Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Tottenham Hotspur
FreeToday’s featured game is the Premier League encounter between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur. Hosts Wolverhampton Wanderers have battled valiantly during this season as you’d expect but luck seems to be continuously against them with Wolves having lost more games than anything else. Spurs have had quite a good season and although they’ve not been as clinical lately as they’d have liked, they remain an extremely potent threat and able side.
Wolves have already lost six out of twelve home games this season and are the lowest scoring home side in the Premier League, which explains just why they’re struggling against relegation. They concede approximately 1.5 goals per home game, which isn’t a bad ratio but it naturally doesn’t work well with their record of not even managing to score a goal per home game. Wolves do seem to have a lot of luck going against them but ultimately you do create your own luck and luck by itself has not put Wolves in the relegation zone. They don’t have the players to keep them up, in my opinion. They’re all hard workers and are capable of causing problems but they’re too lax defensively and don’t score enough goals. Wolves managed to take a point off Tottenham from their trip to White Hart Lane a few weeks ago by a dogged defensive display. Tonight they must come out to take points and Spurs will be charging like an enraged bull so Wolves may be damaged a lot in defence.
Visitors Spurs can be accused of not being clinical enough of late – I know that because I accuse them of it and I agree whole-heartedly with myself! However, they’ve scored six goals in their past four games in all competitions so they’re at least partially recovering in attack. They’ve played some good football lately against some difficult sides but their actual level of ability doesn’t drop. They’ve still get the difficult Peter Crouch and the lightning fast Jermain Defoe in attack and that is one of the best combinations in the Premier League for me. Spurs’ away form isn’t the most flattering in the league with just four wins in twelve games. However, Spurs need the points, they want revenge from their draw at home to Wolves in recent times, and they’re gradually becoming a reliable attacking threat. It’s only a matter of time before Spurs unleash a tide of goals on some poor side and it could well be tonight.
Wolves will make life hard for Spurs tonight – I’d expect nothing less from a McCarthy side. However, they’re not good enough in attack to cause enough problems so they’re going to have real issues, especially with little momentum. Spurs aren’t flying too high yet but they’re capable of scoring a couple of goals and frankly that should be enough to win them what should be a scrappy and low-scoring encounter.
Verdict: Tottenham Hotspur to win at 5/6.
Wednesday’s Picks
My tips:
As ever, below are my recommended value tips for today in no particular order:
Bolivar vs Alianza Lima – lay Bolivar at 6/5.
This bet has purely arisen due to the outlandish odds on Bolivar to win this game of 1/2. Bolivar are a good side in their own league, which is incidentally the worst of the South American leagues. The only way Bolivian sides take points off other South American sides is with good fortune or with their tremendous geographical advantage. However, with neither sides’ domestic league having started yet, the Peruvians have had plenty of time to adjust. Let’s not forget that Peru is also a very high country so the advantage is not so evident for Bolivar. The Peruvian league is not one of the best in South America in terms of quality but it is better than the Bolivian league at least so I can’t fathom why Bolivar are 1/2 to win this game. Alianza Lima were particularly impressive on the road last season and whereas I’ll accept that this is a different type of away game, they have at least shown the capability of adapting to surroundings and turning the negatives into positives. I genuinely can’t see either side winning this game so again I have to say how confused I am by the bookies’ decision to favour Bolivar so heavily here. For me, this game has a draw written all over it so there has to be value in laying the hosts tonight.
Verdict: Lay Bolivar at 6/5.
Emelec Guayaquil vs Newell’s Old Boys – home win at 7/5.
Emelec of Ecuador proved last season that they’re capable of playing well at home in the Copa Nissan Sudamericana by beating Venezuela’s Zamora and Brazil’s Botafogo. Like most Ecuadorian sides, they rely heavily on their home advantage and it tends to come up trumps. I consider Ecuador to be the hardest of the South American countries to visit for an away game because they’ve got some good sides and they’re so far above sea level that away sides don’t know what has hit them. Emelec enter this game off the back of a draw against giants Deportivo Quito so their momentum should be quite good. Emelec drew the first leg 0-0 in Argentina so they know that Newell’s Old Boys have to come to Ecuador to score goals, a task that no side likes doing, so the Argentinians could well be caught on the counter attack.
Newell’s Old Boys have finally burst into life by beating Boca Juniors 4-2 at home in the Primera Division. However, they’re not looking the force that they did in the Apertura as I expected because they’re simply not that good!They’ve lost their only away game in the Clausura to lowly Huracan, a side that struggle scoring goals and yet managed to score two against a supposedly defensively astute Newell’s Old Boys. The fact is that visitors Newell’s have conceded four goals in their last two games, which is too many ahead of a tough trip to Ecuador. This trip to Ecuador will be the third game that Newell’s have played in eight days and I really suspect that it’ll take its toll on their performance. You have to be at your best to get a result here and I simply don’t think that they are at their best although they’re certainly attacking rather well.
This is a risky call because Newell’s are still a better side than Emelec. However, I’m banking on the home advantage to work wonders against a tired Newell’s side that have forgotten how to defend.
Verdict: Emelec Guayaquil to win at 7/5.
Sao Paulo vs Monterrey – lay Sao Paulo at 13/10.
Sao Paulo are 1/2 to win this game; why? I’ve been asking myself this question for ages and I still can’t find an answer. I rate the Brazilian and Mexican leagues about the same with their level of ability and experience. If anything, Brazilian sides tend to struggle more because of the pressure of expectation upon them and their lack of a physical game, something that most other clubs from other South American countries have. Sao Paulo are a very capable side – I cannot question that at all. However, they’re taking on a very good and rather experienced Monterrey side that have started their campaign in Mexico well with two wins, one draw, and just one defeat this season. They’ve already notched up seven goals and boast one of the best attacking line-ups in Mexico in my opinion. Sao Paulo, on the other hand, boast a good squad but lack the cohesion against good sides currently as they’re facing poor sides (generally) in their State Championships. Sao Paulo encountered their first tough opponent a few days ago by hosting Santos and failed to meet the challenge, losing 2-1. There’s not much between these two sides, in my opinion, so why the odds are so short on a Sao Paulo mystify me. Frankly, the value for this game is in laying Sao Paulo so that’s what I’ll be doing as they don’t look ready enough to take on a good opponent yet.
Verdict: Lay Sao Paulo at 13/10.
Aston Villa vs Manchester United – away win at 10/11.
This should be a very tight game indeed but one that should be very interesting in terms of an outcome. Aston Villa took three points away from Old Trafford when the two sides met last year after a hit-and-run performance with some stout defending cost Manchester United big. However, the tables have turned now with the reigning champions United in fine form and hosts Villa beginning to look a little stretched.
Aston Villa have only won once in their last five Premier League games, which was an impressive win at Fulham. However, they’ve claimed a 0-0 draw either side of that encounter on a trip to Tottenham and at home to Arsenal, both games that Villa could quite easily have lost with a bit of luck going against them. However, luck appears to be with them at the moment, particularly defensively as they’ve only conceded once in their last five Premier League games. Aston Villa have the best defensive record in the Premier League at home with just seven goals conceded all season so they’ll be making life tough for United tonight, particularly on the counter-attack with the lightning pace of Agbonlahor and Young and the influential playmaking of James Milner.
Visitors United, however, have a weapon that even a very impressive Aston Villa do not – a very in-form Wayne Rooney. This guy simply cannot stop scoring goals and there are few better than him when he’s in-form. As a result, United have been on fire of late too with four consecutive wins in all competitions including tough games at home to Man City and away to Arsenal. United have won seven out of twelve away games in the Premier League this season and have managed to notch up fifteen goals in their last four games so Villa’s stern defence will get a stern test from a frankly rampant United at the moment.
Villa’s squad tends to get stretched about this time of year whereas United are only just beginning to show their proper form, something they’ve failed to produce for the vast majority of the season so far. This bodes somewhat ominously for Villa and it’ll take a braver man than me to go against a very in-form United tonight.
Verdict: Manchester United to win at 10/11.
Parma vs Internazionale – away win at 4/5.
Parma have quickly established themselves as a difficult home side following promotion from Serie B. They’ve won six out of ten home games and only Sampdoria and SSC Napoli can boast that they’ve conceded as few goals at home as Parma have. However, Parma struggle to score goals and this has caused them a lot of problems of late, hence the re-acquisition of experienced striker Hernan Crespo. Whereas I’m sure the Argentinian legend will come good for Parma, I feel it’s not enough at the present time to be overly concerned. Parma are struggling for momentum at the moment, particularly as they enter this game on the back of five defeats their past six games, drawing the other encounter. Parma haven’t won a home game in their last two attempts and are frankly looking very much like the Serie B side that they still partially are so they look likely to taste defeat tonight in my opinion.
Internazionale are walking Serie A yet again and who can claim to be surprised? They’ve got the most money, the best squad, and the best manager that Italy has to offer currently. They’re unbeaten in seven Serie A games and have won five of those games, thus granting them strong momentum. Internazionale have already won six out of ten away games in Serie A this season, which is more than any other side. They average scoring over two goals per game and concede less than a goal per game, two records which cannot be matched by any other Serie A side. Bluntly, Internazionale are too good for the vast majority (if not entirety) of Serie A and I can’t see how that is going to change for tonight’s game against a demoralised Parma side.
Verdict: Internazionale to win at 4/5.
Motherwell vs Rangers – lay Rangers at 7/5.
Both of these two sides are playing good football entering this game. Motherwell are unbeaten in five Premier League games and haven’t conceded a single goal along the way. Rangers are unbeaten in ten Premier League games and have looked very convincing in some of those games although have looked a little shaky lately. We all know Rangers are the better of these two sides but this is a massive clash of momentum so it should be interesting to see the outcome, particularly with Motherwell defending so stoutly of late. What ultimately tipped the scale when it came to making a decision regarding this game, however, was the fact that Rangers haven’t won any of their last four visits to Motherwell in the Premier League. With Motherwell defending so well and and Rangers having only won one out of their last two away games in all competitions, you have to feel that Rangers are somewhat overpriced and there could be value in laying them tonight.
Verdict: Lay Rangers at 7/5.
As ever, if there are any questions/explanations required then feel free to post a comment! For the complete picks listing, see below!
Copa Libertadores:
Bolivar vs Alianza Lima (6) 1-1
Banfield vs Morelia (4) 1-1
Emelec Guayaquil vs Newell’s Old Boys (6) 1-0, at least one red card in this game
Sao Paulo vs Monterrey (5) 1-1
Velez Sarsfeld vs Cruzeiro (6) 2-1
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
Charleroi vs Lokeren (5) 2-1
English Premier League:
Arsenal vs Liverpool (6) 2-1
West Ham United vs Birmingham City (6) 1-1
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Tottenham Hotspur (7) 1-2
Aston Villa vs Manchester United (6) 0-1
Blackburn Rovers vs Hull City (4) 1-1
Everton vs Chelsea (5) 0-0
International Friendlies:
China vs South Korea (8) 1-2
Argentina vs Jamaica (10) -1.75 handicap
Italian Serie A:
Parma vs Internazionale (8) 1-2
Scottish Premier League:
Celtic vs Hearts (7) 2-1
Dundee United vs Hamilton Academicals (7) 1-0
Falkirk vs Kilmarnock (6) 0-0
Hibs vs Aberdeen (6) 2-1
Motherwell vs Rangers (6) 1-1
St.Mirren vs St.Johnstone (7) 1-1
Singaporean S-League:
Geylang United vs Albirex Niigata (7) 1-0
Spanish Segunda B:
Conquense vs Alcala Henares (7)
Cacareno vs Puertollano (5)
Enjoy your free football betting tips!