scottshapell's Blog

Posted Tuesday, December 07, 2010 10:33 AM

Champions League Picks: Matchday Six

This midweek sees the final games from the group stage of the Champions League, who will reach the knockout stages? We’re looking at the biggest games.

Group A sees Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan locked at the top of the table with ten points from their opening five matches and both are playing away games this Tuesday, with Spurs at FC Twente and Inter facing Werder Bremen, with the aim of topping the group. Of the two sides, Spurs are in better form and are unbeaten in their last six matches, while Inter have lost three of their last five games. How will these games go? Let’s look at the matchups and the updated Champions League odds.

Spurs face a tough task to claim all three points against an FC Twente side that has lost just one of its last 22 games at home in the last year, however they have not won in this year’s Champions League at home and have drawn both games played. Spurs are patchy on the road and have lost four of their last seven away games, and they have drawn one and lost one away in the Champions League this season.

However, with winning the group at stake we expect them to win this match and we’re backing them to win the game. Sportsbook have the current odds @ 2.00.

Both Werder Bremen and Inter Milan are in poor form, with Werder having collected one win their last nine games and they have earned just two points fr... [More]

Posted Monday, December 06, 2010 03:24 AM

Premier League Pick: Aston Villa v Liverpool

The Premier League’s weekend action draws to a close this Monday as Liverpool take on Aston Villa at Anfield. Who will take all three points?

Aston Villa v Liverpool

The final game of matchday sixteen in the Premier League sees twelfth placed Liverpool take on sixteenth placed Aston Villa in what promises to be an intriguing match. Who do the bookies will walk away with the spoils? Bet365 make Liverpool the 1.57 favourites to collect all three points, with an Aston Villa win available at 6.50 and the draw can be backed at odds of 3.80.

This season has not been a good season for Liverpool and with manager changes and the club being taken over, they have won just four of their opening fifteen games. However, they have collected a total of nineteen points in the league and thanks to the closeness of the league this season, a win in this match will send them rocketing up the table to seventh place. Their home form has been good recently and they have won all of their last three home games against Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea and West Ham. For this game they are missing both Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher through injury and Fernando Torres is still not hitting the heights that he can do when in form, so will they continue in their winning form?

Aston Villa are very much out ... [More]

Posted Saturday, December 04, 2010 04:38 AM

Premier League Picks

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This weekend sees the 16th round of games from England’s Premier League a... [More]

Posted Friday, December 03, 2010 03:50 AM

Serie A Picks

Serie A Picks: This weekend’s Serie A action runs from Friday night to Monday and Sportsbook is here with some great tips on the biggest games from the games being played.

Inter Milan vs. Lazio
The weekend begins on Friday night with the biggest game of the 10 being played as former league leaders Lazio entertain fifth placed Inter Milan the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. After losing top spot in the league at the start of November thanks to two straight defeats to Roma and Cesena, Lazio have bounced back with two wins and two draws in the following four games. They lie second in the table, just three points behind AC Milan, and they are four points ahead of Inter. Inter have won their last two matches, and even scored five goals in their last game, but they have not won away from home since the end of October. Despite this, they are improving again. We feel that this game will end as a draw. Sportsbooks have this line at 2.73, which we are backing.

Juventus vs. Catania
Sunday’s late game promises to be an excellent game as Catania host Juventus at the Stadio Angelo Massimino. Catania are eleventh in the table and have lost just one of their last eight games and are unbeaten in 2010 at home, a run of 21 games. Juventus are third in the table, just three points behind Lazio in second, but have drawn nine of their last fourteen games. However, they hav... [More]

Posted Friday, December 03, 2010 01:58 AM

La Liga Picks: Valencia vs. Real Madrid

La Liga Picks: Following Barcelona’s 5-0 thumping of Real Madrid last weekend, we’re back to business in Spain’s top division and we’re here to preview the biggest games.

Valencia vs. Real Madrid
For a second weekend running, Real Madrid are involved in the match of the weekend and they will be looking to claim all three points as they host Valencia at the Bernabeu on Saturday night. Their loss to Barcelona was their first defeat all season. Jose Mourinho has to be feeling that his side will collect all three points after winning each of the nine games played at home this season by an aggregate scoreline of 32-4. The last time they were beaten at home was in April and that loss came to Barcelona. They followed that up by beating Valencia in the next game. Will they do the same? We believe so.
We’re backing them to win. Sportsbook have them at odds of 1.23.

Villarreal vs. Sevilla
The weekend’s other big game sees third placed Villarreal take on the side in eighth, Sevilla, at the Camp El Madrigal stadium. Villarreal have a home record almost as impressive as Real Madrid as they have played ten matches at home in all competitions this season, winning nine and drawing one. Sevilla have lost both of their last two matches and they have lost two of their last three away games, conceding ten goals in those three matches. However, we are not expe... [More]

Posted Saturday, November 27, 2010 04:59 AM

La Liga Betting – Matchday 13

There may be a full round of action in La Liga this weekend, but there is only one game being talked about – El Clásico at the Nou Camp on Monday night as Barcelona host their biggest rivals Real Madrid. Where is the betting value on this one? Let’s look at the biggest La Liga games.

Real Madrid vs. Barcelona
Sportsbooks, fans and bettors are all looking forward to this one on Monday night, as Barcelona welcome their biggest domestic rivals to the Nou Camp as they look to record their 5th successive El Clásico win over the side from the capital. Will they be able to do so, as Real Madrid under Jose Mourinho are a different, and more difficult to defeat, side than in recent years.

Both sides go into this crucial encounter having won their last five matches in all competitions, and Real Madrid head the Catalan side in the league by just a single point thanks to their ten wins and two draws in the league this season compared to Barca’s ten wins, one draw and one loss. They have already streaked away from the rest of the league and are seven points ahead of third placed Villarreal in a league of their own. Barca have proved their vulnerability at home this season with their loss to Hercules early in the season and while they have improved they do not look as consistent as Real Madrid do this season.

Barca have definitely improved in recent times and, whil... [More]

Posted Saturday, November 27, 2010 02:14 AM

Premier League Picks: Match Day 15

Premier League Picks: After the excitement of the midweek Champions League football we’re back to the domestic action again this weekend and we’re looking at the 15th round of games from England’s Premier League, giving out our top picks.

Liverpool vs. Tottenham
Sportsbook will see a ton of action on the biggest game of the weekend happens on Sunday evening as Tottenham Hotspur host Liverpool at White Hart Lane. Spurs are on a run of four games unbeaten having claimed all drawn with Sunderland and then claimed all three points against Blackburn and Arsenal in the league before dispatching Werder Bremen 3-0 in the Champions League to book their place in the last sixteen of the tournament. Liverpool are in better form than earlier in the season and they now sit 9th in the table, however their away form is poor and they have lost four of seven games on the road this season. With Spurs playing in midweek and Liverpool poor on the road, we see this one not being as action packed as expected and we’re backing there won’t be much scoring in this one.
The play is on the under 2.5 goals market @ 1.72.

Chelsea vs. Newcastle United
The only other game being played on Sunday is Newcastle United v Chelsea at St. James Park. Newcastle are an odd side this season and have had some poor results as well as some excellent ones. High points have seen them be... [More]

Posted Saturday, November 27, 2010 01:15 AM

Serie A Betting: Matchday 14

Serie A Betting: ll three of Italy’s representatives in the Champions League this week were victorious, but can they carry that form over into the weekend’s league action? Let’s look at the current Sportsbook odds and see if we can find some value.

Milan vs. Sampdoria
After their 2-0 win in France in midweek, league leaders travel to Sampdoria this weekend looking to claim another three points, but will they be able to do so? Sampdoria are continuing their impressive home form from last season as they have won four, drawn four and lost just a single game in front of their own fans this season. However, their fans will be baying for a goal this weekend as the last three of Sampdoria’s home games have finished 0-0. Milan are in excellent form and have won all of their last five matches and have kept clean sheets in the last three. They will be very confident of extending their league lead this weekend, but Sampdoria are no pushovers at home and we will feel that both sides will walk away with a point. Back the draw @ 2.82 at (those odds are courtesy Sportsbetting.com).

Parma vs. Inter Milan
In action early on Sunday morning are Inter Milan and they host Parma at the San Siro. Inter have being have a rough time of late and prior to their 1-0 win over FC Twente in the Champions League on Wednesday they had gone five games without victory. Will that... [More]

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