Gidds

Tough Fixtures today, but i´m playing 3 Bet´s for today.
First 2 bets are Home Win Bets on Rotherham and my Potters. Rotherham with now 13 Days rested and even if they had some Covid-Issues with some Players, i think they are fresh enough to take today the HW. Barnsley nothing special in Away Games and if Roterham want´s to grab the Points for going out of Relegation Places, these Games are Must Win Games.
Other Bet is Stoke. O´Neil now have some players back and he said to the Media that he now have chances to make more Rotation and make the Starting XI looks Fresher. So Allen are back in Action last Game as Sub - Allen may in this Situation very important. Also Mikel may come back in Action today. Must admid that Stoke made boring Games in last Weeks, but there Defensive is strong. So they often Draw the Games, but i didn´t think today. Nottingham very poor in Offensive FirePower in Away Games with only scoring 4 in all Away Games and with 17 conceded they are poor in Defensive. So i think even without Cambell, Stoke can score here easy.
3rd Bet is the Draw in Huddersfield-Blackburn Game. I see no big Difference in performances at the Moment and i think both can made a close Game today, maybe with CS 1:1.
Rotherham @ 3.80 1/10 bet365
Stoke @ 2.50 1/10 bet365
X @ 3.40 1/10 bet365
 
Also i´m interessted how @StevieDay1983 seen his Bluebirds today. I Know they are unpredictable, maybe like the whole League. But if they want to earn this Season a Play Off Spot, i think they must Win such Games like these today at Wycombe.

Rumours are flying around that if Neil Harris loses this game then he could be relieved of his duties. We paid nothing for him and apparently they said to him that if he wanted the money to fund the Harry Wilson loan signing then he needed to be top six or in and about that area come New Year's Day. If we lose today then we could potentially be 10 points adrift and as far down as 15th place I think. I'm just not convinced by Harris. He failed to address the full back and central midfield situation in the off-season (and ever since he's been in charge) and our performances continue to differ between the satisfactory and appalling. If we play adequately it feels like a positive day. I still think he's a man on limited time. I'd say Wycombe have every chance of taking something off us today.

A profit on Boxing Day with Dagenham winning. I have 7 bets for Monday and will be brief.
Halifax v Altrincham
Don't think there is much between these two sides at all with both in decent form at the moment and there is certainly value in the away team at 3/1 with BetVictor.
Notts County v Hartlepool
The home side are well rested having not played on Boxing Day and also resting players in their FA Trophy game. They looked good against Stockport in their last league game and they have the edge on Hartlepool.
Stockport v Wrexham
Like Notts County, Wrexham had the Saturday off and rested players in their FA Trophy game. Meanwhile Stockport had a league game last Tuesday which they lost 4-0 and ended up with 9 men. They then could only draw at Altrincham on Saturday. I think 11/4 about the away side is big with Stockport not at the top of their game at the moment.
Yeovil v Aldershot
Just don't get the price of Aldershot here. Yeovil's only win in the league came at Bromley earlier in the month, but I watched that game and Bromley were awful. They lost 6-1 on Saturday at Torquay and granted Aldershot are far from being as good as Torquay, but they did well in beating Woking 3-0 on Saturday. My one concern is that being a big local derby they might take their eye of ball for this game, but I would have them as favourites so 5/2 is huge.
Bath City v Hungerford
There are only 3 games in the National League South and I am having a bet in them all. Bath are improving, but Hungerford are still doing well enough themselves and had Saturday off unlike Bath who could only draw against Chippenham despite having a man advantage for most of the game.
Billericay v Braintree
These two played this tie in the FA Trophy recently and despite having to make changes as they had cup tied players Braintree still managed to get through on penalties and then pushed Havant close in the next round. Braintree are much improved since changing their manager and have strengthened well. Those cup tied players will be back here and they look a big price.
Hampton & Richmond v Dulwich Hamlet
Hampton beat Dorking on Saturday mainly thanks to their goalkeeper, but their home form isn't much to write about having lost 3 and only beating Bath in 5 home league matches. Dulwich have performed better away from home and didn't have to play on Saturday and they look value.
Altrincham 1pt @ 3/1 with BetVictor
Notts County 2pts @ 6/5 with William Hill
Wrexham 1pt @ 11/4 with Bet365
Aldershot 2pts @ 5/2 with Bet365
Hungerford 1pt @ 6/4 with Bet365
Braintree 2pts @ 13/5 with BetVictor
Dulwich Hamlet 1pt @ 12/5 with BetVictor

Fulham vs Southampton 
Boxing day sees In form team Southampton(Under Ralph Hasenhuttl) and promoted Fulham(Under scott Parker).The two have met 5times on boxing day with Fulham(1win),Southampton (2wins) and 2 draws. However,  all meetings have seen Under2.5 goals and no team has won as the visitor. 
26/12/2012: Ful vs Sou 1-1(EPl)
26/12/2003: Ful vs Sou 2-0(EPl)
26/12/1952: Ful vs Sou 1-1(champ)
26/12/1933: Sou vs Ful 2-0(champ)
26/12/1924: Sou vs Ful 1-0(Champ)
 Ralph Hasenhuttl has enjoyed winning against Fulham twice and without conceding a single goal,  on 27/08/2019 winning 0-1 once at EFL cup against scott parker and on 27/02/2019 winning 2-0 vs Fulham(under Ranieri).
 Fulham have not lost the last 3 games and drew 1-1 at home vs the defending champion Liverpool. Furthermore,  the host are coming to this game with an aim to keep up with their positive mentality and momentum.  On the other hand,  Southampton  lost narrowly last game 0-1 against Manchester city.  Despite the defeat,  Sotton are consistent and playing confidently with the likes of  Walcott, Djenepo,Ward Prowse, Adams and Danny Ings on form. The visitors will find the net once and avoid defeat at fulham but taking 1 point  to St Marys.
Fulham vs Southampton  1-1FT
XFT(3.42) BTTS yes (1.77)Under 2.5(1.85)

Arsenal vs Chelsea
Out of form Arteta's side(Arsenal) go head to head with Chelsea(under Lampard) at Emirates on 26/12/2020(Boxing day). This is a derby and two teams have met 5 times on boxing day,with Arsenal(3wins) and chelsea(2wins). The last time the blues won 1-2 on boxing day at Gunners was  1974.
26/12/2001: Ars vs Chel 2-1
26/12/1977: Ars vs Chel 3-0
26/12/1974: Ars vs Chel 1-2
26/12/1967: Chel vs Ars 2-1
26/12/1956: Ars vs Chel 2-0
The blues have transformed tremendeously with addition of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech,  Mendy et al. Additionally, Chelsea fire power is lethal with the likes of Abrahams, Giroud, Mount, Jorginho, pulisic etc and can easily punish a weak defensive set up teams like Arsenal who are currenly struggling to regain their form. 
The gunners have failed to win the last 5 EPL games at Emirates with later ending 1-1 against Southampton, and Arsenal finishing the game 10men after Gabriel was redcarded.  Arsenal's turmoil could be extended if they dont rectify their discipline on pitch and play well as expected.  However,  Chelsea did lost the last two away EPL matches and  this could give Arsenal some morale and opportunity to return to winning ways. 
Arsenal to win 2-1FT

Cardiff vs Brentford
The festive season is upon us and the merciless schedule that footballers face is now approaching. Cardiff play Brentford in their Boxing Day fixture that is set to kick-off at 3pm at the Cardiff City Stadium. To put it simply, this is a battle between one side that is consistently inconsistent and another team that is building up a head of steam for what appears to be another Premier League promotion push.
Cardiff actually did what I was expecting of them for once this season in the last game away against Norwich. It was a match that was just too far for our players as the quality of the opposition told. The Bluebirds are still in 10th place and only 4 points off the play-offs but it just feels we're not playing well enough or consistent enough to warrant staying in the hunt. Neil Harris is still under fire from a large portion of our fan base as he has started to make the same mistakes repeatedly which he wasn't doing last season. He's also become a lot more cautious. We were at our best when we had a Devil may care attitude and just went at times. It's also mind-boggling how Lee Tomlin was so influential as an AM behind Robert Glatzel in last season's run yet now we have, arguably, an upgrade on Tomlin in Harry Wilson yet Harris sticks him out wide. It's 2 defeats from our last 3 league games and this is a tough one so that record could get worse.
Brentford will be celebrating reaching the EFL Cup Semi-Finals after their deserved win over Newcastle in the midweek. Thomas Frank is also leading a Bees surge up the table with the team unbeaten in 12 league games with the club now in 4th place in the table and just 3 points off the automatic promotion spots. 7 clean sheets from their last 13 competitive matches shows how resilient this Brentford side has become at the back. Combine that with the creative talent they have in midfield mixed with the clinical finishing of new recruit Ivan Toney up front. How on earth the Brentford recruitment team manage to find these players and the coaching staff get the best out of them season-after-season is mystifying but all credit to them.
The last time these two teams met was back on 29th February of this before all of this lockdown malarkey kicked off. It ended in a 2-2 draw and was quite a feisty affair. Brentford have only won 1 of the last 6 encounters and haven't won at the Cardiff City Stadium in their last 4 visits so recent history is very much on the side of the hosts. I'm swaying between an away win and draw. We've drawn 3 of our last 4 league games on Boxing Day in drab affairs and haven't won a game on Boxing Day since 2012. This Cardiff side could well surprise me but I'd be shocked if we broke that barren festive spell here. I think I'll back the draw.
Draw @ 3.40 with Unibet
Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.64 with Novibet

Merry Christmas everyone 

Usually Boxing Day is a busy day bets wise, but with half the games off in the National League South, 3 games off in the National League and of course no Step 3 action it is going to be much quieter than usual. It looks a tough set of fixtures as well so I have just 3 bets all in the National League.
Hartlepool v Halifax
Halifax hosted Hartlepool in the FA Trophy last week in what was a slightly crazy game that ended 3-3 and Halifax won on penalties. There was also 3 penalties in the game itself, 1 to Halifax and 2 to Hartlepool. In the space of 5 minutes in the 2nd half Halifax had a man sent off and there were 3 goals. I don't think there is a great deal between these two sides who are both showing signs of improving. Annoyingly the only game Halifax haven't won in their last 5 league games is when I put them up at Solihull, but crucially they are scoring goals now with 17 in that spell, plus the 3 in the FA Trophy. Hartlepool had a fantastic win on Tuesday when beating Stockport 4-0 although they did end up with just 9 men on the pitch. It was a surprising result and you wouldn't necessarily think they will back it up. I'd have these two much closer together in the betting and 27/10 with William Hill looks big.
Maidenhead v Wealdstone
I just wonder if Maidenhead's good form has come to an end. They went 7 games unbeaten in the league, but then lost to Altrincham, beat Eastleigh and then lost to Torquay. They also blew a 2 goal lead against Weymouth in the FA Trophy last weekend to lose 3-2. Wealdstone also looked like they were heading out of the Trophy as they were 3 down at half time, but scored 4 2nd half goals to win 4-3. They had been Weymouth in their previous league league game and are getting players back from injury as well as adding to the side. They probably look the strongest they have been for a while and I think they look a a bit of value to win this at 19/10 with Bet365.
Dover v Dagenham & Redbridge
Dagenham are a team I struggle to get right for some reason, but they really ought to be winning this. Dover haven't played a league game for over a month and have lost 7 of their 9 games. They lost to Woking on Saturday in the Trophy where they looked like a side who hadn't played in a while. Dagenham meanwhile won 5-2 against Ebbsfleet and that came on the back of a 1-0 win over leaders Torquay. They have only lost two of their last 7 league games so results are certainly improving and they have played some good teams in that spell. I think they should be odds on for this so odds against quotes look good.
Halifax 1pt @ 27/10 with William Hill
Wealdstone 1pt @ 19/10 with Bet365
Dagenham & Redbridge 2.5pts @ 11/10 with William Hill

Newport County vs Oldham
League 2 delivers a few interesting matches this weekend but I'm returning to my old reliable and faithful neighbouring city club for my second preview in this section this weekend. It's Newport County versus Oldham in a 3pm GMT kick-off on Saturday afternoon from Rodney Parade. The home team are the league leaders but they host an away side who might be lowly placed but are starting to pick up some key victories.
Newport County are living the dream at the top of the league table. Michael Flynn is further increasing his stock value as one of the best young managers in the Football League. The Exiles are 2 points clear of 2nd placed Carlisle so the pressure will be on to win here to keep ahead of their rivals who are trying to chase them down. It is just 2 wins from their last 6 league games though and two league matches without a win now. The club remain one of the most potent teams in the final third having scored in each one of their 18 league matches so far this season.
Oldham have been experiencing issues this season and the club is still down in 16th place despite having won 4 of their last 6 league matches. At least that run of victories has moved them to within 5 points of the play-offs so the Latics do appear to be making some progress. Harry Kewell has seen his team perform superbly on the road with the team having won 5 of their last 6 away league matches. Unfortunately, it was a 3-2 loss at home against Walsall last week and it's the leaky defence that has been their weakness this campaign.
I will back Newport County against anyone this season. I feel they're well set to make a real push to get promoted. Oldham are still a side I feel are a defeat or two away from going off the rails. Both of these teams have scored 28 goals each from their 18 league games so far so they know where the net is. I can see a victory for the home team with both teams scoring.
Newport County to Win @ 1.83 with William Hill
BTTS @ 1.82 with SBK

Drew a blank on Tuesday night, but then given the prices there was always going to be a risk of that happening. We have the Truro bet carried over from Tuesday to Saturday and I have 6 other bets in the FA Trophy. They are all big prices apart again apart from one so hopefully we can get some Christmas money.
Chesham v Torquay
The National League leaders go to Step 3 Chesham and I think they might come unstuck. When Gary Johnson was Cheltenham manager he pretty much totally discarded the FA Trophy and given Torquay are top like Cheltenham I think he will do the same again here with crucial league games coming up over Christmas. Chesham are a good side for their level and are certainly capable of beating Torquay especially if Johnson rests players. 7/1 is too big for me.
Morpeth Town v Notts County
Granted County made the semi-finals last season, but it is easy to think that County will rest players given the focus on the league. Morpeth had a bye in the end on Tuesday as Blyth pulled out of their fixture, but they won't make things easy for County and will be desperate to pull of the upset.
Solihull v Farsley Celtic
Solihull may have won on Tuesday, but they were 2nd best and Farsley are a good side on their day. I was impressed with them when they played Gloucester last month when they won 2-1. They are capable of taking advantage if Solihull under perform again.
Spennymoor v Southport
The one short price bet is Spennymoor who have improved since a change of manager and they are a very good side. Southport are really struggling for form at the moment and the home side look value at around Evens.
St Albans v Sutton
Two teams having a really good season in their respective leagues. St Albans are yet to lose in the league and had a good 3-0 victory over Cray in the 2nd Round on Tuesday night. Sutton are 2nd in the National League this season so it will be tough, but I do think there is value in the home side.
Wrexham v Leamington
Leamington have picked up some good results in the league this season and I reckon Wrexham will rest players as the focus for them will very much be on the league. If that happens that makes the 9/2 about an away win attractive.
Chesham 1pt @ 7/1 with Bet365
Morpeth 1pt @ 15/2 with BetVictor
Farsley Celtic 1pt @ 15/4 with BetVictor
Spennymoor 2.5pts @ 21/20 with BetVictor
St Albans 1pt @ 11/5 with BetVictor
Leamington 1pt @ 9/2 with BetVictor

Marine v Hyde has been called off tonight and will now be played on Saturday. My understanding of Bet365's rules is that bets will stand for the game.

2/3 on Saturday with Dulwich and Boreham Wood both winning to keep the profits turning over. Tuesday I have 5 bets and 1 on Wednesday.
Barnet v Stockport
Barnet were better on Saturday against Wealdstone although Wealdstone still had the better chances to win the game and I just don't see how they can keep Stockport quiet on Tuesday night. Stockport had a very good 2-0 victory at Bromley on Saturday in their 1st league game back after their Covid break. John Rooney is on fire this season and he will fancy his chances against Barnet's shaky defence. Regular followers will know I don't often tip up odds on shots, but even at 19/20 and 10/11 they look a good value bet.
Bromley v Yeovil
Speaking of Bromley I think they look a good price to beat Yeovil. Bromley had their chances against Stockport and just couldn't finish them. Against a lesser side in Yeovil you would think they would get more joy. I put up Easteligh to beat Yeovil a week ago and they did so with ease as they continue to struggle in the league. Bromley were in good form prior to the Stockport loss and there was nothing in the performance to suggest there will be a dip in form due. They should be around the Even money mark for me.
Hartlepool v Kings Lynn
I am taking a bit of a flyer here as the price of 9/2 suggests, but I really do think Kings Lynn have a chance here. I mentioned their poor form when opposing them on Saturday and although Kings Lynn have a leaky defence we know Hartlepool are hardly prolific scorers. Even when they do lose they nearly always manage to score at least 1 goal and with Hartlepool only having scored 5 in 8 (3 of them came against Yeovil) I will take a chance that Kings Lynn can outscore their hosts. I would have them around 2/1 myself.
Chorley v Guiseley
They are clearly aren't going to be 18/1 to win this, but hopefully they can still win for us at 11/10 on Tuesday night. Chorley spoiled the welcome home party for Boston on Saturday when winning 2-0 and there wasn't a great deal wrong with drawing with Curzon last Tuesday as they are useful this season. Guiseley did have a good win against Spennymoor two games ago, but apart from that they have struggled for points. Chorley are in a false position in the league for me and they look a solid bet.
Marine v Hyde
Having tipped up two of the 4 FA Cup 3rd round Non-League sides I am going to add Marine to the list. As their FA Cup run has showed they are a very strong side for a Step 4 team this season and could easily hold their own in Hyde's league. These two sides wont be playing league football until January at the earliest, but the FA is carrying on with the FA Trophy which is why this is being played. Marine were allowed to train during lockdown because they were still in the FA Cup and they then obviously have had the Havant game as well. That should be to their advantage and Hyde have only won 1 league game out of 6 so far this season. Quite why Marine are 13/5 for this I don't know and they can have more cup success.
Havant & Waterlooville v Slough (Wednesday)
Havant will be kicking themselves for under performing against Marine in that FA Cup tie and they then followed that up with a poor performance in the league when losing 3-2 to Hemel a week ago. They finally bounced back to their league form prior to the FA Cup loss when beating Chelmsford 3-1 on Saturday and they will fancy their chances of beating an under performing Slough. Slough did manage to stop the rot by coming from 2 down to draw against Chippenham on Saturday, but there were 4 losses on the bounce prior to that draw and they have only managed to beat Bath and Hemel (on the opening day) this season. Havant should have too much for them.
Stockport 4pts @ 19/20 with William Hill and Betway
Bromley 2pts @ 7/5 with William Hill and Betway
Kings Lynn 1pt @ 9/2 with Bet365
Chorley 2.5pts @ 11/10 with William Hill
Marine 2pts @ 13/5 with Bet365
Havant & Waterlooville 2.5pts @ 23/20 with William Hill

A cracking Tuesday with 4 winners out of 5 helped by a late winner from Torquay. Been waiting for the National League fixtures to be priced up which for some reason took until Thursday afternoon. I have just the 3 bets for Saturday, but they are all outsiders (at the time of writing).
Barnet v Wealdstone
Barnet performed with credit against MK Dons in the FA Cup last week, but their awful league form showed up again on Wednesday night when they were thumped 5-2 by Halifax. Prior to that game Halifax had only scored 6 goals in the league! Barnet's defence has been an issue all season and they have conceded 24 in their 10 league games. We know that Wealdstone can score goals against the right opposition and Barnet are clearly the right opposition. They performed with credit against leaders Torquay on Tuesday night, but eventually Torquay got that late winner for us. Barnet's 2 league wins have come against Weymouth and Dagenham who are either side of them in the table. The away side may have only picked up 1 point in their last 4 games, but given they have played 4 of the current top 6 in the table I think 1 point was probably as much as they could have hoped for. There is no way they should be 9/4 to win this and I would have them no bigger than 6/4 myself.
Hartlepool v Boreham Wood
Boreham Wood are definitely better than their league position suggests and they had a nice confidence boosting win against Canvey Island in the FA Cup on Monday night. In my view they have a better side than Hartlepool. the home side have only won one of their last 7 games and that was against bottom side Yeovil. They also were held to a 0-0 draw at Barnet in their next game. Granted on Tuesday night they ended up with 10 men against Solihull, but they were playing a side who had played 120 minutes on Saturday in their first game for a while. They look lacklustre up front at the moment and apart from the 3-1 at Yeovil they have only scored 1 goal in their last 7. There is every chance 1 will be enough for the away side.
Hungerford v Dulwich Hamlet
I mentioned that Dulwich were improving when I put them up to beat Bath a couple of weeks ago and after going a goal down they ran out easy 4-1 winners. They haven't played since so come into this game fresher than their hosts. To be fair to Hungerford they have done amazingly well to be as high in the table as they are and a draw against St Albans and only going down 2-1 to Dartford after being in front were good efforts as well. Tuesday night it came crashing down a bit though as Oxford City beat them 4-1. Given Oxford had played 120 minutes just two days prior you would have thought Hungerford would have done better. I'd still have them as favourites, but I certainly think their is plenty of juice in Dulwich's price.
Wealdstone 2pts @ 9/4 with Bet365
Boreham Wood 2pts @ 19/10 with Bet365
Dulwich Hamlet 1pt @ 23/10 with Betfair

I´m not asking @StevieDay1983 today about his Bluebirds. I´m taking them today. They have impressed me with 4-0 Win against Luton at Weekend and they had played the much easier Game at Weekend, then Huddersfield. In Weeks now with tough Fixtures in few Days can be this important. Yes Huddersfield impressed also with Win against M´brough. But i think they are now little bit overperforming in Offensive, with scoring 3 last Game and 3 at Stoke last Week. Hope that they didn´t continue that today...  Also Cardiff with not that badest H2H against Huddersfield.
I´m also today on Bristol City, can´t belive that they will Lose again today and with QPR i think they have an opponent where they can Grab something today. Also i take Brentford with a little bit more of Stake. They now finding his Form right Now and with a Game in Rotherham i think they can continue that Form. Rotherham with 1 Point at Weekend against Bournemouth but as i said, such Games are intensive and it´s hard to belive that they can do this again. Also maybe they have 1 Eye at Weekend game where they play important Game at Coventry, where they can make Points against direct Opponent against Place out of Relegation.
Cardiff @ 1.94 3/10 unibet
Bristol City AHC+0.25 @ 1.90 2/10 Pinn
Brentford @ 1.80 4/10 unibet

Cardiff vs Huddersfield
The Championship is a relentless and unforgivable machine at the worst of times but after an exciting win it's something that can actually prove to be a positive with the games coming so fast and hard. On Tuesday night, it's a 7pm GMT kick-off between Cardiff and Huddersfield at the Cardiff City Stadium. Both teams are bouncing after wins on the weekend but can either of them make it two victories in a row?
Cardiff really made me look like a mug on Saturday. After weeks of backing the team to get the job done I finally lost patience and felt Neil Harris was a dead man walking. Especially when he promised sweeping changes but only brought in youngster Mark Harris as the only real noticeable alteration to the side that got beaten 1-0 away to Coventry. It seems as if Harris's introduction was enough. His enthusiasm and positive nature as a local lad wore off on his team mates and inspired the Bluebirds to a 4-0 dominant win at home to Luton. That made it 2 wins from their last 3 home matches and suggested that maybe Harris the manager isn't quite done yet with the team now up to 14th and just 7 points off the play-offs.
Huddersfield have come into this season with a new man at the helm in former Leeds under-23 head coach Carlos Corberan. The influence of his former boss Marcelo Bielsa has been clear in the way the Terriers have approached this season but it's brought mixed results. The Yorkshire team are in 13th place and 6 points off the pace of the play-offs. The 3-2 win over Middlesbrough on the weekend meant it is now just 1 loss from their last 4 league matches but they have only won 1 of their last 4 away league games. It is perhaps a little encouraging that they've scored in 5 of their last 6 away matches so they have that attacking threat needed to cause teams trouble on their travels.
One of the most astonishing statistics for this fixture is that Cardiff are unbeaten in their last 12 league meetings with Huddersfield and have managed to win 8 of those games. Before the weekend, I wouldn't have fancied us to take a victory against anyone but seeing how we played on Saturday I actually feel it could be worth backing us to add another win to our record here.
Cardiff to Win @ 1.95 with Unibet
Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.75 with VBet

Sevilla vs Chelsea
The qualification issues are all done and dusted in Group E of the Champions League but there's still the small matter of who will finish top out of Sevilla and Chelsea. Those two teams go head-to-head in an 8pm GMT kick-off on Wednesday night at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan. A victory for either side would put them in pole position for a seeded draw in the knockout round.
Sevilla have won all three group stage games since their 0-0 draw away with Chelsea in the opening match of this phase. Head coach Julen Lopetegui has been the subject of memes this week with football fans noting that their qualification for the last 16 means they can't win the Europa League for a 5th time since 2014. The Spanish side are also undefeated in their last 7 meetings with English clubs. It's also now 17 consecutive home games in the Champions League that Sevilla have scored. Chelsea have also won each of their three group games since that opening game 0-0. Frank Lampard has admitted he will field a rotated line-up. However, the Blues have only won 1 of their last 10 games against Spanish opposition in the Champions League. If they win here then it'll be the first time since 2012 that they have won 4 games in a row in this competition. Interestingly, that was the year they went on to win the trophy.
This game is undoubtedly going to have a bit of a dead rubber affair to it. Yes, there is the fight for the top spot up for grabs but with qualification guaranteed and with there being no easy games in the last 16 it's easy to see why the head coaches might decide to rest key players in this hectic schedule. I feel Sevilla will be more keen to prove a point so I think backing them to get something is going to be decent value.
Sevilla Draw No Bet @ 2.15 with SportNation
BTTS @ 1.85 with Betfair
 
Manchester United vs PSG
It's the action in Group H that is certainly set to be the attention-grabber over the final two rounds of group stage games in the Champions League. All four teams are still in with a chance of qualifying for the last 16 and this game between Manchester United and PSG at 8pm GMT on Wednesday night from Old Trafford could go a long way to deciding if either of them has what it takes.
Manchester United are the team that currently tops the group having won 3 of their 4 group games thus far. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men won their last game 4-1 at home to Istanbul Basaksehir to put the 2-1 defeat in Turkey in the previous match well behind them. The Red Devils beat PSG 2-1 in Paris earlier in the campaign and are given a boost with the news that Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial, Scott McTominay, and David De Gea are all fit to start this game after injury concerns. PSG are struggling to find consistency at the moment in this competition having won 2 and lost 2 of their 4 games so far. The French side have scored at least twice in 6 of their last 7 away matches.
I'm expecting goals here. Manchester United have seen over 2.5 goals scored in each one of their group stage games so far and with PSG also bringing a significant goal threat to the table it feels like we could have a potential classic European night under the lights of Old Trafford on our hands. It's a shame the crowds are still absent but I wouldn't be surprised if we see a thrilling draw here.
Draw @ 3.75 with BetVictor
Total Goals Scored Over 3.5 @ 2.30 with Unibet

May only have had the 1 winner over the weekend, but when that winner is 18/1 it still meant it was a profitable weekend. Chorley were superb and fully deserved the victory and did it the hard way coming from a goal down as well. It was frustrating not to get one of the others over the line and apart from Darlington they were all close to landing the victory. Back to league action this week and I have 4 bets in the National League and 1 in the National League North.
Kings Lynn v Bromley
Bromley went through last month unbeaten and have only lost 2 games in the league all season. They looked in good shape on Saturday when drawing with a bang in form Wrexham side. I think they will be too strong for a Kings Lynn side who have struggled when they have played the better sides. They did beat Woking which was a fair effort, but otherwise they have beaten Maidenhead when they were poor at the start of the season, Barnet and then Dover last week. They struggled against Portsmouth on Saturday in the FA Cup which wasn't a great surprise. The draw does concern me slightly as Bromley have drawn 3 of their last 5, but they are the stronger team and I think there is value in the price.
Solihull Moors v Hartlepool
Solihull were really good against Morecombe on Saturday and they really should have put the game to bed in the first half. Their manager reckons that their enforced Covid break stopped them from winning and that could well be the case given they had extra time. That is the one concern for me here especially as Hartlepool didn't play on Saturday, but I do think there is value in the price as Solihull are looking good this season. Hartlepool were poor last week against Barnet as well.
Wealdstone v Torquay
As mentioned below Wealdstone have lost their keeper after he was recalled by Luton. It is worth checking out his double save against Notts County last week as well. 10 days ago I backed Sutton to beat Wealdstone and after they went 2 up early on it should have been game over. Indeed they could have had 4 or 5 by half time. Quite how it ended up 3-3 after that I don't know, but I said at the time I felt Wealdstone are in a false position and they were really put to the sword by Notts County last week. It is no fluke that Torquay are top as they are looking really good so far this season and they could easily stay there come April. Wealdstone will no doubt be attacking again and Torquay should be able to take full advantage of the chances they will get due to this. They should never have been odds against.
Yeovil v Eastleigh
Eastleigh have only lost once this season in the league and it is hard to see why they are such a big price to beat a team who have yet to win. Granted Eastleigh's defeat was against the team just above Yeovil in the table, Dover, but apart from that they have done well. Yeovil are really finding things tough and they had to play 120 minutes against Stockport on Sunday. That will be tough although it is worth pointing out that Eastleigh refused to move the game to Wednesday night so they could gain the advantage of the fact Yeovil played on Tuesday. Probably not ideal that happened as it might spur the home side on, but even so Eastleigh have a better chance than the odds suggest.
Gloucester v Boston
I should have opposed Gloucester on Saturday and they deservedly lost 2-1 to Farsely. As much as I wasn't Rowe's biggest fan, they did look rudderless at the weekend and lacked ideas. Again injuries, suspensions and losing Asante didn't help matters. It is still unclear if any of the injured will return although I have been told ex Boston player Whittle is likely to play. Like Solihull, Boston suffered for not having played for a while due to Covid on Saturday. They took the lead at Fylde, but then lost out 2-1. That was a tough first game back, but if City are weakened and play like they did on Saturday then there will be only one winner as Boston are a really good side.
Bromley 1pt @ 13/10 with William Hill
Solihull 1pt @ 13/10 with William Hill
Torquay 3pts @ 11/10 with William Hill
Eastleigh 1pt @ 9/4 with William Hill
Boston 1pt @ 15/8 with Betway if you can get it or 8/5 with Betfair & Betfred

Cardiff vs Luton
It's a big pressure game for Neil Harris today as Cardiff look to end a poor run of form against Luton in a 3pm GMT kick-off at the Cardiff City Stadium. @Neubs, I'm not going to lie, I'm not feeling optimistic at all about this game. Our performance against Coventry was quite frankly embarrassing and you have to wonder whether the Bluebirds manager has lost the dressing room.
Cardiff come into this game down in 18th place and we're now just 5 points above the drop zone and 9 points off the play-off positions. The general feeling by the fans is that the performance against Coventry in midweek was so abject that it made Harris' position as manager untenable. Yes, he did guide us to the play-offs last season but even then we never felt we were playing well and this season the performances have been disjointed, the football has been too negative, and we think the expectation on reaching the play-offs again has got to him. He simply hasn't found a way to set the team up without Lee Tomlin. Which is crazy given we have players like Harry Wilson, Sheyi Ojo, and Junior Hoilett in midfield. We've lost 4 of our last 7 games at home and I can't see us improving dramatically under Harris. I feel he's a dead man walking and the players know it.
Luton are exceeding expectations this season with Nathan Jones leading his players to 11th in the table. There's a feeling they're a smaller scale version of Eddie Howe and Bournemouth. I can't see them winning the league title but I wouldn't be surprised if with the right additions they are in the play-off discussion come May at this rate. The Hatters have won 10 of their last 16 away games under Jones and kept 9 clean sheets during that run of matches too. It's also worth noting that in August last year they battered us 3-0 at this venue in the EFL Cup.
OK, so I'm always keen to back the Cardiff manager. It's what we should do as fans. I just feel that Harris has either over-thought things this season or the lack of fans has just seriously affected his judgement of the games and performances. He keeps saying he'll mix things up and change things around but then reverts to type almost instantly. If we play 4-2-3-1 today with the same players that have been awful over the past few games then it sums it up. We need to go 4-4-2 and go on the front foot against teams. When we sit back it invites trouble. I'm not optimistic about this game and can see Luton taking at least a draw. I hope I'm wrong.
Draw @ 3.30 with Gentingbet
Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.75 with Betfair

Fair to say the 1st Round didn't go anywhere near as well as the 4th Qualifying Round and I was caught out a little by how many upsets there were. Hard to put an exact reason behind that, but I do think no crowds is a factor. The Non-League sides are always going to be up for it, but it was clear that the same couldn't be said of the Football League sides in the 1st Round. I have picked out 6 of the Non-League sides that I think can cause an upset over the weekend as well as putting up a 4 fold. If they all win then I might retire! Tips for now and the previews will follow. Don't forget Bet365 have their acca bonus and early payout if a team goes 2 in front if you want that safety net so I have put top price and Bet365 price if shorter.
Morecambe v Solihull Moors
A slight concern that Solihull have had a Covid enforced break and haven't played since November 11th, but this does look a game they can win to me. They were good in beating Scunthorpe in the previous round and although Morecombe are doing better than they are in League 2 there recent form isn't great. In the league they have only won one of their last 9 games and Solihull will be confident they can cause an upset. 
Peterborough v Chorley
I am taking a bit of a flyer here, but I thought Chorley did superbly well in coming from 2 down to beat Wigan in the last round. I know Wigan had 10 men, but even so it was a hell of an effort. Peterborough lost a couple of games before beating Plymouth last time and that gives a bit of hope. Also I can't imagine this will be high up on the list of targets for them. The lack of home fans I think favoured the Non-League sides in round 1 and that is why we saw so many go through and Chorley do have it in them to cause an upset. I think they are in a bit of a false position in the National League North and I just can't make them as big as 18/1 so its worth a having a crack at that price.
Mansfield v Dagenham & Redbridge
Mansfield have only won once in the league all season and given Dagenham beat Grimsby in the previous round I think they could cause their League 2 hosts some issues here. They haven't played in nearly a couple of weeks and that will have helped them focus on this. They seem to be improving from earlier in the season and on their day the have the players to beat Mansfield.
Bristol Rovers v Darlington
Darlington caused an upset in Round 1 when beating League 1 Swindon and I think they can beat another League 1 side in Rovers. They have only picked up 2 points in their last 6 league games. 2 starts back they lost to Swindon and last time they only got a point at Wigan. Rovers' record against Non-League sides in the FA Cup hasn't exactly been the best in recent years either. Darlington had a couple of good wins in the league before losing to Bradford (Park Avenue) on Tuesday night, but I don't mind that because this is a much bigger game for them. They look over priced to me.
Shrewsbury v Oxford City
I would have preferred it if Shrewsbury hadn't announced their new manager on Friday as players will be looking to impress now, but with no win in 8 in the league they will still find this game tricky. City were superb in beating Northampton in the 1st Round and although their league form has taken a bit of a hit since, they have still been playing very well at times including when losing 3-2 to top of the table Dorking on Tuesday night. If they play as well as they did against Northampton I think they have got a real chance of reaching Round 3.
Barnet v MK Dons
Barnet are really struggling in the league this season and their performance against Burton in the 1st Round sticks out like a sore thumb. It was superb and they fully deserved to win. Sometimes you get teams who do well in the cup despite the fact they aren't anything special in the league and I just wonder if Barnet will be like that this season. MK Dons have only won 3 league games out of 14 this season and again it looks a match where we could see an upset.
Acca
Tranmere v Brackley get the action underway on BBC2 tonight and with Tranmere looking good at the moment I think they will be too strong for their National League North opponents. They have a new manager who has just taken over and he wont want a defeat in this. Kings Lynn scored with what was pretty much their only shot against Port Vale in Round 1 and I think Portsmouth will do a professional job on them. For the 3rd Round running I am trying to get Marine beat, but not being able to play since knocking out Colchester is hardly ideal. Havant are a very strong side as well. Boreham Wood have surprised me by their lack of goals in the league this season, but I can't see Canvey Island keeping them out. Canvey were very fortunate to knock out Banbury in the previous round and I would be disappointed if Wood blew this great opportunity to get to the 3rd Round
Solihull 1pt @ 3/1 with Bet365
Chorley 1pt @ 18/1 with Betfair (14s with Bet365)
Dagenham & Redbridge 1pt @ 9/2 with Bet365
Darlington 1pt @ 17/2 with Betfair (15/2 with Bet365)
Oxford City 1pt @ 9/1 with Betfair (8/1 with Bet365)
Barnet 1pt @ 4/1 with Bet365
Tranmere/Portsmouth/Havant & Waterlooville/Boreham Wood 2pts @ 3.1/1 with Bet365

Coventry vs Cardiff
The Championship is a non-stop machine this season. There was plenty of action last night and we're at it again tonight when Coventry play Cardiff in a 7:45pm GMT kick-off at St Andrew's. This is a clash between two teams that are fast becoming embroiled in a fight at the wrong end of the table. Victory here could be the spark that ignites a rise up the table.
Coventry are probably meeting their limited expectations this season so far. Mark Robins has led his team to 21st in the table and they remain outside the relegation zone on goal difference with a game in hand. The Sky Blues will undoubtedly be delighted with simply surviving this season. However, just 1 win from their last 10 league games is a worrying state of affairs. The 0-0 draw at home with their landlords Birmingham on the weekend was a welcome point and did show that the fight is still well and truly there for this team. It's also interesting to see they have only lost 1 of their last 4 home matches.
Cardiff fans are beginning to grow impatient with Neil Harris. Life moves fast at this level of football. It was only a few months ago that the former Millwall manager had nearly guided the Bluebirds back to the Premier League through an unexpected play-off push. Now, the club is festering in 18th place with just 1 win from their last 7 league matches. It's a run of results that has left the team only 5 points above the drop zone and now 8 points off the pace of the play-offs. There is encouraging reading for Cardiff supporters though in the fact that the club have only lost 1 of their 6 away league games this season. Drawing 4 of their last 7 league games 1-1 is also a quirky bit of form.
I'm usually pessimistic with Cardiff at the moment but I'm feeling foolishly optimistic about this one. I think provided Harris gets his team selection right we should be looking to win games like this. Worryingly, Harris does seem to be ignorant to our poor performances but the players alone should have enough about them to get a narrow win in this one. If not, then questions will really start to materialise about Harris and his suitability for the role.
Cardiff to Win @ 2.25 with Betway
Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.70 with Betfair

Saturday was reasonable, but could have easily been a full house given Chorley hit the front late on and Sutton were 2 up and comfortable. Still a profit is a profit and we move on to Tuesday night where I have 4 bets.
Barnet v Hartlepool
Given how bad Barnet have been in the league on the whole I am still amazed they managed to knock out Burton in the FA Cup Since that they have lost 3-1 to Bromley and 2-0 to Kings Lynn at home and then on Saturday they lost 4-1 at Woking who only had 10 men for an hour of the game. Hartlepool were well beaten by a superb Torquay performance last month, but apart from that they have done fairly well this season. They were impressive in seeing off current bottom side Yeovil 3-1 on Saturday and if they put in another performance like that they can see off Barnet as well.
Gateshead v Gloucester City
Here is a surprise for you all I am opposing Gloucester in this game. Obviously I hope I am wrong, but when it comes to punting you have to let head rule heart and I do fear this could be a game where we lose our unbeaten record. City are without Asante due to suspension which is a big loss as it is, but their other striker McClure had to go off on Saturday because of injury. It is unknown at this stage how bad it was and it could be that it was more of a precaution, but if City are missing both I do fear we will struggle to score a goal. Gloucester have also had a lot of football and did look a bit leggy at times on Saturday. Gateshead are in good form themselves and were really good on Saturday when putting 4 past Southport. They are unbeaten in 3 and as we know Gloucester struggle to keep a clean sheet. Every chance 1 could be enough for the home side and I would have the prices for the match the other way round. Therefore at 8/5 I make Gateshead a bet.
Bath City v Dulwich Hamlet
Bath have won just once and lost their other 5 games in the league and Dulwich haven't won at all although have managed 4 draws so are one place above their hosts. After conceding 7 in two games Dulwich have at least managed to keep a clean sheet against Dorking and only concede 1 at Hemel on Saturday despite going down to 10 men. Bath played in a poor game against Hampton on Saturday and lost out by a penalty. To me there are signs that Dulwich are close to getting that vital win they need and there is no way Bath should be odds on here.
Dorking v Oxford City
I just wonder if Oxford have got on eye on the FA Cup at the moment. They don't seem to be quite hitting the levels they were and certainly not as good as they were against Northampton in Round 1. I think they will be eyeing up Shrewsbury at the weekend and a chance of reaching Round 3 whereas Dorking will be fully focused on this. It was surprising they couldn't find the net against Dulwich a week ago, but they put 3 past Concord on Saturday in a game they ended up with 9 men compared to Concord's 10. They had scored 4 and 3 in their two games prior to the Dulwich one and they are clearly going to be title contenders. I would make them odds on for this and 7/5 makes plenty of appeal.
Hartlepool 2pts @ 23/20 with William Hill
Gateshead 1pt @ 8/5 with Bet365
Dulwich Hamlet 1pt @ 13/5 with Bet365
Dorking 2.5pts @ 7/5 with Bet365

Yeah Rowe has been poached by Chesterfield. Fully understand why he has gone and as long as he doesn't nick players (I don't think he will) then I am not that bothered by it. I'm confident we will get a good manager in to replace him and we obviously still have a great team. 
As for tonight McClure has been confirmed as missing and we have another couple of players injured as well. We will do well to get a point in my view and no surprise Gateshead are now favourites.

Tuesday was a bit of a mess all round with the Havant and Dorking games being called off and switched and then finding draws rather than winners when it came to the bets. Saturday's fixtures look tough, but there are 4 matches which appeal from a betting point of view.
Kings Lynn v Dover
Dover look in desperate trouble this season. It is amazing they beat Notts County on the opening day of the season because they have lost 6 of their following 7 games. They have scored just 6 goals and conceded 22 and had another heavy defeat on Tuesday night against Woking. Kings Lynn have had a very mixed time of things as they have managed to concede even more goals, 24 in 9 matches, but they are one of the top scores in the division with 14 goals. They had a good win at Barnet on Tuesday night and even managed to keep a clean sheet. Given the goals they have in them I can see them scoring at least 2 against a poor Dover defence. 21/20 is well worth taking about a home win.
Wealdstone v Sutton
This is the live game on BT Sport and I fancy Sutton. I think Wealdstone have had a fair bit of fortune on their side which has seen them pick up plenty of wins. They have had a kind fixture list or in the case of their last win against Halifax end up playing 9 men. They lost 2-0 on Tuesday night against Eastleigh and I think they will struggle against the better teams in the division. Sutton have had a cracking start to the season and have only lost to Notts County so far. They picked up a point on Tuesday against Dagenham, but they are improving so that wasn't a bad result. I am happy to take even money about an away win as I think Sutton will be too strong for the home side.
Guiseley v Gloucester
Yes I am backing Gloucester again. They had to work hard against Hereford for the points on Tuesday night and were more defensive than they have been in previous games, but Hereford couldn't take advantage of the chances which did come their way in the 2nd half and Gloucester carried on with their unbeaten start to the season. That was City's 8th league game of the season yet Guiseley were only playing their 4th game of the season on Tuesday. It wasn't great for them either as they were well beaten 4-1 by Darlington and its hardly the performance you wan when the league leaders are up next. Granted they could have been a bit rusty, but I watched them in their previous league game against Boston and although they got a point, Boston were totally dominate and should have won easily. I think if Gloucester go back to their more attacking system then they will get plenty of fortune in front of goal. I don't often put up odds on shots, but 10/11 is value for me.
Hereford v Chorley
I know Hereford scored 3 against Blyth last Saturday, but having seen them on Tuesday night it is clear they are going to struggle for goals this season as they lacked the quality needed to take one of their chances against Gloucester. Chorley lost their first 4 league matches, but they looked a fair side against Gloucester and they did beat Wigan in the FA Cup. In the league they stopped the defeats with a draw against BPA and then beat AFC Telford on Tuesday night. They look over priced at 3/1 as the teams are much more closely matched than those odds suggest.
Kings Lynn 2.5pts @ 21/20 with William Hill
Sutton 2.5pts @ Evs with Bet365
Gloucester City 4pts @ 10/11 with Bet365
Chorley 1pt @ 3/1 with BetVictor

A few bets for Saturday..
Havant to beat Welling @ 2.05 3/5 Units
Maidstone to beat Billericay @ 1.91 3/5 Units
Ebbsfleet to beat Tonbridge @ 1.87 2/5 Units
Dorking to beat Concord @ 2.30 2/5 Units
Aldershot X2 vs Wrexham @ 1.93 2/5 Units
Hemel vs Dulwich OVER 2.5 goals @ 2.25 2/5 Units
Gateshead vs Southport UNDER 2.5 goals @ 2.12 2/5 Units

It is the final day of the Melbourne Cup carnival at Flemington with 2 G1's on the card as well as UK and Irish interest. I have 5 bets there and a couple in Sydney at Rosehill.
Flemington R4 (3.15am)
I like Right You Are in this contest who looks a progressive horse. He is 1st up, but he is 2/2 over 1600m and has won 4 of his 7 starts. Indeed he has never finished outside of the first 3. I really like his 2nd to Persan two starts back and that horse finished 5th in the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday. This looks a good starting point for him.
Right You Are @ 9/4 with Bet365
Flemington R5 (3.55am)
The Queen Elizabeth Stakes sees plenty of horses who didn't make the cut for the Melbourne Cup run over 2600m. I think it can go the same way as the Cup as well as Joseph O'Brien's Pondus looks to have an excellent chance. He ran a huge race in the Bendigo Cup having been drawn in 15 and passing the 400m marker he still only had 3 behind him. To finish a short head 2nd to the winner was a huge effort and he can go one better. I am also going to have a small e/w bet on Chapada who I think is the leading home contender. He won the Herbert Power 2 starts back and I thought he ran well in the Caulfield Cup where the jockey admitted he went too soon on him. 
Pondus @ 11/8 with William Hill
Chapada e/w @ 10/1 with Betfred
Flemington R6 (4.35am)
If Nature Strip wins this I am going to be fuming, but I just can't tip him up again on the back of the Everest run. He does have a good record at Flemington and maybe he wasn't quite over his issue ahead of the run in the Everest, but it was a disappointing effort. Instead I am going with Bivouac who was 2nd in the Everest and the form has worked out really well as you would expect. He won the Newmarket over course and distance earlier in the year and he looks the one to beat.
Bivouac @ 23/10 with Bet365
Flemington R7 (5.15am)
Competitive G2 for the mares and I am going to go with Toffee Tongue. She has only won once, but that came in the G1 Schweppes Oaks at Morphettville in May. She was keen in the Caulfield Cup last time, but the time before she was only beaten a short head to Verry Eleegant in the Turnbull and she should be involved in the finish here.
Toffee Tongue @ 13/2 with Betfair
Flemington R8 (6am)
The 2nd G1 on the card is the Mackinnon Stakes and as much as I like Mugatoo's claims I am going to side with Arcadia Queen who was one place behind him in the Cox Plate last time. Neither had a great run during the race, but Arcadia Queen nearly fell 1000m from home and without that I think she would have finished in front of Mugatoo. Prior to that she had returned to form when beating Russian Camelot to win the Caulfield Stakes. Melody Belle was 2nd in this last year, but had been out of form prior to going back to New Zealand. She won two G1's last month though so seems to have found her form again and will be a danger.
Arcadia Queen @ 2/1 with Bet365
Rosehill R5 (4.15am)
This looks a good race for Stockman who has finished 1st or 2nd on 7 of his 10 starts. He thrives on a heavy track which he looks certain to get and was a fast finishing 2nd over 1400m here last week. The 7 day back up shouldn't be a concern as he won off a 9 day back up in May and the step up in trip will suit.
Stockman @ 15/8 with William Hill
Rosehill R8 (6.20am)
I put Greek Hero up last week but he was scratched on the morning of the race. As I mentioned last week he raced on the wrong side of the track on his last start in June and the form is strong as well. The slight concern is the trip, but I still think he is capable of going close and is one to follow going forward.
Greek Hero @ 15/2 with Bet365 (Has been scratched again)