Champions League - Chelsea won't find it A Holiday in Cyprus.

If the bookmakers have got their odds right, then Chelsea just need to turn up in Cyprus and APOEL Nicosia will roll over and the Blues will score as they like.

Chelsea are 2/7 (Totesport) to win, but we think anyone thinking about having a big punt on them at that price should just be a little cautious. In their three away matches in the group stages of this competition last season Chelsea didn't manage an away win and they don't look anywhere near as good a team when Drogba isn't in the team-and he's missing through suspension tonight.

APOEL opened their group matches away at Atletico Madrid and managed to come away with a point after securing a 0-0 result. They defended well that night and with the probability they will keep things tight tonight the prospect of a low scoring match looks quite high and the under 2.5 goals Evens (Sportingbet) has to be considered.

The draw tonight is available at 4/1 (Betfred) and can't be discounted although we do think a win for APOEL would be a big shock and we won't be having a little flutter on the 12/1 (Betfair) that's available.

Chelsea have to recover from a poor showing against Wigan and if they are not at their best tonight they might find this match a lot tougher than expected.

We’re going to tip the match to end in a draw with the game ending in a 1-1 result 9/1 (888Sport). First goalscorer bets that are possibilities include the returning Joe Cole 12/1 (Betfred), Frank Lampard 13/2 (Coral) and for APOEL Zewlakow 14/1 (Ladbrokes) has to be considered.

Manchester United should secure a win at Old Trafford against Wolfsburg tonight in their first home tie of the group. It's been almost five years since Manchester United lost a European tie at Old Trafford and although Wolfsburg will give United a stern test United to win 7/18 (BETDAQ) does look like the bet to be on.

We fully expect Wolfsburg to put up a decent fight and having only failed to score in one of the nine matches they have played this season, having a bet on both teams to score tonight 21/10 (Totesport) looks great value and is worth a shot.

Another bet we feel could be worth a stake is the half time/ full time bet on draw/Manchester United at 7/2 (Ladbrokes). Like United Wolfsburg like to attack and we believe there will be plenty of goals tonight so the over 2.5 goals 8/13 (Paddypower) can be a winning bet.

The 3-2 correct score 33/1 (William Hill) and the 4-2 result 66/1 (888Sport) might be worth a little stake at big prices. Our first goalscorer selection here is Darren Fletcher at odds of 18/1 (Betfair) with Wolfsburg’s Batista Grafite looking an extremely generous price of 3/1 (Ladbrokes) to score anytime.

Champions League Betting Tuesday

Three British teams are in action tonight and we're going to take a look at how we think they will do.

Arsenal are entertaining Olympiacos at the Emirates and although they are long odds on at 2/7 (Betfred) to get a win they cannot really be opposed.

Both teams won their opening Champions League games and while Olympiacos have won their last four domestic games they don't have a good record against English opposition. In their eight away matches against English sides they have never taken a single point and they have only scored one goal.

With that in mind and given how well Arsenal perform at the Emirates it might be worthwhile going for Arsenal to win to nil 4/5 (Paddypower). A bet on Arsenal to win by 3-0 8/1 (Ladbrokes) can give us a winner.

It might not be so straightforward for Liverpool to get a win in Italy against Fiorentina. The Italian team have a good home record against British teams, winning two and drawing the other in the three games they have played so far, although their overall home record in Europe is quite poor. Liverpool were unbeaten on the road in their campaign last season and it's worth knowing that they haven't lost a goal away in their last four matches against Serie A sides.

We think it could pay to lay Fiorentina on the exchanges as we feel Liverpool will at the very least get a draw. Liverpool are 17/20 (BetUK) to win, but we think it might be better to try a bet on a draw 5/2 (Stan James) . We're going to take a chance on a 0-0 correct score 10/1 (Bet365).

SPL champions Rangers look to have a stiff task in their home match with Sevilla. Rangers are on an unbeaten run of 20 games in all competitions, but they have had three consecutive 0-0 draws in their last three Premier League games and the lack of goals must be a worry going into this tie.

With a partisan crowd behind them Rangers will be no pushovers, but we think it will be hard for them to get a win and even at odds of 11/4 (888Sport) we don't think a bet on a home win can be considered. There is a chance Rangers could get a draw 5/2 (Betfred) but it's debatable whether they can hope to keep Sevilla at bay for 90 minutes.

Having a bet on a half time/full time result of Draw/ Sevilla at odds of 9/2 (Betfair) might get a return for us as well as a win for Sevilla at 30/29 (Betdaq).

The correct score bet of 1-0 to Seville 13/2 (Sportingbet) is the bet we're going to be on.

Monday Night Football - City Can Nail Hammers

Manchester City can move up into fourth place in the Premier League tonight with a win over West Ham. After their summer spending spree Manchester City were tipped by plenty of people to have an impact in the league this season and haven’t disappointed so far. The only negative this season has been a defeat to neighbours Manchester United, but even then they went down fighting and were unlucky to lose in a tremendously entertaining match.

As you might expect West Ham are available at a decent price 15/2 (Bet365) to get a win tonight and are 7/2 (Coral) to even pick up a point. It looks a tough task for the Hammers tonight (who haven't won in four games) and we just can't see them managing to get a result.

City have kept three clean sheets in their five matches so far and they are Evens (Paddypower) to manage another one tonight.

A win for Manchester city is a best price of 4/9 (888Sport) and although that's a pretty short price, it's a pretty fair assessment given how well they are playing and the current form of their opponents.

We have to go with the home win tonight and think a bet on a 2-0 win 6/1 (Sportingbet) can bring some winnings. Craig Bellamy has been in great goalscoring form and he is on offer at 9/2 (Coral) to be first goalscorer tonight and he is our choice.

Click here to bet on Manchester City v West Ham

Saturday Forecast Five

Listed below are our selections for our Forecast Five feature where we bring you five reverse forecast selections from the meetings taking place today.

Ascot              2:30 - High Twelve / Joshua Tree

Market Rasen  2:40 - Forty Thirty / Classic Contours

Market Rasen  3:55 - Khachutarian / King Troy

Chester            4:25 - Guided Warrior / Brae Hill

Haydock          5:15  -  Gripsholm Castle / Sterling Sound

Saturday Horse Racing and Ascot Placepot

Saturday's shorse racing selections are listed below as well as a placepot for the Ascot meeting.

ASCOT: 1.55 Ahla Wasaal e/w, 2.30 High Twelve, 3.05 You'll Be Mine, 3.40 Redford, 4.15 Rip Van Winkle, 4.50 Red Dune, 5.25 Hendersyde e/w.

CHESTER: 2.15 Jacqueline Quest, 2.50 Leleyf 3.20 Crazy Chris, 3.50 Kaolak, 4.25 Guilded Warrior, 5.00 Earlsmedic e/w, 5.35 Zuwaar
.
GOWRAN: 2.20 Alakhan, 2.55 Liberty To Rock e/w, 3.30 Erdiyna, 4.00 Ave, 4.35 Black Eyed Susan, 5.05 Book Of Numbers, 5.40 Prince of Light.

HAYDOCK: 2.25 Indian Pipe Dream e/w 3.00 Prohibit, 3.35 Lenny Bee e/w, 4.05 Miss Antonia, 4.40 Super Collider, 5.15 Sterling Sound.

MARKET RASEN: 1.35 Sadlers Star 2.05 Ameeq e/w, 2.40 Forty Thirty, 3.15 De Soto, 3.55 Khachaturian, 4.30 Hi Dancer.

NAVAN: 2.10 Im Suir e/w, 2.45 Emotional Melody, 3.20 High Gales, 3.50 Without The Bop e/w, 4.25 Valain, 4.55 Dream Champion, 5.30 Kavanagh.



ASCOT PLACEPOT


Leg1 3 - 9 - 16


Leg2 6


Leg3 3 -9


Leg4 15 – 4


Leg5 4 - 1


Leg6 10 – 2 – 6

Friday Evening Racing Tips

Our selections below are from the two evening meetings at Dundalk and Wolverhampton.  

We have also listed a placepot selection for Wolverhampton.

DUNDALK: 6.30 Nubar Boy, 7.00 Qubool, 7.30 Crazyforlovingyou, 8.00 By The Sea, 8.30 Belle of the Lodge, 9.00 Dabirana, 9.25 Eochair e/w.

WOLVERHAMPTON: 5.45 The History Man, 6.20 Theta Wave, 6.50 Ivory Silk, 7.20 Bona Fortuna e/w, 7.50 Global Conquest, 8.20 Vanadium, 8.50 Insolence, 9.20 Jadalee



Wolverhampton Placepot

Leg1      2 - 6

Leg2     1 - 11

Leg3     2 - 3 - 4

Leg4     3 - 4

Leg5    10

Leg6     3 - 7 - 11

Weekend Football Betting Preview

Over at our website we have just published our FRIDAY FOOTBALL TIPS feature where we select what we believe to be good value bets from the football fixtures taking place this weekend.

Here's a litte sneak preview of what's in today's article.

After their recent good results we would have expected Blackpool to be odds on to get a home win against Peterborough. Blackpool have won their last two home league games and are now unbeaten in four and at odds of 21/20 (Partybets) have to be worth a bet. Peterborough are in a run of decent form too, but we’re going for Blackpool to win 2-1 17/2 (Sportingbet).

Aston Villa have won at Ewood Park on their last couple of visits. After an opening day shocker Villa have improved dramatically and they can take all three points from a Blackburn side that don’t look any great shakes at present.

Villa to win 7/5 (Paddypower) appears to be pretty good value. James Milner to score anytime 4/1 (William Hill) looks a decent bet.

Seven out of the last 10 league meetings between Tranmere and Colchester have ended in draws. Although Tranmere have now gone six games without picking up a point we think they might manage to scrape a draw her at odds of 12/5 (Bet365). We’re selecting a 0-0 scoreline 9/1 (Sportingbet).

You can view the rest of our football slections here at our website

Tonight's Football Best Bets

Carling Cup football and CIS Cup games in Scotland provide the football betting opportunities tonight and we've picked out what we think are the best bets from the games taking place.

Manchester United are expected to field fringe players and maybe blood a couple of youngsters in their home tie with Wolves tonight. At 3/10 (Ladbrokes) United are strong favourites to get a home win and although we think they will win, it might be a lot closer than the betting would suggest.

Wolves will bring back Sylvan-Ebanks Blake after injury tonight and we're sure he will cause United's defenders some problems. Taking both teams to score 21/20 (Ladbrokes) could be a winning bet in this match.

United are our choice to win the match and we're going to have a bet on a 2-1 correct score 8/1 (Sportingbet).

The blue side of Manchester are also at home tonight and City will be looking to bounce back from their Old Trafford defeat at the weekend by beating Fulham. We think City will get through, but we're going for the game to end all square after 90 minutes. A bet on the draw 4/1 (BETDAQ) is recommended along with a small stake on a 1-1 correct score 13/2 (Betfred).We're picking Steven Ireland 7/1 (Ladbrokes) to be first goalscorer.

Both Villa and Cardiff will be making changes to their line up tonight and we think the changes may affect Cardiff more than Villa. Villa have home advantage and are playing well after a pretty poor start to the season. They will be looking to keep their momentum going and we can see a comfortable home in this match.

Villa at 2/5 (BetUK) look a solid banker bet and taking a 3-0 correct score 9/1 (Partybets) could prove fruitful. John Carew 5/1 (888Sport) is our choice to be first goalscorer.

Hull and Everton could need extra time to settle their match tonight. The league fixture at Hull last season finished 2-2 and that's the scoreline we're going for again tonight at odds of 11/1 (Partybets). The draw is available at 5/2 (Stan James).

Tottenham are struggling for central defenders tonight and that could increase the chances of Preston pulling off a bit of a shock. Preston are 4/1 (Betfred) to get a win, but we are going for a draw 5/2 (BetUK). Having a bet on the over 2.5 goals 13/20 (Sportingbet) could provide some winnings.

We don't envisage any shocks at Stamford Bridge tonight and Chelsea should win at odds of 1/5 (Paddypower).

Up in Scotland the Old firm are in action and both should secure wins.

Rangers are away at Queen of the South and although they are 3/10 (Coral) they should be included in multiple bets as an upset looks very unlikely. We’re tipping Rangers to win 3-0 7/1 (BetUK). Steve Naismith 7/1 (Bet365) could be worth a bet to be first goalscorer.

Celtic are also away from home at SPL bottom club Falkirk. We're tipping a win for Celtic 2/5 (Betfred) and are placing a small bet on a 3-0 correct score 25/2 (Betfair). We think Shaun Maloney 13/2 (Coral) could be worth a bet as first goalscorer.

Hearts have only managed one win so far this season and a lack of punch in front of goal looks to be a concern. First Division Dunfermline are their opponents tonight and we don't think this match will be as straightforward for Hearts as the 4/11 (Paddypower) on offer for a home win would have us believe. In this match we think it could well be worth having a bet on a draw 19/5 (Betfair). A bet on the 1-1 correct score 8/1 (Stan James) can bring some winnings.

Click Here to Bet on Tonight's Football

Carling Cup Betting Tips Tuesday

Carling Cup fixtures take centre stage tonight and we have picked out what we believe to be value bets from some of tonight's games.

The Leeds United v Liverpool match is on Sky tonight and this could be a decent match for the neutral. It’s more than likely Liverpool will rest a few players for this match and with Leeds United going well in League One and having a fantastic home record the price of 8/11 (Totesport) on Liverpool getting a win looks rather short and we’d be more inclined to go on the exchanges and lay Liverpool tonight.


We’re taking Leeds to get a draw 11/4 (Betfred) during the 90 minutes, but we’re going to tip them to qualify at odds of 5/2 (888Sport). Having a bet on a 1-1 correct score 13/2 (Sportingbet) and taking Luciano Becchio at 10/1 (Betfred) are a couple of bets we believe are worth consideration.


Barnsley are already showing improved form under Mark Robbins, but they may just find Burnley too good for them tonight. Burnley had a great run in this competition last season and they look quite attractively priced at 7/5 (888Sport) to get a win. We’re going for Burnley to win 1-0 6/1 (Partybets).

Portsmouth’s only win this season has come in this competition and after six straight defeats in the Premier League the will be looking to get a confidence boosting win against League One Carlisle. The home side have already beaten Championship side Bristol City in this competition and this will be no easy task for Portsmouth tonight.

Our selection is going to be a draw 13/5 (Betfred).

Scunthorpe at 1/2 (BetUK) are a decent bet to get a home win against Port Vale. We’re tipping a 3-1 win for the home side at odds of 12/1 (Sportingbet).

Arsenal usually field a young side in this competition and if they do tonight then they could come unstuck against a West Brom side that are flying in the Championship at present. We’re going to take the over2.5 goals in this match at 5/9 (Betdaq).

Arsenal are 4/9 (Ladbrokes) to get a win, with West Brom 13/2 (BetUK) to provide a shock. We’re nearly tempted to go for West Brom at that price as it looks a bit too big, but instead we’re siding with a draw 7/2 (Betfred). We’re also going to take a chance on a 2-2 correct score bet 22/1 (Stan James).

Graeme Dorrans 7/1 (William Hill) to score anytime could be worth a small stake.

Nottingham Forest haven’t won in three matches and Blackburn can take advantage of their indifferent form and get an away win at nice odds of 11/8 (Coral). Jason Roberts 7/1 (888Sport) is our pick to be first goalscorer.

Scottish CIS Cup Matches Tuesday

Dundee have only lost one game this season as have SPL opponents Aberdeen. We can see this being a close game and the bookmakers think so too with Dundee being offered at 13/5 (Betfred) and Aberdeen a best price of 23/20 to get a win.  

Our selection is going to be the draw 12/5 (Paddypower) and we think a 1-1 correct score could be worth a bet at 6/1 (888Sport).

Hibernian had a pretty comfortable win over St Johnstone at the weekend in a league match and they should win here again tonight. St Johnstone will have learned a lot from their defeat and we think this game will finish a lot closer.

Hibernian to win 8/11 (William Hill) with a 2-1 correct score bet 15/2 (Sportingtbet) are two bets to consider.

St Mirren have already beaten Kilmarnock at Rugby Park this, but we think this tie might need more than 90 minutes to be decided. The 0-0 scoreline is available at 9/1 (Bet365) and we think a small bet on that outcome could be a winner. The draw is available at 9/4 (Totesport).

Motherwell are unbeaten in the SPL this season and a home win against Inverness 8/15 (Paddypower) looks the bet to be on. The over 2.5 goals 17/20 (Sportingbet) is worth a bet as is the 3-1 correct score 31/2 (Betfair).

On Paper Dundee United look to have an easy task away a to Division One Ross County, but we think if there’s going to be an upset then it might happen in this match. Dundee United have drawn a lot of their games recently and goals haven’t been easy to come by for them. Ross County have only lost one of their last 10 games in all competitions including a convincing 3-1 win over SPL side Hamilton in this competition.

At odds of 4/1 (Coral) we reckon Ross County could be worth a little bet to pull of a surprise in this match. We’re tipping a win for Ross County by 2-1 16/1 (Betfred.

Click here to bet on the CIS Cup

Our Weekend Football Tips Include a 28/1 Winner

Our weekend football tips came up trumps again with some nice priced winners a correct score bet at eeccellent odds of 28/1.

Out of 6 home selections we gave 5 winning tips at odds of 4/9 – 4/9 – 3/4 – 7/4 – 4/5. We also gave Aberdeen to win to nil 15/8 and Aston Villa to win to nil also at 11/10.

In our away selections we tipped Bristol Rovers to win at Brentford at odds of 2/1 and we also said a bet on the over 2.5 goals was worth a bet 10/9 and we made it a treble whammy in this match by predicting the correct score of 3-1 at a whopping 28/1.

We also gave Bournemouth at 10/11 to win away.

We also tipped up Bolton and Stoke to draw 9/4 and predicted the correct score of 1-1 at odds of 11/2.
So in total this weekend we managed to give 13 winning bets
Why not visit the blog tomorrow and see our selections for the Carling cup and CIS Cup matches in Scotland. You might just find yourself some nice bets at decent prices and get your week off to a winning start.

Saturday's Forecast Five

Last Saturday in our forecast five we gave one winning selection that meant we broke even for the day.

Hopefully our five selections today can throw up some nice forecast divisends to give us a nice profit.


1.45 Newmaarket    Fleeting Star/Lucy Brown


2. 05 Ayr                 Invincible Force/ Prescription


2.20 Newbury         Radiohead/Wisecraic


4.10 Catterick         Great Art/Business Class


4.45 Catterick         Ingenue/They All Laughed

Horse Racing Selections-Ayr and Newmarket Placepot tips

Yesterday in our racing selections at our website we tipped Side Glance as an each/way bet in the opener at Newmarket and it promptly won at ods of 50/1.

We also gave a further two winners at Newmarket and also tipped three winners at Listowel at odds of 4/1 - 9/2 - 8/11

To see a full list of our selections for this afternoon's race meetings click here to go to our website

In the meantime we have picked out placepot selections for the meetings at Ayr and Newmarket and they are listed below

AYR Placepot


Leg1 4 - 8 - 9


Leg2 8 - 10


Leg3 4


Leg4 5 - 6 - 22


Leg5 3 - 5


Leg6 12 - 9

Newmarket Placepot


Leg1 6 - 8


Leg2 4 - 8


Leg3 6 - 7


Leg4 2 - 7


Leg5 2 - 3


Leg6 5 - 10

Weekend Football Betting Tips

Over at our website  you can view our Friday Football Tips article where we have picked out a selection of what we believe to be decent value bets from this weekend's football fixtures.

Here's a little sneak preview of some of this weekend's tips.

Cardiff look a good price at Evens (Coral) to get a home win against QPR. The under 2.5 goals 3/4 (Betfair) also appears to be worth considering. We’re having a bet on a correct score of 2-0 15/2 (Paddypower).

Preston are unbeaten at home and they also have a good record (unbeaten in 5 matches) against opponents Coventry. The price of 3/4 (BetUK) is pretty decent and is one we’re keen to get on. We’re taking the 2-1 correct score 8/1 (Sportingtbet) to bring us a return we also think having a bet on Ross Wallace at 14/1 (Ladbrokes) to be first goalscorer can give us some winnings.

Inverness are unbeaten on their travels and can get a win at Airdrie at odds of 10/11 (William Hill). Try a bet on a 3-0 correct score 16/1 (Coral).

Ayr Placepot and Wolverhampton Selections

The Ayr Gold Cup meeting starts today and we have picked out a placepot permutation as well as giving our selections for the evening meeting at Wolverhampton.

You can see all our horse racing selections for the meetings taking place this afternoon at our website

Ayr placepot



Leg1 4 - 18 - 1

Leg2 18 - 20

Leg3 6 - 7

Leg4 2 - 9

Leg5 3 - 7

Leg6 1 - 5
 
Bet on the Placepot ONLINE

WOLVERHAMPTON: 5.40 Aeroplane 6.10 Alvee, 6.40 Barlaman, 7.10 Air Maze, 7.40 Espy, 8.10 Expressive, 8.40 Gitano Hernando, 9.10 Heavens Peak

Europa League Match Betting

Three British teams are in action in the Europa League matches tonight and we’re going to take a look at their chances as well as give another couple of bets that we reckon can provide us with some winners.



CSKA Sofia are Fulham’s opponents in their first group match and this will be match Fulham will do well to take anything from. The Bulgarian champions have only lost one of their first five league games and generally have good home record.


Fulham are 8/5 (Stan James) to get a win, but at 20/11 (Betfair) we think CSKA look better value and are well worth betting. The 1-0 correct score 7/1 (Paddypower) looks worth a bet too.


Everton haven’t started the season too well and the only clean sheet they have managed this season came in the qualifying round of this competition against Sigma Olomouc when they won 4-0. The inability to keep clean sheets could be a problem against their opponents AEK Athens, but Greek sides don’t normally travel well and we think Everton will come out on top.


The over 2.5 goals at 6/5 (Betfred) looks to have a reasonably good chance of being a winning bet and is worth considering. Everton are 4/7 (Totesport) to get a home win and they appear a pretty safe bet a that price. A bet on a 3-1 correct score at 12/1 (888Sport) can be worth backing as can Tim Cahill to be first goalscorer at odds of 11/2 (Coral).


Celtic travel to Israel to play Hapoel Tel Aviv in their first group match and look to have a pretty tough task on their hands. Celtic’s poor away form in European competition has been well documented, but they did win away in Moscow in the Champions League qualifying rounds and have better away form in the SPL this season than they have at home.


Celtic are 17/10 (Stan James) to get a win and their experience could see them through this game. We’re taking Celtic to win and are selecting a 1-0 scoreline 39/5 (BETDAQ). Scott McDonald 13/2 (Stan James) is our first goalscorer selection.



Ajax look a banker bet at 3/10 (William Hill) against the inexperienced Poli Timisoara. Taking Ajax to win to nil 11/10 (Paddypower) is a bet we think can provide us with a return at decent odds. We’re going for Ajax to win 3-0 8/1 (Ladbrokes).


At odds of 5/4 we think Valencia look decent value to beat Lille. The Spaniards have started their season well, which can’t be said for Lille who have only managed one win in five games. Valencia to win 2-1 9/1 (Betfair) is another bet worth consideration.

Burley Remains Scotland Boss

In the past some people have accused the SFA of having their head buried in the sand, living in the past and being out of touch with what’s happening now. Well it’s good to see that they have proved they are right up to date now by following the lead of the banking and rewarded an employee (Burley –and his new contract) for failing miserably.




It’s difficult to see what justifiable reasons the SFA had for giving him a new contract. Maybe it was because of the great win record of his team and the great results he brought? Well three wins from 11 matches, 8 goals scored and 15 conceded isn’t brilliant and we’d be hard pressed to find any Member of the Tartan Army who thought it was!



Sure there was improvement in the display against Holland at Hampden, but Scotland were fighting for their lives and when the chips are really down we know the Scots will battle to the end no matter who the manager is. This spirited display glosses over the fact that in the first half at Hampden against Macedonia Scotland could have been 4-0 down if Macedonia had a striker that could finish. They looked disjointed; tactically unsure of what was expected of them and just downright awful.



This display wasn’t just a blip or one-off either, against Norway where they lost 4-0 Burley was given a “get out of jail free card” when Gary Caldwell was sent off, as the heavy defeat could be blamed on his dismissal. But the truth is Scotland were awful and were soundly beaten by a team that is at best ordinary.



During his reign so far Burley has made some strange choices in his selections for a game and substitutions during them. These decisions haven’t always been popular with players or fans and it’s hard to say whether these decisions are brave or just foolish. It will be interesting to see if any other players call a day to their International careers now.



There’s no doubt that George Burley is a decent man and cares deeply for Scotland and is committed to doing his best, but is that good enough? Scotland’s next competitive match is in 12 month’s time, so Burley has a year to get it right and we think he is extremely lucky to be given that opportunity.



In a statement the SFA said, “We all acknowledge that there have been disappointments over the past year and that we have not met our objective to qualify for the World Cup.

However, what is also clear is that George and his players have shown that they are moving in the right direction. George has been rebuilding his squad and brought through many young players who he feels will bring us success in the years to come.”



Maybe the SFA do really believe that, but we think it could be because Burley doesn’t rock the boat, is a yes man, and doesn’t cost the earth to employ. Coupled with the fact that there’s probably no one out there at the moment that the SFA would find suitable or who would actually want the job are probably the main reasons Burley still has a job tonight.



We’d love to hear what you think. Is he the man to lead Scotland to greater things? Is it a mistake not to sack him? Is Burley another Bertie Vogt’s all over again? Tell us what you think by leaving your comments below. We’d love to hear them.

Championship Football Betting Tuesday

We’ve picked out a couple of bets from tonight’s Championship football games that look as if they could bring us some winnings
Middlesbrough are away to Sheffield Wednesday who remain unbeaten at home. Wednesday are 2/1 (Paddypower) to get a win, but while we think they will be hard to beat, we can’t see them picking up all three points. We’re tipping Middlesbrough to win 7/5 (Ladbrokes) a match we expect to be very close. A 1-0 scoreline 7/1 (Stan James) is a bet we think could provide a return.
Coventry City have only won one of their last four home matches against Sheffield United and with the Blades starting the campaign well we think it could pay to take Sheffield United to get the away win. United remain unbeaten in the league and we’re pretty confident they can secure a win at a decent price of 11/10 (Betrfred). We’re picking the 2-1 correct score in this match and that bet is available at 9/1 (888Sport).


Ipswich are in dire need of a win after only picking up 2 points from their first six matches and we’re tipping them to get one tonight. Ipswich have won two and drawn two of their last four meetings with Forest and while we wouldn’t put anyone off taking the draw 12/5 (Ladbrokes) especially as Forest have drawn all three of their away games so far. Despite those stats we still think the home win at 5/4 (Betfred) looks worth a bet.
Ipswich to win 2-1 17/2 (Sportingbet) with Carlos Edwards 14/1 (Paddypower) our pick to be first goalscorer.

Swansea are without a win in three at home and tonight’s opponents Bristol City will be hoping to take something from the fixture. There’s only been one goal scored in the last four matches between the teams and the under 2.5 goals 5/7 (Betfair) has to be given serious consideration. We think Bristol City can get their first away win of the season and appear worth a bet at odds of 9/5 (BetUK). We’re having a bet on a 1-0 correct score 9/1 (Betfair) and taking Paul Hartley 16/1 (888Sport) to be first goalscorer.

QPR play hosts to Crystal Palace with neither team exactly hitting the heights so far this season. Palace were thumped 4-0 at home by Scunthorpe at the weekend and look out of form, although they have picked up four of their five league points away from home. QPR are 1/1 (Partybets) to get a home win but they haven’t managed that so far as they have drawn all three home league games. One win in 8 matches against Palace doesn’t exactly give us a lot of confidence and we’re more inclined to side with Palace to bounce back from that heavy defeat and just shade this at odds of 3/1 (888Sport).

We’re picking a 2-0 correct score 9/1 (BETDAQ) in this one. We also think a bet on the under 2.5 goals can be a winner at 4/6 (Paddypower).

Saturday Forecast Five

Our Saturday Five feature selections are listed below.

Forecast Five


1.55 Donc - Poets Voice/Viscount Nelson


2.35 Ffos Las - Glen Shiel/Lean Machine


3.45 Doodwood - Chris's Jem/Silky Way


4.50 Ffos Las - Toms Laughter/The Jobber


4.30 Chester - Supermassive Muse/Secret Venue

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Doncaster and Wolverhampton Placepot Selections

Our selections for placepot permutations for Doncaster and Wolverhanpton this evening are listed below.

You can view all our racing tips for every race taking place this afternoon at our website at Pickabet.co.uk

Don't forget to have a look at our Saturday Forecast Five, where we pick out five reverse foecasts we think have good chance of bringing a decent return for a small stake.


Doncaster Placepot

Leg1) 7 - 5

Leg2) 6 - 17 - 9

Leg3) 3 - 7

Leg4) 1

Leg5) 5 -10 -13

Leg6) 2 - 5

 

Wolverhampton

Leg1) 2 - 7 -5

Leg2) 5 -8

Leg3) 7 - 8

Leg4) 12 - 5

Leg5) 10 - 12

Leg6) 5 - 9

St Leger Betting Preview and Selections

The last classic of the season takes place at 3pm on Saturday at Doncaster with a field of eight runners going to post. The race run over 1mile 6furlongs is the oldest of the British Classic Races and is the third leg of the Triple Crown.

Aiden O’Brien and Saeed Suroor supply half the runners between them with Last year’s winning jockey Frankie Dettori taking the ride on Saeed Suroor’s Kite Wood. Frankie looks to have a chance of another winning St Leger ride this year with Kite Wood likely to go off favourite.

Currently a best price 11/4 (Sportingbet) Godolphins Kite Wood has already won the Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury and look set to run another decent race here. The horse has looked a bit one paced however and could be caught for toe in a finish, so we’re not sure he represents great value at the price. Godolphins other runner is Mastery 12/1 (Bet365), but we would be surprised to see him feature at the sharp end of the race.

Above Average doesn’t appear to be as his name suggests and is more like Pretty Ordinary to be honest. Barry Hill’s horse will need to show great improvement if he is to feature, but we don’t think that will happen and the 66/1 (Ladbrokes) on offer looks like a realistic assessment of his chances.

Monitor Closely has been supplemented to enter the race and presumably connections wouldn’t have shelled out £45000 if they didn’t think they had a fighting chance. The Great Voltigeur, which the horse won, is renowned as the best St Leger trial, so the chances of this horse shouldn’t be underestimated. Looks sure to run a big race.

Henry Cecil’s Father Time is a strange horse. He looked a world beater when winning the Lingfield Derby trial, but ran as if he wasn’t enjoying the extra distance when finishing third behind Monitor Closely in the Great Voltigeur. The horse is definitely talented, but appears moody and seems to have his own idea about things. The 5/1 (Stan James) looks a decent enough price given previous form and the horse could easily win if he decides to put it all in. Question marks about temperament mean we’re overlooking him, but could easily pop up to win the race.

Aiden O’Brien saddles two, but Von Jawlewnsky 100/1(Ladbrokes) looks nothing more than a pacemaker for Changingoftheguard 10/3 (Coral) who is obviously Ballydoyle’s main hope. Changingoftheguard ran a great race to finish second to Sesenta at York, but this is a jump in class again and we think there might be one or two better on the day.

John Oxx doesn’t run Derby winner Sea The Stars, but he does run Mourayan and we think this horse must have a great chance of winning. He finished just behind Sea the Stars as a two year old –beaten only half a length-and has finished behind Fame and Glory a couple of time this season already. The price on offer of 8/1 (888Sport) appears to be pretty generous and he’s our selection.

Pickabets 123

1 Mourayan
2 Kite Wood
3 Father Time

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Evening Racing Tips-Down Royal and Wolverhampton

We have picked out what we believe to be some decent priced fancies for the two evening meetings at Down Royal and Wolverhampton this evening.

We have also picked out a placepot permutation for the Wolverhampton meeting.

DOWN ROYAL: 4.20 The Educator e/w, 4.50 Midnight Mover, 5.20 Bada Bling, 5.50 Fantastic Opinion e/w, 6.20 Trojan War, 6.50 Marceau e/w, 7.20 Shamiran

WOLVERHAMPTON: 5.40 Diamond Laura, 6.10 Espy, 6.40 Galilean Moon, 7.10One Scoop Or Two e/w , 7.40 Perceptive e/w, 8.10 Awesome Surprise, 8.40 Russian Davis, 9.10 Vanadium.

Wolverhampton Placepot

Leg1 1 – 2

Leg2 4 – 9

Leg3 10

Leg4 4 – 5 - 11

Leg5 9 – 10

Leg6 5 - 10

Weekend Football Bets-Stenhousemuir Look Good Value

Over at our website you will find all our weekend football selections in our FRIDAY FOOTBALL TIPS article

An excerpt from the article is printed below:

West Brom look a banker home win bet this weekend. Opponents Plymouth haven’t won a game yet and West Brom already look as if they could mount a challenge for the title. A home win at 2/5 (Ladbrokes) looks like the only sensible betting option here. Over 2.5 goals is worth a bet at 4/5 (Sportingbet) and a 3-0 correct score bet at 9/1 (Partybets) can also be worthwhile.

Colchester haven’t won any of their last four matches in any competition and with Swindon unbeaten at home we can’t understand why Swindon are available at 6/4 (Bet365). We would have expected them to be odds on and we believe they are a great bet at that price.

Stenhousemuir could be a bit of value at 2/1 (Bet365) to win away at Dumbarton. They are unbeaten so far this season while Dumbarton prop up the table with one point. A 2-1 correct score bet 11/1(Betfred) could bring a good return.

St Mirren have still to record a league win at their new stadium and with St Johnstone registering two draws from their three league games a bet on the draw 12/5 (Betfred) here look to have every chance. We’re taking a bit of a chance and going for a 2-2 scoreline at 14/1 (Stan James). Andy Dorman 8/1 (Ladbrokes) is our pick to be first goalscorer.

Doncaster Placepot for Thursday

Unfortunatley our placepot selection for the Doncaster meeting yesterday went down after th eopening race. This was even more frustrating as we managed to pick a place selction in the last five races.

We're hopeful that today we can get a bit of a better run for our money and we're hopeful we can pick up a winning dividend today.

You can view all our racing tips for today's other afternoon meetings at our website



Doncaster Placepot

Leg1 4 - 7
Leg2 4 - 6
Leg3 2 - 4 - 20
Leg4 10 - 4
Leg5 6 - 12
Leg6 2

Europa League Betting Preview

The Europa League kicks off next week and the betting looks wide open with Roma 9/1 (Stan James), Hamburg 12/1 (Betfred) and Villareal 12/1 (Ladbrokes) all among the current favourites. We’re not surprised these teams are near the head of the market as Italian; German and Spanish teams have a good pedigree in European Competitions.

English teams do well in the Champions league, but this isn’t a competition (UEFA Cup) they have had huge success in over the years. Only four English teams have reached the final in the last 25 years with Middlesbrough and Arsenal losing their final and Liverpool and Tottenham winning theirs.

Everton 20/1 (Paddypower) and Fulham 50/1 (Coral) are the Premier League representatives this year. Everton appear to have pretty tough group and we think they are a bit too short a price to be backing. Fulham have Roma in their group but could easily finish second and with bookmakers offering 1/2 the odds on a team to make the final Fulham might be dark horses and could be worth an each/way bet at huge odds.

Valencia 18/1 (Bet365) will get through their group easily enough and have chances, while Shakhtar Donetsk 20/1 (888Sport) have to be respected along with Dutch sides Ajax 33/1 (Coral), FC Twente 66/1 (William Hill) and PSV Eindhoven 40/1 (Stan James) who all look a little overpriced in our opinion.

Scottish teams have reached two finals in the last 10 years and we wouldn’t discount Celtic at 50/1 (Ladbrokes). They came up short against Arsenal in the Champions League qualifiers, but there are few teams of that quality in here and if they qualify from a tough looking group their price will be slashed so it could prove fruitful getting on now if you fancy their chances.

At a really big price FC Copenhagen could be worth a small each /way bet. They have always performed reasonably well in the Champions League when they have qualified and we wouldn’t be too surprised if they were to have a decent run in this competition. We’re picking them as lively outsiders at 125/1 (Stan James).

Valencia are our selection to win the competition, but we do think Ajax look good value and might be worth a bit of each/way money.

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Doncaster Placepot and Kempton Selections

The first day of the St Leger meeting at Doncaster is where our placepot selection comes from today and we have also picked out selections from this evening's meeting at Kempton.

You can see all ourracing tips for this afternoon's meetings at our website

DoncasterPlacepot

Leg1 8 - 13 - 5
Leg2 1 - 3
Leg3 2
Leg4 7 - 3
Leg5 9 - 7
Leg6 5 - 9 - 12

Bet online on the Placepot Here

KEMPTON: 5.50 Haling Park, 6.20 Italian Tom, 6.50 Angel Song, 7.20 Caldermud e/w, 7.50 Pressing Matters, 8.20 Chief Exec 8.50 Ottoman Empire, 9.20 Jiggalong

World Cup Qualifiers

England can qualify for the World Cup in South Africa if they beat Croatia tonight and we see no reason why that can’t happen. England will be tense and nervous in this match as they have the prize of qualification almost within their grasp and will want to win in front of their home fans. But nerves aside we can’t see why England at 8/13 (Stan James) won’t win.

Croatia have previous of beating England and their 3-2 win that saw England fail to qualify for Euro 2008 will provide some inspiration to their team. But England are a much more solid unit now than they were under Steve McLaren and England won’t crumble under the pressure like they did then.

A win for England is the only sensible betting option we can see and we’re tipping a 2-0 win 11/2 (William Hill) we’re also tipping Wayne Rooney to be first goalscorer at 5/1 (Paddypower).

Hampden will be jumping tonight when Scotland face Holland in a match Scotland have to win to have any chance of making the play offs. Holland have a 100% record in the group and given their form and the way Scotland’s campaign has gone so far 6/5 (Bet365) for a Holland win looks a fantastic price.

Scotland did beat Holland back in 2003 at Hampden when they were huge underdogs and will be hoping for a repeat tonight, but that would be a major shock. Scotland are 5/2 (Betfred) but we think that price is ridiculously short and while there’s no doubt the Scots will give it their all, they don’t look to have the quality defensively to keep the Dutch at bay for 90 minutes.

We’re going for Holland to win by 2-1 10/1 (Betfair) and in the first goaslcorer market we think if you fancy Holland to score first then Arjen Robben 9/1 (William Hill) is our pick and for Scotland Shaun Maloney is our choice at 14/1 (Coral).

Wales have been pretty inconsistent in their campaign, having decent performances without getting results in a couple of games and in others looking disorganised and downright poor at times.

No matter what Wales team turns up tonight we still can’t see them getting anything at home to Russia and we’re going for an away win for Russia at 4/7 (Betfred). Goals have been in short supply for Wales and taking Russia to win to Nil at 6/4 (Bet365).

A bet on Russia to win 1-0 11/2 (Ladbrokes) has to be worth considering.

Northern Ireland could leapfrog Slovakia tonight and go top of Group 3 with a win, but we think a draw might be the best bet to be on here. Slovakia are pretty strong defensively and it will be up to Northern Ireland to break them down and we think they might find it hard to find the goal they need.

We’re tipping a draw 23/10 (BETDAQ) and think a bet on a 0-0 correct score 9/1 (Skybet) could be a winning bet.

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The Saturday Forecast Five

Our five forecast picks from the horse racuing meetings taking place this afternoon are listed below.

2.15 Stratford FortyThirty/Tricky Trev

2.40 Kempton Kirklees/Muhannak

3.05 Thirsk Invisible Man/Splinter Cell

4.35 Haydock Emerald Commander/Syrian

5.05 Lprdstwn Dynasty/Speechmaker


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Saturday Horse Racing Selections-Haydock Placepot

There are five afternoon maeetings taking place todat and we have picked out our selections for all of them. We have also picked a placepot selection from the meeting at Haydock.

You can also see our Saturday Forecast Five selections HERE.

HAYDOCK: 1.55 Equuleus Pictor e/w, 2.2 5Bushman, 2.55 Yes Mr President, 3.30 Fleeting Spirit 4.05 Bluie, 4.35 Emerald Commander, 5.10Sherman Mc Coy.

KEMPTON: 2.10 Chaperno, 2.40Kirklees, 3.10 Tartan Gigha e/w, 3.45 On The Cusp, 4.20 Macs Power, 4.50 Teeky, 5.25 Balnagore.

STRATFORD: 2.15 Forty Thirty, 2.50Wujood e/w, 3.20 Don’t Think Twice e/w, 3.55 Free Gift, 4.25 Eyeeffess e/w, 4.55 Eljays Boy, 5.20 The Jigsaw Man.

THIRSK: 2.00 Dance For Julie, 2.30 Colepeper, 3.05 Tiger Reigns 3.40 Demolition, 4.10 Mohawk Ridge, 4.40 Focail Eile, 5.15 Music Maestro, 5.45 Sea Salt e/w.

LEOPARDSTOWN: 1.40 What A Charm, 2.10 Poet, 2.40 Rainbow View, 3.15 Miss Gorica, 3.50 Fame And Glory, 4.30 Whispering Wind e/w, 5.05 Dynasty, 5.35 Final Flashback

Haydock Placepot

Leg1 16 – 4 – 10

Leg2 1 - 3

Leg3 2 - 9

Leg4 13 – 14

Leg5 2 – 10

Leg6 3 – 4

Kempton Evening Racing Selections and Placepot

The comeback of Kieron Fallon tonight at Kempton should add a few extra punters to teh attendance and hopefully a few more quid into the placepot pool too.

We've been close with a few placepot selections over the last few weeks without picking up any winnings, so we're hoping our selections at Kempton tonight might bring us a change of luck. All our selections for tonight's meeting are listed below.

KEMPTON: 5.45 Candyfloss Girl, 6.20 Fasilight, 6.50 Mendip, 7.20 Ferris Wheel, 7.50 Awaseef, 8.20 Spate River, 8.50 Dr Livingstone e/w 9.20 Gandalf e/w

Kempton Placepot

Leg1 5 - 9
Leg2 2
Leg3 3 - 4
Leg4 10 - 2 - 5
Leg5 1 - 4
Leg6 4 - 6

Weekend Football Betting

World Cup qualifiers and Football League matches make up the football fare on offer this weekend and we have picked out what we believe to be some of the best bets available in our Friday Football Tips article at our website.

Here's a little glimpse of the article and some of the selections we have given.

Scotland need to take all three points from their home match against Macedonia if they are to hold any chance of qualifying and with the chips down we can see them taking all three points in a tense affair. Scotland at 4/5 (888Sport) are our pick and we’re taking them to win 2-0 8/1 (Betfair). A bet on Kenny Miller 5/1 (Stan James) to be first goalscorer can be a winner.

Barnet have made a good start to the season and we fancy them to at least make the play-offs this year. They travel to Northampton tonight (Friday) and look to be a very good price at 11/4 (Totesport) to take all three points.Taking them to win 2-1 12/1 (Betfred) could prove fruitful. In the first goalscorer market we like the odds on Jake Hyde at 17/2 (Bet365).

Northern Ireland are having a good campaign and they look capable of taking a point in Poland at a decent price. Northern Ireland are 14/5 (Coral) to get a point and we think the match could end up 1-1 13/2 (Sportingbet).

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