@EuroEliteESP’s La Liga End of Season Review

Follow me on Twitter: @EuroEliteESP 

With Spanish football now done and dusted for the season following Barcelona’s superb 3-1 victory over Juventus in the Champions League final, the next few weeks provides the perfect opportunity to sit back and analyse what has been a successful start to life here at Europe’s Elite. Our aim is to be the most honest and hard working tipsters available on the Twittersphere and throughout this post I will review my selections whilst identifying strengths and weaknesses that can be built upon next year in adding more profit to your back pocket!

JANUARY

“Quick out of the blocks and delivering profit from day 1!”

A first half brace from Mandzukic helped us on our way to a cracking 4/1 winner

Highlight: Getting off to a flyer with successful tips landing at prices of 5.00 & 1.94

Improvements for 2015/16:  I failed to utilise the ‘win & btts’ market as much as I should have which proved to be a very profitable one for me. Next season I will keep a closer eye on value to be had in these offerings more regularly.

• Total Staked/Returns: 5pts/10.82pts
• Profit/Loss: +5.82pts
• ROI: 116%

FEBRUARY

“A reality check as the struggles of delivering a consistent profit become much more apparent”

An injury hit Real suffer their biggest defeat for over 4 years:  a 4-0 loss to bitter rivals Atletico

Highlight: A lovely run of 3 straight rounds of profit

Improvements for 2015/16: It’s very important in betting to understand the concept of variance – a bet that loses in the short run can often be a profitable proposition in the long term based on the factors taken into account. For example have you ever thought a team was a ‘dead cert’ only to see them concede two fluke goals, pick up a red card to their most influential player and fail to convert any of 15 shots on target? We have to embrace these eventualities and not dwell to heavily upon them and Celta Vigo’s shock away win at Deportivo was certainly one of these curveballs thrown at us by La Liga.

 

• Total Staked/Returns: 34.5pts/27.7pts
• Profit/Loss: -6.8pts
• ROI: -19.7%

MARCH

“Marvellous March – the Midas touch in full flow as loyal followers are rewarded with ~£150 of extra cash from just £10 stakes”

Barca’s elite continued to run riot and secured us yet more profit in a clinical 2-0 win at Eibar

Highlight: A beautiful 19/10 offering on Real Sociedad to overcome away strugglers Espanyol alongside in-form Levante to win or draw versus Eibar sailed home to continue my proficiency with short priced doubles

Improvements for 2015/16: I realised betting on cup competitions to be a tricky and unpredictable proposition. I found I was less successful in similar ‘one off’ bets on competitions other than La Liga, which is why I decided to reduce my bets on them for the rest of the season due to unpredictable nature of these cup ties, with questionable team selections and motivation levels. I also decided to limit any extra bets unless I felt they offered exceptional value, a strategy I feel will have more success in the long run.

• Total Staked/Returns: 22.5pts/37.54pts
• Profit/Loss: +15.04pts
• ROI: 66.84%

APRIL & MAY

“Many positives to be taken as I continued to land the trademark short priced doubles but ‘end of season’ syndrome hacks away at profits”

Sociedad whipped up another surprise 4-2 victory versus Rayo Vallecano having previously beaten Real Madrid by the same scoreline

Highlight: Continuing to go from strength to strength with my short priced doubles – an example of one was a 3.40 double on Valencia to win to nil vs Levante and Real Madrid to win both halves against Eibar, securing a 6.8pt return with ease.

Improvements for 2015/16: As the season came to a close my profit levels were going swimmingly until the dreaded last two sets of fixtures came about. I hadn’t taken into account the drop in motivation levels from mid table sides as much as I should have and this lead to a brutal loss of a fair chunk of our hard earned profits. For example, I picked Rayo Vallecano to beat Sociedad on the final day, which I selected as Rayo had put in a string of excellent performances in recent games, had a full strength side and were in excellent home form – whilst Sociedad were almost the complete opposite. However, all of those factors seemed to go out of the window as Sociedad won 4-2 in a bizarre game.

I am often slightly apprehensive about end of season matches – teams with things to play for are very unpredictable in that some handle the pressure with ease whilst others bottle it, and those with nothing to play for are equally as unpredictable! I believe that had those games been played at any other point in the season the bets would have landed. However, unfortunately they did not, and so the last two weeks undid a lot of good work with a punishing -8pt loss.

I also delved into the goalscorer markets for the first time in May with a double featuring Carlos Bacca. Although the bet didn’t land (he was, rather strangely, dropped to the bench before coming on for the last 5 minutes and agonizingly hitting the bar), it’s a market I may look into next season, as the odds are often quite favourable, especially for the ‘lesser known’ players.

• Total Staked/Returns: 43.25pts/35.09pts
• Profit/Loss: -8.16pts
• ROI: -18.9%

SEASON REVIEW

After reviewing my performance this year there are definitely areas in which I can improve, which I have noted and will work on to ensure an even more profitable run in the 15/16 season. I have identified several markets which I think i could use a lot more in future, whilst I’ll cut down on certain types of bets which had a poor ROI – for example, special bets on cup competitions, and bets that were too heavily based on one element (be it statistics, performances, form etc). Additionally, I will have to be a lot more careful regarding end of season bets next year – the last two weeks of the season halved my profit for the season and reduced my ROI by almost 10%! However, it was still a profitable season with a total of +8.16pts overall – definitely a figure that can improve and one that, after a full season next year, will hopefully be much higher!

• Total Staked/Returns: 105.25pts/113.41pts
• Profit/Loss: +8.16pts
• ROI: +13.1%

See you next season and may it be a profitable one!

Premier League: Elite Betting Advice 24/05

The end of the season is approaching and Premier League advisor David Huntingford (@EuroElitePL) is hoping to end the season on a high. While the last couple of weeks have been frustrating for him, he’s still chimed in with a tidy +9.775 pts profit for the campaign.

As we enter the final weekend of the domestic Premier League action, tomorrow’s fix of Super Sunday entertainment will reveal the fate of the hotly contested relegation battle. On paper Newcastle have been presented with the perfect game; an out of sorts West Ham who’ve struggled to generate any momentum in the second half of the season. While it’s a favourable fixture on paper, Newcastle are still plagued by a lack of confidence which has now seen them accrue 1 point from 10 games. Hull on the other hand need to overcome the small matter of Manchester United, and hope that Newcastle drop points. Hull’s prospects don’t look great but they’ll be encouraged by the performance at White Hart Lane, by all accounts they were very unlucky to lose the game 2-0 after creating a host of chances.

I always find these end of season games a betting conundrum (especially in relation to goal markets). There are games where there’s so much at stake, but equally games where there’s little at stake, this makes predicting things a complete nightmare. Do sides with little to play for approach the game in a fearless manner and therefore throw bodies forward? Or are they happy to play low intensity possession football without breaking a sweat? It’s a difficult one and that’s the reason I’m staying away from all but one game this week. The game of choice this week is Chelsea v Sunderland.

Chelsea v Sunderland @ Stamford Bridge (2pm KO Sunday):

Chelsea suffered a rather remarkable 3-0 loss at the hands of West Brom on Monday night. Mourinho has already lifted Chelsea to Premier League glory but that defeat will bruise his ego slightly. Mourinho is a perfectionist and I’m sure he’ll be motivating his players to come out all guns blazing on Sunday. Sunderland have once again managed the feat of surviving relegation, Dick Advocaat deserves immense credit for grinding out enough results to ensure the Wearside outfit retain their Premier League status. However, the game against Arsenal on Wednesday was a test of fitness and mental strength which may play into the hands of Chelsea on Sunday.

Such discipline requires enormous concentration and work ethic, and that’s something I expect to be in shorter supply this weekend.

Sunderland have nothing to play for, combine that with a high probability of accumulated fatigue and it looks tough for them. Chelsea on the other hand will be eager to redeem themselves after the disappointment of Monday night, so will look to play positively from the off.

Advised Bet: Single on Chelsea -1 Handicap @ EVENS (SkyBet) 3 PT STAKE

Bundesliga: Elite Betting Advice 25/04

Our very own resident Bundesliga betting advisor Tom Sandford (@EuroEliteGER) provides his selections on what promises to be a critical round of fixtures at both ends of the table, with a  huge amount still to play for.

Hamburg vs Schalke 04 23/05 KO 2.30PM

As the drama unfolds across the Bundesliga our focus here at Europe’s Elite will be towards the scrap for survival at the bottom end, with just 3 points separating the bottom 5 (below). 

14. Freiburg       -10       34
15. Hannover    -17      34
16. Stuttgart      -19      33
17. Hamburg     -27      32
18. Paderborn   -33      31

With the season coming to a close one of the surprises for me has to be Hamburg’s lowly position, I felt as though they would mature into a mid table side after the character shown to survive the relegation play-offs and maintain their top level status in German football. However after getting things started with 6 straight defeats it has been a troublesome battle for Hamburg, now on their 4th manager of the season and facing the prospect of relegation should they fail to win this contest. Because of their poor goal difference Hamburg will be relegated if they do not win, unfortunately for them they will face a team who also has something to play for; Schalke will secure their automatic qualification to the Europa League group stages with a win today.

The promise of Europa League football to Schalke as a best case scenario will be a tough one to swallow for Di Matteo’s men, they’ve gone backwards this season having had a taste of the big time in the Champions League. Hamburg will undoubtedly be ready for this game and fired up once they come in front of their home crowd with over 50,000 fans chanting for their survival.

Going into statistics I would say Hamburg have a great chance- They have scored in each of their last 4 games whilst securing 2 victories and a draw, certainly positive momentum going into this vital game.

Similar form is not, however, echoed in Schalke’s recent performances. Despite having won their last 2 games this has not been in the most convincing fashion and 2 weeks ago the Schalke chairman deemed it appropriate to suspend 2 Schalke players following the team’s awful 2-0 loss against Cologne. The atmosphere around the club is likely to be detrimental to the performance and and on top of that they go into this game having not won a league game away from home since the 17^th of December.

The way I see it Hamburg will likely feel pressured early in the game but they will eventually come out fighting to earn the result required to secure survival. Opponents Schalke have not scored in their last 2 away games and will likely continue this poor streak to the end of the season as the club controversies still loom over the team.

Recommended bets:

Hamburg WIN TO NIL @ 5.00 (PaddyPower) 2 PT STAKE

LEAGUE OF IRELAND: ELITE BETTING ADVICE, 21/5

Vincent Mulligan (@Makool) is the League Of Ireland betting advisor for http://www.scottishfootballtips.com/ and has already provided us with some big priced winners this season. With the League Of Ireland continuing throughout the summer months this elite tipster is the one to watch.

It’s a tough old night for the WDW markets in Ireland but there are a few decent priced teams worth keeping an eye on. I watched Derry City trouble Dundalk in Oriel Park last week and must admit to being impressed by their organisation and commitment but they unfortunately look a little toothless up front.

Keep an eye on Galway who are starting to show some form and with 13 goals in their last four matches should be capable of grabbing all three points at Hunky Dory Park against Drogheda tonight. But they are hard to call as are the other games that feature the top four sides, Cork v Shamrock Rovers and Saint Patricks v Dundalk.

Amongst these hard to call games are three teams that I just cannot see not scoring. Dundalk, Cork and Galway all look set up for at least a goal tonight and with the nature of their games being tough to call that leaves some decent prices on them getting on the scoresheet. A treble of the three teams above pays @ 2.42(71/50) with Boylesports and that tempts the hell out of me.

It’s 2+ years since Cork have failed to score at home. Dundalk, well, they just score and Galway should manage at least one tonight. That’s a simple explanation but it’s a simple bet with a great chance of success.

Recommended bets.

Dundalk, Cork City, Galway, ALL +0.5 Team Goals @ 2.42 with Boylesports.

La Liga Elite Betting Advice – 23/05

It’s been yet another enthralling season in La Liga, with some incredible games, moments and records broken. Huge congratulations must go to Barcelona on yet another league title (their 23rd!) – the champions were superb throughout the season and some of their football has been a joy to watch. Their eyes will of course be firmly focused on a treble now – with the Copa Del Rey Final upcoming next weekend, and, of course, the Champions League Final (vs Juventus) in Berlin on June 6th.

The title race has been one of several fascinating battles – including Sevilla and Valencia’s rivalry for 4th place and of course, the relegation dogfight which is still yet to be decided – 4 teams are still unsure of which league they will be in next season. Unfortunately, the final round of fixtures on Sunday also marks the last opportunity to further our profits for the season. Overall, it’s been a successful start to my Europe’s Elite career, racking up +13.14 pts profit since February. Hopefully we can end on a high this Sunday before an even more profitable season next time around!

Bet 1: Rayo Vallecano WIN (vs Real Sociedad) at 1.91 (Betvictor, Coral) – 3 pt Stake

Bet 2: Rayo Vallecano WIN TO NIL (vs Real Sociedad) at 4.25 (Coral) – 1 pt Stake

You’d be forgiven for thinking a side like Rayo Vallecano would be more focused on their upcoming holidays on la playa (the beach) than their final few games of the season. It’s been a successful campaign for Los Vallecanos with a top half finish looking likely and their squad has earned a rest! However, that has simply not been the case and their performances and results have actually improved in the past few weeks.

After a difficult first half of the season Rayo have emerged as one of the form teams at home, winning 6 of their last 8 at Estadio de Vallecas and losing just once, to Real Madrid.

David Moyes’ side have been in terrible form of late, he’ll be hoping they can end the season well this Saturday

Sociedad meanwhile, already appear to be on holiday, let alone thinking about it. David Moyes’ men put in a terrible display last time out, losing 3-0 at home to Granada (the side who were thumped 9-1 just a few weeks earlier). Recent performances from Sociedad have been poor generally, which has done nothing to improve their terrible away record of just one win and 11pts all season. Fortunately their home form has been strong otherwise they could have been in a spot of trouble!

Their away form has actually deteriorated in the last month or so with 3 defeats from 4. Goalscoring has also been a crucial issue for Sociedad – averaging just 0.61 goals per game on the road – and they will struggle to improve that stat against a Rayo defence which has conceded just 4 in 8 home games.

Rayo have a good squad and a win on Sunday will guarantee them a top half finish which would represent good progress for a side dwarfed by the shadow of neighbors Real and Atletico. I think they have every chance of getting just that against such a lackluster and disinterested Sociedad side so I have backed the home win here at attractive odds. Rayo have won 5 of their 8 home wins without conceding and considering Sociedad have scored just once in their past 4 away games I feel the odds of a Rayo win to nil at 4.25 irresistible also.

Bet 2: Athletic Bilbao vs Villarreal – Correct Score 1-1 DRAW at 8.50 (Betvictor)

Villarreal are looking to end a run of 6 consecutive away draws

My final bet of the season may not be one of the ‘safest’ bets ever but I believe it represents excellent value. I’ve based my thoughts on this game on watching recent performances of both sides and these 3, key stats, as below:

• Villarreal have drawn their last 6 consecutive away games
• Bilbao have drawn 3 of their last 4 home games (all finishing 1-1)
• 1-1 is by far the most common score for both sides – with 28% of Bilbao’s home games and 34% of Villarreal’s away games ending one apiece.

As you can see, a 1-1 draw certainly looks likely – and yet the Bookie’s prices don’t reflect that, and thus I think this bet is great value. Especially as the vast majority of draws for both sides have come against similarly positioned sides – Bilbao regularly draw at home to top half sides whilst Villarreal have drawn the vast majority of games away at mid-table sides. Neither side needs a win (as I said, there’s nothing at stake in this game) and so I’m going to confidently put my money behind this scoreline and hope for a big winner to end the season!

Premier League: Elite Betting Advice 16/05

Premier League advisor David Huntingford (@EuroElitePL) enters the fray to provide his reckoning on the penultimate round of fixtures this season. A tense relegation battle continues to ensue, 18^th spot is yet to be decided as Newcastle have been dragged right into the thick of it. While Europa League places are still very much up for grabs.

QPR v Newcastle @ Loftus Road (3PM KO Sat):

The magnitude of this encounter can’t be understated, relegation for Newcastle would spell absolute disaster considering their league position a couple of months ago.

A run of 9 points from their last 16 matches marks an atrocious spell of form that threatens their very existence in the top flight. Surely that big club from up the road aren’t about to be relegated again?

John Carver has been quoted as saying he’s the best coach in the Premier League, a slightly perplexing statement considering Newcastle’s form under his stewardship.

I’m backing Newcastle DNB this Saturday, and I approach it with some level of apprehension. Logic would seem fit in suggesting that this is a dangerous bet given Newcastle’s lack of confidence, but I like the value on offer. Already relegated QPR rolled over all too easily against Man City, I didn’t see the level of fight I was expecting. There is the distinct possibility Chris Ramsey will throw a couple of youngsters into the mix this Saturday, he’s spent a large majority of his career within the Spurs youth set-up and therefore holds favourable views towards the implementation of youth in the first team.

QPR away is a difficult proposition, it will be physically demanding and congested in the centre of the pitch. But whether Newcastle like it or not, this is a cup final for them and I expect motivation levels and desire to match that fact accordingly. With the given circumstances and what’s at stake I believe 7/5 is generous value on the Newcastle win, however I’m taking the safer option and opting for Newcastle DNB @ 8/11 as I believe the draw is a realistic eventuality.

Advised Bet: Newcastle DNB @ 8/11

Southampton v Aston Villa @ St Mary’s (12:45 KO Sat):

While Aston Villa’s safety is not yet 100% assured, the odds are stacked in their favour which is testament to Sherwood’s management of the side. Tomorrow they face an out of sorts Southampton side who’ve struggled in recent times. The BTTS market has really jumped out at me in the sense of providing value.

Southampton need to pick up some good results if they’re to have a chance of cementing a Europa League spot. Missing out would mark a disappointing return considering their outstanding start to the season.

Villa are in sparkling form and have managed to score in 7 consecutive games. Southampton’s defensive record at home is undoubtedly good but they’ve now shipped in 8 goals in their last 4 matches (2 in each game, home and away).

Southampton have equally scored in each of their last 4 home games. For the sake of short term scoring tendencies in recent games, I’m inclined to back BTTS and think 37/40 presents excellent value. With the season nearing its conclusion I expect both sides to play a vibrant brand of attacking football that exudes fearlessness. I will be surprised if there is caution either way.

Advised Bet: BTTS

•  Newcastle DNB
• Southampton v Aston Villa BTTS

DOUBLE @ 3.32 – (BetVictor) 2.75 PT STAKE

 

2^nd Bet – Longshot DOUBLE @ 25.00 (Bet365) 0.75 PT STAKE

•  Aston Villa WIN
•  Hull WIN

At 25.00 I really can’t knock this longshot. There is the possibility Villa’s motivation levels will have dwindled with their fate almost sealed, but there is no substitute for confidence, and confidence is exactly what Villa possess at the moment. 17/4 is a massive price considering both teams relative form. Hull are in a massive need of 3 points to overturn the 2 point deficit that separates them and Newcastle. Time and time again we see the relegation strugglers overcome decent sides at this stage of the season when it matters most. A trip to White Lane is by no means ideal, but I think Steve Bruce has the nous to get a positive result this Saturday. Spurs are in poor form and I can see this continuing. 15/4 in my opinion presents a big price that can’t be ignored.

League Of Ireland: Elite Betting Advice 15/05

@Makool is the League Of Ireland betting correspondent for http://www.scottishfootballtips.com and boosts an enviable return on investment this season. This week he supplies us with two singles in and around the even money mark.

Dundalk are setting themselves up to be more than just the elite team in the League Of Ireland. The way they are going they are looking a step above their level and are seemingly unstoppable right now. Friday’s opponents, Derry City, will look at their recent record at Dundalk with in-trepidation having lost the lost three without scoring and conceding eleven goals.

The Champions look very capable of covering a handicap here seeing as Derry have failed to score in four of their last five away games. Dundalk have beaten all comers to Oriel Park with their most recent home game an 8-1 mauling of the unfortunate Bray Wanderers.

BetVictor have the best price available with -1.5 Asain Handicap priced at 1.93 and that is an excellent price considering who is involved.

On Saturday night the hapless Bray entertain a Saint Patricks Athletic side who are all set up to hammer a bag of goals in. Bray have conceded 17 goals in their last three games and Saint Pats are prolific goal scorers against the weaker sides in the league.

With strikers like Fagan, Forrester, Kilduff and Byrne on show they are more than capable of baggin a couple of goals and I think they could go even further. Three goals looks highly likely and even more than that is not out of the question. You can back St Pats to score +2.5 team goals at 2.2 with bet365.

Recommended bets.

Dundalk -1.5AH @ 1.93 with Betvictor

Saint Patricks Atheltic +2.5 Team Goals @ 2.2 with bet365

League Of Ireland: Elite Betting Advice 08/05

@Makool is the League Of Ireland betting correspondent forhttp://www.scottishfootballtips.com and boosts an enviable return on investment this season. Following on from last week’s 13/1 correct score prediction he has another one for us to play with at small stakes.

It’s a near full compliment of games in the League Of Ireland although the league’s most elite side, Dundalk, are not playing. The biggest encounter is Saint Patricks Athletic v Shamrock Rovers and that is one best avoided as it could go either way.

The place to go for value is Turners Cross where Cork City entertain a disappointing Sligo Rovers. Turners Cross is a fortress for Cork (except when Dundalk visit) and the Dundalk game excepted their results this season read 5-0, 2-0, 3-0, 2-0. Obviously a Cork win without conceding should be considered but I think there is good value in the handicap market where you can back Cork -1 at a price of 2.8 with Ladbrokes.

Sligo have managed just one win all season and the two times they have travelled to top sides (Pats, Dundalk) they have lost 3-0. I think there is a good chance of a similiar result here tonight so I am having a small punt (it is a punt) on the correct score of 3-0 to Cork that pays 11/1 with Paddy Power.

Recommended bets:

Cork City -1 @ 2.8 with Ladbrokes. (0.75 pts)

Cork City win 3-0 @ 11/1 with Paddy Power. (0.2 pts)

Premier League: Elite Betting Advice 09/05

Last week saw David Huntingford (@EuroElitePL) get back to winning ways with a tidy EVENS selection to secure +4 pts profit and bolster a consistent tally of profitable selections. Mr Huntingford has now successfully advised 5/6 weeks profit & this week is keen to make it 6/7 as the Premier League season ushers into its concluding stretch.

The relegation dogfight continues to please yet again, neutral observers are witnessing terrific fighting spirit from the sides looking to steer clear of relegation. No team play the advocate for this more than Leicester City, a whopping 5 wins in 6 Premier League games marks an outstanding achievement for a side who’d only managed 4 wins prior to this good run. The Premier League is the holy grail and numerous sides are able to raise their game when the stakes are highest.

Hull v Burnley @ The KC Stadium (3PM KO Sat):

While there is a slender mathematical opportunity that Burney could yet stay up, the odds are completely and utterly stacked against them. On the other hand, Hull are right in the heart of the dogfight and were afforded no favours after Arsenal’s fortuitous goals on Monday night. After this fixture against Burnley, Hull still have a tough looking away game at White Hart Lane, in addition to the small matter of Man Utd at home on the final day.On the evidence of this you’ve got the feel this fixture could be make or break for Hull, 3 points is essential and might be enough to retain Premier League status come May 24^th.

Burnley have now failed to score in 6 successive games, much to the frustration of Sean Dyche

While Hull always seem to lack a creative spark and penetration, I’m backing them to win this week. Hull never seem to be in good form, but Steve Bruce has an uncanny knack of producing a win every now and then to keep them ticking over.

At this stage of a season motivation plays a huge role in determining the outcome of matches, Burnley are all but down and won’t be stretching every sinew to get a result, whereas Hull can’t afford to drop any points.

Hull are best priced at EVENS to win the game, however I’m going to back Hull to Win and under 3.5 goals at 29/20. This difference in price marks an improvement in value, and I’m happy to take the higher price based on goal scoring tendencies.

7/8 of Hull’s Premier League wins this season have featured under 3.5 goals, whereas Burnley are now 6 games without a goal.

Everything about this game points towards a narrow Hull victory.

Advised Bet: Single @ 29/20 – Hull WIN & UNDER 3.5 GOALS – (BoyleSports) 4 PT STAKE

Aston Villa v West Ham @ Villa Park (3PM KO Sat):

Aston Villa are a rejuvenated side under Tim Sherwood’s stewardship, he’s galvanised the team and got them playing exciting attacking football again (something they severely lacked under Lambert). Having scoured through Aston Villa forums, the fans point towards their side exhibiting more freedom in the attacking third. Previously their attacking game was characterised by an unwillingness for players to make creative runs, Lambert was too cautious in his approach.

Benteke is a new player under the management of Tim Sherwood, 5 goals in his last 6 outings exemplifies this.

Sherwood has enabled the shackles to come off and encouraged his side to play their strengths, this is why their goal scoring record has now vastly improved.

West Ham have undoubtedly had a terrific season, but Big Sam will be hoping to negotiate the remaining fixtures as quickly as possible. Villa again need 3 points to solidify their assault on a Premier League spot next year, while West Ham have nothing to play for apart from a top half finish. Sherwood’s side are full of confidence and I expect them to take one step closer to surviving relegation.

Advised Bet: Aston Villa WIN @ EVENS

Stoke v Tottenham @ The Brittania (3PM KO Sat):

Spurs are being priced as 6/4 favourites in this game and I’m struggling to see why? Spurs certainly need the 3 points for European claims but they aren’t playing too well at the moment.

Anyone who backs a side against Stoke away from home is playing with fire.

Stoke have been strong at home for the duration of their Premier League tenure and don’t lose many games. In all fairness to Spurs they have a solid away record against the teams below them, they’ve also drawn 6 away from home. Intuition is telling me this will be a draw, I just think both sides will match each other equally in every department of the pitch.

Advised Bet: Stoke v Tottenham DRAW @ 23/10

• Aston Villa WIN
• Stoke v Tottenham DRAW

DOUBLE @ 6.60 – (Coral) 1 PT STAKE

League Of Ireland: Elite Betting Advice 02/05

@Makool is the League Of Ireland betting correspondent for http://www.scottishfootballtips.com and boosts an enviable return on investment this season. Today he brings us a 30/1 shot to nothing from the First Division.

Many might ask why I am talking up a team who have won just 12 of their last 64 league matches and you would be right to wonder. They are hosting a side who are favoured to go right back up to the Premier Division this season and who the bookies make heavy odds on favourites to win the game today.

Lets be honest, if my life depended on it there is not a chance in hell I would choose this bet. But my life doesn’t depend on it, just my reputation and that’s something I can always win back.

Cobh Ramblers have in fact won less than 20/% of their last 64 league games so their price of 5/1 seems fair enough, right? They certainly aren’t an elite side in Ireland and that’s exemplified by the fact that they haven’t won away from home in 35 attempts. But if they haven’t won away from home in nearly two years, that means all their wins have come at home and that means they have won 43% of their last 35 home games (15/35). Suddenly 5/1 doesn’t seem so bad.

Even better they have won their last two home matches by 1-0 scorelines and today’s opponents, Athlone Town, have lost three from five failing to score in two of them. By all means back Cobh to win today but I am going to risk a smaller stake for a bigger payday.

Backing Cobh to win 1-0 pays 14/1 with Coral and backing them to win 2-0 pays 40/1 with Coral. I am not saying that this bet will come in but I think it has a chance and I think it’s overpriced.

Recommended bets:

Cobh Ramblers to win 1-0 @ 14/1 with Coral (0.25 Pts)

Cobh Ramblers to win 2-0 @ 40-1 with Coral (0.2 Pts)