Ancona vs Modena
FreeToday’s featured game is the Serie B clash between Ancona and Modena. Despite Ancona having let me down last match, I’m confident that they’ll make amends for that tonight. Why? Well, as I stated on a previous post, the away win for Ancona was a dubious call at the time (as it proved to be!) because they’re a home side. Happily, they are back on their own turf today and will be looking to return to winning ways. Ancona still boast a 100% home record so far in Serie B this year and are the one of the only sides to have not conceded a goal at home yet, along with Crotone. Modena’s away record leaves a lot to be desired with two defeats from three games on the road so far. Suffice to say that both sides are starting this season just how the ended last season – winning at home and losing away. Two wins in five games says that Modena aren’t really in a position to change that trend either, particularly as they lost this fixture last year. I’m surprised the bookies have been generous and offered us evens on this outcome but I’m happy to take it!
Monday’s Picks
My tips:
As ever, below are my recommended value tips for today in no particular order:
Ancona vs Modena – home win at evens – see introduction for full details.
Esbjerg vs AGF Aarhus – home win at 11/10. An impressive start to their campaign has seen Esbjerg win six games from nine, five of which have been their last five games. They’ve won three from four home games, scoring two goals per game on average. I’m not going to lie to you – they’re not good enough to maintain this form until the end of the season. However, they’re good enough at the moment, which is good enough for me. Esbjerg welcome AGF Aarhus today, a side that were also performing well until two consecutive defeats left the club reeling, particularly as one was a home defeat to then second-bottom club Midtylland. AGF Aarhus aren’t experienced enough to just pick themselves up from this defeat so I suspect they won’t be at their best tonight. Additionally, AGF Aarhus have lost here for two years running now without scoring a goal and given Esbjerg’s current form, I can’t see at least one of those records changing. For me, a home win at 11/10 could be a real bargain today.
Strasbourg vs Stade Malherbe de Caen – away win at 13/10. The bookies rate this as a dubious call and so do I. Strasbourg may be bottom of Ligue 2 but we all know they’re capable of ending this season as top of it, so it’s a very dodgy situation. Despite horrendous statistics, their performances lately have been getting better and it’s only a matter of time before they claim their first win of the campaign. However, I’m hoping that particular run is maintained at least whilst they host Stade Malherbe de Caen as the odds on the away win are very inviting! The visitors are unbeaten on the road in this campaign but they’ve only won one of their three away games, drawing the other two. Their biggest problem is that they only score a goal per game, and that’s not even averaged – they either win 1-0 or draw 1-1! So if they fall behind in the game, your bet may well be lost! Against a Strasbourg side which has netted nine times in seven games, you have to feel this is a dubious bet indeed! Nonetheless, the efficiency Stade Malherbe de Caen have executed so far this season leaves me confident that they’ll win the game so odds of 13/10 on the away win do look inviting.
Thrasivoulos vs PAE AO Kerkyra – home win at 7/4. I’ve come across some pretty strange odds in my time but these baffle me. Recently-relegated Thrasivoulos have made a poor start to their campaign and are without a win so far in the B Ethniki, having scoring just one goal along the way. They’re hosting one of the B Ethniki’s better sides PAE AO Kerkyra, who have won two games from two so far but are generally a very poor away side, as last season’s three wins from seventeen away games proved. There’s not much between these two sides but as Thrasivoulos still possess a Super League squad, surely the bookies would have to go a lot lower than 7/4 on this game? I’m almost in disbelief here so I’m just going to shut up and call a dubious home win at 7/4.
Brann Bergen vs Odd Grenland Skien – home win at 10/11. It’s taken a lot longer than expected but Odd Grenland Skien are finally showing that they’re out of their depth. It was always going to be too much for the newly-promoted side to maintain their push for European football and now three consecutive defeats has left their morale in tatters. Unfortunately for Odd Grenland Skien, they travel to old hands Brann Bergen who are masters in the art of unpredictability and will no doubt secure a 6-6 draw here! As much faith as I have lost in backing Brann Bergen, they’re facing a demoralised side that are poor on the road and they really need three points themselves to overtake today’s visitors in the Tippeligaen and try to secure themselves European football next year. Brann Bergen have been disappointing at home lately but their record still shows seven home wins from twelve games so you have to feel the onus is on them to get a result here. I can’t see Odd Grenland Skien having enough to bounce back, not only in this game but also in this season. Therefore, taking the home win at 10/11 should be fruitful despite the hosts’ haphazard form of late as they possess a better squad than their visitors.
As ever, any questions/explanations required, feel free to email me at thefootytipster@gmail.com. For the complete picks listing, see below!
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
Cercle Brugge vs Mechelen (5) 1-0
Bulgarian A PFG:
Pirin Blagoevgrad vs Lokomotiv Plovdiv (7) 1-0
Cypriot Division 1:
APEP vs Omonia Nicosia (9) -1.75 handicap
Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga;
Mlada Boleslav vs Brno (6) 0-0
Danish Superligaen:
Esbjerg vs AGF Aarhus (7) under 2.5 goals
English Premier League:
Manchester City vs West Ham United (8) under 2.5 goals
French Ligue 2:
Strasbourg vs Stade Malherbe de Caen (7)
German Bundesliga 2:
Fortuna Dusseldorf vs Alemannia Aachen (6)
Greek B Ethniki:
Thrasivoulos vs PAE AO Kerkyra (6)
Irish Premier League:
Bray Wanderers vs St Patrick’s Athletic (5) 2-1
Italian Serie B:
Ancona vs Modena (8)
Reggina vs Piacenza (6)
Norwegian Tippeligaen:
Brann Bergen vs Odd Grenland Skien (7) 2-1
Norwegian 2 Divisjon:
Avdeling 1:
Lillestrom II vs Mandalskameratene (8)
Skjetten Fotball vs Start Kristiansand II (7)
Pors Grenland vs Valerenga Oslo II (8)
Avdeling 2:
Molde II vs Drobak Frogn (8)
Rosenborg II vs Nardo Trondheim (9)
Avdeling 3:
Sandnes Ulf vs Fredrikstad II (9)
Lyn Oslo II vs Vard Haugesund (8)
Stromsgodset II vs Asane Ulset (6)
Avdeling 4:
Kjelsas Oslo vs Tromso II (6)
Raufoss Fotball vs Bodo Glimt II (8)
Manglerud Star Oslo vs Stabaek II (7)
Portuguese Liga Sagres:
Vitoria Guimaraes vs Uniao de Leiria (6) 1-0
Singaporean S-League:
Sengkang Punggol vs Balestier Khalsa (8) 2-1
Swedish Allsvenskan:
GAIS Goteborg vs Orebro (6) 1-1
AIK Solna vs Djurgardens (8) under 2.5 goals
Halmstads vs Elfsborg Boras (7) 1-2, draw no bet
Swedish Superettan:
Landskrona BoIS vs Jonkopings Sodra (7)
Swiss Challenge League:
Yverdon Sport vs Wil (7)
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