Solid Seagulls can heap more misery on Langusihing Lions

We're avoiding the Premier League this weekend with value seemingly a little thin on the ground from the prices we can see although there are various money back offers on Sunday's derby games fro those wanting a punt so keep your eyes & ear open for them. We're instead looking to get a double up in the Championship where the season is already into it's 5th round of games.

The NFL season starts next week too & we should have a preview (maybe split in two parts for the AFC & NFC) up early in the week - it's a great competition to bet on with an edge to be found on plenty of markets & a great sport with a real cerebral side to add to the physicality. Be sure to check back for bets right through the season to add to the football bets already underway.

Brighton vs Millwall

In our first game we see Brighton host Millwall in a game that looks like it could be a good opportunity for the home side to make it three league wins in a row as their silky style of football could undo their less cultured opponents.

(Leonardo Ulloa is on fire up front for Brighton & could strike again here)

Brighton started off their season a little sluggishly with defeats away at Leeds & then more disappointingly at home to Derby but they scored in both games through their star Argentinian striker Leonardo Ulloa & they've since beaten Birmingham & Burnley to get their campaign rolling. After last season's histrionics at the end with their acrimonious split with manager Gus Poyet, plus their playoff loss to chief rivals Crystal Palace, it was understandable that they may have suffered a slight hangover (they also lost to Newport in the League Cup) but they now seem to got going under new coach Oscar Garcia. It's fortunate for the Seagulls that Ulloa is playing so well & scoring so frequently because due to a smallish selection of players & injuries he looks likely to be their only fit out & out striker here as Ashley Barnes looks doubtful for selection.

Brighton play some nice football right throughout their side with plenty of Latin influence meaning they pass the ball well, certainly amongst the best in the Championship, & build from the back - usually they have the fullbacks Inigo Calderon & Bruno as key cogs in the plan but Bruno's out with a hamstring injury meaning it won't be quite so straightforward. We like the permanent signing of Matthew Upson in central defence & he's added a real solidity at the back in his time at the club plus Tomasz Kusczak has a great deal of quality in goal & is proving his worth after spending too much time as a back up in Manchester. They've a bit of quality in midfield, both in the centre & out wide & Kemy Augustien looks like a potentially great signing from Swansea - they should be able to get service into Ulloa who's good on the ground & in the air.

(Shaun Derry on loan - as far as Millwall's resources stretch...)

Millwall have unfortunately started this season, much as they finished the last, in dire form meaning they are now on a streak of 7 losses & 2 draws in 9 games & they've only scored 3 goals over the period. That lack of forward threat doesn't look likely to change with Steve Morison out with a hernia op & they've been failing to fire ever since Chris Wood finished his loan spell after Christmas. They always have a bit of fight in them but the quality looks to be lacking & with no money to go around they've not been able to make significant improvements in the off-season, Shaun Derry's on loan from QPR but he's 35 & has always relied on work rate rather than class to succeed. This looks to be a long season for the Lions & we don't see any outcome other than relegation, they could be in a whole heap of trouble even by the end of September.

Brighton only lost 3 times at home in the league in 2012-13 & with Millwall failing to score in 3 of their first 4 games this year they'll feel confident that they can keep the visitors at bay whilst netting at the other end, only SkyBet go as big as 4/5 for the Brighton win & that should be taken.

Doncaster Rovers vs Bournemouth

This selection seems a rather simple one but we can't understand why BetVictor have gone a standout Evens about there being over 2.5 goals in the Doncaster vs Bournemouth game in the Championship.

(Lewis Grabban is finding the environs of the Championship to his liking)

Bournemouth have tended to be fairly open so far & seem to need to learn to defend at a higher level after conceding 5 to Watford then 6 to Huddersfield so far on their travels & Doncaster have scored in all 3 of their games so far including twice away to fancied Wigan & there were 4 goals in their League Cup game here with Leeds. There was only the one goal here when they met last season with Bournemouth taking the win but their other game saw the over 2.5 land & both teams have strikers who are in the goals with Lewis Grabban with 4 for Bournemouth & Doncaster's new signing Theo Robinson bagging in consecutive games against Blackburn & Wigan. We thought the price would be around the 4/6 mark so think this looks a great value bet & it's unlikely you'll see these sort of odds too often for a game that seems to promise goals.

Selections:
Brighton to beat Millwall at 4/5 (SkyBet)
Doncaster vs Bournemouth Over 2.5 goals at Evens (Bet365 & BetVictor)

Table Toppers to Topple Medicore Midtablers

We stayed away from last Saturday's football fixtures & it was just as well as we wouldn't have found much joy from a tough set of fixtures. This week we've a couple of bets on teams riding high in the Championship & League One & they could form a healthy double at some prices we think are a little on the large side.

Blackpool vs Cardiff City

In the Championship, clear leaders Cardiff City travel to Bloomfield Road to play Blackpool in the late kickoff televised on Sky Sports. Cardiff have an eight point lead & have 23 more points than managerless Blackpool who sit below mid-table in 15th.

(Captain Mark Hudson has been solid all season for Cardiff)

Cardiff will be disappointed with only a point last weekend against a resurgent Ipswich Town but they have taken 13 points from a possible 15 in their last five league games. In these games they've kept four clean sheets & the solid Mark Hudson & Ben Turner have been excellent, the Bluebirds had their difficulties on the road earlier in the season but they seem to have put them to bed recently with four wins & one draw with impressive victories over Blackburn Rovers & Leicester City. Peter Whittingham has always seemed a cut above most players in the Championship & supplies the vision & ammunition for others whilst the dependable Icelandic Aron Gunnarsson has popped up with some important goals.

Blackpool are looking for their 3rd manager of the season with Ian Holloway & strangely Michael Appleton moving onto Crystal Palace & Blackburn respectively. With all this chopping & changing results have suffered in recent weeks with three defeats & two draws in their last five league games. They still have the outstanding Tom Ince but it seems likely he will end up in the Premiership before January ends which only adds to the uncertainty & on Tuesday night they had to endure 120 minutes against a weakened Fulham side & the deflation of an 90 minute equaliser leading to a 2-1 extra time defeat.

Cardiff will look to take advantage of this uncertain period for Blackpool & cement their healthy lead at the summit at the attractive price of 9/5.

Doncaster Rovers vs Leyton Orient

We've been cheering on Doncaster with our money in several games recently & the grand old club can continue their superb recent form under newly appointed manager Brian Flynn as they take on Leyton Orient at the Keepmoat.

(Kyle Bennett & Tommy Spurr have contributed to some ace wingplay for Doncaster Rovers)

Doncaster have risen to 2nd place in League One & that has come on the back of a tremendous run of form where they've won 8 of their last 11 games & lost just once in that time with several late goals helping out - that's a sign of a well-drilled side with a good attitude. Of course being well-drilled is one thing but Doncaster also have a lot of quality about them not least down the wings with the full backs Tommy Spurr & Paul Quinn giving good support to Kyle Bennett & maybe the division's outstanding player David Cotterill. Cotterill has been prolific in terms of scoring goals & setting them up too & it's unsurprising when you think he was at Premier League side Swansea at this time last year.

Leyton Orient had a nice little run through November & early December where they won 5 in a row but they've tasted victory just once in their last 4 & have already been beaten 2-0 by Doncaster in the reverse fixture. The O's are the 5th lowest scorers in the league & come up against a decent Doncaster defence, their forwards Dave Mooney & veteran Kevin Lisbie aren't convincing for us & we reckon they'll be kept at bay here. 10/11 for Doncaster to win against an average Leyton Orient side looks a steal & should be backed, the loss of Dean Saunders as manager shouldn't hold back their promotion charge.

Selections:
Cardiff City to beat Blackpool at 9/5 (Various)
Doncaster Rovers to beat Leyton Orient at 10/11 (Various)

Reds on Devilishly Difficult Road to Wembley

The world's oldest cup competition gets underway for 'real' this weekend as the top flight clubs join the action in the 3rd round of the FA cup & we're picking out our fancies for outright glory plus a home double for Saturday. We're also taking our customary look at a lower league game & think we've picked a real banker in League One this time.

The FA Cup

The FA Cup has probably lost some of its lustre since 90s & eras before it but what hasn't changed has been the dominance of 4 teams who've taken 22 of the last 26 competitions between them - Arsenal, Chelsea & Manchester United have each taken the Cup 6 times in this period with Liverpool 4 time winners. This dominance goes to show how the teams with the stronger squads consistently achieve success & how rarely a 'lucky' run can lead to a win, for that reason it is worth concentrating on the top few sides in the betting.

(Chelsea are the current holders & should put a bold bid in to retain)

Chelsea have been the recent masters of the cup, taking it 4 times in the past 6 years & they're being respected in the betting as 3rd favourites at 15/2 & they certainly tend to punish weaker teams & have a squad with a huge amount of depth. Chelsea are still way off the pace in the league with three good teams (Spurs, Arsenal & Everton) all pushing for a top 4 spot along with them & bearing in mind they only finished 6th last season it's not a guarantee they'll do it this time so Rafa Benitez's men may find themselves preoccupied with more prescient problems when the later cup rounds come along.

Liverpool have a great cup pedigree & they're probably the most interesting of the sides at a double figure price (11/1 in places), they still don't have any real consistency though & are hugely over reliant on Luis Suarez & inspirational skipper Steven Gerrard - it's no surprise that his recent upturn in form has led to the Reds looking considerably better in recent games. Daniel Sturridge has been brought in to take some pressure of off Suarez but he's not a proven Premier League goalscorer yet & there are too many questions about Liverpool compared to a few teams at odds only a few points shorter.

Manchester City are outright favourites for the competition but this has been a pretty bad season after winning the league last year & it's threatening to turn disastrous. They're 7 points off of the top of the table & were outclassed as they were knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage for the 2nd year in a row, Mancini must be under pressure after the huge investment at the club & the huge demands that entails, he's seemingly increasingly erratic as evidenced by his explosive training ground bust up with the mild mannered (ahem) Mario Balotelli & the whole club will suffer whilst storming midfielder Yaya Toure is off at the Africa Cup of Nations. They've got to put everything into chasing United in the league & the owners may also demand a real challenge in the Europa League meaning the club may end up stretched with their squad not quite having the depth throughout that some assume.

('Goal Machine' Patrice Evra embodies the attacking ethos of the current Man United squad)

At odds of 7/1 the best bet looks to be City's cross-city rivals Manchester United who've assembled a squad of incredible attacking depth & talent & have maybe not got the credit they deserve for what has been a great first half to their season. United are on course for 94 points in the league if they carry on gaining points at the same rate & that's only been bettered once in a 38 game season (Chelsea 2004-05) & they went through top of their Champions League group with no fuss at all. Robin van Persie has of course been the most visible catalyst of United's improved attacking play but there seems to be a real change in the ethos of the club with them becoming maybe as attacking focused as at anytime under Ferguson's reign. That's some statement as the club has nearly always been positive but they're now dynamic in nearly every game with Scholes & Giggs eventually being somewhat sidelined it has meant more pace & whilst Tom Cleverley is far from a great player his movement & play further up the pitch has meant their attacking fullbacks in Rafael & the recently rejuvenated Patrice Evra have been able to terrorise opposing defences. Evra has clearly been under instruction from Ferguson to get further forward & like many of the best fullbacks of the past 20 years he isn't necessarily the best defender but by going back to his style of play from 2 years back & further it has paid dividends for him & the team in terms of goals & chances created. Shinji Kagawa's & Nemanja Vidic's returns to fitness should make them even stronger & they've even shrugged off the absence of Wayne Rooney in recent games. The treble may be beyond them (particularly with Barcelona & Bayern awaiting in Europe) but they can bag a league & cup double so get on the best team at 7/1 - they've a tricky tie at West Ham this weekend but if they can edge past the Hammers they'll surely be favourites.

FA Cup 3rd round double

This is going to be fairly short as we feel the merits of these two selections should be fairly clear to all yet return odds better than Evens when doubled up.

Leicester City are the first bet as they take on League Two outfit Burton Albion in their Kingpower Stadium, the Foxes have a rock solid defence, conceding the fewest in the Championship, & their attack has begun to click into gear as evidenced by a 6-1 win against Huddersfield last time out. Burton are on the cusp of the playoff places in League Two & although this is a big day out for them it isn't a 'huge' one against a top flight team & they will be far more focused on continuing that playoff push than necessarily getting carried away & putting everything into their effort here. Burton's away form in their league campaign also hasn't been strong - they sit 19th of 24 on away results alone & that doesn't auger well for a trip to a team two divisions higher. Nigel Pearson seems an astute manager & he'll rest players that he needs to for Leicester after the busy festive period but he's a strong squad here & we can see hime giving Martyn Waghorn a start & the young Englishman can cause all sorts of problems in the Burton defence. The odds may be short at 1/3 but they should reflect Leicester's likely dominance of this game, it's hard to see their defence troubled & they'll surely score at least once & most likely more for a comfortable win.

(Hugo Rodallega's power could prove too much for Blackpool)

We also like the chances of Fulham to put their recent league form behind them & take care of opponents from a lower division in the shape of Blackpool. Fulham have only won twice in their last 13 league games but in that run they did gain draws against good sides in Everton, Arsenal & Chelsea & we can't see them getting dragged down into a relegation scrap as the season draws in. Fulham do have a few issues that need to be dealt with in the medium to long term with an aged defence but they've enough options going forwards to be able to rest players here & still pose a potent threat to Blackpool who aren't renowned for their resolute defending. Hugo Rodallega should get the chance to start for Fulham & fellow Berbatov understudy Mladen Petric could also be set to feature as he gets back to fitness, with other players such as Kieran Richardson & Kerim Frei looking for the start they should have a lot of quality even if their star player Dimitar Berbatov should be rested as seems likely. Blackpool haven't been in great from themselves with 5 wins in 22 league games & although they could have been fancied if this was at home with Fulham's poor away record it seems a lot less likely they'll get something at the Cottage. Fulham will be feeling all the better for a great win away at West Brom & their fans will be right up for this as the cup offers an outside chance at trophy glory, double up the odds of 7/10 with Leicester so a £20 double returns £45.33 at BetVictor.

Doncaster Rovers vs Colchester United

Down in League One, Doncaster Rovers entertain Colchester United at the Keepmoat Stadium. Doncaster up in 3rd spot will see this as the perfect fixture to put behind them the disappointment of letting a two goal slip against fellow highflyers Sheffield United on New Year's Day.

(Kyle Bennett offers a pacey threat for Doncaster)

Doncaster felt harshly dealt with against Sheffield United after a dominant display was undone by a couple of questionable refereeing decision which gifted Sheffield Utd a late penalty & also a way back into the match & then a straight red card to striker Billy Paynter brought about a 89 minute equaliser. Despite this setback they will be happy with the performance for 80 minutes & are still full of confidence after five wins in their last eight league games. Rovers' away form has been sensational with nine wins from 13 games & Dean Saunders like be looking for them to improve on their five wins at home to push towards automatic promotion, starting here.

Visitors Colchester United are in dire straights currently with the worst current form in the league with nine defeats & only one victory in their last ten league games with their only rest bite coming with a postponement against Swindon Town. After a comprehensive 3-0 defeat against Crawley Town it's now seven straight league defeats which has seen them slip to 20th position & only two points outside the drop zone. They have also failed to score in four of their last five games & it's difficult to see where their next goal is coming from let alone points.

Doncaster's odds look too big at 3/4 with BetVictor who continue to price up football games ultra competitively against the opposition firms, Colchester are in freefall & Doncaster have the weapons to hurt any side in the league.

Selections:
Fulham to beat Blackpool at 7/10 & Leicester to beat Burton at 1/3 double (BetVictor at odds slightly bigger than 6/5)
Doncaster Rovers to beat Colchester United at 3/4 (BetVictor)

Manchester United to win FA Cup outright at 7/1 (BetVictor)

Addicks & Terriers in a tricky tie but home wins elsewhere

We're back with more football picks as we look for another successful weekend, there are plenty of juicy ties to get your wagers on but we think that value is very thin on the ground in the Premier League so we've gone to the Championship & League One for our bets this Saturday. If you aren't doing so already make sure to follow us on Twitter @LikeBuyingMoney by clicking the Follow button above or finding us on there & keep yourself notified of our fancies.

Charlton Athletic vs Huddersfield Town

We see an interesting game in the Championship with a resurgent Charlton coming up against fellow League One promotees Huddersfield who've performed with credit all season & currently sit in 8th place just outside the playoff places.

(Oliver Norwood is beginning to flourish under Simon Grayson's tutelage)

Three games ago Charlton were in 21st place & had only managed 3 wins from their first 14 games but they came up with a stupefying 5-4 victory over Cardiff after being two goals down & they've since won & kept clean sheets in the progress against Bristol City & Burnley with even their less than prolific striker Danny Haynes scoring in those games. Johnnie Jackson remains the key player in Chris Powell's team & he looks set to be joined in midfield by loanee from Arsenal Emmanuel Frimpong, the youngster is outspoken & rather reckless but has talent & could be just what Charlton need to toughen themselves up. Before their last 3 games Charlton had just lacked a bit of resiliance & bite, not being able to turn draws into wins & close losses into draws (5 of their 6 losses were by a single goal) - they still lack the goalscorer needed to push themselves right up the table unless Bradley Wright-Phillips can get himself going again.

Huddersfield have coped well after the sale of their young goal machine Jordan Rhodes to Blackburn, they've pretty much won the games you'd give them every chance in but fallen to stronger opposition which is helpful from a betting perspective as you can peg their form pretty accurately. The Terriers brought in a couple of Premier League youngsters in the summer in Oliver Norwood (Man Utd) & James Vaughan (Everton) & both have something to prove after not quite making it at their respective clubs & have performed well so far for manager Simon Grayson. They've also got proven Championship striker Jermaine Beckford on loan from Leicester & he's knocked in 3 in 6 games & Adam Clayton has rejoined his former Leeds manager & has added additional quality in midfield. Huddersfield are still a work in progress but they've room for improvement & they'll fancy their chances of taking something against Charlton with the improved squad they have at their disposal.

There is something alluring about both these teams' records with exactly 23 goals conceded & scored by each team & Charlton even have 23 points too, the Addicks look a little too short on the prices to back here but are on a roll so we can't take Huddersfield either & the best bet looks to be the draw at 9/4 with Boylesports. Neither side are high scorers (Charlton scored more than 2 in a game just once & Huddersfield only twice) & that increases the chances of a draw even more, look for this to be a terse affair.

Doncaster Rovers vs Scunthorpe United

In League One, Doncaster Rovers entertain Scunthorpe United at the Keepmoat Stadium. Doncaster are in 4th place & only five points behind current leaders Tranmere Rovers with a game in hand whilst Scunthorpe are second from bottom.

(Doncaster winger David Cotterill has been in storming form this year)

Doncaster under the management of Dean Saunders have recorded ten victories from their 18 league games & have won their last two against Portsmouth & Carlisle United. Their 3-1 win Tuesday night was described by Saunders 'best we have played all season' & Welshman David Cotterill scored one & assisted two. He has been in fine form this season with six league goals & also provides the ammunition to striking duo Iain Hume & Billy Painter.

Scunthorpe lost at home to fellow strugglers Bury the other night & that put pay to a run of seven points from three league games. It was their best run of the season where they have amassed ten defeats & only four victories (against teams in 15th or lower) in their 19 league games. They heavily rely on Leon Clarke's goals (11 so far) but his efforts are usually undone by a leaky defence. They have only kept two clean sheets & have conceded one or more goals in their last 11 league matches.

Relegated from the Championship last year Doncaster should be too strong for their League One compatriots Scunthorpe & are available at evens with Stan James & Coral.

Blackburn Rovers vs Millwall

Elsewhere we like the look of Blackburn to end Millwall's unbeaten run of 10 games since the end of September (5 wins & 5 draws) when Rovers host the Lions at Ewood Park.

(Dickson Etuhu will help Blackburn win the midfield battle against Millwall)

Blackburn got their first win under new boss Henning Berg last week when running all over Peterborough with star striker Jordan Rhodes bagging himself a hat-trick, that could really light the fuse with Rhodes & the £8m man has to be feared by opposing defences. Blackburn have kept a remarkably strong squad together considering the unconventional way they are run so the players must feel they are being treated (or at least compensated) reasonably well. Millwall have their own impressive young striker in Chris Wood who joined from West Brom in the summer & he's scored 7 in 11 games. Millwall have looked pretty tough in recent weeks & gained an outstanding 4-1 win away to Nottingham Forest but we have a feeling that Blackburn are about to open up & show their class to the rest of the league from now on so odds of 11/10 for a home win look too big to leave alone - get on!

Selections:
Charlton Athletic vs Huddersfield Town to draw at 9/4 (Boylesports)
Doncaster Rovers to beat Scunthorpe United at evens (Stan James/Coral)
Blackburn Rovers to beat Millwall at 11/10 (BetVictor)

Tuesday Night Football - The Money is 'Rover' There

It was a successful betting weekend for us on the football front with all three selections doing the business for followers, we're hoping to keep the run going on Tuesday night as a full range of fixtures from the Camp Nou to Adams Park take place - again we've scoured the odds & come up with our best selections.

Tranmere Rovers vs Doncaster Rovers

League One leaders Tranmere host Doncaster at Prenton Park & will be looking to bounce back after a hefty 3-1 defeat after leading 1-0 at Bournemouth on Saturday; they have the league's best home record to fall back on & will provide a tough test for Dean Saunders' Doncaster side.

('Loan Wolf' Jake Cassidy has been in fine scoring form for Tranmere)

Tranmere's success this year has been based on their attacking threat & that is clearly shown with them having 3 of the top 4 scorers in League One in Jake Cassidy (8 goals), Jean-Louis Akpa Akro & Andy Robinson (both 7 goals). They are coming up against a Doncaster side that have been solid defensively with just 11 goals in total conceded & just 4 in their 6 away games so far, it may though be asking a little much for Doncaster to keep a clean sheet here against a side that have scored 7 more than any other side. Tranmere were suffering a little from injuries in that loss at Bournemouth, Akpa Akro is out with a broken foot & Andy Robinson was out too with fellow winger Joe Thompson also suffering from a niggly injury although he came off the bench on 89 minutes, he should be fully fit for this one & Robinson also has a chance of starting.

Doncaster made the signing of former Newcastle & Portsmouth full back Andy Griffin on Monday but it's uncertain whether he'll play in this one, we feel that as respectable a start as they've had they are running into Tranmere at just the wrong time as they look to get back on track after losing their unbeaten record, odds of 21/20 for the home win look tasty.

Leicester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion

Championship action comes from the King Power Stadium as current league leaders Leicester City entertain Brighton & Hove Albion. First place Leicester are only above Cardiff City on goal difference whilst Brighton have dropped down to 8th place after a tricky period.

(Anthony Knockaert has been doing the business for Leicester)

Leicester are have made an excellent start to the season with seven victories from their opening eleven league games. They actually lost three of their first five games but since then have embarked on a tremendous run of form with five victories & one draw. Trio David Nugent, Jamie Vardy & French midfielder Anthony Knockaert have all been in fine goalscoring form in their unbeaten run with nine of their twelve goals, at home their record reads five from five with ten goals scored & only two conceded & one cap & one goal wonder David Nugent bagging all five of his goals in front of the home faithful including a hat-trick against Hull City.

Brighton slumped again last weekend in a 1-0 home defeat to Middlesbrough which now means its four league games without victory for the Seagulls. In these matches they have only managed a solitary goal with an 80th minute equaliser from winger Will Buckley against a poor Ipswich Town side three games ago. Their form on the road is decent but they have only faced one side in the top half (Hull City) & this ended in a 1-0 defeat so this will be a stern test for them. Leicester are brimming with confidence & playing some cracking football at the King Power Stadium & at the odds of 10/11 we expect Brighton's slump to continue for another match at least.

Selections:
Tranmere Rovers to beat Doncaster Rovers at 21/20 (BetVictor & Stan James)
Leicester City to beat Brighton & Hove Albion at 10/11 (General)