Euro Soccer Action Heats Up
By SPORTSBETTING.COM
The betting volume on European soccer (football) has been increasing steadily over the last few months, with a noticeable spike after the Super Bowl?it appears some players are looking to Europe to get a little ?football? fix.
With David Beckham?s arrival on US soil, and the recent announcement that the English Premier League will be taking their games to the international market, the attention on the best soccer leagues in the world has been heightened.
This is an exciting weekend for European football action, so let?s have a quick look at a pair of matchups. On Saturday English Premier League leaders Arsenal face a weak side in Birmingham, who are just hovering above the relegation zone. Ok, it's a mis-match but there is still some decent value.
On Sunday there is the Carling Cup Final at Wembley between two London sides: Tottenham Hotspur from north London and the mighty Chelsea from the west of the city. Funded extravagantly by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich Chelsea certainly have a more valuable team ? but in a Cup Final pretty much anything can happen and there are decent bets to make.
Birmingham v Arsenal
English Premier League
Saturday, 12.45pm (UK time)
BirminghamCity 7.00 Over 2.5 (1.85)
Tie 3.75
Arsenal 1.45 Under 2.5 (1.85)
This is something of a mis-match and we are expecting Arsenal to dominate here. So to do the bettors at SPORTSBETTING.COM, as they are wagering on Arsenal at an 85% clip. Birmingham have not won in their last eight league outings while Arsenal are top of the Premiership having won their last four league matches. They have only lost once all season and we can't see them losing here.
Emmanuel Adebayor may offer some value in the first goalscorer market. The striker, who comes from Togo, has scored six goals in the last four league wins and in total has netted 10 times in his last nine games ? and only the bar denied him another against Milan on Wednesday night in a Champions League match. Against a weak team like Birmingham he often bangs them in for fun.
Something else worth pointing out is Arsenal's habit of scoring late goals. In each of their last four league games they have found the net in the final 10 minutes of the game.
Whoever scores and at what stage of the game one thing is for sure ? this could be a goalfest, so keep that in mind.
Chelsea v Tottenham
Carling Cup Final
Sunday, 3pm (UK time)
Tottenham 3.20 Over 2.5 (1.95)
Tie 3.20
Chelsea 2.00 Under 2.5 (1.75)
Chelsea are hunting their third Carling Cup in four seasons, and that recent record of success has been enough to persuade bettors to back the favourites with confidence, hitting them at a clip of 75%. As well as superiority in the competition's recent history, Chelsea can call upon a superb head-to-head record against their London rivals during the Premier League era.
Jubilant fans celebrated wildly when Tottenham beat Chelsea 2-1 at home in November 2006 because it was their first league win over the side since February 1990. The Premier League stats are compelling for Chelsea backers: 20 wins, 10 draws and that sole defeat makes one of the most one-sided records in the top flight. Indeed, since that isolated defeat two years ago Chelsea have twice beaten Spurs to nil (2-0 and 1-0) so normal service would appear to have been resumed.
Another negative for Spurs is they go into the game with two days fewer rest than Chelsea, having faced Slavia Prague in the Uefa Cup on Thursday night. Chelsea may have had an away midweek European tie (at Olympiakos on Tuesday night) but these extra days to prepare for this Final may prove crucial, particularly if the game goes into extra-time or to penalties.
The major factor in Tottenham's favour is actually the manner in which they trounced Arsenal in the semi-final. Their 5-1 victory in the second leg, regarded as one of their finest performances in recent seasons, confirmed two things: that Spurs are capable of winning knock-out ties against the finest opposition, and that they can both defend and attack successfully against some of the most accomplished players in the world. With memories of that outstanding second-leg performance still fresh, Spurs' players will have no inferiority complex here.
Enjoy all the sports action this weekend.
You can wager on all the European soccer events at SPORTSBETTING.COM
By SPORTSBETTING.COM
The betting volume on European soccer (football) has been increasing steadily over the last few months, with a noticeable spike after the Super Bowl?it appears some players are looking to Europe to get a little ?football? fix.
With David Beckham?s arrival on US soil, and the recent announcement that the English Premier League will be taking their games to the international market, the attention on the best soccer leagues in the world has been heightened.
This is an exciting weekend for European football action, so let?s have a quick look at a pair of matchups. On Saturday English Premier League leaders Arsenal face a weak side in Birmingham, who are just hovering above the relegation zone. Ok, it's a mis-match but there is still some decent value.
On Sunday there is the Carling Cup Final at Wembley between two London sides: Tottenham Hotspur from north London and the mighty Chelsea from the west of the city. Funded extravagantly by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich Chelsea certainly have a more valuable team ? but in a Cup Final pretty much anything can happen and there are decent bets to make.
Birmingham v Arsenal
English Premier League
Saturday, 12.45pm (UK time)
BirminghamCity 7.00 Over 2.5 (1.85)
Tie 3.75
Arsenal 1.45 Under 2.5 (1.85)
This is something of a mis-match and we are expecting Arsenal to dominate here. So to do the bettors at SPORTSBETTING.COM, as they are wagering on Arsenal at an 85% clip. Birmingham have not won in their last eight league outings while Arsenal are top of the Premiership having won their last four league matches. They have only lost once all season and we can't see them losing here.
Emmanuel Adebayor may offer some value in the first goalscorer market. The striker, who comes from Togo, has scored six goals in the last four league wins and in total has netted 10 times in his last nine games ? and only the bar denied him another against Milan on Wednesday night in a Champions League match. Against a weak team like Birmingham he often bangs them in for fun.
Something else worth pointing out is Arsenal's habit of scoring late goals. In each of their last four league games they have found the net in the final 10 minutes of the game.
Whoever scores and at what stage of the game one thing is for sure ? this could be a goalfest, so keep that in mind.
Chelsea v Tottenham
Carling Cup Final
Sunday, 3pm (UK time)
Tottenham 3.20 Over 2.5 (1.95)
Tie 3.20
Chelsea 2.00 Under 2.5 (1.75)
Chelsea are hunting their third Carling Cup in four seasons, and that recent record of success has been enough to persuade bettors to back the favourites with confidence, hitting them at a clip of 75%. As well as superiority in the competition's recent history, Chelsea can call upon a superb head-to-head record against their London rivals during the Premier League era.
Jubilant fans celebrated wildly when Tottenham beat Chelsea 2-1 at home in November 2006 because it was their first league win over the side since February 1990. The Premier League stats are compelling for Chelsea backers: 20 wins, 10 draws and that sole defeat makes one of the most one-sided records in the top flight. Indeed, since that isolated defeat two years ago Chelsea have twice beaten Spurs to nil (2-0 and 1-0) so normal service would appear to have been resumed.
Another negative for Spurs is they go into the game with two days fewer rest than Chelsea, having faced Slavia Prague in the Uefa Cup on Thursday night. Chelsea may have had an away midweek European tie (at Olympiakos on Tuesday night) but these extra days to prepare for this Final may prove crucial, particularly if the game goes into extra-time or to penalties.
The major factor in Tottenham's favour is actually the manner in which they trounced Arsenal in the semi-final. Their 5-1 victory in the second leg, regarded as one of their finest performances in recent seasons, confirmed two things: that Spurs are capable of winning knock-out ties against the finest opposition, and that they can both defend and attack successfully against some of the most accomplished players in the world. With memories of that outstanding second-leg performance still fresh, Spurs' players will have no inferiority complex here.
Enjoy all the sports action this weekend.
You can wager on all the European soccer events at SPORTSBETTING.COM
