NAPOLI vs JUVENTUS (SERIE A)

Quick tip: Napoli have lost their last 2, and will not lose 3 in a row, especially with this game being at home. Juventus are in a crisis and I think Napoli will get at least a point out of this game.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Napoli level @ 1.750 = $8.75

KARLSRUHE vs BAYERN MUNCHEN (BUNDESLIGA)

bayern munich have not won in their last 3 matches. they HAVE TO WIN tonight. franck ribery is also slowly coming back to form, and this could spell real trouble for karlsruhe, who do not have the best of players. if andreas gorlitz is able to line up against his former club bayern, they might have the smallest of chances to stop ribery, but fortunately, he is doubtful for this match. i think bayern will win this one.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on bayern munchen -0.5/1 @ 1.73 = $8.65

HERTHA BERLIN vs VFB STUTTGART (BUNDESLIGA)

both sides notched impressive victories last week, with hertha beating bayer leverkusen away, and stuttgart smacking werder bremen 4-1. this makes tonight's game tough to call. there's good firepower on both teams, with pantelic and voronin for the berliners, and cacau and mario gomez for stuttgart. i can see stuttgart winning this one to push on further ahead in the table, as thomas hitzlsperger has been in good form, pulling the strings in midfield and releasing super mario, mario gomez frequently. mario gomez is a totally different player from the one you saw at euro 2008, in case you don't follow the bundesliga. the one playing for germany at euro 2008 comes from the same species, but is of a different type. it is commonly referred to as the "mario goal-miss" for a complete lack of finishing inability or the "mario go-where" for his lack of influence in matches. hopefully tonight, it's "mario gomez" who turns up.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on vfb stuttgart level @ 1.95 = $9.95

BOLOGNA vs LAZIO (SERIE A)

zarate and pandev are brilliant. they've combined to score 782 goals already this season, despite it being only october. bologna do have quite a good team actually, but they just haven't clicked yet this season. i see them losing further, before bouncing up the table later on. lazio have the luck of champions, as shown in last week's draw with lecce, where simone inzaghi popped up with a minute left to head home a mourad meghni cross. back lazio tonight.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on lazio -0/0.5 @ 1.88 = $9.40

I agree with Eddy, as I also have money on Lazio.

Roland's prediction: $5 on lazio -0/0.5 @ 1.88 = $9.40

MILLWALL vs LEEDS (LEAGUE ONE)

ok this is my first-ever third-tier football post. decided to do it, because i've been getting some joy from the lower leagues. millwall are lacking in firepower for this one. tresor kandol, who did well against tranmere rovers last time out, is ineligible to play against his parent club, while jermaine easter is suspended. i fancy leeds in this one, as i think they will keep a clean sheet, given millwall's problems.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on leeds level @ 1.69 = $8.45

VFL BOCHUM vs BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH (BUNDESLIGA)

well well well. borussia moenchengladbach are on a HORRIBLE run of form. they have lost their last 5, and have generally looked quite bad. marko marin has managed to pick up an injury, and without him, i dare say gladbach are kinda screwed. bochum look a nice bet to end their own 4-match streak without winning.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on vfl bochum -0.5 @ 1.98 = $9.90

HULL vs WEST HAM (EPL)

Well, I did warn Eddy against going for Spurs against Hull, as it was a supremely confident side versus a side lacking any shape, form or structure at all. West Ham are different though, they look rejuvenated under Zola. Carlton Cole and Bellamy have really impressed, the latter playing really well for Wales in the international break. Marlon King looks to be out for this match so I don't think Hull will win this one, unless Geovanni decides to score a crazy freekick out of nowhere again.

Roland's prediction: $5 on West Ham @ 2.80 = $14.00

hull are in very good form, but i think the bubble will burst here, much like how their early season form was brought to a crashing halt by a rampant wigan side. hull do however have the quality to sneak a draw, and that's why i'm going for the safer option of west ham on the handicap. bellamy should cause problems all night for a slow hull defence.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on west ham +0/0.5 @ 1.77 = $8.85

FULHAM vs SUNDERLAND (EPL)

Fulham have lost their last 4 games, and have outplayed their opponent each and every time. Surely their bad luck will end against Sunderland, who are undoubtedly strong at home but pretty weak away. Johnson returns for Fulham and will be a great boost, and I think that Fulham will finally break their horrible run.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Fulham @ 2.15 = $10.75

i think fulham will win too, but sunderland are well capable of sneaking a draw, as they are technically quite good. players like malbranque and andy reid will look to provide the ammunition for the speedy dribbly sissy (nickname taken from arseblogger) to chase, and they always look threatening. however, as roland mentioned, fulham have lost 4 in a row, and having a rather good team themselves, this is rather surprising. andrew johnson's return might just be the spark necessary for fulham to kick off on a good run, and i think fulham won't lose.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on fulham -0/0.5 @ 1.91 = $9.95

BOLTON vs BLACKBURN (EPL)

Bolton have a fully fit squad, whereas Blackburn are missing Roque Santa Cruz, Steven Reid and David Dunn. Do I need to elaborate more? Bolton have finally ended their torrid run against West Ham (which I told Eddy about, too bad I didn't tip it) and will look to get maximum points from this game against a shitty Blackburn side.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Bolton @ 2.30 = $11.50

blackburn suck. no RSC, no steven reid, no dunn, as mentioned above, plus emerton had a long trip back from australia where he played against qatar. blackburn will be seriously lacking in energy and i think bolton can definitely take full advantage, with willing runners like fabrice muamba and kevin nolan bossing the midfield.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on bolton -0/0.5 @ 2.13 = $10.65

ASTON VILLA vs PORTSMOUTH (EPL)

Well, Villa don't have any injury concerns other than Agbonlahor, who will face a late fitness test. Portsmouth on the other hand have Diarra and Kranjcar out for this match, both really important players for them. Diarra has impressed much this season and I wonder why he has been sold by Chelsea and Arsenal. While it means that Utaka may get a run out on the right due to Bouba Diop moving into the middle, I think that Shorey is great defensively and can handle Utaka's pace. Villa have a great attack and their speed will definitely exploit Campbell's and Distin's lack of pace, which saw them leak 6 goals to Man Shitty. Take Villa on this one.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Aston Villa @ 1.800 = $9.00

BELGIUM vs SPAIN (WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS - UEFA)

Spain. Why? They have carried their Euro-winning form into the Qualifying stages, having notched 4 straight victories since their 1-0 win over Germany. Their strike duo of Torres and Villa have been in top form in their respective leagues. Everyone has been playing well. The last time Belgium and Spain met in the Qualifiers, Spain won both legs 2-0. I don't think Spain will slip up here.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Spain -0.5 @ 1.700 = $8.50

GREECE vs SWITZERLAND (WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS - UEFA)

Greece have won their last 3 and sit comfortably at the top of their group. However, they've played sub-par opponents so far - Moldova, Latvia and Luxembourg. That said, they are well compact and can counterattack well, and they are very tough at home. The Swiss haven't had a good start to their Qualifying campaign, losing shockingly to Luxembourg at home. But they have a skillful and pacey team, and their win over Latvia will give them a great confidence boost going into this game. I fancy the Swiss to nick a point off Greece.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Switzerland +0.5/1 @ 1.800 = $9.00

BELARUS vs ENGLAND (WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS - UEFA)

England have been great these few weeks, the win over Croatia giving them a great morale boost. Up against Belarus, I think that England will win by at least 2 goals again, as the strike partnership of Rooney and Heskey seems to be working wonders under Capello. They seem to be relishing the challenge for first team places, and every player has been playing well. Seriously, 11 goals in 3 games... I think they'll win by more than 2, so I'm going for the handicap for England.

Roland's prediction: $5 on England -1/1.5 @ 1.96 = $9.80

NORWAY vs HOLLAND (WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS - UEFA)

Norway are a decent side, no doubt about that. They did well to hold on for a goalless draw against Scotland, and even created some great chances of their own. However, Holland is an entirely different proposition. They dominated against an Iceland side which drew with Norway previously. There's the difference in quality. Van der Vaart has been in great form for both club and country - he just made 2 assists against Iceland - and Holland will be boosted by the return of Van Persie and Sneijder. Take Holland on this one.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Holland -0.5 @ 1.95 = $9.75

LATVIA vs ISRAEL (WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS - UEFA)

Latvia are a shit team. Their only win comes from Moldova, who everyone beats anyway. Israel have been fortunate to be placed in an easy group and will be high on confidence after winning 2 games away from home against Moldova and Luxembourg. Israel are a decently strong side and should be able to beat Latvia away from home.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Israel -0/0.5 @ 1.900 = $9.50

GERMANY vs RUSSIA (WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS - UEFA)

Germany at home, with a fully fit squad (except for their goalkeeper - Rene Adler will start). Bet on them. They have this ability to turn on for important matches, and is one of them. They sit on top of the table but Russia are behind them by 1 point with a game in hand, so they will need to win this one to ensure automatic qualification. Which is why they will win. Oh and Russia have lost Pavlyuchenko, who has been shite anyway, and Torbinsky to injury. They were both crucial to Russia's great run in the Euro, so I think that Germany will have an easier time.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Germany -0.5 @ 1.75 = $8.75

SCOTLAND vs NORWAY (WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS - UEFA)

Scotland versus Norway. Scotland to win this one. While Norway has THE BEAST, Carew, they do not possess the likes of Young and Agbonlahor playing off him, so I fancy Scotland to be able to handle Norway's attacking threat. They do, after all, have a very good goalkeeper in Craig Gordon. While Kenny Miller is out, which is a big blow to Scotland, they do have other great attacking options in McFadden and Maloney. Darren Fletcher is set for captaincy and guess what? They have won every single game while he's been captain. So there you go.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Scotland -0.5 @ 2.05 = $10.25

POLAND vs CZECH REPUBLIC (WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS - UEFA)

the czech republic are clearly a force in decline. they lack creativity in the middle of the park, most probably because of the injury to rosicky, or ro-verysick-y. as such, i do not think they will be able to pull off an away win in poland, who have some matchwinners in their squad, like ebi smolarek and jakob. poland's form has been poor of late, but i think they will record a victory here to banish the memories of euro 2008.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on poland level @ 1.970 = $9.85

SWEDEN vs PORTUGAL (WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS - UEFA)

both sides miss key players for this fixture. sweden are without olof mellberg and tobias linderoth, while portugal are without deco, carvalho and simao. sweden are harder-hit though, in my opinion. losing erik edman, olof mellberg and linderoth would mean a total drop in defensive quality, and add that to cristiano ronaldo's return to action, and i can't see how portugal will lose this one. also, larsson and wilhelmsson sit out this one for the swedes, meaning their attacking ability is blunted as well. i see portugal winning this one.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on portugal -0/0.5 @ 1.980 = $9.90

Eddy has been on a bad run, and I think that all bad runs have to end, and this will be the tip that ends Eddy's bad run. Even though Sweden have Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Portugal -0/0.5 @ 1.980 = $9.90

SWITZERLAND vs LATVIA (WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS - UEFA)

switzerland slumped to a shock home defeat last time out to luxembourg, and will be desperate to get all 3 points in this game. their first two games have been a draw and a loss, meaning it's quite likely they'll get the 3 points against an unconvincing latvia side, as i cannot see them going 3 games without a win. the skill and pace of players like valon behrami and tranquillo barnetta should be too much for the latvians and i see them playing a big part in the game supporting alexander frei.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on switzerland -1 @ 1.820

UKRAINE vs CROATIA (WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS - UEFA)

croatia will look to bounce back in this one, after suffering a huge defeat at the hands of england. their attack is brilliant, with the likes of modric, rakitic, petric and olic often interchanging with each other to devastating effect. ukraine, on the other hand, have a lousy defence, even managing to concede one goal to kazakhstan. i fancy croatia's chances in this one, as level ball means they just don't have to lose.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on croatia level @ 2.050 = $10.25

Ukraine are quite strong at home. Croatia just lost at home to England 4-1, which is a huge blow to their confidence. I see the game going 2 ways - either Croatia will tear Ukraine apart, or they will be so utterly devastated and it won't be a good match/they will draw. Furthermore, the Croatian contingent in the EPL - Kranjcar (injured), Modric (SHIT), and Corluka (SHIT-ish) haven't been playing well. Modric is, after all, a key player in the Croatian line up. By contrast, Ukraine's strikeforce has done well in past weeks - Shevchenko is a rejuvenated player in AC Milan and Voronin just scored for Hertha Berlin. It's a tough place to visit and I think Ukraine level looks great.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Ukraine level @ 1.790 = $8.95

WOODLANDS WELLINGTON vs SENGKANG PUNGGOL (S LEAGUE)

woodlands and sengkang have been in pretty poor form of late picking up more losses than wins/draws. as such, it is very difficult to choose a winner in this one. an interesting stat is that all four of their previous meetings have been draws, and low-scoring ones at that (0-0, 1-1). as such, as i always believe, runs will end someday. today the low-scoring nature of this run will end, as sengkang have reginaldo back, and he will be itching to prove himself against a not-so-solid backline. also, winston yap is back, but he will be up against park tae won, whose skill will leave him in knots. as such, i fancy a high-scoring match and i'll be going for over 2.5 goals in this one.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on over 2.5 goals @ 1.85 = $9.25

ALBIREX NIIGATA vs GOMBAK UNITED (S-LEAGUE)

albirex have not won any of their last 4, earning 3 draws and falling to 1 defeat. however, 3 of those results were rather impressive, holding home utd and geylang utd to draws, while narrowly being defeated by tampines rovers by a late aliff shaffaein goal. their attacking football has been a joy to watch, and especially at the jurong east stadium, they should be backed on the handicap, as the players will surely work their socks off to ensure that the home fans don't witness a defeat.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on albirex +0/0.5 @ odds to be confirmed

GEYLANG UNITED vs YOUNG LIONS (S LEAGUE)

geylang united were rather unlucky to be beaten 3-1 by home united as they had a chance cleared off the line, and also home united should have had a man sent off for an elbow. with a creative midfield comprising the likes of miroslav latiak and ratislav belicak, fazrul nawaz (who missed the last game) should have enough chances to seriously hurt young lions. the backline will also be well marshalled by the likes of noh rahman and aide iskander, and as such, i really don't see young lions getting anything from this game.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on geylang win @ 1.50 = $7.50

MULTIPLIER OF THE DAY

ok seeing as my tennis bets are actually finding more joy of late, i shall post a little tennis multiplier for you guys. here goes:

olivier rochus vs mario ancic (ancic 1.28)
david nalbandian vs bobby reynolds (nalbandian 1.16)
jarkko nieminen vs thomas bellucci (nieminen 1.28)
nikolay davydenko vs florent serra (davydenko 1.12)
dmitry tursunov vs igor kunitsyn (tursunov 1.25)
stefan koubek vs tommy robredo (robredo 1.16)
gael monfils vs alexander peya (monfils 1.12)
pavel snobel vs radek stepanek (stepanek 1.12)

$5 on above multiplier wins $20.02