Internazionale vs Palermo
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For whatever reason, I’m not well at all currently and my previews will be very brief as a result so please accept my apologies! I’m hoping it’s just a temporary thing but either way – if you have any questions then just ask!
The featured game today is the Serie A clash between Inter and Palermo.
My call is simply over 2.5 goals because Leonardo has demonstrated beyond any reasonable doubt that his side cannot defend, hence them conceding so many goals since he took over. They’ve scored goals too though, so it’s no surprise that all six Serie A games with Leonardo at the helm have gone over 2.5 goals. Inter are tired too, following a Coppa Italia affair with SSC Napoli earlier this week so they may be more prone to making mistakes today. Palermo aren’t great travellers but the likes of Pastore and Ilicic should be enough for Palermo to score at least once against a poor Inter defence so my call is over 2.5 goals here.
Team news – Inter miss Samuel, Sneijder, Stankovic, Cordoba, Chivu, and Julio Cesar.
Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 3/4.
Sunday’s Picks
My tips:
As ever, below are my recommended value tips for today in no particular order:
Wellington Phoenix vs Newcastle Jets – home win with -1.5 handicap at 7/5.
Simply put – the Phoenix are dynamite when playing in New Zealand and Herbert has got them playing good, attacking football. To get a result at the Phoenix, you have to score more than they do and the Jets aren’t generally a side that I consider capable of that. This isn’t even a general Newcastle Jets side, however – it’s a depleted side beyond recognition! They have let Milicevic leave the club on a free transfer, who was an important defender for them, and they’re missing virtually of their starting midfielders and two starting attackers. For me, the Jets are sitting ducks here and the odds are good enough to take a chance on for Phoenix beating the -1.5 goal handicap.
Team news – Newcastle Jets miss Kantarovski, Mooy, Patafta, Young, Bridges, Rooney, Zadkovich, Petrovski, Wehrman, D’Apuzzo, and Abbas.
Verdict: Wellington Phoenix to beat the -1.5 goal handicap at 7/5.
AS Monaco vs Olympique de Marseille – away win at 6/5.
Monaco may have signed ex-Real Madrid midfielder Mahamadou Diarra to bolster their midfield but let’s face facts; their attack is one of the worst in Ligue 1, hence their league placing. They’re good at keeping sides out and Diarra will make them even more impervious in time but they’re not a goalscoring side. With that in mind, I can only see one side attacking with any realistic threat of scoring and that’s Marseille. Marseille aren’t a great away side and the absent Valbuena will hurt them but they have enough to get a goal here and if they do then I think they should win this one. For me, 6/5 on the away win is too generous here so that’s my call.
Team news – AS Monaco miss Traore, Nkoulou, and Mongongu whereas Marseille miss Valbuena.
Verdict: Olympique de Marseille to win at 6/5.
Twente Enschede vs Feyenoord Rotterdam – home win with -1.5 handicap at 4/5.
I watched Twente beat Groningen last weekend and I hold my hands up to them – they played very well in what was a very difficult game and Marc Janko in particular was a real handful. This Twente side is maturing rapidly, almost at the same level as Feyenoord’s level of maturity is decreasing so the odds are probably about fair today. Twente have simply got a better side and you saw what a striker-less Ajax side did to Feyenoord’s kids lately – imagine what a team with strikers can do! Feyenoord are terrible away from home due to stupid defending and not creating enough chances, something which the Eredivisie statistics back up, so I have to side with Twente here. For me, backing Twente with a -1.5 goal handicap at 4/5 is decent odds today as Feyenoord aren’t what they were anymore, especially without Fer and Biseswar.
Team news – Twente miss Kuiper and have doubts over Ruiz and Onyewu whereas Feyenoord miss Tomasson, Darley, Cisse, Schenkeveld, Fernandez, Fer, Schaken, Aussar, Biseswar, and have doubts over Simon.
Verdict: Twente Enschede to beat the -1.5 goal handicap at 4/5.
Excelsior Rotterdam vs ADO Den Haag – over 2.5 goals at 4/6.
These aren’t great odds until you compare them to the likelihood of the outcome and then they look pretty tempting. These two sides only know how to attack and as a result, each side tends to play in games that go over 2.5 goals. ADO Den Haag are the better of the two sides, marginally, but the 1×2 market doesn’t appeal to me here. Excelsior need points and they score enough goals to get them too. However, for me, this game has over 2.5 goals all over it as we should see attacking and bad defending a-plenty!
Team news – Excelsior miss Alisic and Ramsteijn whereas ADO Den Haag miss Rankovic and have doubts over Kum and Kubik.
Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 4/6.
Granada vs Real Betis Balompie – both sides to score at 4/5.
Granada have looked good ever since they brought Geijo in due to his natural ability to score goals and that’s what makes them a threat here, basically. Betis are obviously the better of these two sides and should probably win the game but they’re missing a lot of players today so the away win doesn’t interest me. However, givne that Geijo is playing a division below his ability level, I have to fancy him to bag against a suspect Betis defence. Castro is in good form for Betis, however, and I would be surprised to see him fail to score too. Either way, neither of these two sides excels on the defending front so my call is for both sides to score.
Team news – Granada miss Kitoko, Granada, Muriel, and Orellana whereas Betis miss Miguel Lopes, Roque, Juande, Santamaria, Momo, and Emana.
Verdict: Both sides to score at 4/5.
Istanbul BB vs Besiktas JK – over 2.5 goals at 11/10.
This is a derby but it’s not one of the “main” derbies as Istanbul BB doesn’t have anywhere near the same level of support as the likes of Besiktas do. However, Istanbul BB make it their priority to derail their more illustrious local rivals at every opportunity so you’ll always see them play better against Galatasaray and Besiktas JK than anyone else, for example. The hosts will have their chances too, as Besiktas miss important defender Ersan. However, Besiktas have the best attack in Turkey bar none with Simao, Fernandes, and Quaresma far too good for the Super Lig and they’ve demonstrated it in recent times too. I’d have to side with Besiktas winning this one but I’ll overlook the away win as it’s a derby and they can be unpredictable. Instead, I’m opting for over 2.5 goals as it’s generously priced and everything suggests that a high-scoring game is quite possible here.
Team news – Besiktas JK miss Ersan and Hilbert.
Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 11/10.
Accumulator fodder:
Wellington Phoenix, Anderlecht, Colo Colo, APOEL Nicosia, Twente Enschede, Real Madrid.
Recommended bets:
Twente Enschede, Anderlecht, and Wellington Phoenix at 3/1.
As ever, if there are any explanations required then please feel free to post a comment! For the remainder of my thoughts on today’s games, see below, although I feel compelled to write that the below are not necessarily my tips but merely my thoughts to prevent endless questions about my thoughts on certain games!
Australian A-League:
Wellington Phoenix vs Newcastle Jets (8) -1.5 handicap
Melbourne Victory vs Gold Coast United (4) 1-2, draw no bet
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
Mechelen vs Anderlecht (8) 0-2
Sint-Truiden vs AA Gent (5) 0-1
Chilean Primera Division:
Santiago Morning vs Union La Calera (6) 1-0
Union San Felipe vs O’Higgins (5) 1-1
Colo Colo vs Cobresal (8) -1.5 handicap
Union Espanola vs Cobreloa (5) over 2.5 goals
Cypriot Division 1:
APOEL Nicosia vs Apollon Limassol (8) -1.5 handicap
Ecuadorian Prmiera A:
Olmedo Riobamba vs Liga de Quito (6) 1-2
Espoli Cayambe vs Emelec Guayaquil (5) under 2.5 goals
Barcelona Guayaquil vs Imbabura (7) 2-0
English FA Cup:
Arsenal vs Huddersfield Town (7) over 2.5 goals
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Stoke City (5) 1-2
Notts County vs Manchester City (6) over 2.5 goals
West Ham United vs Nottingham Forest (5) 2-1
Fulham vs Tottenham Hotspur (5) 1-1
French Ligue 1:
Girondins de Bordeaux vs OGC Nice (6) under 2.5 goals
AS Nancy-Lorraine vs Montpellier HSC (6) under 2.5 goals
AS Monaco vs Olympique de Marseille (7) 0-1
German Bundesliga:
VfB Stuttgart vs SC Freiburg (5) over 2.5 goals
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Moenchengladbach (6) 2-1
German Bundesliga 2:
Arminia Bielefeld vs Hertha HSC Berlin (6)
Union Berlin vs Paderborn (5)
Karlsruher SC vs Energie Cottbus (5) over 2.5 goals
Greek Super League:
Panionios vs Kavala (6) 0-0
Atromitos vs Asteras Tripolis (7) 2-1
Larissa vs Panserraikos (5) 1-0, at least one red card in this game
Olympiakos Volos vs Olympiakos Piraeus (8) 1-2
Aris Salonika vs PAOK Salonika (5) both sides to score, at least one red card in this game
Italian Serie A:
Brescia vs Chievo Verona (5) 1-1
Cagliari vs Bari (7) 2-1
Lecce vs Cesena (6) 1-1, at least one red card in this game
Genoa vs Parma (4) 1-1
Bologna vs AS Roma (6) 1-2
SSC Napoli vs Sampdoria (6) under 2.5 goals
Internazionale vs Palermo (6) over 2.5 goals, both sides to score
Juventus vs Udinese (4) draw no bet, over 2.5 goals, both sides to score
Mexican Primera Division:
Morelia vs San Luis (6) 2-1
Pumas UNAM vs Monterrey (5) both sides to score
Dutch Eredivisie:
Excelsior Rotterdam vs ADO Den Haag (4) over 2.5 goals
NAC Breda vs AFC Ajax Amsterdam (5) both sides to score, over 2.5 goals
Heerenveen vs Groningen (6) both sides to score
Twente Enschede vs Feyenoord Rotterdam (8) -1.5 handicap
Dutch Eerste Divisie:
Telstar vs Volendam (5)
Paraguayan Division Profesional:
Nacional Asuncion vs Olimpia Asuncion (5) 0-0, at least one red card in this game
3 de Febrero vs Independiente (6) 1-0
Rubio Nu vs Sol de America (6) 2-1
Tacuary Asuncion vs Sportivo Luqueno (5) 1-1
Guarani Asuncion vs Cerro Porteno (6) 1-0, at least one red card in this game
Scottish Premier League:
Dundee United vs Hibernian (6) 1-0
Spanish Primera Liga:
Atletico Madrid vs Athletic Club de Bilbao (5) over 2.5 goals
Osasuna vs Real Madrid (8) 0-2
Espanyol vs Villarreal (5) 1-1
Spanish Segunda Liga:
Granada vs Real Betis Balompie (5) both sides to score
Tenerife vs Girona (6)
Turkish Super Lig:
Ankaragucu vs Manisaspor (5) 1-1
Istanbul BB vs Besiktas JK (6) over 2.5 goals, at least one red card in this game
Gaziantepspor vs Genclerbirligi (6) 2-1
Fenerbahce vs Trabzonspor (5) 2-1
Venezuelan Primera Division:
Estudiantes de Merida vs Caracas (6) 0-1
Aragua vs Atletico El Vigia (6) 1-1
Yaracuyanos vs Carabobo (5) 0-0
Real Esppor Club vs Deportivo Lara (6) 2-1
Zulia vs Monagas SC (6) 1-1
Deportivo Anzoategui vs Mineros de Guayana (6) 2-1
Deportivo Tachira vs Trujillanos (5) both sides to score
Welsh Premier League:
Neath Athletic vs Aberystwyth Town (7) 2-0
Enjoy your free betting tips!