As the weekend approaches, football enthusiasts brace themselves for a thrilling lineup of matches that promise excitement and goals galore. From the German second-tier clash between Braunschweig and Karlsruher to the Eredivisie showdown featuring Heerenveen against Ajax, anticipation runs high as fans eagerly anticipate the drama unfolding on the pitch. Additionally, the clash between Swindon and Salford adds to the excitement, with players like Matt Smith and Brian Brobbey poised to showcase their scoring prowess, making it a weekend filled with anticipation and betting opportunities for football aficionados.
Braunschweig v Karlsruher
Saturday, 12pm
One match that instantly jumped off the page this weekend in relation to goals comes from the German second-tier as Braunschweig take on Karlsruher. It is also puts together two of the most in-form outfits in the league together and I am anticipated goals with be firmly on the agenda in the Saturday lunchtime clash.
Braunschweig may sit second from bottom but they have most certainly made big strides forward since the introduction of Daniel Scherning as their new manager in November. He certainly utilised the winter break to good effect and the team are clearly taking on board his items and playing them out to a good standard. They remain second-from-bottom, but they have won four of their last five and avoiding relegation looks much more realistic for them.
Karlsruher hold greater ambitions this season and their impressive run of form has raised hopes of possibly being involved in the promotion race. There is still a gap in terms of points to overcome, but recent displays prove they have what it takes to put a run of results together. They went unbeaten in four prior to the winter break and they have extended their streak to seven since the resumption, winning four of those in the process.
Two sides playing to a high standard at the moment go head-to-head, it screams out goals to me. Despite Karlsruher going unbeaten in seven, each and every one has seen both teams score and over 2.5 goals oblige. The hosts are also not the most reliable defensively, which is ultimately why they sit in the relegation zone, but recent performances and results have showcased their offensive prowess and I expect them, and Karlsruher, to both net in this exciting encounter.
Both Teams to Score and Over 2.5 Goals is nicely priced at 1.91 with BoyleSports, and it is much shorter elsewhere, so get on whilst you can!
Swindon v Salford
Saturday, 3pm
Karl Robinson has made a very positive start to life in the dugout at Salford, with the exception of him being sent off recently! The experienced boss has managed to successfully implicate his tried and trusted style of play onto this group of players to lift them away from relegation trouble. They are unbeaten in five under Robinson, winning three, including the last two in succession.
One player who has seemingly benefited from the change of manager is striker Matt Smith. The one-time Millwall target man always had a bit of a ‘too good for League Two’ vibe about him when he joined in the 2022 January transfer window and he is now starting to prove that hypothesis correct.
He went seven goals without a goal prior to Robinson’s appointment but has now managed to record a very impressive return of five goals in five games, including a hat-trick in the away win at Crewe a few weekends ago. The centre forward will surely be in the starting eleven this weekend as Salford make the trip to managerless Swindon.
Gavin Gunning has made an impact as interim head coach of the club but I’m still not especially keen to believe Swindon are a good thing to keep a clean sheet these days, even if they did get on when beating Bradford in their last home contest. Smith is proving tough to handle at the moment and I suspect Swindon could have some issues in denying the towering front man.
3.00 (Hollywoodbets) on an in-form Smith to net at any point in this match has to be of considerable interest.
Heerenveen v Ajax
Sunday, 1:30pm
For those of you regulars to this column, you’ll again notice an Ajax game has been tipped up and it will also come as no real shock to see what the recommended bet is! Therefore, I’ll keep this part of the article relatively short and to the point.
I will continue to tip up Brian Brobbey to score as long as he is not the shortest price in this market for the particular game in Eredivisie action. Once again, Chuba Akpom is yet again quoted at a shorter price than Brobbey, and for no good reason at all!
Brobbey is the first-choice centre forward at the club. He has 15 goals in all competitions to his name and his failure to net against runaway leaders PSV in a 1-1 draw last weekend ended his four-match game scoring run where he fired in seven goals. He had a fairly slow start to the campaign in relation to goals, but Ajax in general started poorly and are now making up for lost time.
Only three players have scored more Eredivisie goals than Brobbey this season and the fact he has netted in three of the last four head-to-head meetings is a big bonus, too. Ajax will be keen to win this game especially as that they enter their crucial Europa Conference League clash with Bodo/Glimt next week in high spirits.
Brobbey is priced 2.50 with Hollywoodbets to score in this game, which has to be taken advantage of. Akpom is priced at odds-on to score in this contest and should not be priced at lower odds than Brobbey. I’ll keep on running this train whilst it lasts!
Tips
Braunschweig v Karlsruher – Both Teams to Score and Over 2.5 Goals (1.91 BoyleSports)
Swindon v Salford – Matt Smith Anytime Goalscorer (3.00 Hollywoodbets)
Heerenveen v Ajax – Brian Brobbey Anytime Goalscorer (2.50 Hollywoodbets)
