the
lower teams. Charlton always seem to be hard to beat away from home, and
could have Jensen, Cole and Di Canio to come into their team. It looks
like they’ll get at least a draw against a poor team.
Swindon
v
Notts
County
Swindon
have a chance of making the play-offs this season, and are very
generously priced against a team who are currently in administration.
Notts
County
lost 5-0 to
Bristol
City
in their first away game this season, and also lost this corresponding
fixture last season 5-0.
Swindon
are playing well and have made some good signings, such as Mooney, who
got their winner last week. It is hard to see
Swindon
not winning this one.
0.5pts
Chelsea
/
Bristol
City
/
Swindon
/
Hull
/
Clyde
/
Stirling
Albion
@
13.06 Skybet
12.99 Centrebet
12.61
Bet365
Summary:
We have taken mainly favourites this week, but all look very
generously priced to win. This is in addition to the Man City-Portsmouth
Over 2.5 goals previously advised. All of the teams look to have a
strong chance to win, so combining them in doubles and trebles looks a
good way to maximise the winnings.
August
25th 2003
5pts
Brighton
@
1.85 Scandic
1.80 Centrebet
1.80
Bet365
Brighton
v
Luton
After
winning impressively against
Oldham
and QPR,
Brighton
were a little unlucky to lose to
Barnsley
in their last game.
Luton
look in a bit of turmoil. Thorpe left for QPR last week, and there is
unrest among the fans. Howard and Spring are rumoured to be on their way
out, with manager Mike Newell admitting that certain players’ minds
were on other things during the home defeat against
Grimsby
.
Luton
had won their previous two league game, but only against relatively weak
opposition.
Brighton
look like doing much better than
Luton
this season, and in their last season in Division Two had a very strong
home record. Winning their first home game against QPR is a good sign
for this season.
4pts
Reading
/
Grimsby
@
2.75 Tote
Bet Xpress
2.70 Totalbet
2.70
UK
Betting
Reading
v
Rotherham
Reading
won this corresponding fixture 3-0 last season, and have made an
excellent start to the season. Only a last minute
Ipswich
goal has prevented them winning every game.
Reading
’s last home match was a very impressive 3-0 win over
Nottingham
Forest
. They have looked solid defensively and have scored a few goals.
Rotherham
have had a mixed season. They did beat West Ham in their last game, but
previously drew with
Cardiff
and lost to
Norwich
. One of
Rotherham
’s better players, Alan Lee, has recently joined
Cardiff
.
Rotherham
won’t make it easy, but will find it hard to score against
Reading
, and should lose.
Grimsby
v Wycombe
Grimsby
have been playing well when they have managed to keep 11 men on the
field this season. They were out-played at
Plymouth
in the first game, but drew 2-2. Against Port Vale and
Doncaster
, they were leading, before getting players sent off and eventually
losing. In the last game, they won 2-1 at
Luton
after managing not to have anyone sent off.
Grimsby
do have a few decent players left from their time in Division One, so
should do fairly well this season. Wycombe meanwhile, have conceded 3
goals in each of their last two games. They led 2-0 at
Blackpool
and lost 3-0, while throwing away the lead three times against
Chesterfield
on Saturday to draw 3-3. Defensively Wycombe have looked poor, and
haven’t done that well this season, despite not facing any of the top
teams.
Grimsby
do not have any players suspended until after this game, so should have
the edge.
0.5pts
Reading
/
Brighton
/
Grimsby
@
4.86 Blue
Square
4.86 Scandic
4.77 Bet365
Summary:
Three solid looking home selections against teams that are
struggling a little. All three look to have a good chance of winning,
and the odds on offer seem reasonable.
August
26th-28th 2003
6pts
Arsenal / Man Utd HT-FT / Ajax / Chelsea
@ 2.56 Blue Square
2.53 Ladbrokes
2.32 William Hill
Arsenal v Aston Villa
Arsenal have looked extremely impressive so far, beating Everton with 10
men, then beating Middlesbrough easily. Aston Villa lost to Portsmouth,
then couldn't score against Liverpool. They also had an awful away
record last season, while Arsenal are always very strong at home, and
usually start strongly. Arsenal HT/FT is possibly something worth
considering. Arsenal should win this, as they have most of their players
fit and available.
3pts van
Nistelrooy to outscore Iversen / Inverness CT @
3.30 Blue Square
Manchester United v Wolves
After Wolves' first 2 games, 5-1 and 4-0 defeats, this looks like a case
of how many rather than who is going to win. Manchester United will
surely win easily against a team full of average first division players.
Key players for Wolves, Miller and Kennedy, look unlikely to be fit,
while Manchester United are at full strength almost. Wolves did sign
Emerson before the game, but his match fitness must be in doubt. Ruud
van
Nistelrooy has now scored in 10 consecutive league games, and looks to
have a great chance of scoring a couple here.
Ajax v Graz
Ajax were widely expected to win the first leg on this tie, but in the
end drew 1-1 after a less than convincing performance. A couple of key
players have left in the summer, but Ajax remain a good side. Graz are a
decent team, but are not up to Ajax's standard and will do well to
score. Ajax will be looking to win the game, to avoid any possible last
minute dramas. The odds are short, but Ajax, with a strong home record
in Europe in recent seasons, should have the edge.
Chelsea v Zilina
Although Chelsea are already 2-0 up in this tie, they seem sure to
further add to their lead in this match. They are taking no chances, and
have named a full-strength squad for the game. Even if Chelsea do make a
few changes, the team will not contain any players without a lot of
top-level experience. Zilina looked a very poor team indeed in the first
leg, so are unlikely to improve much here. Chelsea will look to use this
game to help gel their team. They are taking no chances though, so will
be looking for an impressive performance and easy win.
Inverness CT v Ross County
Ross County have made an impressive start to the season, but a
closer look at their results shows that they have not played any top
teams. They have had an easy run in both the league and Challenge Cup.
Inverness meanwhile, have played all the top Division One teams, and won
very impressively at St Johnstone in their last game. Ross County should
be a bit better than last season, but it is hard to see them doing well
in this game, as it will be a big step up from their previous games.
Last time out, they needed a bit of help from the referee to beat St
Mirren. Inverness should edge what might be a high-scoring game.
6pts Steaua
/ Lieria @
1.40 William Hill, Skybet
1.36 Bet365
Lieria v Coleraine
Top Portuguese team Lieria suffered a shock defeat in Ireland in the
first leg. This will make sure that they come out determined to win this
game. It is Lieria's first campaign in Europe, and they will not want to
be eliminated in the preliminary round against weak opposition.
Coleraine will undoubtedly try to hold on for a 0-0, but it is very
doubtful that will be able to. This looks like a very clear home win.
Steaua v Neman
Steaua conceded a late goal in the first leg of this tie, to draw 1-1 in
Belarus. This means that they will not be sitting back in this game. The
difference in class between the Romanian league and the Belarus league
is huge, with teams from Belarus rarely winning through in any sort of
European tie against any opposition. Steaua are one of the strongest
teams in Romania, and will be taking this very seriously. A clear home
win is to be expected.
Summary: Steaua and Lieria look a very safe double against
very weak opposition. Almost free money as neither should have any
problems. The fact that both teams failed to win the first leg should
ensure that they are focused this time. Chelsea don't need to win, but
adding them to the multiple bet seems a safe option as the opposition is
so weak. Ajax also need to win, and should do so against a much weaker
and less-experienced team. Arsenal should be able to beat Aston Villa at home, and have done so for
the past few seasons. Man Utd will beat Wolves, there seems little doubt
about that. Given Wolves' poor record, taking them HT/FT should pay.
Ruud van
Nistelrooy should score if Man Utd score a couple, meaning that it will
take Iversen to net a consolation goal, as he did against Blackburn, to
have any chance of causing the goal scorer match bet to lose. Even if he
does score, van Nistelrooy may get 2. Alternatively, for a safer bet,
van Nistelrooy to score any time is at slightly shorter odds with Blue
Square. Inverness just seem like a better team than Ross County, and are
possibly a bit over-priced.
August 30th 2003
3.25pts Tottenham / Swindon
@ 3.33 Scandic,
Interwetten
3.30 Premierbet
Tottenham v Fulham
Fulham look likely to struggle away from home this season, even more
than they did last season. They conceded three early goals against a
weakened Everton team in their last away much, and look likely to
struggle here. Tottenham have had a good season so far, at last having
most of their first choice players available, including defenders
Richards and King. Tottenham have played very well in their last two
games against Liverpool and Leeds, and look likely to win this if their
defence plays as well as it did against Liverpool.
Swindon v Blackpool
Blackpool have looked defensively weak this season, conceding a lot of
goals. They did beat Wycombe and Oldham this season, but they are two of
the weaker teams in this division, and both times Blackpool conceded two
goals. Swindon have been playing well all season, and have a good strike
force, capable of scoring a lot of goals at this level. Blackpool
suffered a heavy defeat at QPR in a previous away game, so look
vulnerable here.
6pts Hull / Celtic @
1.77 Centrebet
1.72 Bet365, Blue Square
Hull v
Boston
Hull have been inconsistent results-wise this season, slipping up
against Oxford and Cheltenham. However, in every game, they have had a
lot of shots and attacking play. Poor defending cost them in their last
home game against Cheltenham. Burgess and Allsopp will score a lot of
goals in Division Three, so if Hull defend properly, they should win
this easily. Boston have a few players injured, and on their last away
trip to face decent opposition, lost 3-0 to Swansea. Hull also won both
games between these teams last season without conceding a goal.
Celtic v Livingston
Celtic look like beating all of the other teams in the SPL at home again
this season, with the possible exception of Rangers. The odds are not
generous, but looking at the statistics, they aren't bad. Livingston
have looked distinctly average this season, and have yet to face any of
the top teams. Livingston are not as strong as a couple of years ago,
and look set for a bit of a struggle this season. Celtic still have
Sutton suspended, but Hartson may start. An easy win for Celtic.
0.75pts Tottenham / Port Vale / Swindon / Hull /
Celtic @ 10.09
Centrebet
9.94 Scandic
9.44 Totalbet
Port
Vale v Brentford
Port Vale have looked pretty good all season, and haven't had much
trouble scoring goals. They also managed to hold First Division
Nottingham Forest to a draw at home in the Carling Cup, so their home
form looks good. Brentford look like being one of the worst teams in
Division Two this season, and are really struggling. As well as this,
their first choice goalkeeper is suspended. Brentford have suffered a
few bad defeats, winning only against Oldham. Brentford are going to
really struggle away from home this season, and should be opposed now
while the odds are generous.
Summary:
Five home teams, all playing opposition who are struggling a bit. All of
the opposing teams have looked like conceding a lot of goals away from
home this season, so look likely to lose.
August 31st 2003
5pts Manchester City-Arsenal
Over 2.5 goals @
1.80 Premierbet
1.75 Bet365
1.73 Victor Chandler
Manchester City v Arsenal
The only recent games between these two teams have finished 5-0, 2-1,
4-0 and 5-1. Arsenal won them all, but may not have it all their own way
this time. Manchester City have made some good signings, and will be
hard to beat at home. McManaman and Reyna will not play here though.
Another player who will not play is Sol Campbell, who is suspended.
Arsenal always look like scoring a few, but may be vulnerable at the
back. Manchester City regularly feature in high-scoring games, and may
well manage a goal or two here. Arsenal look sure to score, so goals
look certain.
Summary: Both teams have a history of high-scoring,
attacking games. The absence of Arsenal's best defender, make Over 2.5
goals a must-bet.
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