2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup Finals – USA vs Mexico

The CONCACAF Gold Cup Final between defending champions Mexico and host USA is a dream final. It’s the final everyone anticipated from the start of the tournament and wanted to see and after a dramatic semi-final round, in which both sides were sorely tested and in the reigning champions’ case, pushed almost to the limit, the anticipation reaches a fever pitch.

USA faced Panama in the semis, looking for redemption for a 2-1 defeat to Panama in the group stage, its only defeat in the competition thus far. As the previous encounter, so the semi-final: Panama played a tight game, giving the USA very little to work with, if anything at all. In fact, for most of the match Panama seemed to outplay the USA, controlling the ball and playing some great soccer. And during some of these best stretches by the Central Americans, the goal came – on two substitutions, Freddy Adu and Landon Donovan, who, curiously, started his second match of the tournament sitting pretty on the bench. Clint Dempsey was the hero for the USA, lunging at the back post to slot a Donovan cross into the net, late in the second half.

Mexico came up against an industrious Honduras that seemed up for the challenge it is to take on the most successful team in the competition as they forced extra time following a goalless 90 minutes of regular time. But extra time was barely three minutes old and Honduras cracked, unable to withstand the constant attacking pressure of the El Tri as first Aldo De Nigris and then, six minutes later, Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez scored to send Mexico to the Gold Cup final with a 2-0 win.

USA and Mexico have collided in the last two finals of the biennial Gold Cup tournament, splitting the result: USA winning four years ago and Mexico crushing the USA en route to a 5-0 coronation in 2009. Therefore, it is no wonder that going into the tournament, Mexico were the hot favorites to win while USA was a close second favorite. 

USA will win because….
Panama exposed several weaknesses that still exist in this USA team – arguably, its best export into the world’s beautiful game – by handing them a 2-1 defeat in group action but the composure that the Americans showed in the rematch with Panama was singularly responsible for victory. Admittedly, they weren’t the better side on the pitch that day but they kept it together and pounced on the lone opportunity when it came. Sure, there was a touch of luck in that result but the bottom line is that the USA is in the final and they have home advantage. 

Mexico will win because…
Mexico is to the CONCACAF Gold Cup what Barcelona is to Champions League, a force to be reckoned with, just in a smaller playground and with, admittedly, lesser players. Nevertheless, Mexico is the team to beat and when players like “Chicarito,” amongst several others, are on hot form they are impossible to deny. On home advantage to the USA, it is a moot point. El Tri will not be short of fans in the stands given the large Mexican population in America and therefore home-advantage, you could say, is cancelled out.

It is worthwhile to note that the winner of Saturday’s final clinches a berth in the FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil in 2013, a 2014 FIFA World Cup preview event. USA earned a berth in the last Confederations Cup in South Africa, wherein they surprised the entire world by beating Spain in the semis before losing to Brazil in the final.

Such long overdue international success provides the sort of incentive for the USA that together with home advantage could see them win the final on Saturday. It is a result that would please American soccer fans no end and would go towards further establishing USA as a respectable team and viable threat in the game. But Mexico looms large and dangerous, having more depth and skill than the Americans have and therefore, it is hard to see how they can be denied a sixth Gold Cup coronation.

Copa America 2011 Preview — Brazil bidding for a fifth title

The 2011 Copa America is set to get underway in a mere few days and promises to bring the best of South American soccer to soccer fans worldwide in the month of July. Running from July 1-24, Copa America will showcase the delightfully skilful Brazilians, who are the defending champions; the supernatural Messi-inspired Argentineans; the talented Mexicans, who are flush off a sixth CONCACAF Gold Cup title; and the ambitious Uruguayans, who are after a memorable 2010 World Cup run, amongst many others.

Defending champions Brazil are the team to beat in this tournament having won four titles in a row; therefore, the overriding question ahead of the 2011 Copa America is: can anyone stop the Brazilians?

Brazil goes into the tournament as one of two favourites to win the trophy again. Their biggest threat for the title: a Messi-inspired Argentina.

Odds on powerhouse Brazil winning a fifth title are tighter than previously because two factors go that stand against them or, to put it another way, make it more difficult a) they will be without some of their star players such as Kaka, Felipe Melo, Luis Fabiano, Michel Bastos, Gilberto Silva, Nilmar, to name a few, and b) this year Argentina is hosting the Copa America, giving the host nation and overwhelming advantage.

Before Brazil can look ahead to Argentina it needs to navigate a successful path through Group action but let’s face it with Venezuela, Ecuador and Paraguay in Group B they should advance without a hitch.

Argentina suffered numerous disappointments in recent years in this competition; surprisingly so, given the talent and depth contained within their national team. Home advantage is going to be huge towards putting past disappointments behind, indeed; but then again, the players can’t simply bank on home advantage. One wonders whether the pressure and expectation placed on them will be too much. Argentina falls into Group A with Bolvia, dangerous floaters Costa Rica and Colombia.

Mexico is after beating the USA 4-2 in the Gold Cup final, a result that saw them surge in the FIFA rankings and bolstered their confidence ahead of this competition. Mexico is definitely a team to watch in this competition as it tries to shake things up in Group C. 

Falling into the same group as Mexico is Uruguay, a side that stunned the world in South Africa. Uruguay enjoyed a memorable run at the 2010 World Cup wherein they reached the semi-finals before falling to the eventual champions Spain. As things currently stand, Group C appears to be wide open, shaped to be the most interesting group of the competition.

CONCACAF Gold Cup – Cuba vs Costa Rica and Mexico vs El Salvador

European club soccer drew to a close on a high note – with the Champions League Final last weekend, which Barcelona won 3-1 over Manchester United convincingly – paving the way for international soccer on the online sports betting platform. And first up to take centre stage is the CONCACAF Gold Cup that gets underway at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas on Sunday June 5th when Cuba takes on Costa Rica in Group A action, followed by Mexico vs. El Salvador.

Cuba vs. Costa Rica Preview and Picks:

BetOnline Sportsbook tips Cuba as the significant underdogs at +450 while tipping Costa Rica at -200 to win the opening Group A clash and for good reason; that is, a vast chasm between these teams exists in performance and results in the context of this competition and where overall quality and status in the game is concerned.

Costa Rica has a rich history in this competition. While they are not the most successful – that is Mexico – they are third best in the CONCACAF region having won the title three times (1963, 1969 and 1989) and finishing runners-up once (2002) and finishing in third and fourth place numerous times.

High expectations preceded Costa Rica on their last spin in Gold Cup action and didn’t they almost come through on those but for a disappointing defeat to Mexico, the eventual winners, on penalties after their semi-final clash ended up in a 1-1 draw. Truth be told, Costa Rica were the better team; Mexico were just luckier.

Costa Rica has something to prove in this competition, perhaps more so than ever before, because not only did they fail in 2009 Gold Cup but they also failed to qualify for World Cup 2010. As such, they are one of the teams to watch.

As far as their opening match with Cuba, two words: no contest. Cuba isn’t a nation synonymous with soccer. You could say they are a non-soccer (footballing, if you like) nation, although they clearly have a national team. And true to type, their results are paltry in the sport. In this competition, for example, the only noteworthy result was a fourth place finish in 1971.

Soccer Betting Verdict: Here we have as straightforward a market as a matchup. The bookies have the right end of the stick by tipping Costa Rica as the huge favourites. Costa Rica has more depth and quality than Cuba has, which means they should outclass Cuba in a completely one-sided affair. Frankly, anything other than a convincing Costa Rica win would be a huge surprise. Put it another way: a win by Cuba would be a monumental upset, unprecedented by the nation in this competition.

Soccer Free Picks: Costa Rica 4-0 Cuba

Mexico vs. El Salvador Preview and Picks

Mexico is widely held the team to beat in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, hands down. The upshot of which is that Mexico is also the bookmaker’s outright fave in the market in the 2011 instalment of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Mexico is the defending champion and the most successful team in the competition proper with five titles. In 2009, they beat United States comprehensively in the final stunning the boys in red, white and blue 5-0 before a patriotic crowd at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

This year Mexico is gunning for an unprecedented sixth Gold Cup and if the markets were any indication it is their competition to lose.

As far as the opening match for Mexico is concerned, it’s not surprising to find them installed as the outright hot bet to win at -400. El Salvador, first to take on the defending champions, is listed at a whopping +700.

Few expect anything less than a strong start by Mexico. El Tri will be trotting out a new manager, which some believe takes the shine off them or at least poses several question marks – after all style, tactics and strategy change from coach to coach. Still, the talent is inherently the same.

Soccer Free Picks: Mexico 2-1 El Salvador

UEFA Europa League Semis Preview – FC Porto and Benefica on the verge of the Final

FC Porto and Benefica are on the verge of the UEFA Europa League final after winning the first leg of their semi-final ties but while the former has a commanding lead and is almost certain to go through the latter is only in pole position, which is flimsy at best.

FC Porto trounced Villarreal in Portugal last week, beating the Spanish side by a staggering 5-1. Now, Villarreal is faced with a monumental task: reversing a nigh-irreversible score. It will take something extraordinary from Villarreal to mount a comeback that, I dare say, has never been witnessed in the game. Is it then any wonder that hardly anybody is holding out hope for Villarreal?

Benefica took the opening leg of its all-Portuguese semi-final tie with a narrow 2-1 victory but while they have one foot in the final (so to speak) that can quickly change as the deciding leg moves to Braga today where frankly the hosts have a good chance to reverse the tie in their favour.

Soccer Betting Line:  Braga +190 vs. Benefica +150            Draw +220

Match Time: 03:00 PM Eastern Time (21:00 Local Time) Thursday May 5, 2011

Soccer Betting Verdict: Benefica goes into the second leg tipped shorter than Braga, which signifies that the bookies are cornering this match in their camp even though they’ll be entering hostile territory when they descend on the Estádio Municipal de Braga. This is partly because they have a 2-1 edge going into the second leg, which means it is their tie to lose. Mainly, Benefica is last season’s titlists in Portugal and although they aren’t on track for a second straight title this season, still they are considered a better side ‘on paper’ than Braga is.

Braga at +190 is a tempting bet because a) they have home advantage and b) they only trail by a goal. That said, from the start of the semis Braga were the quintessential underdogs in the mix so a win by them today would be a huge upset within the context of the competition and in terms of market forecasts. Anything is possible of course but I still think that Benefica will find a way to win.

Soccer Free Picks: Benefica +150

 Soccer Betting Line:  Villarreal +170 vs. FC Porto +150     Draw +240

Match Time: 03:00 PM Eastern Time (21:00 Local Time) Thursday May 5, 2011

Soccer Betting Verdict: Villarreal is out of the UEFA Europa League to all intents and purposes. Reversing a four-goal deficit is a tall order and, frankly, I don’t see it happening when whatever confidence they might have had going into the semis is now laying in tatters on the luscious green field at Estádio do Dragão. I dare say they don’t either. The only thing that is left is pride; that is, salvaging whatever they can of it by winning today’s encounter or better yet, avoiding a similar collapse.

Villarreal to win is trading at +170, which is a tempting option; another good bet is a draw at +240 in this clash. Whatever the outcome is I expect it to be close bearing in mind that FC Porto has the spot in the final practically sewed up so they won’t be risking too much in this encounter.

Soccer Free Picks: Villarreal +170

CONCACAF Gold Cup Betting USA vs. Panama

USA and Panama are set to go head to head in the CONCACAF Gold Cup when group C action continues this week. The match is set to get underway on Saturday 11 June at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Florida.

USA opened their bid with a convincing 2-0 victory over Canada while Panama beat a 10-man Guadeloupe 3-2. As a result, USA and Panama are level on points, 3 apiece but USA has top spot owing to goal differential. It follows: a victory in this match will decide top spot in Group C, at least for the time being.

As far as the overarching outlook, USA tipped at +150, is one of two hot faves to win the competition; only Mexico, the defending champions are  listed shorter at +120. Panama, by contrast, is tipped at a significant large +1800 to win outright.

Taking stock of the futures market is noteworthy as far as this match is concerned because it further emphasizes the value of betting on USA to win this match. It is hard to see anything other than a comfortable victory for the USA against Panama because of home advantage and past success in this competition and against Panama itself – during the last Gold Cup, the pair met in the quarterfinals and USA won, en route to a runner-up finish.

USA the Faves to win
The pressure is entirely on the Americans to win as the faves. Expectations are high following their runner-up finish in both the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Confederations Cup and after a memorable account in FIFA World Cup action last summer. A solid start was important for USA and didn’t they deliver on expectations, proving they could handle the pressure. And now that that hurdle is out of the way, they should steamroll through group action.

Panama long shot bet
Panama are huge underdogs in this match but they are after a respectable quarterfinal finish in the last Gold Cup, which suggests that perhaps they shouldn’t be underestimated. Moreover, they started the group stage positively with a victory and thus, they are in the running for a spot in the knockout stages. Still, it is hard to imagine Panama beating the USA on home ground.

Soccer Betting Verdict:
While the market corner this match completely in the USA camp, even suggesting a beat down, I believe this match will be a lot closer than most expect it to be. Keep in mind, the pressure is still on the USA and despite a solid start in the competition, it is a long way to the final and they need to maintain form until the finish line. Let’s be honest, anything other than a USA Gold Cup victory this year would be a huge disappointment considering the strides they made on the international arena.  Panama has nothing to lose and everything to gain. I expect they will rise to the occasion and try to make a match of it. That said, the Americans should be too strong for them and the best Panama can do is to lose respectably.

Soccer Free Picks: USA 2-1 over Panama

EPL Betting – Manchester United host Chelsea at Old Trafford, title on the line

The Premier League title race reaches a pivotal point this weekend, as Manchester United hosts Chelsea FC with the title on the line. As things currently stand in the league, Manchester United has a three-point edge over Chelsea FC, which is a flimsy edge that amounts to a match-win. But you know that already. Hence, this is really a title-deciding match.

Manchester United is flush off a successful turn in UEFA Champions League semi-final action after packing off Schalke 04 convincingly to set up a rematch of their 2008 UEFA Champions League final against Barcelona. With that business behind them, at least for a few weeks before the final at Wembley Stadium on 28 May, they can fully focus on the weekend’s task: wrapping up the Premier League title.

Chelsea FC meanwhile has only the Premier League title to focus on this season after failed campaigns across the board from domestic to European competitions. This is their one and only shot for a title on the season and so you could say that this match means everything to them.

Soccer Betting Line:

Manchester United  pk  -145   +130   2½  O +115   U -135    1  O -145   U +115   Draw   +225    

Chelsea  pk  +125   +190 2½  O +115   U -135      1  O -115   U -115  Draw   +225    

First Half Line:

 Manchester United  pk  -145   +190   1  O +110   U -130    Draw   +105    

Chelsea  pk  +125   +165       1  O +110   U -130    Draw   +105    

To Score First: Manchester United   -140        Chelsea     +100 

Match Time: 11:00 AM Eastern Time (16:00 Local Time) Sunday May 8 2011

Soccer Betting Verdict: Manchester United remains undefeated on the season at the Old Trafford, with a 16-1-0 mark. Overall, this season, Man U is 21-10-4.

Chelsea takes a 21-7-7 mark on the season to the Old Trafford on Sunday, which includes a 7-5-5 mark on the road. Recent form though is impressive with a nine-match undefeated run that includes a five-game winning streak since a slip at Stoke City where they settled on a 1-1 draw.

Soccer fans have a recent preview of this matchup to consider: the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie between Man U and Chelsea FC that Man U won with a 3-1 aggregate after beating Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge and then, winning 2-1 at the Old Trafford.

All things considered,  in order for Chelsea to clinch the title, they must accomplish what no team has managed to do this year, defeat Manchester United at the Old Trafford.

So the question that must be asked: is Chelsea FC capable of handing Manchester United its first home defeat this season to win the title? Or will they fall, as the case has been this season by all and sundry that have visited the hallowed Grounds of the Old Trafford.

While Chelsea is capable of beating Manchester United to win the title – it would be foolish to argue otherwise – Manchester United is a proven competitor in high stakes matches that knows how to get the job done. One has to give them the edge over Chelsea, who has shown a penchant to choke this season when it matters the most.

Soccer Free Picks: Manchester United +130 | Under 2 1/2 -135

Premier League Soccer Free Picks – Newcastle, West Ham and Tottenham in action

The Premier League season is winding down fast as we enter match day 36. On the soccer-betting menu, bottom of the table West Ham United take on a freefalling Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and Birmingham City battle while Tottenham Hotspurs and Blackpool collide.

Here is a quick rundown of the action.

Soccer Betting Line:

Newcastle United -115

Birmingham +290

Draw +235

Soccer Betting Verdict: After an impressive 4-1 win over Wolverhampton in early April, Newcastle United has struggled. They have gone 0-2-2 in the last four games, with disappointing defeats to Aston Villa and Liverpool an equally disappointing draw with Blackpool. On the flipside, during this stretch, they somehow manage to hold Manchester United to a scoreless draw at St. James Park, which is impressive. That said the most recent result was the demoralizing 3-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield Stadium. Bouncing back from such a poor stretch of form is not going to be easy, even if they are going into a match that features middleweight Birmingham City that is 15th in the table with a 1-2-2 mark in the last five games. Fact is, there is only a two-point margin between them and therefore the win here will be vital. With both teams looking for three points in this match, they just might cancel each other out, hence the draw bet at +235 seems to be a good choice.

Soccer Free Picks: Draw +235

Soccer Betting Line:

West Ham United -105

Blackburn Rovers +265

Draw +235

Soccer Betting Verdict: West Ham United is propping up the league in 20th spot and riding a six-game losing streak since holding Tottenham to a scoreless draw at White Hart Lane on 19 March. Things are looking dire for Avram Grant and Co. and, more importantly, they don’t appear to be about to change anytime soon. Blackburn Rovers are flush off a 1-0 victory at home to Bolton Wanderers, marking their first win since 23 January when they beat West Brom 2-0. Buoyed by such a vital win and given that the Hammers are down and to all intents and purposes out of top-flight action, the Rovers have an excellent opportunity to string together a winning streak. Look for Blackburn Rovers to heap more misery on West Ham United.

Soccer Free Picks: Blackburn Rovers +265

Soccer Betting Line:

Tottenham Hotspur -350

Blackpool +800

Draw +400

Soccer Betting Verdict: Tottenham Hotspurs have lost their mojo recently, recording only one win in their last six matches (overall, they are 1-2-3 in their last six). This poor stretch of form, highlighted by a recent 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last weekend, has firmly pushed them off the road that leads to Champions League next season – a right shame after what they accomplished this season in Europe’s top-flight action. It also might give Blackpool some ideas about winning at White Hart Lane at the weekend. But if the markets were any indication, that’s wishful thinking. A Blackpool win is a long shot bet, and so it should be because the Spurs have enough quality to outclass the visitors.

Soccer Free Picks: Tottenham Hotspurs -350

EPL Betting – Liverpool host Tottenham at Anfield

Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool will face off at Anfield on Sunday for a Europe League spot. Spurs are six in the Premier League table with 56 points, two points behind Liverpool, and want to recover from the disappointment of not qualifying for the next UEFA Champions League.

EPL betting odds

Liverpool -125
Draw +250
Tottenham Hotspur +105

Harry Redknapp’s team started the 2010/11 season pretty good, playing Champions League and remaining competitive among the best teams in the Premier League. However things are not looking so good now and Tottenham have just one win in their last nine Premier League games.

With the defeat against Manchester City, Spurs missed their chances to qualify to next year’s Champions League, and only a win against Liverpool would be enough to suppress their worries.

However, Liverpool have won their last three home games by an aggregate score of 11-0, while Tottenham have lost their last two games away against Chelsea and Manchester City.

In the last five games, the Spurs have managed only 3 of 15 possible points, in the other hand Liverpool collected 13 points from the 15 total.

In addition, in the last eleven games, Liverpool has achieved important victories against Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea, who are at the top of the table this season with Arsenal.

Another downside for Tottenham is that they are quite weak with injuries. Honduran midfielder Wilson Palacios reappeared after missing three months following knee injury, but only lasted 31 minutes in the game against Manchester City.

Also, Gareth Bale has suffered a ruptured ankle ligament against Blackpool and will miss the rest of the season. For his part, Liverpool has the argentine Maxi Rodriguez, Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll to attack the defense of Tottenham Hotspur.

In the final round, Liverpool faces at Aston Villa and Tottenham will play against Birmingham at White Hart Lane.

Barcelona and Manchester United battle for Europe domination

At long last, the UEFA Champions League final is upon us and what an epic showdown it promises to be when La Liga and Premier League titleholders this season battle for bragging rights in Europe’s top-flight competition.

Football simply can’t get any better than this: a Barca/United billing, only the two best teams in Europe that draw legions of fans from around the world. Never mind soccer-betting fanatics, any sports betting enthusiast would be barmy to overlook this match on the day’s betting ticket.

This is the ultimate battle in the beautiful game and yet it is a sequel, a repeat of the final in Rome two years ago, when a Messi-inspired Barcelona beat a Ronaldo-influenced Manchester United 2-0.

It follows: there can only be one satisfying question and that is who will win this contest, which is set to get underway on Saturday 28 May at Wembley Stadium in London.

For that, BetOnline bookmakers have rolled out a whole slew of odds. From game odds, which include money line, totals and spread prices, to overarching odds on who will ‘Lift the Cup’, and various other in-between market odds such as to score first and last, it is a comprehensive betting experience that awaits at BetOnline.

As the market currently stands, Barcelona is tipped at +100 on the moneyline to win the match and at a hot fave price of -200 to lift the Cup. In fact, Barcelona has the edge over Man U in every single market, including all markets where scoring is concerned. They are tipped at -175 to score first and at -165 to score last.

Manchester United, on the other hand, is tipped at a whopping +270 on the money line to win the match and at a significantly long +160 to lift the Cup. The underdog cast extends to every market, including those pertaining to scoring where they are at +135 to score first and at +125 to score last.

Manchester United have won the European trophy three times and as recently as 2007/2008 when they beat Chelsea FC in Moscow. They finished runners-up once; ironically, to Barcelona in 2008/2009.

Barcelona have also won the European trophy three times and as recently as 2008/2009 in Rome at the expense of Man U. They have two more runner-up finishes than Man U does though having reached the final in 1960/61, 1985/86 and 1993/94.

Soccer Betting Verdict: This will be Barcelona’s seventh appearance and Man U’s fifth appearance in European Champion Clubs’ final. Both clubs are three-time winners but given that Man U has won as many times as Barcelona has over fewer appearances it would seem on the one hand that they are more successful at this last hurdle. Then again, they did falter at this stage when they came up against Barcelona and that is telling.
From the very beginning Barcelona were the favorites in the competition to win it all. Hence, smart money is on Barca to win on Saturday – foolish to argue that point.

However, in many ways this is a grudge match for Man U; a second shot against Barcelona. Make no mistake, as good as Man U is, beating arguably the world’s best team in the current game in THE championship match is not going to be easy. But they can do it.

Keep in mind that Man U has home-field advantage at Wembley Stadium. The club’s stars might not shine as brightly as Barca’s twinkled-toed stars do but they are a hardy, stoic lot that Sir Alex Fergusson has managed for a very long time and moulded into a cohesive and consistent unit. And speaking of Ferggie, the man is already revered, but on Saturday he stands to become a legend and enter a completely unheralded stratosphere, where he’ll be in a league of his own as far as managers go in accolades and achievements.

It remains to be seen whether his men can see his vision through on the pitch, but going into the match, one must concede, all these intangibles could combine together for that champion moment, that moment that every footballer and worshiper of the beautiful game dreams of attaining, becoming indisputably the best club in the game. May the best team win!

Soccer Free Picks: Manchester United to win UEFA Champions League Cup

Weekend Premier League Betting Tips

Match day 36 in the Barclay’s Premier League is upon us this weekend and it brings with it several standout matches underlined by battles from top to bottom in the table.

At the top, the race to the title is heating up between Manchester United and Chelsea FC, who are three points apart. Appropriately, they’ll settle the title matter between themselves on Sunday when they collide at the Old Trafford.

At the bottom of the table, Wigan Athletic, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United are fighting for Premier League survival.

Here is a look at the first three matches that will kick off Saturday’s Soccer Betting card at 10:00 AM Eastern Time/ 15:00 Local Time.

Aston Villa -130 vs. Wigan Athletic +325 Draw +250

Soccer Betting Verdict: Aston Villa dropped from 11 to 13 in the table last weekend following a 2-1 defeat at West Bromwich Albion. The defeat snapped a four-game undefeated run. Wigan Athletic meanwhile stayed put at 18 in the table, following a draw at home to Everton.

Aston Villa will aim to get back on the winning track at the expense of relegation-mired Wigan at Villa Park on Saturday. Wigan is down but not out. There is still everything to play for which means that they should give Aston a real fight. This should be a tough game as these teams are quite similar in some respects. The draw bet (listed at +250) is always a good betting option in such a case.

Bolton Wanderers -130 vs. Sunderland +325 Draw +250

Soccer Betting Verdict: Bolton Wanderers are on back-to-back losses going into this match and another defeat would be costly towards their bid for a spot in European action. It’s imperative therefore that they return to winning ways. They have an excellent opportunity against Sunderland who have not only suffered recent dip in form that has seen them lose four of their last five matches but also who aren’t as effective on the road as they are at home. Look for Bolton to bounce back with a win, listed at -130.
Everton +170 vs. Manchester City +145 Draw +220

Soccer Betting Verdict: Manchester City is holding steadfastly to fourth spot in the league table and with a seven-point margin and a game in hand over fifth placed Liverpool, the Champions League playoff spot is within reach. Hence, they’ll be looking to take all three points at Everton on the weekend. Everton will be no cakewalk though. In seventh spot in the table, Everton has a European agenda too and so they’ll be looking to take all three points as well. Appropriately, the market on this match is tight but Man City has the slight edge despite being the visiting team. I’d say the odds are split evenly between these two teams on the win and therefore, the draw bet (listed at +220) seems to be the first betting pick here.

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