Quality Queens Park defence can keep Canaries Quiet

Hmmm, not a good few days for us on the football front with our last three selections all looking good before succumbing to time with Stoke not holding out for the draw against Man City on Staurday  then blowing their 2 goal lead against a Roger Espinoza inspired Wigan on Wednesday to add to Charlton running out of steam last weekend too. This weekend's games do however seem to have thrown up some odd prices that can be backed to give us & you an edge over the bookies & you'll see these bets below.

We use oddschecker.com to check our prices & would advise anyone else to if they're serious about finding the very best prices available - I only mention it because it also has a function showing what thee most backed bets in each market are  I was deeply surprised to see the pie chart indicating so many punters were going for the opposite of our selection in the QPR game - it seems punters love goals regardless of what the form book says!

Queens Park Rangers vs Norwich City

QPR still prop up the rest of the league but they've become undeniably tough to beat under Harry Redknapp with a 1-0 win against Chelsea & 3 draws (2 against top sides) in their last 4 league games, they take on out-of-form Norwich in the early Saturday kickoff in what could be a tense affair.

(Julio Cesar is staking his claim to be the best Brazilian in the Premier League)

The bottom has somewhat fallen out of Norwich's season after they overcame a poor start to gain 6 wins & 4 draws in an undefeated 10 games from October to mid December, they've now not won in 7 & benefited from Spurs' lack of firepower in their draw with the London side on Wednesday night. Apart from a few isolated high scoring games the Canaries have been largely solid at the back & it's instead their lack of goals that has been a problem with just 25 in their 24 games & they've signed Leeds' Luciano Becchio in an effort to remedy that - we're unconvinced the Argentinian is Premier League class though.

QPR's goalscoring has become virtually non-existent with 3 in their last 7 league games & 18 for the season, injuries & indifferent form have been the reason & even though Loic Remy could prove a good signing Harry Redknapp won't sacrifice his new found defensive solidity for all-out attack as evidennced by the expensive signing of the giant Chris Samba who makes a welcome return to English football. Adel Taarabt remains the key player for the Hoops with his excellent passing range & silky skills, Chris Hughton may respond to his threat by getting defensive midfielder Alex Tettey to 'do a number' on the Moroccan.

The market to concentrate on in this game looks to be the Over/Under 2.5 goals one & with both teams already having had 13 games go under this season, including their previous meeting, the bet has to be under 2.5 goals at just a shade of odds on at 10/11. Julio Cesar has been outstanding in goal for QPR recently showing why he's gained so many caps for Brazil & he can gain another clean sheet. A small wager on QPR to nick this one 1-0 at 15/2 with BetVictor also looks worth a look.


Tranmere Rovers vs Carlisle United

Down in League One sees top of the table Tranmere Rovers host Carlisle United at Prenton Park. Tranmere are the team to catch currently whilst Carlisle have been struggling in recent months & have fallen to 17th place.

(Andy Robinson loves it when they rub his head)

Tranmere have won five of their last six league games after a poor spell in November & most of December, their latest victory was an impressive 2-1 away victory at 4th place Brentford & they were robbed of a potential firecracker against Swindon Town in midweek due to a frozen pitch. In these five victories they have kept three clean sheets & they are unbeaten in their last five home league games & won their last three. Rovers have however lost top scorer Jake Cassidy who ended his loan period in early January & returned to parent club Wolves, it hasn't been too much of an impediment so far but the pressure is on Andy Robinson, this could be a good game for him against the league's joint highest conceders.

Carlisle are inconsistent & have struggled all season to put a string of decent results together. They have conceded one goal or more in every single away match & if this trend continues then will find it an uphill task against a measly Tranmere defence. They have also lost their last three away games to Shrewsbury Town, Crewe Alexandra & Swindon.

Tranmere will be too strong for an average Carlisle side & can cement their pole position at the best price of 10/11 with BetVictor.

Selections:
Under 2.5 goals in QPR vs Norwich game at 10/11 (William Hill & Coral)
QPR to beat Norwich 1-0 at 15/2 (BetVictor)
Tranmere Rovers to beat Carlisle United at 10/11 (BetVictor)

QPR can stop West Brom's Home Run Hitting

We always try to keep things relatively simple here at Like Buying Money & also make sure we don't flood you with selections, preferring instead a measured & selective approach - it pays off sometimes & we were delighted to see a couple of away sides win at tasty odds for us in the week & we're looking to play away again this weekend with picks from the Premier League & League Two.

West Bromwich Albion vs Queens Park Rangers

We were happy to go against QPR on Monday night when they hosted West Ham but there are a few reasons to believe they may just offer a bit of value when travelling to the Midlands to take on West Brom at The Hawthorns.

(Adel Taarabt loves Allah & we'll love Taarabt if he helps QPR beat West Brom)

Steve Clarke's men have been getting plenty of plaudits for their good start to he season but they have run into a few opponents who just haven't performed in their early games especially Merseyside duo Liverpool & Everton who both threw in very poor displays against the Baggies & they've also been lucky enough to face a clueless Reading side. Those three home games have accounted for all of West Brom's wins but that is three more than QPR who remain winless yet Mark Hughes seems to genuinely have the support of the club as he continues to work to bed down his multitude of new players. That faith in Mark Hughes inside the club whilst many outside question his position & the results could just help to create a siege mentality amongst his players & he has plenty who could prove effective if they can just learn to function as a team. Zamora & Cisse provide such a physical presence up front & have formed a real partnership with one dropping off when the other moves forward & we could see the mercurial Adel Taarabt make a start after his stunning strike brought Rangers back into the game on Monday night.

QPR still have problems at the back but it looks possible that Fabio, Anton Ferdinand & Jose Bosingwa could all return for Saturday's game & that would make them a bit quicker going down the wings plus although he isn't the greatest player Ferdinand will provide some much needed leadership at the back. West Brom have a boost with Peter Odewingie available after his silly suspension but he mightn't get straight back in with Long & Lukaku having done reasonably well so far, we could see there being an atmosphere in the dressing room whatever decision is made there & creates a little bit of risk for the  manager. Captain Chris Brunt is out for West Brom & also right back Billy Jones as they both went off injured in the derby game against Villa. West Brom were second best against Villa even though they took the lead & it might be that they are running out of steam a little bit after a good start, even though QPR had the worst away record in the league last year we think they offer value here at odds of 100/30.

Oxford United vs Gillingham

Gillingham lost their unbeaten record last weekend but have been 100% on the road & overall have 8 wins from their first 10 in the league, here they travel to take on Oxford who have form that is a little more mixed with 4 wins & 6 losses, those 6 defeats were all in a row & only stopped when beating disappointing AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday night.

(Matt Fish has been in good form for a well-balanced Gillingham side this season)

Gillingham just seem to be really rolling with Danny Kedwell in the form of his life since being made captain & the signing at the other end of the pitch of Stuart Nelson has helped shore things up at the back. Not many would have predicted Deon Burton would have proved a success after two years in Azerbaijan but he's come back & found the net 4 times showing that even at 35 he can still just about cut it at this level & all of his goals have come in different games which is something we like to see rather than scoring in bunches. The Gills have only conceded 7 so far & Joe Martin & Matt Fish have been really impressive at the full back positions working hard & supporting in attack.

Oxford have just lacked a bit of resilience at times & their forwards Dean Smalley & Tom Craddock aren't likely to strike fear into the Gillingham defence, they have got a bright spark in Alfie Potter though he's got 4 so far this season after returning from a broken ankle. Oxford do have injury problems though with keeper Wayne Brown coming off injured in midweek & Michael Raynes & Lee Cox also substituted. Gillingham will be without suspended duo Danny Jackman & Charlie Allen but have players to cover & getting odds against for them to win here looks a steal. Back Gillingham to prevail at 8/5 with William Hill, we think the Gills are a fair bit superior actually so odds of 25/1 for a 3-0 win are also worth a small wager.

Selections:
Queens Park Rangers to beat West Bromwich Albion at 100/30 (Totesport & Betfred)
Gillingham to beat Oxford United at 8/5 (William Hill)
Gillingham to win 3-0 at 25/1 (Coral & William Hill)

Monday Night Football - Big Sam's Boys can gain first road win

We usually go for a NFL pick & English football bet as well on a Monday night but we'll be sticking to the Premier League this time as the NFL game between the Chicago Bears & Dallas Cowboys looks like it could be a wild one & we don't want to go near it betting wise! The Premier League game should be interesting as two of the league's lesser lights face off at Loftus Road - we'll have more football bets from European competition & the lower leagues during midweek.

Queens Park Rangers vs West Ham United

QPR currently sit bottom of the Premier League as they prepare to face their third consecutive London derby as they take on Sam Allardyce's West Ham at Loftus Road.

(Anton Ferdinand is out of this one through injury as well as 3 other QPR defenders)

QPR have failed to win any of their five league games so far with three defeats & two draws. It seems that performances haven't gained the points they deserve & this was certainly the case last weekend against Spurs - QPR put in a terrific first half display, capped by a Bobby Zamora goal, & they looked in control until two goals in two minutes turned the game in Spurs favour & they held out for the win. Unfortunately they have four defenders in Anton Ferdinand, Jose Bosingwa, Fabio & Armand Traore ruled out & this is a big concern for a side which has conceded 14 goals in seven matches in all competitions.

West Ham have made a decent start to the season with two wins, two draws & only one defeat in their five league matches, they've picked up seven of their eight points at Upton Park & have struggled on the road with a 3-0 defeat at Swansea & a dire 0-0 vs Norwich. It was the other way around last year in the Championship where they did well in away games but they are yet to score a goal on the road & are reliant on midfield general Kevin Nolan (3 goals so far) finding the net as strikers Ricardo Vaz Te, Modibo Maiga & Carlton Cole just haven't got going in the top flight yet.

(Modibo Maiga has a good chance of getting his first Premier League goal here)

It should be a proper derby match with a little bit of needle between the sides but overall QPR's defensive injuries could prove the critical factor here as West Ham will put an awful lot of pressure on especially at set pieces & the value lies with the Hammers at odds of 11/4. Bearing that set piece threat in mind we reckon one of West Ham's big lads up front could get a goal & we'll side with their 6"2 Malian Modibo Maiga to get his first Premier League goal after scoring a couple of times in the Capital One Cup, he's as big as 100/30 to score anytime.

Selections:
West Ham United to beat Queens Park Rangers at 11/4 (Betfred, Coral & Totesport)
Modibo Maiga to score anytime at 100/30 (BlueSquare & 888Sport)

Can City's Defence Clean Sheet up their act?

We're only just into the football season but plenty of teams are already being acclaimed or damned & maybe some of those sides will show that making cast iron statements based on just 2 or 3 games isn't wise as we move on in the next few weeks & months. By Saturday all of the transfer business will have been sorted & we'll know exactly what players teams have until December at least, we've got some more bets up as we look to improve after a decidedly dodgy start (not helped by some decidedly dodgy keeping by Messrs Green & Jaaskelainen!) & we're keen not to fall into a trap of basing everything on a few games played so far.

Manchester City vs Queens Park Rangers

In the day's late game we see a rematch of the incredible game on the last day of the season as Man City host QPR at the Etihad, QPR nearly denied City the title that day but we don't see them getting close this time

(Somewhat unfairly maligned on arrival - Joleon Lescott has become an integral part of Man City's defence)

This is a matchup between the teams with last season's best home record & worst away record & that bodes ominously badly for Mark Hughes's men especially with City looking to bounce back after drawing at Anfield. City will again be without Sergio Aguero up front but our antepost top scorer tip Carlos Tevez is looking razor sharp & should prove hard to stop for QPR's somewhat porous defence that conceded 66 goals in the league last year. QPR have made many signings this year, of mainly older players with Premier League experience, & we reckon they'll be alright in the end but may take a few games to gel whereas City are very much an established unit & have looked very good going forwards.

City haven't had any problems in attack so far but he may be slightly concerned that the team have conceded two goals in their opening two games & he experimented with a back three last week as he had done in may pre season games. Mancini will be confident they'll score here & so we expect him to have drilled his players on the defensive side of the game this week as he looks to get a clean sheet & shut any critics up. City control a lot of games possession wise, have a fine defence & a very good keeper in Joe Hart in behind - it's easy to see how they ended with 11 clean sheets in their 19 home games last year & we reckon they're in for another in this one.

Odds of 5/4 about a Man City win whilst keeping a clean sheet look an excellent bet especially when you can only get 11/8 with a -2 head start which shows how much the bookies think they have in hand over the visitors. We can't see past a City win & Tevez can bag another, odds of 4/1 for him to be first scorer look fair but we can't recommend it with so many other potential scorers & Super Mario on the penalties too.

Swansea City vs Sunderland

(Michael Laudrup chose not to take part in Denmark's 1992 Euro win - is he the best decision maker?)

Elsewhere in the Premier League we see on-song Swansea take on Sunderland at home & there will be plenty of form merchants believing that the Swans are a good bet after thumping 5-0 & 3-0 victories in their opening two league games & a win in the League Cup too. A top price of 5/4 is available for the home team but we're not sure that offers a great deal of value for a side that were tipped up by many to struggle this season, they've had a nice start but have been fortunate to come up against QPR who were dreadful in their opener & then West Ham gifted them a two goal lead through a keeping & then defensive error whilst otherwise looking just as competitive until then.

We've seen plenty of commentators going a bit over the top about Swansea & reckon that Martin O'Neill will have his men well drilled to stop their passing game & soak up pressure just like they did at Arsenal in their opening fixture.We think that the Mackems have made a wonderful signing in Adam Johnson who is right up there in terms of skilful English players & their other big signing, Steven Fletcher, will relish the service he'll get from Johnson, James McClean & the unselfish & inventive Stephane Sessegnon. Sunderland have also looked to shore up their back line with the signing of Carlos Cuellar & he'll provide some cover & competition to some somewhat injury prone players at the back.

O'Neill's side coped well with Arsenal & they are clearly a superior outfit to Swansea who play a similar style, they missed their next league game against Reading due to a waterlogged pitch but that just meant more preparation time for this game & they won well in the League Cup the other night. Sunderland mightn't be too adventurous going forwards themselves & that means the draw at odds of 12/5 looks a big player in the market for us & this could well end up a goalless stalemate, no goalscorer is available at 9/1 & is worth a small bet.

Crawley Town vs Leyton Orient

In League One, promoted Crawley Town take on Leyton Orient at the Broadfield Stadium, both sides played higher league opposition this week in the Capital One Cup & now return to League One where Crawley are 7th & Leyton Orient are second from bottom after three games played.

(Summer signing Gary Alexander celebrates his brace against Scunthorpe)

Despite losing manager Sean O'Driscoll to Nottingham Forest late in the summer the appointment of Richie Barker from rivals Bury could prove a shrewd move with his knowledge of the league. His side bounced back from a 3-0 drubbing away at Swindon Town with an excellent hard fought win at Doncaster Rovers 1-0 to record their second league victory of the season. It's also their second clean sheet & striking duo Gary Alexander & Nicky Ajose are in good form with three of their four league goals.

Leyton Orient game last weekend was postponed in unusual circumstances when visitors Hartlepool coach was stuck in traffic. This leaves them with two defeats against Tranmere Rovers (3-1) & Stevenage (0-1) from two games in the league so far. Their only league goal has been a late consolation penalty & they seem to have a long hard season ahead of them.

Crawley at home with strikers in-form should be too strong for an average Leyton Orient outfit & can collect the three points at best odds of 8/11, they'll be buoyed by a fabulous win against Bolton in the League Cup & should win easily here.

Selections:
Manchester City to beat Queens Park Rangers to nil at 5/4 (Skybet)
Swansea v Sunderland - Draw at 12/5 (Various)
Crawley Town to beat Leyton Orient at 8/11 (Coral, Totesport & Betfred)

No goalscorer at 9/1 in the Swansea v Sunderland game at 9/1 (Bet365, Skybet & Ladbrokes)

Northern travellers to face away day blues

Wednesday sees some more football action & we're looking for a pair of home victories to set us up nicely for the weekend, let us know via Twiter what your best weekend bets are to & we'll post in a followers' blog, send the picks through usin the hashtag #likebuyingmoney & we'll pick it up.

(Ipswich's Grant Leadbitter has three goals in his last three matches)

In the Championship, Ipswich Town host Burnley at Portman Road, the sides sit in 15th & 14th respectively & each have 10 games to try & make a late bid for a play-off place. Ipswich have had a disappointing season really but have been in fine form since the end of January with six victories in nine league games & only one defeat, a late winner from Aaron Cresswell gave them the three points over Peterborough after two good away draws at Hull City & leaders Southampton. In front of the home faithful the Tractor Boys have won their last four in a row & are unbeaten in five. Visitors Burnley played out a 0-0 draw at Cardiff in a dire match which stretches their winless streak to five matches after three defeats & two draws, on the road they have lost three of their last four matches & they have lost 50% of their away games this season. We expect Ipswich to be too strong for Burnley & go above them in the league at a general price of evens.

(Djibril Cisse celebrates & QPR fans will be doing cartwheels if they beat Liverpool)

Once again Liverpool look overrated by the bookies in a league match, this time away to Queens Park Rangers, the Reds are best odds of 5/6 to win but taking odds on about a team that have only won 2 of their last 9 league games doesn't appeal too much to us. Neither side score many although QPR have tried to do something about that with the signing's of Zamora & ex-Liverpool player Djibril Cisse, now that Cisse's back following his ban he does add a bit of quality & much needed threat up front. Mark Hughes has had plenty of time to plan for this game as QPR haven't played since a somewhat unfortunate loss to Bolton on the 10th & they have pretty much a full line-up to pick from other than the injured DJ Campbell & Heidar Helguson. Liverpool meanwhile only played Stoke on Sunday & are going to be without Glen Johnson & Daniel Agger in defence again as well as their most dangerous player going forward in Craig Bellamy. Boylesports are going a standout 4/1 about a home victory for QPR & those odds are just about  big enough to be of interest with it looking a good time to face Liverpool who've now qualified for Europe thanks to their League Cup win & look altogether more focused when it comes to Cup matches.

Selections:
Ipswich Town to beat Burnley at evens (various)
Queens Park Rangers to beat Liverpool at 4/1 (Boylesports)