Premier League Picks

This weekend sees the 16^th round of games from England’s Premier League and we’re previewing the biggest matches.

Aston Villa vs. Liverpool

The sports betting public will be checking their sportsbook accounts as they gear up for a bet on the biggest game of the week, when Liverpool face Aston Villa at Anfield on Monday night. Both sides faced midweek games and Liverpool ensured their progress to the last 32 of the Europa League with a 1-1 draw against Steaua Bucharest. Villa were eliminated from the Carling Cup Quarter Finals against local rivals Birmingham City. 

Respectively, Liverpool have won their last four home games, while Villa are without a win five on the road and with both sides are not scoring many of late we expect this to be a low scoring game. 

Our money is on under 2.5 goals @ 1.73.

Manchester United vs. Blackpool

Saturday’s late game sees newly promoted Blackpool host new league leaders Manchester United at Bloomfield Road. Blackpool had the week off to reflect on conceding two goals late against Bolton to go from leading 2-0 to drawing 2-2. Meanwhile, Manchester United were unceremoniously dumped out of the Carling Cup 4-0 by bottom of the league West Ham to end their unbeaten run. After the first side defeated Blackburn 7-1 at the weekend and were then rested for the Carling Cup, they will be confident of winning this game, but Blackpool are an enigma and could easily surprise the odds here.

As a result of this, we’re backing goals over 2.5 goals. Online sportsbook have the odds @ 1.38.

Everton at Chelsea

With Manchester United playing the late game, Chelsea will be looking to go back to the top of the league, for a while at least, as they take on Everton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon. Neither of these sides are in good form and Chelsea have collected just one point from their last three Premier League games and four points from their last five matches in the league. Everton have just three draws to show from their last five league fixtures and they were beaten 4-1 at home by West Brom last week. Chelsea should win this one, but as both sides are struggling for goals, our bet for this match is under 2.5 goals to be scored in the game @ 2.00.

Good luck this weekend

SEC Championship Pick: Auburn vs. South Carolina

It’s round two for Auburn and South Carolina, as these two faced off earlier in the season. That meeting resulted in a come-from-behind 35-27 win for the Tigers. Now they meet in the SEC Championship game, the first time since 1994 Auburn has played in the Conference title matchup.

The Tigers come in fresh of that wildly entertaining victory last week vs. Alabama in which they overcame a 24-0 deficit. Falling behind early only to rally for wins has become somewhat of a trademark for Auburn this season, as they’ve done it in eight of their 12 wins.


Sportsbook have this game set with Auburn as a 5.5-point favourite and a Total of 61.5. The Tigers have a record of 7-1 ATS versus conference opponents this season.

While Auburn fans are excitedly booking tickets to Arizona to watch their team in the BCS Championship game on January 10th, the Gamecocks have a real shot at upending all those plans. Coach Spurrier’s team already proved they can hang with the Tigers in that 35-27 loss in late September. It was four South Carolina turnovers that snapped the defeat from the jaws of victory, as they let Auburn off the hook.

The Gamecock defense has been impressive all season, and while controlling Cam Newton and Co. Is a very difficult proposition, if they can get some help from the offense, they could be up for the task. First off, they need the offense to stay on the field for long drives and not the turn the ball over. In fact, if QB Stephen Garcia can put together a performance similar to the first three quarters of the first meeting (235 yards passing, 3TDs and no interceptions) they have a legitimate shot at winning this game.

We specifically say the first three quarters, because things got ugly for Garcia in the fourth quarter. Not only for him but for backup QB Connor Shaw. Why was backup QB Shaw playing? After two fumbles in the fourth, the Old Ball Coach blew his lid and pulled Garcia, sending his backup in. Shaw promptly threw two interceptions in the Auburn red zone, sealing the comeback win for the Tigers.

It’s hard to see another total fourth quarter meltdown. South Carolina showed they can move the ball, now they just need to hang on to it. And they are the team with the better defense in this one.

To us, that adds up to a play on the underdog Gamecocks and who knows, they could win this one straight up, creating BCS chaos.

Enjoy all the college football games. You can check the NCAA football odds

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 have won the other six matches. On the road they are unbeaten in nine games and they have only lost once away this season. Where are we betting though? Both sides have not scored many goals this season and we’re expecting few goals again.
Our cash is on under 2.5 goals @ 1.61.

Brescia vs. AC Milan
The final game we’re looking at sees AC Milan welcome newly promoted Brescia to the San Siro on Saturday evening. AC Milan are in impressive form and have won five and drawn two of their last seven games, and they have lost just once in their last sixteen home games. Brescia have claimed just three points from their last seven games, losing four and drawing three times. They sit outside the relegation places on goal difference alone and they have picked up just four points from a possible twenty-four available from eight away games this season.
We expect an easy AC Milan win. Online sportsbooks have them at 1.12.

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 expecting many goals to be scored in this game as both sides are tight defensively in general.
Our pick from this match is under 2.5 goals @ 1.88

Osasuna v Barcelona
The next game we’re looking at is the Osasuna v Barcelona game at the Estadio Reyno de Navarra where Barca will be looking to extend their winning run to seven games. Their last three games have seen them keep three clean sheets and score an amazing 16 goals with Real Madrid and Almeria falling in the league and Panathinaikos losing in the Champions League. Osasuna have lost three of their last four games, but all of those losses have come on the road. At home Osasuna are unbeaten this season with four wins and three draws to their name, but they have not faced a side as good or as in form as Barcelona this season and we see Barcelona winning this one easily and scoring a few goals. Online sportsbook have the line at 1.09.

Our recommendations are Barcelona to beat Osasuna @ 1.09 and also over 2.5 goals in the game @ 1.48.
Good luck this weekend

NFL Betting: Early Week 13 Pick

Some say the league didn’t come down hard enough on Denver head Coach, Josh McDaniels for his part in the Spygate II scandal but after watching the St. Louis Rams pummel the last place Broncos Sunday on their own turf, is there any more discipline required?

McDaniels is on the hot seat in Denver and after the success Jason Garrett (3-0 ATS) and Leslie Frazier (1-0 ATS) have experienced since taking over the head coaching jobs in Dallas and Minnesota, a change of scenery in the Rockies could be eminent.

Denver lost a close one to the Jets in Week 6 that they had every right to win. Since then, the only two highlights for the Broncos have been a 35-point scoring spree in the first-half against the Chiefs and 20 fourth quarter points against the Rams in Week 12.

Online sportsbook set the betting odds for Denver and Kansas City this week at Chiefs (-7) but that line did not last through Arizona’s first fumble in the Monday Night Football game vs. San Francisco.

Sportsbetting.com currently lists the Chiefs (-9) and picks on Kansas City at home this season have produced a 4-1 ATS record – that’s a profit of plus-2.9 units.

Kansas City’s veteran coaches will have learned from their mistakes of the last meeting but in this short turn-around situation between division rivals we predict a much lower scoring game than the 49-29 final in Week 10.
Pick: Take the Under

NFL DRAFT PROP
Sure, it’s a long way from now but file this for when sportsbooks begin to offer betting futures on the NFL Draft.

Patriots' tight end Aaron Hernandez, the youngest player in the NFL, was drafted in the fourth round. As part of the new ‘No prima donna’ offense, the Patriots went after young TEs in the draft that they could turn into playmakers with an offensive package that reduces personnel changes.

Early draft prediction for 2011: TEs will be in high demand. It’s a copycat league and when sub-.500 teams see the kind of success Belichick has had they will be lining up to give it a shot next year.

Bet the "Over" 2.5 for ‘Number of TEs drafted first round.

BROWNS FLASHBACK
Cleveland’s Peyton Hillis is the first Browns running back with 10 rush TDs since Kevin Mack in 1986. While this year’s edition will not be making an appearance in the AFC Championship game in January, they are a very attractive underdog bet in Week 13.

Miami allowed a whopping 128 rushing yards per game in its four games prior to the win at Oakland. The Dolphins are also just 1-4 SU at home this year.
Pick: Take the Browns