Date: 14/12/2011
Competition: Greek Super League
Match: Levadiakos vs. Olympiakos
Pick: Olympiakos (-1.5) @ 2.15
Stake: 7 Units
Game for the postponed games after all the hassle in the greek league. Levadiakos is newly promoted and one of the teams that Olympiakos has an excellent relationship. Everytime Levadiakos needed help from Olympiakos they got it (last time some years ago Levadiakos beat Olympiakos in the last game of the season in order not to be relegated).
This time it is Olympiakos that needs the win and Levadiakos will be there to return the favour. In any case Oly is a very strong team especially in the offence. Last game they won at Kerkyra 4-0 and coach Valverde asked them to score 10 goals if possible instead of holding back.
Also president Marinakis has been alarmed by how Panathinaikos has been winning, so he is asking the players to play 110% every game, in order to put more emphasis on Olympiakos victories. I am expecting Oly to score a lot, which means Pantelic will most likely try to score 2 and also Mirallas to finally start scoring after his recent drought (inclusing missing a penalty).
Possible scores 0-2,0-3. High stake for me.
Date: 12/12/2011
Competition: Europa League
Match: Shamrock Rovers vs. Tottenham
Pick: Tottenham (-1) A.H. @ 1.85
Stake: 6 Units
Final round of the Europa League Group stage. Tottenham on Redknapp's own words are out of the Europa league. The only chance they have to qualify is beat Shamrock Rovers and then PAOK beat at home Rubin Kazan. Many rumours are circulating that PAOK and Rubin will split the game in half and be happy with the draw, but on the other hand, it can indeed turn out a game that anyone can win.
Back to our game now, Tottenham has played all of their games in the Europa League with a very young squad and only in the last 30 mins against PAOK on their 2-1 defeat at White Hart Lane, did Redknapp use his best players.
We are expecting to see a very young Tottenham side in this game too. And despite the fact that those players haven't played in official games many times together, they seem to be very good individually, but somehow failing to play as a team (they have missed quite a few chances though). I believe that some of the players have many things to prove in Ireland on thursday evening. First of all, is that they can perform as a team. Second that they can perform as individuals within a team and third that they can win games. They seemed to struggle against Shamrock in the first half at White Hart lane. Time for them to show that they can beat the Irish champions and wait for the good news from Salonica.
I will take the away hcp win for Tottenham. I believe the youths of Tottenham will finally deliver some good football which will be more than enough to beat the Rovers with over a goal margin. Medium stakes for me.
Date: 18/12/2011
Competition: Italian Serie A
Match: Cesena vs. Inter
Pick: Inter to win @ 1.93
Stake: 6 Units
Venue: Dino Manuzzi, Siena
Kick-Off: 14:00 GMT
Just a couple of weeks ago, Inter was struggling somewhere near the bottom of the table. The defeat at the hands of Udinese made Moratti furious and the Champions League match against CSKA Moscow didn't improve the situation, as the Russians escaped with a much needed win. However, two consecutive victories in the Serie A (against Fiorentina and Genoa) fired the Nerazzurri in the 7th spot and eased the wounds in their camp. Japanese international Yuto Nagatomo scored in both matches, something rather strange for Inter's defender. On Sunday, Nagatomo will face his former club and he is relishing the prospect of extending his scoring streak. Claudio Ranieri is still missing Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder (6 apps / 1 goal), Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan (6 apps / 1 goal) and Romanian defender Christian Chivu (7 apps / 0 goals), while there are doubts over the condition of Andrea Rannochia (DF, 5 apps / 0 goals).
Daniele Arrigoni turned the tide to Cesena's camp, after taking over in November. The 52-year-old manager who replaced Marco Giampaolo has inspired Cesena to earning 9 points in the last four rounds, losing only at Juventus. The Seahorses are still in the danger zone and in need of points, however they can be optimistic about their chances to avoid relegation. Ahead of Inter's visit, defenders Maurizio Lauro (11 apps / 0 goals) and Gianluca Comotto (10 apps / 0 goals) return to the squad and goalkeeper Francesco Antonioli (8 apps) is likely to take the place of Nicola Ravaglia.
Even though I am expecting this to be a tight match, I believe Inter will prevail in the end. Should the Nerazzurri manage to take the lead, Cesena's coach and players will start thinking that it's the next game against Atalanta which is more crucial and this is coming just three days later. The odds are fair enough for my appetite and I will take my risks with the away win.
Possible line-ups:
CESENA: Antonioli - Comotto, Von Bergen, Rodriguez, Lauro - Parolo, Guana, Ceccarelli - Mutu, Ghezzal, Eder.
INTER: Julio Cesar - Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, Nagatomo - Alvarez, Motta, Cambiasso, Zanetti - Milito, Pazzini.
H2H STATS
30/04/2011 Cesena vs. Inter: 1-2 (2)
Date: 18/12/2011
Competition: Portuguese Liga Sagres
Match: Academica vs. Sporting Lisbon
Pick: Sporting Lisbon (-0.75) @ 1.93
Stake: 8 Units
Venue: Finibanco Cidade de Coimbra
Kick-Off: 19:15 GMT
Sporting Lisbon is trailing leaders Benfica by seven points, since the Eagles extended their lead after a 5-1 rout of Rio Ave. This is simply not the time to slip up, as the fictures bring up two difficult matches for Sporting. The Lions will host Porto and then travel to Braga, while Benfica has two home games in a row. Coach Domingos Paciencia gave most of his regulars a good rest, by leaving many first-team players out of the last Europa League match against Lazio. Sporting Lisbon didn't have to worry about qualification, as they had secured the first place of their Group ahead of the trip to Italy. Therefore they didn't mind losing that game. Sporting is enjoying a fine form, having recorded eight wins in the last nine rounds. The only defeat was a narrow 1-0 at Benfica, so we cannot take it as a waste of points.
Academica de Coimbra is currently sitting 6th in the Portuguese League, but their form is far from encouraging. The Students have won just one of their last six matches, grabbing a draw and suffering four defeats. In addition, their h2h stats against Sporting are woeful, as they haven't defeated their opponents since 1998. In ten meetings at Coimbra, they have taken three draws and lost seven times. It would be rather strange to be able to stop Sporting Lisbon from getting all three points on Sunday and given the fact that the visitors had the chance to regain fitness, I believe that they might get an easy win.
H2H STATS
13/11/2010 Academica vs. Sporting Lisbon: 1-2 (2)
30/08/2009 Academica vs. Sporting Lisbon: 0-2 (2)
02/05/2009 Academica vs. Sporting Lisbon: 0-0 (X)
13/01/2008 Academica vs. Sporting Lisbon: 1-1 (X)
13/05/2007 Academica vs. Sporting Lisbon: 0-2 (2)
25/02/2006 Academica vs. Sporting Lisbon: 0-3 (2)
05/12/2004 Academica vs. Sporting Lisbon: 2-3 (2)
16/08/2003 Academica vs. Sporting Lisbon: 1-2 (2)
23/08/2002 Academica vs. Sporting Lisbon: 0-2 (2)
Date: 21/12/2011
Competition: Greek Cup
Match: Anagennisi Epanomis vs. Atromitos
Pick: Atromitos to win @ 1.53
Stake: 8 Units
Venue: Nikos Sarafis, Thessaloniki
Kick-Off: 12:00 GMT
Atromitos travels north to Thessaloniki for their Cup match against Anagennisi Epanomis. Atromitos is not taking the tournament lightly, as a successful run in the Cup is among their aims this season. Last year they made it to the Final, where they lost to AEK Athens. On Sunday, George Donis avenged that defeat by grabbing a crucial 1-0 win against AEK. Morale is high in their camp and some of the players are even suggesting that they are capable of reaching the Play-Offs and fight for a European Cup ticket. Regardless of this prospect, this is a chance to advance to the 5th Round of the Cup and given last year's run they are obliged to avoid early surprises. Coach Donis tried to cool down the celebrations following the win over AEK and he is taking a strong squad to Thessaloniki for Wednesday's match.
Anagennisi Epanomis is a mediocre team from Football League (Div.2), which suffered a heavy 5-2 beating in Larissa in the weekend. They are newcomers in the second division, having earned promotion from 3rd Division last summer. There is a huge gap between the two teams and according to my ratings, I wouldn't price the away win above 1.40 at the most.
Date: 22/12/2011
Competition: Greek Cup
Match: Panthrakikos vs. Aris
Pick: Aris to win @ 1.75
Stake: 7 Units
Venue: Municipal Stadium, Komotini
Kick-Off: 17:00 GMT
Aris is not such a bad team, despite what their current position in the Greek Super League suggests. It was a couple of weeks earlier, when they defeated Panathinaikos 3-1 and everybody expected that this would be a turning point for them to start climbing up the ladder. Yet, it wasn't to be. Aris lost at Tripoli in the next round and on Sunday Panetolikos held them to a goalless draw. The fans were furious after the final whistle and sieged the locker rooms for nearly two hours. The police had to come up with a rescue plan to get the players out safely. Controversial forward Neri Castillo is forced to the exit door and the new coach Michal Probierz is still trying to blend in with the squad. He is obviously frustrated by the attitude of some players, yet he opted to keep the tones low ahead of the upcoming Cup match.
Panthrakikos is doing well in the Football League (Div.2). They are currently on a five game undefeated run which has sent them up to the 3rd place. Still, I believe that they are not capable of pulling up a surprise here. The average price for the away win is around 1.55 but Sportingbet is taking a huge gamble, offering 1.75, which represents a good value for me.
Date: 24/12/2011
Competition: NHL
Match: Boston Bruins vs. Florida Panthers
Pick: Boston Bruins (-0.5) Regulation @ 1.78
Stake: 8 Units
Taking this one early since I believe this is a killer spot for the Kittens. The Panthers started off the season in a fashionable way, collecting points from OT losses as well and keeping their heads above water. However, they're slowly sliding back to their usual comfort zone, hovering around .500. The horrid seasons from recent seasons' Stanley Cup contenders Washington and Tampa Bay launched the Panthers to the front runner role in Southeast, but you can bet there's a huge class difference in what the Panthers are currently doing and what Boston has been doing since that sub par start.
The Stanley Cup champions have started the season with 3 wins in 10 games, but have gone 19-3 since. That's 19 wins in 22 games since the first day of November. The Bruins are looking to end the championship year on a high note, and in my opinion there's a bet in here for us as well. The Bruins have been idle for a couple of days now, ever since outlasting the Habs 3:2, while the Panthers have been busy. Following a four game homestand, they visited Ottawa on Thursday, and will travel to Boston the next day. The game against Ottawa couldn't have been more frustrating for the Kittens. They erased the deficit twice (0:1 and 1:2), and tied the game at 2 with only a bit more than a minute left in regulation.
To add to their recent woes, they allowed a heartbreaking goal off their defender, straight passed to Clemmensen. Now they're back to back, with playing their 3rd game in 4 nights, going 2-5 their last 7 games. Their special units have been slumping (while Boston has only allowed 1 PP goal their last 10 games) and with Florida in a pretty bad spot, they should continue their recent success. The Bruins are fundamentally superb, they're boasting a +50 goal difference, they have top notch production from all offensive lines, and I just hardly see Florida stepping up in this spot - they are 29-65 in their last 94 games in this spot. Taking regulation in this one.
Date: 08/01/2012
Competition: Portuguese Liga Zon Sagres
Match: Rio Ave vs. Pacos de Ferreira
Pick: Rio Ave (-0.5) @ 2.00
Stake: 6 Units
Venue: Estadio do Rio Ave, Vila do Conde
Kick-Off: 16:00 GMT
This is a battle for survival in the Portuguese Liga Zon Sagres, between the two teams at the bottom of the table. Rio Ave are three points clear of the visiting Pacos de Ferreira, whose aim is to close the gap and stay alive in the race to avoid relegation. The hosts played a League Cup match earlier this week, in which they held Sporting Lisbon to a draw. You might say that it worked as a medicine following the 5-1 beating at the hands of Benfica. Defender Tiago Pinto (12 apps / 0 goals) returns to the squad, while coach Carlos Brito is missing midfielder Vitor Gomes (9 apps / 1 goal) due to injury. Rio Ave is relying heavily on their homeground, having earned 10 out of their 11 points there. In addition, they won their last three home games against Gil Vicente, Nacional and Leiria.
Pacos de Ferreira recorded their last win back on October 21st, when they defeated Academica 2-0 at home. That was their only victory in the last 10 league matches, while they suffered the bitter taste of defeat 8 times. Midfielder Filipe Anunciacao (13 apps / 0 goals) is suspended and he will join forward Nuno Santos (5 apps / 0 goals) on the sidelines. The visitors are poor travelers, having earned just a point in their last six outings.
My vote goes to Rio Ave in this six-pointer clash. Carlos Brito's side will have to play Porto and Braga in the next couple of rounds and if they find themselves stuck at the bottom, it will be hard to recover the lost points.
Possible line-ups:
RIO AVE: Huanderson - Jean Sony, Gaspar, Jeferson, Tiago Pinto - Bruno China, Tarantini, Wires - Christian Atsu, Joao Tomas, Yazalde.
PACOS DE FERREIRA: Cassio - Tony, Ozeia, Cohene, Luisinho - Andre Leao, Backar, Manuel Jose, Vitor, Melgarejo - William.
H2H STATS
14/11/2010 Rio Ave vs. Pacos de Ferreira: 3-1 (1)
21/02/2010 Rio Ave vs. Pacos de Ferreira: 1-2 (2)
05/10/2008 Rio Ave vs. Pacos de Ferreira: 3-2 (1)
04/12/2005 Rio Ave vs. Pacos de Ferreira: 2-2 (X)
05/10/2003 Rio Ave vs. Pacos de Ferreira: 2-1 (1)
Date: 14/01/2012
Competition: Portuguese Liga Zon Sagres
Match: Feirense vs. Gil Vicente
Pick: Gil Vicente (+0.25) @ 1.91
Stake: 6 Units
Venue: Marcolino de Castro, Santa Maria da Feira
Kick-Off: 16:00 GMT
The two newcomers in the Liga Zon Sagres meet on Saturday at Santa Maria da Feira. Feirense is currently trailing Gil Vicente by one point, yet Quim Machado's side appears to be in a better form lately than their opponents. The hosts have earned 7 points out of the last four league matches and their coach has urged his players to bounce back following the narrow defeat at Guimaraes. Acknowledging the bad tradition against Gil Vicente, Machado tried to play some mind games by warning his counterpart that he shouldn't be expecting to get any points out of this match. Midfielder Bruno Cris (8 apps / 0 goals) returns to the squad, however there are also some imporant players on the injury list. Defender Henrique (7 apps / 0 goals), as well as forwards Carlos Fonseca (12 apps / 1 goal) and Tiago Rabiola (8 apps / 1 goal) are still struggling with injuries and this game comes too soon for them.
Gil Vicente took a heavy beating last week, losing 3-0 to Nacional in front of their fans. Coach Paulo Alves admitted that it was quite a bitter pill to swallow and he asked his players to fight to retrieve the lost identity of the team. Defender Rodrigo Galo was shown the red card in the previous match and he is suspended. On the other hand, Brazilian striker Roberto (10 apps / 1 goal) and defender Sandro (5 apps / 0 goals) return to the squad. The Roosters have only won once in the last 8 rounds and with a difficult schedule ahead (Benfica and Porto await) this is a match where they have to claim points. Given the fact that there is not much difference separating the two opponents, I believe that Gil Vicente will definitely try to escape with all three points in their bags. The Asian Handicap (+0.25) looks pretty tempting to my eyes.
H2H STATS
31/10/2010 Feirense vs. Gil Vicente: 0-1 (2)
01/11/2009 Feirense vs. Gil Vicente: 0-1 (2)
08/02/2009 Feirense vs. Gil Vicente: 2-1 (1)
24/02/2008 Feirense vs. Gil Vicente: 0-1 (2)
04/02/2007 Feirense vs. Gil Vicente: 1-2 (2)
Date: 15/01/2012
Competition: Spanish La Liga
Match: Sporting Gijon vs. Malaga
Pick: Malaga (-0.25) @ 2.12
Stake: 6 Units
Venue: El Molinon, Gijon
Kick-Off: 18:45 GMT
It’s the first time this season that Malaga has embarked on a four-game winless run. Two draws at home with Atletico Madrid and Osasuna and two defeats at Valencia and Real Sociedad are the latest results for Manuel Pellegrini’s side, who needs to bounce back to wins in order to climb back to the top-spots. Surely, there is plenty of quality in the squad and failing to get a european ticket is not an option for the rich Andalusian club. Pellegrini has plenty of alternative solutions, although he will miss Portuguese midfielder Duda (14 apps / 0 goals) for the trip to Gijon.
Sporting is currently stuck at the foot of the table and has lost four of the last five matches. Manuel Preciado attempted to inspire his players by suggesting that they have nothing to fear from their big-spending opponent and that a positive result lies within their reach. However he has to do without a couple of important players today, most notably defender Botia (16 apps / 0 goals) and midfielder Lora (11 apps / 0 goals). Apart from them, forward Sangoy is unavailable too, yet he has been mostly used as a sub so far.
It's been quite a surprise for me to see Malaga wasting so many precious points lately and I think that it is high time to brace themselves and climb up the ladder. They have a good tradition at Gijon and they should be looking to show their credentials today, by getting all three points out of this game. Picking an Asian Handicap (-0.25) looks quite safe, since you get half your stake back in case of a draw. Needless to say that I cannot see Malaga slumping to a defeat.
H2H STATS
02/01/2011 Sporting Gijon vs. Malaga: 1-2 (2)
03/01/2010 Sporting Gijon vs. Malaga: 2-2 (X)
17/05/2009 Sporting Gijon vs. Malaga: 2-1 (1)
11/11/2007 Sporting Gijon vs. Malaga: 0-1 (2)
24/09/2006 Sporting Gijon vs. Malaga: 1-3 (2)
Date: 21/01/2012
Competition: Belgian Pro League
Match: Mons vs. OH Leuven
Pick: OH Leuven (+0.5) @ 2.30
Stake: 5 Units
Venue: Charles Tondreau, Mons
Kick-Off: 19:00 GMT
Mons Bergen takes on Oud-Heverlee Leuven on Saturday evening, in a clash between the two newcomers in the Jupiler Pro League. The Dragons are currently sitting 8th with 27 points, whereas OHL is placed 11th with 21 points. Mons' last game was a 2-2 draw at Rupel Boom in the Cup, while they took a heavy beating in their previous league match. Mechelen eased past them 4-1, although they do have an excuse since they played with ten men for most of the second half. Goalkeeper Olivier Werner was sent off on the 56th minute and he is suspended for this game. Coach Van Wijk will also miss midfielder Tim Matthys (20 apps / 1 goal) defender Mbow (4 apps / 0 goals) and forward Nong (1 app / 0 goal).
OH Leuven is riding a five-game unbeaten streak, drawing four of them. During this recent run, they beat Club Brugge 3-1 at home and they held Anderlecht to a goalless draw in Brussels. Ronny Van Geneugden strengthened his team recently, bringing 32-year-old Icelandic defensive midfielder Stefan Gislason from Lillestrom and replacing striker Patrick Amoah (who returned to 2nd division White Star Woluwe) with Ibrahim Salou, who returned to Belgium after his spell at New York Red Bulls. I believe that the odds on this match don't reflect the real difference between the two sides and OHL might extend their undefeated streak.
H2H STATS
25/09/2010 Mons vs. Oud-Heverlee Leuven: 3-3 (X)
19/09/2009 Mons vs. Oud-Heverlee Leuven: 1-1 (X)
17/09/2005 Mons vs. Oud-Heverlee Leuven: 2-1 (1)
Date: 22/01/2012
Competition: Italian Serie A
Match: Cagliari vs. Fiorentina
Pick: Cagliari to win @ 2.37
Stake: 6 Units
Venue: Sant'Elia, Cagliari
Kick-Off: 14:00 GMT
Cagliari played really well against Juventus last week and they earned a deserved draw against the Serie A leaders. Davide Ballardini's side managed to get back into the game after conceding an early goal and they even threatened to put an end to Juve's unbeaten run in the league. The Sardinians seem to be on an uptrend lately, having climbed up to the 10th place with 22 points. Captain Daniele Conti (MF, 13 apps / 0 goals) is close to full fitness and he is expected to feature today. Defender Lorenzo Ariaudo (12 apps / 0 goals) will miss the game due to injury, along with long-term absentees Nene (FW, 11 apps / 1 goal) and Rui Sampaio (MF, 6 apps / 0 goals). Cagliari has the opportunity to build on their recent successes and grab a second consecutive win at home, just before a tough fixture which will bring them against AC Milan and Roma.
Fiorentina is left with few weapons up front. Star-striker, Stevan Jovetic (15 apps / 9 goals) didn't train lately due to an injury. However coach Delio Rossi included him in the squad and he is going to wait up to the last minute to find out whether he may use him. The reason of course is that there aren't any forwards left. Earlier this month, Alberto Gilardino was sold to Genoa and Santiago Silva joined Boca Juniors. The Viola have reached an agreement with Brazilian striker Amauri, however he is expected to join the team next week. Alessio Cerci (MF, 12 apps / 3 goals) is sidelined and Moroccan midfielder Kharja is currently playing in the African Cup of Nations. I expect Fiorentina to have a tough time today in Sardinia, especially if Jovetic doesn't make it in the end.
Possible line-ups:
CAGLIARI: Agazzi - Pisano, Canini, Astori, Agostini - Dessena, Ekdal, Naingola, Cossu - Larrivey, Ibarbo.
FIORENTINA: Boruc - Gamberini, Natali, Nastasic - Cassani, Behrami, Montolivo, Salifu, Pasqual - Jovetic, Ljajic.
H2H STATS
23/04/2011 Cagliari vs. Fiorentina: 1-2 (2)
31/01/2010 Cagliari vs. Fiorentina: 2-2 (X)
16/11/2008 Cagliari vs. Fiorentina: 1-0 (1)
04/05/2008 Cagliari vs. Fiorentina: 2-1 (1)
20/12/2006 Cagliari vs. Fiorentina: 0-2 (2)
12/03/2006 Cagliari vs. Fiorentina: 0-0 (X)
30/01/2005 Cagliari vs. Fiorentina: 1-0 (1)
12/06/2004 Cagliari vs. Fiorentina: 3-1 (1)
