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UEFA Cup Gambling Picks

Massimo Donatti scored in the dying seconds of the game between Celtic and
Shakhtar Donetsk last night to give the Celts a 2-1 win and keep them in
with a real chance of making the last 16.

Tonight is the turn of the UEFA Cup to take centre stage in the next round
of group games. The game I am going for tonight is the clash between newly
crowned Russian Champions Zenit St Petersburg and Nurnburg who are 16th in
the German league at present. These 2 teams are in the same group as
Everton, AZ of Holland and Larissa of Greece.

Despite the seeming gap in class between the 2 sides as far as league
position is concerned Zenit are best price 4/6 with Bet365 for the win,
which as long as the Zenit players have not celebrated to hard after their
Championship success is for me good value.

The Russians have played 2 games in the group so far drawing 1-1 at home
to AZ and winning 3-2 in Greece against Larissa so with 3 teams moving
forward from each Group a win tonight should see them qualify with a game
to spare.

Nurnburg have only played one game in the group so far which ended in a
2-0 home defeat at the hands of Everton, but I find it hard to see them
getting anything out of tonight’s encounter.

Zenit boast a proud home record in the league this season of won 10 drawn
4 and lost 1 scoring 28 and conceding 14 the only home defeat they have
suffered came against eventual league runners up Spartak who won 3-1 back
in March.
Their end of season form was also impressive with 5 wins and 1 defeat in
their last 6 a record only bettered by CSKA.

Nurnburg on the other hand are struggling in the Bundesliga after
finishing a highly creditable 6th last season. They find themselves 1
place and 3 points off the drop zone and the UEFA Cup must take second
place to top flight survival.
Their away league form does not offer much in the way of encouragement as
it reads won 1 drawn 2 lost 4 scored 8 and conceded 15. The one away
victory was back in August against fellow strugglers Hansa Rostock when
they won 2-1.
Add the fact that in their last 6 games they have 2 wins and 4 defeats
with all 3 road trips in that period ending in defeat and the price for a
Zenit win tonight looks generous in my opinion.

The only note of caution is that this will be Zenit`s first competitive
match since they won the Russian title on the 11th of November so there is
the possibility of a bit of “ring rust” but personally I find that
unlikely.

So for me a Zenit win at 4/6 and just a note that the match kicks off at
16:00 GMT so if you are considering a punt get on early.

Good luck as always,

Silverfox.

Sheffield Wednesday beat Barnsley last night to give be a winner though
sadly the saver bet lost as only one goal was scored.

Tonight I am delving into the Champions League and the all important clash
in Group D between Celtic and Shakhtar Donetsk. This is a crucial tie to
see who progresses to the knock out stage, Milan top the Group with 9
points and so a draw in one of their 2 remaining games at Benfica tonight
or at home to Celtic on the final match day should see them through, but
Celtic know they have to win tonight to give them any chance of moving on
in the competition as Shakhtar have their final home game at home to
Benfica.

Celtic have won both their group games so far at home beating Milan 2-1
and Benfica 1-0 whilst Shakhtar have beaten Benfica 1-0 in Portugal and
lost 4-1 at the San Siro to Milan.

I am favouring Celtic tonight due to their fantastic home record in
European competition, at Parkhead in front of 60,000 fanatical fans they
make European nights a magical occasion and Shakhtar will be on the back
foot from the kick off in my opinion, they also will come into this match
on the back of a 3-0 home defeat to Milan in their last Champions League
match so may not be full of confidence.

As I mentioned Celtic have a wonderful home record and this is echoed in
the league where they have won 5 and drawn 1 of their 6 home league games
so far scoring 19 and conceding 0 which highlights nicely the task ahead
of Shakhtar tonight, the only blot on an otherwise perfect home league
record was the 0-0 draw with Kilmarnock on the opening day of the season
back at the beginning of August, since then they have averaged over 3
goals a game at home.

Shakhtar are top of the league and despite my earlier comments are not a
side to be taken lightly. They are top of the Ukraine league 1 point ahead
of surprise side Dnipro and 5 points clear of eternal rivals Dynamo Kiev.
However despite having a core of very talented Brazilians such as Brandao
and Jedson they do not travel well in Europe and as well as the defeat to
Milan as I mentioned earlier they lost 1-0 to Red Bull Salzburg in the
Qualifying Round.

These 2 sides have met 3 times in the Champions League with the home side
winning all 3 encounters Celtic winning 1-0 in November 04 at Parkhead and
Shakhtar winning 3-0 in October 04 and 2-0 in September this year.

Early team news is that Boruc and Hartley will have late fitness tests
after picking up knocks in Saturdays 3-0 win at home to Aberdeen, whilst
Shakhtar should have a full squad to pick from with the exception of
Mexican midfielder Castillo who has fallen out with the coach Lucescu.

As I write Totesport are offering 20/21 on a Celtic win tonight and given
the need for a win and the excellent form Celtic are in especially at home
if feel it is a price worth taking.

Good Luck

Silverfox.

One out of two was the results of yesterday's effort with Leicester
drawing 0-0 with Cardiff and so yet again the saver bet did its job.

Today I am staying with the Championship and the game between Sheffield
Wednesday and Barnsley. This may not be one of Yorkshire's highest profile
derby games but it is a derby none the less.

Wednesday sit 16th in the league at the moment and manager Brian Laws
seems to have turned things round in recent weeks after a poor start which
at on time threatened his job. They are one of the form sides over the
last 6 games with 3 wins 2 draws and 1 defeat in that time scoring 11 and
conceding 5.

Their overall home form in the league so far has been disappointing with 3
wins and 5 defeats scoring 10 and conceding 11 but they are unbeaten in
their last 5 games with a 2-1 home win against Blackpool a 2-1 win at
Plymouth a 1-1 draw at West Brom a 5-0 home win against Southampton and in
their last game a 0-0 draw at improving Q.P.R. to show for their efforts,
so things are looking up.

A win tonight could take them to within 4 points of the play off places
depending on other results.

Barnsley have been one of the surprise sides of the Championship this
season sitting in 7th place in the league 1 point off the play off zone
but this is mainly because of their fine home record where they have lost
only once in 9 league games winning 6 and drawing the other 2. On the road
it has been a different story however with an overall record of won 1
drawn 3 lost 4 scored 6 and conceded 13. The one victory on the road came
in September when they beat Southampton 3-2 since then in their last 3
away fixtures they have lost 3-0 at Hull, 2-0 at Leicester and 1-0 at
Wolves and though they come into this match on a high after beating
leaders Watford 3-2 at the weekend I feel they will struggle tonight.

These sides have faced each other 10 times in the league since the turn of
the Century and results have favoured Wednesday when matches have been
played at Hillsborough as they have recorded 5 out of 5 wins in that time.

Dec 30, 06 Championship Barnsley 0 - 3 Sheffield Wed
Oct 14, 06 Championship Sheffield Wed 2 - 1 Barnsley
Feb 5, 05 League One Barnsley 0 - 0 Sheffield Wed
Oct 17, 04 League One Sheffield Wed 1 - 0 Barnsley
Mar 13, 04 League One Sheffield Wed 2 - 1 Barnsley
Dec 13, 03 League One Barnsley 1 - 1 Sheffield Wed
Dec 2, 01 Championship Barnsley 3 - 0 Sheffield Wed
Oct 24, 01 Championship Sheffield Wed 3 - 1 Barnsley
Apr 21, 01 Championship Sheffield Wed 2 - 1 Barnsley
Nov 18, 00 Championship Barnsley 1 - 0 Sheffield Wed

Team news at this early stage is that Sheffield Wednesday striker Akpo
Sodje is expected to shrug off a bruised hip while midfielder Glenn Whelan
faces a late fitness test with a similar injury.

Barnsley manager Simon Davey is expected to stick with the team that beat
leaders Watford at the weekend, Davey has no new injury or suspension
problems with Everton loan signing Anderson De Silva expected to start.

Though Barnsley are looking for their fourth league win in five games as I
have said those victories have come at fortress Oakwell so I will be have
a punt on Wednesday at best price as I write 6/5 with Skybet for the win.

My saver will be over 2.5 goals at generally 4/5 as both sides score goals
and concede their fair share and as 6 of the last 10 clashes between these
two sides have topped that mark it is a reasonable bet.

Good Luck as ever,

Silverfox.

Today's tip comes from the Championship where Leicester entertains Cardiff.

At the start of the season I had a bet on Leicester to win promotion from
the division under the then manager Martin Allen who had over the summer
put together a good squad, sadly they got off to a bad start and managers
came and went but finally Ian Holloway has arrived and hopefully will
steady the ship.

I personally have a lot of time for Holloway, he worked wonders at Bristol
Rovers and Plymouth on a shoe string budget and plays the game in the
right way, and he also is a media Godsend with some of his quotes!

Few would argue that Leicester's 2-0 win at Bristol City on Saturday was
on of their best performances of the season and bodes well for the future.

Leicester sit 15th in the league but a win tonight would take them to 12th
and just 3 points off the play off places. They currently have a home
league record of won 2 drawn 3 lost 3 for 8 against 6 so an obvious
concern would be where the goals are coming from. Form wise over the last
6 games has been indifferent with 2 wins 2 draws and 2 defeats scoring 6
and conceding 4 with only 1 win at home in their last 3 games to go with 2
defeats and 2 goals scored and conceded.

This on the face of it would not inspire confidence in a home win but the
opposition tonight Cardiff have themselves had more than a few problems
this season. Manager Dave Jones is under pressure to produce results as he
has on paper one of the strongest squads in the division which boasts a
good blend of young players like Joe Ledley to go with the experienced
heads of Robbie Fowler and Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink.

They currently are 18th in the league and had a 1-0 win over Ipswich at
home at the weekend which may have delayed the dismissal of Jones for a
while but most people in the game would agree that they are potential a
massive club with a great fan base that have under achieved for too long.

On the road in the league Cardiff have won 2 drawn 3 lost 2 scored 10 and
conceded 11 with a record over the last 6 games of 1 win 3 draws 2 defeats
6 goals scored and 9 conceded, but they have only picked up 1 point out of
a possible 9 in the 3 away games played during that period and that was in
a 3-3 draw against another team who have disappointed so far this term
Sheffield United.

Head to head the omens again do not look good for the home side tonight
with no wins at the Walkers Stadium in the last 3 meetings between the two
sides and only 1 win in the last 7 in all meetings:

Jan 27, 07 Championships... Cardiff City 3 - 2 Leicester City
Dec 23, 06 Championships... Leicester City 0 - 0 Cardiff City
Jan 21, 06 Championship... Leicester City 1 - 2 Cardiff City
Oct 26, 05 League Cup Cardiff City 0 - 1 Leicester City
Sep 13, 05 Championship... Cardiff City 1 - 0 Leicester City
Apr 19, 05 Championship... Leicester City 1 - 1 Cardiff City
Oct 30, 04 Championship... Cardiff City 0 - 0 Leicester City

Team news is that Leicester face a striker problem with Collins John and
Carl Cort struggling with injuries.

Matty Fryatt also looks set to miss out depending on appeal after his red
card on Saturday.

Cardiff have Joe Ledley struggling to be fit with a hamstring problem,
while Robbie Fowler (hip) will not be ready for the encounter also Kevin
McNaughton is struggling with an ankle knock.
Despite all the obvious signs pointing to the contrary I am going for a
Leicester win tonight as I feel "new manager" syndrome will kick in on Ian
Holloway's first game in charge at the Walkers Stadium.

The other bet I will have in this clash tonight is under 2.5 goals as
Leicester have a tight defence which has only conceded 12 goals in 16
league games and only 2 of the last 7 meetings between these to teams have
gone above that threshold.

A couple of firms are offering 4/5 on this outcome but as ever shop around
on one of the various odds comparisons sites for the best price.

So Leicester to beat Cardiff at evens and under 2.5 goals at 4/5 for me
tonight to hopefully get the new week started in the right way.

Good Luck,

Silverfox.

Last night was a major disappointment in more ways then one as Croatia won
3-2 at Wembley to knock England out of the European Championship.

So today I would like to use this space to make my comments about the
events of last night, hopefully most of you will agree with me.

Firstly as far as the team are concerned this is still one of the most
talented squads England have produced in many years, the absence of key
players played a part in last nights results but were not the only
factors.

Many people complained about the state of the Wembley pitch last night and
rightly so but it was the same for both teams and if the people behind the
new stadium have to make it pay as soon as possible hence the NFL game
played their last month.

Some may say England lost the game in the first 20 minutes but in truth
England lost this game on the training ground when tactics were discussed,
Peter Crouch did his best as a lone striker role but how many times last
night did he win a ball in the air only to see not support for his
efforts, if you have a game plan it is the players responsibility to make
it work and that definitely was not the case.

Also there was no plan B, which for me has been a crucial fault In the
England game over many years we play to players available rather then
utilising the skill and creativity players have to put opponents off their
stride.

When the draw was made for this competition some of my friend said it was
an easy ride and could have been worse, for me with the exception of the
Scotland group that contained France, Italy and Ukraine it was the
hardest.

Firstly the Russians though they travel as well as Denis Bergkamp in a
plane are always dangerous at home and no side weather club or country
fancies a game in Moscow in the winter.

Secondly Israel had just come out of a World Cup group containing France,
Switzerland and the Republic of Ireland unbeaten in 10 qualifying games
and only just missing out on Germany 2006.

Finally Croatia after a disappointing World Cup had a new manager in
Slaven Bilic who brought in several young players to go with a core of
experienced players and melded them into a highly efficient and
technically gifted side, it should also be noted that the Croatians have
never lost a home qualifying game in either World Cup or European
Qualifying since their independence in 1992.

Many will blame the influx of foreigners into the Premier league for
England's failure to qualify, I may be in the minority but I do not go
along with this argument on two counts,

Historically England have only ever won one major tournament in 1966 since
then their have been 20 major tournaments in which the best England have
done is 4th in Italia 90, the influx of foreigner players started in the
90`s coinciding with the start of the Premier league prior to that
England's results were no better.

The other point is that there are very few major national teams where all
the players come from the domestic league. True Italy won the last World
Cup with a group of players drawn from Serie A but since then they have
had the likes of Toni, Zambrotta and Cannavaro ply their trade abroad, and
the Italian side is the exception rather then the rule.

Brazil, Argentina, France all have the majority of their squad spread
throughout Europe and even sides like Germany and Spain who used to have a
solid group of players from their domestic league featuring in the
national side have now got players spread around Europe.

Steve McLaren will no doubt carry the can and rightly so for England's
failure last night but for me he should never have got the job in the
first place. After the much reviled Sven left there was an outcry for the
next England manager to be English so the F.A. as every attuned to the
public's needs went after first Martin O`Neill (Irish) and Scolari
(Brazilian) who both for various reasons turned the job down before
settling on McLaren.

A blind man could see that England were not going to be any different
under McLaren as they were under Sven as they both shared the same
football philosophy,. McLaren tried to show he was his own man by ditching
several old guard players such as Beckham, Campbell and James but
eventually had to bring them back.

Personally I do not care if the next England coach is a one legged Martian
providing he can get the best out of the undoubted talent he has
available. The World Cup draw for 2010 is soon upon us and England's
seeding for this event has been affected as a result of their non
qualification so it is likely that England will be in a tough group.

The F.A. have to act now and get in a high profile manager with a proven
track record (Marcello Lippi comes to mind) and arrange friendlies with
serious opposition to blood new talent before the qualifiers for the World
Cup starts in September 2008.

There is a rumour going round that if England failed to qualify for Euro
2008 that the F.A. were planning a money spinning tour of China or the
U.S.A. in the Summer, instead of this I would like them to arrange games
against the 3 home nations so that the players can play in some matches
which would be competitive and passionate as this is a quality I felt so
many players lacked last night. For me Steven Gerrard was the only player
who could hold his head up last night, he may not have had his best game
in an England shirt but there was no denying the passion and commitment he
had and the hurt he felt at the end.

My advice to the England team that played last night is remember that hurt
store it in your memory, call on it from time to time and make it a point
never to feel that way again, you are honoured to pull on that shirt which
I know millions of men out there would love to do but never get the chance
don't ever forget that last night you not only let yourselves down you let
a nation down.

Silverfox.

Help Us Get Steve Mclaren Out

England recently played Croatia and it is quite possible that this has been the worst thing to happen to English football for decades.

* Some have said he lacks experience

* Some have said his tactical manner is not right for England

* Some have said he lacks the ability to make big decisions

Whatever the reason, it is clear that Mclaren is NOT the man to lead England forward.

However, there is a major problem.... the FA are lazy and also lack the ability to make a big decision. So we are going to apply some pressure to ensure they get the message.

We have created an official Sack Steve Mclaren petition.

We are aiming to get 50,000 signatures from football fans that we are going to hand to the FA on Decemeber 10th.

We need your signature, so please help us get Steve Mclaren out of the England job by putting your name below.

After my mini break to review my betting tactics after a disappointing
period I am back today with a tip which hopefully will get me back on the
road to profit again.

I am going to have an investment on the England v. Croatia game tonight
and before anyone thinks it is from some sort of nationalistic pride I can
honestly claim neutrality being of Irish/Italian stock!

England for me have received a lot of unfair criticism recently, I would
be the first to admit this campaign has not been one of their best but the
only game they were outplayed in as far as I am concerned was the game in
Croatia when they lost 2-0.

The game in Russia was one of those results that happen from time to time
and if it was not for a penalty that should not have been awarded and a
moment of diabolical defending from Rio Ferdinand England would have
already qualified.

The English team has a horrendous injury list and those that say there is
not enough talented English players should look at the players McLaren can
still call on despite the absence of Rooney, Owen, Gary Neville, Rio
Ferdinand, Ashley Cole and John Terry.

The line up tonight will include the likes of Micah Richards, Steven
Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Gareth Barry all quality players all
of whom would not look out of place in any top flight national team.

The qualification scenario is that England's fate is back in their hands.
Russia's loss to Israel on Saturday means England will qualify if they
avoid defeat tonight.

If England do lose, they are all but certain to go out as Russia's final
match is against Andorra - currently on a run of 29 successive Euro
qualifying defeats. An England draw coupled with a Russia win means both
teams finish on 24 points. England will qualify because teams which finish
level on points are divided according to their head-to-head record.
England has the edge on goal difference after their 3-0 win at home in
London was followed by a 2-1 defeat away in Moscow.

Croatia have qualified as a result of Russia's defeat to Israel, but their
defeat to Macedonia on Saturday has opened up the possibility of England
winning the group.
If England beat Croatia by a three-goal margin they will finish ahead of
Croatia. A 2-0 win will also be enough as the head-to-head record between
the sides will be level and so the group standings will be decided on goal
difference - which will be superior for England.

A two-goal win in which England concede a goal (i.e. 3-1 or 4-2) will mean
Croatia finish top by virtue of scoring an away goal in the head-to-head
record.

If Croatia lose by a single goal at Wembley, they will still finish top of
top Group E (is everyone still with me!).

I fully expect an England win tonight in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley
as Croatia have little to play for and though they will want to show they
are a better side than the one that lost to Macedonia at the weekend
motivation will I feel be lacking.

At 4/7 and England win though not the greatest of prices it is one that I
will take advantage of.

The two sides have only met twice before the first time was in the finals
of Euro 2004 in Portugal when England won 4-2 with Rooney scoring 2,
Scholes and Lampard getting the others and England coming back from a goal
down, and the most recent encounter the 2-0 defeat in Croatia last year.

Croatia have done well to bounce back from a disappointing World Cup to
qualify so comfortably from a tough group, when the draw was made many
said this group would be an easy one for England but I was not one of
them, Russia, Croatia and Israel were never going to be easy places to get
results and this has been proved in no uncertain terms.

Croatia have come through this group with a lot of credit and in Eduardo
they have a striker of real class and as an Arsenal fan I am looking
forward to when he brings his international form to the club as when he
does I believe he will be a goalscorer in the Henry class. They also have
the likes of Luka Modric and Niko Krancjar in their ranks and so are not
to be underestimated, however England raise their game when the chips are
down and that is what I expect them to do tonight.

I will be having two other side bets for small stakes tonight in this game
and that is England to win 2-0 at generally 11/2 and for Steven Gerrard to
be first goalscorer at best price 9/1 I just think Gerrard is made for
games like this and I will not be surprised to see one of his trademark
shots nestle into the Croatia net.

So England to win 2-0 with Gerrard first goalscorer for me tonight though
I like so many will be have to take an England win.

Good Luck

Silverfox.

Last night saw Huddersfield pull of a surprise win at Swansea to make most
of my bets losers.

I have been struggling for form over the last couple of weeks and as most
of you may now know i do this for a living so when times are tough a calm
head is called for.

With this in mind and with no obvious value punts in the Euro 2008 games
tonight i thought i`d say what i do when i hit flat patches.

If anyone decides to try and make punting a career they must be mentally
prepared for the flat spots and i have several rules i follow to help me
maintain discipline.

Rule 1 is never ever chase. When you chase judgement goes out the window
and with the various markets available on so many events there is always
tomorrow.

Rule 2 is when you do have a down patch stop betting for a few days review
your records and staking plan and see if you are missing anything obvious.
Look at the times when you have been making steady profit and try to find
out what you did differently.

Rule 3: Try to make a small profit every day rather then a big profit less
often, i try to make 3% on my investment every day, as if it is successful
which most times is the case my money doubles every 24 days.

Rule 4: Be prepared for long hours and lots of time spent in front of your
PC and spreadsheets, as i have found to my cost that research is the only
way to make this game work.

Rule 5: Always try to make punting fun. I know this is maybe a daft thing
to say but if i did not enjoy the game i would get a "proper " job. Also
like all jobs you will do it better if you enjoy it.

Rule 6: Be disciplined and support your judgement, do not let yourself be
swerved by others, after all it is a game of opinions and you will kick
yourself if you change your mind and your original selection wins (believe
me i know!).

I will follow these rules myself over the weekend and spend time reviewing
my records and statistics also i will find time to have a break and relax
as it is important to keep a good balance.

Hopefully come the new week i will be re focused and ready to bash the
bookies again if not i will take a few more days to make sure i am back
ready for the challenge.

Good luck with whatever you go for over the weekend.

Silverfox.

Today on a somewhat limited day as far as betting opportunities are
concerned in am going for Swansea to beat Huddersfield in the League One
match being played tonight. Swansea are best priced 8/11 with Sunderland's
to win tonight's encounter and that to me seems a solid enough price.

Swansea are currently 4th in the table and a win by 3 goals will take them
ahead of current leaders Carlisle on goal difference, though this is
unlikely as Swansea have only scored 6 home goals all season.

Their overall league record at home in the league is won 2 drawn 3 lost 1
scored 6 and conceded 5 with the only loss being a 2-1 defeat by Doncaster
back in September. They are unbeaten in their last 6 games with 3 wins and
3 draws in that period and seem to be coming into form after a hesitant
start.

Huddersfield their opposition tonight sit 14th in the league with an away
record of 2 wins 0 draws and 5 defeats in which time they have scored 3
and conceded 15. In their last 3 away games they have lost them all
scoring no goals and conceding 9, and I watched their game at Doncaster a
few weeks back and have to say cannot remember many less effective away
performances, the team looked woefully short of confidence once they
conceded the first goal and it seems that if they are to keep their place
in league one they will have to rely heavily on their form at the McAlpine
Stadium.

Head to head favours the home side in both cases with Huddersfield winning
once at Swansea in their last 5 attempts that coming in their visit there
last season when they came away with a 2-1 win.

Dec 30, 06 League One Huddersfield Town 3 - 2 Swansea City
Sep 23, 06 League One Swansea City 1 - 2 Huddersfield Town
Feb 24, 06 League One Swansea City 2 - 2 Huddersfield Town
Aug 13, 05 League One Huddersfield Town 3 - 1 Swansea City
Mar 27, 04 League Two Huddersfield Town 3 - 0 Swansea City
Sep 20, 03 League Two Swansea City 2 - 0 Huddersfield Town
Apr 8, 95 League One Huddersfield Town 2 - 0 Swansea City
Dec 31, 94 League One Swansea City 1 - 1 Huddersfield Town
Feb 22, 94 League One Huddersfield Town 1 - 1 Swansea City
Aug 31, 93 League One Swansea City 1 - 0 Huddersfield Town

Early team news from both camps is that Guillem Bauza is in contention for
his first league start for Swansea after scoring in the FA Cup and
Johnstone`s Paint Trophy in the past week.

Warren Feeney and Owain Tudur-Jones are away with Northern Ireland and
Wales, Andy Robinson is doubtful and will need a late fitness test but
Marcos Painter and Ferrie Bodde are fit.

Luke Beckett is eyeing a Huddersfield start after scoring an FA Cup winner
as a substitute against Accrington. Veteran Andy Booth may be rested to
make way for Beckett.

The other bet I will have on this game tonight is Swansea to win to nil at
15/8 with Paddy Power, with Swansea finding it hard to score at home and
Huddersfield having the same trouble on their troubles I cannot see many
goals tonight but if there are any I feel the home side are the more
likely to provide them.

So for me a steady start to a busy weekend with Swansea hopefully beating
Huddersfield at best price 8/11 and Swansea to win to Nil at 15/8.

Good Luck

Silverfox.

Today I am looking at the three remaining qualifying groups for Euro 2008
and predicting the likely qualifiers.

Group E as everyone will probably know is the one involving England. They
are I a three way fight with Croatia and Russia for the two qualifying
places.

Croatia need one point from their 2 games away to Macedonia and England to
qualify and that should be done by Saturday night after the Macedonian
game.

England need results to go their way starting with Israel taking at least
a point from Russia on Saturday as the Russians remaining game is in
Andorra on the following Wednesday when they will surely pick up 3 points.

If the Israeli's can hold the Russian England have to beat Croatia in
their final group match at Wembley on the 21st and if the game in Israel
ends all square a draw for England will see them through.

Firstly I expect Israel to get at least a draw against Russia. This is a
side that are very hard to beat at home and that went through the last
World Cup qualifying campaign unbeaten in a group that contained France,
Switzerland and the Republic of Ireland.

Russia were fortunate to beat England in my opinion as the first goal came
from a penalty that should never have been awarded and the second from
some woeful defending, their performance when England beat them 3-0 at
Wembley earlier in the season proves they are not the best travellers.

I also expect England to beat Croatia and before anyone thinks this is the
ramblings of a typical patriotic Englishman I must state that I am half
Irish and half Italian so could not be more neutral!
Croatia provided they beat Macedonia will I believe have problems
motivating themselves for the England match. Slaven Bilic has always
stated qualification is the most important thing and if that is achieved
anything against England is a bonus.

So for me I expect England and Croatia to progress from the group.

Group F contains Northern Ireland and they for me have been one of the big
surprises in the qualifiers, how they must rue the 3-0 lose inflicted on
them by Iceland at home early in qualifying as those 3 points would have
brought them a lot closer to qualifying.

As it is Sweden and Spain are in the driving seat with 2 games to go and
a win each will see both teams progress whilst N.Ireland have to win both
their games home to Denmark and away to Spain and then hope Sweden lose
both their games to Spain and Latvia away to qualify.

Denmark also have a mathematical chance of progression but have to beat
N.Ireland away and Iceland at home and hope Spain lose both their two
matches which again seem unlikely.

So for me Sweden and Spain to advance.

The final group is Group G in which Romania has already gone through
leaving Holland and Bulgaria fighting it out for the remaining place.

Holland are in the driving seat with a 4 point gap over their rivals with
each team having to more games to play. They need one win to progress and
with a home game against Luxembourg and an away trip to Belarus it would
be one of the shocks of the century should they not join Romania at the
finals next summer.

So the final to group qualifiers for me are Romania and Holland.

Looking forward to the finals themselves there could be one or two good
prices to be had anti post.

Germany are favourites at 11/2 which to me is no value for a team that
though rises to the occasion at major tournaments do not have for me the
strength in depth to go all the way. Italy are 7/1 2nd favourites but I
cannot see them repeating their World Cup heroics come June 2008. The
squad has changed and there is less quality available to Donadoni in my
opinion.

I will be taking the 8/1 at present available for France, as they are
building a good squad with the likes of Henry, Anelka, and Vieira still in
their prime supported by the likes of Ribery, Malouda and the young guns
from Lyon Ben Arfa and Benzema. If they can hit form they will be very
difficult to beat.

As for a potential surprise team Croatia at 20/1 is not a bad option, when
you consider Greece won Euro 2004 with what was probably one of the most
negative displays ever in a major event I feel the Croatians who for so
long have flattered to deceive at major tournaments have the right blend
of a solid defence creative midfield and strong attack to make an impact
at last.

My one concern is the strength of depth of the squad but if their first 11
can be kept fit and healthy they will pose more then a few headaches for
whoever they come up against.

So there you have it my review of the Euro 2008 Qualifiers and my tips for
the tournament itself, lets hope that come July 2008 I can sit with a smug
smile on my face rather then egg!!!!

Good Luck

Silverfox.

The Gambling Gods have a way of bringing us down to Earth and I was
definitely hit by a thunderbolt last night as W.B.A. ran out 4-0 winners
at Coventry. The game was not helped by the sending off of Mifsud of
Coventry for an elbow which apparently was noted by the fourth official!

Anyway on to todays subject and as there is little in the way of betting
opportunities to get me interested in thought I'd take a look at the
forthcoming Euro 2008 qualifiers and give my personal opinion on which two
teams from each group will join co hosts Switzerland and Austria in next
Summers finals.

So today I will cover Groups A to D and tomorrow the other 3 Qualifying
groups.

Group A is a 4 way fight with Poland, Portugal, Serbia and Finland all
fighting for the 2 qualifying places Poland will get through if they beat
Belgium at the weekend and this is what I expect leaving the other three
to fight for the one remaining position. With all 3 playing home games
against group minnows at the weekend this outcome will not be resolved
till the final match day when Serbia are home to a Polish side that have
already qualified and Portugal host Finland.

I fully expect Portugal to win both the Armenia and Finland game and join
Poland in the finals.

Group A Qualifiers: Poland and Portugal.

Group B was this qualifying competitions "group of death" and includes
Italy, France, Ukraine and Scotland.

Scotland have been the surprise team without a doubt and Walter Smith and
Alex McLeish have between them formed a group of players that have gelled
into a fine team, as with most Scottish sides however they have made life
hard for themselves by losing their last match in the group 2-0 in Georgia
and with Italy playing their game in hand at home to the Faroe Islands on
Saturday next Wednesdays game is a vital match.

France have a tricky tie in the Ukraine on the same night and the scenario
is if Scotland win they are through if they draw then the Ukraine would
have to beat France to ensure their qualification along with Italy.

Italian football is again in crisis and a subject left for another day but
a recurring theme is that when events like this happen the national team
come to the fore. In 1982 and 2006 when the country was involved in one of
many match fixing scandals they won the World Cup and it seem adversity
brings out the best in them.

So much depends on how the Scots can bounce back from the Georgia upset,
as Italy know a draw will be good enough the Scots will have to take the
game to them which I am sure they will do in Spades give the fanatical
support they will have behind them.

I expect the French to get something from their trip to the Ukraine
against a very disappointing team so this would mean Scotland have to beat
Italy to progress. My heart says Scotland but I am putting my professional
head on and saying Italy to qualify in one game where I will sit back and
enjoy the match and not get involved financially.

Group B: France and Italy (though I hope I'm wrong!)

Group C for me was the weakest of all the groups containing Greece the
reigning champions, Norway, Turkey, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Hungary, Moldova
and Malta.

Greece are assured of a top 2 finish leaving Norway and Turkey to fight
for the remaining place from this group.

The crunch game is on Saturday when Norway entertain Turkey in what
virtually is the decider and win for Norway would see them through with a
game to go a draw or a Turkey win would see the group go to the last match
day where Norway face Malta and Turkey host Bosnia-Herzegovina.
My money is on Norway as they know in reality Turkey have to win Saturdays
encounter (which I feel they won't) as the Norwegians are unlikely to slip
up away to Malta in their final match.

Group C: Greece and Norway.

Issues are resolved in Group D where the German and the Czech Republic
have both qualified comfortably with 2 games to go and all the other teams
have to play for is FIFA coefficient points in a hope of getting a better
seeding for the forthcoming 1010 World Cup draw.

So there are my tips for qualification to next Summers football feast and
tomorrow I will give my thoughts on the three other groups and in
particular the one involving England.

Silverfox.

Americans Affect Poker Players Bankroll World Wide

Poker players in the US continue to stay optimistic over new laws concerning online gambling in their country. Recent World Trade Organization disputes are lingering over the UIGEA which are favoring possible legalization of US poker sites.

This week European Union Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson in his visit to Congress warned the United States of America that this Gambling Ban could cost them greatly. While he said the $100 billion dollar compensation being sought by trade partners was over exaggerated, the affected countries will be seeking fair and just compensation.

The regulations to stop poker deposits from being made are currently being discussed. If these regulations go through and poker players in the US find it hard to make deposits it will affect poker player's bankrolls worldwide. While many online card rooms have adopted language specific software and become global, these markets are still being tested. The US market still makes up the large majority of players, and easy money for poker pros and recreational players.

Also this week a regulatory organization said the proposed regulations to stop gambling transactions in the United States had significant problems. These significant problems could lead to more delays and hopes of eventual legalization. This group is said to have significant persuasion power and is called the Center for Regulatory Effectiveness.

More news is expected this week as the US House Judiciary Committee will meet to discuss online wagering in the US on November 14th. This comes after House Rep. John Conyers joined as a co-sponsor to the bill HR 2610 The Skill Games Protection Bill.

News Source: Mac poker network

Championship Football Betting

Portsmouth had the chances to beat Manchester City especially in the first
half but failed to take them and in the end a draw was a fair result.

Today I am going to Coventry to draw with W.B.A. in the Championship match
at the Ricoh Arena.

Coventry are currently 8th in the Championship 1 point of the play off
places and so far have a home record of won 3 drawn 2 lost 2 scored 8 and
conceded 10, but they have been in good form recently and have won 4 and
lost 2 of their last 6 league games scoring 9 and conceding 7.

Despite rumour and speculation surrounding Ian Dowie`s future at the club
there is no denying he has done a great job in the time at the club.

W.B.A. are 3rd in the league 1 point off the automatic promotion place but
already 9 points behind leaders Watford and this is despite the fact that
they have gone to Vicarage Road and won 3-0 already this season.

One look at their away record gives you an indication of why they lag
behind at the moment. With 2 wins 1 draw 4 defeats and 12 goals both
scored and conceded it shows that too much emphasis is placed on West Brom
winning at the Hawthorns at present.

Their current form over the last 3 games is average with 3 wins 1 draw and
2 defeats with 12 goals scored and 8 conceded and is one of the reasons
why I feel a draw will be the result tonight.

Extrabet are offering 23/10 the draw tonight which at the time of writing
is the best price available.

The last 6 head to head encounters have favoured West Brom it must be said
with Coventry winning only 1 in the last 6 with the other 5 all being
Albion wins but though I know some people follow head to head records and
trends I personally prefer current form as a better indicator.

Apr 28, 07 Championships... Coventry City 0 - 1 West Bromwich A.
Dec 16, 06 Championship... West Bromwich A... 5 - 0 Coventry City
Mar 6, 04 Championship... West Bromwich A... 3 - 0 Coventry City
Dec 20, 03 Championship... Coventry City 1 - 0 West Bromwich A...
Apr 1, 02 Championship... Coventry City 0 - 1 West Bromwich A...
Dec 12, 01 Championship... West Bromwich A... 1 - 0 Coventry City

Though this is not the most high profile Midlands derby it is still a
derby match none the less and as in most of these encounters I expect the
game to start at a fast pace and for defences to be on top.

Team news at this early stage is that Coventry will be without striker
Robbie Simpson (ruptured hamstring) and right-back David McNamee
(hamstring) is also doubtful but Coventry could have striker Leon McKenzie
(knee), however this game is likely to come too soon for groin-injury
victim Michael Hughes.

West Brom will recall defender Leon Barnett, in place of injured Martin
Albrechtsen (knee) and Strikers Craig Beattie (illness) and Kevin Phillips
(knee) are also out.

The loss of Phillips up front will be a big blow to West Brom as with 10
goals he is 2nd only to James Beattie of Sheffield United in the
Championship scoring table and he has looked as sharp as ever this season.

I will have a saver second bet on this game tonight for small stakes and
that is the correct score market. With strikers missing from both sides
the 6/1 Blue Square are offering is to tempting for me to miss.

So for me the draw at best price 23/10 and correct score 1-1 at 6/1 best
price will hopefully go some way to boosting my Christmas shopping fund
and go some way to keeping Mrs Silverfox and the cubs happy (I am an
optimist!).

Good Luck

Silverfox.

Gamblog provides all the latest Championship Football Betting tips, Championship Football Betting advice and Championship Football Betting odds.

Palermo had a 2-1 win over Napoli last night to get me back on track
though there were a few tricky moments along the way.

Today I am back on more familiar turf and looking at the Premiership match
between Portsmouth and Manchester City.

Both teams have started the season better then even their most ardent fans
could have hoped for and are deservedly among the top 6.

Portsmouth sit 6th in the league with a home record that reads won 2 drawn
3 lost 0 scored 11 and conceded 4 but that does not tell the whole tale as
in those games they have drawn 1-1 with Man Utd in a match most neutrals
felt Pompey should have won, they then beat Bolton 3-1drew 0-0 with
Liverpool in a game where they missed a penalty beat Reading 7-4 in one of
the most entertaining games in the league this season and in their last
home game drew 0-0 with West Ham. So as you can see the opposition has
been tough and indeed they have had an extremely hard start to the
campaign.

Manchester City on the other hand sit 3rd in the league but this is due in
no small part to their superb record at home where they are 7 from 7, on
the road however their record is not so good with 1 win 1 draw and 3
defeats scoring 5 and conceding 11.

Their away record in the league consists of an away win 2-0 at West Ham on
the opening day of the season followed by a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal in a
game where they were unfortunate not to get a point (coming from an ardent
Gooner that is praise indeed!), a 1-0 loss at Blackburn, a 3-3 draw at
Fulham before their last away game at Chelsea where they lost 6-0 on a day
when there defence fell apart.

The price of evens a Portsmouth with is appealing to me especially given
the fact that they are 2nd only to Manchester United in the 6 game form
league with 4 wins and 2 draws though take out the City thumping at
Chelsea their form has been reasonable also.

I feel that Portsmouth have enough firepower up front with the likes of a
reborn Benjani ably supported b the likes of Utaka and Muntari to break
down a City defence that though they managed a 1-0 win at home to
Sunderland in their last league game may still be vulnerable away from
home.

The head to head record in all competitions in the last 10 games also
favours Portsmouth today with 4 wins out of the last 5 played at Fratton
Park between the 2 sides.

Feb 10, 07 Premiership Portsmouth FC 2 - 1 Manchester City
Aug 23, 06 Premiership Manchester City 0 - 0 Portsmouth FC
Mar 11, 06 Premiership Portsmouth FC 2 - 1 Manchester City
Aug 27, 05 Premiership Manchester City 2 - 1 Portsmouth FC
Apr 30, 05 Premiership Manchester City 2 - 0 Portsmouth FC
Nov 20, 04 Premiership Portsmouth FC 1 - 3 Manchester City
Jan 10, 04 Premiership Portsmouth FC 4 - 2 Manchester City
Aug 23, 03 Premiership Manchester City 1 - 1 Portsmouth FC
Apr 21, 02 Championships... Manchester City 3 - 1 Portsmouth FC
Nov 17, 01 Championship... Portsmouth FC 2 - 1 Manchester City

Early team news is that Hermann Hreidarsson is hopeful of returning to
Portsmouth's defence after recovering from a groin injury, but Papa Bouba
Diop serves a one-match ban whilst City are without Michael Johnson, who
faces groin surgery and at least three weeks on the sidelines, but on the
positive side Micah Richards is set to return.

So for me a Portsmouth win at Evens will hopefully end the weekend in the
right way.

Good Luck,

Silverfox

All good things must come to an end and so my current run of form ended
when LASK drew 1-1 with RB Salzburg last night.

So back to the drawing board and an interesting game in Serie A tonight
between Palermo and Napoli.

On first look this game has draw written all over it as Palermo have
played 6 home games so far and drawn 4 of them whilst Napoli have won 1
drawn 2 and lost 2 on their 5 away league games .

But I am going for a home win as the 13/10 price in that market appeals, I
would not put off anyone who takes the draw at generally 2/1 but for me
Palermo have underachieved at home where they are usually a very hard side
to break down and I fell tonight's game is an opportunity to give their
fanatical fans a win.

This is a must win game for Palermo's coach Colantuono after 5 successive
draws in the league.


Palermo are 8th in the league and Napoli 7th the two only being separated
by goal difference, and both sides have been struggling form wise with
Palermo 5 draws and 1 defeat in their last 6 and Napoli 1 win 2 draws and
3 defeats in the same period.

As mentioned earlier Palermo have drawn their last 5 games which included
holding Inter at home 0-0 and if they can start winning games they will
again challenge for a European place come the end of the season.

In Napoli`s last 3 away games they have lost to Inter 2-1 and Fiorentina
1-0 whilst getting a 4-4 draw at Roma but my worry tonight is if they can
break down a tight Palermo defence.

The six most recent head to head games have all been in Serie B and have
seen Palermo get 2 wins and a draw at home:

Apr 10, 04 Serie B Napoli 1 - 1 Palermo
Nov 16, 03 Serie B Palermo 4 - 0 Napoli
May 2, 03 Serie B Palermo 2 - 1 Napoli
Nov 29, 02 Serie B Napoli 0 - 0 Palermo
May 5, 02 Serie B Palermo 1 - 1 Napoli
Dec 3, 01 Serie B Napoli 3 - 2 Palermo

One interesting fact is that Napoli have been told to prevent their fans
from travelling due to there behaviour in previous games though this is
not a derby game as Napoli is a short ferry ride from Palermo the rivalry
between the two sides is intense.

Team news is that Palermo will have to do without top scorer Amauri, who
serves a one-match ban while midfielder Roberto Guana is also unavailable
through suspension also striker Fabrizio Miccoli and attacking midfielder
Mark Bresciano are still out of action through injury.

I will also have a small interest in the fewer than 2.5 goals market as
Palermo will be hard to break down and I feel Napoli will be happy with a
draw.

So Palermo to win tonight @13/10 and under 2.5 goals @4/6 hopefully will
make a nice double but as I said earlier this is just my opinion and I
would not put anyone off the draw at 2/1 though the odds of Palermo
drawing a 6th consecutive game must me high.

Good luck with whatever you decide,

Silverfox.

Another reasonable night with Spartak Moscow hanging on to beat Bayer
Leverkusen 2-1 in their UEFA Cup group clash.

But today is a new challenge and with little football on offer I have had
a look into the Austrian league for a tie that could be worth an
investment in.

LASK Linz who are in second place in the 10 team league 1 point behind
leaders Austria Vienna take on Red Bull Salzburg who are in 5th.

Red Bull are sponsored by the company behind the drink of the same name
and are the money team in Austria but this season the have been extremely
disappointing. They have a squad that includes the likes of Sasa Ilic,
Niko Kovac, Vratislav Lokevenc and Alex Zickler all international players
but for some reason cannot gel as a team.

They won the league last season under the leadership of director of
football Giovanni Trappatoni and ex-German captain Lothar Matthaus but the
latter left the club in June amidst claims of a clash of personalities
between the two, since then the club has under performed.

LASK so far this season have a home record of won 6 drawn 2 and lost 1
scoring 18 and conceding 6 with the only defeat being a 2-0 reverse to 3rd
placed Mattersburg back in August, and their form in the last 6 has been
won 2 drawn 3 lost 1 scored 15 and conceding 10 with 11 of those 15 goals
scored coming in their last 3 home league fixtures.

Red Bull on the other hand have yet to pick up a win on the road in the
league in 9 attempts so far with 4 draws and 5 defeats to go with their 6
goals scored and 15 conceded., their last 3 away games have been lost with
an aggregate score of 2 goals scored and 9 conceded.

The defeats have come at Wacker Innsbruck 3-1, SV Reid 2-0 and 4-1 in an
earlier clash with LASK in October so confidence will not be high.

As the head to head figures show LASK`s 4-1 victory was the first in 5
home games played against Red Bull but there has been a 6 year gap in
league fixtures in that time as LASK were only promoted to the top
division this season.

Oct 7, 07 T-Mobile Bun... LASK Linz 4 - 1 RB Salzburg
Jul 28, 07 T-Mobile Bun... RB Salzburg 2 - 1 LASK Linz
Apr 14, 01 T-Mobile Bun... RB Salzburg 3 - 1 LASK Linz
Nov 10, 00 T-Mobile Bun... LASK Linz 1 - 1 RB Salzburg
Sep 23, 00 T-Mobile Bun... RB Salzburg 4 - 1 LASK Linz
Jul 12, 00 T-Mobile Bun... LASK Linz 0 - 2 RB Salzburg
May 13, 00 T-Mobile Bun... LASK Linz 1 - 1 RB Salzburg
Mar 11, 00 T-Mobile Bun... RB Salzburg 1 - 2 LASK Linz
Oct 2, 99 T-Mobile Bun... LASK Linz 2 - 4 RB Salzburg
Jul 17, 99 T-Mobile Bun... RB Salzburg 2 - 1 LASK Linz

So I am going for a LASK win tonight which is currently priced at 6/4 with
several bookmakers and consider the form of the two teams involved is
slightly on the generous side in my opinion.

As ever good luck,

Silverfox.

The good run continued last night with Fenerbache beating PSV 2-0 for both
bets to come in.
Colin Kazim-Richard who was at Sheffield United not so long ago getting
one of the goals and proving that football really is a "funny old game" as
one minute you are on the bench in Sheffield and next you are grabbing
your first Champions league goal.

Today I am delving into the UEFA Cup and the group match between Spartak
Moscow and Bayer Leverkusen. These two are in one of the more competitive
groups along with FC Zurich (Swiss), Sparta Prague (Czech Rep) and
Toulouse (France) and with 3 teams progressing from each group every point
in vital.

This is Spartak`s first game in the group phase and they reached this
stage of the competition by beating Hacken of Sweden 5-0 at home and 3-1
away, Prior to that they were unlucky to go out to Celtic on penalties in
the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League so they are a team not to
be underestimated.

They are currently 2nd in the Russian League 2 points behind leaders Zenit
St Petersburg after 29 games and they have a home record of won 10 drawn 3
lost 1 scored 29 and conceded 11 their only league defeat to date was back
in May against Lokomotiv Moscow.

They are on a good run of form at present with 4 wins 1 draw and 1 defeat
in their last 6 games which includes 3 straight home wins with 8 goals
scored and only 1 conceded.

Spartak`s top scorer is Pavlyuchenko with 13 goals which makes him also
joint top league goalscorer with CSKA`s Wagner Love and England supporters
will not need reminding of the goal threat he represents after his 2 goals
against England in Russia back in October.

Bayer Leverkusen have already played in group match when they beat
Toulouse 1-0 at home. They reached this stage of the competition with a
5-4 aggregate win over Uniao Leiria of Portugal winning the home leg 3-1
before losing 3-2 away.

In the league this season they sit 6th and are already 10 points behind
leaders Bayern Munich after 12 games. Their away record is average with 2
wins 1 draw and 3 losses so far scoring 7 and conceding 6.
Their last 6 league games have brought 2 wins 1 draw and 3 defeats whilst
scoring 9 and conceding 7 with 1 win and 2 defeats on the road during that
period.

The two teams have met twice before in European competition during the
2000/01 Champions League campaign group stages and honours were shared
with Spartak winning their home game 2-0 and Leverkusen winning their home
match 1-0.

Another interesting stat is that Spartak are unbeaten in their last four
European home games, although they won only one of those matches however
Leverkusen have lost in their last three European away games, and have not
earned a win on their travels in 17 games - a run stretching back to a 2-0
Champions League win at Maccabi Haifa FC in the 2002/03 season.

All these facts leads me to believe that at generally 11/10 the win
Spartak offer a bit of value for todays game.

I will be keeping an eye out for team news nearer to the kick off to see
if Igor Titov is selected to play for Spartak, he has scored 7 goals in
the league this season and no less then 6 of them have been first goals,
he is currently priced at 17/2 with Bet365 in the first goalscorer market
and could be a fun bet for a small stake he is also 14/5 with the same
firm in the anytime goalscorer market and again I would not put anyone off
a small interest in that field if he plays.

So Spartak to beat Bayer Leverkusen @ 11/10 generally with a small bet on
Titov first goalscorer @17/2 and anytime goalscorer at 14/5 subject to him
playing.

Good luck and just to note that the kick off for this match is 4:00 GMT.

Silverfox.

The value of the saver bet was highlighted last night as Tranmere lost 1-0
at home to Oldham to make my main bet a loser but however the under 2.5
goal came to the rescue to prevent a blank tip.

Tonight I am going to have a bet on the Fenerbache v. PSV tie, most of the
other ties in the Champions league are either to short in the odd
department or to close to call but I feel Fenerbache at best price 21/20
with Totesport may offer a bit of value.

A win tonight for Fenerbache will put them in a good position to qualify
from the group with an away tie at Inter and a home game against CSKA
Moscow to come after tonight's game.

They are 2nd in the group behind Inter on 5 points, one ahead of PSV, and
they have beaten Inter at home 1-0 in match day one and followed that up
with a 2-2 draw in Russia and a 0-0 draw in Holland so have proved they
are a hard side to beat.

Their home form in the league is outstanding with 5 wins and one draw in 6
games so far scoring 12 and conceding 4. They are currently 3rd in the
Turkish League 3 points behind Galatasaray after 11 games and they are
currently the form side in the league over the last 6 games with 4 wins
and 2 draws including 3 straight home ins in that period where they have
scored 8 and conceded 2.


Their opponents tonight PSV have beaten CSKA 2-1 at home and lost 2-0 to
Inter at the San Siro as well as drawing 0-0 with Fenerbache in the last
game in their Champions league campaign so far.

In the Dutch league they are 3rd one point behind leaders Ajax but their
strength is definitely at home where they are 5 for 5 scoring 16 and
conceding only 1, compared to their away record of W2 D2 L1 F8 A4 which
though respectable does in my opinion make me side with a home win tonight
especially when you consider the 2 away wins have been at bottom club
Sparta and second to bottom Heracles.

The only time PSV have travelled to Fenerbache was in September 2005 when
they were beaten 3-0 in a Group game in that seasons Champions League so
again for me it is a good pointer.

One other factor is how PSV will react to the loss of Coach Ronald Koeman
to Valencia this may have a negative effect on the side as they lost the
league lead at the weekend when they lost to Herenveen in the first game
with him.

Team news is that Fenerbache will be without defender Lugano and forward
Deivid both suspended for the game and these are key players for
Fenerbache also Kezman is still injured and will not be able to play
against his former club.

PSV also have their share of problems for tonight's match, as Eric Addo
starts a four-game suspension, and Ibrahim Afellay, Manuel da Costa, John
de Jong and Jason Culina are all out through injury.

The other bet I will be having as a saver is the under 2.5 goal option at
generally 4/6 it looks like a fairly safe bet as in the previous 3
encounters between the two sides only 5 goals have been scored and with
the loss of Deivid for Fenerbache their most potent goal threat will be
lost.

I believe PSV will play deep and hope to catch Fenerbache on the break and
a point would be a good result for them. The onus will be very much on the
home team to go for the win in front of their fanatical but none to
patient fans.

I would not put off anyone who likes to play the correct score market to
take a bit of the 6/1 on offer for a 1-0 win in what I expect will be a
close tight game but I personally will stick with Fenerbache to win and
under 2.5 goals to be scored.
Best of luck,

Silverfox.

Manchester City recorded a narrow 1-0 win against Sunderland last night to
record their 7th home win of the season and give me on winning bet, sadly
the over 2.5 goal bet hit the dust.

Today I am off to league one and the game between Tranmere and Oldham.
Tranmere are 6th in the league and a win tonight could see them go up to
second depending on other results. There form over the last 6 games has
been patchy with 2 wins 2 draws and 2 defeats, but they have a solid home
record of won 3 drawn 3 and lost 1 scoring 11 and conceding 6, and the
only home defeat was at the hands of Leeds in the first game of the season
when they surrendered a one goal lead to lose to two late goals.

In their last 3 home games they have won 1 and drawn 2 scoring 4 and
conceding 1 so are obviously a hard side to break down at Prenton Park.

Oldham sit 20th in the league at present and have had a disappointing
season so far. They are only above the drop zone on goal difference and
have an away record of won 1 drawn 3 lost 3 scored 6 and conceded 8. Their
only win on the road being a 3-0 win at Walsall back in September.

Form wise they have only 1 win to show in their last 6 matches and in that
time have only scored 4 goals though to be fair they have only conceded 6.
In their last 3 away games they have drawn 2 and lost one scoring 1 and
conceding 2.

Betfred are offering 4/5 on a Tranmere win tonight which I think is a good
price despite the fact that Oldham do not concede many on their travels.

The last 10 head to head fixtures have favoured Tranmere with Oldham's
only away win during this period coming in January 2003 when they won 2-1.

Feb 3, 07 League One Oldham Athletic 1 - 0 Tranmere Rovers
Aug 5, 06 League One Tranmere Rovers 1 - 0 Oldham Athletic
Feb 25, 06 League One Oldham Athletic 1 - 0 Tranmere Rovers
Aug 12, 05 League One Tranmere Rovers 4 - 0 Oldham Athletic
Jan 25, 05 LDV Vans Oldham Athletic 1-1 Tranmere Rovers Oldham won on Pens
Jan 1, 05 League One Oldham Athletic 2 - 2 Tranmere Rovers
Sep 14, 04 League One Tranmere Rovers 2 - 0 Oldham Athletic
Feb 21, 04 League One Oldham Athletic 1 - 1 Tranmere Rovers
Oct 18, 03 League One Tranmere Rovers 2 - 1 Oldham Athletic
Jan 1, 03 League One Tranmere Rovers 1 - 2 Oldham Athletic

The other bet I will have tonight is under 2.5 goals, given that Tranmere
have scored 4 and conceded 1 in their last 3 home games and that Oldham
have scored 1 and conceded 2 in their last 3 away games it could be a
winner, add the fact that the last 3 encounters between these two sides
home or away have ended 1-0 and 0.75 with Expekt and Pinnacle does not
look to bad a price.

Team news from both camps is that Tranmere winger Chris Shuker will not
recover from a thigh strain and striker Calvin Zola is also nursing a
knock which will require a late fitness test also John Mullin (ankle)
remains sidelined.

Oldham manager John Sheridan is set to name an unchanged squad though Lee
Hughes, who came off the bench at the weekend after a recent double-hernia
operation, could push place.

So Tranmere to beat Oldham @4/5
Under 2.5 goals @ 0.75

Good Luck

Silverfox

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I was very happy with last nights effort as the Juve v. Inter match ended
in a 1-1 draw so the only part of the tip that did not come up was the
anytime goalscorer part which I can definitely live with!

On to today and the challenge of keeping the run going which is definitely
easier said then done.

Not much to choose from today but I like the chances of Manchester City at
home to Sunderland tonight.
City are generally 8/13 to win tonight and if they do collect 3 points
will leap above Chelsea into 3rd place in the league.

City at home this season have won 6 from 6 in the league scoring 10 and
conceding only 2, and the much maligned Sven Goran Erickson seems to be
building one of the best teams the blue side of Manchester have had in
many years.

The star for them so far has been the Brazilian Elano who they signed from
Ukraine side Shakhtar Donetsk in the summer, he has settled into the
Premiership brilliantly and I would imagine there are a few managers in
the league kicking themselves that they did not take a risk on him.

Roy Keane`s Sunderland have shown enough to convince me that they will
avoid the drop this season as the manager is building a team very much in
his own image, they are hard to break down work hard and are disciplined,
but I feel the key to their survival will be results gained at the Stadium
of Light in front of their superb fans rather then anything they can
achieve on their travels.

Their away form in the league this season is won 0 drawn 2 lost 4 scored 7
and conceded 14, with the 2 away draws coming at Birmingham and
Middlesbrough though they did come out with a lot of credit in their 3-2
loss at the Emirates to Arsenal coming back from 2-0 down to give the home
team a fright.

Form wise City have won 3 drawn 1 and lost 2 of their last 6 with all the
win coming at Eastlands with wins over Birmingham (1-0), Middlesbrough
(3-1) and Newcastle (3-1).

During the same period Sunderland have 1 win 2 draws and 3 defeats to show
for their efforts and the win in that time was back in September when they
won 2-1 at home to Reading.

Head to head between the two sides again shows the home side to have the
advantage:

Mar 5, 06 Premiership Manchester City 2 - 1 Sunderland
Aug 23, 05 Premiership Sunderland 1 - 2 Manchester City
Apr 21, 03 Premiership Manchester City 3 - 0 Sunderland
Dec 9, 02 Premiership Sunderland 0 - 3 Manchester City
Dec 23, 00 Premiership Sunderland 1 - 0 Manchester City
Aug 23, 00 Premiership Manchester City 4 - 2 Sunderland
Jan 17, 98 Championship... Manchester City 0 - 1 Sunderland
Aug 15, 97 Championship... Sunderland 3 - 1 Manchester City

Looking at the above details leads be into my second bet in this match
which will be over 2.5 goals. With 6 out of 8 meetings recently finishing
over that threshold I am happy to take the evens on offer with several
bookies at the time of writing.

Team news so far is that Micah Richards is set to miss out for Manchester
City because of a bruised knee but Winger Martin Petrov is available again
after a toe injury.

Sunderland will be without suspended pair Paul McShane and Greg Halford
tonight's encounter whilst Kenwyne Jones has recovered from a calf
problem, but fellow forwards Dwight Yorke (calf) and Roy O'Donovan (ankle)
are rated at 50-50 for the game.

So City to beat Sunderland at generally 8/13 and Over 2.5 goals at
generally evens. Hopefully this will start the new week in the way I ended
the old one.

As always good luck,

Silverfox.

Hope one or two of you were on the "exotic" tips from yesterday as 2 out
of 3 won with one being carried over to today, it goes to prove that there
are always opportunities to make money if you look deep enough.

Today I am going for the Juventus v. Inter Milan match in Serie A tonight.
This is one of the classic encounters of the football season with two
teams in good form.

Inter are top of the league at present and are defending champions, they
are yet to lose in the league with 7 wins and 3 draws to show for their 10
league games so far. Away from the San Siro they have won 3 and drawn 2
games scoring 9 and conceding 3 with wins at Empoli (2-0), Roma (4-1), and
Reggina (1-0) to go with draws at Livorno (2-2) and Palermo (0-0).

Juventus are in their first season back in Serie A after being relegated
in the "Moggiopoli" scandal and have made a good start back sitting 4th in
the league 4 points behind their rivals tonight.
Their overall league record is won 6 drawn 2 lost 2 scored 21 and conceded
10 whilst at the Stadio Del Alpi they have 4 wins against Livorno (5-1),
Reggina (4-0), Genoa (1-0) and Empoli (3-0) to show for their efforts so
far to go with one defeat at the hands of surprise team Udinese (1-0).

Form wise over the last 6 games there is little to split the two sides
with Inter winning 5 and drawing 1 game and Juve winning 4 Drawing 1 and
losing 1. In the 3 away games Inter have played in that time they have won
2 and drawn 1 scoring 5 and conceding 1, whilst Juve have won their last 3
home games scoring 8 and conceding none.

Early team news is that Juventus welcome back defenders Nicola
Legrottaglie, Giorgio Chiellini and Cristian Molinaro and veteran Czech
midfielder Pavel Nedved from suspension.

However, defensive duo Jean-Alain Boumsong and Jorge Andrade are still on
the sidelines with their respective injuries, whilst Inter boss Roberto
Mancini is still unable to call on goalkeeper Francesco Toldo, defender
Marco Materazzi and midfielders Patrick Vieira, Dejan Stankovic and Luis
Antonio Jimenez all due to injury.

Taking all this into account I cannot escape the fact that tonight's match
will end in a draw, which is best price 15/8 with several bookies at the
moment.

Both sides will not want to lose tonight and a draw would not be the worst
of results for either side.


The head to head record is long and distinguished between these two great
teams and over the last 10 matches it reads:

Feb 12, 06 Serie A Inter Milan 1 - 2 Juventus
Oct 2, 05 Serie A Juventus 2 - 0 Inter Milan
Aug 20, 05 Super Coppa Juventus 0-1 Inter Milan (After Extra Time)
Apr 20, 05 Serie A Juventus 0 - 1 Inter Milan
Nov 28, 04 Serie A Inter Milan 2 - 2 Juventus
Apr 4, 04 Serie A Inter Milan 3 - 2 Juventus
Nov 29, 03 Serie A Juventus 1 - 3 Inter Milan
Mar 2, 03 Serie A Juventus 3 - 0 Inter Milan
Oct 19, 02 Serie A Inter Milan 1 - 1 Juventus
Mar 9, 02 Serie A Inter Milan 2 - 2 Juventus

No real clues from those stats except that all the games have been close
which leads me into my next bet which is under 2.5 goals. Sporting Bet are
offering 0.75 on this market and I feel with the tenseness of the game
tonight defences are set to dominate and goal scoring chances will be few
and far between, so with that in mind I am happy to have a punt on that
result.

I will also have an interest in Zlatan Ibrahimovic anytime goalscorer at
generally 2/1. He is a big game player and there are not many bigger games
in the Serie A calendar then this one. He has scored 7 league goals this
season which puts him in second place in the scoring charts behind David
Trezeguet of Juventus who is on 10 and for me is a nice saver option.

My final bet in this game is a more speculative bet but could just be a
rewarding one and that is the correct score market. I am going for 1-1
which is the most popular score cast with the bookies at the moment at
generally 5/1 but at that price a few pounds/Euros can be risked I feel.

So to recap: Juventus to draw with Inter @ 15/8
Under 2.5 goals @0.75
Ibrahimovic (Inter) Anytime scorer @ 2/1
Correct score 1-1 @5/1

Hopefully some if not all will come up tonight and indeed if all of them
do come in I'll have a very happy Mrs Silverfox on my hands as the
Christmas present money will be sorted out!

Good luck as ever

Barry

I Have been looking at the more exotic bets for the weekend. The
win/lose/draw bets are bread and butter bets for me but value can be had
by doing a bit of scratching around in the other markets on offer.

Listed below are a few bets this weekend that may return a nice profit.

Premiership: (Sunday 4:00 GMT) West Ham v Bolton Over 3.5 cards - 1.83 @
Bet365

West Ham average 2 cards per home game whilst Bolton average 3 cards per
away game. Both sides are struggling with injuries and with Bolton's
desperate quest for points I expect them to get them to get stuck in and
try and ruffle the feathers of the Hammers players. Referee for the match
Peter Walton averages just under 4 cards per game this season.


Championship: (Today 3:00 GMT) Sheffield U v Burnley Beattie AGS - 2.50 @
Bet365

He is Sheffield Utd's top goalscorer this season, he takes the penalties
and has scored 6 in 6 home games. Also he was rested from the midweek
Carling Cup game against Arsenal so should be fresh for the challenge.

League 1: (Today 3:00 GMT) Bristol Rovers v Bournemouth Total goal minutes
120+ - 1.83 Blue Sq

The average goal minutes in Bristol Rovers home games is 155 minutes.
Bournemouth's away games average 178. Both sides have a trend of having
tight opening halves and then free-scoring 2nd halves.

League 1:(Today 3:00 GMT)Carlisle v Leeds Last goal time 74minutes+ - 1.90
Paddy Power

Leeds have made a habit of scoring late goals and it is a testament to the
fitness of Denis Wise's squad's fitness. Nobody has scored more goals in
the last minute than Leeds. Leeds have scored 11 goals in the last 15
minutes of their matches including 6 in the last minute.

Like most things in life full time punting requires a lot of time
dedicated to it with sometimes no or little reward but the feeling of
knowing the research that you do pays dividends is unequalled.

Hopefully the examples I have given above will be profitable and also give
the less experienced punter out there an idea of the range of bets
available.

Gone are the days when you had a bet on a side only to see them go 3 down
after half and hour and know the only option left was to tear up your
ticket.

These more exotic bets can give you an interest in any game right to the
last minute and hopefully be able to provide a return to toast your
success with a beer!

Good luck,

Silverfox