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7pts Inverness / Ross County      @      1.96      Bet365

Inverness v Queen's Park
The gulf in class between these teams is enormous. Queen's Park are a struggling Scottish Division Three team, who look likely to finish near the bottom again. Inverness have already beaten better teams than Queen's Park, namely Peterhead and Gretna, away in the Challenge Cup, Gretna very easily. Inverness should never be priced at 2/5 for this game. Although a short price, for a top Division One team playing such weak opposition, you would expect shorter odds. Inverness would be much better placed in Division One right now, but have had 3 out of 4 games away from home, and against the better teams in the division. They should be looking forward to some light relief against Queen's Park.

East Stirling v Ross County
East Stirling appear to have marginally improved lately, getting a couple of draws at home in the league. Both were against quite poor teams though. East Stirling have still struggled against better teams in Division Three, as they did last season. At home in the Challenge Cup earlier this season, they were beaten 5-2 by Raith, a team not quite as good as Ross County. East Stirling are still favourites to finish bottom of Division Three, while Ross County are doing quite well in Division One, having signed a couple of decent players since last season. This seems like a very one-sided game, and Ross County should come out on top pretty easily.

3pts Inverness / Ross County / Brechin      @      3.59      Bet365

Elgin City v Brechin City
It may appear a little unwise to take a team at odds-on away from home when they have lost all of their league games so far, but Brechin are a better team than they appear. Apart from Raith, all of their league games have been against the best teams in Division One. Despite their league defeats, Brechin have beaten St Johnstone and Falkirk in the Challenge Cup this season. Also, this week they signed a couple of players released by Dunfermline, to improve their squad. Brechin have won promotion for the past two seasons, getting the better of Elgin and other better teams on the way. Elgin have conceded a lot of goals this season, so look likely to concede a few more here as Brechin are comfortably better than any Division Three team.

Summary:   You will have to move early to obtain these odds. Bet365, William Hill, Ladbrokes and Skybet are the only bookmakers to have published odds on these Scottish League Cup games by Sunday evening. Looking at the odds, Bet365 are out of line with the others on certain games. For example, Ladbrokes go 1/5 Inverness and 2/7 Ross County (double odds 1.54). This is a better indication of how the games should work out. Taking Inverness and Ross County looks an easy way to almost double your money. Adding Brechin in a small treble carries a little more risk, but should pay off. Brechin are a much better team than Elgin, and shouldn't be as high as 5/6. Their results so far aren't quite a fair reflection on their ability. All in all, these could be the best bets of the season so far. Confidence is very high. We would advise though that you do not hang around, as the odds at Bet365 could fall. More bookmakers are sure to publish odds tomorrow, but it is very unlikely that there will be any to match those available at the moment!

September 6th 2003

5pts Italy / France / Czech Republic / Sweden      @      2.12      Centrebet
                                                                                  2.10      Eurobet
                                                                                  2.06      Sportingbet
 
Italy v Wales
This is a game that Italy simply have to win to give themselves a chance to win the group. Wales lost their last game against Serbia and Montenegro, and therefore need a draw to remain top of the group. Wales have injury problems in defence, and could end up with some average First Division players in the team. Bellamy and Hartson both have just returned from injury and may not be fully fit. Wales do have a couple of out-standing players, but have too many average players to seriously challenge Italy here. Wales look like having trouble scoring here, so should lose.

France v Cyprus
France will be looking to virtually wrap up qualification here, before playing away in Slovenia this week. Cyprus usually lose comfortably against the better teams, so shouldn't trouble France here. Zidane may be missing, but France should still win very easily. Cyprus defensively won't be able to cope and should concede at least three here.

Belarus v Czech Republic
The Czech Republic have emphasised the importance of playing their strongest team in this game, as they need to keep winning to stay ahead of Holland. Both teams have won every game in this group, apart from the drawn game against each other. Belarus generally lose against all of the better teams, even losing 2-0 at home to Austria. They have no really top players, and with nothing much to play for, should lose this one. The Czech Republic usually triumph against weaker opposition such as this, and with a full-strength team guaranteed here, should win this one.

Sweden v San Marino
Sweden will surely win this game after beating San Marino 6-0 away from home. This is San Marino's final game in this group, and they have lost all 7 so far by a combined score of 25-0. The odds are extremely poor, but Sweden must win to remain in a good position in their group. There seems no doubt that it will be a comfortable home win.

Summary:   France and Sweden seem certain to win their game against very weak opposition. Czech Republic and Italy both have a good chance to win against much weaker opposition. The key thing about all of the teams recommended, is that all of them badly need to win to try to ensure qualification for Euro 2004. France are the only team with a clear lead in their group, but will need to win this game to give them a bit of margin for error before they play in Slovenia.

September 10th 2003

2pts      Germany 1-0 Scotland (Correct Score)      @      7.50 Blue Square
2pts      Germany 2-0 Scotland (Correct Score)      @      7.00 Blue Square
0.75pts Germany 3-0 Scotland (Correct Score)      @      8.50 Blue Square

Germany v Scotland
Germany are priced pretty short for this game, which makes a straight win bet not that tempting. However, a look around at the correct score markets reveals that Blue Square are more generous than other bookmakers about Germany winning, while keeping a clean sheet. Add to this that they will refund all losing correct score bets if the game finishes 0-0, and it is wise to take Germany to win. Scotland would gladly settle for a draw in this game, and due to their lack of good attacking players, look sure to opt for a defensive formation. Germany will not want to risk going into the last game of the group with Iceland needing to win to qualify. A win here guarantees them second place at the very least. Germany do have a few injury problems, such as Jeremies and Deisler, but should have enough good players to win. It is hard to see Scotland scoring here. The only possible downside is Germany conceding one if they get well ahead. Germany haven't been playing brilliantly, but tend to get results when they need to. They will be up for this game, and will have a 70,000 crowd behind them. Defensively, Germany are pretty strong, especially against weaker nations when the pressure is on. They won't be taking any chances here, so will probably be pretty cautious themselves. In the end though, Germany's better players should give them the edge.

Summary: Taking Germany to win 1-0 and 2-0, with a saver on 3-0 seems the way to go. It is unlikely that Germany will score 4 or more, so this should be fine. Blue Square is the only bookmaker really to take these bets with, as not only do they have the highest odds, you have the safety net of a refund if it finishes 0-0. To be extra safe, it would be possible to also take a 2-1 correct score as a saver. However, we will gamble on Scotland not to score. At other bookmakers, Germany to keep a clean sheet is quoted at around the 1.57 mark. Other bets considered for the midweek games were Russia-Switzerland Over 2.5 goals, but there were a few too many uncertain factors in taking this bet.   

5pts Kent      @      1.50 Ladbrokes, Blue Square, William Hill

Leicestershire v Kent (Cricket County Championship)
This looks to be a game that Kent cannot lose. Bets on County Championship cricket pay out if there is a winner, but refund stakes if it is a draw. Leicestershire have not even managed to win a single first-class game so far this season, and are certain to be relegated. The problem for Leicestershire is that while they have a few decent batsmen and bowlers, they do not have a ability to bowl teams out twice. As a result, they have had a high number of draws this season (9 from 14 games), including a couple of high-scoring ones lately. Brad Hodge has been in great form with that bat for them. Kent meanwhile, struggled badly at the start of the season. However, the signing of Muralitharan has greatly improved their fortunes, and he is sure to play a key role in this game. He is without doubt the top spinner in the world, so Leicestershire will find it hard to bat against him. Also, Ed Smith is back from England duty to strengthen Kent's batting. They bat all the way down the order, so Leicestershire will find wickets hard to come by. Murali will be a big threat for Kent, especially in the second innings when the pitch is wearing. Leicestershire seem to have accepted their relegation, and have named a couple of younger players in the squad. Kent can't win the league, but will want to continue their good form. Certainly it is very hard to see them losing this game, so at worst it should be a stakes refunded scenario.

Summary:   This looks a very solid bet, as Kent's batting line-up is good enough to avoid being bowled out twice by a pretty average bowling attack. In the event of a bowler-friendly pitch at Grace Road, Kent should still have the edge. In the event of bad weather or a good Leicesershire batting performance, stakes will be refunded anyway.

September 13th 2003

5pts Arsenal / Hull / Stranraer      @      2.79      Bet365
                                                          2.71      Stanleybet
                                                          2.65      Sportingbet

Arsenal v Portsmouth
Arsenal really should win this one against a team of Premiership rejects. Portsmouth have had a pretty easy start to the season, so may be in a false position. They will probably struggle away from home this season, especially after being out-played by Wolves. Portsmouth will do well do avoid conceding a few goals here, as their biggest weakness looks to be defence. Arsenal have all their players available, except Silva, who is being rested. Arsenal win almost all their home games, especially against weaker opposition.

Hull v Southend
Hull still look good for promotion this season, while Southend have now lost 12 consecutive away games. Southend also rarely score, which doesn't help them. Hull have scored plenty of goals at home this season, so look set to do well at home. Against one of the poorer teams in the division, Hull should really do the business.

Stranraer v East Stirling
Despite gaining a couple of draws at home, East Stirling are in their usual position at the bottom of the league. Stranraer don't look to doing fantastically, but have only played 1 game at home this season. They also beat First Division Queen of the South at home already in the cups. Last week Stranraer beat Peterhead, arguably the best team in this division, away from home. East Stirling have lost both away games this season, conceding 8 goals. They look poor still, and will do very well to avoid yet another defeat here.

5pts Chelsea / QPR      @      2.30      Ladbrokes
                                            2.25      Interwetten, Centrebet

Chelsea v Tottenham
The odds on Chelsea here are a bit higher than they should be. They could have Crespo and Makelele making their first starts. Looking back at the home game with Blackburn, the only reason Chelsea did not win, was two glaring defensive errors. They shouldn't make the same mistakes here. Tottenham looked very poor in their last game against Fulham, and would need to show a big improvement to avoid defeat here. They have most of their players fit, but have a poor record against Chelsea. Confidence will be low, and it is hard to see Tottenham not losing.

QPR v Wycombe
QPR have won all three home games so far, while Wycombe have lost all 3 away games. QPR are widely reported to have several injuries, but the players reported missing have mostly not played recently anyway. Wycombe are a poor team who concede a lot of goals. It is unlikely that they will keep a clean sheet here, so they will need to score. Wycombe have lost to worse teams than QPR already this season, so should lose here.

1pt      Arsenal / Chelsea / QPR / Sheffield Wednesday / Hull / Stranraer   

                                                              @      9.25      Bet365
                                                                       8.94      Sportingbet
                                                                       8.82      Stanleybet

Sheffield Wednesday v Stockport
This was a game that was possibly one to avoid, but the fact that by far and away Stockport's best player, Luke Beckett, is suspended, makes Sheffield Wednesday a good bet. Beckett has scored every time Stockport have scored this season, except once. Sheffield Wednesday have a few players coming back from injury and suspension here, so should have the edge.

Summary:  Several solid home teams here. All look likely to win against poor opposition. Sheffield Wednesday are only included in the small stakes 6-fold as there are more doubts about them than the others.

September 16th 2003
5pts Chelsea      @      2.10      Scandic, Premierbet, Stanleybet

Sparta Prague v Chelsea
There doesn't appear to be anything that suggests Chelsea will not win this game. Sparta Prague scraped into the Champions League thanks to an easy qualifying draw, but look like going out in the first round. Their recent form in their domestic league is anything but good. Chelsea will certainly be aiming to win this game against the weakest team in their group. Chelsea rested Veron, Crespo, Johnson and Bridge against Tottenham to save them for this game. Ranieri is cautious usually, but Chelsea have enough attacking ability to win this one easily. A 3-0 scoreline or something similar would be no surprise here. As Vardar showed in the qualifying round, Sparta are not the best defensively, scoring 4 goals against them over 2 legs. If Chelsea defend reasonably, they will surely win.

5pts Brighton to win / Wigan-West Brom Under 2.5 goals      @      2.63      Centrebet
                                                                                                  2.60      Bet365
                                                                                                  2.55      Interwetten

Brighton v Chesterfield
This bet is more based on Chesterfield's weaknesses than anything else. All of their main strikers are injured for this game. Losing 1-0 at home to Notts County in their last game says a lot about how Chesterfield are struggling. Relegation looks certain unless they can improve quickly. Brighton are always good at home in the lower divisions and have done well at home so far this season. Chesterfield will be the weakest opposition by far to pay them a visit this season. Brighton still have several players who performed reasonably in Division One. If Brighton want to have any chance of promotion this season, they have to be beating teams like Chesterfield at home. Brighton were a little unlucky to lose to Colchester on Saturday, so aren't playing too badly. Chesterfield's chances of scoring look slim here, so Brighton surely must win.

Wigan v West Brom
Both of these teams are on excellent form. Over recent seasons, both have also built their success on solid defending, with a lot of 1-0 wins for both. It is likely that both teams will adopt their typically cautious approach here. Both West Brom and Wigan have had the odd high-scoring game this season, but these have been against poorer teams who are weaker defensively. This promises to be a close game, with both teams playing well. A 0-0 or 1-0 would be no surprise at all.

Summary:   Two bets that look pretty solid, requires only one of them to win to be in profit. The other bets to come under consideration were Hull to win and Grimsby-Swindon 3 or more goals. The odds on each of these were just a little too short to take on this occasion though. Another bet to consider could be Bet365's Brighton to win to nil, priced at 2.25. Chesterfield have failed to score in their last 3 games.

September 17th 2003

5pts Bayern Munich      @      1.57      Stanleybet, UK Betting, Totalbet

Bayern Munich v Celtic
Both teams here have injury problems, the difference being that Celtic's back-up players are average at best. Bayern have spoken of the importance of winning this game as their next 2 Champions League games are away from home. With Celtic missing Lambert and Crainey definitely, with a few others possibly missing out, it is very hard to see them getting anything. Last time they played in the Champions League, Celtic lost all 3 away games, as well as losing the away leg in the qualifiers to Basle last season. Celtic did of course make the UEFA Cup Final last season, but they are an old team who are not getting any better. Bayern will be highly motivated to win this one and will surely do so. Celtic, even against domestic opposition, have not looked too great so far this season.

Summary:   A good value bet here. We expected to see the odds for Bayern a little bit lower than they are, so it is worth taking advantage.

September 20th 2003

5pts Fulham-Manchester City Over 2.5 goals      @      1.90      Bet365
                                                                                1.80      Premierbet
                                                                                1.77      Centrebet

Fulham v Manchester City
These teams have both been very high-scoring this season, with only 1 of their combined 9 games finishing with less than 3 goals. Fulham seem to be playing more attacking this season, and certainly have a very attacking midfield. Manchester City are naturally attacking, and regularly this season and last had several goals in their games. They remain better at scoring than defending. The odds on Over here make it a worthwhile bet.

5pts West Ham / Peterhead      @      2.60      Victor Chandler
                                                        2.57      Totalbet
                                                        2.56      Centrebet

Gillingham v West Ham
Gillingham have been really struggling recently, being hammered by Cardiff and beaten at home by Norwich. Their problem seems to have been their inability to defend well, with lots of goals conceded in recent games. West Ham have played superbly under Trevor Brooking, and seem to have sorted themselves out defensively. Gillingham have few good players for this level, so West Ham are clear favourites. The signings of Quinn, Alexandersson and Horlock have improved their squad and removed some weaknesses from their team. West Ham have the strikers to score against anyone in this division, so Gillingham look likely to concede a few.

Peterhead v East Stirling
Best against worst in Scottish Division Three here. East Stirling have shown signs of improvement this season, but still have been soundly beaten in every away game. Peterhead are widely tipped to win this league, despite a couple of surprising recent defeats. Peterhead at home this season, will win most of their games. They also beat East Stirling very easily in their two home games last season. It seems likely that Peterhead will win this one by a few goals.

5pts Brighton / Celtic      @      2.64 Totalbet, Tote Bet Xpress, UK Betting

0.5pts West Ham / Brighton / Celtic / Peterhead      @      6.79      Totalbet, UK Betting
                                                                                     6.58      Victor Chandler

Brighton v Sheffield Wednesday
The odds on Brighton here are simply too high. Both teams have the same number of points and are fairly evenly matched. Sheffield Wednesday however, are not as good as they appear. They tend to be over-rated because they are a big club. A closer look at their line-up shows that a few of their players, especially defenders, were playing in Division Three last season. Brighton are always solid at home, and have done well there again this season. Sheffield Wednesday were out-played by Bournemouth in midweek, so will need a big improvement to avoid defeat here. Brighton represent very good value.

Celtic v Motherwell
Celtic will win virtually every home game this season against the rest of the SPL, excluding Rangers, if not every game. Motherwell sold their one outstanding player, McFadden, to Everton, so look likely to struggle here. Motherwell are possibly the worst team in the SPL, so it would be a major shock for them to avoid defeat here. Celtic have Chris Sutton back from his long suspension, and should line-up with a similar team to the one that did well in Munich against Bayern. Motherwell should provide a slightly easier challenge for Celtic. An easy home win here.

2.75pts Doncaster-Oxford 0 or 1 goals      @      3.50      Stan James

2.5pts Doncaster-Oxford Exactly 2 goals      @      3.75      Stan James

Doncaster v Oxford
Both of these teams have exactly 2 games out of 8 that have finished with 3 or more goals. No Doncaster home games or Oxford away games have had 3 or more goals. Doncaster's home game against Hull, a team of similar quality to Oxford, finished 0-0. Both teams here like to play fairly cautiously and are more than happy with 1-0 wins. Defensively, neither concede many goals, only 10 between them in 16 games. Everything here points to a close, low-scoring game. The best way to take advantage of this is with Stan James, taking the bets advised above. This, in effect, gives you a bet on Under 2.5 goals at odds of around 1.80.

Summary:   We've taken two doubles this week, with one short-priced team and one more risky one. At least one of these two should win to guarantee a profit here. The Fulham-Man City Over looks the best such bet of the week. Several more were considered, but without knowing the team line-ups, it is too risky to advise a bet. The games at Portsmouth, Ipswich, Luton and Wycombe were all considered for Over. When the line-ups are available tomorrow, some of these games may be worth taking as Over. Doncaster-Oxford looks like a low-scoring game between two fairly cautious teams.

September 21st 2003

4pts Middlesbrough      @      2.50      SportingOdds
                                            2.38      Tote Bet Xpress, Blue Square

1pt Middlesbrough-Everton Draw      @      3.30      Victor Chandler, Centrebet
                                                              3.25      Totalbet

Middlesbrough v Everton
Although Middlesbrough have not won a game yet, they appear over-priced to win this one. Last season Middlesbrough had 10 home wins and only 2 defeats, while Everton had 6 away wins and 10 defeats. Middlesbrough have Queudrue playing his first game this season after suspension. He will help improve them defensively, as their manager has admitted. Everton are not having the best of seasons either, with just a single win against Fulham. They lost heavily at home to Liverpool and were a little lucky to draw with Newcastle. There is no doubt, in my opinion, that Middlesbrough have the better players, especially in midfield. The odds do not reflect this. In previous home games this season, Middlesbrough were beaten by Arsenal and were also very unlucky to lose to Leeds. Everton are not easy to beat, but Middlesbrough are over-priced here. If they defend better, they should win.

Summary:    Taking Middlesbrough, with a small stake on the draw seems slightly better than any of the Asian Handicaps on offer. The saver on the draw reduces the risk slightly, and given Middlesbrough are hard to beat at home usually, should cover any failure to win. The odds are too high given that Middlesbrough are at home. The bets are taken this way as there aren't too many good Asian Handicaps for Middlesbrough -0.25 . In the other game, Manchester United v Arsenal, Over 2.5 goals is a possible bet, but with doubt over the appearance of Campbell for Arsenal following the death of his father, it is best to wait for the line-ups before kick-off to decide. If Campbell misses out, Over 2.5 goals looks a very good bet.

September 23rd 2003

5pts    Aston Villa / Aberdeen / Hibernian    @    2.21    Centrebet
                                                                       2.19    Totalbet, UK Betting

1pt    Aston Villa HT-FT / Burnley / Wolves / Aberdeen / Hibernian / Livingston

                                      @    10.53    Centrebet
                                              9.80    Totalbet, UK Betting

Wycombe v Aston Villa
It seems that the uncertainty over Aston Villa's attitude to this game has led to fairly generous odds being offered. However, after reading what certain Aston Villa players and their manager have said, it seems like Aston Villa are taking this game pretty seriously. Anything like a full-strength Aston Villa team will surely cruise this game. Wycombe have a couple of players to return who missed out on Saturday, but the simple fact is that they cannot defend. Losing 5-2 at home to Oldham is the latest in a long line of poor defensive displays. The fans of Wycombe certainly aren't impressed with their team's effort recently either. Villa seem likely to start with Vassell and Angel in attack, and they should have a field day here.

Scunthorpe v Burnley
Scunthorpe, despite a decent unbeaten run in the league, look vulnerable here. They are likely to be missing 3 regular defenders for this game. Burnley's strength is their attacking flair, and they have been given a boost for this game with the news that all of their loan signings can play. It seems that Burnley are taking the game very seriously, although this is yet to be confirmed. They can be inconsistent, but look over-priced to win against a team two divisions lower, who are lacking key defenders.

Wolves v Darlington
Wolves look likely to rest a few players here, but the reason for taking this bet is the weakness of Darlington. Even with an under-strength team Wolves should win this easily. Darlington will struggle away from home all season. Wolves certainly won't want to lose this one after all of their league struggles, so may field a slightly stronger team than anticipated. They will be looking to gain confidence from getting their first win of the season. Darlington will come to defend, but will struggle to hold out.

Aberdeen v Dumbarton
The SPL teams appear to be taking the CIS Cup seriously, and will not field massively under-strength teams. Aberdeen haven't have the best of runs, but against a part-time Division Two team with only one win this season in the league, they should win with something to spare. The quotes coming from Aberdeen reveal a determination to win this one. Home advantage should see them through.

Hibernian v Montrose
Hibernian are likely to be close to full-strength here, in probably the most one-sided match of the evening. They have also introduced a special ticket scheme to boost attendance at this game. Hibs have been decent this season without being brilliant. Montrose have been pretty hard to beat in Division Three, but this is a big step up for them. Hibs are another SPL club who need to money a good cup run would generate. As a result, they won't be taking any risks here.

Queen's Park v Livingston
Queen's Park, the only fully amateur team in the Scottish Leagues, have had a decent start to the season. They had an unbelievable win at Inverness in the previous round, but will need a large slice of luck here to avoid going out. Livingston were disappointing on Saturday against Kilmarnock, and it has been claimed that their team isn't physical enough, but they are still a class above Livingston. This game won't be easy for them, but their better players should come through in the end. The gulf between Scottish Division Three and the SPL is huge.

Summary:   The main bet consists of three top division teams, who seem to be committed to using close to full-strength teams tonight. The odds on Aston Villa may fall when the line-up is announced, so it may be wise to get on as early as possible. All of the opposition is vastly inferior (at least two divisions lower), so more than doubling your money on this bet is good.
The other bet is just a small accumulator with a decent pay-out. All of the teams should win, but the doubts over what sort of line-up Wolves and Burnley may put out, means those teams are not worth supporting with anything other than small stakes. Aston Villa HT-FT is 2.20 with Centrebet, which is the highest odds on offer by quite a distance. That is a possible single bet, but we have settled for a safe looking treble and an accumulator that we believe has more chance of success than the odds indicate. Certainly it is worth taking a risk on that for small stakes.

September 27th 2003

5pts Inverness CT      @      1.75      Scandic, Interwetten
                                         1.73      Bet365

2pts Port Vale / Hull / Inverness CT      @      3.93      Interwetten
                                                                  3.92      Bet365, Sportingbet

Port Vale v Wycombe
Port Vale sit on top of Division Two, but to be honest, have not faced many of the top sides. However, last week they produced an excellent performance to win at Bristol City. Port Vale have also won all of their home league games so far this season. Despite all this, I think that they will be lucky to make the play-offs this season. This bet is more about Wycombe's weaknesses. The only game that Wycombe haven't lost lately has been a 0-0 draw at QPR, where they were extremely lucky. They are leaking an awful lot of goals. Aston Villa beat them easily in the Carling Cup, but losing at home to Oldham is a far worse sign. Wycombe will do well to avoid defeat here.

Hull v Kidderminster
Hull have been a little bit up and down this season, but have only failed to win at home once. In their last game against Rochdale, they produced arguably their best performance of the season. Kidderminster meanwhile, after a promising start, have struggled badly lately, at home and away. They have been losing against any decent team that they have faced. Hull's strikers should make the difference here.

Inverness CT v St Mirren
Inverness seemed to have recovered from the Queen's Park disaster, to win all of their games since. St Mirren look a poor side, destined to struggle this season. Add to that that they have a few injury problems here, and this should be a home win. Inverness may be higher up the league, but have played 4 away games compared to 2 at home. Most of these away games were against teams likely to do well this season. It seems extremely likely that Inverness will win this, as they also had a superb record against St Mirren last season.

Summary:    Inverness seem to be the best bet of the week. Combining them also in a treble with 2 other teams playing weak opposition at home seems the way to go. It would be no surprise if all 3 teams won. Other bets considered were a few Over / Under ones, especially in the game at Sheffield Wednesday, but no decent odds could be found.

September 30th 2003

5pts Sheff Utd / Huddersfield      @      3.22      Scandic
                                                         3.08      Bet365
                                                         3.04      Betinternet

Wimbledon v Sheffield United
The form of these teams contrasts greatly. Sheffield United are on a superb run, which has taken them to the top of the table. Wimbledon managed to end their long losing run with a 2-2 against Burnley on Saturday, but were 2-0 down until Burnley had a player sent off. This was Wimbledon's first game at Milton Keynes, and they should now have more home support, but it is unlikely to make a difference here. They have an inexperienced team, and struggle to defend against most teams in this division. Sheffield United look strong in all departments, and will be very disappointed if they don't win this one. Wimbledon do have a good record against Sheffield United in recent years, but this is the weakest Wimbledon team in many years. It must also be remembered that in the corresponding fixture last season, Sheffield United rested several players. The odds on offer here are pretty generous.

Huddersfield v Kidderminster
Kidderminster are probably the worst team to visit Huddersfield so far this season. Better teams than them, such as Northampton and Bristol Rovers have lost at Huddersfield already this season. Huddersfield's confidence must be high at the moment, after winning at Sunderland in the Carling Cup and beating Leyton Orient comfortably on Saturday. Kidderminster actually won their first 2 league games this season, but have not won since. They have lost the last 3, including a 6-1 hammering at Hull on Saturday. Their confidence must be low after that, and it is hard to see them bouncing back here. That defeat could have been even heavier, so Kidderminster must be opposed in their current form.

5pts Oldham-Stockport Over 2 goals      @      1.80      Stan James

Oldham v Stockport
Oldham's injury problems have cleared, and they are now in good form and unbeaten in a few games. Stockport are up and down but do score regularly. Stockport have conceded 2 or more goals in 8 of their last 10 games. They have also scored in 9 of these games, the only one they didn't score in being against Everton. This run of scoring against Second Division opposition has continued even after the injury of star striker Luke Beckett. Oldham last season were strong defensively, but have lost a couple of key defenders since then, so Stockport could well score again. The majority of Oldham's games this season have finished with more than 2 goals, so the odds on offer here were simply too good to miss.

2.75pts Lincoln-Northampton Under 2 goals      @      3.50      Stan James

2.5pts Lincoln-Northampton Exactly 2 goals      @      3.75      Stan James

Lincoln v Northampton
Northampton's last 4 away games have been lost 4-3, 3-0, 5-2 and 3-0. However, it is hard to see Lincoln racking up so many goals here. Northampton are decent defensively, and after sacking their manager, could give an improved performance here. Their chances of scoring against Lincoln are reduced by the fact that leading striker Martin Smith is still injured. Lincoln meanwhile are playing well, but rarely score many goals. Only 2 of their 11 games this season have had more than 2 goals. Last season, only 10 of Lincoln's 46 games finished with more than 2 goals. This seems like a typically close, low-scoring game. Northampton will need to defend better than they have been doing though. This game will probably see both team adopting a fairly cautious attitude. A 0-0 or 1-0 result would be no surprise.

Summary:    A solid-looking double and two total goals bets are our bets for today. All look to have a very good chance of success, and are available at generous odds. A couple more total goals bets were considered, Chesterfield Under and Watford Over. The odds weren't quite good enough though, and the bets taken look better value. Once again, Stan James is the only bookmaker used for these lower division total goals bets.