BetScorer.com - Bonus Betting Previews & Picks

[BetScorer]

Date: 18/10/2011
Competition: Champions League
Match: Basel vs. Benfica
Pick: Benfica to win @ 2.20
Stake: 5 Units

Venue: St. Jacob Park, Basel
Kick-Off: 19:45

Basel stunned Manchester United in the previous round, coming from two goals down to earn a draw at Old Trafford. Now, the Swiss side is set to lock horns with Benfica in Group F top-two clash. Things have changed though for Basel, after the departure of coach Thorsten Fink. The former Bayern Munich defender didn't think twice when Hamburg revealed their interest in him, despite the fact that his team was capable of advancing to the Top-16 stage of the Champions League. The Bundesliga challenge was fascinating and Fink packed his things and moved to Germany to replace Michael Oenning at the helm of HSV. The Swiss Club had no other choice than to allow Fink to move, but they had no alternative solution either. They appointed his assistant Heiko Vogel as caretaker manager until December, in order to have some time to consider their options. 35-year-old Vogel has no experience as a manager, as he has only worked as an assistant at Ingolstadt and Basel. Taking charge of the Swiss champions should be a dream for him, needless to mention coaching a team in the Champions League. Valentin Stocker (MF), Gilles Yapi-Yapo (MF) and Kay Voser (DF) are long-term absentees in the hosts camp.

Benfica held Manchester United to a draw in Lisbon and defeated Otelul Galati in Romania. If they manage to take the maximum points possible out of the next two matches against Basel, they will make a huge step towards the next stage, given the fact that Otelul should pose no threat at Da Luz. The Eagles of Lisbon are flying high in the Portuguese league, currently leading the table along with rivals Porto. On Friday, they won their cup tie against Portimonense, in a match which Jorge Jesus opted to rest some of his star players, like Cardozo, Aimar and Saviola. There are no problems for the visitors, therefore coach Jesus will choose his best eleven for Tuesday's match.

I would consider Benfica to be the favourites in this clash, even if it wasn't for Fink's departure. The appointment of a young and inexperienced coach is an additional advantage for Jorge Jesus' side and the odds for the away win are worth the risk.

 

[BetScorer]

Basel-Benfica: 0-2 +6 Units

 

[BetScorer]

Date: 20/10/2011
Competition: Europa League
Match: Udinese vs. Atletico Madrid
Pick: Draw at Half Time @ 2.20
Stake: 5 Units

Venue: Friuli, Udine
Kick-Off: 18:00

The clashes between Udinese and Atletico Madrid should be the most anticipating contests in this group. The two teams are leading the rankings with four points after the first two rounds and the next two rounds will probably decide the winner. If you asked me, Atletico Madrid should have more interest in the Europa League than the Italian side. The reason is that Atletico is seeking to turn the tide, following the recent poor run in the league. On the other side, Udinese is flying high and keeping their place at the top should be a priority for the White-and-Blacks.

Udinese is leading the Serie A race (along with Juventus) running a six-game unbeaten streak. Three wins and three draws are their results so far and the most impressive fact is that they have conceded just one goal (at AC Milan). Francesco Guidolin is enjoying life in the Italian league and he is considering to give some players a rest in the upcoming Europa League rounds, in order to stay close to the top spots. His intentions are clear by his plans to leave captain Antonio Di Natale on the bench and start with Antonio Floro-Flores in the front line. The way I see it, Guidolin will take a conservative approach in the beginning of the game rather than attempting to put the opponents on the sword.

The recent scoring drought has been a headache for Gregorio Manzano. Atletico Madrid hasn't scored in the last three league matches and if there was an excuse for the visit to Camp Nou, failing to find goals against Sevilla (at home) and Granada (on the road) is raising concerns. The Rojiblancos got the three points against Celtic and a late goal at Rennes salvaged a point, thus they are sitting comfortable at the top of Group I for the time being. The double-header with Udinese will probably decide the final rankings, since I don't think that Rennes and Celtic are able to compete for the top-two spots. Atletico Madrid's task won't be easy at Friuli, as they will have to break down the best defense in the Italian Serie A.

Udinese's strong defensive record combined with the scoring drought that Atletico is going through at the moment are two factors that make me think that this should be a tight affair. If the scenario about Di Natale's absence from the starting line-up is correct, then it would add to my initial estimation that the draw at half-time is the most probable outcome.

Possible line-ups:
UDINESE: Handanovic - Benatia, Danilo, Domizzi, Basta - Isla, Pinzi, Asamoah, Abdi - Floro Flores, Fabbrini.
ATLETICO MADRID: Courtois - Perea, Godin, Dominguez, Filipe - Diego, Tiago, Gabi, Reyes - Falcao, Adrian.

 

[BetScorer]

Udinese-Atletico Madrid: 0-0 (HT) +6 Units

 

[BetScorer]

Date: 21/10/2011
Competition: German Bundesliga
Match: Augsburg vs. Werder Bremen
Pick: Werder Bremen (-0.5) @ 2.01
Stake: 6 Units

Venue: SGL Arena, Augsburg
Kick-Off: 19:30

Augsburg celebrated their first win in the Bundesliga last week and there is a lot of enthusiasm in the hosts camp. Callsen-Bracker's penalty two minutes before the end earned FCA a historic victory at Mainz, although much credit should be given to goalkeeper Simon Jentzsch. The veteran keeper broke a finger and he is doubtful for tonight's match. He is reported to have 50/50 chances to play with a special glove, but this might be a problem for his performance.

Coach Jos Luhukay has already suggested that it's likely that 22-year-old Mohamed Assif will be given his debut, but this will be decided by a late fitness test. Midfielders Marcel de Jong (6 apps / 0 goals) and Marcel Ndjeng (3 apps / 0 goals), defender Paul Verhaegh (3 apps / 0 goals) and striker Simon Hain (1 app / 0 goal) remain on the sidelines. So Luhukay is expected to stick to the same squad he used in the last round.

Werder Bremen dropped a few places following their second defeat on the trot. Borussia Dortmund escaped Weserstadion with the three points in their bags, despite being forced to play with 10 men for nearly the whole second half. It was a weird result based on the performance of the two teams. Werder dominated much of the play in the first half, yet failed to capitalize on that. Instead Perisic gave the lead to the visitors, but on the 47th min got sent off. Thomas Schaaf's players pushed hard to make a comeback, however Owomoyela delivered the fatal blow on the 72nd minute.
Schaaf is happy to see goalkeeper Tim Wiese available, since Sebastian Mielitz has not exactly impressed with his recent performances. Wiese should be in the starting line-up tonight and should he keep a clean sheet, Werder will most likely find the winning goal(s). That's not an unlikely scenario to me, as Augsburg has only scored one goal in the last three matches. Austrian striker Marko Arnautovic (7 apps / 3 goals) is suspended, while Tim Borowski (MF) is a long-term absentee.

I made a small research to see when it was the last time that Werder Bremen suffered three successive defeats and it was back in the start of the second half of the season 2009/2010. Last year, two defeats on the trot was the most extensive streak and I think that we all rate Werder Bremen higher this season. On the other hand, newcomers Augsburg should not be capable of building a winning streak and a draw would be more than welcome for FCA. The fact that it's a goal-shy team makes me think that Werder Bremen will bounce back to winnings tonight and stay close to the top spots of the Bundesliga.

Possible line-ups:
AUGSBURG: Amsif - Reinhardt, Mohrle, Langkamp, Hosogai - Callsen-Bracker, Davids, Gogia, Bellinghausen, Baier - Molders.
WERDER BREMEN: Wiese - Papastathopoulos, Wolf, Naldo, Schmitz - Bargfrede, Fritz, Hunt - Marin, Rosenberg, Pizarro.

 

[BetScorer]

Augsburg-Werder Bremen: 1-1 :neenee: -6 Units

 

[BetScorer]

Date: 27/10/2011
Competition: Turkish Super Lig
Match: Sivasspor vs. Mersin Idman Yurdu
Pick: Sivasspor (Draw No Bet) @ 1.91
Stake: 6 Units

Venue: 4 Eylul, Sivas
Kick-Off: 16:30

Sivasspor has to find the strength to bounce back from the humiliating defeat at Kayserispor. Coach Riza Calimbay felt the need to apologise on behalf of the team to the fans who got frustrated about the 6-2 scoreline. However, there is no time to cry for Sivasspor, as the upcoming fixtures are extremely difficult. Following this match, they will travel to Istanbul to face Besiktas and they will take on Fenerbahce at home afterwards. The match against Genclerbirligi is the next one that they are hoping to take points from, before they go to Turk Telekom Arena to play Galatasaray, host Trabzonspor and play a tricky match against high-flying Orduspor (currently 3rd in the league). Goalkeeper Atilla Koca will probably sit out and Canadian Milan Borjan will take his place.

Mersin IY travels to Sivas, following back-to-back defeats at the hands of Besiktas and Fenerbahce. Prior to those defeats, MIY had achieved a three-game unbeaten run. They held Kayserispor to a 2-2 draw and saw off Gaziantepspor and Antalyaspor. Coach Nurullah Saglam is welcoming back defender Ibrahim Kas (6 apps / 0 goals) and midfielder Andre Moritz (6 apps / 1 goal), who served their suspension.

Even though, I don't expect the Red Devils making any gifts to the hosts, they can still make up for any points lost next week, when poor travelers Genclebirligi visit Mersin. The need for points is significantly higher for Sivasspor, therefore I am backing the hosts on the Draw No Bet handicap.

H2H STATS

14/11/2004 Sivasspor vs. Mersin Idman Yurdu: 2-0 (1)
15/11/2003 Sivasspor vs. Mersin Idman Yurdu: 1-0 (1)
09/02/2003 Sivasspor vs. Mersin Idman Yurdu: 2-1 (1)

 

[BetScorer]

Sivasspor-Mersin Idman Yurdu: 1-0 +5.4 Units

 

[BetScorer]

Date: 29/10/2011
Competition: English Premier League
Match: Swansea vs. Bolton
Pick: Draw at Half Time @ 2.20
Stake: 5 Units

Venue: Liberty Stadium, Swansea
Kick-Off: 15:00

There is one team in the Premier League which is yet to concede a goal and that's neither Manchester United nor Chelsea. The Liberty Stadium has been a fortress so far for Swansea, who has kept a clean sheet in each of the four matches at home. Manager Brendan Rodgers may have suggested that wins are more important than clean sheets, however I am sure that his counterpart at Bolton would envy his record. Bolton Wanderers have the worst defensive record in the EPL (24 goals) and they haven't kept a clean sheet ever since the season opener at QPR. On top of that, the fans at Reebok Stadium have yet to celebrate a positive result after 5 games.

The Swans dropped two points last week, failing to hold on to their two-goal lead in the last 10 mins of the game. They were 2-0 up until the 84th min, but Wolves fired a quick-double to level the score. It was a major disappointment for Brendan Rodgers, who later said that "we committed suicide". He will probably stick to the same squad, as midfielder Kemy Aguestien (4 apps / 0 goals) and defender Steven Caulker (4 apps / 0 goals) are not ready yet, while forward Stephen Dobbie (6 apps / 0 goals) and defender Alan Tate (1 app / 0 goal) remain sidelined. Danny Graham has found the back of the net in the last 3 games and Rodgers would love to see him continuing his fine form.

Owen Coyle's men are struggling at the bottom spots of the table and they travel to Wales following a bitter home defeat at the hands of Sunderland and a midweek Cup game against Arsenal which they lost 2-1. On-loan defender Dedryck Boyata (6 apps / 1 goal) will sit out due to an ankle injury, while South Korean midfielder Chung-Yong Lee remains sidelined, as well as defender Sam Ricketts. Bolton must put their defensive tactics in order to start bagging points. They face a team that likes to keep possession and control the game and that means that probably they won't have to weather a storm. A low-scoring game is what I expect to see and the draw at half-time is my call.

Possible line-ups:
SWANSEA: Vorm - Rangel, Monk, Williams, Taylor - Dyer, Allen, Gower, Britton - Sinclair, Graham.
BOLTON: Jaaskelainen - Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson - Davies, Muamba, Reo-Coker, Eagles - Davies, Ngog.

 

[BetScorer]

Date: 29/10/2011
Competition: German Bundesliga
Match: Wolfsburg vs. Hertha Berlin
Pick: Wolfsburg (-0.25) @ 1.99
Stake: 6 Units

Venue: Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg
Kick-Off: 14:30

A Champions League ticket is within Wolfsburg's reach according to coach Felix Magath. Although, it may sound awkward right now for a team at the bottom half of the Bundesliga, it's not unlikely. I don't know whether he will achieve this goal, but the fact is that VFL Wolfsburg should start climbing up the ladder any time soon. The match against Hertha is one that they need to win for various reasons. First of all, the opposition is not superior. Secondly, there is an extra-motive: to get revenge for last season's 5-1 rout. Then they travel to Dortmund next week, which is a tough place to take points. And finally, the fact that they had more days to rest (Hertha played a midweek Cup game at Essen).

Magath demanded more discipline from his foreign players and he asked them to use only German language on the field. He noticed some problems in communication and he decided that drastic measures need to be taken. Whether you agree or not, you have to admit that he has his own way to implement his tactics.
Ahead of Saturday's match, Wolfsburg's coach has a full-strength squad to choose from. Striker Srdjan Lakic (8 apps / 0 goals) has recovered from injury and he is likely to join fellow Croat Mario Mandzukic in the front line. Midfielder Hleb is also in contention, but he will probably stay on the bench.

Markus Babbel rotated his squad in the DFB Pokal game against Rot-Weiss Essen. Hertha cruised to a comfortable 3-0 victory and now he will bring back his regulars for the match at VW-Arena. The Blue-and-Whites have lost only one of their last 6 games at Wolfsburg (2W-3D-1L). That's a pretty solid record for the visitors, who are tied with Magath's side at 10th place with 13 points. However with all due respect for the visitors, I expect them to end the season much lower than Wolfsburg and the odds on the home win are higher than my estimations. The (-0.25) Asian Handicap seem quite safe to me, with half stake returned in case of a draw.

Possible line-ups:
WOLFSBURG: Benaglio - Hasebe, Kyrgiakos, Thoelke, Schafer - Trasch, Josue, Ochs, Dejagah - Lakic, Mandzukic.
HERTHA: Kraft - Lell, Franz, Mijatovic, Kobiashvili - Ottl, Niemeyer, Torun, Raffael, Rukavytsya - Ramos.

H2H STATS

21/03/2010 Wolfsburg vs. Hertha: 1-5 (2)
21/02/2009 Wolfsburg vs. Hertha: 2-1 (1)
23/02/2008 Wolfsburg vs. Hertha: 0-0 (X)
13/08/2006 Wolfsburg vs. Hertha: 0-0 (X)
11/02/2006 Wolfsburg vs. Hertha: 1-1 (X)
27/11/2004 Wolfsburg vs. Hertha: 2-3 (2)
01/11/2003 Wolfsburg vs. Hertha: 3-0 (1)
17/05/2003 Wolfsburg vs. Hertha: 2-0 (1)
06/04/2002 Wolfsburg vs. Hertha: 1-3 (2)
09/09/2000 Wolfsburg vs. Hertha: 2-1 (1)

 

[BetScorer]

Swansea-Bolton: 0-0 (HT) +6 Units
Wolfsburg-Hertha Berlin: 2-3 :neenee: -6 Units

 

[BetScorer]

Date: 01/11/2011
Competition: Champions League
Match: Dortmund vs. Olympiakos
Picks: Both Teams to Score @ 1.95 / Over 1.5 Goal at Half Time @ 2.75
Stakes: 6 Units / 4 Units

Venue: Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund
Kick-Off: 19:45

Time is running out for Borussia Dortmund who is stuck at the bottom of Group F with just one point after three rounds. What's more astonishing is that BVB were the better side in all three matches, yet they were punished for a whole lot of wasted opportunities to score goals. The Germans dominated the game against Arsenal in the first round, but they only managed to salvage a point thanks to a late goal from Perisic. The 3-0 defeat at the hands of Marseille was a "magic picture" for those who didn't watch the match. At the time, coach Junger Klopp reassured the fans that Borussia would get on track, starting with back-to-back victories over Olympiakos. But it wasn't to be... The Greek side suffered in the first half, but they scored twice against the rhythm of the game. Olympiakos held on to their lead in the second half and sealed the win with a third goal (a header after a free-kick). Klopp admitted that Tuesday's match is crucial for BVB and that there any outcome besides victory will be disastrous. He is quite confident despite the draw with Stuttgart on Saturday, as his players put up a convincing performance. Midfielder Bender is doubtful and he will undergo a late fitness test to check whether he is available.

Olympiakos were held to a 2-2 draw at home from OFI Crete. A surprising result, given the fact that the Red-and-Whites were leading 2-0 until the 73rd min, but the Cretans stunned them with a quick-fire double. Once again, goalkeeper Costanzo was blamed for failing to keep a clean sheet. The Argentinean goalkeeper has been making mistakes ever since the start of the season and the fans are losing their patience with him. It is said that defenders Mellberg and Papadopoulos have quarelled with him during training, blaming Costanzo for his poor judgement and anticipation. Coach Ernesto Valverde will be forced eventually to replace Costanzo with either Daskalakis or Megyeri. After all, they deserve a chance to prove themselves. However handing them a debut in a Champions League match is unlikely, therefore Franco Costanzo will keep his place on Tuesday. Full back Vassilis Torosidis has recovered from his injury, which means that the only absentees are midfielders Fuster and Yeste.

There are two bets that caught my attention. The first one is Both Teams to Score, which is priced higher than the Over 2.5 goals. Dortmund haven't kept a clean sheet in a Champions League match so far and I don't think that they will do so this time either. What I expect them to do is attack from the very beginning of the game and the Over 1.5 Goal in the First Half is extremely tempting at 2.75

Possible line-ups:
DORTMUND: Weidenfeller - Piszczek, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer - Bender, Kehl, Gotze, Kagawa Perisic - Lewandowski.
OLYMPIAKOS: Costanzo - Torosidis, Mellberg, Papadopoulos, Marcano - Holebas, Orbaiz, Modesto, Ibagaza - Mirallas, Djebbour.

 

[BetScorer]

Dortmund-Olympiakos: 1-0 :neenee: -6 Units
Dortmund-Olympiakos: 1-0 (HT) :neenee: -4 Units

 

[BetScorer]

Date: 03/11/2011
Competition: Europa League
Match: AEK Athens vs. Lokomotiv Moscow
Pick: Lokomotiv Moscow to win @ 2.00
Stake: 8 Units

Venue: Olympic Stadium, Athens
Kick-Off: 20:05

AEK Athens are yet to take a point in their Europa League Group, suffering three consecutive defeats in their matches so far. The Greek club is in a financial turmoil, which sheds doubt for its future. A takeover bid is under consideration, since the owners are not willing to put more money to cover the expenses. The 3-0 victory over Aris in the Greek Super League was relieving and although one would expect them to try to build on that success, coach Kostenoglou made clear that that the Europa League is not in their list of priorities. Ahead of the derby against Panathinaikos, Nikos Kostenoglou decided to rest some of his regular players. Nikos Liberopoulos (FW), Traianos Dellas (DF), Fabian Vargas (MF), Nikos Karabelas (DF) and Pantelis Kafes (MF) have been dropped out of the squad that will face Lokomotiv on Thursday. Striker Eidur Gudjohnsen is also sidelined with an injury that will keep him out of action until the end of the season. It is clear that their chances to advance further in the Europa League are only theoretical. So they are planning ahead for the domestic tournaments, as they cannot afford to lose players because of injuries.

Lokomotiv Moscow is currently trailing Group leaders Anderlecht by three points and they have high chances to qualify. Third-placed Sturm Graz is not better than the Russian side and I strongly believe that Jose Couceiro's team will be the one to get a ticket to the next round. The derby against Spartak Moscow ended in a painful way for "Loko", who went down 3-0. Therefore, a win in Athens may give them a morale boost, besides the much needed points. Ecuadorian forward Felipe Caicedo picked up an injury during a training session and he will be sidelined for 2-3 weeks, while captain Dmitri Loskov (MF) will also sit out due to injury.

Possible line-ups:
AEK ATHENS: Arabatzis - Lagos, Cala, Manolas, Georgeas - Makos, Gentsoglou, Carlos, Burns - Sialmas, Beleck.
LOKOMOTIV MOSCOW: Guilherme - Da Costa, Shishkin, Durica, Yanbaev - Glushakov, Zapater, Ignatyev, Ibricic - Sychev, Maicon.

Finally, here an interesting stat involving the referee of the match, William Collum. The Scotsman is considered to be a "black cat" for Greek teams, who haven't won a single match with him on the field. Here are the previous occasions:

29/09/2010 Panathinaikos vs. Copenhagen: 0-2
20/08/2009 PAOK vs. Heerenveen: 1-1
03/12/2008 Metalist Kharkiv vs. Olympiakos: 1-0

My vote goes to the Russian side, mainly because of the fact that AEK Athens doesn't show much interest in the game.

 

[BetScorer]

AEK Athens-Lokomotiv Moscow: 1-3 +8 Units

 

[BetScorer]

Date: 05/11/2011
Competition: English Premier League
Match: Newcastle vs. Everton
Pick: Draw @ 3.35
Stake: 5 Units

Venue: St. James Park
Kick-Off: 12:45

Now, that looks like a bargain, doesn't it? Massive odds for Newcastle, at a time when the Magpies are boasting an unbeaten run so far in the season with six wins and four draws. You will probably hear a lot about their tough schedule ahead, which will bring them against Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea. This is their chance to stay close to the top spots, before the nightmare run in the next three rounds. They also have a record to match, as Newcastle hasn't remained unbeaten in their opening 11 EPL matches ever since the 1994/1995 season. Surely, the bookies are crazy to offer so high prices... Or maybe not?

I usually say "No Bet" for matches like this one, where one side will probably be hugely backed, with the vast majority of the punters thinking that "the odds are too good to be true". However I am going to make an exception this time, just to share with you my thoughts.

How many of you expected Newcastle to start the season as if the Toon were a "title-challenger"? OK, Alan Pardew has done a good work at St. James' Park without any top-class players. Demba Ba has been on fire, with 8 goals in 9 matches. The Senegalese striker made his mark a couple of years ago at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and after a short spell at West Ham, he signed a three-years contract with Newcastle. He is the one who deserves a big share of the credit for the terrific run of his team so far. Alan Pardew admitted that even himself is surprised at the club's start, adding that he hopes the fans will not become over-demanding. Striker Ameobi (3 apps / 0 goals) is ruled out of Saturday's clash, along with Gabriel Obertan (FW, 10 apps / 0 goals) who is struggling with an illness. Ivorian midfielder Cheik Tiote (9 apps / 0 goals) is doubtful and he will pass a late fitness test.

Everton is currently sitting 16th, four points above the danger zone. Contrary to Newcastle though, the Toffees have already faced Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool. On top of that, those four matches came in the last five rounds. So, normally you would expect David Moyes' side to start climbing the ladder anytime soon. In their previous match, Everton suffered a narrow 0-1 defeat at the hands of United. Having watched the match, I wouldn't say that they played bad at all. The return of the Dutchman Drenthe (MF, 6 apps / 2 goals) is a boost, while Moyes is hoping to have some more fresh legs available. Midfielders Tim Cahill (8 apps / 0 goals) and Phil Neville (6 apps / 0 goals), as well as French defender Sylvain Distin (8 apps / 0 goals) are injury doubts. The most significant problem for Moyes is the suspension of Marouane Fellaini (MF, 9 apps / 0 goals).

Possible line-ups:
NEWCASTLE: Krul - Simpson, S.Taylor, Coloccini, R.Taylor - Ben Arfa, Tiote, Cabaye, Gutierrez - Best, Ba.
EVERTON: Howard - Hibbert, Jagielka, Distin, Baines - Coleman, Rodwell, Osman, Drenthe, Cahill - Saha.

H2H STATS

05/03/2011 Newcastle vs. Everton: 1-2 (2)
22/02/2009 Newcastle vs. Everton: 0-0 (X)
07/10/2007 Newcastle vs. Everton: 3-2 (1)
24/09/2006 Newcastle vs. Everton: 1-1 (X)
25/02/2006 Newcastle vs. Everton: 2-0 (1)
28/11/2004 Newcastle vs. Everton: 1-1 (X)
03/04/2004 Newcastle vs. Everton: 4-2 (1)
01/12/2002 Newcastle vs. Everton: 2-1 (1)
29/03/2002 Newcastle vs. Everton: 6-2 (1)
21/10/2000 Newcastle vs. Everton: 0-1 (2)

To my eyes, there is not such a huge difference between the two teams. At least not as much as the table rankings suggest. Everton has managed to get a win and two draws in their last four visits to St. James Park. Although I don't fancy the away win tomorrow, I believe that the two opponents will probably cancel each other out. Draws are not my favorites, but somehow I think that it is a result which will make everyone happy. Newcastle will still be unbeaten, ahead of the difficult schedule ahead. Everton would be sattisfied with one point earned after their nightmare run. While the bookies would be happily counting their profits out of yet another popular bet.

 

[BetScorer]

Newcastle-Everton: 2-1 :neenee: -5 Units

 

[BetScorer]

Date: 06/11/2011
Competition: Spanish Primera Division
Match: Zaragoza vs. Gijon
Pick: Zaragoza (-0.25) @ 1.89
Stake: 7 Units

Venue: La Romareda, Zaragoza
Kick-Off: 15:00

It's time to step on the brakes for Real Zaragoza, who are currently on a three-game losing run. Adding the forthcoming matches against Barcelona and Sevilla, it's becoming obvious that this is a do-or-die match for the Aragonese side. Even if it is too early, I would say that this is a "six-pointer" clash between two opponents with similar goals. Javier Aguirre's team has a dreadful defensive record, having conceded 20 goals already after the first 10 rounds. That's really embarassing and by far the worst defensive performance in La Liga. Coach Javier Aguirre has declared that Sunday's clash is like a final for Zaragoza. And I am sure that the fans at La Romareda are fully aware of its importance. Portuguese defensive midfielder Fernando Meira (9 apps / 0 goals) is suspended. Besides him, Aguirre doesn't have any new concerns and he will probably make a couple of changes in the midfield, compared to the squad he used against Atletico Madrid.

Sporting Gijon has remained unbeaten in the last three matches and just when Manuel Preciado was looking doomed, the 54-year-old coach silenced his critics. Preciado would love to add more misery to the hosts, although he hasn't celebrated a win against his rival manager. Two draws and a defeat have been the results of Manuel Preciado against Javier Aguirre. However, Sporting Gijon has a solid record when visiting Zaragoza. You have to look back to 1997 to find the last time that they suffered a defeat and three out of the recent four meetings were draws. Midfielder Alberto Lora (9 apps / 0 goal) is sidelined with an injury, while Ivan Hernandez (DF, 8 apps / 0 goals) and Nacho Cases (MF, 5 apps / 0 goals) are doubftul.

Despite Sporting's successful run lately, I will back the hosts to bounce back to life and grab a much needed win. Otherwise, they will see Gijon leapfrogging them, while being dragged into the relegation zone. Taking a more cautious approach due to the h2h stats at La Romareda, I picked the Asian Handicap to get half-stakes back in case Gijon holds to a draw.

Possible line-ups:
ZARAGOZA: Roberto - Paredes, Mateos, Da Silva, Juarez - Ruben Micael, Ponzio, Juan Carlos, Lafita - Luis Garcia, Postiga.
GIJON: Juan Pablo - Suarez, Botia, Gregory, Canella - Rivera, Eguren, Trejo, Castro, De las Cuevas - Barral.

H2H STATS

02/10/2010 Zaragoza vs. Gijon: 2-2 (X)
21/02/2010 Zaragoza vs. Gijon: 1-3 (2)
31/05/2003 Zaragoza vs. Gijon: 1-1 (X)

 

[BetScorer]

Zaragoza-Gijon: 2-2 :neenee: -3.5 Units

 

[BetScorer]

Date: 11/11/2011
Competition: EURO 2012 Qualifiers
Match: Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Portugal
Pick: Portugal (-0.25) @ 2.01
Stake: 6 Units

Venue: Bilino Polje, Zenica
Kick-Off: 19:10

A ticket to the EURO 2012 Finals is at stake in this double-header clash between Bosnia & Herzegovina and Portugal. The first match takes place at Zenica and the 2nd leg will be held in Lisbon four days later. Both teams fought for automatic qualification until the last round in their groups, but they failed. You can say that it was quite normal for Bosnia & Herzegovina to fight their way through the playoffs. However, in the case of Portugal, most would have expected them to finish top of Group H. Cristiano Ronaldo's team had a dreadful start in the tournament and they paid a huge price for it. The replacement of Carlos Queiroz by Paulo Bento wasn't enough to make things right. Denmark took advantage and delivered the final blow in the last round, beating Portugal 2-1 in Copenhagen.

The Bosnians head to this match with significant defensive problems. Safet Susic will miss defenders Papac, Pandza and Mujdza. Celtic's Sasa Papac and Mechelen's Boris Pandza are suspended, while Freiburg's Mensur Mujdza is sidelined with an injury.
On the other hand, Portugal is boosted by the return of two important players, Real Madrid's defenders Pepe and Fabio Coentrao. Paulo Bento has his top-guns at his disposal and he will aim to exploit the defensive worries of their opponents.

Bosnia & Herzegovina want to avenge the elimination for the 2010 World Cup and they will give the Portuguese a tough time in Zenica. However, I expect the Iberian side to prevail, as they have more alternative solutions and top-class players. The (-0.25) Asian Handicap offers a safety net, in case of a draw and I am taking it with medium/high stakes.

Possible line-ups:
BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: Hasagic - Besic, Spahic, Mravac, Jahic - Rahimic, Medunjanin, Pjanic, Misimovic, Lulic - Dzeko.
PORTUGAL: Rui Patricio - Pereira, Alves, Pepe, Coentrao - Martins, Meireles, Moutinho - Nani, Ronaldo, Postiga.

H2H STATS

18/11/2009 Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Portugal: 0-1 (2)