As always, I’m kicking things off with the Premier League, and the so-called “Big Four” are all in for a tough weekend. To start proceedings, Arsenal host Spurs in the early kick-off on Saturday, and while Spurs have been in fine form recently, beating both Portsmouth and Manchester City on their own turf, I can’t see them picking anything up at the Emirates. I’ve talked about the loss of Fabregas, Hleb and Flamini numerous times on here recently, and how much of a big blow that was to Arsenal, whereas practically every other tipster was avoiding that loss and continuing to back Arsenal. Having those three back is absolutely massive for Wenger and his boys, which showed in their performance last weekend against Chelsea. History favours the Gunners too, as they did the double over their rivals last season and Spurs have only won once away to Arsenal since the Premier League was formed. Arsenal are a best priced 8/15 with BoyleSports and ToteSport. Get on.

Next up is Liverpool versus Portsmouth, which I can see being a really tight affair. Both teams traditionally don’t concede a lot of goals, and while Liverpool have a good home record, Portsmouth are on a roll away from home, winning their last five, so it should be a good battle. The two games between these two teams finished 0-0 last season. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if that was the scoreline again this time round. I’ll be avoiding this one, as it’s too close to call.

At midday on Sunday, it’s the game that Setanta Sports wanted to show at 8PM on Christmas Eve – Manchester United versus Everton. Apparently, the roast dinner that United players enjoyed on Monday evening at their Christmas party wasn’t the only roast they had that night, but despite all of the media attention surrounding the club at the moment, I can’t see it having an effect on their performance on the field. United won the reverse fixture narrowly last September, when Vidic popped up in the eighty-third minute to head home a corner, ensuring his team picked up three points. I can see it being a very close game once again, as Everton are an even better team now than they were when we played them in September. I still think United will a little too much for them, though, as United are excellent at home and they have a fantastic record against Everton over the years. The stumbling block is the price, as United are a best priced 2/5 with most firms. With the form Everton are in, that’s a little bit on the short side. Still, I think it’s most definitely worthy of a place in an accumulator.

Blackburn Rovers versus Chelsea is a really tricky tie to predict, as neither one of them are at their strongest at the moment. Chelsea, of course, are without the likes of Drogba, Terry, Carvalho and possibly even Shevchenko, whereas Blackburn’s back line worries have worsened with Christopher Samba out through suspension. I talked about Chelsea’s lack of attacking options last weekend, but will that even be a factor now that Blackburn have an extremely weakened defence? Or will the likes of the in-form Santa Cruz and McCarthy take advantage of the inexperienced partnership of Ben Haim and Alex, who have only played a full ninety minutes together once? I think it’ll be 1-1, but who knows… This is another one I’ll be avoiding.

There’s no other value in the Premier League this weekend, as far as I can see, so I’ll not be entertaining them. Also, once again, I don’t quite have the time this weekend to go into as much detail as I’d like to…

Elsewhere, I really fancy the following to do the business this weekend:

MK Dons (2/5 with most firms)

Wolverhampton (4/5 with Paddy Power)

Crewe (6/4 with BetDirect and Stan James)

Leeds (2/5 with most firms)

Nottingham Forest (4/9 with most firms)

Peterborough (4/6 with BoyleSport and SkyBet)

Alloa (8/15 with SkyBet)

East Fife (4/6 with SkyBet)

Ten teams this weekend, including Arsenal and Manchester United. If you fancy those ten in an accumulator, the best odds are with PartyBets, who offer over 106/1. The next best is SkyBet, who are offering a little over 97/1.

My Best Bet this weekend is MK Dons, Wolves, Leeds, Forest and Peterborough in a five-timer. Odds of 8/1 with VCBet for that one.

My Top Tip is Peterborough -1 at 7/4 with Bet365.

Finally, my Wacky Wager for this weekend is Wolves 1 Leicester 0, which is 6/1 with most firms.

I know I said at the start of the week that this would be a full, proper preview, but I think I’ve been a little too bold with my statement. It’s hectic at the moment and I haven’t got as much time as I usually do, so this is the very best that I can do. I think it might be roughly the same for the Boxing Day fixtures, but normality will resume after that, I promise. I’m not losing interesting in this place – far from it – it’s simply time constraints.

Good luck this weekend, do take care, have a very Merry Christmas and don’t eat too much pudding!

See, if they weren’t such utter stupid, unprofessional bastards, they could’ve saved me a lot of time and aggravation and they could’ve saved themselves £65…

Oh well!

Thanks a lot, SportingOdds.com.

It was not so nice knowing you.

I’ve still ended the night on a win though, as I put a couple of quid on Blackburn and Arsenal being a draw, which I said it would be.

You win some, you lose some!

In the Carling Cup, there’s only Manchester City, with their fantastic home record, that I like the look of. Spurs have a massive game against Arsenal on Saturday, so will they have one eye on that? I think so. The Carling Cup also represents Sven’s best chance of silverware in his first season in charge, which is why I can see him going all out to win it. Get on them at 11/8 with Bet365.

Chelsea and Liverpool matches are always really tight affairs, although Chelsea have a fantastic record against them at Stamford Bridge. They both lost ground in the Premier League race with Arsenal and United at the weekend though, so will they be more inclined to rest their best players with their Premier League games at the weekend in mind? That’s got to be their priority. Chelsea’s more so than Liverpool’s. I just think this is pretty much the last thing these two teams want at the moment, so I’ll be avoiding this one. My advice, however, would be to take a look at the team news first.

Another one I’ll be avoiding is Blackburn versus Arsenal, which I feel could really go either way. Arsenal’s kids are very talented, there’s no doubting that, but Blackburn are a very strong side, especially at home. I think this one is going to be a draw, although I’d check the team news first before placing any money.

I don’t like the Carling Cup for having a bet either, but I do fancy Manchester City to do the business, especially at 11/8.

I’ll be back on Thursday night with a full, proper review of all the weekend action.

Until then – as always – take care and the very best of luck.

After the United game though, it was pretty much a win-win situation for me. If Arsenal won, I won. If Arsenal drew or lost, I still won as it’d mean United would stay top of the league. I didn’t cheer Arsenal on though, for the record. I would never do that, no matter what. I just let whatever happened happen.

In other news, I think I might have discovered a team that the Bookmakers aren’t quite clued up on at the moment. I backed a French team by the name of Valenciennes at the weekend at odds of 1/1. I was in shock at that price. You will be too when you have a look at the table on BBC’s website. They were at home to Auxerre, who are absolutely shocking away from home. Before Saturday, they’d lost five of their eight away games, drawing two and winning one, scoring just three goals and conceding fourteen. Valenciennes, on the other hand, were undefeated at home, winning six and drawing two of their eight home games, scoring fifteen and conceding only three – yet the Bookmakers were offering evens for them! That’s madness.

The only reason I can think of, as to why they were such big odds, is because they have a dreadful away record, which is hindering their progress for definite. Auxerre are the exact opposite – they’re good at home but terrible away, so the two teams were relatively close in the league. And for the record, Valenciennes beat them 3-0, quite comfortably.

I’ve had a look at the fixtures coming up and Valenciennes are away next time out so I’d avoid that one. The game after that though, on January 12th, they’re at home to St Etienne, who are in a very similar position to Auxerre – in that they’re absolutely amazing at home, but just dreadful when playing away. Their away record at this time is won one, drew two and lost seven! Their home record, however, reads won six, drew two, lost none, scored twelve and conceded only one. Because of this, they’re very close in the league, which is good for us because that means bigger odds. The gap will be even closer by the time January 12th is here as well, I think. St Etienne are at home to the dreadful PSG next time out while Valenciennes are playing away from home. If those two games go according to plan, the gap between the two teams will be just one point, so I’m thinking Valenciennes will have odds even slightly better than the 1/1 given at the weekend. Like I said, go and see for yourself at BBC’s website via their Europe link on the side and you’ll see exactly what I mean. I’ll have an eye on their results next weekend and keep you updated.

Stick with IAFOG, here to put the Bookmakers money in your pockets.

That’s especially the case in the Premier League on Saturday, where any of the eight games could go either way. I kind of fancy Portsmouth to do the business at home to Spurs, but even then I’m nowhere near confident enough to place any money on them, as Spurs are an extremely funny, yo-yo team. You never know what you’re going to get with them. I fancy Villa a little too, but they were pretty poor in front of goal last time out and Sunderland aren’t too bad at home. You have to think that Roy Keane’s going to get a good result out of them sooner or later. You’d also think Man City, with their good home form, will brush aside Bolton – but they’ve been a different side under Gary Megson, their display at Anfield aside. They’re almost looking like the Bolton of old, so I wouldn’t be too confident of a home win.

Like I said, any of the games can either way – especially the likes of Derby/Boro, Fulham/Newcastle and West Ham/Everton – so it’s safe to say I’ll be avoiding the entire set of Saturday’s Premier League fixtures this weekend. It’s not worth it.

I know I said I’ll be keeping the Championship at arms length for the next couple of weeks, given the fact that it’s a bit of a minefield, but there are two teams that I actually fancy to do the business this weekend.

One of them is Ipswich, who have let me down once at home this season already (the only blip on their home record!), but I feel they’ll make amends here as they host Scunthorpe. I’ve talked about it here a few times in the past, but Ipswich really are phenomenal at home. They’re a totally different team at home, as they barely score away from home, nor do they win. Like I said, their only blip at home came a couple of weeks ago when they were held to a 0-0 draw with Barnsley. From my understanding of that game, it was a case of Ipswich hammering them with Barnsley parking the bus in front of goal, looking to break on the counter every now and then. I can’t see Scunthorpe doing that, as I’ve seen them a number of times this season and they’re quite an attacking team. I don’t think they’ll sit back and defend like Barnsley did, which will really suit Ipswich’s style of play. Get on them at a best priced 8/13 with BetDirect, Coral and Paddy Power.

The other team I fancy is Watford, who have been a little out of sorts over the past couple of weeks. They’ve bounced back a little recently, though, taking a point at Stoke and beating Colchester. I think they should have too much class for Plymouth, who themselves have gone a little wayward recently. Also, with Watford’s two biggest and nearest rivals, West Brom and Charlton, slugging it out between themselves this weekend, Watford will see this as the perfect opportunity to regain their considerable gap at the top of the league. They’re a best priced 8/11 with Bet365 and BlueSq.

I’m honestly, hand on heart, not saying this because I’m short of time, but there’s only Nottingham Forest who I fancy in League One this weekend. Take a look at the fixtures and the table and you’ll see why. It’s practically full of games between teams who are almost side by side in the league. It’s top versus top, middle versus middle, bottom versus bottom, etc. You get this every now and then and it’s annoying to us punters, as there’s too much risk involved. The only two games where it’s not like that are Forest versus Northampton and Port Vale versus Tranmere. I fancy Forest, but I’m not touching the latter game, because Tranmere have gone off the boil recently whereas Port Vale picked up an impressive victory last time out. Why do I fancy Forest? For a start, they have a really good home record. Their opponents, Northampton, are dreadful away from home. Over the past couple of seasons, their away form has been terrific. I know because I used to love the fact that the Bookmakers never picked up on that fact and over-priced them. It’s the opposite now, though, as they really struggle. They’re going to find it even harder without top scorer Andy Kirk, who sits this game out through injury. Get on Forest at 1/2 with most firms.

It’s the same case in League Two but even worse, as there’s not a single team I fancy. Not even one. Again, take a look at the fixtures and the table to see why. I’m laughing here, because I know it sounds like I’m in a real rush due to not having a lot of time this week, but that’s not the case at all. I could have all the time in the World and I’d still struggle to see any value in this league. Let me give you some examples of what I’m talking about. Peterborough versus MK Dons being the main one. Wrexham/Brentford, Macclesfield/Stockport, Grimsby/Mansfield, Darlington/Chester, etc. Rotherham had a bit of appeal, but Bradford aren’t too bad at home and Rotherham’s best form is at home, too.

Nothing interests me in the SPL either, so I’m moving on to the Scottish Leagues, Division One in particular, where I fancy Partick Thistle to do the business at home to Dunfermline. Partick have been in terrific form recently, near enough unstoppable, with Liam Buchanan scoring goals for fun. Dunfermline, on the other hand, haven’t been having such a great time – they’re managerless and they haven’t won in seven. I expect Partick to continue their fine form and pick up three points here. Back them at 1/1 with SkyBet. I’m really surprised at that price, in all honesty. That’s incredible value.

In Division Three, East Fife, who lead the way by an astonishing nine points, should most definitely see off Dumbarton at the weekend. East Fife have won all seven of their home games, scoring twenty six and conceding only two. Dumbarton, however, have lost five of their seven away games already. It’s going to take a lot – an awful lot – to get anything away to East Fife. I can’t see it happening here. Back East Fife at 1/3 with BetDirect and Ladbrokes.

Just scanned over all the football fixtures once again to see if I’ve missed anything, as I can’t remember the last time I fancied so little on a Saturday… I don’t think I’ve missed anything, though.

Recap:

Ipswich (8/13 with BetDirect, Coral and Paddy Power)

Watford ( 8/11 with Bet365 and BlueSq)

Nottingham Forest (1/2 with most firms)

Partick Thistle (1/1 with SkyBet)

East Fife (1/3 with BetDirect and Ladbrokes)

Five teams! On a Saturday! Seriously, though, it’s very dodgy this weekend, or at least I think it is. I really do fancy the five above, but I’ve really struggled to find any good value elsewhere.

To smack those five in an accumulator would fetch you odds of a little over 10/1 with BetDirect, which isn’t too bad at all.

My Top Tip this weekend is Partick Thistle, who are fantastic value at evens with SkyBet.

My Best Bet is the five teams above in an accumulator with BetDirect, giving you odds of 10.31/1.

My Wacky Wager (well, not that wacky, to be honest!) this weekend is chucking Arsenal and Manchester United into the five team accumulator above, making it a seven team accumulator, giving you odds of over 74/1 with BetDirect. I’ll be having a few quid on that.

Like I said earlier, apologies for a quicker, less detailed review this week. It’s been hectic. There wasn’t much to cover anyway, as you can see. Whatever and whoever you bet this weekend, I wish you the very best of luck. I’ll be back next week to give you a preview of all the UEFA Cup and Carling Cup action.

Until then, take care and don’t leave your Christmas shopping too late!

Do I love Grand Slam Sunday or what? Sure, the games don’t always live up to their hype, but you’re still pretty much guaranteed a lot of excitement, a lot of tension and above all else, a lot of drama. Speaking as a fan of one of those four teams, of course…

From a betting standpoint, though, it’s usually not very good at all. ANYTHING can happen with these two games. If I had to pick two winners, however, I’d go with Arsenal and Manchester United. I’ll tell you why…

Arsenal should welcome back the likes of Fabregas, Flamini, Hleb and Van Persie, all of which are big and massively influential players. They’ve struggled the past couple of weeks against the likes of Newcastle and Middlesborough, because the heart of their midfield, their engine, which makes everything tick, was missing. Having those four back is just absolutely wonderful for Arsenal, whereas it’s very bad news for Chelsea and the other eighteen teams in the Premier League. Arsenal rested most of their first team players on Wednesday too, while Chelsea, quite bizarrely, fielded a very strong team. That’ll work in the Gunners favour. They also have a fantastic home record and will want to make up for results over the past couple of weeks, which is why I’m giving them the nod.

On top of all that, Chelsea, simply put, aren’t the same team without Didier Drogba. He is such a big player for them. He will be sorely missed on Sunday. Not by me, because I can’t stand him, but the players and the fans of Chelsea will miss him big time. They really need him at the moment, as I think Chelsea have been struggling a lot in recent weeks. I’ve watched them a few times recently, against West Ham, Sunderland and Valencia, and they look like a completely different team. They’re finding it really hard to break teams down at the moment, I think largely because they don’t have many attacking options. You look at the likes of United and you’ve got Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez, then you’ve got Saha, Scholes, Giggs, etc. who chip in with goals. You look at Liverpool and you’ve got Gerrard, Torres, Crouch, then you’ve got Kuyt, Babel, and Veronin, etc. You look at Arsenal and you’ve got Fabregas, Adebayor and Van Persie, then you’ve got Rosicky, Hleb, etc. Really, who have Chelsea got? They’ve only got Drogba and Lampard, to be honest, with the likes of Joe Cole and Wright-Phillips chipping the odd goal in once every blue moon. They’ve struggled in their past month or so against the likes of Derby, Sunderland, West Ham and Valencia. Yes, they won three of those games, drawing the other one, but the scoreline doesn’t tell the true story, I don’t think.

If you fancy Arsenal, the best price you can get for them at the moment is 6/4, which is with Bet365 and BetDirect.

Now that the trio of Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez have had one or two games to become reacquainted with one another, I think it’s only a matter of time until they fully click once again and show the mouth watering form they were showing before Rooney’s injury. There were signs of it against Derby last Saturday, but Rooney looked a little out of sorts. He’s always fired up for this one, though. Every United player is. Every Liverpool player is too, of course.

I’m honestly not being bias here, but I think the advantage lies with United. For a start, they’ve had a very, very good record over their rivals over the past couple of seasons. Both at home and away. Second of all, Rooney aside, the rest of the United starting eleven were relaxing in midweek, whereas Liverpool’s strongest side were in France, slugging their guts out to acquire a spot in the last sixteen of the Champions League. That’s going to be absolutely key, I think. The fact that United have had a little over a week to relax, take a breather and prepare, whereas Liverpool have had to work hard. I know they’re professional football players and all the rest of it, and that they should be able to easily handle two games in five days, but they are at a disadvantage, I think.

Also, I don’t know if non-United fans are aware of this, but traditionally, United’s form in December and January is excellent. While the Christmas period is seen as daunting and unpleasant to a number of teams, United seem to revel in it for some reason. It seems to suit them down to the ground, and I fully expect United to get their Christmas campaign off in style, continuing their good form recently.

United are a best priced 2/1 with SkyBet, if you think they’ll do the business.

Personally, I’m going to take BetFair’s 8/1 on a Arsenal/United double and stick a fiver on it or something.

I know I said earlier that these games are usually not all that great to bet on, but I have a good feeling, a much better feeling than normal, on these two, given the reasons stated above.

Plus, I think it’s ok so long as you’re only betting a couple of quid. No way would I bet anything more than a fiver. With a fiver, it’s enough to have even more of an interest than I already have, especially in the Arsenal/Chelsea game (although I wouldn’t complain if it was a draw!), it’s enough to potentially receive a rather healthy return, yet you’re not going to miss it too much from your wallet if it doesn’t come up.

I’ve never known a league to be so, so unpredictable and let me down so many times in one season. Seriously. West Brom have let me down three times, Watford have let me down three or four times, Stoke have let me down, Charlton have let me down twice, Ipswich have let me down and now Burnley have let me down. It’s a minefield, I’m telling you.

Take a look at the table and how it stands at the moment. It really is quite bizarre. The points tally practically goes up by one point for every position. Between the team in first, and the team lying bottom. the only numbers missing between the two respective points totals are nineteen, twenty nine, thirty six and thirty nine. Unbelievable.

I think I’m going to keep this league at arms lengths for the next couple of weeks and see how it goes…

Elsewhere, I got five of my six tips up, taking my strike rate to 72.28%, which I’m pretty pleased with.

I hope midweek has been successful for you, making the Bookmakers pay for your last minute Christmas presents. I’ll be back on Friday morning with a look at all of the weekend football action, including Grand Slam Sunday!

Chelsea have a fantastic record at home, BUT they’ve already qualified for the next stage of the Champions League as group winners, so there’s nothing for them to fight for. Unlike their opponents Valencia, who still have a chance of qualifying for the UEFA Cup. Plus, Chelsea have a big game on Sunday against Arsenal, so you’d think Avram Grant will be wanting to save his best players for that game.

Marseille only need a point at home against Liverpool, provided that Porto don’t lose to Besiktas, which they really shouldn’t do. So with that being the case, I have to avoid Liverpool, as well. Yes, last Saturday aside, they have been playing some fantastic football recently – but like I said, Marseille are at home and all they need is a draw. The ball really is in their court with this one. I don’t know which way it’s going to go.

In the same group, Porto should see off Besiktas at home to ensure that they finish top of the group. In the Portuguese Liga, Porto have won five and drawn one of their six home games this season, scoring ten and conceding only one. Besiktas have lost both of their Champions League away fixtures this time round and I fully expect Porto to make it three. Get on them at 4/9 with most firms.

Real Madrid, who are a best priced 2/5 with Ladbrokes, SkyBet and Stan James, should see off Lazio to guarantee top spot. Madrid have won all seven of their home games in Primera Liga this season. They’ve also won both of home games in the Champions League in this current campaign. I can’t see Lazio making a dent on their outstanding home record.

Wednesday now, and Arsenal’s game is a tricky one to call. You’d think they’d want to go out and win their final game so that they have a chance of finishing top of the group. They’ll especially want to get back to winning ways after the weekend, plus they have a fantastic record at the Emirates. Will they have one eye on Sunday, though? I’d check the team news on this one first, but I think I’ll be avoiding this one.

The same goes for Manchester United, who have already qualified as group winners and take on Roma. Fergie’s plan was to beat Sporting Lisbon last time out so that he could rest some players before the big game against Liverpool on Sunday. That happened, of course, so I won’t be backing an under strength United.

Fenerbache should do the business at home to CSKA Moscow, who are bottom of the group with one point. Fenerbache, however, need to win to ensure that they join group winners Inter Milan in the next stage. I’d be massively shocked if they didn’t get the three points. They’re a best priced 1/3 with Stan James.

Rangers need a point at home to Lyon to join rivals Celtic in the next stages of the Champions League. Rangers, of course, won 3-0 when these two teams met in France a month or so ago. I think it’s safe to say it’ll be a lot closer than that this time round, as Lyon seem very pumped up and focused on the task at hand. I expect Rangers to qualify, but I don’t know whether they’ll do it by winning or holding Lyon to a draw, so I’m giving this one a miss.

That about covers it for the Champions League. The rest of the games are either far too close to call, involve teams who have already qualified or teams who have nothing to play for. Like I said, be very careful with your selections this week.

The only team who I fancy in the FA Cup is Southend, who host Oxford in a second round replay. Southend will be without the inspirational Leon Clarke due to terms surrounding his loan agreement, but I think they should still have too much for the Blue Square Premier outfit. Back them at a best priced 4/9 with BetDirect, BetFred and SkyBet.

In the Championship, Owen Coyle and his very much in form Burnley outfit should do the business against rock bottom QPR. Since taking over, Burnley have won three and drawn one. They’ve pulled off some very impressive victories, too. They’ve gone to both Watford and Wolves and taken three points, which is no small feat at all. Yes, their best form lies away from home, but they should prove to be too strong for QPR, who are dismal travelers. Get on them at 8/11 with BetDirect. Cracking value.

Celtic, who slipped up at the weekend, won’t want to drop anymore points as they host Falkirk in the SPL. I know I said it on Saturday, but I can’t see Celtic dropping points here – especially after Saturday. They’re 2/9 with Ladbrokes.

In the Carling Cup, West Ham take on Everton at Upton Park on Wednesday night. Assuming they both field strong teams, this should be quite a cracking contest and one I wouldn’t like to call.

It’s time for a recap:

Porto (4/9 with most firms)

Real Madrid (2/5 with Ladbrokes, SkyBet and Stan James)

Fenerbache (1/3 with Stan James)

Southend (4/9 with BetDirect, BetFred and SkyBet)

Burnley (8/11 with BetDirect)

Celtic (2/9 with Ladbrokes)

Just the six teams this time, then. You can get 7.36/1 for those six in an accumulator with BetDirect. Not cracking odds, I know, but there’s not an awful lot of value around this week. Apart from Burnley, that is. I think 8/11 for them represents terrific value. I thought Ipswich looked good value at 10/11 too, but I have a suspicion that’ll end up in a draw. Leicester have drawn six of their nine away games so far this season, conceding only seven. I think it’ll be a very, very close game.

Anyway, as always, I wish good luck to you and your selections.

I’ll be back on Thursday night, perhaps Friday afternoon, with a full preview of the weekend action.

Until then, take care.

Here’s the fourteen:

Chelsea – Won

Everton – Won

Manchester United – Won

Liverpool – Lost

Gillingham – Lost

Leeds – Won

Southend – Won

Hereford – Won

Aldershot – Won

Torquay – Void, as game was postponed

Celtic – Drew

Dundee – Won

Raith – Drew

East Fife – Won

9/13, which isn’t too bad at all. Like I said, especially when two of those that let me down were Liverpool and Celtic. I’m surprised with Raith too, although I did take a little bit of a risk in backing Gillingham, who were sixteenth at the time. I still thought they had more than enough to win, however.

I also had my Top Tip come up, when I backed Manchester United -2 at 1/1 with BetFred and Stan James, although they left it a little too late for my liking!

On top of all of that, I warned you about backing Arsenal and Hamilton, who both lost at the weekend. Quite a number of tipsters were backing those two teams. Not me, though!

Having said all that, I went and opened my big mouth and said that if Derby scored at Old Trafford, I would eat my shorts. Well, they actually went and scored, to my astonishment, so without further ado…

And no, that’s not actually me, before anyone asks!

Aston Villa take on Portsmouth in the early kick off on Saturday, which promises to be quite a fantastic game to watch, with both sides playing very good, attractive football this season. I think I’ll be sitting back and watching this one, though, rather than putting any money on it, as I think the game is too close to call. Villa’s best form lies at home, whereas Portsmouth, rather uncharacteristically of them, have found a lot more success on the road so far this season. Villa are the form team, I think, having won their previous four games before falling to Arsenal last time out. The history between these two clubs favours Villa also. And if I had to choose a winner, I’d go with Villa. But, having said all that, I’d rather keep hold of money and simply sit back and watch it, as I think a draw could very well be on the cards.

Chelsea should add three points to their tally when they host Sunderland this weekend. I’m not going to go into great detail as I think it’s a foregone conclusion, no disrespect to Sunderland or their fans intended. Sunderland were dreadful, absolutely awful a couple of weeks ago against Everton, and they made really hard work of whipping boys Derby last weekend, so I have no doubt that Chelsea will win, even without Didier Drogba. Also, having already booked their place in the next stage of the Champions League, they don’t have to chop and change by resting players. They’re obviously a short price with the best odds being Coral’s 1/5. Short of having a spare £500 or £5000 handy, it’s definitely worth sticking in an accumulator.

Everton, who secured qualification to the next stage of the UEFA Cup in midweek, take on Fulham on Saturday. An interesting fact concerning this game is that of the twelve times these two have met, the home team has always won, meaning Everton have won all six at Goodison against Fulham. I fully expect them to make that seven and extend their unbeaten streak to ten games. They’re in fantastic form at the moment and playing some really good football, whereas Fulham are pretty abysmal away from home, having not picked up a victory in twenty-four attempts. Everton are 8/13 with ToteSport, which represents quite terrific value. Get on!

Manchester United, with the trio of Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez now reunited, are very, very dangerous – especially at home. If they want to, they can go on and win this by four or five goals to nil. And I’m sorry, Derby fans, but that’s what I expect to happen. It’s not even a case of me being bias, either. United didn’t play particularly well against Fulham on Monday, yet they still won 2-0 and it should have been more. Derby, on the other hand, have drawn one and lost seven of their eight away games, not even scoring a single goal. If they get one at Old Trafford, I will eat my shorts. Everything obviously points to a comfortable United victory – the question is, by how many goals? Well, with the Champions League now out of the way until next year, I can see this one being 4-0. That’s United’s favourite scoreline this year, with 1-0 a close second. United are obviously a short price – the best odds you can get at the moment is 1/8 with Stan James and Coral. Far, far, far more appealing is BetFred and Stan James offering 1/1 for United -2. They must surely win by three goals or more, especially with a flu bug wiping out a couple of Derby’s players, if they weren’t already disadvantaged enough. Get on!

Newcastle take on Birmingham this weekend, which actually should be quite a good game, I reckon. I think they’ll be a fair amount of goals, too. Who will win? I don’t know. I can see it being 2-2, or 3-2 to either team – I can see it being that kind of contest. A huge weight will have been lifted off Big Sam’s shoulders after their draw in midweek, but Birmingham looked very impressive when they won at White Hart Lane last time out. This one could really go either way, which is why I’m sitting this one out. If I had to choose a winner, though, I’d say Newcastle to sneak it.

Unbeaten Liverpool travel to the Madejski Stadium in the 5:15PM game on Saturday. Liverpool, who have been in fantastic form recently, have beaten Reading at their own ground once already this season, as they ran out 4-2 winners in the Carling Cup. They did the double over Reading last season too, so history, as well as form, is very much in their favour. Add in the fact that Liverpool have found more success on the road this season and it doesn’t look too good for Steve Coppell’s men. It’s not all doom and gloom for them, though, as they’ve been quite good at home this season, beating the likes of Everton, Newcastle and Wigan. Saying that, I still think Benitez’s boys will have too much for them – on paper, that is. So long as Liverpool field a relatively strong side, they should be ok. But if they look to have one eye on their Champions League game three days later, then please do be wary. We all know Benitez likes to shuffle his squad around, so my advice would be to hang on and wait for the team news first. Generally speaking, Liverpool look good at 4/6 with the likes of Bet365 and SkyBet.

I’m not touching any of Sunday’s Premier League fixtures. I’ll tell you why.

While I think Blackburn should edge it, I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if they shared the points with West Ham. Nor would I be that surprised if West Ham actually picked up all three points. The game is simply too close to call. It’ll be good to watch though, I reckon.

Bolton take on Wigan in another game that’s too close to call. Both clubs have new, or relatively new in Megson’s case, managers. I couldn’t even begin to tell you who I think will edge it, it’s that close. Avoid.

This might come as a surprise to some, but I’d even advise you to avoid the game between Boro and Arsenal. Like I said last weekend, Gareth Southgate will be wanting to repay the faith shown to him by the board. His players also gave a very good account of themselves last time out, as they fought to a draw away to Reading. The likes of Fabregas, Flamini and Hleb will all be missing once again for Arsenal, which rips out the heart of their midfield. It made a massive difference against Newcastle in midweek, as the usual free flowing, slick passing Arsenal couldn’t string four or five passes together. I think it’ll be the difference once again on Sunday. I mean, I’m not saying I’d be surprised if Arsenal won, not at all, but I think it’ll be a hell of a lot closer than people think, which is why I’m giving it a miss.

Another game I’ll be avoiding is Spurs versus Manchester City. The question is, which Spurs will turn up? They looked quite good at West Ham a couple of weeks ago, but they’ve been quite comical ever since – especially at the back. I think City might sneak it, but it’s too much of a funny game, I reckon. You never really know what you’re going to get with Spurs and City’s away record isn’t very convincing, either – nor is their record at White Hart Lane.

You know what? There’s not a single game in the Championship that I even remotely like the look of. It’s a minefield this weekend. Wolves at home looked a good bet, as always, but they’re up against the very much in form Burnley, who hold a very impressive away record. I’m not touching WBA after what happened in midweek, plus Ian Holloway is still looking for his first home win with Leicester, who will be even more desperate now after the Southampton game last weekend where he felt his team were very hard done by. Ipswich are rubbish away from home, whereas their opponents, Charlton, aren’t particularly good on home soil, so that one could go either way. Watford seem to have got their campaign back on track again, although they did so the hard way, coming from 2-0 down to beat Colchester in midweek. There’s still a lot of question marks hanging above them, and they’re not in for an easy ride at all as they travel to Stoke on Sunday. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. I’d seriously avoid this league over the weekend, as anything can, and probably will, happen.

However, things in League One look a little more positive.

I can’t remember the last time I tipped a team who currently sit in sixteenth position, but I’m doing so this weekend, as I tip Gillingham to do the business against Port Vale. It really is a case of a very good home record against a very abysmal away record here. Gillingham, who recorded their first away win since April in midweek, have been relying on their excellent home record for many, many months now – and their good record will be maintained after this weekend, I think. Confidence will be even higher in their camp now. Port Vale, however, are in real trouble at the foot of the table. They’re without a win in the league in six, were held at home to Chasetown in the FA Cup last weekend and their away form is dreadful. Get on Gillingham at 5/6 with BetDirect and Stan James.

Leeds, who are unbeaten at home in the league, should continue their phenomenal story with a win against Huddersfield, who have the joint worse goals scored away from home record in the division with five goals. In fact, only Bolton, Derby and Fulham have a worse record than Huddersfield in all four English divisions. Get on Leeds at 8/13 with SkyBet.

Last, but certainly not least, I fancy Southend to do the business when they host Swindon at the weekend. Southend have a good home record, whereas Swindon’s isn’t all that great at all. Also, Swindon have a lot of injuries to key players at the moment, so it’s a good time to be facing them. Add the fact that Southend have the influential Leon Clarke back and I think they’ll take the three points on offer. They’re a best priced 5/6 with BetFred and ToteSport.

Hereford could very well find themselves in the automatic promotion spots after the weekend, that’s if they can overcome visitors Lincoln City. Personally, I think they will. Hereford are a good little outfit, and while their away form is slightly better, their home form is still pretty good. While Lincoln have improved a fair bit under new management, I think this task is a little too big for them at this stage. They’re a best priced 8/11 with Bet365 and SkyBet. Good value.

Aldershot, top of the Blue Square Premier by four points and gunning for their ninth consecutive home win host lowly Stafford Rangers on Saturday. Aldershot have won nine of their eleven home games, scoring twenty four in the process, whereas Stafford Rangers have drawn three and lost seven of their eleven away games. I expect a comfortable home win. Get on Aldershot at 1/3 with BetDirect and SkyBet. Most definitely worth sticking in an accumulator.

Torquay, with their fantastic home record, should see off lowly Altrincham on Sunday afternoon. Torquay have won eight and drawn one of their ten home games this season, scoring twenty-four while doing so, whereas Altrincham have only won once on the road all season. Again, I expect a comfortable home victory. Again, though, it’s quite a short price. The best available is SportingBet’s 7/20. They’re a terrible, terrible Bookmakers though – very unprofessional – so in this instance, I’d take the 1/3 being offered at most other firms.

Celtic, having secured a last sixteen spot in the Champions League, can now completely re-focus on the SPL again and pick up three points at home to St Mirren on Saturday. It takes only one quick glance at the table to see why I’m backing them. Yes, they’re very short at BetDirect’s 1/6, but I’d definitely have them in my accumulator. No doubt about it.

In Scottish Division One, Dundee can continue to pile the pressure on leaders Hamilton by picking up three points at home to bottom placed Stirling at the weekend. It’s a case of terrific home form meets terrible away form. Back them at 4/9 with BetFred.

I wouldn’t back Hamilton, though, who are away to Livingston. I think Hamilton might slip up again there and drop two valuable points.

Raith, 11/20 at Bet365, should do the business at home to Brechin, who have lost five of their seven away games this season, drawing the other two. Raith traveled to leaders Ross County last time out and secured a 3-2 win, so confidence will be sky high in the camp and they’ll be wanting to build upon that.

East Fife can put the disappointment of being knocked out of the Scottish FA Cup in midweek and look to extend their lead at the top of the table. They’re currently nine points ahead of second placed Stranraer. Forfar, East Fife’s opponents at the weekend, are on the very opposite end of the table with nine points. They’ve lost four of their six home games already this season and I fully expect them to lose their fifth of seven this weekend. You can get 4/9 with most places for East Fife to come out as victors.

There we go. That wraps up another weekend preview. As always, here’s a recap of my tips:

Chelsea (1/5 with Coral)

Everton (8/13 with ToteSport)

Manchester United (1/8 with Stan James and Coral)

Liverpool (4/6 with Bet365 and SkyBet)

Gillingham (5/6 with BetDirect and Stan James)

Leeds (8/13 with SkyBet)

Southend (5/6 with BetFred and ToteSport)

Hereford (8/11 with Bet365 and SkyBet)

Aldershot (1/3 with BetDirect and SkyBet)

Torquay (1/3 with most firms)

Celtic (1/6 with BetDirect)

Dundee (4/9 with BetFred)

Raith (11/20 with Bet365)

East Fife (4/9 with most places)

Wow, fourteen teams there. The best odds for that lot is Bet365′s a little over 158/1. Given the amount of odds on teams in that list, I’d say that’s very good value. One is bound to let me down, though!

The Best Bet for this weekend is Dundee, Everton, Gillingham, Hereford, Leeds and Liverpool in a six team accumulator with odds of 18/1 with SkyBet.

My Top Tip is Manchester United -2 at 1/1 with BetFred and Stan James.

Also, I have not one, but two Wacky Wagers for tomorrow. The first is Manchester United to win 4-0, which is 7/1 at most firms. My second is Liverpool’s Dirk Kuyt to score the first goal at Reading, which is 7/1 with Coral. That’s if he starts, of course. You can also get 9/4 with the same firm that he scores at anytime.

As for me, I’ll be back on Monday with a preview of all the midweek action, including games from the Champions League, the Championship, the FA Cup and even the Carling Cup. A very mixed bag there.

As for you, well I wish you the very best of luck, whoever you back this weekend.

Until Monday, take care.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post – which you can find here – warning you of the unprofessional manner of SportingBet.com, also known as SportingOdds.com.

If you read the brief post, it’ll tell you of the circumstances surrounding the story. The bottom line, though, is that they agreed to send back my money via a cheque, which they said takes two weeks. A little over two weeks passed when I decided to log on to my account with them to find out where my bloody cheque was.

What did I find?

Yep, I found my money…sitting there. Doing nothing.

I clicked on my account details, to see what the hell had happened, and it says that my request for a withdrawal via cheque had been declined – even though I was told via e-mail that they’d send the cheque out.

I clicked on ‘Live Help’ and spoke to an employee regarding my issue. It’s safe to say they were about as useful as bicycle lanes. He said he’d forward my details to the relevant department, but I’m not holding my breath.

Like I said a couple of weeks ago, they’re unprofessional idiots, nothing but a sorry excuse for a Bookmakers. All they’ve done is gone and proven what I said to be true.

Personally, I wouldn’t use them if they were the last Bookmakers on Earth.

Be warned.

Well, I hope you didn’t go along with him.

I said on Monday, during my review of the midweek action, that Newcastle would get a point against Arsenal.

Yes, Newcastle have been poor recently, but they played much better against Blackburn, despite losing 3-1. Arsenal haven’t been playing as fantastic as they were at the start of the season more recently. Plus they were missing the likes of Fabregas, Hleb and Flamini last night – their three best, most influential midfield players.

If you want your pockets filling with the Bookmakers money, don’t follow so-called ‘football betting experts’, stay here and stick with IAFOG.

Onto this weeks action, now, starting with the Championship…

There’s only one team I fancy tomorrow night in this particular league and no, it’s not Watford. It’s their closest rivals – West Bromwich Albion. Their home form is absolutely superb and, even though they’re missing the likes of Miller and Phillips, they should still have enough for a struggling, troublesome Coventry side. The injuries to Miller and Phillips has allowed for the long awaited emergence of Roman Bednar, who scored twice on his full debut in midweek last time out and hit the bar at the weekend. He won’t quite fill the void of those two, simply because they’re so good at this level, but he’ll do enough. Speaking of strikers, Michael Mifsud will be back for Coventry after serving a three match suspension, who ironically got sent off in the reverse tie between these two teams at the start of November. West Brom won that one 4-0, although I don’t think it’ll be that easy this time round. I expect a two goal margin, though. The best price for West Brom is 4/7 with BetFred, Ladbrokes and Stan James. Pretty good value, I reckon. 13/8 West Brom -1 with Stan James appeals, too.

League One, and it’s a funny old league, this one. In fact, saying that, all three English leagues below the Premier League are funny, as you kind of get the feeling that anyone could pretty much beat anyone. I touched upon that about three weeks ago and that point has been proven time and time again ever since. I think it’s particularly funny in midweek. I have no idea what it is, but a lot of strange results pop up, so do be cautious.

Saying that, they’re a couple of teams who I fancy tomorrow night in League One, the first being Carlisle. They’ll be desperately wanting to keep up with the likes of Leeds, Leyton Orient, Nottingham Forest and Swansea and now that they’re no longer in any cup competitions, they can focus entirely on the league. Their opponents, Swindon, have a lot of injuries to contend with at the moment. They were also in action at the weekend, making hard work of Forest Green, whereas Carlisle have had a thirteen day break. I think Carlisle would have enough to win regardless, but that break will play a big part in the game, I reckon. Carlisle are a best priced 17/20 with VCBet.

Another team who I fancy, who have also had quite a nice, long break is Leeds United. I know they’ve been a little wayward recently, but they should bounce back in style against a pitiful Port Vale side, who have a dreadful away record. Leeds, however, are unbeaten at home – winning seven, drawing one, scoring seventeen and conceding only five. As you’d expect, they’re a best priced 4/11 with most firms. Far, far more appealing is Leeds -1 at 11/10 with BlueSq and Paddy Power.

League Two and MK Dons should have too much quality for lowly Dag & Red, who have a dismal home record, winning only one of their eight home games so far. Only Wrexham have scored fewer home goals than Dag &Red. MK Dons, however, have a very good away record. Almost as good as their home record. They sit on top of League One by two points and they’ll want to try and extend that lead before hosting Accrington Stanley at the weekend. The best price for an MK Dons victory is 10/11, which you’ll find with Betfred, BlueSq and Ladbrokes. That’s really good value, I think. And again, what’s really appealing to me also is BlueSq’s 13/5 for MK Dons -1.

I’m going to stick my neck out a little, little bit and give my backing to Peterborough, who are away to Notts County. The reason I say I’m going to stick my neck out is because, while Peterborough have indeed been in fantastic form recently, their away form isn’t anywhere near as good as their home form. Looking at the table, the form and the past four or five results, though, I really do think Peterborough are going to have too much for them. Notts County are pretty dreadful at the moment, losing at home to Havant and Waterlooville in the FA Cup at the weekend. Some will say Notts County will be well up for it after such an embarrassing display, but I think they’ve got real problems and confidence will be at an all time low. Peterborough are 11/10 with most firms, which makes them even more appealing.

As for the rest of the action – well, neither of the two Champions League games appeal to me. I really do hope Celtic get the draw they need, but I’m not going to place any money on it. The UEFA Cup, to me, simply isn’t worth it. It’s just a minefield, I reckon.

Continuing with Wednesday nights action, nothing in the English leagues appeals to me whatsoever. Not even Arsenal, who travel to St. James Park. If I had to choose a winner, I’d obviously go with Arsenal, as they’re by far the better team, but I just have this sneaky feeling that Newcastle are going to get something from this game. Big Sam is under a lot of pressure at the moment. His players fought hard for him at Ewood Park on Saturday and came up short. On home soil, though, with the crowd behind them (to begin with), I fancy Newcastle to nick a point. I’m not placing any money on it, though…

The only team that appeals on Wednesday night is in Scotland – as East Fife host Brechin in the Scottish Cup. Now, I know East Fife are a Third Division side, and Brechin are a Second Division side, but a glance the their respective league tables tells a different story – even though I know it’s a cup competition and you’re not really meant to use league form. East Fife are absolutely cruising in the Third Division, as they top the division by an incredible nine points already. They’re undefeated at home too, winning seven out of seven, scoring twenty-six and conceding only two goals. That’s an incredible record. Brechin, on the other hand, are second bottom in Division Two with an abysmal away record. They’ve played seven, loss five, drawn two, scored eight and conceded fifteen. I honestly think some Bookmakers have made a big mistake in pricing this one, as places like BetDirect have East Fife at 1/1! They’re 8/13 with some firms, so get on at that incredible 1/1!

That just about wraps up my midweek preview. As always, here’s a recap of my tips:

West Brom (4/7 with BetFred, Ladbrokes and Stan James)

Carlisle (17/20 with VCBet)

Leeds (4/11 with most firms)

MK Dons (10/11 with Betfred, BlueSq and Ladbrokes)

Peterborough (11/10 with most firms)

East Fife (1/1 with BetDirect)

The best combined odds for those six teams is with VCBet, who offer a very tempting 28.54/1. It’s as short as 20.89/1 with Coral, which just goes to show why you should shop around for the best prices using OddsChecker.

Also, don’t forget to take a look at Stan James’ 13/8 for West Brom -1, Leeds -1 at 11/10 with BlueSq and Paddy Power and BlueSq’s 13/5 for MK Dons -1.

Whoever you go with – the very best of luck to you.

As for me, I’ll be back Thursday night with a preview of the weekends football action.

Until then – take care.

Regardless, to make up for my no show on Monday, I’m doing my weekend preview twenty-four hours early this week!

Last weekend, I tipped ten teams, including the likes of Aston Villa (6/4) and Portsmouth (7/5), and eight of them won. Only Manchester United and Forest Green let me down, with both of their losses being considered as shocks, so it could’ve been a perfect ten. That’s football for you, though, as it’s a funny old game. Let’s hope I have even more success than that this weekend…

I’m going to start off, as always, at the very top with the Premiersh…I mean Premier League.

Last weekend, I said I fancied seven teams in the Premiership, which is pretty much unheard of. Six of those won, with Manchester United, very surprisingly, being the only one to let me down. This weekend, however, is another story. There are a couple of teams who I quite like the look of, but none that I feel as confident about as the teams from last weekend.

Chelsea take on West Ham in the early kick off on Saturday, and while Chelsea do indeed have that tremendous home record, I think they’re going to have a tough time with their opponents. West Ham have looked very good in recent weeks and they’re also, slowly but surely, starting to get some of their players back off the treatment table. I watched them against Spurs last Sunday and they played some really, really good football – they most definitely deserved three points. You also have to remember that Chelsea were on their travels on Wednesday night in the Champions League, and while they played very well, you have to wonder how much of an effect that will have on them. West Ham will be fresh for this London derby, which are always tight, tight affairs. If I had to choose a winner, I’d go with Chelsea, but I personally feel that it’ll be a draw. I won’t be placing any money on this game.

Portsmouth take on Everton on Saturday, which should be a fantastic game to watch. A fantastic game to watch indeed, but not one you’d part with your cash on. This game could really go either way – a home win, an away win or a draw. Personally, I believe it’ll be the latter. My advice to you would be to enjoy it on Football First or Match of the Day and not be crazy enough to place money on it! Unless you’re a Portsmouth or Everton fan and you’re extremely confident…

Sunderland versus Derby is another extremely tricky game to predict, as both teams have been playing very, very poorly recently. This game is the definition of a six pointer. Both teams will be up for it, that’s for sure – Sunderland will be due to their 7-1 humiliation last time out and Derby will want to impress Paul Jewell, their new manager. This is another game I won’t be placing any money on.

Aston Villa versus Arsenal, much like Portsmouth versus Everton, should be an absolute fantastic game to watch – but it’ll be a game I, again, will be sitting back and enjoying rather than placing money on. Confidence is sky high in the Villa camp after four straight wins, their most impressive coming last time out with a 4-0 victory at Ewood Park against the brilliant Blackburn Rovers. Arsenal, of course, lost in midweek against Sevilla – but to be fair, it was a rather weakened Arsenal side. Also, you have to remember that before that lost in the Champions League, they were on a twenty-eight game undefeated streak. Kolo Toure came out yesterday and said that the loss will only spur them on and make them a better team, but they’ll have to cope without the services of Cesc Fabregas on Saturday, as he’ll be sitting out the game due to injury. That is a massive, massive blow for them. Arsenal without Fabregas is like Liverpool without Steven Gerrard, it’s like Manchester United without Ronaldo, it’s like fish and chips with no mushy peas! I wouldn’t waste a penny on this game, folks. Just sit back and enjoy.

Wigan versus Manchester City is yet another game I don’t fancy. I’m afraid to say. City haven’t quite looked themselves recently – they got hammered at Chelsea, they scraped past Sunderland and it took a ninety-second minute goal from Stephen Ireland, or Clark Kent as he’s now sometimes refereed to, to see off Reading. Their away record isn’t that great at all, either. Wigan, of course, will have Steve Bruce at the helm for the first time. New managers pretty much always spur a team on, which I think will be the case on Saturday. I’m not saying they’re going to go out and grab all three points, but I could most definitely see them grabbing a point. It’s too hard to tell, though, which is why I’m going to be avoiding it completely.

Another game and another manager taking their first game in charge this weekend, as Alex McLeish’s Birmingham take on Spurs at White Hart Lane. I think the Premier League table doesn’t tell the full story with Birmingham. They’ve played some good stuff so far and they’ve been rather unfortunate in a couple of games. Again, having a new manager in will spur them on, too. Meanwhile, I still think Spurs have far too many question marks hanging over their heads. They were absolutely dreadful in the first half against Aalborg tonight, finding themselves 2-0 down. Yes, they came back to win the game 3-2, but their performance in the first half shows that Juande Ramos has a lot, an awful lot, of work to do still. I have no confidence in them whatsoever, which is why I’m giving this game a miss.

What’s this?! A Premiership team I like the look of this weekend? A team I’ll be backing? Yes, I do like the look of Blackburn Rovers as they take on the dismal Newcastle. Sam “you don’t know what you’re doing” Allardyce’s job is meant to be in a bit of danger, if you believe the press, but Mark Hughes and his lads won’t care one bit about that. They’ve been absolutely tremendous this season, while Newcastle have been nothing short of dreadful recently. I watched them against Liverpool last weekend and they were an absolute joke. The 3-0 scoreline flattered them. It could’ve easily been five or six nil. Blackburn, meanwhile, will be looking to put that unfortunate, nightmare of a result against Villa in midweek behind them. They’ll bounce back here, I think. They’re a best priced 10/11 with Bet365 and BetDirect. Cracking value.

Reading versus Middlesborough. Well, given Reading’s rather good home form and Boro’s rather dreadful away form, you’d think this one had home win written all over it – and I think it has. Boro will have their number one goalkeeper Marc Schwarzar missing, which is a massive blow for them, and it’s not even as if they can rely on their second choice keeper, as he’s in the treatment room at the moment, too. The Middlesborough board came out the other day and publicly backed Gareth Southgate which, in this current climate, given the revolving door nature of Premiership managers, is quite outstanding. Mr Southgate will be wanting to repay that faith, I think, but he’s going to have to wait a little longer to do so. Reading are a good little outfit, especially at home, and in Kitson and Doyle have two fantastic goal scorers. It might be tight for a little while, as I suspect Boro will be playing a 4-5-1, but I think Reading will come through in the end. They’re a best priced 11/10 with BetDirect, although you can get 6/5 for them on some extended odds coupons.

There’s another team I like the look of this week and that’s Liverpool. They’re undefeated in the Premier League so far this season and they’ve been playing some fantastic stuff at Anfield recently. Yes, Bolton shocked Manchester United last weekend, but I can’t see lightning striking twice. Liverpool will have too much for them, I think. They have an outstanding Premiership home record against Bolton too – winning seven and drawing one out of the eight games. The inspirational Kevin Nolan will be absent through suspension also, which is a big loss for Bolton. The only thing is, Liverpool are a best priced 1/3 with BoyleSports and Stan James. Hardly surprising, but it’s not particularly great value. It’d most definitely be worth sticking in an accumulator, though.

To the Championship now, where I really like the look of Ipswich, who are at home to Barnsley. I told my girlfriend on Tuesday afternoon that Ipswich -1 at 13/5 with Stan James was absolutely terrific value – and they delivered, beating Southampton 2-0. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if it was the same outcome on Saturday, although Ipswich minus a goal is now only 2/1 this time round with Stan James. It’s as short as 7/4 with Paddy Power, so I think the 2/1 is still tremendous value. Ipswich have a phenomenal home record, winning eight out of eight, scoring twenty-five and conceding only four. Barnsley, on the other hand, have only won once away from home this season, drawing three and losing five. They’ve managed to score only six goals in those nine goals, conceding fourteen. Back Ipswich to win at 8/11 with BetFred, or get on that cracking 2/1 with Stan James for Ipswich -1.

Southampton are in a lot of trouble at the moment – both financially and on the field. They’ve got a very, very makeshift defence due to injuries and a lack of funds, so look for Ian Holloway and Leicester to take advantage this weekend at 11/10 with most firms, including BetFred, Coral and Stan James. Ian Holloway will be desperate for his first home win and Southampton are there for the picking, I think.

What on Earth has happened to Watford over the past couple of weeks? I said on here a while back that Watford are the only Championship side I felt were truly safe to back. My, how things quickly change… Saying that, I’m still tipping them to do the business at the weekend. With West Brom now breathing right down their necks, Aidy Boothroyd will want his team to get their act together and get back to winning ways. They’re facing a Bristol City team who have gone a little wayward recently. They haven’t won in their last five games, drawing two and losing three. Watford have a lot of quality at their disposal and I think it’ll be back to business for them on Saturday. They’re a best priced 4/6 with Bet365, BlueSq and William Hill.

Another Championship side I fancy this weekend is Wolverhampton, who are at home to the struggling and quite dismal Preston. Wolves’ form is absolutely solid, whereas Preston’s away form is shocking. It’s as simple as that, really. I just think Wolves will have far, far too much for them. There’s a gulf not only between the two sides in terms of points but in quality, too. They’re a best priced 4/6 with SkyBet, which is rather good value.

I’ve looked long and hard over the FA Cup fixtures and, to be honest, I was going to say that I won’t be betting on any of them, as it’s usually a minefield…but, there are actually two teams who I like the look of.

The first one is Cambridge United, who take on fellow Blue Square Premier side Weymouth. Now, I’m going to be honest with you, I’m using league form here to back up my thoughts, which is usually a big mistake to make when looking to place a bet on an FA Cup game. With that said, though, I’m still very confident that Cambridge will progress to the next round. Even though it’s obviously a cup competition, looking at the league table, Cambridge have a tremendous home record, they’re on a very good run and they’re third, whereas Weymouth don’t have a particularly great away record, they’re not on a great run at all and they find themselves in nineteenth position. Bet365 are offering 8/11 for a Cambridge win.

The only other team I fancy is Hereford, despite the fact that they’re in Division Two and their opponents, Hartlepool, are a Division One team. Saying that, though, only twelve positions separate the two teams, so it’s not that big of a gap at all. Also, Hereford are on a great little run, even knocking out the mighty Leeds at Elland Road in the last round of the FA Cup, whereas Hartlepool haven’t been very great at all recently, losing three and drawing one of their previous four league games. BetDirect offer 7/4 for a Hereford victory. Get on!

That concludes my weekend football review. Yes, I know Scotland have a whole host of fixtures, but nothing at all takes my fancy. I don’t like betting Celtic or Rangers after they’ve been involved in the Champions League in midweek. It’s one of my rules. They just never look or play like themselves., I don’t think. Scotland’s lower league football has thrown up a hell of a lot of funny results over the past month or so too, which is why I’m taking a backseat with those leagues. I’m still keeping an eye, to see if there is any value floating around, but I don’t see any this weekend.

Just to recap:

Blackburn Rovers (10/11 with Bet365 and BetDirect)

Reading (11/10 with BetDirect)

Liverpool (1/3 with BoyleSports and Stan James)

Ipswich (8/11 with BetFred)

Leicester (11/10 with BetFred, Coral and Stan James)

Watford (4/6 with Bet365, BlueSq and William Hill)

Wolverhampton (4/6 with SkyBet)

Cambridge United (8/11 with Bet365)

Hereford (7/4 with BetDirect)

The best odds for those eight teams in an accumulator is with BetDirect, who offer a little over 203/1. There’s some really, really good value there, though. Most definitely.

I especially like the look of a Blackburn, Reading and Ipswich treble, that’s almost 7/1 with BetDirect. That’d be my Best Bet.

Or throw Manchester United and Liverpool into that treble, making it a five-timer, with odds of a little over 10/1 with the same firm.

Don’t forget Ipswich -1 at 2/1 with Stan James, either. That’s my Top Tip this weekend.

And to cap things off, my Wacky Wager is Ipswich 2 Barnsley 0, which is 15/2 with ExtraBet. Just got a feeling with that one, that’s all.

I’ll be back on Monday (definitely!) with a preview of all the midweek action, including a couple of Premiership games, a couple of games from the Champions League and pretty much a full set of fixtures from the Championship, League One and League Two.

Until then, as always, the very best of luck to you, whoever you back.