Best Of Bets

Author: Best Of Bets

  • BestofBets GW5 Premier League bets

    After a midweek of frenzied European action, the Premier League returns this weekend headlined by Sunday’s London derby between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.

    Having suffered their first loss of the season away to fellow capital opponents in Crystal Palace, Spurs return home to face joint-top Chelsea, who have conceded just one goal in four this term. With Romelu Lukaku hitting a brace against Aston Villa in Gameweek 4 and netting in midweek against Zenit, the Belgian will be huge threat to the hosts here, indeed Chelsea are resounding favourites at a best price of 5/6 with BetFred and SpreadEx. Whilst the draw could tempt a few also at 11/4 with Bet365 and most major bookies, it is worth considering however, that Spurs bucked 5/1 initial odds to beat the champions Manchester City on opening day in their own back yard. Could Nuno mastermind another win here, now with Harry Kane back in the ranks? 4/1 with SBK says they can.

    For those eyeing the scorer markets meanwhile, the double of Kane and Lukaku both to score will be popular come Sunday afternoon, and at a boosted 6/1 from 5s with SkyBet, punters could cushion the blow of Monday’s return to work

    To begin the weekend’s action however, Newcastle United face Leeds United at St. James’ Park, with Magpies’ boss Steve Bruce in desperate need of home comforts. With just a point on the board and with games on the road at Watford and Wolves to follow before the international break, the visit of the Whites looks like it could be pivotal to Newcastle’s short-term hopes. On paper, this looks like it could provide a spark to GW5’s action with quite a few goals. A high-scoring draw could tempt, at 11/4 with Betfred and Betway, but perhaps the smarter move is to back over 3.5 goals at a very decent value of 7/4 with Betfair.

    How about another goal-glut for Manchester City at home to Southampton? We backed the Cityzens to take Leipzig apart in midweek by four goals and more and having netted a colossal 16 times in the last three at the Etihad, The Saints look like they could be in for another long afternoon on Saturday. Despite the fact Pep Guardiola’s men have scored five goals in each of the last three at home, they are still available at a very healthy 9/2 to hit five more with PaddyPower.

    Liverpool too are comfortably backed to pick up a win at Anfield versus Crystal Palace – as short as 1/4 with SpreadEx – however, The Eagles do have previous with their opponents on Merseyside. Far from us to go against the growing Red wave, Odsonne Edouard introduced himself in explosive fashion off the bench last time out versus Spurs, and the Frenchman may be forced to settle with another spot as Patrick Vieira’s sub this weekend. To back Edouard to score anytime once more might require a deal of patience here, but at 4/1 with Betway, it could be a gamble that pays off.

    Finally, the other game that jumps off the fixture list for GW5 is West Ham’s home clash with Manchester United, as Cristiano Ronaldo looks to continue his hot streak since returning to England. The Irons meanwhile, will be forced to do without the in-form Michail Antonio after his late sending off against Southampton, and that puts the Red Devils in the box seat versus former employee David Moyes’ side. Nevertheless, calling the result looks tricky, but could CR7 grab another brace at one of the few Premier League grounds he is yet to play at? BetVictor and PaddyPower is the place to go at a very generous price of 4/1.

  • BestofBets – Europa League/Conference League MD1 bets

    Hot on the heels of some thrilling Champions League action on Wednesday night, Thursday evening sees attentions switch to the Europa League, and making its debut, the Europe Conference League, with both competitions offering tasty treats with in total five British clubs in action.

    One of the big ties of not only the first evening of Europa League action but the Group stages as a whole, sees Leicester City entertain Napoli at the King Power Stadium.

    Having started the campaign in uncertain manner, the Foxes have won two and lost two this term and face a Partenopei who sit joint top of Serie A after three games thus far. Brendan Rodgers’ men face a stiff test here and somewhat misfiring also, Kelechi Iheanacho is set to get his first start of the term for the hosts and his threat will be key. SBK is the place to go for pre-match value here, with Leicester the slight favourites at 7/5, but Napoli are well set to take back three points to Italy, priced at 23/10.

    In Croatia, high-flying West Ham United make their return to the European scene with a difficult clash against Dinamo Zagreb. After winning their opening two games of the season, The Irons have been held in back-to-back games, most recently for the first time this term failing to score, away to Southampton.

    Whilst it is unclear what sort of team David Moyes could field here, it is likely Nikola Vlasic should get his full team debut in the country of his birth since signing for West Ham. SpreadEx are offering 16/5 odds for the attacking midfielder to score anytime. For the win, the visitors are fancied for the win at evens with William Hill and Betfair. Zagreb struggle for goals at times meanwhile, but though West Ham are well drilled in defence, the draw could play out, priced at 27/10 with SBK.

    Tottenham Hotspur, meanwhile, are involved in the inaugural round of action in the Europa Conference League away to Rennes. Facing one of the better sides in Ligue 1, Spurs come into the game fresh from a 3-0 loss to Crystal Palace. Like their London neighbours, Nuno Espirito Santo’s men could name a freshened side. Though Spurs are priced at 8/5 favourites with NoviBet, The Lilywhites have only scored three league goals this term, and after drawing a blank last time, the French side will fancy their chances of pulling off the win at Roazhon Park, and to do so at 11/5 with SBK.

    Away from Premier League involvement, Old Firm duo Rangers and Celtic are in Europa League action and both Glasgow outfits have tough assignments.

    For Celtic, a trip to Andalusia to face Real Betis awaits. Sneaking into the Europa League proper, the Bhoys travel to Spain injury-hit and fifth in the Scottish Premiership. Betis sit ninth in La Liga but come into the game fresh from an impressive late win away to Granada and with the edge in attack. The home win looks the big favourite here at 5/9 with MansionBet, but for Celtic to salvage a draw, you can quadruple your money at 3s with PaddyPower.

    Finally for Premiership leaders Rangers, Lyon roll into town in what looks a tough game to call. It is hard not to see goals on the menu here, with BetVictor’s 11/5 price for over 3.5 goals worth a ponder. In terms of the result outright, Lyon for the win are 7/5 with Bet365 and William Hill compared to Rangers’ odds of 19/10, but the draw at 5/2 with SkyBet looks equally decent.

  • BestofBets – Champions League MD1 bets

    To a football fan, there can be few sounds sweeter than Tony Britten’s rearranged version of Zadok the Priest and it will be heard once more this week, as the Champions League returns. After a draw that produced some of the best Groups in the tournament’s history, Matchday 1 brings with it some blockbuster ties.

    We start at Anfield and following the six-time European champions Liverpool being paired with Spanish champions Atletico Madrid and FC Porto, first, The Reds face former tournament victors AC Milan. In what remarkably will be only the third meeting between the two sides, their previous encounters have both been Champions League finals, including of course, 2005’s Miracle in Istanbul.

    Jurgen Klopp’s men find themselves joint-top of the Premier League, but they face a Rossoneri who have won their opening three games in Serie A, continuing their rejuvenation under Stefano Piolo. Liverpool will be strong favourites with the returning Kop behind them, and SBK carry the hosts as 5/9 winners. But Milan should have Zlatan Ibrahimovic available and retain a very potent attacking threat themselves. The draw at 7/2 with UniBet, Betfair and MansionBet shouldn’t be overlooked.

    One of the other three big clashes in MD1 sees Milan’s city neighbours Inter host Real Madrid, with Simone Inzaghi now at the helm of last season’s Scudetto winners. Los Blancos meanwhile, after an opening day blip away to Levante, sit top of the pile in La Liga and put five past Celta Vigo on Sunday. Inter will be a far stiffer opponent at San Siro however, and the Nerazzurri are 29/20 with MansionBet and William Hill. Real are slightly longer at 15/8 with Betway, but equally, the draw could appeal at a price of 27/10 with SBK and MatchBook.

    Completing the marquee trio of fixtures involving European Cup winners, Barcelona face Bayern Munich at Camp Nou. The Catalan giants are beginning life without Lionel Messi of course, and this is their first true test of how they may fair without their talismanic Argentine. Bayern meanwhile have picked up where they left off last term under new boss Julian Nagelsmann and have scored at least three in their last four games. The bookies are slanted fairly heavily toward Die Roten here, at evens to win with SBK and MansionBet, whilst Barca are 11/4 with William Hill.

    From a goals point of view, both Manchester clubs will fancy racking up the goals to open their campaign. Whether Manchester United play Cristiano Ronaldo or not, the visitors could notch quite a few against Young Boys and at 18/5 to score over 3.5 goals, UniBet are offering also 9/1 for a five-star showing. If Ronaldo does start, could the Portuguese replicate his brace from the weekend in Bern? SkyBet’s boosted 5/1 price from 5/2 is surely worth a shot.

    It is perhaps Manchester City though, that might rack up the more goals as they face an RB Leipzig side somewhat struggling under Jesse Marsch. Having shipped four at home during the weekend against Bayern, 3/1 odds for City to inflict another heavy loss by four goals looks value, or for those feeling adventurous can get 8s for City to hit five, again with UniBet.

    Looking for a potential upset? It may come in the form of Malmo. The Swedish champions face Juventus to open their campaign which in any other season that would be a daunting prospect. But, now shorn of one CR7, Juve have suffered successive Serie A losses and look a little without a rudder since the return of Max Allegri. The Swedes meanwhile, will see this as their big chance to take a huge scalp in front of their own fans are a full 7/1 with UniBet and SBK for a famous win. Perhaps though, the draw at 15/4 with Bet365 is the more sensible punt.

  • BestofBets Italian GP betting

    It’s time to visit the ‘Temple of Speed’ once more this weekend, as Round 14 of the Formula 1 season moves to Monza for the Italian Grand Prix.

    Completing three successive race weekends across Europe, Max Verstappen again leads the World Drivers’ Championship albeit by just three points following wins on home turf at both Spa and Zandvoort, looking to make it a triple of wins in Italy.

    For the first race weekend in some time however, the Dutchman is not favourite to take the chequered flag in Lombardy, with Lewis Hamilton marginally the bookies’ choice for his first win in three, at 11/10 with Betfred or boosted to the same price with SkyBet. Verstappen is yet to win at Monza in comparison with Hamilton’s five victories, and perhaps, his 6/5 odds with Betfair, PaddyPower and William Hill reflect this.

    Before the race proper however, F1 Sprint qualifying returns to the weekend’s agenda, with Friday classification followed by sprint the day after to determine the grid. Having made its debut at Silverstone earlier this summer, it was Verstappen who took P1 in Britain, but again here, Hamilton is still considered the slight favourite to secure only his fourth pole of the season over his rival. Whilst Hamilton remains 6/5, Verstappen is holding firm at 6/4, both with Betfair and PaddyPower.

    With three separate segments to the weekend, eyes could also turn to the hat-trick market – that being the winning triple of wins in quali, sprint and the race itself. For Verstappen to be your pick here, SkyBet have another boost on offer at 7/1 that is well worth a ponder.

    Away from the track, the big news in the paddock has been the continuation of the F1 merry-go-round ahead of next season, with George Russell now confirmed to join Mercedes for next year. With Williams having named Alex Albon to fill the Briton’s seat, will Russell now be looking to offer hints to his new boss Toto Wolff of what to expect next term? Sprint could increase the King’s Lynn driver’s chances of making an impression this weekend and to finish in the points, Russell is 2/1 with BetVictor and Betfred.

    Pierre Gasly’s sensational maiden win in F1 for Ferrari’s sister team AlphaTauri last season remains the talk of this particular region in northern Italy, but could the Frenchman get anywhere near the podium alone this weekend? Gasly came home fourth last weekend, holding steady from Q3, and to make the top-six once more in Italy is 13/8, again with BetVictor.

    For Scuderia themselves meanwhile, it would not be an Italian GP without the tifosi and a large helping of rosso, and The Prancing Horse may yet move into a gallop. Charles Leclerc looks probably the best bet to do so having won here with Ferrari two years ago, however, Carlos Sainz Jr. finished runner-up with McLaren last term. How about a Ferrari top-six double then? SkyBet will accommodate at 11/8.

  • GW4 Premier League bets

    GW4 Premier League bets

    The Premier League swings back into action this weekend, and perhaps the big game of the weekend is at the foot of the table, as Arsenal host Norwich City at the Emirates Stadium.

    Statistically the two worst sides in the top-flight at the present time, the fear of defeat will be in the air for both Mikel Arteta and Daniel Farke, however it is the former – whose side are yet to record a single Premier League goal – that will be sweating for his very job the most. On the plus side for the Gunners’ boss, the hosts will be back to something near full-strength, but will that have any impact? The hosts though, are still favourites to get their first points on the board with a win at 8/15 with both MansionBet and SBK.

    But as we have seen of late, the Gunners have struggled creatively and will be under pressure to perform. As such, Norwich could yet take a point back to Norfolk, with VBet and Betway offering a price of 7/2. The East Anglian outfit will fancy their chances at the very least of finding the net and for Both Teams to Score, MansionBet carry a 10/11 value. For the Canaries to spark a major crisis in north London and beat the hosts however, Betfair have Norwich at 6/1 to plunge Arsenal into a very deep hole.

    Away from the bottom, all eyes will be on Cristiano Ronaldo, with the Portuguese set to make his Manchester United comeback on Saturday against Newcastle United. Having netted over 400 goals in both Spain and Italy since 2009, Ronaldo makes his Premier League return at Old Trafford and SpreadEx have the Red Devils at a longest price of 2/9 to win, whilst Ronaldo himself is 1/2 to score with Betfred or 21/10 to net first with UniBet.

    Probably the standout fixture of the weekend takes place at Elland Road, as Leeds United entertain Liverpool. The Whites’ faithful will be out in force in their droves to greet the former league champions on Sunday afternoon in a classic Premier League match-up. Leeds are yet to pick up a league win and the visit of The Reds is unlikely to garner much hope of changing that stat. With Liverpool strong favourites at 4/5 with MansionBet, the draw however, looks possible, with all three of SkyBet, Bet365 and PaddyPower offering 3/1 odds.

    What of Tottenham Hotspur meanwhile? Sitting top of the tree after three games, Nuno Espirito Santo takes his charges to south London to face Crystal Palace. Though Spurs have scored just three goals this term they are yet to concede one. The visitors must win to stay top of the pile and are evens to do so with SBK, whilst for Kane to score and Spurs to win versus The Eagles, PaddyPower are offering a price of 15/8.

  • John Barnes Interview Part 1

    There is talk of Salah looking for £500,000-a-week in any new contract at Liverpool – is he the type of player that you pay whatever it takes or does there have to be a limit?

    JB: “Firstly, it’s important to say that these numbers are just speculative and so far, no one has confirmed that Salah has actually asked for £500k a week. His contract is expiring in 2023 so of course negotiations are underway but with that, as always, comes huge speculations as to what a player is demanding and these figures tend to spiral.

    “Does he expect a pay increase? Yes – most likely, and rightly so, but whether he expects more than double of what he’s earning today is a completely different question. And truth to be told, I’m not convinced. But Salah is approaching 30 so any decisions made can’t be about his value in 4 or 5 years and what they can sell him for then; instead, it needs to be about what he brings to the table right now, which is a lot, and what he can do to help Liverpool to finish at the top of the table again. And that value, in my opinion, outstrips his value in the transfer market.

    “Furthermore, different to many other clubs, Liverpool’s players get on really well which shows when they play – it’s a real team sprit and togetherness and that, in some regards, is priceless as it doesn’t happen very often.

    “But also, Salah seems to be happy at Liverpool. He’s always full of energy, appetite and desire. And that to me suggests he’s happy where he is and I do think that within the next couple of months, his new Liverpool contract will be signed.”

    Would Liverpool be making a rod for their own back if they do pay Salah, with others set to expect the same – Mane’s contract ends in 2023 so he will be among those next in line for talks?

    JB: “Salah, together with Mane and Firmino, have created an attacking trio that’s feared by most other teams; and to have these three excellent players, who each bring so much to Liverpool as individuals, but also as team members, makes all three of them very hot commodities and players that Liverpool want to hang onto. So if that means paying them more to stay with the club, it’s most likely worth it…as long as it’s within reasons.

    “Even at the best of times, contract conversations are always filled with speculations and rumours but even more so at the moment on the back of Ronaldo becoming premier league’s highest earner on £480,000 a week. So immediately, talks turn to Salah wanting more than Ronaldo and whether this is made up or not is yet to be seen but either way, it creates headlines. The highest paid weekly salary tend to become the benchmark for contract renewal speculations and then numbers goes up from there until the actual deal is confirmed.”

    Do you think resigning Ronaldo will block the path of some of the club’s young talents? And do you think too many dominant players in one and the same team will have an adverse affect on the team moral?

    JB: “Ronaldo going back to Manchester United is obviously massive news and you can understand why fans and supporters are excited to see one of the best ever footballers play for their team. But with that comes huge expectations and it’ll be interesting to see if he’ll perform under that pressure. It’s Ronaldo so anything is possible.

    “For the younger players, to have Ronaldo as a teammate is simply incredible; not only will they learn a lot from him, playing-wise, but hopefully, his attitude and hard work – the never give up mentality, will hopefully rub off too. I also think that there may be a few players in the dressing room that will really benefit from having someone like Ronaldo as part of the team as he’ll bring with him a winning mentality.

    “But whether he’ll be enough to make Manchester United actual title contenders alongside Man City and Liverpool, and perhaps Chelsea, is yet to be seen. No doubt he’ll make a huge impact but Man United are still left with the same problems when it comes to midfield and goalkeepers; and Ronaldo joining the team is not going to magically fix that.

    “My biggest concern is that too much focus on Ronaldo, and to constantly getting him the ball, could have a negative impact on the current attacking players such as Fernandes and the overall game. It’ll also be interesting to see how much game time Rashford, Sancho and Martial will get going forward.

    “And finally, Man United now have two players that needs to be pander to, Ronaldo and Pogba, and it’ll be interesting to see how that pans out. But whatever happens, it’ll be great to have Ronaldo back in the Premier League.”

    Arsenal having a difficult start to the year – so say the least – should he be given more time?

    JB: “Yes – is the short answer. I do believe that Mikel Arteta have what it takes to make Arsenal a great team but with the young squad that he’s got, that’s not going to happen overnight; but nor will it with any other managers.

    “You look at Jurgen Klopp – that wasn’t all smooth sailing when he arrived at Liverpool and it took him quite some time to get where he is now. Ole Solskjaer is another example, he needed a few seasons to get things underway…and now he’s got Ronaldo.

    “Arteta is a very good manager and he’s got enough credit to be given more time and I really hope that the fans and the Club will give him more time; especially the Club as they are the ones who handed out inflated expensive contract over the years…and now they’re stuck with these players, who doesn’t actually want to play anymore, but there clearly enjoying their pay check.

    “Instead, focus, and time, needs to be given to these young, dedicated and skill full players who so desperately want to make a difference – the potential is there, just not the experience, which is why you need your senior players to help out and to guide the youngsters. Sadly, Arsenals senior players seem to be unable to do so. To be honest, if it was up to Arteta, he’d probably get rid of a lot of the senior players and put together a great tea, but he can’t, nor can the club as they were the ones handing out these long, bordering ridiculous, contracts.

    And for these reasons, and many more, Areta should stay where he is. And if they can get the wind behind them, I’m absolutely certain they’ll start to win games and that will provide that much needed confidence that this young Arsenal team is currently lacking.”

  • BestofBets – Poland vs England betting

    As the first international break of the season comes to close, England are in a dominant position as they face Poland in Warsaw on Wednesday night.

    In control of Group I after five wins from five in World Cup Qualifying, the Three Lions have scored eight goals in their last two games, with an impressive 4-0 away win to Hungary last Thursday, even if their victory over Andorra by the same scoreline at Wembley this past weekend was less so.

    With a five-point lead in the standings, their closest rivals in the table, Poland, now await, and a third win in six days for Gareth Southgate’s men will all but seal their berth for next year’s World Cup in Qatar. The visitors are 4/6 with Betfair, whilst the draw is 13/5 with UniBet. If, however, you fancy the Poles to take a perhaps surprise win, Paulo Sousa’s charges are a full 21/4 with Bet365.

    As documented, England have netted eight times over 180 minutes during the last week hitting four in both games, but could the Euro 2020 runners-up make it a trifecta against the Poles? The odds are indeed against them having never scored four goals in a single game over 20 competitive games versus The White and Reds, but to do so here, SkyBet are offering a tempting boost of 33/1 from 28s for it to happen.

    In the reverse fixture back in March meanwhile, the teams shared three goals in north London, so perhaps a 2-1 result in the favour of England may be a better punt. With MansionBet and SBK’s odds of 9/1 you could be on to a winner.

    Who are the prime candidates to score? After Patrick Bamford failed his audition, Harry Kane is set to lead the line once more, and having scored off the bench on Sunday, has now netted in every game he has played in qualifying. Robert Lewandowski will of course be the hosts’ chief threat in attack, and the Bayern Munich striker has scored in his last four competitive outings in national colours, now tallying five in qualifying. On paper therefore, for both men to score, SkyBet’s boost of 6/1 looks very promising.

    Harry Maguire continues to carry a huge threat from set-pieces for England and after scoring on his last trip to the continent in Budapest at 9-1, is again carrying weighty odds in Warsaw. If we also consider the Manchester United skipper scored versus Poland in March at Wembley, Maguire can still be had to score once more at a very generous 11/1 with SBK. To play things a bit safer, Both Teams to Score value of 27/20 with MansionBet and SportNation might be more your thing.

    One other anytime scorer who could pique your interest is Adam Buksa. The Polish striker has started his international career in electric fashion and scored a hattrick off the bench versus San Marino last time out. The New England Revolution hitman netted on his debut against Albania last week also and Buksa may start alongside Lewandowski in a front two here. Though his teammate is expected to carry the majority of the threat, Buksa is one to watch at 4/1 to find the target, again with SkyBet.

  • BestofBets – Dutch GP betting

    After the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps was washed out last Sunday, Formula 1’s second of three successive race weekends rolls into Zandvoort for the Dutch GP, with the paddock seeking better fare.

    In what will be the first race held on the North Holland circuit since 1985, Lewis Hamilton continues to cling onto his World Drivers’ Championship advantage, after Max Verstappen’s half-points classification win last time out left the Briton just three points ahead in the standings.

    Denied a race in front of his native fans last weekend, the Red Bull driver is afforded the luxury of another home GP in Round 12, this time on adopted Dutch soil. Verstappen is currently evens to win his seventh race of the season, but his odds will likely shorten.

    For Hamilton meanwhile, the Mercedes man must finish ahead of Verstappen to retain his points lead. With the last man to win at Zandvoort being Niki Lauda some 36 years back, there have however, been no less than 10 British winners of the Dutch GP in 32 outings – four times by Jim Clark, three via Jackie Stewart, two won by James Hunt and the 1958 race victor, Stirling Moss. Could Hamilton become number 11? BetVictor have the Stevenage man to take the chequered flag at 2/1.

    What of his likely new teammate for next season in George Russell? After a sensational runners-up spot at Spa was handed to him via the weather’s intervention, could the King’s Lynn driver make it a third-straight points finish for Williams in the Netherlands? Bet365 are offering 7/4 odds for it to happen, or a more fanciful top six result at 4s.

    For the third Briton in the field, the book-ended races since F1’s summer break have been difficult ones for Lando Norris. After of six P5s or better between Monte Carlo and Silverstone, McLaren’s bright star was forced to retire in Hungary, before his high-speed spin at La Source last weekend left the Bristolian counting his blessings.

    Might Lando make his presence felt this time around however? Whilst P6 or better looks likely, Norris can make the Dutch GP his fourth podium finish of the campaign and do so at 7/2 with PaddyPower, UniBet and Betfair.

  • BestofBets – England vs India

    After Day 1 of the fourth Test between England and India at the Oval, the series remains firmly in the balance.

    Dismissing Virat Kohli’s men for less than 200 in south London on Thursday, England looked to be in the box seat going into the evening session. However, after being reduced to 6/2 and despite Joe Root’s latest rally, the hosts lost their talismanic skipper and world number one batsman shortly before close of play to reach stumps at 53/3. Nevertheless, the bookies still have England favourite to take a 2-1 series lead to Old Trafford with one to play, with William Hill pricing Root’s men at 4/7.

    With only seven wickets in hand, can England take an advantage into the second innings? The hosts are valued at 4/9 by Bet365 to do so, but India have the destructive Jasprit Bumrah and the in-form Mohammed Siraj in their ranks and the duo could easily deny England reaching 200 or even less than their own 191 first innings total. Accordingly, India are 13/8 to take a lead into the halfway stage of the Test, again with Bet365.

    If, however, you fancy England to push on and build a good lead, SkyBet’s boost of 2/1 from 7/4 to reach 275 runs is worth checking out, whilst for the 300-mark to be surpassed, 10/3 odds are yours with William Hill.

    Individually, Dawid Malan has began to come into his own in the Test arena of late and set to resume halfway to his 50 on Friday, England’s number three will be eyeing taken the burden off his skipper, with Root back in the pavilion. For Malan to hit a century, SkyBet’s boosted odds of 6/1 from 5s could be just the ticket.

    Alternatively, if you foresee England being skittled cheaply and for the wickets to tumble in Friday’s morning session, again SkyBet is your best bet, with odds of over 3.5 wickets to fall before lunch at 13/8.

    For the draw outright meanwhile, currently MansionBet and Betfred carry odds of 2/1, but given four full days remain and with good weather forecast for the weekend, a positive result looks likely for one side or the other.

  • Hungary v England betting

    As England play their first international since Euro 2020 on Wednesday, the Three Lions will look to ease their Wembley final heartache from earlier this summer against Italy.

    Sitting pretty atop Group I in World Cup Qualifying with three wins from three, by far England’s toughest game of the entire campaign comes next however, as Three Lions travel to Budapest to face Hungary at the Ferenc Puskas Stadium.

    With the Mighty Magyars unbeaten in the Group thus far like the visitors, Gareth Southgate’s men are still significant favourites to go to 12 points and take a big step toward the World Cup in Qatar next November. England are 2/5 with most major bookies including SkyBet, Bet365, Betfred, William Hill and Paddy Power to take the win on the banks of the Danube.

    But Hungary should not be taken lightly after ruffling more than a few feathers in the Group of Death during the Euros. If we consider also they have scored three times in each of their three qualifiers to date, most importantly, Hungary now have their talisman in the form of Dominik Szoboszlai back and ready to fire after injury. Could Hungary hit two at least more versus England? With Adam Szalai in decent scoring form for both club and country to boot, for the hosts to score twice, Bet365 are offering 6/1 odds well worth exploration.

    A Hungary win is surely too much to expect given England’s attacking wares, so what of the draw? The last time England failed to win a qualifier away from home was less than two years ago during October 2019 in a 2-1 defeat to the Czech Republic, and this does feel like it could be a difficult evening, with a partisan crowd set to roar the hosts on. As such, 7/2 odds on the draw with BetVictor or 17/5 with UniBet looks very good value indeed.

    The individual goalscorer market, similarly, looks like it could carry decent merit. We already spoke of Szoboszlai’s return to the Hungarian fold but having yet to fully impress for new club RB Leipzig after crossing the Red Bull divide from Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga, the playmaker will be keen to put on a show versus the Euro runners-up. Szoboszlai is 7/1 to score anytime with Bet365, PaddyPower, Betfair and William Hill. For Both Teams to Score meanwhile, SBK is the place to go for strong 13/9 value.

    If you are one for a long-shot punt, roaming centre-back Attila Fiola is partial to a foray forward for his country and having netted against France in the Euros and in Hungary’s last qualifier against Andorra, Fiola carries a hefty 28/1 odds with Bet365 to score. If the hosts are behind late on, Fiola will be one to watch like a hawk and could bring some serious winnings to brave punters.

    Finally, from an England point of view, set pieces are again set to be the go-to route for goals, and Harry Maguire can still be fetched at a full 9/1 with Bet365 to score in 90 minutes. For a potential Three Lions scorer double meanwhile, Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling’s goals led England through their summer odyssey only months ago, and for the two both to notch in Budapest, SkyBet are offering a relatively short but attainable 7/2 price.