A NEW ERA FOR THE TIPSTERS...

well. as regular readers will know, we have been a source for fantastic tips and generally good football talk for the past 248 years. it does seem a long time, and i think it's time to step into a new era for us here, at the tipsters.

from now on, we will be shifting the focus of our blog a wee bit, to not 100% betting, as it has been since day one. we will now let regular readers learn a little bit more about the two of us. i mean, you have probably been thinking who the heck are eddy and roland right? well, as of now, we will treat this more as a personal blog, so if you're interested in our fantastic, fun-filled, fabulous lives, then tune in. if you are not, and you are in it just for the money, then do check back from time to time, as we will continue posting tips right here, on this fantastic website.

as for our dear ol' friends, who have felt a little strange coming to our blog and reading about football all the time, it will soon be very different!

a new era it may be, but we look forward to everyone's continued support of our blog!

LONG LIVE THE TIPSTERS.

tipster eddy

BLACKBURN vs ASTON VILLA (EPL)

well, martin o'neill has come out and stated that his side are better at playing away from home, which is obvious, really. his team plays well on the break, utilising the pace of players like young and agbonlahor very well. tonight, however, they miss the services of nigel reo-coker, and i think this might be advantageous for blackburn. new signing el-hadji diouf will look to re-ignite his career at blackburn, and sam allardyce will ensure it happens. aston villa have been playing well, but more importantly, lady luck has apparently forgotten her orders to take turns at various clubs. instead, it has been reported that she actually fell asleep during villa's 0-0 with manchester united at villa park. she is so fast asleep that she is still there, in a corner of the stadium. the effect of this, of course, is that aston villa have been really lucky in a really long run of matches. well, i hope she has packed her bags and moved over to the emirates, and i think aston villa might finally lose here.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on blackburn level ball @ 2.05 = $10.25

WIGAN vs FULHAM (EPL)

well, both teams are on form here. wigan come into this game on the back of 2 draws against better opposition - liverpool and aston villa - and were very strong against man shitty and man utd where they lost 1-0 rather unluckily. fulham posted a 10 game lossless streak and have won 3 in their last 5, albeit against lesser opposition like kettering town, sheffield wednesday and portsmouth (tony adams sucks). wigan have the quality to win this and new signing n'zogbia will be looking to impress in front of the home crowd. just a fun fact: zaki has scored more than both fulham's strikers combined. go figure.

roland's prediction: $5 on wigan -0.5 @ 2.060 = $10.30

WEST BROM vs NEWCASTLE (EPL)

after the 5-0 loss to manchester united, west brom bounced back strongly and secured a 2-2 draw against hull at the kc stadium. i expect west brom to take this game as newcastle are a totally depleted side, and their most consistent player, gutierrez, is suspended for this match. it seems like everyone in the squad has lost confidence in joe kinnear and their body language on the pitch isn't exactly inspiring, while west brom will play their guts out as they expected to be in this position and have a good team spirit. i think west brom should win here as they will show more desire than newcastle.

roland's prediction: $5 on west brom -0/0.5 @ 1.950 = $9.75

SUNDERLAND vs STOKE CITY (EPL)

stoke have never ever won away from home, whereas sunderland are very strong at the stadium of light. sunderland have brought in davenport and ben haim for defensive cover and both have the quality to help strengthen their defence. with rory delap out for stoke, it's quite hard to see how stoke can get the goal since they have been deadly from his throw ins. i think that a strike force of jones cisse is probably 500 times better than fuller beattie, so sunderland will win here.

roland's prediction: $5 on sunderland -0.5 @ 1.81 = $9.05

HOFFENHEIM vs COTTBUS (GERMAN BUNDESLIGA)

hoffenheim will be looking to take advantage of bayern's slip last night, and could not have asked for a better fixture. cottbus at home. usually, cottbus will be easy meat, but hoffenheim will be missing their key players tonight. vedad ibisevic is out for the rest of the season, while carlos eduardo is injured. this will greatly handicap their offence, and with their defence not being their strongest point, i fancy cottbus on the handicap here.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on cottbus +1 @ 2.15 = $10.75

STOKE CITY vs MANCHESTER CITY (EPL)

frankly, this is a very tough match to call. the gulf in quality here is huge, but stoke seems very strong at home, while manchester city are poor away. however, that, i feel was the man city of old, and i do believe the new man city should be better than that, with the signings of de jong, bridge, and belamy. i believe that the pace of robinho and bellamy will tear stoke apart, but with comical defending at the back, man city could also let stoke back in. as such, i am not too confident of a win for city. i do, however, believe they will score first.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on manchester city to score first @ 1.80 = $9.00

NEWCASTLE vs SUNDERLAND (EPL)

Joey Barton and Owen are injured, bringing their injury list to a grand total of 12 players. Martins, Ameobi, Viduka and Owen out means Carroll and Xisco upfront, both who haven't shown that they are EPL quality. NZogbia, Guthrie and Joey Barton out means that they have to play Kevin Nolan and Nicky Butt in the centre of midfield, a 1) not too mobile and 2) not too creative pairing. I don't see how Newcastle are going to get goals in this match and I think Sunderland's confident run will get them at least a draw out of this match.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Sunderland level ball @ 2.06 = $10.30

i disagree. i feel that newcastle's signing of kevin nolan is a fantastic one, as he has all the battling qualities needed to keep them up this season. they haven't won for quite a while, and surely, at home, against sunderland, they should be good enough to at least draw this.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Newcastle level ball @ 1.84 = $9.20

FULHAM vs PORTSMOUTH (EPL)

1) Fulham are strong at home. Brede Hangeland is a giant and will be able to deal with Peter Crouch.
2) Portsmouth have key players like Kranjcar out injured and Belhadj out suspended, and they will be missing the creativity of these 2 down the left flank.
1+2=3) Fulham will win at home against a Pompey side that haven't been convincing with Tony Adams taking charge of a sinking ship ever since Harry Redknapp left.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Fulham -0.5 @ 2.04 = $10.20

BOLTON vs TOTTENHAM (EPL)

Spurs come into this match on the back of a morale boosting 3-1 thumping of Stoke, where they showed the class that everyone thought they would have at the start of this season. Luka Modric has been getting better and seems to be more comfortable with the EPL after his bad start to the campaign, which was worsened by an injury. New signing Palacios will start and add grit and determination to the midfield, which Spurs have sorely lacked when away from home, and the partnership of Defoe Pavlyuchenko should be able to trouble Bolton's defence. Bolton have lost Kevin Nolan and he is a key man for them, so I don't see them winning this match.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Spurs level ball @ 1.87 = $9.35

tottenham have a great chance to post back-to-back wins, which hasn't happened for as long as i can remember. this is a bolton side which will be low on confidence after giving up a two-goal lead to blackburn, of all teams. i think the gulf in quality will tell in this game, and i firmly believe that tottenham can push bolton all the way.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on spurs level ball @ 1.87 = $9.35

Roland's prediction: $5 on Spurs level ball @ 1.87 = $9.35

WEST HAM vs HULL CITY (EPL)

west ham have been in fine form of late, but now with bellamy gone, i don't see them packing enough punch to hold their current good position in the table. hull city have been on a run that is too bad, even for their shitty standards. now that they have strengthened, i think they have a good chance of getting a result at upton park. kevin kilbane and jimmy bullard will add bite and energy to their midfield, while upfront, daniel cousin and manucho look like they could forge a useful partnership.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on hull city +0.5/1 @ 1.89 = $9.45

SINGAPORE vs JORDAN (ASIAN CUP QUALIFIERS)

singapore were whacked 6-0 by iran last time out, but only after we were reduced to ten men. the thing about singapore is, we are very good at holding other teams, and i do believe that at home, we can be counted upon to at least not concede. and if we can do that, then level ball looks a good bet as we might just sneak a goal. singapore will want to show the fans that they are worth supporting, and this is a must-win game.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on singapore level @ 2.15 = $10.75

MALAGA vs ATLETICO MADRID (SPANISH LA LIGA)

atletico have not won their last 3, while malaga are unbeaten in 8 of their last 9. surely there's something wrong with the stats you see above, and i think atletico will look to put it right, by picking up an away win at malaga.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on atletico level @ 1.775 = $8.875

BOLOGNA vs AC MILAN (ITALIAN SERIE A)

ac milan have been poor away from home, while bologna have hit some form in recent games, and have gone unbeaten in the last 9. i don't think there's a better time to back ac milan to break the unbeaten run by bologna, and i think they might even win by more than one. beckham's arrival means that the milan midfield, while old, now has some bodies willing to put in the hard work, which is crucial in away matches.

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

AZ ALKMAAR vs DE GRAAFSCHAP (DUTCH EREDIVISIE)

az alkmaar are tops in the eredivisie, and deservedly so. they play a fluid attacking game and it has gotten them the results this season. they have won their last 7 though, and i think they are due a bad result. de graafschap should no longer be considered whipping boys, as they have secured the signing of ben sahar on loan, and he has shown in recent friendlies that he is looking sharp and will add some potency up front. i think they will nick a goal, and that means the handicap for them is worth taking.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on de graafschap +2 @ 1.85 = $9.25

MANCHESTER UNITED vs TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (FA CUP)

tottenham boss harry redknapp has claimed he will send the weakest team possible to old trafford, but really, i think he's just bluffing. he will probably give a chance to some reserves, but he will want them to show some fight. just like arsenal's carling cup boys, they know this is their chance to impress and they will want to at least force a replay. as for manchester united, they are also missing a fair number of first-teamers. eckersley, fabio, and james chester have been added to the squad, which really shows how strong united are gonna be tonight. in a tough match to call, i reckon tottenham will just have that bit more quality, and should be able to overcome the handicap.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on tottenham +1/1.5 @ 2.11 = $10.55

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS vs MIDDLESBROUGH (FA CUP)

every season, middlesbrough appear to be struggling in the league, but yet for many seasons, they also appear to stumble their way through round after round of the FA Cup. They barely beat Barrow in the 3rd round, and now they face much tougher opposition in the form of wolves at the molineux. no easy task for boro, and the task is complicated by their injury crisis, which leaves them down to the bare bones. pogatetz, arca, digard and walker are all out. mido is a wigan player now, so they're a little short up front as well. it all points to it being VERY VERY bad for middlesbrough, and that's exactly why i think boro are worth backing on level ball. yup, u read right. boro do well when least expected, and from what i'm seeing, the money everywhere is on wolves. i think boro could actually do well in this one, considering richard stearman is out for wolves as well.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on boro level @ 2.07 = $10.35

KILMARNOCK vs HEARTS (SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP)

nothing much to say here, except this...surely hearts can't lose AGAIN?

Eddy's prediction: $5 on hearts level @ 1.95 = $9.75

BOLTON vs MAN UTD (EPL)

One of Premier League's worst attacks versus the Premier League's best defence, I don't think there can be any other conclusion here - United win. Man Utd's last goal conceded was against Arsenal and they have been unbeaten since then, bar a disappointing outing to Pride Park. I don't think they will slip up against Bolton, who have been bad offensively and have lost all 7 games against the current top 5 teams in the league. Cristiano Ronaldo has been steadily improving since his ankle surgery and this match couldn't be at a better timing as he loves to score against Bolton - 6 goals in 6 matches against the Trotters. Rooney's injury means that Tevez will start upfront and he is dying to prove his worth and we saw that against Wigan where he ran his socks off and showed some glimpses of his previous best. I think United will win here, especially since Bolton captain Kevin Nolan is still suspended for this match.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Man Utd -1/1.5 @ 2.120 = $10.60

rooney is injured, and the ref isn't about to award united another soft penalty like the last time, so that's two main weapons out for united. to tell the truth, bolton looked like they were matching united until rob styles gave an inexplicable penalty for ronaldo being felled by j lloyd samuel's good tackle. rooney has also made a habit of scoring against bolton, so his loss will be felt. add that to tevez's constant whining and slight injury, and you can see united looking a little toothless. besides, they were pushed all the way by a battling wigan, and they can expect more of the same from a side that will be fresh after having a midweek break. fabrice muamba is comparable to wilson palacios in his combative nature, and with gary cahill back, bolton are not about to roll over and die, especially after losing 5 of their last 6. i honestly do not see how bolton will lose by more than 1 here, so they have to be my choice for tonight.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on bolton +1/1.5 @ 1.78 = $8.90

SUNDERLAND vs ASTON VILLA (EPL)

Villa have gone unbeaten in their last 10 domestic games, their last league loss coming against Middlesbrough in November. They are definitely high on confidence and have the "luck of Champions" - playing badly but still winning games with 1 moment of inspiration. Sunderland are a decent side, but I think Villa's defensive partnership of Davies and Laursen should be able to hold off Cisse and Kenwyne Jones, especially since Sunderland's most creative midfielder so far, Steed Malbranque, is out suspended. Villa are adept at playing away from home as it forces their opponent to come out and attack them, hence making them able to counter attack with the pace of Agbonlahor and Young, and this shows as they have won 7 of their 10 away games. I think Villa's form has been too good and Sunderland will probably lose this one, despite dominating.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Villa -0/0.5 @ 1.975 = $9.87

Villa have gone unbeaten in their last 10 domestic games, their last league loss coming against Middlesbrough in November. interesting, cos middlesbrough are rivals with sunderland and newcastle. boro and newcastle have already beaten aston villa this season, when the villans were backed all the way. a villa win in this game seems too obvious to be true, given that influential steed malbranque is out for the red and whites. kieran richardson is available though, and he is quickly becoming a hit with the fans, given his good performances ever since roy keane left. i think sunderland will have enough in them to force at least a draw in this one. djibril cisse is unmarkable on his day, and he has been linking up well with kenwyne jones. sunderland should be backed here. villa's run HAS to stop.

Eddy's prediction: $10 on sunderland +0/0.5 @ 1.925 = $19.25

MANCHESTER CITY vs WIGAN (EPL)

Wigan have had a very good run, a string of decent wins have catapulted them to 7th place, before they met Man Utd and finally lost. They did, however, play really well and deserved at least a draw and would have if not for the heroics of Vidic. Man Shitty have gone from spectacular (5-1 against Hull) to awful (losing 3-0 to Nottingham Forest), and Mark Hughes will have to change that to keep his job. The form team here is definitely Wigan, especially since Man City have their best performer so far, Ireland, suspended for this match. However, I think that City have to end their bad run that has left dangerously close to the relegation zone, and this match is their best chance as Robinho is back and it is at home, where they have been scoring truckloads of goals. I think that Wayne Bridge will be more than capable of handling Valencia's pace and trickery and City will win this one.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Man City -0.5 @ 2.050 = $10.25

BLACKBURN vs NEWCASTLE (EPL)

Blackburn have been shit all season, but they look a rejuvenated side under Big Sam. Newcastle, on the other hand, have been doing decently well under Kinnear but a recent injury crisis has coincided with a rather bad run for them - 3 losses and 2 draws in the last 5. I fancy Blackburn to win this one because Newcastle have a terrible record away from home, winning only 1 out of 10 games played away. Add this on to the fact that their top strikers, Ameobi Martins and Smith, are all injured, I don't fancy Newcastle to score at Ewood Park. Blackburn look to have Santa Cruz back but the front duo of McCarthy and Roberts has been working well and I think Blackburn will win this one, especially since they have been well rested and have had 2 weeks to prepare for this match due to their previous league match being cancelled.

Roland's prediction: $5 on Blackburn -0.5 @ 2.00 = $10.00

BARCELONA vs ATLETICO MADRID (SPANISH KING's CUP)

barcelona won in the first leg convincingly with a lionel messi hat-trick. atletico madrid have looked out of sorts in their recent games, losing to valencia, barcelona, and bilbao on the bounce. i feel they will be looking to at least restore some pride and confidence at the nou camp, and as such, i believe they will fight to the end. as for barcelona, they have a commanding lead, and will probably not be too fussed with adding gloss to the aggregate scoreline. as such, i think atletico have a great chance of grabbing at least a draw here.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on atletico madrid +0.5/1 @ 2.040 = $10.20

ATLETICO MADRID vs ATHLETIC BILBAO (LA LIGA)

bilbao are unbeaten in five, but they now face a trip to the vicente calderon stadium, and i think the most they can hope for is a point. atletico, however, will relish the visit of easier opponents after facing valencia and barcelona in their past 2 games. i can see atletico getting their title challenge back on track with a convincing win over bilbao.

Eddy's prediction: $10 on atletico madrid -0.5/1 @ 1.80 = $18.00

WIGAN vs TOTTENHAM (EPL)

wigan have all their big guns back, ie the likes of zaki, heskey and kirkland. they are in great form in the league, while tottenham's bright start has fizzled out somewhat. however, i feel that tottenham will be boosted by the signing of defoe and i think he will lead tottenham to victory here, in a match i do not see them losing.

Eddy's prediction: $5 on tottenham level @ 2.07 = $10.35