Author: Best Of Bets

With the Premier League now a third of the way through the season, Gameweek 13 is marked by Sunday’s huge double-header as four for the top-eight meet, with Manchester City hosting West Ham before Chelsea entertain Manchester United.

As two sides separated by just three points face-off at the Etihad, Pep Guardiola’s champions sit the same amount off top spot in the standings behind Chelsea who play afterwards at Stamford Bridge. West Ham remain upwardly mobile despite an away defeat to an albeit improving Wolves side last time out. That, after inflicting a first league defeat of the season to Liverpool three weeks ago and before then, the Irons had gone unbeaten in seven, including knocking out their GW13 opponents City in the Carabao Cup – also at the Etihad – on penalties a month back.

That result stands the visitors in good stead here, however, West Ham have not beaten City since 2015, although that was at Eastlands. City came unstuck here late in October against Crystal Palace, and the Hammers on paper are a more efficient side. The hosts are the resounding favourites of course, but West Ham can’t be overlooked with the chance to draw level on points with their opponents, and if 10/1 odds with SkyBet, William Hill, SpreadEx and SBK are too tall for your liking, a draw at 5s looks far better fare, offered by most bookies.

Following shortly after then, the Blues and Red Devils meet once more in the capital. With a sizeable 12 points between the duo after as many league games, the stakes currently are little different this time around and Chelsea are 4/7 with Betfred and Betfair to take three points. But could United pull off a surprise under Michael Carrick in what could be his final game in caretaker charge, before Ralf Rangnick takes the interim reins at Old Trafford? United are available at 11/2 with Bet365.

In the scoring department meanwhile, Romelu Lukaku could go head-to-head with Cristiano Ronaldo, with the Belgian now cleared to play. For Both Players to Score, SkyBet’s 10/1 double is definitely a no-brainer, should both start the game.

Elsewhere, at Carrow Road, Norwich go in search of their third league win on the bounce against Bruno Lage’s rising Wolves side. Though the men from the Black Country have a decent record on the road this term, in their last away game, Wolves fell to the Eagles. Having suffered a goal drought up to GW10, the Canaries have now scored in every game in the last three, so the value here looks for Both Teams to Score. If that is your inclination, VBet’s best price is 42/41 or more widely, evens.

One of Sunday’s other offerings takes place in Lancashire as Burnley host Tottenham at Turf Moor. Though the Clarets find themselves in the bottom three, Sean Dyche’s men are unbeaten in three, including an impressive draw away to the league leaders. Facing up to fellow London opposition in GW13, conversely, Spurs arrive in the north-west on the back of a humiliating loss to NS Mura in Europe, with Antonio Conte plunged into an early crisis with the Lilywhites.

Though Spurs are 11/10 with SBK, Burnley look great value here at 11/4 with Betfair and Betway. Having scored seven goals in the last 270 minutes of gametime, Burnley’s attack looks to have found its rhythm once more, and for Maxwel Cornet to score again is 17/4 anytime with QuinnBet.

Alternatively, Burnley have scored three goals in each of their last two games at home, and for a repeat run in front of goal versus a side struggling in defence, 15/2 odds with PariMatch, BetVictor and Unibet could be worth examination. Over 1.5 goals for Burnley, could, though, be a more pragmatic approach at 21/10 with the same three bookies.

Following a tumultuous couple of weeks, Rangers are hosting Sparta Prague in a clash for the knockout stages tonight, with both teams tied on four points in Group A in the Europa League.

Steven Gerrard’s departure no doubt took a toll both in the locker room and on the field as  Rangers last game saw them being comfortably beaten in the cup by Hibs. However, there is cause for optimism as Giovanni Van Bronckhorst gears up for his first game in charge. Meanwhile, the Czech unit comes following a very unpleasant loss in the domestic championship this weekend, overwhelmed with injuries and as a result, bookies have installed Rangers as the favourite to win at 3/4.

Rangers narrowly lost the reverse fixture 1-0 and were reduced to ten men towards the end of the match. Sadly, the game was marred by allegations of racism against Glen Kamara and that anger only grew in the Rangers’ camp as UEFA failed to impose any sanctions following the incident. Any frustration carrying over from that game will most likely help to fuel the fire tonight and we’re likely to see a number of yellow cards being handed out again.

There is also every reason to believe there will be a number of goals in this game. Rangers’ last 5 matches in all competitions are averaging 4.6 goals and Sparta Prague’s last 5 matches average 3.8 goals per game.

That being said, The Gers, who had twice as many points at this stage of the Europa League last season, need to beat Sparta by at least two goals to book their place in the last 32, while a defeat would see them eliminated from the competition. And although they’ve got home advantage, Van Bronckhorst men have only won two of their last 10 European fixtures, so the Dutchman will be hoping he can have an immediate impact to keep their continental dreams alive.

But there is a glimmer of hope as Rangers have won three of their last five matches where they have been similarly priced whereas their opponents have lost all of their last five matches at similar odds.

Ranger vs Sparta odds: 

– Rangers 3/4

– Draw 13/5

– Sparta Prague 15/4

– Rangers to win and both teams to score: 14/5

– Rangers over 1.5 cards, Sparta over 1.5 cards & both teams combine over 4.5 cards: 1/1

With the Champions League finished for another week, Thursday night action switches to the Europa League and Conference League once more, now with just two games of the Group stages to play.

In Group C, after Napoli’s loss in Moscow to Spartak on Wednesday, the standings are wide open and Leicester City are presented with the chance to bounce back at home to Legia Warsaw and leapfrog into top spot.

Without a win in five in all comps, the Foxes will be seeking revenge after their MD2 defeat to the Poles, with the opportunity to jump from 4^th to 1^st, as documented. Brendan Rodgers men should have little problems beating Legia in front of their own fans, at an overwhelming favourites billing of 11/50 with NoviBet, so where can value be had? Patson Daka will be licking his lips after grabbing four in MD3, and the Belgian is set to be unleashed once more in Europe, at 9/2 to score first. Another hattrick might be too much of a stretch, but a Daka brace at 11/2 is well worth some investment, both prices with Bet365.

West Ham are comfortably poised to win Group H, holding a four-point lead ahead of MD5 as David Moyes takes his charges to Austria and to Rapid Vienna. As top plays bottom in the standings, a point for the Irons will be enough to seal a top seed berth with a game to spare, providing Dinamo Zagreb fail to beat Genk at home. That should be irrelevant however, with West Ham 8/13 with MatchBook to keep their 100% record in the Group. In terms of goals, in all four of their games so far, the visitors have netted twice, and when the two sides met in London in September, West Ham recorded a 2-0 win. For the Hammers to win either 1-0 or 2-0 here, BoyleSports’ boost of 4/1 is very decent value.

Over in Germany, Celtic face a crunch tie with Bayer Leverkusen. In reality, the Bhoys need a win to remain in the Group G picture with Real Betis entertaining whipping boys Ferencvaros. Celtic may have been thumped 4-0 at home in the reverse fixture, but Ange Postecoglou’s charges wasted a hatful of chances at Celtic Park. Given the fact Leverkusen have conceded in six of their last seven outings, the Glasgow outfit look good money to at the very least score. Kyogo Furuhashi looks the biggest threat for Celtic having scored four goals in as many games since late October, and for the Japanese striker to score anytime, SkyBet, William Hill and Betfred all have 3/1 boosts on the table.

Back on Scottish soil, the other half of the Old Firm, Rangers, entertain Sparta Prague with the winners almost certain to book their spot in the knockouts. With Lyon runaway leaders in Group A, Giovanni van Bronckhorst will need to erase memories of defeat in his opening game as boss against Hibs at the weekend, having taking over from Steven Gerrard in the dugout. Prague came out on top when the two teams met earlier in the term by just a single goal, and perhaps, another tight contest in on the cards here. To reverse the scoreline, SBK are offering 8/1 for a 1-0 home win.

In the Europe Conference League meanwhile, Tottenham travel to Slovenia face NS Mura. Set to play Rennes in MD6 in what looks to be a Group G decider, first, Spurs need to pick up an expected win on the road, where of late, results have been hard to come by. Though Mura are a staggering 28/1 with UniBet and William Hill to beat Antonio Conte’s side, the hosts could frustrate the north Londoners, with a possible 9/1 draw not looking so unlikely with SkyBet. For the better value though, you can treble your money at 2/1 with QuinnBet for Both Teams to Score.

With just two games in the Group stages of the UEFA Champions League to play, this midweek sees a number of crunch ties across the continent, many involving Premier League teams.

Headlined by Manchester City’s clash versus Paris Saint-Germain in Group A, top spot remains up for grabs with just a point separating the two sides after PSG’s 2-0 win back in September. A win here for Pep Guardiola’s men though, will guarantee their qualification as top seeds, whilst a draw will leave City needing to beat Leipzig in Germany in a fortnight to secure top berth. As strong favourites to book their place in the last 16, the Cityzens are 7/11 with SBK, whilst PSG are widely 9/2.

In west London meanwhile, Chelsea welcome Group H leaders Juventus to Stamford Bridge in another of MD5’s marquee meetings. The Blues are three points behind their Turin opponents and need to force a win to go level with Juve on points, then likely needing to score more against Zenit than the Old Lady do at home to strugglers Malmo in two weeks’ time. With the Italians arriving in the capital needing only a draw, UniBet’s 13/4 could well be a punt to pursue.

Over in Spain, Manchester United begin life with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer away to Villarreal, with all four teams in Group F still with the chance to progress. With in-form Atalanta travelling to Bern to face Young Boys, La Dea will be waiting for a slip up from either side to leapfrog them in the standings, making the three points crucial at El Madrigal.

Goals look almost a certainty here, and with Cristiano Ronaldo having netted in every CL game this term, the Portuguese has also been the last goalscorer during the last three outings in Europe. A similar scenario could be on the cards as the Red Devils chase a vital win, and for Ronaldo to bag the decisive goal, Betway’s offering of 9/2 looks enticing.

The other Premier League involvement comes from Liverpool, as the Reds face Porto at Anfield. Fresh from a 4-0 demolition of Arsenal at the weekend, Jurgen Klopp’s men are four from four in Europe this term, but with top spot already booked for February, could the hosts take their foot off the gas here? Porto will be looking to take anything they can back to Portugal with Atletico Madrid and Milan facing off in Spain and a draw may well be worth a ponder at 3/1 with Bet365, VBet and Betfair.

Of MD5’s other big games, Sheriff Tiraspol look to do the double over Real Madrid after their sensational win over Los Blancos earlier this season. Having sat top of Group D after two games, back-to-back 3-1 defeats to Inter have seen the Moldovans slide down into third spot, with their second meeting with Real looking make-or-break for the Champions League debutantes. Though the two sides have seen their fortunes drastically change in recent weeks, Sheriff are still rather baffling a heavyweight 13/1 with SBK for the win here – longer odds than they were in Spain. Whilst that might look a stretch, home goals are possible and for Sheriff to bag over 1.5 goals, SpreadEx’s 4/1 looks very favourable.

Finally in Group G, Lille and RB Salzburg clash in northern France, with just four points between all four teams in the standings, as Wolfsburg and Sevilla also lurk. After being hauled back to a 2-2 draw by Monaco in Ligue 1 on Friday night, LOSC continued to endure problems in defence, which will not be aided with the visit of the dangerous Austrians. In attack however, Canadian striker Jonathan David is in red-hot form for Lille having netted double figures since September. Scoring away to Sevilla last time out and grabbing a brace this past weekend, David looks good to fire again here and is 11/5 to bag anytime, or to grab a brace is a tasty-looking 12s, both with PaddyPower and Betfair.

So, Ole is no longer at the wheel. Having been appointed initial caretaker manager almost three years ago, the Baby-Faced Assassin’s tenure at Manchester United finally came to an end after a thumping 4-1 defeat away to Watford on Saturday.

The fevered question now is, who will take over the Old Trafford hotseat?

Early money has former flame Mauricio Pochettino as the bookies’ favourite to become the Red Devils’ new boss, with the Argentine as short as 2/1 with Unibet to get the job. However, the ex-Spurs and Southampton boss has been strongly linked with Man Utd in the past only to be overlooked, and in all reality, would Poch just up and leave Paris Saint-Germain, with the Les Parisiens already romping away to the Ligue 1 title, and with a decent shot at a second Champions League final berth in three seasons?

Brendan Rodgers is the closest name to Pochettino in the odds pecking order. Priced at 5/1 with BetVictor, PariMatch and SkyBet, the Foxes’ boss has rather lost his glow in the East Midlands of late, with Leicester having slipped into the bottom half of the league table, without a win in a month. Could Rodgers be a on the lookout for a quick exit at the King Power?

Michael Carrick, meanwhile, is set to take charge of the club on a caretaker basis until a permanent manager is appointed, but as Solskjaer’s number two, could Carrick be a longer term target? Solskjaer also found himself in that position, but after three years with very little real progress, could Carrick control the egos in the dressing room, and get the best of Cristiano Ronaldo? William Hill’s 6/1 says he can.

Of the other big names being linked with the vacancy, Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane is 10/1 with PaddyPower, Betfair and BetVictor. Having won the Champions League three years in a row between 2015 and 2018, the Frenchman would be a popular man to take charge no doubt, but if we consider Los Blancos have just relocated back into their new state-of-art Bernabeu in recent weeks, coupled with a resurgence in Madrid club’s fortunes – not to mention the chance to lock horns with new Barcelona boss Xavi – would Zidane turn that down to manage in a league he has never played in?

What of United’s Dutch lineage then? Louis van Gaal’s time in the dugout will perhaps not be remembered fondly, but in Ajax coach Erik ten Hag, United would be in safe hands. In charge of de Godenzonen since 2017, the former steward of Bayern Munich II has seen his stock rise in recent seasons, taking his side to the brink of the Champions League final, and after a transitional stage having sold many of his stars, is now seeing Ajax bounce back to being a major force in Europe again and playing swashbuckling football. Though tied down to a contract until 2023, ten Hag may have trouble turning the job down if offered, and compensation for one of the richest clubs on Planet Football would surely be no issue. Ronald Koeman, meanwhile, fresh from the sack at Barca is another Dutchman linked, but at a far longer and most unlikely 40/1 with SkyBet.

Of the longer odds names being linked, Steve Bruce had his tenure at Newcastle United cut short due to the Magpies takeover, but though Bruce is being linked tentatively – largely in jest – as a former United skipper and huge figure in the dressing room previously under Sir Alex Ferguson, do 20/1 odds with ‘Hills look so extravagant? Having seen his price slashed from as much as 66s with Betfair, Eddie Howe was priced similarly before getting the Newcastle job also. Having stated to The Athletic on Monday also that he could bring the dressing room together again, is Bruce taking charge such a fanciful notion, as least short-term?

After the final international break before March comes to a close, this weekend, attention shifts back once more to domestic affairs in the Premier League, as Liverpool and Arsenal headline GW12 at Anfield.

Two sides that have played out many a thriller in recent years, it is the Reds the now more dominant force in the top flight of course, but who a fortnight ago suffered their first league defeat of the campaign to West Ham. The Gunners, meanwhile, are unbeaten in 10 and have won the last four games in all competitions. This latest meeting on Merseyside is perhaps more evenly poised than it first appears.

Despite being strong 1/2 favourites to beat Arsenal for the 10^th time during the last 11 occasions in the Premier League, the hosts however, could be without a number of their starting XI, throwing some level of uncertainty into the pot. Indeed, with Liverpool fresh from defeat and with the always unpredictable return game post-international hiatus to consider also, Arsenal’s value of 29/5 with SBK looks generous. A win would still take some doing with the visitors not having left Anfield with the spoils since 2012, but the draw looks a mighty tempting punt. At 19/5 with VBet and UniBet, Saturday evening could become lucrative.

GW12 sees the beginning of two new eras in the Premier League. Firstly, at St. James’ Park, all eyes will be on Newcastle as Eddie Howe takes charge. Facing a Brentford side who become the first team to lose this season to Norwich last time out, these two sides meet at something of a crossroads in their season.

One of the more fascinating narratives of Howe taking the reins on Tyneside will be his reunion with striker Callum Wilson, with the former England striker having scored 42 Premier League goals under Howe’s stewardship at Bournemouth in previous seasons. The onus will be on Wilson then, who has scored just four goals this season due to injury, but now fit, could fire once more. To score first this weekend, Wilson is boosted at 4/1 with William Hill, or to score a brace is 7/1 with BoyleSport.

The other managerial debutante this weekend is Dean Smith, who takes charge of his first game in the Norwich hotseat, as Southampton make the trip to Carrow Road. Looking to use their first league win of the season two weeks ago as a springboard, the Canaries can make it six points from six with the win at a best price of 11/4 with BetFred.

Back in north London, whilst one English striker looks to rekindle the flame with his manager, Antonio Conte leads Tottenham into their first home league game under his guidance against Leeds in GW12, with Harry having scored seven goals on international duty. Despite his well-documented goal drought in the Premier League, Harry Kane netted in back-to-back hattricks for England in the past week, however, the opposition here is obviously of a different calibre. Without a league goal in over a month, the Whites could be the perfect opposition to remedy that situation, with Kane close to evens at 23/25 to score anytime with UniBet.

Finally, at Vicarage Road, Watford look to heap the pressure on Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, as the Norwegian’s future continues to be shrouded in speculation. As documented, the return game from the international hiatus is always plagued with peril, but regardless, goals look to be on the menu here. For over 3.5 goals to be scored, BetVictor’s price of 17/10 looks interesting, with a five-goal thriller at 4/1, again with the same bookie.