With a quiet Thursday ahead it gives us the chance to take an early look at some of the weekend fixtures and to claim a bit of early value.
In Scotland it's League Cup semi-final weekend with holders St Johnstone meeting Celtic at Hampden on Saturday evening, then on Sunday Rangers must adjust to life without Steven Gerrard and attempt to reach the final by getting past Hibernian.
The Glasgow giants are obvious favourites to progress and the double on them both to win inside 90 minutes pays just under 11/10 at Bet365.
Lower down the leagues John Hughes will be in the home dugout for the first time at East End Park and Dunfermline can make it two wins in a row against an out-of-form Ayr. Killie and Partick Thistle also look strong contenders for home wins.
In England two cracking matches bookend the day's action. Leicester City welcome Chelsea at lunchtime while Arsenal visit Liverpool in the early evening kick-off. The Chelsea & Liverpool double pays 6/4 at Bet365.
Steven Gerrard's first match in charge of Aston Villa is at home to Brighton and it's 7/4 that he kick-off his tenure with a win. Former Villa boss Dean Smith didn't take long to jump back on the managerial merry-go-round and he too will be looking to start his stint as Norwich City boss with a win over Southampton at 5/2.
High-flying West Ham face a tricky trip to Wolves who have hit a bit of form themselves. The Hammers are favourites at 11/8 to build on their brilliant run of form which saw them beat Liverpool 3-2 last time out.
In the Championship Fulham have been good to us this season but we'll need to dig deep for some value in their match against Barnsely where they're just 2/7 to win. It could be worth holding off until Sunday for Bournemouth‘s visit to Derby where the Cherries are 3/4 to win.
Let us know your early tips for the weekend in the comments section.
League Cup Double (Sat & Sun)
- Celtic & Rangers to win 11/10 Bet365
Upcoming Match Previews & Tips
- Fri 19:30 FC Augsburg v Bayern Munich
- Fri 19:45 QPR v Luton Town
- Fri 19:45 Queen of the Southv Inverness Caledonian Thistle
- Fri 20:00 Monaco v Lille
- Sat 12:30 Leicester City v Chelsea
- Sat 15:00 Dundee United v Aberdeen
- Sat 15:00 Watford v Manchester United
- Sat 15:00 Wolves v West Ham
- Sat 15:00 Aston Villa v Brighton and Hove Albion
- Sat 17:15 Celtic v St Johnstone
Golf Tips
The Caddy tee'd up a 40/1 winner for us last week and he hoping to repeat the trick this week with his tips at the RSM Classic and DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
- Golf Tips: RSM Classic Preview & Predictions
- Golf Tips: DP World Tour Championship Preview & Predictions
Today's Racing Tips
Rizzel has found three horses like he likes the look of for Thursday's racing.
As always, let us know your tips and predictions for today in the comments section below and good luck with all your bets!
In December 2020 we sadly 
I’ve been waiting for your update in Asia for a long time, but I feel I look forward to it every day, and you will come
Argentina
Union Sante Fe v Defensa y Justicia
Over 2.5 goals at 13/10
Patronato v Lanus
Over 2.5 goals at 17/20 (NAP)
Over 3.5 goals at 9/4
Best of luck
Great shout Macca 👍
🇦🇺 Australian A League🇦🇺
This years A league starts tomorrow with league champions at home to Brisbane Roar. As ever with the A league there been a lot of changes to most teams during the close season, and some teams have played a cup match or 2 before the big kick off, whereas others have been idle. As ever with any league season it’s best to wait a couple of weeks before going in with anything substantial on the betting front, as you’ll have a better guide to form etc. To help out with this I’ve put together a list from the 12 squads on how they’re shaping up as the kick off approaches.
Adelaide United
Have lost a few of their stalwarts and to me don’t look to have replenished the quality they’ve lost.(just yet anyway) Isias will bring quality and They still have a decent squad tho, won’t be challenging for the top 2 IMO but won’t be down the bottom either.
Brisbane Roar
Similar to Adelaide in that they’ve lost a few of the players who would be in their first XI every week and don’t seem to have replaced them with like for like quality. Mileusnic will improve them in the attacking areas but the loss of Young Gillespie, Danzaki Champness and wenzel-halls have left them weaker in my eyes. Again, middle of the road for me.
Central Coast Mariners
Another side who have lost some of their best players and who have replaced them with unknown quality. Also lost their manager who after a few seasons at the bottom end of the table got a tune out of them and had them in the playoffs last season. Punched above their weight IMO and could be back to their familiar struggles. Bottom 6 team for me.
Macarthur United
4 retirees suggest they were an aging squad and had to try and lower the average age and they’ve done just that. The additions of Craig noone, Ulises Dávila and Danny de silva will add quality in the forward areas and they’ll be hoping Tommy Juric can replace Matt Derbyshires goals. Unlikely IMO but it’s not a terrible replacement. Top 6 for me.
Melbourne City
Current premiers plate and grand final champions, and the team with the least squad disruption. Outgoings won’t have affected their squad too much, Noone and Luna might be slightly missed but City have decided the youngsters in their squad are more than capable of stepping up and replacing them. Up top Australian international Matthew Leckie comes in and should form a good partnership with Jamie McClaren. If not the winners then I expect them to come very close. Top 2 for me.
Melbourne Victory
Hoping to banish the ghosts of what was a shambles of a season last year victory have went for a new manager (Tony Popovic, AFC champions league and A league winner) and binned most of their squad. I thought they’d have a good season last year signing 5 guys from the English championship but every one of them bombed spectacularly and has been shown the door and replaced by guys who’ve seen and done it before in this league. Time will tell if it comes off but with the quality of manager and the makings of a half decent squad I think they’ll do ok. Top 6 for me.
Newcastle Jets
Another side with a new manager and whole host of new players. Most of them are unknown to me so I’m not sure if they’ve been able to improve the quality of a side who finished 2nd bottom with the lowest goals scored. Not sure how they’ll go but if I had to say how they’ll go it will be bottom 6.
Perth Glory
Another side who’ve lost a few important players, but the glory look as they tho have ably replaced them. Talisman Diego Castro is gone as well as important guys d’agostino Kilkenny and ikonomidis, but Brandon O’Neil, Jack Clisby and of course marquee signing Daniel Sturbridge should ensure the men from Western Australia have a decent year. Not sure if they will still be hampered by the Covid regs and if they will get to play their home games in their own state at this time but I think they’ll do fairly well. Top 6 definitely for me but probably top 4.
Sydney Fc
Much like their cross town rivals Melbourne city, Sydney have had the least disruption to their squad from last year which was runners up in both the league and the grand final. They’ve let fringe players go, kept their main men and signed a couple of young promising attackers in burgess and kamsoba. Will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season. Top 2 for me.
Wellington Phoenix
Hampered by not being able to play at home last season the nix still did ok. Would have been looking to build on that this year but their squad has been severely weakened IMO. Hemed, Taylor, Davila, Devlin all major misses as well as a few others who were decent performers. They’ll be hoping Gary Hooper can score the goals to get them to where they want to be but I can see this being a tough year for the men from across the ditch. And the bookies agree- they’re favourites to finish bottom. Bottom 6 for me.
Western Sydney Wanderers
Like many they’ve lost quite a few players but I think they’ve at least been able to replace those with like for like quality or better. Will be expecting their new signings to settle in no bother as most of them have come from other A league teams and obviously hoping marquee signing Jack Rodwell to have an influence on the team. I think they’ll do ok and be challenging with 1 or 2 others for one of the last couple of play off spots in the top 6.
Western United
Much like MacArthur an aging squad that had to have the average age lowered. Seem to have done that but they have still went for a sprinkling of experience in their new signings too. New manager in as well, and they’ll be hoping to go better than they did last year which was poor. A league legend Besart Berishas goals will be tough to replace but they have signed well in Dylan Wenzel halls in that department but the rest of the squad lacks the quality of most of the others IMO. Bottom 6 for me.
Joined betfair recently and received £50 of free bets so I’ve put them on a couple of anteposts.
Jamie McClaren top goalscorer 11/4
Perth glory top 6 finish 5/6
Good luck for the season ahead if your on this league.
Cracking write up mate, can’t wait for the A League to start again. Watched it for a few years now and one of my favourites. Loads of corners!
Great stuff Sean 👍
Top write up sean 👍
Some write up that mate.. 👌
Magnificent write up Sean. Not really bothered much with A league but this gives me a great more insight into it than I ever had. Well done 👏 🇦🇺
Superb write up Sean 👍🏼
Some effort Sean, thanks
Portuguese Cup action for me tonight…
SPORTING LISBON VS. VARZIM (8.15pm)
Sporting ought to be putting this one to bed but it seems matches between the two have been fairly tight affairs in the main – Sporting will dominate possession soI’m thinking corners could be the route to take:
OVER 10.5 CORNERS
(5/6, bet365) NAP ⭐⭐⭐
OVER 11.5 CORNERS
(5/4, bet365) NB ⭐⭐
OVER 14.5 CORNERS
(5/1, bet365) LONGSHOT ⭐
Best of luck!
🔥
✅✅
FRENCH NATIONAL
FC Bourg-Peronnas v Chambly Oise FC 18.00
Both Teams to Score.. Evs NAP
☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️
Btts and Over 2.5 Goals.. 13/8 NB
☀️ ☀️ ☀️
SKYBET…. Good Luck…. 🤞
Really struggling to find any decent games today.
👍🏻 nice
Medvedev and sinner atp finals sinner to win 1st game and medvedev to win 2:0 17/10
both teams to score
fortaleza v ceara
both teams to score + over 2.5 goals
cimarrones v correcaminos
double
william hill 3/1
NAP lost
FRENCH NATIONAL
FC Bourg-Peronnas v Chambly Oise FC
Both Teams to Score.. Evs NAP
☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ✔️
Btts and Over 2.5 Goals.. 13/8 NB
☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ✔️
Chambly score on 69 mins to make it 3-1.. 👍
Nice work 👍
Last night’s NAP ended 0-0 and they were lucky to score that many ☹️.
No NAP today due to lack of choice.
Trying this out which is a LONGSHOT and no reasonings because there is none, just my gut said 5-1 when I saw the fixture.
🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹
🇵🇹 Sporting CP. 🇵🇹
🇵🇹 V. 🇵🇹
🇵🇹 Varzim. 🇵🇹
🇵🇹 20:15. 🇵🇹
🇵🇹 Portuguese Cup. 🇵🇹
🇵🇹 🇵🇹
🇵🇹. VARZIM TO SCORE 7-4 (SKYBET). 🇵🇹
🇵🇹. prediction 5-1. 🇵🇹
🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹
Bloke in the emoji shop had a shock when I asked for 46 Portuguese flags 😁
Elvis, you are fudging spooky! 😄
👻👻👻👻👻
GRANDSLAM OF DARTS 9PM
VAN GERWEN V ANDERSON
ANY LEG WON ON BULLSEYE 1/1 NAP (VARIOUS) 🔥🔥🔥
BOTHH PLAYERS TO HAVE A BULL CHECKOUT 8/1 (SKY) 🔥
Both*
Sammy, each player to have at least 1 bull checkout 10/1 William Hill (under Your Odds).
HTH 😉
Well spotted Chris N1👊
I will just put a mention in for something I’ve just seen… With the exception of Whitlock the 2 biggest 170 hitters and more importantly that like to set up in what should be a competitive match, a 170 has a better chance than 100/1 at sky at this distance.
Either 170 checkout 100/1 🔥
VAN GERWEN V ANDERSON (SKY)
I do apologise just seen this is under tabs on 1st leg sorry folks ignore… Knew that was far too good
With 9 1st half corners, bit disappointed the Longshot didn’t land but happy with the Nap and Nb 😀
Portuguese Cup action for me tonight…
SPORTING LISBON VS. VARZIM (8.15pm)
Sporting ought to be putting this one to bed but it seems matches between the two have been fairly tight affairs in the main – Sporting will dominate possession soI’m thinking corners could be the route to take:
OVER 10.5 CORNERS
(5/6, bet365) NAP ⭐⭐⭐ ✅
OVER 11.5 CORNERS
(5/4, bet365) NB ⭐⭐ ✅
OVER 14.5 CORNERS
(5/1, bet365) LONGSHOT ⭐ 2 shy!
😉👍
Well done, on a roll mate, long may it continue ⚽
Trying this out which is a LONGSHOT and no reasonings because there is none, just my gut said 5-1 when I saw the fixture.
🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹
🇵🇹 Sporting CP. 🇵🇹
🇵🇹 V. 🇵🇹
🇵🇹 Varzim. 🇵🇹
🇵🇹 20:15. 🇵🇹
🇵🇹 Portuguese Cup. 🇵🇹
🇵🇹 🇵🇹
🇵🇹. VARZIM TO SCORE 7-4 (SKYBET). 🇵🇹
🇵🇹. prediction 5-1. 🇵🇹
🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹🇵🇹
My gut was on the right track but sporting only scored 2, no matter 😁
🇵🇹 Winner 🇵🇹