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Hopefully 2008 will start better then the way 2007 ended and as there is a
full programme of games to look at the chances are there to make a bit of
extra money in which to spend in the sales!

For my first tip in the New Year I am going for the league one game
between Leeds and Oldham.

Leeds are 3rd in the league and are in my opinion the best team in the
division they have overcome a 15 point penalty to sit 6 points behind
leaders Swansea who they lost to at the weekend but they have won 16 of
their 23 league games so far and have a home record of won 10 drawn 1 lost
0 scored 25 and conceded 5. The only side to come away from Elland Road
this season with a point was Leyton Orient who managed a 1-1 draw back in
October. Since then they have won the 4 home games played with an
aggregate score of 10-1.

Their opponents Oldham are 15th in the league but themselves have hit a
good run of form with only 1 defeat in there 9 games in the league which
came at the weekend in a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of another form side
Walsall. They have won their last 3 away games in the league at Southend,
Millwall and Bournemouth so are not to be underestimated.

However I feel Leeds are a class apart from most sides in the division and
will want to bounce back after Saturday’s defeat. The 4/7 on offer
generally about a Leeds win is worth taking.

The head to head record between these two sides does not really give to
many clues as they have not met too often in recent times but it does
favour Leeds:

Oct 2, 07 League One Oldham Athletic 0 - 1 Leeds United
Aug 23, 05 League Cup Leeds United 2 - 0 Oldham Athletic
Feb 28, 94 Premiership Oldham Athletic 1 - 1 Leeds United
Aug 30, 93 Premiership Leeds United 1 - 0 Oldham Athletic

I will also have a bet on the +2.5 goals market though for small stakes,
the stats show that this is a close on to call with Leeds averaging just
over 2 goals per game at home and Oldham averaging just over 1 per game on
the road but at 4/5 generally I am happy to go with overs.

So a Leeds win and +2.5 goals for me would see the New Year in perfectly
and hopefully set me up for a profitable year.

Good luck and Happy New Year.

Silverfox.

Today I am going for a couple of bets in the Sparta v. Groningen match in
the Dutch 1st division.

Sparta are a bit of a yo-yo team in Holland and currently sit 16th out of
the 18 clubs in the league and face a Groningen side who are 4th 5 points
off leaders Feyenoord.

At first glance this looks like a win for the away side, but I have looked
at the stats and found one or two things that make me think that there is
a bit of value to be had today.

Sparta at home have a record of won 1 drawn 4 lost 2 scored 9 and conceded
12 but the 2 defeats have been against Vitesse (10th) and PSV (2nd) and
they conceded 6 of the 12 goals at home in those 2 matches. Their form
over the last 6 games has been won 2 drawn 1 lost 3 scored 7 and conceded
16 with 11 of those goals being let in during the 3 away games in that
period.

Groningen have been a bit of a surprise side this season but their away
form has been patchy with 3 wins 2 draws and 3 defeats whilst scoring 16
and conceding 20 which at first glance may not look to bad but when you
look at their last 4 away games in the league doubts arise.

The last 4 road games in the league have seen them beat Heracles 2-1, lose
4-2 at Herenveen, 5-1 at Roda, and 5-1 at NEC, to which you could add a
3-1 defeat in the Cup at Feyenoord so in their last 5 away games they have
scored 7 and conceded18!

In their defence though they are 2nd in the form table over the last 6
league games with 4 wins and 2 draws but not surprisingly given the
earlier facts 3 of the wins have come at home.

The last 10 meetings between the 2 sides include 1 Cup game and generally
go with the home side in low scoring games:

Sep 29, 07 Eredivisie FC Groningen 1 - 0 Sparta Rotterdam
Dec 26, 06 Eredivisie FC Groningen 0 - 1 Sparta Rotterdam
Sep 17, 06 Eredivisie Sparta Rotterdam 0 - 1 FC Groningen
Feb 7, 06 Eredivisie Sparta Rotterdam 1 - 0 FC Groningen
Sep 21, 05 KNVB Beker FC Groningen 2 - 1 Sparta Rotterdam
Sep 11, 05 Eredivisie FC Groningen 0 - 1 Sparta Rotterdam
May 5, 02 Eredivisie Sparta Rotterdam 0 - 0 FC Groningen
Dec 9, 01 Eredivisie FC Groningen 0 - 0 Sparta Rotterdam
May 6, 01 Eredivisie FC Groningen 1 - 1 Sparta Rotterdam
Oct 29, 00 Eredivisie Sparta Rotterdam 2 - 0 FC Groningen

Team news is that Sparta have no injury worries though Olaf Lindenbergh is
still suspended.

However Groningen have a string of injury problems Paul Mathijs (ankle),
Marnix Kolder (groin), Ondrej Svejdik (arm), Tim Matavz (ankle), Luciano
da Silva (finger), Evgeniy Levchenko (leg) and Erik Nevland (Achilles) are
all out injured while Bruno Silva is a doubt with flu.

Given the above facts my main bet win be -2.5 goals as firstly Sparta are
tight at home but do not score enough whilst Groningen may have an easier
time defending tonight then scoring, and secondly only 1 over their 10
previous meetings has gone over the 2.5 goal mark.

Most bookies are still 11/10 on this market and I am happy to take a piece
of that action.

My second bet for lower stakes will be to back Sparta at +0.25 on the
Asian Handicap Bet365 are currently offering 41/40 on this happening and
though Groningen should win tonight given their poor away form lately and
the fact that Sparta have drawn 4 of 7 home league games so far I am happy
to invest in this market .

So fingers crossed these two bets will get us heading into the New Year a
little richer.

Good luck,

Silverfox.

Everton beat Bolton 2-0 yesterday to see my main bet win but it was a case
of close but no cigar for the -2.5 goals bet and Tim Cahill first
goalscorer though he was second goalscorer!

Tonight I am going to have a bet on Manchester City to beat Blackburn as
they are best price 9/8 with Pinnacle and generally Evens elsewhere.

As I so often preach to make a living out of punting it is the number of
value bets you find that make the difference rather then the volume
placed.

Odds against for a side that are 9 from 9 at home in the league this
season against a side that are in a poor run of form is too tempting not
to have a bet on.

Manchester City under Sven Goran-Eriksson have played some good football
this season and fully deserve to be in 5th position in the league and a
win tonight will lift them up to 4th ahead of Liverpool. Their full home
record in the league read won 9 drawn 0 lost 0 scored 17 and conceded 5
and though all runs must come to an end hopefully tonight will not be when
it happens.

Their form over the last 6 games has also been good with 3 wins 3 draws
and only 1 defeat when they lost 2-1 at Spurs.

Blackburn on the other hand are in a poor run of form though it must be
said that their performances have been better then results have lead to
believe. They sit 10th in the league and have an away record so far of won
3 drawn 3 lost 2 scored 12 conceded 13 so as with all Mark Hughes teams
are tough to beat, but the worrying stat for me and the one that leads me
towards Manchester City tonight is that in their last 6 games they have a
record of won 1 drawn 1 lost 4 scored 8 and conceded 12 with only 1 point
from 3 away games in that time which they got in a 2-2 draw at Fulham.

Not surprisingly only Fulham, Sunderland and Derby have worse form in that
time.

Head to head gives some hope to Blackburn tonight as City have only beaten
them once in the last 10 games when they won 3-2 at Ewood Park in August
2003 and you have to go back to 1999 for City’s last home win against
Blackburn:

Sep 2, 07 Premiership Blackburn Rovers 1 - 0 Manchester City
Mar 11, 07 FA Cup Blackburn Rovers 2 - 0 Manchester City
Jan 20, 07 Premiership Manchester City 0 - 3 Blackburn Rovers
Sep 17, 06 Premiership Blackburn Rovers 4 - 2 Manchester City
May 7, 06 Premiership Blackburn Rovers 2 - 0 Manchester City
Nov 19, 05 Premiership Manchester City 0 - 0 Blackburn Rovers
Apr 23, 05 Premiership Blackburn Rovers 0 - 0 Manchester City
Nov 13, 04 Premiership Manchester City 1 - 1 Blackburn Rovers
Jan 17, 04 Premiership Manchester City 1 - 1 Blackburn Rovers
Aug 25, 03 Premiership Blackburn Rovers 2 - 3 Manchester City

Early team news is that Manchester City midfielder Michael Johnson is a
major doubt after suffering an abdominal complaint.
Emile Mpenza has a minor muscle strain but is expected to be fit to play,
while Stephen Ireland is available after a three-match ban.
Blackburn trio Robbie Savage, Stephen Warnock and Keith Treacy are all
suspended for the trip to City but central defender Christopher Samba is
available for selection after serving a one-match ban.

The other bet I will have tonight is +2.5 goals as both sides have goals
in them and defences that are not the tightest in the league. Again the
11/10 with Paddy Power looks a bit on the generous side and I hope that it
is a case of the odds compilers having a bit of festive spirit though
somehow I doubt it!

So for me Manchester City to beat Blackburn though I will be keeping an
eye on the match with a view to trading in play should it look like the
result is going against me and +2.5 goals as a saver.

On the subject of trading in play I know some punters who are loathe doing
it as it is almost an admission of guilt that their original tip was
wrong! I personally have lost count of how many times I have turned a
losing position into a winner or at the very least a small loss by using
this strategy and it is now become an even more important weapon in a
punters armoury.

Good Luck,

Silverfox.

With a full programme of matches on Boxing Day I was spoilt for choice
when looking for a selection but have finally decided on the game at
Goodison Park between Everton and Bolton.

Both teams are currently on a good run of form and Everton were unlucky to
come away from Old Trafford on Sunday with nothing after a moment of
madness from Steven Pienaar gave a way a late penalty to undo all his
sides hard work.

Everton site 6th in the league at present 3 points behind local rivals
Liverpool who have played a game less. At Goodison in the league they have
won 5 drawn 1 and lost 2 scoring 19 and conceding 7 with the only defeats
being against Manchester United (1-0) and Liverpool (2-1). Since the
Liverpool defeat they have won their last 5 home games in all competitions
scoring 17 goals and conceding only 3, so it will come as no surprise that
they are top of the form league over the last 6 games.

Bolton too are in a good run of form and new manager Gary Megson seems to
have got them back to something like their old selves since his arrival.
They have climbed up to 14th in the league mainly thanks to some good
performances at the Reebok which includes their fine 3-0 win on Saturday
against fellow strugglers Birmingham.

The problem with Bolton is an away record in the league so far of won 0
drawn 2 lost 6 scored 6 and conceded 18, and the only 2 points they have
gained on the road has been at Derby (1-1) and West Ham (1-1), though they
did get a fine win in midweek against Crvena Zvezda in the UEFA Cup so
signs of improvement are there to see.

Head to head is interesting reading with Bolton winning 2 of the last 4 at
Everton and winning 3 of the last 6 at Bolton!

Sep 1, 07 Premiership Bolton Wanderers 1 - 2 Everton FC
Apr 9, 07 Premiership Bolton Wanderers 1 - 1 Everton FC
Nov 18, 06 Premiership Everton FC 1 - 0 Bolton Wanderers
Dec 17, 05 Premiership Everton FC 0 - 4 Bolton Wanderers
Aug 21, 05 Premiership Bolton Wanderers 0 - 1 Everton FC
May 15, 05 Premiership Bolton Wanderers 3 - 2 Everton FC
Dec 4, 04 Premiership Everton FC 3 - 2 Bolton Wanderers
May 8, 04 Premiership Everton FC 1 - 2 Bolton Wanderers
Nov 29, 03 Premiership Bolton Wanderers 2 - 0 Everton FC
Jan 28, 03 Premiership Bolton Wanderers 1 - 2 Everton FC

I am going to go for an Everton win at best price ¾ with Expekt as I was
impressed by their performance at Old Trafford and feel that manager David
Moyes has started to put together a strong squad with a good mix of youth
and experience, and though Bolton are an improving side until they can
show they are getting their act together on the road in the league I am
willing to oppose them.

I will also go for +2.5 goals in this match given that Everton are scoring
and average of 3 a game over the last 5 home matches and that Bolton too
have forwards in form in the shape of Anelka and Diouf, and at generally
Evens it is a fair price for that outcome.

My final bet depends on team news but if he is playing 9/1 for Tim Cahill
to get the first goal is too tempting for me to miss and I will have a
small investment on him if he makes the team.

All that remains for me to do now is wish you all a very Merry Christmas
to you and your families and hopefully as we head into 2008 we can relieve
the bookies of a bit of their profits!

Good Luck as ever,

Silverfox.

Another disappointing night on Saturday when Bordeaux only managed a draw
with Marseille so hopefully tonight’s game will provide a better result.

The game I am going for tonight is the Carling Cup quarter final tie
between Manchester City and Spurs. I do not normally bet on cup games due
to their unpredictability and the fact that team news is often either not
very accurate or late in arriving, but given the importance of the game
tonight I am willing to take a chance.

I took an anti post price on City for this competition at the start of the
season as I felt Sven Goran-Erickson was putting together a squad that
could with the luck of the draw do well in a cup competition this season
and so far I have not been disappointed.

At home this season City have a perfect record with 9 out of 9 wins
scoring 17 and conceding just 5 and they also have a 1-0 win in the 3rd
round of this competition against Norwich to add to that proud record.
They come into this match on the back of a fine 4-2 home win in the league
against Bolton in a game that saw them come back twice from behind so the
character of the side cannot be in question. And though their away form is
nothing to get too excited about they still find themselves 4th in the
league and in a Champions league position with the busy Xmas period to
come.

Spurs on the other hand recorded their first away win of the season on
Saturday against a Portsmouth side that seem to have lost the knack of
scoring in front of their own fans. They are at present 12th in the league
and are showing signs of improvement under new coach Juande Ramos.

They are still involved in the UEFA Cup and have the matter of a local
derby at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday against Arsenal to look forward
to so it will be interesting to see what side Ramos fields tonight.

Their league record on the road reads won 1 drawn 5 lost 3 scored 10 and
conceded 13 to which you can add 1 win and 2 draws on their travels in
Europe in the UEFA Cup this season so despite everything they will not be
an easy task for City to overcome tonight.

However with the home side being offered at best price 11/8 with Paddy
Power to win tonight I will be having my money on them.

Head to head makes interesting reading however if you are a Spurs
supporter as in the last 10 games played between these 2 sides City have
not recorded one win home or away and it is actually 16 games since City
beat Spurs when they defeated them 5-2 in the league back in December
1994! So this stat can be read either way depending on who you support,
City fans will say they are due a win and Spurs fans would say they are
City’s bogey side!

Dec 9, 07 Premiership Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 1 Manchester City
May 13, 07 Premiership Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 1 Manchester City
Dec 17, 06 Premiership Manchester City 1 - 2 Tottenham Hotspur
Apr 8, 06 Premiership Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 1 Manchester City
Jan 4, 06 Premiership Manchester City 0 - 2 Tottenham Hotspur
Mar 19, 05 Premiership Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 1 Manchester City
Dec 11, 04 Premiership Manchester City 0 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur
Apr 12, 04 Premiership Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 1 Manchester City
Sep 28, 03 Premiership Manchester City 0 - 0 Tottenham Hotspur
Apr 18, 03 Premiership Tottenham Hotspur 0 - 2 Manchester City


Team news as ever at this early stage is sketchy but it seems that City
will recall goalkeeper Joe Hart to replace Andreas Isaksson as the
brilliant Elano could return after a hamstring injury but Stephen Ireland
is again ruled out through suspension.

With skipper Robbie Keane suspended, Spurs manager Juande Ramos must
decide between Darren Bent, Dimitar Berbatov and Jermaine Defoe up front.
Michael Dawson is again a doubt after a migraine attack that required
hospital checks. Midfielder Didier Zokora could continue in his place at
the back.

So for me a narrow home win would bring a smile to my face and at the same
time restore some much needed cash to my wallet after a weekend of
Christmas shopping with Mrs. Silverfox!

Good Luck,

Silverfox.

The line between success and failure could not be highlighted better then
by last nights bet, drifting into injury time a draw looked on the cards
between Fulham and Newcastle in a game that anyone with a sleep disorder
should watch (it would cure it!) when Fulham conceded a penalty and Joey
Barton stepped up to claim all three points for Newcastle.

Such is football and betting in general, anyway onto today and I am going
for a game in the French league between Bordeaux and Marseille.

Bordeaux are currently 5th in the league with a home record of won 5 drawn
1 lost 2 scored 16 and conceded 12 and form wise over the last 6 games
they have won 3 drawn 1 lost 2 scored 10 and conceded 11 with all three
wins in that time being at home against Toulouse (4-3), Rennes (3-0) and
Valenciennes (2-1). Added to that is the fact that they have also won
their last 2 UEFA Cup home games against Helsingborg (2-1) and Galatasaray
(2-1) to put them on a run of 5 straight home wins since they lost 3-1
against Lyon back in early October.

Marseille are 15th at the moment after yet another bad start to a season
and have an away record in the league of won 2 drawn 3 and lost 4 scoring
8 and conceding 11, though they have been on the up in the league over the
last 6 games with 3 wins 2 draws and 1 defeat in that time, the defeat
coming in a 2-1 defeat at Sochaux in October.

However they were soundly beaten 4-0 at home in the Champions league
during the week by Liverpool, a result that cost them a place in the knock
out stages of the competition and it will be interesting to see how they
react tonight.

A win for Bordeaux tonight will put them into 3rd place 5 points behind
leaders Lyon and I expect them to get that result tonight at the
attractive odds of 6/5 with several bookies.

The head to head record over the last 10 games bears my prediction out
with Bordeaux recording 4 wins and 2 draws against Marseille at home in
that time:

Feb 11, 07 Ligue 1 Bordeaux 1 Marseille 0
Sep 17, 06 Ligue 1 Marseille 2 Bordeaux 1
May 13, 06 Ligue 1 Bordeaux 1 Marseille 1
Oct 26, 05 Cup Bordeaux 1 Marseille 0
Jul 30, 05 Ligue 1 Marseille 0 Bordeaux 2
May 28, 05 Ligue 1 Bordeaux 3 Marseille 3
Aug 7, 04 Ligue 1 Marseille 1 Bordeaux 0
Mar 28, 04 Ligue 1 Marseille 1 Bordeaux 1
Nov 1, 03 Ligue 1 Bordeaux 1 Marseille 0
Feb 2, 03 Ligue 1 Bordeaux 3 Marseille 1

The other bet I will have today in this game for small stakes is David
Bellion to be first goalscorer, you can get 6/1 with Paddy Power on this
market at this moment and considering 6 of his 10 goals have been first
goals so far it is worth an investment.

The former Manchester United player has looked a new player in his time at
Bordeaux and is only now showing what he is capable of after his less then
successful spell in England.

So Bordeaux to win and Bellion to get the first goal to hopefully get me
back on track and hopefully if there is a last minute penalty tonight it
will be Bellion scoring the only goal of the game!

Good luck

Silverfox.

I was disappointed in the 3-0 loss that Rangers suffered at the hands of
Lyon in their final Champions League group match and not just because it
was a loser that is the nature of the business I am in.

What disappointed me most is the manner in which Rangers lost and the
tactics employed, surely in hindsight a more adventurous formation at home
would have brought greater reward.

Anyway on to today and it is into the Premiership I am going for the match
between Fulham and Newcastle in the 5:15 GMT kick off.

Fulham are 17th in the league ahead of nearest rivals Sunderland on goal
difference but they have lost the lead 8 times in league matches so far
which adds up to 17 points and if they had held on to those leads they
would in fact be in the top 4 or 5.

Their home record so far is won 2 drawn 4 lost 2 scored 14 and conceded 14
and form wise over the last 6 games they have won 1 drawn 2 lost 3 scored
5 and conceded 10 though it must be said that 7 of the goals conceded have
come in the 3 away games in that time.

Newcastle on the other hand have had a mini revival under Sam Allardyce
and followed a gutsy 1-1 draw at home to Arsenal with a 2-1 home win over
Birmingham in their last game. They currently sit 11th in the league and
have a record away from St James Park in the league this season of won 1
drawn 2 lost 4 scored 9 and conceded 13, the solitary away win coming on
the opening day of the season in a 3-1 defeat of Bolton.

Form over the last 6 games in not that dissimilar to that of Fulham’s with
a record of won 1 drawn 2 lost 3 scored 6 and conceded 11, with the form
over the last 3 on the road being won 0 drawn 1 lost 2 scored 3 and
conceded 6.

Head to head over the last 10 games has seen Fulham win 3 and lose 2 of
the games played at Craven Cottage in that time so does not offer many
clues to a final outcome in that particular stat:

Feb 3, 07 Premiership Fulham FC 2 - 1 Newcastle United
Sep 9, 06 Premiership Newcastle United 1 - 2 Fulham FC
Jan 14, 06 Premiership Fulham FC 1 - 0 Newcastle United
Sep 10, 05 Premiership Newcastle United 1 - 1 Fulham FC
May 4, 05 Premiership Fulham FC 1 - 3 Newcastle United
Nov 7, 04 Premiership Newcastle United 1 - 4 Fulham FC
Jan 19, 04 Premiership Newcastle United 3 - 1 Fulham FC
Oct 21, 03 Premiership Fulham FC 2 - 3 Newcastle United
Apr 19, 03 Premiership Fulham FC 2 - 1 Newcastle United
Dec 21, 02 Premiership Newcastle United 2 - 0 Fulham FC

Team news is that Moritz Volz and midfielders Alexei Smertin and Jimmy
Bullard are back in training after long term injuries but won't feature
for Fulham, while Phillipe Christanval, Lee Cook, Brian McBride (all
knee), Ian Pearce (calf) and Kasey Keller (bicep) are also out.

Claudio Cacapa (hamstring) could return for Newcastle, but Stephen Carr
(hamstring) and Peter Ramage (knee) remain on the sidelines. The game will
also come too soon for Michael Owen (knee), Damien Duff (foot) and
Abdoulaye Faye (calf).

Taking all this into consideration I am going for two bets this evening,
firstly the draw which Ladbrokes are currently best price 23/10 and +2.5
goals which is at the moment best price 4/5 with Skybet as neither of
these two defences are the most solid in the league.

So hopefully these two bets will help to make up for the disappointment of
the Rangers punt in midweek, as ever good luck in whatever you go for.

Silverfox.

Both tips were successful last night with Walsall beating Northampton 1-0
in their F.A.Cup 2nd round replay at the Bescot Stadium and in the process
won the -2.5 goal bet.

Tonight I am going into the Champions League and the make or break tie
between Rangers and Lyon at Ibrox. Rangers need only a draw to progress to
the knock out stages as they beat Lyon 3-0 in France so Lyon will have to
come out and go for the win.

Lyon lost 1-0 at the weekend to Caen with an under strength side but take
nothing away from Caen`s performance on the day as they are currently the
form side in France over the last 6 games.

This is a very close game to call as both sides are doing well in their
respective leagues. Rangers are 2nd in the league 5 points behind eternal
rivals Celtic with 2 games in hand and have won 7 of their 8 league games
at home this season scoring 23 and conceding only 3, the only blemish on
an otherwise perfect home record was the 1-0 defeat to Hibernians at the
beginning of October.

In the Champions league their home record has been equally impressive with
wins in the qualifying rounds against Zeta (2-0) and Red Star Belgrade
(1-0) followed up in the group stage by a win against Stuttgart (2-1) and
a creditable 0-0 draw against Barcelona in their last home tie.

Lyon inevitably sit top of the French league 4 points of 2nd placed Nancy
but have not been as dominant this season as they go in search of their
7th consecutive title. They have already lost 4 league games this season
from 17 played and their away form reads won 5 drawn 0 lost 3 scored 16
and conceded 9, the defeats coming at Toulouse (14th), Lorient (11th), and
as previously mentioned last weekend at Caen (8th) and with the greatest
of respect to the afore mentioned teams none of them are big name sides.

Their 2 away games in the Champions league this season saw them roundly
beaten by Barcelona 3-0 and then winning 2-0 at a disappointing Stuttgart
so I do not feel much can be drawn from that line of form.

I am going for a Rangers win tonight as I feel with a full house behind
them the team will rise to the challenge, and though a point is all that
is required I cannot see them settling for that result. The fact that
Celtic has already made it into the knockout stages will be further
impetus in any was needed for them to progress tonight and in the process
make history as it would be the first time two Scottish sides have made
the knock out phase.

Early team news is that Rangers will be without the injured trio of
Jean-Claude Darcheville, Nacho Novo and DaMarcus Beasley and Smith may opt
to play Daniel Cousin as a lone striker in a 4-5-1 formation.

Lyon coach Alain Perrin left out Fabio Grosso and restricted Juninho and
Sidney Govou to second-half substitute appearances against Caen at the
weekend and it would be fair to assume that they will all return to the
starting line up tonight.

23/10 with Bet365 and Boylesport is to good a price to miss for a Rangers
win tonight and though Lyon will be tough opposition I expect a home win
tonight.

As a saver I may well have a small investment on Rangers +0.25 goals on
the Asian handicap to cover the eventuality of a draw which VCBet are
offering at 22/23 at present.

As always good luck,

Silverfox.

Le Havre drew 0-0 with Montpellier in the French League 2 clash last night
to make it a losing start to the week.

Hopefully todays tip will redress the balance and with the Champions
league matches tonight either to close to call or not offering a good
enough price I am going into the F.A. Cup 2nd round replays for my tip and
specifically the game at the Bescot Stadium involving Walsall and
Northampton.

The reward for either side if they progress is a home tie against fellow
league one side Millwall, and though it would not be the glamour tie they
would have wanted it at least offers the opportunity of progress to round
4.

Walsall are currently best price 10/11 with Stan James for tonight’s
encounter and given the good run of form they are in is a good enough
price for me to get involved in. They are currently in 8th place in the
league 4 points off a play off place and are on a run of 9 games unbeaten
in all competitions since they lost 2-0 at home to Southend in October.
They have recovered from a very poor start to the season when they were
actually bottom of the league at the end of September.

Their home record reads won 3 drawn 3 lost 3 scored 9 and conceded 9 which
on the face of it does not look to outstanding but since their last home
defeat which was the Southend game they have played 4 home matches in all
competitions and won 3 of them drawing the other whilst scoring 5 and
conceding 0 and in their latest home game they beat Nottingham Forest 1-0
so the signs are looking good for the future.

Form wise over the last 6 games they have won 3 and drawn 3 scoring 6 and
conceding only 1 so they are proving a tough side to break down home or
away.

Northampton on the other hand have hit a bad patch, they are 18th in the
league 5 points off the drop zone and over the last 6 games have a record
of won 1 drawn 1 lost 4 scored 3 and conceded 9 the only win coming
against Oldham 1-0, and that goal is the only one they have scored away in
the league in their last 3 road trips.

The head to head record between the two sides is a bit disjointed over the
last 10 games going back to 1994 as Walsall have tended to get the better
of things but have only played 3 times at home in that period winning 1
losing 1 and drawing 1:

Dec 1, 07 FA Cup Northampton Town 1 - 1 Walsall FC
Nov 24, 07 League One Northampton Town 0 - 2 Walsall FC
May 5, 01 League One Northampton Town 0 - 3 Walsall FC
Nov 25, 00 League One Walsall FC 3 - 0 Northampton Town
Feb 23, 99 League One Northampton Town 0 - 1 Walsall FC
Aug 15, 98 League One Walsall FC 0 - 0 Northampton Town
Dec 28, 97 League One Northampton Town 3 - 2 Walsall FC
Sep 2, 97 League One Walsall FC 0 - 2 Northampton Town
Mar 25, 95 League Two Northampton Town 2 - 2 Walsall FC
Sep 3, 94 League Two Walsall FC 1 - 1 Northampton Town

Team news is that Walsall will be without loanee Peter Sweeney as Stoke
have refused him permission to play. That is expected to be the only
change made by boss Richard Money, who has no fresh injury or suspension
problems.

Northampton boss Stuart Gray has just 16 players available, after top
scorer Andy Kirk (hamstring) was ruled out. Ipswich have not given Dean
Bowditch permission to play, while Jason Crowe and Bradley Johnson are
banned.

With Northampton’s current injury crisis in believe a cup run is not high
on their agenda and so I expect Walsall to win tonight.

As a saver bet I will be going for -2.5 goals as neither side is prolific
in front of goal and Walsall in particular have not been giving many goals
away lately, at present Stan James is offering 4/5 on this market and as
well as the two singles I will probably have a double which would pay out
just under 3.5/1.

So a Walsall win and fewer than 2.5 goals is what I am hoping Santa will
give me tonight and hopefully will kick start my Christmas celebrations
early!

Good Luck,

Silverfox.

Saturday’s tip was a bit disappointing with Palermo beating Fiorentina 2-0
in their Serie A clash however the ever reliable “saver” came into play as
the -2.5 goals bet came in.

Today on a somewhat limited day for betting opportunities I have hopefully
found a game in the French 2nd division that could be a bit of value.

2nd placed Le Havre take on Montpellier who are 10th and any win tonight
would see Le Havre return to the top of the division ahead of current
leaders Nantes on goal difference.

Le Havre have only lost 2 of 17 league games so far this term and have a
home record of won 4 drawn 4 lost 0 scored 13 and conceded 6, and they are
in a good vein of form in their last 6 matches with 3 wins 2 draws and
only 1 defeat with the 3 home games in that time having seen 2 wins and a
draw.

Montpellier their opposition tonight sit in mid table and will be
encouraged after a battling 0-0 draw at home to leaders Nantes in the last
home match. However their away form has not been too good with 2 wins 3
draws and 4 defeats scoring 9 and conceding 11. Also in their last 6 games
they have recorded only 1 win with 3 draws and 2 defeats and have only 1
point out of a possible 9 in their last 3 away games to go with 2 goals
scored and 5 conceded.

With the incentive that Le Havre have of knowing a win would put them top
of the league again I am going for a home win tonight and at 4/5 I think
it represents a bit of value as I find that the odds compilers tend to not
be as accurate with their pricing up of lower league games in Europe as
they are with the major leagues and hopefully this is the case tonight.

Head to head over the last 10 games again favours the home side with Le
Havre win 4 out of 5, the only blot being a Montpellier win in April 2005.

May 14, 07 Ligue 2 Montpellier 2 - 1 AC Le Havre
Dec 1, 06 Ligue 2 AC Le Havre 3 - 0 Montpellier
May 12, 06 Ligue 2 AC Le Havre 1 - 0 Montpellier
Jul 29, 05 Ligue 2 Montpellier 2 - 1 AC Le Havre
Apr 1, 05 Ligue 2 AC Le Havre 0 - 1 Montpellier
Oct 22, 04 Ligue 2 Montpellier 3 - 0 AC Le Havre
Jan 22, 03 Ligue 1 AC Le Havre 1 - 0 Montpellier
Aug 31, 02 Ligue 1 Montpellier 0 - 0 AC Le Havre
Mar 3, 01 Ligue 2 Montpellier1 - 0 AC Le Havre
Sep 30, 00 Ligue 2 AC Le Havre 3 - 0 Montpellier

Le Havre have a very tough home game this coming weekend against current
form side Clermont Foot who sit in 3rd spot 5 points behind Le Havre
before tonight’s match so the home team tonight will be looking to
extended that advantage before Friday nights clash.

At 4/5 I feel Le Havre are worth investing in tonight and will do so
without the safety net of my “saver” bet.

Good luck,

Silverfox.

Thursday’s tip saw the value yet again of the saver bet as Anderlecht drew with Spurs 1-1 in their UEFA Cup group match so though the main bet lost the fact that I had the insurance of Anderlecht +0.25 on the Asian Handicap market meant that all was not lost.

Todays tip comes from Serie A and it is the game between Palermo and Fiorentina.

Palermo are 11th in the league at present and as ever have proved a hard team to beat in front of their fanatical supporters in Sicily with a home record in the league so far of won 2 drawn 4 lost 1 scored 7 and conceded 7. The only blot being the 2-0 defeat by Roma in August which is by no means a disgrace. Form over the last 6 games has been unremarkable with 1 win 3 draws and 2 defeats with the 3 games at home in that time bringing 1 win and 2 draws with 3 goals scored and 2 conceded.

Fiorentina the opposition tonight are currently 5th and a win tonight would take them to 3rd in the league, they too are a hard team to beat with only 2 defeats all season ironically both at home in their last 2 matches against Udinese (2-1) and Inter (2-0).

However their trips away from the Artemio Franchi stadium has been much more impressive with 3 wins 3 draws and 0 defeats scoring 6 and conceding only 1 goal! Their form in the last 6 games has not been dissimilar to that of Palermo’s with 2 wins 2 draws and 2 defeats but the 3 road games they have played have produced 1 win and 2 draws with 1 goal scored and 0 conceded.

When I analyse these set of statistics I can only see one conclusion tonight and that is a draw which is currently best price 19/10 with Bet365. Both these teams as I have stated earlier are hard to beat and this is surely going to be a game that is dominated by the defences of both sides.

The last 8 head to head clashes seem to favour the home side with Palermo winning 2 and drawing 2:

Mar 11, 07 Serie A Palermo 1 - 1 Fiorentina
Oct 29, 06 Serie A Fiorentina 2 - 3 Palermo
Apr 30, 06 Serie A Palermo 1 - 0 Fiorentina
Dec 21, 05 Serie A Fiorentina 1 - 0 Palermo
Feb 2, 05 Serie A Fiorentina 1 - 2 Palermo
Sep 22, 04 Serie A Palermo 0 - 0 Fiorentina
Mar 12, 04 Serie B Fiorentina 2 - 1 Palermo
Oct 15, 03 Serie B Palermo 2 - 0 Fiorentina

The other stand out bet for me in this match is under 2.5 goals, which Stan James is currently offering at 3/5. Though not the most generous of odds the fact that Fiorentina do not seem to concede many away and Palermo average 1 goal a game at home points towards this being the likeliest outcome.

Team news is that Palermo will be missing Fabio Caserta through suspension after his red card at Catania, while Marco Pisano is still out injured.

For Fiorentina, Veteran striker Christian Vieri joins defenders Tomas Ujfalusi and Per Kroldrup on the sidelines because of illness.

So for me a draw at 19/10 best price with Bet365 and -2.5 goals at 3/5 best price with Stan James will hopefully start the weekend off well.

As ever good luck,

Silverfox.

Atletico Madrid won 2-0 at Copenhagen last night in the UEFA Cup group
match to keep my current run of good form going, and it is with the UEFA
Cup I am staying tonight with a look at an interesting match between
Anderlecht and Spurs.

These 2 teams are in group G which also contains Getafe of Spain, Hapoel
Tel Aviv of Israel and Aalborg of Denmark so with the greatest of respect
to these teams it is not the strongest group and both Anderlecht and Spurs
should qualify comfortably from it.

Anderlecht are 2nd and 2 points behind Spurs with a tricky final match at
Getafe to come so will be looking for a win tonight to ensure
qualification before that match.

This is Spurs last match having already lost at home to Getafe in the
infamous match where Martin Jol allegedly lost his job before the kick off
beaten Hapoel in Israel and come back from 2-0 down to beat Aalborg 3-2 at
White Hart Lane in their last group game.

They have 6 points already and with 3 teams going through to the last 32
from each group that should be enough to see them progress.

Both teams it is fair to say have not made the best start to their
respective league campaigns. Anderlecht are currently 5th in the Belgian
league 7 points behind leaders Club Brugge after a poor start to the
season where they have drawn to many games. Their overall league record is
won 6 drawn 6 lost 2 scored 19 and conceded 13 whilst at home they have a
record of won 4 drawn 2 lost 1 scored 11 and conceded 5. They face a hard
task if they wish to win the league this year and qualify for next seasons
Champions League so for a club of their size a run in these seasons UEFA
Cup must be high on their list of priorities.

Tottenham’s league form has been nothing short of woeful, for a team with
so much undoubted talent they have under performed immensely though under
new coach Juande Ramos there are signs of the ship being steadied and
Sundays 3-2 defeat at home to Birmingham was their first in 7 in all
competitions under the new man.

However there must still be cause for concern after they fought back from
1-0 down to lead 2-1 in the way they allowed Birmingham back into the
game.

They are currently 16th in the Premiership 1 point off the drop zone and
although I believe they will soon start climbing the table they have to
strengthen their defence come the January transfer window, and a look at
their away form in the league so far which reads won 0 drawn 5 lost 3
scored 9 conceded 13 highlights where they need to improve.

As I have said many times value is the name of the game for me and with
Anderlecht currently best price 23/10 to win tonight I am prepared to
stake some of my hard earned cash on that being the result tonight, with a
saver on Anderlecht +0.25 on the Asian handicap at best price 13/14 with
Pinnacle.

Spurs away form as I have stated before is poor and though they did win in
Israel earlier in the competition Anderlecht are a different kettle of
fish in front of their fans, also the weekend games may hold a key to
tonight’s result with Spurs facing a very tough game home to Manchester
City whilst Anderlecht travel to bottom of the table St Truidense.

Spurs should have Jermaine Jenas back for tonight’s match but have left
Kaboul out of the squad and still have Gardner, Bale and Assou-Ekotto on
the treatment table and though Ledley King and Ricardo Rocha both played
in a reserve game earlier this week neither will be considered tonight so
Ramos will have a real problem in defence.

Anderlecht will be without Pareja with a muscle problem Juhasz who is
short of match fitness after injury and Biglia who has a knee injury.

So for me Anderlecht to win at best price 23/10 and a small stake on
Anderlecht +0.25 on the Asian handicap market at best price 13/14 with
Pinnacle.
Good luck,

Silverfox.

Bristol City had a convincing 2-0 win against Ipswich last night to secure
another winning tip and the odds compiler who had them at odds against for
the game last night will probably turn in late today to avoid his Trading
Director!

Tonight I am into the UEFA Cup and the match in Group B where FC
Copenhagen entertains Atletico Madrid. This group also contains
Panathinaikos, Lokomotiv Moscow and Aberdeen so is one of the trickier
groups.

Atletico are 2nd in the group 2 points behind leaders Panathiaikos and one
ahead of 3rd placed Copenhagen and a win tonight should see them safely
through to the knock out phase. In their 2 group games so far they have
drawn 3-3 at Lokomotiv and beaten Aberdeen 2-0 and after tonight’s match
they entertain Panathinaikos in their final group match.

In La Liga Atletico sit 4th 5 points behind leaders and great local rivals
Real Madrid after 14 games and their last 6 games have brought 4 wins 1
draw and 1 defeat scoring 14 and conceding 10 with the 3 away games during
this period producing 2 wins at Betis (2-0) and Levante (1-0) and a 0-0
draw at Almeria.

Their opponents tonight FC Copenhagen are 2nd in the Danish league 2
points behind leaders AaB Aalborg after 18 games. Their 2 games in the
group stages have seen them loss 1-0 at home to Panathinaikos and beat
Lokomotiv Moscow 1-0 in Russia, and after tonight’s game they have a tie
at Pittodrie against Aberdeen in which to finish their group campaign.

The Danish league has now gone into its Winter break with Copenhagen
playing their last league game till March at the weekend when they were
held 1-1 at home by Brondby. They have only lost twice in the league this
season and entered the UEFA Cup after losing to Benfica in the Champions
League Qualifying round.

I am how ever going for an Atletico win tonight as I feel they have hit a
good run of form and have dangerous players all over the park who are
capable of getting goals though a lot will depend on what team is put out.

Atletico are currently best price 11/8 with Extrabet to win tonight’s
match and I feel that offers value as Atletico have a strong enough squad
in my opinion to trouble Copenhagen regardless of the line ups.

So for me Atletico to overcome FC Copenhagen in a tight encounter and
hopefully at the same time keep my current run of good form going, though
as I am ever the realist I know all good things eventually come to an end
I just hope tonight is not that time!

Happy Punting,

Silverfox.

Well I really hope one or two of you were on yesterdays tips as Scunthorpe
drew 1-1 with Blackpool, making all 3 tips winners and if you had them in
a treble it would have paid 10/1 not a bad start for the week!

But as always in this game no time to rest on laurels as another day of
betting chances arrives.

I am sticking with the Championship tonight and going for a Bristol City
win at home to Ipswich.

This is a harder game to predict then at first sight but the 11/8 best
price with Totesport is enough to make me have an investment on the home
side.

City are 5th in the league and will come into this game full of confidence
after their fine 2-1 win at Watford on Saturday evening. They have a home
record in the league of won 4 drawn 3 lost 2 scoring 12 and conceding 10,
however their form over the last 6 games has been patchy with 2 wins 1
draw and 3 defeats and they have only won 1 of 3 home games in that time
losing the other 2 and scoring only 1 goal whilst conceding 3.

Ipswich are currently 8th in the league but a lot of that has to do with
their superb home record where they have won 8 and drawn 1 of 9 games, on
the road though the story is totally different with 0 wins 4 draws and 5
defeats with 8 goals scored and 19 conceded. They have a similar record
over the last 6 games to Bristol City with 2 wins 2 draws and 2 defeats
and the away games in that period have seen 0 wins 1 draw 2 loses with 3
goals scored and 6 conceded.

The fact that Ipswich are so poor on the road is why I am favouring
Bristol City tonight the win at Watford has come at just the right time
with the hectic Christmas period around the corner and a win tonight for
City could see them up into 4th place depending on other results.

In recent times there have only been 3 meetings between these two sides
and Ipswich have won them all with a total goal difference of 10-1 which
includes one win at Ashton Gate back in February 1999.

Nov 10, 07 Championship Ipswich Town 6 - 0 Bristol City
Feb 27, 99 Championship Bristol City 0 - 1 Ipswich Town
Sep 19, 98 Championship Ipswich Town 3 - 1 Bristol City

This is the reverse fixture of the match played in November at Portman
Road when Ipswich ran out 6-0 winners so there is even more incentive for
the City boys to get revenge tonight.

Team news tonight is that Bristol City defender Jamie McAllister is
available after suspension whilst Ipswich striker Alan Lee is a doubt
after being forced to leave the field against Barnsley with illness. Danny
Haynes is on standby if Lee is not available while Jon Walters came
through the full 90 minutes at the weekend unscathed after a groin injury.

So just the single for me tonight in the hope that Bristol City can kick
on from Saturdays win and build a promotion challenge at 11/8 best price
it is worth a few pounds/Euros.

Good luck,

Silverfox.

Saturday’s bet was a success as Milan drew 0-0 with Juventus in their
Serie A clash and the +0.25 handicap bet on Juventus also went in, the only
down side was that my Kaka first goalscorer bet did not come in but I will
not be greedy! I hope some of you were on.

Tonight I am going into the Championship and the game between Scunthorpe
in 18th and Blackpool in 21st. Neither of these two sides has set the
league alight since promotion from league one last season and Scunthorpe
are 5 points off the drop zone and Blackpool 3.

Scunthorpe at home in the league have won 3 drawn 2 lost 4 scored 13 and
conceded 14 but have not won at home in their last 6 games since beating
Preston 2-1 in mid September. They sit bottom of the form league over the
last 6 games with 0 wins 2 draws and 4 defeats scoring 4 and conceding 10
and they have only a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace to show for their
efforts in 3 home games in that time.

Blackpool have fared little better and on the road so far have 1 win 2
draws 6 defeats scored 9 and conceded 15, the solitary away win coming on
the opening day of the season when they won 1-0 at Leicester. Their for
over the last 6 games is only slightly better than Scunthorpe’s with 2
wins 0 draws and 4 defeats scoring 5 and conceding 8 but both wins have
been at home, the 3 away games in this time have all been lost with 2
goals scored and 5 conceded. You have to go back 6 league games to find
Blackpool’s last away point which they earned in a 1-1 draw at Watford.

Head to head shows that if this game were at Bloomfield Road the home side
would expect to win having given Scunthorpe a couple of heavy defeats in
recent times but as with most cases the home side seems to have the
advantage in these clashes.

Nov 10, 07 Championship Blackpool 1 - 0 Scunthorpe United
Apr 28, 07 League One Blackpool 3 - 1 Scunthorpe United
Dec 15, 06 League One Scunthorpe United 1 - 3 Blackpool
Apr 29, 06 League One Scunthorpe United 1 - 0 Blackpool
Nov 13, 05 League One Blackpool 5 - 2 Scunthorpe United
Feb 3, 01 League Two Blackpool 6 - 0 Scunthorpe United
Sep 2, 00 League Two Scunthorpe United 1 - 0 Blackpool
Apr 15, 00 League One Blackpool 0 - 2 Scunthorpe United
Dec 28, 99 League One Scunthorpe United 1 - 0 Blackpool

Team news at this early stage is that Scunthorpe's Cleveland Taylor has a
hamstring injury so Tomi Ameobi will start, while midfielder Ian
Baraclough is doubtful with a calf injury. Andy Butler is struggling with
groin and thigh injuries but keeper Joe Murphy and full-back Kelly Youga
are both back from suspension.

Blackpool will give a late fitness test to on-loan West Bromwich Albion
striker Bartosz Slusarski, but midfielder Keith Southern is definitely
unfit and will not feature.

Taken everything into consideration I am going for three bets tonight.

1) The draw at 9/4 generally
2) Under 2.5 goals at 4/5 generally and
3) Blackpool +0.25 on the Asian Handicap at best price 10/11 with Pinnacle
bookmakers.

Fingers crossed this will be successful and help in my quest to buy Mrs
Silverfox a really great Christmas present to build up the brownie points
when the next dip comes!
Good luck

Silverfox.

Zenit managed to go a goal down get back to lead 2-1 then concede a late
goal to finally draw with Nurnburg on Thursday to make that days bet a
loser, but I cannot complain about late goals after what Celtic did on
Wednesday!

Today I am going for a draw in one of the classic games in Serie A this
and any season. AC Milan entertain Juventus in the evening match at the
San Siro in what I believe will be a great game.

Milan the European champions are currently 9th in the league and have yet
to win at home in the league this season with a record of won 0 drawn 4
lost 2 scored 3 and conceded 5 and if it was not for the fact they have
won 4 out of 6 on the road coach Ancelotti could well have been looking
for another job, as it is the fact that they have sealed their place in
the last 16 of the Champions League I believe has kept him in a job.

Milan have won 3 drawn 1 and lost 2 of their last 6 games scoring 12 and
conceding 4 but all those goals have come on the road and in the 3 home
games in this period they have drawn 1 (Torino 0-0) and lost 2 (Roma 1-0
and Empoli 1-0).

Looking at this you may wonder why I am not tipping a Juventus win
tonight, but it is that I feel if Milan cannot raise their game against
such high class opposition as Juventus tonight then they are I serious
trouble and I believe a defeat tonight would be one too many for the Milan
fans and board and lead to the end of Ancelotti`s reign as manager.

Juventus have made a good start to their return to Serie A after promotion
last season and sit 2nd in the league behind leaders Inter though they are
3 points behind and have played a game more. They will not want to lose
more ground to them but would see a point at Milan as a good result.

They have a record on the road in the league so far of won 2 drawn 3 lost
1 scored 10 and conceded 10 but their last 6 games have produced 2 wind 3
draws and 1 defeat with the 3 away games in that time being 2 draws and 1
defeat scoring 4 and conceding 6. Those results have come against Parma
(2-2), Napoli (lost 3-1) and Fiorentina (1-1) so they are not in top form
on the road at the moment and look likely to concede.

The last 10 head to head matches includes the 2003 Champions League final
at Old Trafford when Milan won on penalties in one of the most forgettable
finals in years but as with most stats in this field the home side seems
to generally come out on top:

Mar 12, 06 Serie A Juventus 0 - 0 AC Milan
Oct 29, 05 Serie A AC Milan 3 - 1 Juventus
May 8, 05 Serie A AC Milan 0 - 1 Juventus
Dec 18, 04 Serie A Juventus 0 - 0 AC Milan
Mar 14, 04 Serie A Juventus 1 - 3 AC Milan
Nov 1, 03 Serie A AC Milan 1 - 1 Juventus
Aug 3, 03 Super Coppa Juventus P1-1 AC Milan
May 28, 03 UEFA Champ Lge Juventus 0 - 0 P AC Milan
Mar 22, 03 Serie A AC Milan 2 - 1 Juventus
Nov 10, 02 Serie A Juventus 2 - 1 AC Milan

Team news is that Juventus will be without Mauro Camoranesi he pulled up
in training with severe muscle fatigue. Marco Marchionni or Raffaele
Palladino will deputise for Camoranesi while Jonathan Zebina will once
again replace Zdenek Grygera, who is still not match fit after coming back
from injury. However Juventus have Giorgio Chiellini back from suspension.

For Milan Ronaldo is definitely out after yet another injury setback but
he should be the only absentee for them.
If you do not fancy the draw at best price 21/10 with Extrabet I would not
put anyone off have Juventus on the Asian Handicap market with +0.25 goals
at 11/10 with Bet365.

As a saver/fun bet I will have a small investment on Kaka at 6/1 to be
first goalscorer tonight, the soon to be crowned European footballer of
the year is in sparkling form and there will be worse 6/1 bets today.

So to recap draw at 21/10, Juventus +0.25 at 11/10 and Kaka first
goalscorer at 6/1.

Good luck and good punting,

Silverfox.