TimbuktuTZ

Aves vs Benfica
OK, so I thought about covering the Sporting CP versus Vitoria Setubal match but with @buga00 being the resident Sporting CP fan it makes sense for him to give us his thoughts on that one. So I'm going to preview the clash between two sides at opposite ends of the table when Aves play Benfica in a 9:15pm BST kick-off on Tuesday night at the Estadio do Clube Desportivo das Aves.
Aves have already had their fate confirmed with the club relegated to the Portuguese second tier. Nuno Manta Santos is the caretaker manager in charge of getting the club through this dark period. The team is currently bottom of the league table with just 17 points and 13 points adrift of safety with just 2 league games to play. Just 1 win from their last 13 league matches is exactly the reason why they are going down. However, it should be noted they did seal a 1-0 win against Vitoria Setubal in their most recent home match and also held title winners Porto to a 0-0 draw at home back on 16th June. Maybe this game isn't as decided as we thought.
Benfica come into this game knowing the title has gone but they will still want to end the season on a high knowing that they've already guaranteed Champions League football for next season. Head coach Nelson Verissimo was brought in just a few weeks ago so it'll be interesting to see how he shapes this team. He's unbeaten so far with 2 wins and 1 draw from his 3 league games in charge so all good up to this point. It'll be a disappointing season for Benfica considering they won 18 of their first 19 league matches but they are already looking ahead to next season so I expect them to come out all guns blazing here.
On paper, this should be an absolute steamrollering by Benfica over Aves but the already relegated side are playing without any pressure now. If they adopt that approach against a visiting side that know some of their places in the squad are in doubt next season then they could catch them on the hop. Benfica have only won 1 of their last 5 away league games so even if they win this game it won't be convincing. I think a narrow 1 or 2 goal win for Benfica is likely so I'm backing the handicap for Aves.
Aves +3 @ 1.75 with William Hill
Benfica HT/FT @ 1.57 with Sportingbet
 

Connah's Quay vs Kilmarnock
The 2019/20 Europa League 1st Qualifying Round throws up an all-British affair tonight when Welsh Premier League club Connah's Quay play Scottish Premier League side Kilmarnock in a 7pm BST kick-off at Belle Vue in Rhyl. Unfortunately, for the Welsh club, due to UEFA regulations, this game won't be played at their home ground of the Deeside Stadium.
Connah's Quay finished in 2nd place in the league last season. That was an incredible feat for Andy Morrison's men who pushed eventual winners TNS for a lot of the season. The Nomads will now be looking to reach the 2nd Qualifying Round of this competition for just the second time in their history.
Kilmarnock suffered the loss of manager Steve Clarke to the Scotland national team job last season. Killie have taken the controversial decision to replace him with former Juventus, Chelsea, and Italy assistant manager Angelo Alessio. It's a bold move for a team that finished 3rd in the SPL last season. It could be a stroke of genius or it could all end in tears.
The form of these two sides could not be more different. Connah's Quay have won just 1 of their last 5 matches in all competitions compared to Kilmarnock who have won 3 of their last 5. The Nomads have also failed to score in 3 of their last 4 games. Not the best of preparations for a game against opponents that have kept 3 clean sheets in their last 5 matches. Backing the visitors to win 2-0 or 3-0 seems like the most logical selection.
Kilmarnock to Win to Nil @ 2.15 with BetVictor
Total Goals Scored Over 2.5 @ 1.65 with Betway

Madagascar vs Tunisia
The last Quarter-Final for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations is between surprise package Madagascar and one of the highest FIFA ranked sides in the tournament Tunisia in an 8pm BST game at the Al Salam Stadium in Cairo. Is this where the dream of the Barea comes to an end or will there be one more chapter to tell yet?
Madagascar have been a breath of fresh air in this tournament. It seemed that Nicolas Dupuis had led his men to an iconic moment in this competition when they beat Nigeria 2-0 in their final group game to secure top spot. Nobody could see their 4-2 win on penalties after a 2-2 draw with DR Congo. This is a side that continues to shock.
Tunisia will be hoping to avoid being the latest victims of the giant-killers. Alain Giresse's team might have been one of the fancied sides coming into this tournament but they've remained below the radar so far. The Eagles of Carthage did just enough to progress as runners up from their group with three draws before beating Ghana 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
There is almost nothing separating these two sides on paper in this tournament so far. Tunisia are yet to taste victory over 90 minutes but they've done enough to get this far. Madagascar are a very tough side to break down and they'll pose a threat for any team. This has a stalemate written all over it. 0-0 or 1-1 appears to hold the best value.
Draw @ 3.20 with Coral
Correct Score: 1-1 @ 7.00 with BetVictor

Man United v Watford

Has the Ollie love-in ended ? United with 2 defeats in a week. Both pretty poor performances. Arsenal, was reasonably close ... Wolves played great and outplayed United completely. Lukaku missing an early sitter was a game changer. Hard to blame him, because he has been playing really well, and finishing excellently. 

For me the elephant in the room is Pogba. He does'nt seem to exert himself, slows the ball down, and looses possession often. In the big games this season he has been invisible. Certainly not able to dominate or exert big influence on the game (that you would expect from a 90 million pound player). United did'nt miss him at all against PSG in the Paris match. Sure he has huge talent, but he is not 'bringing it' every week. Looks like he is always holding a little effort back. 

I see United finding a way to win here, over a decent opponent. I do not see them keeping a clean sheet. 

Prediction : Home win & Over 2.5 goals (Odds 2.1)
As a fan I would be quite happy to see the back of Pogba. Maybe he can hook up with Mourinho again somewhere..
 
Liverpool v Tottenham

This is a very tricky game for Liverpool, and could decide their league title ambitions. Spurs are a good side, that has had a recent blip. However, they can win difficult games, and seem to play better against better opponents.

For me their is no value on the home win, in a fixture where any result is possible. I do like the away win and over 2.5 goals at odds of 8.5 . Plenty of value here, far outweighing the implied odds of the bookmakers for the away win. My feeling is that Tottenham to win and over 2.5 should be nearer 4.5 than 8. 

 
Prediction : Away win & Over 2.5 goals (Odds 8.5)

Aston Villa vs Blackburn
For the second preview of the weekend's Championship games we move 3 miles down the road to Villa Park where Aston Villa will attempt to continue their charge up the league table in this home game against Blackburn that kicks off at 3pm on Saturday afternoon.
Aston Villa have now won four league games in a row. Dean Smith's side have shot up into the play-off positions thanks to this run of results. The manager is set to name an unchanged XI from the one that tore Middlesbrough apart before the international break. Villa have won their last three home games against Blackburn as well. It seems Jack Grealish's fitness is key to Villa's progress. Since Smith took charge, Villa have won 69% of their games with Grealish involved compared to just 15% with him missing.
Blackburn appear to have done enough to stay up this season. Tony Mowbray's side are 16th in the table and 11 points clear of the relegation zone. Unfortunately, their form has tailed off towards the back end of this season. It's now just 1 win, 1 draw, and 7 losses from their last 9 league games. Just 4 wins in their 10 away league games this season suggests it's a tall order here.
Every season, one team paces their push to the play-offs exactly right. Villa are doing exactly that. Blackburn have scored at least once in their last 9 league games against Villa so it might be worth backing both teams to score. I can just see Villa continuing their storming run with a 2-3 goal win here.
Aston Villa -1 @ 2.62 with SpreadEx
BTTS @ 1.67 with William Hill

In particular, we have Bolton's game with West Brom and we will support the best team. This is West Brom, which ignores the joy of winning for three races, enough for her momentum and goals. Today, however, he has the opportunity to return to the three-pointer after a long while as he faces a subordinate team. From the most commercial points with a West Brom victory
BOLTON WANDERERS vs WEST BROMWICH ALBION @@ WEST BROMWICH ALBION, odds 1.80

I'm going for o2.5 goals here in the Fulham/Spurs game
Spurs are super thin, sure.  But they are not out of options fully.  They will need guys like Alli, Lamella and Erickson to step up.  The loss of Son and Sissoko are really going to leave them super short in the mf and will make them susceptible on the counter for sure.  Sessegnon on the bench today but Babel playing and while he was terrible in the premier league, he was actually quite good in Turkey.  We'll see.  
Spurs also always have a chance to score on a set piece.  Trippier is outstanding and Erickson no slouch.  Spurs need points here as they have three teams breathing down their neck for the top 4. They have  a lot of games coming up too.  
I think we get an open game 2-2 final.