57 Tips by paul watson:
Posted on: 07 Jul 2012
Marshall Art returns to give his expert analysis on tonight’s live UFC action from Las Vegas. In mere hours, the next chapter in MMA’s greatest rivalry will be written. Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva will meet in the middle of the Octagon in what is surely MMA’s showpiece event of the year. Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva Not a great […]
Posted on: 26 May 2012
Our MMA expert Marshall Art guides us through another heavily anticipated night inside the octagon. With the Strikeforce Grand Prix not even a week behind us, the UFC is preparing to hold its own Heavyweight extravaganza. For the first time, we have a main card composed entirely of a single weight class, with all five bouts contested at a 265lb […]
Posted on: 21 Apr 2012
Barcelona, v Real Madrid, Nou Camp, 7pm (live on Sky Sports 1) THERE’S a peculiarity to La Liga. Real Madrid, one of the greatest clubs in existence, top the table. Jose Mourinho, a man who excels in simply getting the job done, by hook or by crook, has taken them against the strength of popular opinion to the summit. Yet, […]
Posted on: 17 Mar 2012
THE late clash could be a goalmine with Mr Fixit already pointing out three of Rayo’s last four games have gone over 5.5 goals. They were thumped 5-1 by an inspired Espanyol thanks to Kalu Uche’s hat-trick but they do have an attacking threat of their own in Michu. The Spanish dangerman has been in terrific form, bagging eight goals in […]
Posted on: 17 Mar 2012
THE squeeze is on and tonight Barcelona must tighten the gap between them and their eternal rivals if they’re to keep their flickering title ambitions alive. Trailing the men from Madrid by 10 points, the league table reads like alternative history of a side that’s continued to break records and enthrall spectators all season. But their patchwork displays away from […]
Posted on: 04 Mar 2012
Bernabeu, Sunday, 8.30pm (live Sky Sports 1) IKER CASILLAS this week insisted Real Madrid’s greatest challenge this season had come at them, unexpectedly, in the shape of Rayo Vallecano last week. They struggled to a 1-0 victory courtesy of a sublime backheel from Cristiano Ronaldo and tonight face another tricky tie in the shape of Espanyol. “The Parakeets” have already […]
Posted on: 03 Mar 2012
Camp Nou, Saturday, 7pm, live on Sky Sports 4 BARCELONA will need to see off relegation candidates Sporting Gijon today without the suspended Lionel Messi. The go-to man for every Spanish betting fan will be forced to sit out this 90 minutes at Camp Nou after picking up five bookings this season, with the clincher coming in last week’s win […]
Posted on: 26 Feb 2012
REAL MADRID and Barcelona are both in action on a bumper super Sunday in La Liga as the race for the title and the Pichichi seems but one and the same. Jose Mourinho’s league leaders have been rampaging through the domestic calender like a team possessed – if they already aren’t – with retaking the championship and ending the seemingly […]
Posted on: 15 Feb 2012
By Marshall Art A CLASH of top Welterweights headlines tonight’s UFC on FUEL card when Jake Ellenberger (26 wins, 5 losses) clashes with Diego Sanchez (23-4). Both have outstanding records and a victory pushes either into title contention, perhaps just one more fight from a shot at the championship. Ellenberger is the latest in a long line of wrestlers with rapidly […]
Posted on: 24 Sep 2011
BARCELONA and Real Madrid return to action tonight and, with their egos bruised, they’re both looking to get back to winning ways. A midweek draw with Valencia turned out to be a decent result for Barca, who twice had to come from behind. Real dropped another two points as they followed up defeat to Levante with a draw against. The […]
Posted on: 21 Sep 2011
THE league leaders face the current holders in the pick of Wednesday night’s action in La Liga – and with the country’s two top scorers going head to head, we’re expecting goals at the rowdy Mestalla. Unai Emery’s side will be hoping to continue their 100 per cent start to the season and they’ve shown a real rugged, determined edge […]
Posted on: 20 Sep 2011
BARCELONA made a mockery of their critics by thrashing sorry Osasuna 8-0 on Saturday night. The mighty Catalans were back to their imperious best but it wasn’t just the naysayers that were caught in a sweat – so were the bookies. Bet365’s Cockney thespian Ray Winstone flashed across screens during the half-time break – when Barca led 5-0 – telling […]
Posted on: 17 Sep 2011
LA LIGA kicks off this week with Valencia’s trip to Sporting Gijon with Los Che expecting to continue their flawless start to the season against the struggling El Molinon men. The basement boys have endured a horrible start to the campaign and this should be a comfortable Valencia victory. A rested squad returning to action and with a trip to […]
Posted on: 10 Sep 2011
AFTER the international break La Liga resumes today with Real Madrid and Barcelona in action early on as Atletico Madrid continue life without Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero. Barcelona are becoming tougher to back with any real returns such is the regularity of large victories for the Catalan men so looking at the handicap market is getting more important by […]
Posted on: 29 Aug 2011
BARCELONA have already notched up their second title of the season after dispersing of a bad-tempered Porto in Monaco last Friday. Tonight, they get their La Liga defence off the ground with a tricky home clash against Villarreal. It’s been a long summer for the Valencians with key players Santi Cazorla (who was on target for Malaga last night) and […]
Posted on: 28 Aug 2011
THE strike is over and La Liga is finally “go” with opening-day wins for Valencia, Real Sociedad and Real Betis. Kick-off was postponed for seven days due to a dispute between the Association of Spanish Footballers and the Spanish League over unpaid wages but a meeting earlier this week saw the issue settled and set-up a three-day start to the […]
Posted on: 17 Aug 2011
JOSE MOURINHO will return to the Camp Nou tonight looking to build on an impressive 2-2 first leg draw in the Spanish SuperCup. Unlike previous clashes with Barcelona, Mourinho can confidently claim he had the upperhand on Pep Guardiola for the majority of the 90 minutes on Sunday. He might even be surprised to have only earned a draw – […]
Posted on: 14 Aug 2011
THERE was a time when pre-season consisted of gathering up the smallest local opposition and tearing them apart in a series of bravado-boosting wins between a gruesome few hundred laps around the training complex for good measure. A nauseating test of endurance and will-power that stretched the body to breaking point. Now it exists as a 14,000 mile round trip […]
Posted on: 11 Jul 2011
ARGENTINA take on Costa Rica in their final group A clash – looking for their first win of a Copa America staged in their own backyard. It’s been a woeful start to the tournament for the hosts and it could be even worse if they fail to pick up full points tonight – an early exit almost unthinkable for their […]
Posted on: 01 Jul 2011
AS hosts, Argentina are fighting the weight of expectation as they head into the opening match of the Copa America tonight/early tomorrow. Having split with the legendary Diego Maradona last year, replacement gaffer Sergio Romero has plundered on without looking much of an improvement. Their defence is creaking, deathly slow in places, even if they have an astonishing amount of […]
Posted on: 28 May 2011
IT wouldn’t be a surprise to find out that for weeks now, from the moment Lionel Messi glided between the helpless ranks of white, slalomed beyond the outstretched limbs and tucked past Iker Casillas with icy precision, the Manchester United dressing room have avoided much talk of the Champions League Final. If we’re to believe the party line from Sir […]
Posted on: 26 Apr 2011
TONIGHT is no longer about the unbreakable Barcelona. There is no glorious Oscar-worthy movie script ending, an uplifting castle in the sky that sees our infallible hero power beyond the grinning evil doer to set-up infinite sequels. That Spanish blockbuster has played out and as the credits rolled, it was curtains down on a damp squib rather than a box […]
Posted on: 26 Apr 2011
At roughly 7.44pm tonight, north of the Rhine in the German city of Gelsenkirchen, Josef Schnusenberg will gaze out on 61,672 expectant faces and draw a deep breath. His immediate thought may drift to the absurdity of it all. An anxious, alien feeling as he oversees the Royal Blue of his humble Miners as they line-up to that old familiar […]
Posted on: 02 Apr 2011
WITH the title on the line, tonight’s battle in Milan will have an added spice – not that the bonkers San Siro faithful needed any encouragement. Inter are back in good shape since the arrival of Leonardo, a surprise choice but one that’s proved me wrong so far, and he’s guided his side to within two points over their bitter […]
Posted on: 29 Mar 2011
A QUICK one-hitter here as we navigate the murky waters of international football yet again but grand mismatches and poor prices might limit your sure-shot options tonight. These sides met last year during the World Cup – but it was a day to forget for the 10-man Aussies as they were trounced 4-0 in Durban. With Germany resting key players, […]
Posted on: 26 Mar 2011
An experimental Brazilian side heads to the Emirates this afternoon to take on Scotland – and I, for one, can’t wait. After a frustrating exit at the World Cup all focus was immediately switched to the tournament’s arrival on the sandy beaches of Copacabana in 2014. But hosting one of the biggest events on the planet isn’t enough for the […]
Posted on: 18 Mar 2011
WITH the international break coming up and the rest of the European competitions mapped out, we’re afforded one last weekend of games before we officially enter “squeaky bum time”. Full cards for every top league makes it difficult to narrow down worthy punts but we’ll try to focus on some in-form big ‘uns who should do us a turn. Atletico […]
Posted on: 15 Mar 2011
IT’S been six long years since Real Madrid made the quarter-finals of Europe’s premier club competition and for an institution of such world renowned stature, that’s simply not good enough. They’ll be hoping to bring that poor streak to an end at the Santiago Bernabeu tonight and with a two-time winner at the helm in Jose Mourinho, they’re favourites to […]
Posted on: 15 Mar 2011
IT’S not quite the Manchester United of old. A lack of spark, magic and even flair have left this year’s Premier League leaders looking a shadow of themselves. However, with Wayne Rooney starting to remember what he’s paid for and United’s home form belying their horrible displays on the road, I can’t see past the Old Trafford men tonight. The […]
Posted on: 14 Mar 2011
WHEN your team racks up six unanswered goals in a sizzling home display, you’d expect the atmosphere among your fellow supporters to be a jovial, bouncy one. You wouldn’t, for example, expect to see 300 members of the Bavarian-based police force clash with 100 enraged Bayern Munich fans. Half a dozen goals wasn’t enough to sate the anger of Die […]
Posted on: 10 Mar 2011
IT’S the final night of a packed European treble but there’s a chance it could be the most entertaining yet. There’s the general feeling that the Europa League throws up ties that are better balanced than its elite counterpart and I think that much is true with this round of games. Bayer Leverkusen v Villarreal Bayer Leverkusen go into this […]
Posted on: 09 Mar 2011
WITH the tie poised at 1-1 after the first leg, the big talking point ahead of tonight’s match is the fitness of Schalke frontman Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and whether he’ll recover from a knee injury. If the Holland star doesn’t make it, he’ll be a massive loss for the Bundesliga men with his runs in behind causing Valencia all sorts of […]
Posted on: 01 Mar 2011
WHEN your manager decides to tell the press there’s a good chance you might get humped in the next match you have to question whether turning up is a good idea at all. Valencia boss Unai Emery told his troubled stars they’ll be “cannon fodder” if they allow Barcelona to dictate pace and possession at the Mestalla tonight. Tackling those […]
Posted on: 26 Feb 2011
Our European football expert, Paul Watson points us in the direction of of some good looking bets across this weekend’s fixtures. Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund IF Borussia Dortmund win today I reckon the league title will be all but in the bag. A revitalised Bayern Munich will prove a stern test and with the season reaching “squeaky bum time” […]
Posted on: 19 Feb 2011
HERE are my top tips from around Europe plus some games where I think both teams will score. Borussia Dortmund v St Pauli A little bit of wobbling from Dortmund as they hit the New Year jitters but their fantastic run before Christmas has created more than enough room for error. St Pauli are on a great five-match unbeaten run […]
Posted on: 17 Feb 2011
Mr Fixit has already given us his best bets for both teams to score tonight, now it’s our European Football expert, Paul Watson’s turn. Basel v Spartak Moscow – Both teams have fallen out of the Champions League and will be looking to go on an extended run in the Europa League. Basel are having the better campaign while Spartak […]
Posted on: 12 Feb 2011
Expect goals when Inter Milan travel to Turin for their clash with Juventus on Sunday. Since appointing Leonardo as successor to Rafa Benitez, Inter have notched 24 goals and conceded 12 in eight matches. That’s a staggering average of over 4.5 goals per game. Juve have the worst defensive record in the league but, as we mentioned a few weeks […]
Posted on: 12 Feb 2011
Both Teams to Score is one of the most popular markets going right now and due to demand, we’ll be taking a look at some matches around Europe that will hopefully help punters score big on the accumulator. The key is two-fold – you want a pair of teams that score a lot of goals and also concede just as […]
Posted on: 09 Feb 2011
No-one knows European and International football better than our very own Paul Watson as he’s proven on many occasions. He tells us all we need to know about this evening’s minefield of International Friendly matches. Iran v Russia A political history older than Davie Weir’s first boots always gives games between Arab nations and those behind the old Iron Curtain […]
Posted on: 05 Feb 2011
Our resident Euro football expert, Paul Watson give us his top treble for this weekend’s action across Europe. Osasuna v Mallorca Osasuna shocked Real Madrid last week with a 1-0 win, only the second team to beat Jose Mourinho’s side this season, and they’ll be out to build on it against Mallorca today. I reckon they’ll do it – Michael […]
Posted on: 30 Jan 2011
It seems like Juventus have well and truly knackered their season. After being demolished 4-1 by Parma (at home, no less!) at the start of the year, the Old Lady’s confidence looks completely shot. With no hope of lifting the Scudetto at the end of the current campaign, all hopes were quickly pinned on success in the Italian Cup…only to […]
Posted on: 30 Jan 2011
Sunday’s European action is very Italian-centric with an almost full Serie A card taking precedent. In arguably the match of the week, Inter Milan are at home to Palermo (who have popped up in my tips a few times recently) and even on paper it’s a tight one. The Sicilians come into this match in seventh spot and unlike most […]
Posted on: 29 Jan 2011
IT’S a big day for Ryan Babel who will make his Hoffenheim debut at Schalke after his move from Liverpool. However, he’s joining a team who haven’t started 2011 well and were knocked out of the German Cup in midweek. I reckon the Dutchman will be a debut loser so back Schalke at 4-5 with Ladbrokes. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is on […]
Posted on: 29 Jan 2011
Our European football expert, Paul Watson gives us some insight into tonight’s LA Liga fixtures Hercules v Barca A fascinating statistic from this one is that in the last three La Liga meetings between these sides … Hercules have won all three. In fact, it was their win at the Nou Camp at the start of the season which set […]
Posted on: 23 Jan 2011
WE’RE in fits and spurts this week in Europe so punters looking at an accumulator might have to hold their nerve until Friday. Monday Our first pick is tonight’s clash between Athletic Bilbao and Hercules. The home side have won seven of their 10 league games at San Mames and climbed up to eighth with a big win over Racing […]
Posted on: 22 Jan 2011
I’VE had a quick look at Saturday’s card and picked some hot homes for an accumulator bet. First I’m heading to Germany where runaway leaders Borussia Dortmund simply won’t be caught by anyone, including Bayern Munich. With the title out of the question, the best hope for Bayern is a Champions League spot and they need every point as they […]
Posted on: 08 Jan 2011
LET me start off by wishing everyone a Happy New Year - hopefully 2011 will prove to be your best at the bookies yet. The winter break is still underway for a lot a lot of the European cards, so we’ll head to Spain and start with Barcelona’s trip to Deportivo La Coruna. I ran out of adjectives to describe […]
Posted on: 11 Dec 2010
RAFA BENITEZ will be lucky to still be wearing his funny socks in Inter Milan’s dugout come Christmas. He’s taken an all-conquering Nerazzurri from Champions League winners to fifth in Serie A and as the Spaniard continues to spin out of control the axe looks set to fall. It’s reminiscent of his last 12 months on Merseyside, where a bumbling, […]
Posted on: 29 Nov 2010
YOU could forgive Pep Guardiola for feeling the heat. When Jose Mourinho’s appointment was confirmed by Real Madrid there will have been a slow burn moving inside the Barcelona coach. Perhaps a loosening of that infamous slim-cut tie. A wipe of the brow as a bead of sweat escaped the effortlessly cool exterior of Senor Guardiola. His mind would have […]
Posted on: 17 Nov 2010
IT’S a cold, wet, miserable Wednesday evening in November. The skies are dark by tea-time and there’s a whirring chill zipping through the air as we gear up for another bitter winter. Brilliant. What better time then than to head off to the sun-baked beaches of Doha for one of the biggest clashes in world football – Argentina v Brazil. […]
Posted on: 14 Nov 2010
IT’S derby day in the fashion capital of the world but the two teams set for action in the San Siro will be walking tightropes rather than catwalks this evening. Reigning European and Italian champions Inter have struggled since Jose Mourinho left and Rafa Benitez took charge. I know. You’re probably just as shocked as I am… While that might […]
Posted on: 23 Oct 2010
Our resident European Football expert, Paul Watson, takes a look at the fall-out of Wayne Rooney’s u-turn and identifies 5 strikers who should be on top of Sir Alex’s wish list. I POINTED out the other day that Wayne Rooney would have little choice but to back down over his demands to leave Manchester United in the upcoming transfer window […]
Posted on: 18 Oct 2010
THERE’S been much talk this week on Wayne Rooney’s bust-up with Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson. It’s no real surprise. Step back far enough and it becomes a matter of replacing the grumbling, too-big-for-his boots Englishman with any number of past Old Trafford stars. He’s often seen as the pinnacle of British football management but there’s just as many […]
Posted on: 16 Oct 2010
MAINZ are today on the cusp of history. Not content with an absolutely stonking start to the campaign, the Bundesliga shock troops are going for the best opening ever. If they somehow maintain their phenomenal form and beat Hamburg at home, they’ll move onto eight straight wins and surpass the previous record first set by Bayern Munich in the 1995/96 […]
Posted on: 18 Sep 2010
IF I was to ask what lies in the heart of Madrid, plays home to one of Spain’s greatest sides and has been a graveyard for close to a decade for Barcelona … what would your answer be? The Santiago Bernabeu and Real Madrid would seem they obvious answer. However, it might come as a surprise to learn that the […]
Posted on: 11 Sep 2010
BARCELONA started their defence of their La Liga title with a comfortable 3-0 win over Racing Santander two weeks ago and the peerless Catalans are dead certs to welcome little Hercules to the big time tonight. With David Villa, Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta already off the mark, there should be a scramble for goals at the Camp Nou as […]
Posted on: 27 Aug 2010
Guest columnist Paul Watson brings his European football expertise to the Mr Fixit table. ITALY Serie A gets under way this weekend and it’s all change at two of the country’s biggest teams. AC Milan have given the heave-ho to Leonardo with Massimiliano Allegri taking charge, while at cross-city rivals Inter it’s Rafa Benitez who has replaced Jose Mourinho. The […]