Betting Tips Blog

Here are the bets to look out for in Week 5 of the NFL. We’re tipping the best value selections in either Money Line, Handicap and Total Points. We’ll display the best odds and bookmaker for each prediction.

St Louis Rams @ Philadelphia Eagles – 18:00

Look for Philly to bounce back from 49ers defeat with their banged up O Line getting relief from injury and suspension.

Tip: Philadelphia Win -6.5 Handicap & Over 48.5 Points Double @ 13/5

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints – 18:00

The Saints have not hit top rhythm on offense but will do so against a shaky Buccs secondary. Buy Saints on the Handicap markets.

Tip: New Orleans Saints -10.5 Handicap @ 1/1

For the shock of the week, look for the Bills to take Detroit all the way.. with a stout defence, a coach that knows every inch of Detroit’s offense (Schwarz) having been there before. Outside bet on Bills.

Tip: Buffalo Bills Win @ 13/5

Look to go low on points in Kansas v SF. Both teams are built on the ground game so the clock will be chewed more than a Clint Eastwood Cigar Butt.

Tip: Under 44.5 Total Points @ 10/11

This is our weekly preview for football betting tips in Gameweek 7 of the Premier League. Read our predictions and previews to see which selections we suggest putting in your weekend football accumulator. Each tip will show the best odds and bookmaker to use.

Saturday 4th October

15:00 – Hull City v Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace look more potent this season going forward compared to last year, albeit conceding more goals as well. Hull also look to have attacking options but lacking defensively too. Hull city haven’t won in their last 5 games and have had over 3.5 goals in each of their last 4 games. Although Crystal Palace are picking up points, they are also leaking goals with 3 of their last 5 games also having over 3.5 goals. Recent stats and current team balance would suggest this match will be a lot more open and exciting compared to previous seasons.

Prediction: 2-2
Tip: Over 2.5 Goals @ 23/20

15:00 – Leicester v Burnley

Burnley have really struggled so far with just 1 goal in 6 games. Whilst Leicester showed how they can exploit space in behind against Manchester United, it will be a different game between these two. Burnley will make it very compact especially after conceding 4 to West Brom. We expect this one to be tight a low scoring match, possibly deciding by a set piece or two. Watch out for in-form striker Ulloa.

Prediction: 1-0
Tip: Under 2.5 Goals @ 9/10

15:00 – Liverpool v West Brom

West Brom are on a run of 3 straight wins after an awful start to the season whilst Liverpool will be looking to regain their form. An away trip to Basel which ended in a loss on Wednesday will not help fatigue or moral. Gerrard and Sterling played the full 90 minutes and with only 2 full days rest this will negatively affect Liverpool. Daniel Sturridge is still a doubt which gives West Brom probably the best opportunity they could have to grab a point at Anfield. We’re expecting a less than intense game, ending in a draw.

Prediction: 1-1
Tip: Both Teams to Score: YES @ 5/6

15:00 – Sunderland v Stoke City

Stoke City have started the season well, not losing in their last 4 away games. Sunderland have shown they can keep games relatively tight but lack real quality up top. Even when Sunderland do grab a goal it seems to be a midfielder this season. Once again we expect another tight match where Stoke will probably be happy to settle for a point away from home.

Prediction: 1-1
Tip: Under 2.5 Goals @ 3/5

15:00 – Swansea v Newcastle Utd

Alan Pardew will be desperate to relieve some pressure temporarily with a win on Saturday but know they face a very strong side away to Swansea. With a Newcastle side clearly unbalanced and lacking chemistry we can only see Swansea improving their formidable home record this season. Swansea have won to nil in Newcastle’s last 2 visits to the Liberty Stadium.

Prediction: 2-0
Tip: Home Win @ 20/23

17:30 – Aston Villa v Manchester City

Recent meetings between these two have thrown up goals galore with over 3.5 goals in 4 of their last 5 meetings. Aston Villa know they will have to score a couple of goals to get anything from this game whilst City have conceded in 4 of their last 5 away games. We expect Aston Villa to put out a good performance but City have cutting edge where it matters and will outscore Villa.

Prediction: 1-3
Tip: Over 3.5 Goals @ 2/1

Sunday 5th October

12:00 Manchester United v Everton

United will know this is one of the most important games of the season with 9 players still out injured, getting through here with a win will leave 2 weeks during the international break for their squad to recover and get back to normal. Blackett returning will be a boost defensively but with Phil Jones still out, Paddy Mcnair is also set to keep his place. Everton have been in indifferent form in the Premier League this season only winning 1 out of 6 and travelling to Russia on Thursday for their Europa League clash really won’t help things. We expect Man United to take a one or two goal lead and Van Gaal to learn from his mistakes and shut this one out.

Prediction: 2-0
Tip: Home Win @ 3/4

14:05 Chelsea v Arsenal

With both teams having plenty of rest and no new injuries we expect this to be an intense match. In-form Welbeck will take great confidence into this match coming off the back of a Champions League hat-trick. Diego Costa will be looking to take advantage of a far from perfect defence, Arsenal having conceding in 6 of their last 7 matches. We don’t expect either team to keep a clean sheet but think it will either be a Chelsea win or draw. 2-2 or 2-1 and we’re going for 2-1.

Prediction: 2-1
Tip: Both Teams to Score: YES @ 4/5

14:05 Tottenham v Southampton

This match could be one of the thrillers of the week with ex-manager Pochettino facing his old side for the first time. Tottenham do feature in the Europa League but are at home and this helps it being a lot less disruptive. Southampton come into this match in great form having won 10 of their last 11 away games (including friendlies). With both teams attacking full backs getting forward we expect space opening up in vulnerable areas. This will be an intense open match and previous results suggest high goals with 10 goals in their last 2 meetings.

Prediction: 2-2
Tip: Over 3.5 Goals @ 5/2

16:15 West Ham v QPR

QPR come into this match with an awful away record having lost all 4 away games this season. West Ham will be feeling confident with their new look attack of Sakho and Valencia who have shown how clinical they can be. QPR need to start picking up points but we don’t think the trend is going to change just yet, we expect a close match with West Ham edging it by a goal.

Prediction: 2-1
Tip: Home Win @ 19/20

With the popularity of football accumulators going through the roof this is our top 5 expert tips for accumulators.

The curse of the early game

Any experienced bettor will tell you how often the early match has busted the whole accumulator before the main games have even started. There’s no stats to suggest missing the early game will make your bets more profitable but what it will do is keep you entertained for longer. If you’re only doing one accumulator for the day it’s best to keep the kick off times around the same time, saving the buzz-kill of it falling at the first leg.

Valueless Favourites

Don’t just add in valueless odds on favourites just because you see it would boost your accumulator winnings. ‘Real Madrid away at 1/12′ is really not good value and this will reflect in the chances of your accumulator coming in. The only way your accumulator will be good value is if each component single is good value too.

Cash out rip off

Don’t be ripped off by the payouts which cash outs offer you. 99% of the time you will always be offered a bad deal and this can easily be calculated, especially if no games are currently in-play. Also don’t put a late game in your accumulator if when all the other results actually win.. you will decide to cash out, it would be best just to leave that game out and get the full payout before it starts.

Find the best odds

The difference between odds on an accumulator at one bookie compared to another can be huge, if each component single odds is slightly worse at one place this loss will be magnified in the overall price of the accumulator. Use an odds comparison platform such as the Accumulator Tracker App to find the best overall odds.

Bet what you can afford to lose

With most accumulators, even if you feel confident they are unlikely to come in purely because the odds are usually relatively high. A random 10/1 accumulator might seem quite low but even this is suggested to come in less than 1 in 11 times (if the bookies prices are set right). With this in mind you should only bet what you can afford to lose.

As week 4 of the NFL season approaches we’ve singled out the best value bets of this gameweek.

Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears – 18:00

Green Bay cannot play any worse than last week and Bears won’t be able to stop the run setting up Rogers for his first passing day of the season.

Tip: Green Bay Packers Win @ 4/5 (Bet Now – BetVictor)

Detroit Lions @ New York Jets – 18:00

Lions Defence is looking solid and Rex Ryan wants to ‘ease the load’ on Geno Smith, that means more running. Look for Jets to avoid a shootout and keep it on the ground.

Tip: Under 44.5 Total Points @ 10/11 (Bet Now – Bet365)

Atlanta Falcons @ Minnesota Vikings – 21:25

Tip: Over 46.5 Total Points @ 10/11 (Bet Now – Bet365) 

Philadelphia Eagles @ San Francisco 49ers – 21:25

Don’t rule out 49ers to turn over Philly who have looked explosive but suspect defensively, 49ers might enjoy that and control the ball.

Tip: San Francisco – 4.5 Handicap @ 10/11 (Bet Now -BetVictor)

New Orleans Saints @ Dallas Cowboys – 01:30

Expect this to be a high scoring game above the set price, Dallas can’t stop anyone scoring and New Orleans have weapons everywhere.

Tip: Over 53 Total Points @ 20/21 (Bet Now – PaddyPower)

Saturday 27th September 2014

12:45 – Liverpool v Everton

The much anticipated Merseyside derby will be the early entertainment for Saturday. Daniel Sturridge could return but even if he does he is unlikely to be match fit. Both teams have conceded in each of their last 3 games and clearly have defensive issues. Sterling playing 120 minutes on Saturday will not have helped Liverpool but we do expect quite an evenly matched game with plenty of goals. There has been over 3.5 goals in 3 of their last 4 meetings.

Prediction: 2-2
Tip: Over 3.5 Goals @ 8/5 (Bet Now – BetVictor)

15:00 – Chelsea v Aston Villa

Although Aston Villa have performed well this season it is hard to look past Chelsea’s imperious home Premier League form. Villa came unstuck last week at home to Arsenal which shows what top quality players can do to their defence. With Diego Costa rested midweek he will be raring to go. The value however can be seen in Both Teams to Score with a far from perfect Chelsea defence against a Villa team which have shown they can get goals away from home this season.

Prediction: 2-1
Tip: Both Teams to Score: YES @ 6/4 (Bet Now – BetVictor)

15:00 – Crystal Palace v Leicester

Leicester showed real character last week albeit a bit lucky with the penalty coming back to beat Man United. Vardy looks a bright spark upfront but don’t expect him to get the same amount of space upfront away to Palace. With both teams knowing a point will be invaluable and Palace knowing they must start picking up more home points we expect a bit of a standoff.

Prediction: 1-1
Tip: Draw @ 23/10 (Bet Now – Bet365)

15:00 – Hull City v Manchester City

Man City have not lost away in the Premier League so far this season but Hull have not lost at home either. We expect Hull to put up a good fight with new signing Ben Arfa eager to show what he can do. Overall Man City should have too much firepower for them but we do also expect Hull to score.

Prediction: 1-3
Tip: Over 3.5 Goals @ 23/10 (Bet Now – Betfair)

15:00 – Manchester United v West Ham

Manchester United will be looking to put their defensive woes behind them after their 5-3 slip against Leicester. With Luke Shaw set to make his debut Rojo could move in to Central defence which looks a more solid line-up. West Ham will be feeling confident themselves coming off the back of a 3-1 win against Liverpool. With no midweek game and more training opportunity we expect Van Gaal to have organised a more solid looking team tactically. Di Maria looked class once again last week and with so much firepower upfront we can’t see Man United giving up even more points this weekend.

Prediction: 3-1
Tip: Home Win @ 4/11 (Bet Now – PaddyPower)

15:00 – Southampton v QPR

Southampton have shown they have real class this season winning their last 5 games in all competitions. With QPR’s 1 win in their last 6 matches this could be a bit of a mis-match. We don’t expect this to be a walkover though as QPR will probably sit back and try and soak up the pressure. Overall Southampton should have too much class and edge it by 1 or 2 goals.

Prediction: 2-0
Tip: Home Win @ 1/2 (Bet Now – BetVictor)

15:00 – Sunderland v Swansea

Sunderland can be quite unpredictable at home so this match has been tricky to call. We know Swansea are in great form lately and in some games have been scoring for fun. Sunderland know they must start picking up points hovering 1 place above the drop zone but aren’t likely to get more than a draw.

Prediction: 2-2
Tip: Both Teams to Score: YES @ 1/1 (Bet Now – William Hill)

17:30 – Arsenal v Tottenham

This is a game that historical rarely disappoints for entertainment value and goals. Arsenal have won 5 of their last 6 home games against Tottenham and we predict them to make it 6 in 7. In this fixture there has been 22 goals in the last 5 games, thats averaging over 4 goals a game! In this case 2/1 at over 3.5 goals looks great value.

Prediction: 3-1
Tip: Over 3.5 Goals @ 2/1 (Bet Now – William Hill)

Sunday 28th September 2014

16:00 – West Brom v Burnley

Both teams will feel this is a great opportunity for 3 points but Burnley have serious issues with putting the ball in the back of the net. West Brom have won their last 2 games yet Burnley haven’t won all season long. Also West Brom have not lost to Burnley in their last 6 home meetings and have won 4 of them.

Prediction: 1-0
Tip: Home Win @ 1/1 (Bet Now - Bet365)

Monday 29th September 2014

20:00 – Stoke City v Newcastle Utd

Newcastle showed they have the firepower at the ready in their 3-2 extra time win away to Palace on Wednesday but need to give their new-look team time to gel. Alan Pardew knows he must start picking up Premier League points before he starts slipping into a relegation dog-fight. Although Stoke can be a tough side to break down we see value in the underdog away win as Newcastle have shown they have some quality players and it can take a few weeks to really click.

Prediction: 1-2
Tip: Away Win @ 29/10 (Bet Now – BetVictor)

Well folks it’s Week 3 in the NFL and with offenses usually taking a little time to click, this is often the sweet spot of the season to start buying NFL points as the weather is also pretty good. Add to that the fact that the first two weeks were well under in terms of total points, we could be in for some explosive action. Atlanta already racked up 56 points against the Bucs on Thursday and I can see some more carnage on Sunday. Vikings at Saints (52 to buy), Packers at Lions (55), 49ers at Cardinals (43) and Redskins at The Eagles (53) all look good value, we can’t see them coming much under. For that reason I’ll be buying £20 of Sporting’s total points at 595 for an average of 45.7.  I don’t normally like buying after a 70 pointer has popped, but I’ll make the exception this week. If you’re not familiar with Spread Betting, here’s our fixed odds tips below.

Fixed Odds: 

Minnesota Vikings @ New Orleans Saints - 6pm (UK)
(Over 49 Total Points) @ Odds 10/11 (Bet Now – BetVictor)

Greenbay Packers @ Detriot Lions - 6pm (UK)
(Over 52.5 Total Points) @ Odds 10/11 (Bet Now – Bet365)

Washington Redskins @ Philadelphia Eagles – 6pm (UK)
(Over 50 Total Points) @ Odds 10/11 (Bet Now – Bet365)

San Francisco 49ers @ Arizona Cardinals – 9:05pm (UK)
(Over 42 Total Points) @ Odds 10/11 (Bet Now – Bet365)

If you’re feeling brave these as a 4-fold give odds of 13.31 (£10 pays £133.10) @ Bet365

If you prefer lower risk, I really can’t see ‘Highest Scoring game (70.5 on Sporting) coming under. At a meagre 55 last week, lightning rarely strikes twice, and with the line-up of games this week, I think we’re in ‘no-brainer’ territory.  If you want a fixed odds buzz, my tips on handicaps would be New Orleans to score big, Eagles to sort out the redskins and Buffalo to edge out San Diego. No NFL blog would be complete without a view on the Superbowl rematch; the bad news for Denver fans is that there’ll be no revenge, although a blowout is unlikely this time.

Minnesota Vikings @ New Orleans Saints - 6pm (UK)
(New Orleans Win – 10.5 Handicap) @ 1/1 (Bet Now – BetVictor)

Washington Redskins @ Philadelphia Eagles – 6pm (UK)
(Philadelphia Win – 6 Handicap) @ 1/1 (Bet Now – Bet365)

San Diego Chargers @ Buffalo Bills – 6pm (UK)
(Buffalo Bills Win) @ 4/5 (Bet Now – BetVictor)

Denver Broncos @ Seattle Seahawks – 9:25pm (UK)
(Seattle Win – 4.5 Handicap) @ 14/15 (Bet Now – SkyBet)

These as a 4-fold give odds of 12.33 (Bet Now – William Hill)

If you want an outside bet of the week, have a tipple at Kansas on the road in Miami at 17/10 even if Nile Davis replaces Jamal Charles since he’s a handful himself, and with Moreno out for the Dolphins they will be airing it out (not Tannehill’s strong suit).

Kansas Chiefs @ Miami Dolphins – 9:25pm (UK)
(Kansas Win) @ 17/10 (Bet Now – Bet365)

Check out our tip calendar for a full list of NFL accumulators and singles.

Saturday 20th September 2014

12:45 – QPR v Stoke

Stoke visit QPR with both teams coming off the back of loses. With each of them hovering above the drop zone, they will both be desperate for a win. Stoke’s injury worry doubts with Arnautovic and Walters go against them, plus the home crowd getting behind QPR lead to us choosing a home win.

Prediction: 2-1
Tip: HOME WIN @ 19/10 (Bet Now – BetVictor)

15:00 - Aston Villa v Arsenal

Arsenal are out of form away recently not winning in their last 5 games, however they have not lost at Villa Park in their last 15 meetings. Arsenal have started the season with some lacklustre performances and know they cannot afford to drop anymore points to teams like this if they want a realistic chance of top 4.

Prediction: 1-2
Tip: AWAY WIN @ 13/15 (Bet Now – BetVictor)

15:00 - Burnley v Sunderland

Neither team has impressed so far this season which explains their league position in 15th and 18th respectively. Burnley are lacking striking options with Ings out and we expect quite an evenly balanced defensive match.

Prediction: 0-0
Tip: Under 2.5 Goals @ 4/6 (Bet Now – Bet365)

15:00 - Newcastle v Hull

The pressure is growing on Alan Pardew to get results since Newcastle sitting bottom of the Premier League. With Hull doing relatively well it won’t be an easy win at St James’s park. Hull have had both teams score in each of their last 4 matches and with Newcastle’s unbalanced team we expect the same.

Prediction: 2-1
Tip: Both Teams to Score: YES @ 1/1 (Bet Now – William Hill)

15:00 - Swansea v Southampton

Both of these teams have made outstanding starts to the season sitting in the top 4 of the Premier League. Although we don’t expect them to finish this high they have both shown class upfront. We predict this to be full of chances but quite an even game.

Prediction: 2-2
Tip: Over 3.5 Goals @ 17/5 (Bet Now – BetVictor)

17:30 - West Ham v Liverpool

Liverpool’s attack looked far less flowing without Raheem Sterling starting and Daniel Sturridge out injured at home to Aston Villa last week. With Sturridge still out we don’t quite expect them to be back to full throttle quite yet but they could win this one by the odd goal. We were 50/50 between a draw or Liverpool win here but we think Liverpool will just edge it.

Prediction: 1-2
Tip: Both Teams to Score: YES @ 7/10 (Bet Now – BetVictor)

Sunday 21st September 2014

13:30 - Leicester v Man Utd

Man Utd showed what they were capable of last week thrashing QPR 4-0 with many world class players on show. Although Leicester have shown they are hard to break down the class of Di Maria and Co. both breezing past players and pin-point passing accuracy will likely just blow Leicester away. We wouldn’t normally tip an odds on away team but we can really still see value in 7/10.

Prediction: 1-3
Tip: AWAY WIN @ 7/10 (Bet Now – Bet365)

13:30 – Tottenham v West Brom

Tottenham played away in the Europa League this week but left many big players out so we don’t expect this to have too much effect. West Brom have only won once in their last 7 Premier League games and are seriously struggling this year home and away. We expect Tottenham to win by 1 or 2 goals with their only blip in their recent home form coming to Liverpool earlier this season.

Prediction: 2-0
Tip: HOME WIN @ 8/15 (Bet Now – Bet365)

16:00 - Everton v Crystal Palace

Everton had a cracking 4-1 home result against Wolfsburg in the Europa League and although it was at home they played very much a full strength team so we can see some fatigue coming into play here. 3 out their last 4 meetings with each other in the Premier League have had at least 4 goals in each. We expect goals and possibly a draw.

Prediction: 2-2
Tip: Over 3.5 Goals @ 2/1 (Bet Now – Bet365)

16:00 – Man City v Chelsea

Chelsea travel to the Etihad on Sunday having conceding in each of their last 3 away Premier League games. Although Chelsea have had a great winning run of their first 4 Premier League games so far this season, Man City away will be by far their toughest test yet. Chelsea also showed how they are not quite yet perfect with their draw at home to Schalke midweek. We expect goals and are leaning towards a Draw or Man City win.

Prediction: 2-2
Tip: Both Teams to Score: YES @ 8/11 (Bet Now – BetVictor)

Saturday 13th September 2014

12:45 – Arsenal v Man City

After the international break the Premier League begins with this clash of titans. Previously met at the community shield in August where Arsenal came out 3-0 winners. Ramsey and Jovetic are injury doubts at the Emirates but depth of squad from both teams should cover this. Both teams having already dropped points this season we expect this to be a tight affair.

Prediction: 1-1
Tip: Both Teams to Score: YES @ 7/10 (Bet Now – Bet365)

15:00 – Chelsea v Swansea

Both of these teams have been on fire this season winning 3 out of 3 games. With Chelsea’s free scoring team and Swansea’s tight defence this is expected to be a tight match. Although we expect Chelsea could edge this match, there is really no value in the 1.30 home win.

Prediction: 2-1
Tip: Both Teams to Score: YES @ 5/4 (Bet Now – BetVictor)

15:00 – Crystal Palace v Burnley

Both teams sitting at the bottom of the Premier League but have had very tough starts in terms of fixture difficulty. Burnley are good defensively, however Crystal Palace seem to have the edge in firepower with the likes of Gayle, Puncheon, Chamakh and Zaha. We’re going for a Crystal Palace win.

Prediction: 2-0
Tip: Home Win @ 5/4 (Bet Now – Bet365)

15:00 – Southampton v Newcastle

This looks to be an exciting line-up with two new look teams showing flair upfront. Both teams have shown they can score goals however they also leak goals defensively. 2 out of their last 5 meetings have been over 3.5 goals and their current line-up makes 3/1 great value.

Prediction: 2-2
Tip: Over 3.5 Goals @ 3/1 (Bet Now – BetVictor)

15:00 – Stoke v Leicester

Newly promoted Leicester are struggling just above the drop zone in 16th, whilst Stoke are doing slightly better in mid table. Both teams have kept games tight this season and Stoke are notoriously defensive at home. This leads to our prediction of under 2.5 total goals.

Prediction: 1-1
Tip: Under 2.5 Goals @ 8/13 (Bet Now – BetVictor)

15:00 – Sunderland v Tottenham

Both teams coming off the back of a loss before the international break will be looking to put things right. Tottenham’s depth of squad seems hard to look past when predicting this match, however Sunderland have made a habit of getting results against top teams recently. We expect Tottenham to edge this one with their last 2 meetings away to Sunderland ending 1-2.

Prediction: 1-2
Tip: Both Teams to Score: YES @ 4/5 (Bet Now – Bet365)

15:00 – West Brom v Everton

West Brom and Everton surprisingly low in the table this far, 18th and 17th respectively. Everton have shown class but also the inability to close out games. With the quality in Everton’s squad they will be desperate to get their first win of the season and should have enough to put away a mediocre West Brom.

Prediction: 1-2
Tip: Away Win @ 6/5 (Bet Now – Bet365)

17:30 – Liverpool v Aston Villa

Both teams performing well this season, especially Villa sitting in third. Daniel Sturridge has been ruled out because of injury which will most likely work against Liverpool. Luckily they have Mario Balotelli ready to go so we do expect both teams to score. In Villa’s last 5 visits to Anfield, Liverpool have only won once.

Prediction: 2-2
Tip: Over 3.5 Goals @ 11/8 (Bet Now – Bet365)

Sunday 14th September 2014

16:00 – Man Utd v QPR

Man United’s new look team should all be available to play in a must win game against QPR, the likes of Falcao should be far too strong for QPR defence and we can only see this match going one way. QPR won their last game but were at home and lucky to come away with all 3 points.

Prediction: 3-0
Tip: Home Win @ 3/10 (Bet Now – PaddyPower)

Monday 15th September 2014

20:00 – Hull v West Ham

This mid table clash doesn’t sound the most exciting on paper. Historical this fixture is usually won by the odd goal and we’re predicting it will happen again. We’re tipping Hull City to win by the odd goal, taking advantage of being in front of a home crowd.

Prediction: 1-0
Tip: Under 2.5 Goals @ 8/13 (Bet Now – Bet365)

Football betting tips, predictions and a preview of Gameweek 3 fixtures in the Premier League. The matches will be played across Saturday 30th August and Sunday 31st August.

Saturday 30th August Football Tips

Burnley v Man United – 12:45 (LIVE on BT Sport 1)

Many punters will naturally exclude the early game from any midweek accumulators as we know how frustrating it can be when your accumulator busts on the first leg. Although Man United’s squad still has a lot of work to be done, Burnley have lost their last 2 home games and should be exploited by the class of Rooney, Van Persie, Mata and new signing Di Maria. United still have defensive issues with Rojo a doubt to receive a work permit in time but overall Man United should have enough firepower to edge this must win game.

Prediction: Burnley 1 – 2 Man United
TIP: Away win @ 4/6 (Bet Now – Bet365)

Man City v Stoke – 15:00

Man City should see this one out comfortably combining Man City’s great home form with Stoke’s poor away form last season. Stoke also had a midweek Capital One Cup match against Portsmouth compared with Man City’s rest. With the likes of Aguero looking sharp again a home win could be a safe bet.

Prediction: Man City 3 – 1 Stoke City
TIP: Over 3.5 Goals @ 6/4 (Bet Now – BetVictor)

Newcastle v Crystal Palace – 15:00

Newcastle’s new look team looks an exciting prospect with the likes of Remy Cabella. Although Crystal Palace have brought in new manager Neil Warnock it could be a step too far to beat Newcastle on their home turf. Newcastle have won 4 out of their last 5 home games against Crystal Palace and we expect the trend to continue on Saturday.

Prediction: Newcastle 2 – 0 Crystal Palace
TIP: Home Win @ 3/4 (Bet Now – Bet365)

QPR v Sunderland – 15:00

Both sides seem to be struggling this year with neither side able to record a Premier League win. QPR seem to be under-performing with the firepower they have in their squad. With the likes of Remy, Ferdinand, Fer and Phillips they may prove tough to beat at home this weekend. Their last meeting at Loftus road saw QPR come out 3-1 winners.

Prediction: QPR 2 – 1 Sunderland
TIP: Home Win @ 6/4 (Bet Now – PaddyPower)

Swansea v West Brom – 15:00

Swansea will look to build on their perfect Premier League record this season with 2 out of 2 wins whilst West Brom haven’t lost a game either, drawing twice. Swansea’s starting 11 does look a class above West Brom and with the baggies going 120minutes against Oxford midweek won’t help things.

Prediction: Swansea 2 – 1 West Brom
TIP: Home Win @ 10/11 (Bet Now – BetVictor)

West Ham v Southampton – 15:00

West Ham clearly have a strengthened squad since last season whilst it was feared Southampton were in melt-down shipping off their stars to Premier League rivals before restocking with some quality names. Both teams have shown quality so far this season and we thought Southampton were unlucky to go away empty handed at Anfield in their first game of the season. We can see this being quite an even game overall.

Prediction: West Ham 1 – 1 Southampton
TIP: Both teams to score: Yes @ 4/5 (Bet Now – Bet365)

Everton v Chelsea – 17:30 (LIVE on Sky Sports 1)

Everton showed real class to go 2 nil up against Arsenal last game but clearly were fatigued towards the end of the game which contributed vastly to the late Arsenal comeback. With both teams having no midweek match this should lead to an exciting match up. Diego Costa is a big doubt, as well as Torres who could be leaving for AC Milan. Having said this they still have enough firepower throughout the team to score a few goals.

Prediction: Everton 2 – 2 Chelsea
TIP: Both teams to score: Yes @ 20/23 (Bet Now – BetVictor)

Sunday 31st August Football Tips

Aston Villa v Hull – 13:30

Both of these teams have looked relatively solid this season with both conceding just one goal each so far in two matches. Hull however had a Europa League match as recently as Thursday and could show some fatigue. Paul Lambert’s side seem to be maturing and should be boosted by the return of Charles N’Zogbia this season. Hull’s last meeting at Villa Park saw them come out 3-1 losers and we’re also going for an Aston Villa win.

Prediction: Aston Villa 2 – 1 Hull
TIP: Home Win @ 11/8 (Bet Now – BetVictor)

Tottenham v Liverpool – 13:30 (LIVE on Sky Sports 1)

This should be an exciting match up with both teams showing real quality in the final third. Although Tottenham did play in the Europa League Thursday, they were at home and put out mostly a second string side. There has been 4 goals or more in each of these two teams last 3 Premier League meetings.

Prediction: Tottenham 2 – 2 Liverpool
TIP: Over 3.5 Goals @ 7/4 (Bet Now – BetVictor)

Leicester v Arsenal – 16:00 (LIVE on Sky Sports 1)

The biggest Arsenal news this week comes with Giroud being set for an extended spell on the sidelines with a broken Tibia. Leicester have fought hard this season against tough opposition but did leak two first half goals against Everton. Whether they are ready to compete against top class opposition remains to be seen. Arsenal should dominate the midfield and even without Giroud have enough firepower and class to come away with all 3 points.

Prediction: Leicester 1 – 2 Arsenal
TIP: Away Win @ 13/15 (Bet Now – Bet365)

One of the most exciting things about the league cup is that it is very volatile and gives some wonderful betting opportunities. A lot of top sides tend to put mostly 2nd string players out and it has been suggested that some big club managers are not too upset about going out, particularly those involved in Europe.
Of course for lower clubs it represents a chance to go on a cup run (probably much easier than the FA cup) and the possibility of playing a big club, earn much needed extra income and just maybe get a dream trip to Wembley.

It’s no wonder then that this cup seems to increasingly produce upsets and this gives the savvy punter a chance of winning with some big odds, perhaps more so than on any other football competitions throughout the season.

I think the bookies tend to be on the back foot in this competition because it is difficult to gauge a clubs attitude and of course they, like us, won’t really know the starting line ups maybe up to an hour before kick off. It does mean that early bird prices have the possibility to be wildly inaccurate and if you have the inside track on a certain club or perhaps the bookies have just not done as much homework as you have then you can gain the advantage. Let’s face it having an edge over a bookie is probably a rare thing but with this cup I really think it is possible.
Who and what type of bet to back is the big question but just consider this:
Try a 5 team accumulator backing some smaller teams against premier league opposition. Even with a small stake it’s amazing what payouts can be achieved when these odds are multiplied out and of course you can always play a little safer by backing 4 folds etc . As an interesting exercise use the free Accumulator Tracker app (on both IOS and Android) to play around with some permutations and this will find the bookie with the best odds. The margin of difference between bookies when multiplying the odds out can be quite staggering.

I would not be surprised to see a non premier league final this time round so I reckon taking a punt on a few Championship sides to win the cup (or EW) could pay handsomely. I like Millwall at 500/1 (Bet Now – Skybet), Birmingham at 225/1 (Bet Now – PaddyPower) and Notts Forest 125/1 (Bet Now – Betfair).

Give it a go and let us know about any wild bets you’ve done or are considering.