Monday Night Football - Points hard to find in the Arizona Desert

We're concentrating on the NFL this Monday night as we can't get any consensus between contributors on the Sheffield United vs Portsmouth game from League One! The San Francisco 49ers are visiting the Arizona Cardinals in the desert & it looks an intriguing game between the NFC West rivals.

San Francisco 49ers @ Arizona Cardinals

Arizona started the season out blazing a trail with 4 wins in a row including an impressive victory against the fancied New England Patriots at Foxborough but that good start has come grinding to a halt with three losses in a row to some of the league's lesser lights although all have been by a touchdown score or less. The 49ers have been trading at low prices for the Super Bowl after reaching the NFC championship game last season & have at times looked dominant but sometimes struggled when unable to establish their running game & have scored just 16 points over the last two weeks.

(Aldon Smith Sacking John Skelton could be something we see a lot of in this one)

San Francisco certainly have no problems on defense where they rank first overall in yards given up & have been especially difficult to pass against this year ranking first again & averaging just 272 yards against them in the air. The 49ers also remain tough to run against even though their giving up 20 more yards a game running than in 2011 when they led the league, their also the best team at running the football themselves with Frank Gore having a tremendous year up at 5.8 yards a carry for 601 yards total  he's backed up well by Kendall Hunter. The only problem the 49ers have is when it comes to passing where they rank 29th (of 32) in the league with just 199.9 yards a game, Alex Smith has actually done ok with a decent passer rating & completion stats but he's been sacked way too much (18) for a quarterback who doesn't make many attempts per game (27.1).

The Cardinals have also allowed their passers to get hit way too much with Kevin Kolb sacked a league high 27 times even though he didn't start in week one & is now out injured not playing last week either. John Skelton got sacked 7 times last week against the Vikings & it seems difficult to see how they are suddenly going to improve here against a physically dominant 49er front line who although only have 11 sacks in the year so far do manage to get great pressure on the passer & Aldon Smith in particular could have a field day. The Cards are without their leading rusher Ryan Williams & it will be most likely left up to La-Rod Stephens-Howling to step up & make the carries but this will be the toughest defense he's faced this year & he's only been getting 3 yards a carry anyway. Skelton is a mediocre quarterback anyway & with pressure in his face he's unlikely to find star receivers Andre Roberts & Larry Fitzgerald who represent Arizona's bets chance of success, it looks outright impossible for them to get the scores they need to compete here. On the plus side the Cards do have a good defense, ranking 7th overall, & the most points they've conceded in a game is just 21 (twice) so they shouldn't necessarily take a beating. Only one Arizona game has gone over 38 points & just two San Francisco games so take the under 38.5 total points on offer at 10/11 & enjoy the defensive battle.

Selections:
Under 38.5 points in San Francisco 49ers v Arizona Cardinals game at 10/11 (Various)

NFL Week 8 - Hernandez & The Gronk can Waltz to Wembley Win

This week is British NFL fans best of the season other than the Super Bowl as the NFL bandwagon rolls into London town for the always sold out International Series game, it's a big one this year as last year's Super Bowl runners up the New England Patriots come up against the improving St Louis Rams at Wembley Stadium. We're taking a look at the big one for UK NFL nuts plus another game to see where the betting value lies, after last week where 6 teams had bye weeks there is a fuller set of fixtures with just the usual 4 teams resting.

New England Patriots @ St Louis Rams

In this game the nominal home team (meaning they gave up a home fixture in the US) are the St Louis Rams but it might not feel that way when they get into the stadium as the New England Patriots are the best supported team in the UK by a margin & will have plenty cheering them on. The Patriots have had far more success than the Rams in recent years meaning they've experienced big games & they have the stars to get fans excited too, it's easy to see why they are strong favourites in this one.

(Rob Gronkowski can wow the Wembley crowd)

The Patriots are second favourites for the Super Bowl but only have a 4&3 record, with their three losses coming by a combined total of just 4 points with narrow losses against Arizona whilst they were really rolling, the always tough Ravens & then to the defensively sound Seahawks. Those losses clearly could have gone either way & we could now be looking at an unbeaten Patriots side, they're ranked first in total offensive yards & can hurt opposing defenses in so many ways with their running looking more impressive this year to complement Tom Brady's passing game. Stevan Ridley has been the lead rusher for the Pats & has been averaging a steady 4.4 yards plus has crossed the goalline for touchdowns on 4 occasions, the biggest dangers in & around the end zone though are the star tight end pair of Rob Gronkowski & Aaron Hernandez. Both Hernandez & 'the Gronk' are horrible matchups for opposing defenders as they are built like blockers yet have great hands for receiving meaning they can get extra yards after the catch regularly, Gronkowski has already gained 5 TDs on the season, with 2 coming last week, & he looks a fair price at 6/1 to score the first in this one.

St Louis have certainly improved from last year where they won just twice & they already have 3 victories, 2 coming against the Seahawks & Cardinals so you could argue they have a form line on New England. Danny Amendola was turning into a star for the Rams but is out for a while with injury & they've subsequently lost their last two (against the Packers last week was no disgrace) & their running game hasn't looked good enough to cover any flaws in the passing of Sam Bradford with Steven Jackson's production down on last year at just 3.8 yards a carry & one touchdown, it looks unlikely he'll improve here against a decent run defense. The Rams best chance of winning here is by putting pressure on Tom Brady & they do rank 5th in sacks this year, unfortunately for them the Patriots mish mash of a defense has actually done a pretty good job protecting Brady & he's mobile enough to make defenders miss anyway.

In our opinion New England are by far the more likely side to rise to the occasion & we can see them putting plenty of points on the board plus their sometimes suspect secondary won't be too troubled by the Rams' mediocre reciever corps. Rather than take the Patriots on the handicap we like the prices available for them to win by between 7-12 points at 4/1 & 13-18 at a huge 9/1 with bwin.

San Diego Chargers @ Cleveland Browns

The Chargers have the potential to be genuinely dangerous this year but have been hampered by the incredibly inconsistent play of their quarterback Philip Rivers who was at one time definitely amongst the elite  but hasn't reached those standards in the last season & a half, coming off a bye week to the Browns however could be just the tonic tp his passing woes.

(We're putting our trust in Philip Rivers against the Browns)

The Browns have been pretty lousy on the stats this year, ranking 26th defensively against the pass & 24th against the run & that has shown in their results with just one win in their 7 games. The Chargers meanwhile rank 2nd against the run, allowing just 71.2 yards on the ground per game & that should help limit the Browns' first round draft pick & ace young running back Trent Richardson who has become their major weapon leading in receptions also with 24. Defensive backs Eric Weddle & Quentin Jammer will also make it difficult for Brandon Weeden to pass, the Browns' quarterback had looked a little better in the last three weeks but the Chargers' defense are a step up from the Bengals & Colts. They will be hoping that Josh Gordon can come up with another monster touchdown reception as that has been their big weapon in recent weeks, he's averaging a scarcely believable 23.8 yards per catch!

The Chargers are coming off a bye week & that will be a big benefit as Rivers needed to work out some of the problems in his game & Ryan Mathews at running back continues to recover from injury, he should be getting to full strength now & is capable of a big game here. Rivers has good receioving targets in Malcolm Floyd & Antonio Gates to throw to plus Robert Meachem seems to be coming into the game more now as evidenced by his two touchdowns against his previous team the Saints. Overall we feel the Chargers have an awful lot more going for them than the less than mediocre Browns & even with the risk that is Rivers' quarterback play they look an outstanding bet giving up just 3 points on the handicap.

Selections:
New England Patriots to beat St Louis Rams by 7-12 points at 4/1 (General) & 13-18 points at 9/1 (bwin)
Rob Gronkowski to score first touchdown in Patriots v Rams game at 6/1 (General)
San Diego Chargers to beat Cleveland Browns with -3 points on the handicap at Evens (Various)

Stout Villa defence can Cage Canaries

They say things come in threes so we'll try to get 3 out of 3 again this Saturday as we again look at the best football bets there are to be had throughout the English league system. We know that your average punter likes to have a bet on the big Premier League games but the highly competitive nature of those games & high profile in general means they are often a betting minefield where betting firms don't offer too much in the way of value at all, that's why we like to look at the lower leagues where many wouldn't even think of having a bet often & there is certainly value to be had!

Aston Villa vs Norwich City

You wouldn't be marking this game down as a glamour fixture for the Premier League but it does have an interesting story as Villa manager Paul Lambert faces off against his former employers who he left rather acrimonious circumstances in the summer. Neither side are going too well with just one win each although Norwich's came last weekend with a shock win at Carrow Road over Arsenal & that has helped put them onto 6 points compared to Villa's 5, this is a game both sides will feel they can win.

(Ron Vlaar looks & plays the part of dominant central defender for Villa)

The two teams are the joint lowest scorers in the league, along with Sunderland who've played one less, with 6 goals apiece & that lack of cutting edge is meaning relegation is a perilously realistic outcome this year. Villa signed Christian Benteke to help out in the goals department but he's managed just one (in their only win v Swansea) & Darren Bent has looked lost at times with the paucity of quality service that he needs to thrive. Norwich's problem going forward is their utter predictability & total reliance on Grant Holt to score their goals but the positive is that regardless of the fact teams know what his game is, it is still difficult to contain him & he's scored in their last three games.

On the positive side for both sides are they have decent keepers (Guzan & Ruddy) & Villa have a pretty sturdy defence with Ron Vlaar having come into the centre of defence & impressed as he's taken up the captaincy whilst Stilian Petrov has been out with serious illness. Matt Lowton has made the step from League One to the top flight look relatively easy & the Villa back four have managed to keep them in games longer than maybe they've deserved. All in all this looks like being a tight little affair & the bookies look to have got it wrong by making over, rather than under, 2.5 goals the shorter odds, back the unders in this game between sides who've combined to score just 12 goals in 16 league games.

Cheltenham Town vs Exeter City

Down in League Two, a local derby takes place as Cheltenham Town entertain Exeter City at Whaddon Road. Cheltenham are 4th currently whilst Exeter have faltered in recent weeks & have dropped down to mid-table.

(Kaid Mohamed fires one in for Cheltenham)

Cheltenham are in fine form & have won five or their last eight league games & only suffered one defeat - away at 5th place Bradford City. Their latest victory was Tuesday night as they came from behind to beat Plymouth Argyle 2-1 thanks to a winner from Welsh substitute Kaid Mohamed, that was his second in three games & he is closing on leading scorer Shaun Harrad who has five league goals so far. Cheltenham have produced their best football in front of their home faithful with 4 wins & a draw in 7 games & have won 3 of their last 4 scoring two in each match.

Exeter City started made a flying start to life in League Two with 5 victories in their first 7 league games but since then their form has been turned on its head with five defeats & only one win at bottom side Barnet in their last seven. A sole strike from evergreen forward Jamie Cureton at Dagenham & Redbridge the other night at least ended a run of three games without a goal.

Cheltenham will be expected to take advantage of a confidence hit Exeter side & continue their chase of league leaders Gillingham at the best price of 11/10 with Coral.

Brentford vs Hartlepool United

League One sees Brentford host managerless Hartlepool United at Griffin Park. Brentford are in 9th place after a solid start to the season whilst Hartlepool are rooted to the foot of the table.

(Brentford's star youngster Harry Forrester will fancy his chance of scoring against Hartlepool)

Brentford have been a Jekyll & Hyde side so far this season in terms of their home & away form - on the road they are winless with only five points from a possible 21 but at home they have been great with five wins out of seven matches. Clayton Donaldson & midfielder Harry Forrester have been in fine goalscorer form for the Bees with 10 goals between them & they will be relishing the prospect of facing a leaky Hartlepool defence.

Hartlepool's manager Neale Cooper resigned after a 2-1 defeat against Bury on Tuesday as they raked up their ninth league defeat of the season, there aren't really any positives for Hartlepool currently & already they face a hard slog to competitive this season. Their away form is awful with only one point from seven matches & they have been inflicted to a number of heavy defeats leading to a record of on average 2.29 goals shipped per game.

Brentford's terrific home form should continue at the expense of sorry Hartlepool team & they should be first on all punters accumulator lists this weekend at reasonable odds of 4/6 with Coral.

Selections:
Under 2.5 goals in Aston Villa vs Norwich City game at 11/10 (Various)
Cheltenham Town to beat Exeter City at 11/10 (Coral)
Brentford to beat Hartlepool United at 4/6 (Coral)

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)

Monday Night Football - Lions can keep it close in Chicago

This week's Monday Night Football is NFL action only as there is no English football as there are midweek European & lower league fixtures instead, that means we can concentrate on the NFC North divisional match up between the Detroit Lions & Chicago Bears.

Detroit Lions @ Chicago Bears

This looks to be a really exciting game with the Detroit Lions offense that coming into this week was ranking 2nd overall in yards gained per game & 2nd in passing yards behind the Patriots & Saints respectively. That high powered Detroit offense is coming up against a Bears defense that ranks 3rd overall in yards given up & 1st in points given up a game with a miserly average of just 14.2 scored against them in 5 games so far. The Bears have lost just once so far & are strong favourites against the 2&3 Lions but there is reason to believe this could be a tighter contest than some are giving credit.

(Michael Bush is a huge weapon when Chicago get down near the goal line)

The Bears' victories have all come against teams with either neutral or losing records & they haven't really had to face any top quarterbacks other than Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers & in that one they were thoroughly outpointed 23-10. Chicago's real strength on defense is against the run & also in creating turnovers, they've got a league leading 13 interceptions so far & that will be a worry for Detroit as although Matt Stafford is throwing for plenty of yards he has thrown more interceptions (5) than touchdowns (4). Stafford really needs to be on his game because it seems unlikely that the run game will support him too much as they have a pretty ordinary running back unit currently being led by Mike Leshoure. A big positive for Stafford his offensive line which has been performing pretty well in pass protection & should help to keep him upright against the Bears defense that likes to get after the quarterback & has had tackle Henry Melton keep on improving from last year with 4.5 sacks already.

The Bears are getting close to being a Super Bowl team but, whatever they may say, are being held back at the quarterback position with Jay Cutler merely average & maybe not having the right mentality to make the step up he needs. We really like Chicago's versatile running back Matt Forte who is a great target in the pass game as well as consistently averaging over 4.5 yards per rushing attempt but he does struggle to get the ball in the end one which is where Michael Bush comes in - he'll be consistently used in short yardage situations & is overpriced at 6/5 to score a touchdown at anytime. The Lions' defense isn't bad but they don't come up with enough stops in the red zone & that makes Michael Bush an attractive selection in this one.

(Chris Houston is Detroit's defensive back most capable of making a big play)

Detroit just love to throw the ball & they have the weapons to do it with great success as Matt Stafford has an accurate & powerful arm plus the league's best receiver to pass to in the indomitable Calvin Johnson who uses his excellent physique to dominate cornerbacks. Tight end Brandon Pettigrew & receiver Nate Burleson are Stafford's other options & are both pretty dependable meaning the Bears can't just concentrate on Johnson, they should be able to score enough points to be competitive here, they've only failed to get at least 20 points this year when disappointing badly against the Vikings. The Lions haven't got a great secondary but they only really have Brandon Marshall, who's having a great season, to worry about int he receiver department as no other Bear has reached even 200 receiving yards, we do like cornerback Chris Houston (5 interceptions in 2011) & he could be the man to step up & make a big play defensively. We think the Lions have a great chance of getting a win here but we'd rather take them with a very useful 6.5 point lead on the handicap - they'll be feeling great after last week's tough win against the Eagles.

Selections:
Detroit Lions to beat Chicago Bears with +6.5 points on the handicap at 10/11 (Various)
Michael Bush to score a touchdown at anytime at 6/5 (Bet365)

NFL Week 7 - Raiders of the Lost Jags

It was a pretty tough week for NFL bettors in week 6 as 10 underdog sides won out & we didn't far at all well here either with Indianapolis looking as bad as they did last year up against the Jets & Cincinnati underperforming in Cleveland. We'll have another got though & try to bring some of our Saturday (3 form 3 fottball/soccer picks) form to the game as we take a look at a couple of games featuring this year's lesser lights.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Oakland Raiders

In the game at the O.co Coliseum in Oakland the Raiders host the Jaguars in a battle of teams with just one win each from 5 games, clearly neither side is great but there are reasons to believe the home side Raiders are superior to the Jags.

(Darrius Heyward-Bey should be fit & ready to take the Jags apart)

Jacksonville are ranking stone last in offensive yards (241.2) & points (13) per game & they just don't have the players at skill positions to be able to pass the ball at all effectively, in the modern day, high scoring, passing NFL they are sorely lacking even with one of the best running backs around in Maurice Jones-Drew. At quarterback they have Blaine Gabbert who has a laughable career passer rating of just 67.5 & has a league low 5.5 yards per pass this year, he's got a promising rookie in Justin Blackmon to pass to plus we like Laurent Robinson but they are hardly a great set of receivers plus he just doesn't have the skills regardless of the targets. In 2011 the Jags' saving grace was that they were pretty tough defensively (ranking 6th overall) but that isn't the case this year as they rank a lowly 29th & have been giving up 163 yards per game on the ground, that isn't a good sign as they come up against one of the better backs around in Darren McFadden.

Oakland nearly came up with a huge result last week as they ended up only losing by 3 points against the unbeaten Atlanta Falcons & that bodes well in this game if they can take the momentum gained in the Atlanta Dome & use it in front of their own fans. The Raiders have actually been pretty poor at running the ball this year thanks to their poor defensive blocking meaning that Darren McFadden gets hit earlier in his runs than any other back, coming up against the Jaguars & their poor run defense might be just the cure for that problem though. Quarterback Carson Palmer has been having a pretty solid year & is averaging 286.5 yards through the air with his pretty good wide receiver corps that has been bolstered by Derek Hagan who rejoined after being with Oakland for the first part of last season. Tight end Brandon Myers has stepped up all of a sudden & leads the team in receiving yards with 290, his previous best for a whole season was just 151 yards so he's added another option, they've also got Denarius Moore & Darrius Heyward-Bey (who's been struggling with injury but should be fully fit here) & their options far outweigh Jacksonville's.

Oakland are excellent on special teams & can rely on Sebastian Janikowski to kick field goals from anywhere inside of 65 yards, even though they're 1&5 they should have too much for Jacksonville, however rather than take the handicap of -6 points we far prefer the half time/full time bet of Oakland/Oakland at odds of 21/20, they can control the game from beginning to end.

Tennessee Titans @ Buffalo Bills

(The Buffalo Bills' C.J. Spiller could be in for another big day running the football)

The Titans & Bills are two sides with plenty of problems yet the Bills somehow find themselves with a .500 record thanks to a forgiving schedule that has seen them beat the lowly Browns & Chiefs plus run into the Cardinals just as they faced a quarterback crisis. Tennesee have been stuffed out of sight 4 times but come up with narrow 3 point wins against Detroit (in overtime) & Pittsburgh (last week when the Steelers were inconvenienced by being the away side for the Thursday night game). It hardly makes this game an inspiring one but there is a good bet to be had here.

The total points line for this game is set at 46.5 & from their 12 games combined these two sides have seen 47 or more points on 9 of those 12 occasions. The Titans are giving up a league worst average of 34 points per game & the Bills are giving up the second most with 32 per game, with two such poor defenses this is set to be a high scoring free for all. The Bills just can't stop the run & although the Titans are averaging a paltry 70.2 yards rushing per game this could be just the tonic for their star back Chris 'CJ2K' Johnson who has struggled to replicate his incredible form from 2 & 3 seasons ago. The Bills have one of the league's most potent rushing attacks with Fred Jackson & C.J. Spiller always ready to unload on opposition defenses & they should see plenty of joy against the Titans, if they get into the red zone they should be able to push ahead & convert for touchdowns instead of settling for field goals. Neither side is great but Buffalo are deserving favourites, we still like the over 46.5 total points bet as the best value option here & odds of 5/6 for C.J. Spiller to score a TD at anytime also look on the big side - he's got touchdowns in 4 of his 6 games & Tennessee struggle to stop anything.

Selections:
Oakland Raiders to beat Jacksonville Jaguars Half time/Full time at 21/20 (BlueSquare & 888Sport)
Over 46.5 points in Tennessee Titans @ Buffalo Bills game at 10/11 (General)
C.J. Spiller to score a touchdown at anytime at 5/6 (Ladbrokes)

High Scoring High Jinx at the Hammers

We were so close to a lovely 6/1 winner last weekend with our selection of 1-0 for Sheffield United but a 97th minute equaliser by Oldham put paid to that & we had to settle for under 2.5 goals instead - we're back this weekend & have picks from the Premier League & Championship, back after the international break, plus a little bit of lower league action too.

West Ham United vs Southampton

In one of Saturday's 3pm kickoffs we see two of the Premier League's promoted sides face off as Southampton take on West Ham at Upton Park. Southampton have only avoided loss twice in their 7 games so far this season & those games were both at home against poor travellers Fulham (2-2 last time out) & struggling Aston Villa, this is a tougher test against Sam Allardyce's men who've looked resolute & happy to play to his game plan.

(Matt Jarvis is on his way to becoming a fan favourite at Upton Park)

West Ham have the creative Ricardo Vaz Te out for a while with a shoulder injury but they have plenty of options at the top end of the pitch & their club record signing Matt Jarvis has started to show a bit of form, his crossing ability will be invaluable for them with such good aerial presence with their strikers. The Hammers still look a bit shaky at the back at times & we've mentioned before that we feel Jussi Jaaskelainen is outstaying his welcome as a top flight keeper.

No team has conceded more than Southampton's 20 goals this year & Nigel Adkins attacking philosophy is regularly being exposed as simply a little naive & just isn't surprising teams as much as Blackpool a couple of seasons back. They invested heavily in the summer but mainly in attacking areas with Jay Rodriguez & Gaston Ramirez coming in to complement star striker Rickie Lambert who's already got himself 4 league goals. Neither side had too many players on international duty this week & that should mean this is one of the livelier Saturday games, Southampton can't really defend so are forced to attack (there have been an average of 4.6 goals in their games) & West Ham should get themselves on the scoresheet, that means odds of 8/11 for over 2.5 goals looks a solid bet.

Portsmouth vs Shrewsbury Town

In League One, Portsmouth entertain Shrewsbury Town at Fratton Park, both sides are in the bottom half of the table with Portsmouth 14th & Shrewsbury two points & two places below them.

(Izale McLeod is Pompey's current goalscoring hero)

Portsmouth with their much publicised financial problems started the slowly with only one victory in their first eight league games. Manager Michael Appleton has received many plaudits for how he has assembled a competitive side & handled himself throughout his rein & in the their last four games his side have picked up three victories & a draw. In each of these games they have scored two goals & in striker Izale McLeod they have a proven goalscorer at this level who has 6 league goals & 3 in their last 3.

Visitors Shrewsbury have been very inconsistent so far with all three of their victories coming in front of the home faithful. They beat Walsall 1-0 last Sunday but were second best for most of the match & had to rely on goalkeeper Chris Weale (man of the match) to pull off a number of outstanding saves. That was their first win in five league matches & on the road they have struggled with only three points from six matches & three defeats.

Portsmouth at odds of 6/5 are on a roll & will be too strong for a Shrewsbury side who pick up the large majority of their points at home.

Hull City vs Ipswich Town

This weekend in the Championship two ex-Premier league sides are pitted together as Hull City host Ipswich Town at the KC Stadium. Hull are in 10th place whilst Ipswich are really struggling & are second from bottom.

Hull had a good start to the season & looked in fine form until three straight defeats at the end of September/early October but they got themselves back on track before the international break with a 1-0 away victory at Sheffield Wednesday. Sone Aluko & Abdoulaye Faye joined in the summer & have contributed in a big way so far with Aluko adding guile & Faye some real solidity to the team plus both have 3 goals each. Boss Steve Bruce is still waiting for one of his other signings, 6"3 German striker Nick Proschwitz to come good but this could be the perfect game to bag his first goal as Ipswich just love to present chances on a platter to opposition strikers. The Tigers also have a very good keeper in Manchester United loanee Ben Amos & he could prove tricky for Ipswich's goal shy strikers to get the ball past.

(Hull's Nick Proschwitz will see this as an ideal game to get his first goal)

Ipswich's season just hasn't started yet with only one win from their first ten league games, they've lost 5 of their last 8 league games - the latest being a 2-1 home defeat inflicted by Cardiff City despite a ludicrously obvious handball goal by DJ Campbell giving them a first half lead. Manager Paul Jewell is under intense pressure & seems to have no answers to his critics currently & his defense are often at sixes & sevens. They have only kept one clean sheet & conceded 19 goals at an average of nearly two per game plus problems also at the other end when playing away with only a meagre three goals scored themselves.

Ipswich's form is just woeful & Hull available at evens with BetVictor are a must this weekend, Hull can smash the Tractor Boys & finally end Paul Jewell's rather miserable time in charge.

Selections:
West Ham United vs Southampton over 2.5 goals at 8/11 (Stan James)
Portsmouth to beat Shrewsbury Town at 6/5 (SkyBet & BetVictor)
Hull City to beat Ipswich Town at evens (BetVictor)

NFL Week 6 - Bengals to beat up Browns

We're still smarting after the Texans couldn't beat the Jets by 9 points or more on Monday night even with a performance that should have been just enough but anyway we're back with selections for Sunday as we look to bounce back. The season long bets of the Texans for the Super Bowl & the 49ers to win the NFC are still looking good & there should be plenty of opportunities for nice bets between now & the post season.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Browns

In the first game we're taking a look at we have a divisional rivalry as the AFC North sees Cincinnati travel to take on the NFL's only team without a win in 2012, the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland are a pretty poor side as evidenced by their record this year & just 4 wins, against weak sides, last year & they've already lost to the Bengals this time around just 4 games ago with Cincinnati prevailing 37-24.

(A stupendous catch - all in a day's work for A.J. Green)

The Browns have rookies playing at their two key skill positions on offense with Brandon Weeden at qyarterback & Trent Richardson at tailback, both were selected in the first round of the draft but Richardson has started at lot better than Weeden. Brandon Weeden is stone last in the quarterback ratings this year at a lowly 64.5 & although he had his best display when facing the Bengals (2 TDs & no interceptions) he can't be relied upon when the pressure's on. Rookie passers struggling is nothing new & it is all a learning curve for Weeden, the Browns will try to take the pressure off by running the ball with Richardson & although he's done reasonably their other backs have offered next to nothing. With the Brown's pretty lightweight offense they've needed their defense to step up but that side of the game has been weak too, ranking 29th in yards given up & they don't really have any defensive stars other thancornerback Joe Haden who returns this week from suspension.

The Browns need Haden back  because he'll be up against one of the very best receivers around in the Bengals' A.J. Green, Green already has 4 touchdowns & is pushing 100 receiving yards a game as he continues to form a fine partnership with passer Andy Dalton. In contrast to Brandon Weeden, Dalton is having a fine season & has thrown 9 strikes to 6 picks & is gaining an impressive average of 8 yards per pass - he'll fancy himself to have more success in this one. The Bengals are just average defensively & they don't tend to make explosive plays (they've gained just one interception all season) but average means not bad & they have little to fear today. We think the Bengals should be hotter favourites than they are & odds of 10/13 for them to pick up the win are fair indeed even though playing on the road.

Indianapolis Colts @ New York Jets

In this game we again like the look of the road team as the Colts travel to take on the New York Jets who put up a spirited but ultimately fruitless display against the Texans on Monday night. Last week while the Jets were being beaten, Indianapolis managed to gain a win over one of the league's heavyweights in the Green Bay Packers & number one draft pick Andrew Luck had a great game as he continues to look much more experienced than the rookie he is.

(Andrew Luck can continue to impress against the weakened Jets)

Although the Jets did only lose by 6 to maybe the best team in the league on Monday that was in part thanks to a 100 yard kick return & those don't come around too often, it also remains to be seen whether they can get themselves up for consecutive games as they've been abysmal at times. The Jets' injury problems remain & Mark Sanchez still looks a suspect passer & their running game continues to be ineffective with their number one runnig back Shonn Greene averagin just 2.9 yards per attempt. Indianapolis will be sending their star defender Dwight Freeney after Sanchez making it even more likely he'll chuck some passes up to be intercepted, Freeney was injured in week one & made a real difference on his return last week.

The Colts have been decent offensively with Luck's passing helping them rank 10th overall in yards gained & 6th in passing yards - he can also take off on the ground making him a very dangerous player & it means he's a good compliment to rusher Donald Brown who has a decent average yards per carry of 4.0. Reggie Wayne has been having a monstrous season with 506 receiving yards in just the 4 games & he'll look to beat Rodgers-Cromartie this week just like every other cornerback he's come up against. Other than their loss to Jacksonville the Colts have performed well considering they gained just two wins last year & they are underrated today, backing them with a useful 3.5 point lead on the handicap looks the way to go.

Selections:
Cincinnati Bengals to beat Cleveland Browns at 10/13 (Skybet & Paddy Power)
Indianapolis Colts to beat New York Jets with +3.5 points on handicap at 5/6 (Various)

Dull Blades to outpoint Oldham

We've often said that we are no great fans of international qualifiers & friendlies (the major tournaments are great of course) so again we'll take the opportunity to try to find some value bet this weekend from the English lower leagues. We've now got plenty of form for this season available & most teams should have played a range of opponents of varying quality & styles, we're trying to make the most of this little bit of knowledge to make the most of somewhat static pricing up by the bookies.

Sheffield United vs Oldham Athletic

(Not pretty but very effective - Sheffield United's Harry Maguire)

Sheffield United are one of three still unbeaten sides in League One & host a mediocre Oldham side at Bramall Lane this Saturday. United have been pretty solid but haven't really scored as many as they would like & have ended up having to settle for too many draws, 6 from their 11 games - they've only conceded more than one goal once in the league this year in a 5-3 shootout with Bournemouth at the beginning of September. Nick Blackman, their young signing from Blackburn has been their most prolific scorer with 4 league goals but no other player has managed more than two, including Dave Kitson who is trying to secure an extension to his contract which runs through to the end of December.

Not scoring enough goals has also been Oldham's problem with just 10 in 10 & their top scorer, Matt Derbyshire, with three is also an ex-Blackburn player, they've also been pretty steady at the back but where Sheffield United have gained draws they have instead fallen to losses explaining the 9 point gap between the two sides. Jean-Yves Mvoto has been a rock at the back for the Latics & you can see why he was on the books at PSG & Sunderland for some time. Harry Maguire would be the Blades' equivalent player & the 19 year old centre back surely has a top flight future if he continues to improve.

With just 20 goals in Oldham's ten games & 24 in Sheffield United's 11 (inflated because of the 8 goals in the aforementioned Bournemouth game) it seems odd that under 2.5 goals is a bigger price than overs & should be taken in what could be an edgy little encounter. Sheffield United may just edge this but it will likely be close so taking 1-0 at 6/1 could be a value bet as three of their games have already ended up with the same scoreline in their favour.

Rochdale vs Morecambe

Down in League Two, Rochdale host Morecambe at Spotland. Rochdale currently sit in 5th spot with 19 points whilst Morecambe are a lowly 17th place after eleven league games.

 

(Rochdale boss John Coleman was bemused by their poor start but has them playing nicely now)

Rochdale had a poor start to the season & only collected five points from their opening five league fixtures including defeats to Torquay & Burton. Since then manager John Coleman has rallied the troops & embarked in the league a six match unbeaten run. They have won four of these matches with the latest coming last weekend in a 3-2 victory away to Accrington Stanley. Unfortunately striker Bobby Grant is still suspended for this one after his reckless dismissal against Bradford but they still have a potent strike force in the evergreen Dele Adebola & Ashley Grimes who have bagged seven goals between them.

Morecambe have been inconsistent all season with five defeats & only three victories in their eleven games so far, they have picked up four points in their last two games but these have both come at home & that's after four defeats from five. In their last two games on the road Morecambe have come away empty handed after resounding defeats were inflicted by Bradford City (3-1) & Cheltenham Town (2-0).

We expect Rochdale to continue their fine form at the expense of an inconsistent Morecambe side at the best price of evens with William Hill.

Selections:
Under 2.5 goals in Sheffield United vs Oldham Athletic game at Evens (BetVictor)
Sheffield United to beat Oldham Athletic 1-0 (Bet365, Betfred & William Hill)
Rochdale to beat Morecambe at evens (William Hill)

Monday Night Football - Texans to run all over Jets

With no English football on this Monday that means we can concentrate on the Houston Texans' game in New York against the hapless Jets, the Jets are struggling badly & things don't get too much tougher than running up against the Super Bowl favourites.

Houston Texans @ New York Jets

(Bad times for the Jets' Mark Sanchez who has the spectre of being replaced by Tim Tebow looming)

New York have their best defensive & offensive players out injured with dominant cornerback Darrelle Revis out meaning it's much easier to pass against them & their star receiver Santonio Holmes out meaning it becomes even harder than usual for them to pass themselves. We've always felt that Mark Sanchez is lucky to be a NFL starter & the Jets' quarterback is really struggling at the moment & coming up against the top ranked defense in yards & pointss given up isn't going to make things any easier & the inevitable calls for Tim Tebow to replace him continue to grow louder. Even their young up & coming receiver Stephen Hill is a doubt for this game & it's hard to see how they can hurt Houston.

The Jets' traditional strength over the last few years has been their defense but even that isn't doing the job this year & their big problem here is that they don't appear to be able to stop the run in particular ranking 31st in yards given up - that spells huge trouble against the Texans. Houston have maybe the most talented running back in the league in Arian Foster & he's backed up by Ben Tate who would be a feature running back for most other teams, the two of them should have a lot of fun in this one & could end up with multiple touchdowns between them. At quarterback for the Texans Matt Schaub has been efficiency personified with 7 touchdowns to just one interception & a highly respectable pass completion rate of 67%, with Schaub getting fitter & fitter with every game after a big injury they are potentially a scary offensive unit.

(Andre Johnson could be celebrating some big numbers at the end of this one)

The Jets got blown away by the visiting 49ers last week losing 34-0 & the Texans are better than San Francisco offensively so they should easily cover the -8 point handicap. We can see this being a big win for Houston & in addition to backing them to cover the 8 points we advise backing a Texans' winning margin of 19-24 points at 15/2 & 25-30 points at 12/1 at Betfred.

Selections:
Houston Texans to beat New York Jets with -8 point handicap at 10/11 (General)
Houston Texans to win by 19-24 points at 15/2 & 25-30 points at 12/1 (Betfred)

NFL Week 5 - Super Cam can Slay Seahawks

They say pride come before a fall & we came back down to earth on Saturday with a bump after 4 wins from 4 picks early in the week, our ambitious pick of QPR failed to come off even after they showed a bit of fight vs West brom & Gillingham failed to find a way through after hitting the post early on against Oxford. You can't win them all though (unless you're the Houston Texans!) & we're back with picks from two of Sunday's NFL games as the Seahawks take on the Panthers & the Eagles face off against the Steelers.

Seattle Seahawks @ Carolina Panthers

Every Carolina game has a little bit of unpredictability as you can never be sure just how effective their star player, quarterback Cam Newton can be & he's got a tough test this week against Seattle's decent defense. Seattle have a slightly better record than Carolina this year with two wins compared to the Panthers' one but that is highly fortunate as one of those victories was the controversial last second win over the Green Bay Packers.

(We're looking for Cam Newton to star in this one against Seattle)

Both of Seattle's victories have come at home & they tend to fare a lot better on their own field in general with only 8 road wins from the 2008 season onwards. Carolina's loss in week one v Tampa was disappointing but their other two losses were no disgrace, getting rather blown away by Super Bowl champs the New York Giants & then pushing form side Atlanta all the way last week. The Panthers' have a pretty ordinary defense but the Seahawks probably aren't the team to exploit it as they rank just 28th in points scored & yards gained per game & they will surely continue to rely heavily on Marshawn Lynch rather than the passing of their somewhat limited rookie Russell Wilson.

The Seahawks have a mean pass rush but that isn't the best way to stop Cam Newton as he isn't a quarterback who wants to stay in the pocket anyway & he could really hurt Seattle by taking off & breaking off some big runs. Newton really is the key here but if he does perform we can see Carolina winning this by a stretch, he's averaging a league high 9.5 yards per completed pass plus has run for plenty of yards & 3 rushing touchdowns already. With Cam being backed up with the running game of DeAngelo Williams the Panthers can cover the -3 point handicap & consign Seattle to another away loss.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Pittsburgh Steelers

This interstate game only comes around once every four years but means that we have a veritable derby game between the Philadephia Eagles & Pittsburgh Steelers of Pennsylvania at the Steelers' home of Heinz Field.

(Eagles fans will hope to see less of this from Michael Vick)

This is maybe the most fascinating contest of the week as the teams rank 5th (Pittsburgh) & 6th (Philadelphia) on defense but both have some weapons on offense too with the Eagles ranking 5th in offensive yards gained & Pittsburgh having one of the most dangerous passing attacks with Ben Roethlisberger having ace receivers to pass to. The Eagles's offensive yard stat doesn't tell the whole story though as although they rank 5th in yards they rank in 30th place in points scored as they have turned the ball over too many times & struggled to get touchdowns when in the red zone (38.5% of the time). Michael Vick hasn't protected the ball at all well at times & they've had a league high 6 rushing fumbles. Yet for all their troubles the Eagles have somehow managed to get 3 wins from 4 games by a combined total of just 4 points with incredibly narrow victories over the Browns, Ravens & Giants & the saying goes that good teams win even when playing badly.

(Mike Wallace is out to show Antonio Brown & others he's still the star receiver in Pittsburgh)

The Steelers are coming off a bye week & they'll be hoping to improve after a slow start that has seen them only beat the terrible New York Jets. The bye week came at the right time as they were really struggling with injuries to key players but they all look likely to return in this one, Troy Polamalu & James Harrison are two of the NFL's biggest defensive stars & will really bolster them whilst the return of Rashard Mendenhall at running back could add a much needed running game to complement the passing. At receiver the Steelers have an arsenal of talent with the emerging Emmanuel Sanders, Antonio Brown & Mike Wallace, the team had some issues with Wallace pre-season & he missed some training but he has improved markedly in each game as shown by receiving figures of 37, 74 & 123 yards respectively & a touchdown in each game - he's overpriced at 9/1 to score the first touchdown of the game.

This isn't an easy one to call as we've been unimpressed with the Steelers so far & Philadelphia seem to make too many mistakes to be trusted even though they've somehow gained 3 wins from 4 games so instead we'll take the total points line & the game to go over 43. Only one of Philadelphia's games has gone over that mark so far but they have had the chances to score many more points than they've managed whilst we've seen 50 & 65 points in two of Pittsburgh's games suggesting this has the potential to be a high scoring affair.

Selections:
Carolina Panthers to beat Seattle Seahawks with -3 point handicap at 21/20 (Various)
Over 43 total points in Philadelphia Eagles @ Pittsburgh Steelers at 10/11 (Various)
Mike Wallace to score first touchdown at 9/1 (Paddy Power)

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)

Cardinals & Rams in a Defensive Dance-Off

It's been a very nice week for us so far with 3 winners from 3 selections at odds of 11/4, Evens & 3/1 so we'll try to keep it going with a selection from Thursday night's NFL game. Now is the time to take advantage of perceptions & prices based on the limited knowledge gained from relatively few games into the season, take note of which sides have played  stronger teams & get one up on the punters who simply look at the last couple of results a team has regardless of who they were playing!

Arizona Cardinals @ St Louis Rams

The NFL game today comes from the much maligned NFC West, but although the teams in the division, apart from the 49ers, were expected to struggle they've all come out & put up some decent performances & gained results especially the Arizona Cardinals who remain one of three unbeaten sides in the league. Here the Cardinals travel to St Louis to take on the Rams who finished with a woeful 2&14 record last year but they've already equalled last year's win record by triumphing against the Redskins & divisional rivals the Seattle Seahawks.

(Danny Amendola has stepped up big time for the St Louis Rams)

The Rams look to have a little more about them now & have a big advantage with this being a home game as the Cardinals will barely have time to get a practice in between their Sunday game & now with the travel to St Louis. Steven Jackson would normally be the Rams' go to guy but he's been struggling a little with a groin problem & has only gained 3.3 yards per rush attempt so they've used rookie Daryl Richardson plenty of times too & he's made a nice start to his career with 5.0 yards per attempt. St Louis's real offensive star this year though is wide receiver Danny Amendola who has gone wild this year with 351 yards & 31 catches already to put him 21 receptions clear of the next Rams player. They've also looked pretty solid defensively & have already come up with 8 interceptions which should help against the Cardinals' lethargic offense that has only racked up an average of 271 yards per game, although that is in part thanks to them regularly gaining excellent starting field position & not having to go so far to the end zone. Cornerback Cortland Finnegan seems to be enjoying himself after moving from the Titans & he's accounted for 3 of those interceptions, he's also not afraid to get in opposition players faces when needed.

The Cardinals are where they are, with an excellent 4&0 start thanks to a great defense & great special teams including the indomitable Patrick Peterson who's been great on defense & kick returns this year. Inside linebacker Daryl Washington has stepped up from his first two promising seasons  is now getting through opposition offensive lines with regularity & has already picked up 34 tackles in jut 4 games plus 3 sacks. he offense of the Cards just can't be shouted about too much, ranking jut 31st of 32 in the league in terms of yards gained & the rush has been pretty poor indeed with Beanie Wells dropping off after a 1,000 yard rushing season last year - he's now gaining an average of just 2.6 yards per attempt & new first choice Ryan Williams isn't doing much better. Quarterback Kevin Kolb has come in after John Skelton got injured & was being very efficient for his first couple of games, if not getting many yards, then against Miami he threw his first two interceptions of the season bu also gained 324 yards as they came from behind, that game probably forced the Cardinals' hand a little but he just about managed it whilst still giving cause for concern. 

It's a pretty tough game to pick a winner from as neither side are great offensively & the Cardinals have momentum but the Rams have the home advantage in a short week, instead we think a bet of this being a low scoring game & going under 38.5 points is a prudent selection. The Rams' last two games have totaled 29 & 32 points whilst the Cardinals' have only had one game go over the line which was last week's overtime win against Miami.

Selections:

Under 38.5 points in Arizona Cardinals v St Louis Rams game at 10/11

Bluebirds to keep on Soaring

There's a lot of football on this midweek we were tempted to go for a Champions League away accumulator on Tuesday night with Barcelona, Man United & Bayern Munich all at backable prices against inferior opposition but instead we'll stick to the tried & tested ground of the Championship for our bets this night!

Cardiff City vs Birmingham City

(Cardiff City fans & players know how vital Peter Whittingham is to their promotion hopes)

Cardiff have made an excellent start to the season & currently sit in 2nd spot on the same amount of points as leaders Brighton & Hove Albion. They have won five of their eight matches & all their blips have come on the road. At home they have a perfect four from four record with victories over Huddersfield Town, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leeds Utd & Blackpool. They dispatched Blackpool with ease at the weekend in an impressive 3-0 scoreline with a brace from defender Matthew Connolly & strike from Peter Whittingham. Whittingham has been one of the standout players in the Championship in recent seasons & again he is in superb form with six league goals in his last five games.

Birmingham have been inconsistent this season & this is shown perfectly in their last two league matches. They were hammered 5-0 at home by an average Barnsley side the other week & looked in disarray yet on Saturday these won away at Brighton 1-0 thanks to a wonder strike from Chris Burke. But this was their first win on the road after a draw & two defeats to Sheffield Wednesday & Watford.

Cardiff are brimming with confidence & they are surely too strong for a Birmingham side even if they do bring their 'A game' so take advantage of the Evens available with BetVictor for a Bluebirds victory.

Barnsley vs Peterborough United

In another Championship clash we see Peterborough travel to Oakwell to take on inconsistent Barnsely on the back of their first points of the season after shocking in form Hull in their last game, Barnsley meanwhile only managed a 1-1 draw with struggling Ipswich. It's dangerous to take too much out from any individual game but it's basically a bit tough to know what to make of Barnsley full stop who've had mixed results of 3 wins, 3 losses & 2 draws so far.

(Michael Bostwick has joined Peterborough from Stevenage & could be a key player)

The Tykes gained a huge success with a 5-0 win away to Birmingham just two games back but anyone who saw that game would know that Birmingham had a total stinker & looked a non-league outfit on the day, after that they were actually a little lucky to gain the draw with Ipswich as they could have easily been a couple down before Stephen Dawson equalised with a stunning volley. Barnsley's home games have all been pretty trappy affairs with two one nil wins followed by two 1-1 draws & maybe Keith Hill isn't being quite ambitious enough & that Birmingham win is actually the only time they've scored more than once in a game, with them scoring exactly one goal in each of their other 7. Craig Davies' scoring record looks impressive with 7 from 8 but again is skewed because of 4 goals v Birmingham & we're still unconvinced that Barnsley are a truly solid Championship side.

Peterborough came up with an unlikely 3-1 win at Hull after losing all of their previous 7 league games & the key was undoubtedly them eventually putting their trust in striker Emile Sinclair who repaid Darren Ferguson with a hat-trick. Sinclair had appeared 6 times in the league before Saturday but with 5 of those appearances coming as a sub & it was a similar story last season when half of his 28 games came from off the bench, he's surely booked a starting spot now & will be brimming with confidence. Posh suffered 4 of their losses by just one goal & with that victory a lot of pressure will be lifted off of the whole team & it could be worth following them for the time being. Our general rule with inconsistent teams is to avoid them when a short price & back them when the big odds are offered, we'll follow that rule here by ducking Barnsley at odds on & backing Peterborough at 3/1 to gain a second win of the league season.

Selections:
Cardiff City to beat Birmingham City at evens (BetVictor)
Peterborough United to beat Barnsley at 3/1 (Various)