WEST BROMWICH ALBION vs PETERBOROUGH UNITED (FA CUP)

3rd round fa cup action resumes tonight, after last night saw a spurs win over wigan athletic. west brom have achieved a good set of results of late, picking up wins over tottenham and manchester city, and only lost out to chelsea. they face a peterborough side that is currently in good form as well. however, with this one being played at the hawthorns, i think west brom have enough in them to get a win, especially as peterborough will have half an eye on the vital clash against mk dons coming up.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on west brom to win @ 1.50 = $7.50

TOTTENHAM vs WIGAN (FA CUP)

tottenham have been in bad form recently, while wigan have rounded off a wonderful 2008 with a string of good results. they have cleared their handicap in their last 7, while tottenham have fallen flat in their last 4. in terms of quality, tottenham look to have the edge in a game where steve bruce is without zaki, heskey, cattermole and kirkland. that is the spine of their side in both midfield and attack, and i think tottenham are due a win sooner rather than later.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on tottenham -0.5 @ 1.83 = $9.15

HULL CITY vs ASTON VILLA (EPL)

Hull have capitulated in recent weeks and conceded 9 goals in their last 2 games. Knowing Hull, they will likely bounce back from the dismal results and play their hearts out against Villa. However, Villa have shown that they are mentally resilient and can get the results even when their players aren't playing too well. They turned in an excellent performance against Arsenal and they will head into this game full of confidence having salvaged a very late point that keeps their 4th spot intact. I think Villa should be able to win this one, but don't expect a 4-0 drubbing.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Villa -0/0.5 @ 1.750 = $8.75

i disagree here. hull city have long been written off by me as a shit team, and that's because they are. however, there are a few factors pushing me to think that hull can upset villa here by recording a draw at least.

1) villa have been too lucky, too long. they have achieved results they don't deserve in the past few weeks, and with all lucky runs, they come to an end.
2) hull were hammered twice in two matches. surely they have some pride and will respond.
3) bernard mendy up against luke young. mendy has the skill and guile to beat luke young at least 6 times out of ten, and i think this will be how they can push villa all the way.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on hull city +0.5 @ 1.96 = $9.80

EVERTON vs SUNDERLAND (EPL)

Everton have only won 1 game at home, while they have won 7 games away. Everton are definitely a side with quality and to only win 1 game out of 9 at home is a shcoking statistic, which I think will be made right against Sunderland. Everton have been very solid at the back and have coped very well with their lack of strikers and injury crisis. I think Sunderland's recent run of results - trashing West Brom 4-0 and Hull 4-1 were just the result of Roy Keane leaving and not because they have such great quality within their squad, as seen by the unambitious and shitty performance at home against Blackburn. Everton to win this one.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Everton -0.5/1 @ 2.050 = $10.25

BOLTON vs WIGAN (EPL)

Bolton host an in form Wigan who have won 4 games at home and only lost 1-0 to Arsenal at the emirates in their last 5 matches. Conversely, Bolton have seen a slump in their earlier form that brought them up the table, losing 3 games in their last 4. However, one must take things into perspective - they were against Chelsea, Villa and Liverpool, all members of the top 4 (lol@Arsenal). Kevin Davies is likely to start and Bolton should have enough quality to beat Wigan, who have lost Cattermole due to him accumulating 5 yellows. Michael Brown is set to replace Cattermole and he will give a lot of fouls away, and we all know how lethal Bolton are at set pieces.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Bolton -0/0.5 @ 1.930 = $9.65

WEST HAM vs STOKE CITY (EPL)

Well, West Ham have steadily improved over their last few matches - first drawing 1-1 at Chelsea, unluckily losing to Villa at home and then beating Portsmouth 4-1 away. They have coped rather well without Dean Ashton and Zola has reinvented them into an attacking team. Stoke will probably look to keep West Ham out by defending in numbers like they did at Old Trafford, but I think that West Ham's wing play with Faubert, Illunga and Behrami should be able to unlock the Stoke defence when they put in quality balls into the box.

Roland's prediction: $5 on West Ham -0.5/1 @ 1.940 = $9.70

STOCKPORT vs LEEDS (LEAGUE 1)

leeds haven't won in 5 games in the league, therefore at level ball, they represent outstanding value. i think they will break their bad run of form at stockport, and net us some money.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on leeds level ball @ 1.97 = $9.85

BIRMINGHAM CITY vs SWANSEA CITY (COCA-COLA CHAMPIONSHIP)

birmingham recorded an important away win at portman road on boxing day. important because 1) ipswich is a team commonly referred to as a banana peel for top sides and 2) we tipped it here on thetipsters.blogspot.com, so they had to win. in any case, birmingham must follow that impressive victory with a win over swansea, who have somehow managed to draw their last 7 games. they are unbeaten in 7 games if you like your glass half-full, and they haven't managed a win in their last 8, if you like your glass half-empty. whichever way you look at it though, i believe birmingham have enough to put swansea to the sword.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on birmingham -0.5/1 @ 2.00 = $10.00

VIETNAM vs THAILAND (AFF SUZUKI CUP)

thailand will still be smarting from that smash-and-grab raid by vietnam that leaves them with a 2-1 deficit to overcome. vietnam's strategy worked to perfection as they hit thailand on the counter, making full use of le cong vinh's pace and landing themselves two goals. thailand obviously have the players to overcome the deficit but do they have the mental tenacity? considering they have gone to indonesia and come away with a 1-0 away win, they might not be overly intimidated by the crowd in hanoi. they have to win to have any chance of lifting the cup and i think they will. in good news for them, suchao nutnum is back for them after completing his ban, and i think he will add a bit more thrust to thailand, which is crucial.

Eddy's prediction: $10 on thailand -0.5 @ 1.95 = $19.50

BLACKBURN vs MANCHESTER CITY (EPL)

both teams have seen a slight improvement in form in their last matches. blackburn have put together a two-game unbeaten streak, no thanks to sam allardyce's appointment of course. manchester city, also went some way to erasing the memories of a horrible run by whacking hull 5-1. at level ball, manchester city represents good value, as they are definitely a better footballing side than blackburn. the only worry here is sam allardyce is famed for grinding out results, but i will take the risk and plump for manchester city here.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on manchester city level @ 2.02 = $10.10

ARSENAL vs PORTSMOUTH (EPL)

arsenal were lucky, then unlucky, in the draw against title pretenders aston villa. lucky in the sense that they did not concede in the first half when astin villa really made arsenal sweat, and unlucky because they really should have seen the game out at 2-0, but aston villa managed to equalise in the 91st minute, and it wasn't exactly a good goal or anything. zat knight, of all people, just took a chance with his weaker foot and i think he must be surprised that he found the bottom corner with such precision. arsenal have now not won in 3 league games, and i think they should be able to turn it around against a portsmouth team without glen johnson and lassana diarra, who is now a real madrid man. however, they might not clear the 1/1.5 handicap given that pompey will tighten their backline after the mauling by west ham.

Eddy's prediction: $10 on arsenal to win @ 1.40 = $14.00

WEST BROM vs TOTTENHAM (EPL)

west brom have abdoulaye meite and paul robinson missing from their defence tonight, through injury and suspension respectively. leon barnett will replace abdoulaye meite, and that means west brom will realy struggle to contain spurs tonight. leon barnett is a lumbering block of a defender, and i think he will struggle with bent/pavlyuchenko/modric, whoever he's up against, as they are all quick and inventive. i think tottenham can finally end their bad form at the hawthorns and grab the much-needed 3 points. add in a side-bet of tottenham level at half-time, as i don't see them losing at half-time.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on tottenham -0/0.5 @ 1.85 = $9.25
$5 on tottenham level ball at half-time @ 1.70 = $8.50

Agree yet again. Abdoulaye Meite and Paul Robinson missing the match tonight means that West Brom's defence will be easily exposed. I don't fancy Spurs to go 3 matches in the league without a win, so I'm going for Spurs again.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Tottenham -0/0.5 @ 1.85 = $9.25

NEWCASTLE vs LIVERPOOL (EPL)

newcastle had bassong sent off against wigan and i think that severely affects their chances for tonight's game. in the absence of jose enrique, newcastle are likely to be forced to play edgar or n'zogbia there, resulting in a very makeshift defence, which is already missing the impressive habib beye. liverpool have shown how their attack can click even without fernando torres, and i think their good form will continue here to confirm that newcastle's run of form is well and truly over.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on liverpool -0.5 @ 1.80 = $9.00

Yup. With Bassong out due to a suspension and Beye out injured, Newcastle have defensive selection woes, probably playing N'Zogbia down the left and we all know that he isn't a very good defender, but he's awesome in attack. Newcastle will also be rather toothless in attack as Viduka is now out injured as well, leaving it up to the inexperienced Andy Carroll and the experienced-but-slow Michael Owen to unlock a Liverpool defence, which is rather solid. Liverpool have shown that with Gerrard and Alonso in central midfield, they can pretty much boss a game around and even if Sammy Lee rings the changes by bringing in the likes of Benayoun, I think Liverpool have enough quality to win this one.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Liverpool -0.5 @ 1.80 = $9.00

GLASGOW RANGERS vs CELTIC (SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP)

tonight's old firm derby at ibrox is one of two must-not miss matches in the scottish premier league. the other is the reverse fixture at parkhead, of course. celtic have stuttered a little of late, falling to hibs 2-0 after the mother of all bloopers by artur boruc, and then they were held by hearts. however, i think celtic have enough in them not to lose this game, despite jan vennegoor of hesselink missing through injury. they will also want revenge after being beaten the last time they met.

Eddy's prediction: $10 on celtic +0/0.5 @ 1.95 = $19.50

WIGAN vs NEWCASTLE (EPL)

Wigan will be very well rested as they did not have a match last weekend. They have performed well and Zaki is slowly regaining his early season form since his injury. Newcastle do not have Martins and Ameobi for this match, meaning that they will play Owen and Viduka upfront, which will be easily handled by Bramble and Scharner.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Wigan -0/0.5 @ 1.950 = $9.75

IPSWICH vs BIRMINGHAM (COCA-COLA CHAMPIONSHIP)

birmingham have lost their last two, somewhat surprisingly to reading at home and preston. at level ball, i think they are a good bet to end their dismal run of form by beating an ipswich side that's also looking low on confidence.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on birmingham level @ 2.01 = $10.05

NEW ORLEANS HORNETS vs ORLANDO MAGIC (NBA)

the hornets, led by the dynamic chris paul fell to the lakers at home in their last game. what was surprising, was the margin of victory, as they looked shell-shocked going into half-time 19 points down. now they're up against an in-form orlando magic, and i think that the hornets have it in them to bring a halt to the magic's outstanding home winning run.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on new orleans +3.5 @ 1.90 = $9.50

ASTON VILLA vs ARSENAL (EPL)

the pick of the matches on boxing day. pretenders aston villa take on arsenal, in their frankly ludicrous bid to challenge for the title. it's like saying arsenal are challenging for the title this season, except arsenal has money to spend if needed, while villa have already spent money on their nice collection of 53 centre-backs. aston villa are on a 6-match unbeaten streak, which includes 4 wins, and draws with fulham and manchester united can be counted as good results as well. surely this run has to end somewhere, as they are frankly, a rather one-dimensional team. everyone knows what they're gonna do. they're gonna punt balls into channels for agbonlahor/milner/young to chase and then score a lucky goal. they were lucky against everton and supremely lucky against west ham. well, luck runs out, just as bad runs will end, so arsenal will beat aston villa.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on arsenal level @ 2.080 = $10.40

MIDDLESBROUGH vs EVERTON (EPL)

middlesbrough are on a 6-match run without winning, while everton will be bouyed by their battling draw at stamford bridge. both teams have quality and are tough opposition on their day, but for middlesbrough, they seem unable to produce that form often enough. everton have been shit at home, and surprisingly, their away form has been saving them this season. however, with boro being at home and at level ball, i think this is a wonderful opportunity to back middlesbrough for the win.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on middlesbrough level @ 1.825 = $9.125

Disagree. Middlesbrough seem to be able to perform well against the big teams. They are a very inconsistent side and their best performer so far, Gary O'Neil, is 50-50 for this match. Everton have been slowly regaining their form and have fared rather well despite having problems with their striker slot. I think Everton will get at least a draw out of this one as they have been rather solid at the back.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Everton level @ 2.075 = $10.375

MANCHESTER CITY vs HULL CITY (EPL)

the most 0ff-form team against a hull city team that should be high on confidence considering they have out-performed themselves this season. however, they are shit. the 4-1 loss to sunderland would have placed doubts in their mind for sure, and if there ever was a chance to end a bad run of form, this is it for man city.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on manchester city -0.5 @ 1.80 = $9.00

Looks like Robinho will be back for this match. This match will be crucial for Mark Hughes as Man City are 18th and in the relegation zone, and a win here will bring Man City out of the relegation zone. 3 straight losses is not acceptable for a side of Man City's quality and I think they will get a much needed win here.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Man City -0.5 @ 1.80 = $9.00

TOTTENHAM vs FULHAM (EPL)

fulham are on a 7-match unbeaten run. this is wrong. roy hodgson has come in and steadied the ship, and they have looked very impressive this season. however, a 7-match unbeaten run is still wrong. tottenham were slightly unlucky to lose the points at st james park, and i think that they will record a win here to pull themselves further away from the relegation zone.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on tottenham -0.5/1 @ 2.00 = $10.00

Agree with Eddy. Fulham's run has been too good, and Spurs haven't had the best of luck the past few games. Heurelho Gomes has improved steadily under Redknapp and Spurs look to be solid at the back with woodgate back. Upfront they have many creative players like Modric and Lennon is showing some great form, so I think Spurs can win this one.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Tottenham -0.5/1 @ 2.00 = $10.00

CATANIA vs ROMA (SERIE A)

Roma are definitely the form team heading into this match. Unbeaten for 10 matches running, a win here would launch them up the table and help them salvage something from their terrible start to the season. Catania have never beaten Roma before in their past 6 meetings and I think that the resurgent Roma will be too strong for Catania.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Roma -0.5 @ 1.850 = $9.25

WEST BROM vs MAN CITY (EPL)

Honestly, West Brom have been disappointing all season. They are short on confidence and they haven't been able to perform. Man City have also been disappointing after going 3 matches without a win, leaving them in 17th. Both teams really need the points here, but I fancy Man City's extra quality in their squad to tell here and they will get a win. Robinho is "doubtful" but in the end he'll probably play anyway.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Man City -0/0.5 @ 1.960 = $9.80

WEST HAM vs ASTON VILLA (EPL)

Well, Villa just lost 3-1 to Hamburg, but that was a squad without Agbonlahor, Young, Barry, Milner and Laursen. They will be well rested and I think they will beat a mediocre West Ham side easily, especially since they finally broke into 4th and will look to maintain their position there.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Villa -0/0.5 @ 2.050 = $10.25

BLACKBURN vs STOKE (EPL)

Well, Blackburn are shit and have gone on a 6 game losing streak. Stoke are similarly shitty but have gotten 2 good draws against Fulham and Newcastle. I don't think Stoke's luck will continue as Blackburn will be rejuvenated under their new manager, big Sam, and Blackburn will get a much needed win here.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Blackburn -0.5 @ 1.825 = $9.12