as great as we are, we tipsters gotta eat too

Saturday, November 1, 2008

MULTIPLIER OF THE WEEK

multiplier of the week, since my multipliers have been bringing me some joy, albeit none when i tip them:

Arsenal @ 1.40 (stoke vs arsenal)
Man City (-0/0.5) @ 2.060 (bolton vs man city)
Juventus (-0/0.5) @ 1.790 (juventus vs as roma)
Lazio (-0.5/1) @ 1.800 (lazio vs catania)
Palermo (-0.5/1) @ 1.810 (palermo vs chievo)
Udinese (-0.5) @ 1.830 (udinese vs genoa)

Roland's multiplier: $2 = $61.55

west brom level @ 1.85 (west brom vs blackburn)
reading level @ 1.84 (bristol city vs reading)
man city -0/0.5 @ 2.060 (bolton vs man city)
millwall level @ 1.86 (brighton vs millwall)

Eddy's multiplier: $5 = $65.91

HANNOVER 96 vs HAMBURG (BUNDESLIGA)

hannover have an injury crisis on their hands. in defence, valerien ismael, mario eggimann and michael tarnat are out. reliable keeper robert enke is also out. to add to their injury woes, arnold bruggink is suspended for this one. hamburg achieved a morale-boosting win over stuttgart in midweek, and i don't see them slipping up against an under-strength and deflated-looking hannover.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on hamburg -0/0.5 @ 1.85 = $9.25

STOKE CITY vs ARSENAL (EPL)

arsenal should win this one, purely because i'm an arsenal fan and i will personally castrate each and every single one of them players if they don't win. seriously though, i think stoke definitely have the capability to frustrate arsenal and their aerial prowess could cause some grief. however, gallas is out, and this is good news, as his defending in the air is highly suspect. if arsenal keep the ball on the ground, the in-form van persie and adebayor should be able to cause all sorts of trouble for stoke city. however, i think it might be tight, so i'll go for a straight win.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on arsenal to win @ 1.40 = $7.00

Friday, October 31, 2008

PORTSMOUTH vs WIGAN (EPL)

Portsmouth have lost Harry Redknapp who single handedly masterminded their rise from relegation battling to UEFA Cup challengers and FA cup winners. The players are definitely loyal to Redknapp - Defoe was brought in by Redknapp because he has worked with Defoe before. As such, with a new manager in Tony Adams, who is relatively untested, I fear that the Portsmouth players will not be able to be fully motivated when they step on the pitch. There have been many rumours about Redknapp making a move for some Portsmouth players and I think they will affect the Portsmouth performance. Wigan have lost 4 in a row and Steve Bruce will not let them drop even further down the table, so I think Wigan on the handicap looks good for this match.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Wigan +0.5 @ 1.950 = $9.75

agree with roland here. wigan are a really good side, although their defence is a bit of a weak link. they should be good enough not to lose 5 in a row, and that's why i think the handicap is a solid option to go for tonight. besides, portsmouth do not have sol campbell available, and i think heskey and zaki could prove quite a handful for distin and kaboul.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on Wigan +0.5 @ 1.950 = $9.75

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR vs LIVERPOOL (EPL)

Spurs have been the joke of the year. They promised so much and failed to deliver. However, their draw against Arsenal will be a turning point for their season. Liverpool used to be the joke team in the top 4 - always saying "this year is our year!" and then finishing 4th 13 points behind the leaders - but are the pack leaders after 10 games (out of 38, so don't get your hopes up Liverpoo fans). The footballing Gods have rigged this match, pitting the joke of the year against the surprise package in the top 4 together. Liverpool are due a loss and it will come from a resurgent Spurs side who are supposed to be challenging to break into the top 4.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Tottenham +0/0.5 @ 2.050 = $10.25

WEST BROM vs BLACKBURN (EPL)

West Brom aren't your typical promoted sides in the sense that they do not put 10 men behind the ball and lump long balls into the opposition half. They are decent enough going forward, and I think that they will not lose 4 games in a row. Their problem has been a lack of clinical finishing and I think that with Kim Do Hyeon's return, they should be able to score a few against Blackburn, who have not impressed this season. Paul Ince is still a newbie manager and I think that with Roque Santa Cruz out, Blackburn have no hope of getting anything out of this match.

Roland's prediction: $5 on West Brom level ball @ 1.85 = $9.25

w.b.a have been playing well, but have not been getting the results. blackburn, on the other hand, have been rated highly by the media, who claim they are unlucky to be getting only 2 points from their last 4 matches. well, the media are wrong. 2 points is 2 points too many when it comes to paul ince's blackburn, as i think they are shit. and tonight, the shit happen to be without roque santa cruz, which turns them into some sort of diarrhoea instead of just shit. vince grella and stephen warnock are also doubtful, and this means west brom should win this one.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on west brom level ball @ 1.85 = $9.25

MANCHESTER UNITED vs HULL CITY (EPL)

Hull just lost 3-0 to Chelsea. Their bubble is going to burst, and like property prices/stock prices, they will FALL. Seriously. They should be battling for relegation with their lack of quality, but some fortuitous fixtures against the crisis clubs (Newcastle, Spurs, Everton, West Ham) have given them 20 points. No matter, they are against United, who are firing on all cylinders. Rooney will be raring to go after being a spectator against Everton and being rested against West Ham. United will definitely win here and they will win big.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Man Utd -2 @ 1.820 = $9.10

EVERTON vs FULHAM (EPL)

Guess who's back, back again. Tim Cahill! So you should know who I'm going for. Yup you guessed it. Everton. Both teams have had similar runs leading up to this match - many losses, a few draws, and then that solitary win prior to this. However, comparing both teams' fixtures, Fulham really had it much easier than Everton, and still failed to convert those into points. Fulham is really crappy on the road and with Tim Cahill back, I think Everton will win this one easily.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Everton -0.5/1 @ 1.960 = $9.80

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

MIDDLESBROUGH vs MANCHESTER CITY (EPL)

Eddy feels that Manchester City stands a chance of gaining at least a point out of this match, and has asked me to help him tip Man City level ball. I don't disagree with him - Middlesbrough have been relatively shitty and have been conceding many late goals. Look at the game against Blackburn. City on the other hand have been erratic at best - strong at home but they seem to falter away from home. The quality is definitely on Man City's side, and with Robinho in fine scoring form with his hat trick in the previous game, Man City can get something out of this match. Level ball is a good bet in Eddy's opinion. I wouldn't though, as I fear the heavy boat might sink for this match.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on Manchester City level ball @ 1.79 = $8.95

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

BOLTON vs EVERTON (EPL)

After drawing Manchester United, the Everton players will head into this game brimming with confidence. The return of Pienaar seems to have rejuvenated Everton and they look a much more organised side. Feillaini adds a great aerial presence to the team, and his combativeness should trouble Nolan and Davies. At the back, Yobo and Jagielka are a solid pairing and should be able to deal with the aerial assault from Bolton. A win is due for Everton, but Bolton seem to perform when you least expect it, so I'm going for level ball.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Everton level ball @ 2.02 = $10.10

Eddy is a genius and shares my opinions and wishes me to tip Everton level ball from camp.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on Everton level ball @ 2.02 = $10.10

STOKE vs SUNDERLAND (EPL)

Sunderland have a very well balanced team now and are well equipped to challenge for a UEFA cup spot. Cisse looks like a rejuvenated man under Roy Keane, chasing after balls and having that desire to get the ball and strike it. Sunderland have really improved their attacking lineup - Malbranque, Reid, Richardson, Diouf can all provide that spark of quality that is needed to unlock a watertight defence. The defensive duo of Anton Ferdinand and Collins are quite good and should be able to deal with whatever Stoke throws at them (GET IT? GET IT?). Furthermore, Stoke will probably see this match as an opportunity to gain points and will look to attack, which means that Sunderland will be able to utilize Cisse's pace on the counter. Sunderland will be on a derby-win high and I don't see them slipping up here.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Sunderland level ball @ 1.99 = $9.95

Eddy is a genius and shares my opinions and wishes me to tip Sunderland level ball from camp.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on Sunderland level ball @ 1.99 = $9.95

HULL vs CHELSEA (EPL)

As much as I'd love Hull to win this and continue their fairytale beginning to the EPL, I doubt they have the quality to do so. They were exposed a few times at the back by West Brom over the weekend, but poor finishing saved their asses. Chelsea, however, will be more clinical after wasting great chances against Liverpool, and will probably trounce Hull 5-0. Hull are a confident side and eager to prove that they can battle in the elite tier of English football, but I feel that Chelsea has too much quality and will not drop points 2 games in a row.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Chelsea -1 @ 1.83 = $9.15

ASTON VILLA vs BLACKBURN (EPL)

Villa beat Wigan resoundingly 4-0 at the JJB, with Carew appearing as a half time substitute. So I think that they should have a full squad available against Blackburn, who have been shite. Villa are very good at set pieces, whether attacking or defending, so the return of Roque Santa Cruz for Blackburn will not be that scary. I'd expect the industrious Nigel Reo-Coker to destroy Blackburn's midfield, and Villa to record a win here.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Villa -0.5/1 @ 1.92 = $9.60

Eddy is a genius and shares my opinions and wishes me to tip Villa -0.75 from camp.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on Villa -0.5/1 @ 1.92 = $9.60

NEWCASTLE vs WEST BROM (EPL)

Newcastle lost over the weekend in an exciting derby match which saw me take all the spoils as I had a bet on Sunderland. It was, however, a very spirited performance which we've seen from them in the past 3 games. They lost unluckily to an unstoppable Richardson free kick, and had many chances of their own which they failed to convert. I feel that a return to St. James Park will spur on an even better performance, and the return of Jonas Gutierrez will aid them in attack, which has been surprisingly good with a resurgent Duff pulling the strings. West Brom were very wasteful and lost 3-0 at home to Hull, and I think Newcastle should have enough quality to win this one.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Newcastle -0.5 @ 1.90 = $9.50

Sunday, October 26, 2008

CHELSEA vs LIVERPOOL (EPL)

everything tells me chelsea are not gonna win this one. they have a long injury list, while liverpool are almost at full strength, save for fernando torres's injury. also, liverpool have had the rub of the green in recent matches, achieving morale-boosting comeback victories and with late winners to boot. they have, so to speak, the luck of champions, and it would be unwise to bet against them. however, let's not forget that liverpool perform well when people least expect it. tonight, most people will be expecting them to achieve at least a draw at stamford bridge, and i think they will disappoint. a strikeforce shorn of fernando torres will likely waste chances, which is a huge no-no when it comes to big matches like these. also, skrtel's injury has forced benitez to play daniel agger who's clearly lacking match sharpness. he made one or two errors last week, and was lucky to get away with them. liverpool have been lucky for quite a while, and i think chelsea can finally punish them, which would be unfortunate, as i would rather these two draw, so my arsenal can push on up the table.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on chelsea -0.5 @ 1.97 = $9.85

WIGAN ATHLETIC vs ASTON VILLA (EPL)

aston villa travel to wigan after a poor run of sorts where they did nothing against chelsea, and then couldn't beat an injury-ravaged portsmouth side. they have john carew back after he missed out against ajax, and i think this is important. he provides a focal point for the attack, and he should be a worry for wigan's defence, which is the weak link in an otherwise impressive wigan team. heskey will line up alongside zaki, but i don't think this will be much of a problem for the combative centre-backs villa have in laursen and davies/cuellar. add to that antonio valencia's unavailability for this match, and i think villa will not lose this one.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on villa level @ 2.040 = $10.20

MANCHESTER CITY vs STOKE CITY (EPL)

stoke city have proven themselves to be quite worthy opponents in the premier league this season, with their direct and rather amusing style of football. rory delap's winner last time out against spurs showed everyone the other side of his game, besides his long effective missile-like throw-ins. however, they come up against a strong man city side on paper, and it's hard to see how the likes of ryan shawcross and higginbotham will be able to cope with the likes of shaun wright-phillips and robinho. they might keep it tight though, so i'm going for a narrow victory.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on man city to win @ 1.45 = $7.25

PALERMO vs FIORENTINA (SERIE A)

palermo have fantastic form at home, winning 3 out of 3. those wins included wins against genoa and as roma, so that shows they're no slouches at home. fiorentina have won 3 on the bounce in the league, but disappointingly were thrashed by bayern munich in midweek. however, they look too good to ignore given the handicap, considering palermo's winning streak at home must end someday. looking at both squads, the quality balance is slightly in favour of fiorentina, so they should be backed here.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on fiorentina +0/0.5 @ 1.78 = $8.90

HOFFENHEIM vs HAMBURG (BUNDESLIGA)

hoffenheim have perhaps surprised many bundesliga followers this season, and they sit in 3rd spot currently, just behind 2nd placed hamburg. they are a very adventurous team, and i think they fully deserve to be where they be. the prolific finishing of ibisevic has helped their cause this season, and i think he might cause a few problems tonight. however, i really do not see hamburg losing this one, as they just have that little bit extra in terms of squad quality. hoffenheim have also not looked convincing defensively, so i think hamburg are good value on level ball.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on hamburg level @ 1.90 = $9.50