Midweek Football Betting Preview And Tips
With Valentine's Day falling on Wednesday, it is fitting that's this week's soccer schedule is all about the romance of the cup. There is unfinished business in the FA Cup, with three replays concluding the line-up for the fifth round which takes place on the weekend.
The UEFA Cup resumes after the winter break with 30 teams fighting over two-legs to join Tottenham in the final 16; Spurs received a bye following Feyenoord's expulsion from the competition. The busy and competitive schedule provides punters with a selection head-ache, but bettors can arm themselves with these Pinnacle Sports.
Boro Fancied to Clip Robins' Wings
Middlesbrough face Division One opposition at the Riverside on Tuesday night, looking to maintain progress in the FA Cup and go one better than last season when they were beaten 1-0 by West Ham in the last four. Though Boro are two divisions and 35 places above Bristol City in the football league pyramid, the Robins gave a good account of themselves in the first tie at Ashton Gate. The Premiership side looked to be cruising with a two goal lead by half-time, before City completed a rousing comeback, with two goals in a six-minute spell. Unfortunately, the West Country side seem to have been distracted by their cup run, and haven't won any of their three intervening league games, Pinnacle Sports price them 2.09 (+1). Backed by an eleven game home run featuring just a single defeat to Manchester United, the Teesiders' are favourites with Pinnacle Sports, 1.84 (-1).
Valentine's Day Massacre at the Reebok?
Sitting 17 points behind United in the Premiership, the Gunners are highly unlikely to win the Premiership title, but were there an award for the most entertaining side, they would be front-runners. They fell behind on Sunday, but for the 13th time this term, they avoided defeat from that position, on this occasion completing an unlikely victory at home to Wigan with two goals in the final ten minutes.
It was a similar scenario in the first leg against Bolton, when Kevin Nolan's 50th minute goal looked to have given the Trotters victory, only for Kolo Toure to strike late on. The clubs are locked in a battle for the fourth Champions League spot, and have shared some real battles on the last few seasons, with Bolton holding the upper-hand with home advantage, recording a hat-trick of victories, including in this competition last season. Arsenal have actually won just one of their last seven visits to the Reebok, again in the FA Cup in 2005, but despite this are favourites with Pinnacle Sports off a split ball Asian Handicap 2.07 (0/scratch & -0.5) with Bolton 1.862 (0/scratch & -0.5). Their 3-1 victory at Anfield in the last round should however, give Arsene Wenger plenty of hope, in a competition he has won four times.
UEFA Cup Springs Back Into Life
European action resumes midweek, with Blackburn, Newcastle and Rangers looking to join Spurs in the last 16. The Blue half of Glasgow has been revitalised following the exit of Paul Le Guen and are unbeaten after the reappointment Walter Smith, who enjoyed seven successful seasons with the club in the 90's. Smith will need to call on all his experience for the trip to Hapoel Tel-Aviv, where the small Bloomfield Stadium in Jaffa, holding just 15,000 fans, will guarantee a hostile reception. Pinnacle Sports cannot separate the sides pricing Rangers 2.00 with Hapoel 1.926, off a level handicap.
Blackburn Rovers travel to Germany hoping to emulate Tottenham who came away from Bayer Leverkusen with a 1-0 win in the Group stages. This game has the potential for more action, as Leverkusen's last seven games have produced 25 goals, and they've managed just one clean-sheet in 15 games. Rovers chances were dealt a blow by the recent injury to Morten Gamst Pedersen, who has been on fire of late in the Premiership. Pinnacle Sports rate Over 2.5 goals at a generous 2.04.
Glenn Roeder has remained philosophical in the face of a horrendous injury list, and despite difficult circumstances, the club are climbing up the Premiership table, beating Liverpool at St.James' Park on the weekend. The Toon Army are certainly getting their monies worth, as Newcastle's last eleven games have all produced more than 2.5 goals. That contrasts to their form in this competition, conceding just once in seven. Given that unfancied Belgian outfit Waregem have conceded nine goals in losing their last two Group games with an aggregate of score of 9-2, the Premiership team are favourites with Pinnacle Sports at 1.752 (0/scratch & -0.5) with Waregem 2.23 (0/scratch & +0.5).
