EPL Betting: Aston Villa vs. Stoke City

Aston Villa continued their winning ways midweek when they beat Sunderland 2:0 on the away. The victory extended their undefeated streak to ten consecutive matches, going back to September 26th when they lost to an unlikely Blackburn Rovers 2:1.The Villans will be looking to extend their high-flying form at the expense of visiting Stoke City.

Stoke City are after a 2:2 draw against Wigan on Saturday. They didn’t participate in midweek EPL action so they head to Villa Park fresher. That said, Stoke City have slowed down recently after a modestly good start, and as one would expect their form has slipped as well. They are now middle of the table – a position that many feel best suits their perceived abilities.

Stoke is not a star-studded squad but an outfit built of hardworking individuals with a healthy team ethos. This makes them a tough team to play against however and not surprisingly, at times frustrating – even for the best in the league.

Soccer Betting Line:

Aston Villa -1  -135   -230   2½  O -105   U -115   1½  O -140   U +120   Draw   +300    
Stoke City  +1  +115   +725  2½  O -105   U -115    ½  O -115   U -105  Draw   +300    

Match Time: 10:00 AM Eastern Time Saturday December 19, 2009
Venue: Villa Park

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Soccer Betting Verdict: That Aston Villa enter this match as the solid favourites is hardly surprising. Their status is underscored by their impressive form since September and is more than enough to recommend them to win outright in this match. Further recommending Aston Villa in this match is the accounts they opened during this run. In just their last six home matches they scored 14 goals and conceded only four.

Stoke City will be looking to hand the Villans their first defeat in a long time and they are not without a chance. They are just the type of unassuming team to do so.  However, they haven’t had a whole lot of success thwarting the bigwigs this season save for beating Tottenham Hotspur 1:0 on the away.

Some would argue though the Spurs are more like pretenders – still they are fifth in the league right now. Nevertheless, as the soccer betting line indicates – Stoke are tipped at +725 underdog odds – it is a long  shot bet.

The Villans are more likely to win than lose this one. Then again, all runs come to an end sometime. Might this be the end of Villans ten-match undefeated streak in league action? 

Soccer Free Picks: Because there is more tangible evidence to suggest the Villans will win this one, and win by a good goal margin, the recommended plays are Aston at -230, Over 1.5 -140 and Over 2.5 at -105. For those risk-takers, who love to back a quality underdog, you could do worse than backing Stoke at +725 in the unlikely event they will mastermind the unthinkable. Certainly, scoring a goal is within their scope so the Over ½ at -115 is within their scope.

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EPL Betting: Blackburn Rovers vs. Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur are after a convincing performance against Manchester City at White Hart Lane. The Spurs pounded the Citizens 3:0 in Wednesday’s EPL instalment to the delight of adoring fans. The win saw Spurs make a much-needed return to winning ways after a surprisingly loss to Wolverhampton Wolves on home patch on Saturday.

Blackburn Rovers are after a two-match road trip where they drew scoreless at Hull and lost 2:1 to Birmingham. They return to Ewood Park looking to return to winning ways. The Rovers are enjoying a six match undefeated run at Ewood Park and they will aim, rather audaciously some might think, to extend that run at the expense of visiting Spurs

Soccer Betting Line:

Blackburn Rovers +½  -135   +235   2½  O -120   U Ev  1  O -120   U Ev   Draw   +225    
Tottenham Hotspur  -½  +115   +115 2½  O -120   U Ev    1  O -145   U +125   Draw   +225    

Match Time: 10:00 AM Eastern Time Saturday December 19, 2009

Venue: Ewood Park

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Soccer Betting Verdict: Blackburn Rovers had a slow start to the season but recent weeks have seen an uptick in form and they are reaping the rewards. They are out of the relegation battle (for now – excuse the skeptism), sitting in 12th spot in the table on 19 points. Their climb up the table is largely due to an impressive run at home which includes four wins and two draws. What is more impressive is that the two draws were against Chelsea and Liverpool. They deserve mad props for taking a point from these two clubs.

Still they are only five points clear of the relegation zone and things can change quickly. The season is nowhere near being over with a long stretch still ahead; whether they can sustain current good form all the way to the business end of the season is the question. They can certainly be optimistic. But realistically, they can’t.

If you ask me their run of good results at home is about to end. The Tottenham HotSpurs are back to winning ways and anxious to close the gap on the big four (they are currently two points adrift of fourth placed Aston Villa). That they beat big-four rivals Man City is an added boost the Spurs will surely use to build up from in this next match. There is a big drop of in quality and depth between the Citizens and Rovers; clearly, Spurs will enter this match with a massive on paper advantage to boot.

Soccer Free Picks: For soccer bettors looking to back the Rovers the best they could possibly hope for is the draw and a point to keep the positive trend going. Most likely, it will be their objective. However, the Spurs want the win and having returned to winning ways, they are more likely to exert their will. Taking the Spurs to win outright is, therefore, the recommended play at +115. Seeing that it has been a busy week in the EPL betting most players will be a bit pooped. This could therefore end up a low scoring affair – especially after all the energy Spurs exerted against the Citizens. Taking the Under 2 ½ Evens is the best option.

NHL Saturday Three-Game Parlay (Second Edition)

NHL Saturday Three-Game Parlay 

Game 1 Preview: Minnesota Wild at Ottawa Senators

The Wild are coming off a strong 3-1 victory over the Canadians on Thursday. Mikku Koivu scored the game winner in that one and his play has been a huge factor in the Wild’s recent success. He has nine points in nine games this month. After starting the season 1-6, Minnesota has played much better as of late and are better than their 17-14-3 record may indicate. Whether or not that will eventually translate into the playoffs is another question, but Wild fans finally have something to be optimistic about.  

It’s not known how big of an impact the loss of Jason Spezza will have the Senators, but good money suggests it will be a big one. Spezza, although not the heart and soul of the team, is the Senators most valuable offensive weapon. Spezza was hurt on Monday and will be out for almost two months with a knee injury. That means players like Milan Michalek, Jonathan Cheechoo and Mike Fisher need to step up huge. The recent play of Brian Elliot (3-1-0, 1.26 GAA and 2 shutouts over four games) has helped, but it is unlikely that type of goalie play will last long-term for Ottawa.  

Pick: Ottawa Senators 

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Game 2 Preview: Florida Panthers at Carolina Hurricanes

The Panthers showed spunk on Wednesday. They blew a 3-0 lead to Atlanta, but were able to pick themselves back up and score a late goal to win 4-3. It’s never a good sign when a team blows a lead, but it’s those types of situations where a team really gets to show what they’re made of. The fact that the Panthers were able to pick themselves back up and win proves they have the makeup of a winning team.  

The Hurricanes are lucky to be at home in this one. They are awful on the road, with a 1-12-4 record. One could argue that they’re awful at home, too. The Hurricanes own the league’s worst record, and despite the recent return of Cam Ward, still look like a pretty poor team. In fact, it’s gotten so bad in Carolina that there are rumors the team is shopping franchise player Eric Staal in order to clear payroll and build for the future. For a  team that made the Eastern Finals last season, that’s a long, long drop down.  

Pick: Florida Panthers 

Game 3 Preview: Montreal Canadians at New York Islanders

The Canadians have lost five in a row, the latest a 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild. Carey Price has lost four of those and is looking more and more rattled as each game goes along. The Canadians are already fighting for their playoff lives and cannot afford another bad spell by Carey Price. There are rumors that the Habs are shopping backup goalie Jaroslav Halak for some scoring depth, but if Price continues his poor play Montreal may have no choice but to keep Halak.  

The Islanders are coming off a crushing 5-2 loss against city-rival New York Rangers on Thursday. New York played very well in a 2-1 win over those same Rangers on Wednesday, but before that had been dominated 7-1 by the Panthers. This is a Islanders team that is hard to figure out. On some nights they look like many had predicted in preseason: overmatched and under talented. Other times they look like a feisty young group that has the potential to upset. Chances are it will be a roller coaster season on Long Island 

Pick: New York Islanders

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EPL Betting: Manchester City vs. Sunderland

Manchester City are after a disappointing defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. The Citizens were drummed 3:0 and thoroughly outplayed. Good news for the Citizens: it was only their second loss on the season. Moreover, both league losses came on the road. The Citizens will be looking to return to winning ways at the expense of Sunderland when they clash on Saturday at the City of Manchester Stadium.

Sunderland are after a 2:0 loss to Aston Villa. The latest result is just another in a string of disappointments that have befallen the Black Cats lately. In their last four matches, they have picked up just one point and as such, they are second to last on form this week. Sunderland will be looking to turn things around but with a poor road record together with Citizen’s solid home form, this could be easier said than done.

Soccer Betting Line:

Manchester City -1 -105 -185 3 O +120 U -140 2 O +105 U -125 Draw +285
Sunderland AFC +1 -115 +525 3 O +120 U -140 1 O Ev U -120 Draw +285

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Match Time: 10:00 AM Eastern Time Saturday December 19, 2009
Venue: City of Manchester Stadium

Soccer Betting Verdict: Manchester City suffered only their second defeat on the season and most expect they will bounce back on Saturday convincingly. They have yet to lose a home match. Therefore, they are a good play to win outright at home at -185 (BetOnline odds). Their last home performance was a victory over Chelsea 2:1. Moreover, in their last six home matches they combined for 15 goals. So an added play is to take the team totals at Over 2 +105.

Sunderland are having all sorts of problems, winning just one of them. They can’t seem to score on the road. In their last six, they contributed four goals. It goes without saying, Sunderland to win is a long shot play. I would also add that they are unlikely to score against the Citizens considering how badly they have been misfiring lately. Recommended play is Under 1 -120 on the team totals.

Soccer Free Picks: Man City -185 and Over 2 +105 | Sunderland Under 1 -120

EPL Betting: Fulham vs. Manchester United

Manchester United are after a 3:0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday at the Old Trafford. The victory saw the Red Devils return to winning ways at the Old Trafford after suffering their first defeat of the season on home patch to Aston Villa on Saturday. Sir Fergusson and Co. now head to Fulham, seeking to continue their winning form.

Fulham extended their undefeated league run to four when they drew 1:1 at Burnley. Fulham have to be happy about the away result as it kept them heading in the right direction. Fulham didn’t participate in midweek EPL action – they are one of two sides (Stoke City the other) that skipped the proceedings. Fulham weren’t sitting on their laurels though as they had Europa League commitments to tend to and which they took care of impressively, beating Basel 3:2 to advance into the last 32.

The victory in Europe extends their undefeated run to five spanning all competitions. Spirits are high and that is rather fortuitous for they will need all they have, and then some, for the likes of Man U.

Soccer Betting Line:

Fulham FC +1 -125 +525 2½ O Ev U -120 ½ O -125 U +105 Draw +275

Manchester United -1 +105 -175 2½ O Ev U -120 1½ O -120 U Ev Draw +275

Match Time: 10:00 AM Eastern Time Saturday December 19, 2009

Venue: Craven Cottage

Soccer Betting Verdict: BetOnline is offering solid favourite odds on Man to win outright at -175. The price is right and most expect Man U to waltz away with the win.

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The Red Devils are not without question marks. They are having injury woes with no less than eight defenders on the sidelines. What they lack in the back, however, they make up for in the front. In their last three away games, they scored 11 goals and if they continue this positive trend, betting on the Overs would prove fruitful. Indeed, taking the combined totals at 2 ½ Over Evens seems to be the way to go.

Further recommending this pick is the fact that Fulham have managed to score at least a goal in their last five home matches.

Betting on Fulham for the win is not as outrageous as the money line odds of +525 would suggest. Fulham beat Man U last season 2:0. But also last season Man U beat Fulham 4:0 in FA Cup and 3:0 at the Old Trafford. The odds of a repeat by Fulham are slim. For adventurous bettors, sure why not risk it. If there were a time, Fulham would be precocious enough to believe they could get into the win column against the likes of Man U, it would be now – at a time when they are riding a wave of good results and enjoying newfangled confidence.

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