DrO

I'm usually shooting for something like 10+ season-long bets, here is what I've come up with so far. Unfortunately, it seems that the bookies are a bit scared by the long term markets this time around for some reason, so this is all with Unibet - if you find a good range somewhere, let me know and I'm going to take a look through it (and I really mean this)!
Top 50 - ATP Singles Ranking as of 30 November 2020 - Hyeon Chung - Yes at 1.85 with Unibet
Chung was obviously missing from action last year and that's why his ranking dropped so much, but he recovered well when he came back and I think that he's now ready to roll again. I don't know what's there to say honestly, I think that this one is only about fitness and the signs are that it should hold.
Top 70 - ATP Singles Ranking as of 30 November 2020 - Cameron Norrie - Yes at 1.88 with Unibet
I backed Cameron Norrie to do well in 2019 and I'm going to back him to do well in 2020 yet again, as he really matured as a player and as he is now an established guy that rarely fails to deliver. Sure, he might not have enough talent to make it to the really top spots, but he has what it takes to get a good run in major tournaments and even win one or two smaller ones, so he should have every chance to finish within top 70, if not even higher.
Top 80 - ATP Singles Ranking as of 30 November 2020 - Vasek Pospisil - Yes at 1.73 with Unibet
The Davis Cup that took place in November was interesting for all sorts of reasons, but the one man that stood out apart from Nadal was Vasek Pospisil. The Canadian had to go through all sorts of issues in recent times, but he seems to be on the up at the moment and he seems to be up for the singles again as well, so I think that we are going to see him go places in 2020. Besides, the top 80 line is so low that even one good GS run can be enough for it to be easily covered and I have no doubts that Pospisil can produce such a run.
Top 80 - ATP Singles Ranking as of 30 November 2020 - Alejandro Davidovich Fokina - Yes at 1.96 with Unibet
Top 100 - ATP Singles Ranking as of 30 November 2020 - Hugo Dellien - Yes at 2.08 with Unibet
I'm going to group these guys together, as the reasoning is pretty similar. Both played mainly in Challengers in 2019 and managed to finish quite up there in the rankings, so they should be both aiming to play the main events almost exclusively in 2020 - and they are both good enough to crush these lines talent-wise. There are some natural doubts about how they can compete outside clay, but Dellien looked amazing in Basel and Fokina just needs more prep, which he should be able to get in the off-season with some decent coaching.
Top 50 - WTA Singles Ranking as of 9 November 2020 - Rebecca Peterson - Yes at 1.88 with Unibet
Peterson's name might not be on anyone's list, but she's surprisingly consistent and still quite young, so I actually wouldn't be surprised to see her go again in 2020. She finished 44th in 2019 despite winning just three matches on the Grand Slam level, which is a really good achievement imo and one that shows that she just needs that little bit of experience to perhaps break through. The fact that she won two really good events in China at the end of the 2019 season should boost her confidence as well.
Top 70 - WTA Singles Ranking as of 9 November 2020 - Marie Bouzkova - Yes at 1.88 with Unibet
Honestly, this is the bet that I like the most from the entire list, as Bouzkova could easily finish much higher. She's tremendously talented and she's been working hard in the off-season from what I know, so I have no idea why she shouldn't deliver, fitness-permitting. I reckon that she's still flying under the radar for many, but she's a genuine gem imo.
Top 80 - WTA Singles Ranking as of 9 November 2020 - Laura Siegemund - Yes at 2.10 with Unibet
Laura Siegemund had to go through a long recovery process after a bad injury and she's not the youngest anymore, so this is somewhat risky on that account, but I don't see her giving up after a fairly promising 2019. She was top 30 for a good reason and she managed to beat many decent names in 2019, while the top 80 line can get smashed with just a single good GS run - and she has enough experience to get one if luck is on her side draw-wise.
Top 90 - WTA Singles Ranking as of 9 November 2020 - Jil Belen Teichmann - Yes at 1.96 with Unibet
Top 120 - WTA Singles Ranking as of 9 November 2020 - Jessica Pegula - Yes at 1.88 with Unibet
Finally, I'm also going to back two talented players in Teichmann and Pegula. I'm not quite sure whether they have what it takes to be really good in the long run, although Teichmann might be, but what made me go for these bets are the lines, which really are low given what Teichmann and Pegula are capable of here and there. Pegula was playing very little in 2019 and finished 83th despite all that, so there you go.

Spurs are favourites to beat Man U at Old Trafford!  Never thought i'd see the day.  It would certainly be ironic if a Mourinho led spurs won this game, leading to OGS being sacked and replaced by Poch!

Alright guys, the 2019 tennis season is more or less officially over, so it's time for a fairly long review of what happened.
On the sporting side of things, I think that we had a fairly intriguing season. I am, of course, hugely disappointed that we don't have any new Grand Slam winners, with Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal splitting all four titles evenly, but Daniil Medvedev came agonizingly close in the US Open and I think that the final there was actually the match of the year for me. I reckon that some of you will claim that the Wimbledon finals were the real thing, but I unfortunately didn't actually get to see that one, so I have no idea about what actually happened apart from the scoreboard changes. I did get to watch Nadal-Medvedev in the middle of the night while a storm was raging outside, however, so yeah, that was an interesting experience :D.
The second ATP story of the year that I'd like to highlight here was Murray's comeback, as I was genuinely convinced that he wouldn't be able to do much after his loss against.....er...I think it was Viola. He did grab a title afterwards in style, however, and I think that he might do even more in 2020. It's hard to say how much he can do in the physically-more-demanding Grand Slams, but he should be very dangerous everywhere else.
As far as the WTA is concerned, well, it's still a mess, isn't it? And I think that we have Clijsters or someone coming back next year as well, which is honestly just crazy - if she's going to make it, it really is going to speak volumes about the difference between ATP and WTA, I really can't imagine that we'd have Radek Stepanek or someone making a singles comeback in the same vein :D. The Grand Slams were obviously quite exciting with the Williams story and with seven different players occupying those eight final places, which is just really good for the game imo. It's great to have Bianca coming up, but I'm really sad that Marketa Vondrousova is yet another of those great talents trapped in awfully frail bodies. I'm getting Djokovic vibes whenever I see her play for some reason, but, well, she's currently after a surgery and we haven't see her since Wimbledon, so I'm not sure what the state of affairs is going to be next year.
On the forum side of things, the activity has picked up quite a bit in comparison with the previous season and we now have a nice mix of regulars and newcomers, so I'm really hoping that we are going to continue in the same fashion once the Australian Open starts. The passion always goes down a bit after the US Open and that is understandable, but I'd like to see all the guys here again in January. I'm not even going to name anyone, as I'm sure that I'd miss someone! In any case, I didn't even have to ban all that many people in 2019, which is just excellent!
And, finally, the betting side of things. While I was hoping to get to the lower levels of the competition, I didn't get to that for all sorts of reasons, so there were no easy pickings to be found anywhere. I'm hoping to get to exploring that area next year, especially if everything is still going to be so difficult on the main tours, but that's not for now, that's for later - and January is going to be all about the main tour anyway. Results-wise, I'm happy to say that 2019 was another profitable year, although I must admit that it wasn't as great as I was hoping it to be. Overall, it appears that I managed to place a grand total of 292 bets and that I ended with a decent ROI of 103%. I know that many people are still actively debating what ROI is achievable long term, but it's really hard for me to contribute to that, as it really depends on a great many of factors. I'm certainly guilty of being a bit overactive, which leads to some bad bets here and there, and I'm also guilty of not trying to exploit ITFs and Challengers as often as possible. I am going to try to change that if given a chance - and should lead to at least somewhat better results.
So, on that note, I hope that you are all going to have a great off-season, Christmas, etc., and I hope that we are all going to meet here either at the end of December or at least for the start of the Australian Open (January 20). I thank you all for being here and contributing!

The Canadians have done it!

This match should produce some goals i think.
Over 2.5 goals

Juventus – Genoa (21:00)
Referee of tonight is Antonio Giua. He was only appointed for 3 games so far in this year, and gave 21 cards during this matches (average of 7 per game). The quote of 4,5 cards @1,91 seems nice. Based on the history (h2h) the line of Genoa 2,5 cards @1,78 is more interesting in my opinion. The last 5 matches, Genoa received 3,5,4,1 and 3 cards.

Hellas Verona V Sassuolo
Sassuolo -0 AH @ 2.09 Matchbook
Some folks may demand that I am put before a firing squad for posting a bet involving the much maligned Sassuolo, but, there maybe an opportunity here for those of the brave and foolish disposition.
Sassuolo have lost all 3 away games in Serie A thus far and are currently undergoing a defensive crisis with a number of first teamers out injured. Despite this, I do not really feel that Hellas are the team to capitalise on these issues as their attack is particularly tepid. The Gialloblu have the joint 3rd worst offence in the division as things stand and it's not difficult to see why. Verona's forwards are not particularly ruthless infront of goal, I feel they lack a natural goal-scorer at the top of the pitch and their chance conversion is poor in general.
Sassuolo may have a shakey backline but they are very strong going forward, they have dangerous players who have no problem scoring goals at this level such as Caputo, Berardi and Defrel. Their chance conversion rate is way ahead of Verona's and I feel if anyone has the means to win this encounter then it's Sassuolo.
It should also be noted that Hellas Verona have injury issues of their own as key midfielder Miguel Veloso is out for this match which is a big problem for the home side as he has been their top performer so far this season. It's also thought that Sofyan Amrabat has somekind of fitness issue for this match and it will be another major setback for the home team if he does not start on Friday. Veloso and Amrabat really are the driving force of this Verona team and they will be compromised if either, nevermind both, do not play against Sassuolo.
It's true that Sassuolo are one of the main mad dogs of this division and betting on their games can prove treacherous at the best of times. Despite this, I feel they are much more vulnerable against teams with genuine goal threat and effective counters. This Verona side does not come under that category in my view. The away side have a clear firepower advantage heading into this game and it's a good opportunity for Roberto De Zerbi's team to register their first positive away result of the campaign.
Sassuolo with full draw cover at odds against is the play for me in this situation.

ATP Antwerp
Pablo Cuevas 3.80 Pinnacle 5/10
I like Cuevas here. He looked decent in R1, not clowning and joking vs. a guy he should beat without problems - and he did beat that guy without any problems. He served well and his groundgame was on point. Andy Murray is kind of a surprise to me. I can remember betting on Matteo Viola to beat Andy Murray and he really beat him. It was probably one of the worst defeats Murray has suffered in his whole career but to be honest i thought Andy Murray is about to be done. Now he's back with decent results on a decent level. He beat guys like Norrie, Berrettini, Londero and Sandgren. Losing to names like De Minaur, Fognini or Thiem is no shame either. I think we can expect him to be even better in 2020 with a decent camp and prep. I watched his first round encounter with local wild card Coppejans closely and i think Murray is a bit off this week. He had a tough time in Asia with a couple of really exhausting matches, he travelled a lot last few weeks, now his wife is getting a baby this week, he already told the media that he's playing in Belgium because of the fact he can travel home quickly. He definitely looked off in the first round, Coppejans had many, many chances to take the second set but was wasting leads all over again. I think Cuevas is a tough matchup for Murray right now. Murray will need to run a lot, Cuevas playing a good mixture. He's serving well, hitting groundstrokes very hard but playing also with angles. I think Murray will have to work very hard and i'm not sure if he can. He still has two big tasks ahead apart from supporting his wife while getting a baby: There is a Masters tournament in Paris, a big tournament and a good chance for him to get some points as usually the Top players not playing that well there because it's the last official tournament of the season. And second, maybe even more important, Davis Cup Final in Spain. I really think Murray will play Singles there. I know it isn't confirmed but GB doesn't have many options right now. It will come down to Murray, Norrie, Edmund or Evans. Considering Edmund is in really bad form right now and Murray beating Norrie recently i think the final decision might be Evans/Murray for singles. Anyway, i think Murray isn't at 100% and he might not be too sad if he loses early this week. To get some rest before he's heading into Paris and Davis Cup. I take my chance here at that price, i think Cuevas is a living dog in here.

I'm definitely on the Croats side in this round.
They have better players, they are a better team and I think they will give a revanche to the Hungarians for defeat in the first match.
That defeat was due to the Croats suffering from a 'post-world cup hangover'.

Now they have come together and a away win against Slovakia is a sign that they have come out of the crisis. All the best players are together, Ivan Rakitic is back in the squad and coach Dalic will have a strong team at his disposal.
Match will take place in Split, the stadium is already sold out and there is a great euphoria in this part of Croatia.

I expect a victory for the home side.

Croatia -1.25(AH)  @1.82 local bookie
 

I'm definitely on the Croats side in this round.
They have better players, they are a better team and I think they will give a revanche to the Hungarians for defeat in the first match.
That defeat was due to the Croats suffering from a 'post-world cup hangover'.

Now they have come together and a away win against Slovakia is a sign that they have come out of the crisis. All the best players are together, Ivan Rakitic is back in the squad and coach Dalic will have a strong team at his disposal.
Match will take place in Split, the stadium is already sold out and there is a great euphoria in this part of Croatia.

I expect a victory for the home side.

Croatia -1.25(AH)  @1.82 local bookie
 

Once again i'll go with three picks.

Vojvodina - Spartak

Both clubs are from Vojvodina province so this is a small derby. I already wrote about Vojvodina FC,so i wont repeat myself.
Spartak is a club from Subotica,in the far north of the country. The club has a long tradition but not a trophy history.

Vojvodina has a perfect score on the road, but this is not the case at home. Therefore, they will try to change this already against the Spartak. Everyone in the club saying that the match has to be won, coach Lalatovic returns to the bench,Vojvodina has a better team so I think the home team will win tomorrow.
Vojvodina AH(-1) @ 1.75  4pt

Radnik Surdulica - TSC

Although Radnik was founded in 1926, it is a small club that was never significant in Serbian or Yugoslavian football. On the contrary - the club played only local leagues and was almost at the amateur level. However, things started to change in the middle of the decade when a local politician from one of the ruling political parties came to the head of the club. In just a few years,Radnik has risen to elite rank of Serbian football.
Despite this,the team is very averige in terms of quality and without great ambition in the league. They have a score of just two wins in nine rounds.

TSC,on the other hand,is very ambitious project like i said and there's no doubt they are a better side. Still..i'm not that sure they will claime a victory so i'll go with a safer bet.
TSC DNB @2.02  2.5pt

Napredak - Crvena Zvezda

Napredak is a club from central Serbia, from the city of Krusevac. It is one of the traditional centers of Serbian football,altough Napredak never actually been a successful club. It is never easy to play in Krusevac because the atmosphere is a bit hostile.
However, as the biggest and most successful Serbian club, Red Star has a lot of fans in this part of Serbia. They will also have great support from the stands.

Napredak's home record this season is 1-1-2 so far. They're able to hold Partizan in 2-2 draw,but lost to Vojvodina 0-2. One of their problems is short roster and because of this they can't really hold their form. Their best striker Ivanovic is injured and therefore doubtful for Sunday clash.

After a big UCL victory against Olympiacos the morale in Crvena Zvezda is really high. Atmosphere is great,team is playing better after a lost against Partizan. Although coach Milojevic will make some changes to the team and rotate players, I expect a strong Red Star lineup and a routine three points for the team from Belgrade. Handicap victory is on the card.
Crvena Zvezda AH2(-2) @2.02  2pt

GL to all who follows

Once again i'll go with three picks.

Vojvodina - Spartak

Both clubs are from Vojvodina province so this is a small derby. I already wrote about Vojvodina FC,so i wont repeat myself.
Spartak is a club from Subotica,in the far north of the country. The club has a long tradition but not a trophy history.

Vojvodina has a perfect score on the road, but this is not the case at home. Therefore, they will try to change this already against the Spartak. Everyone in the club saying that the match has to be won, coach Lalatovic returns to the bench,Vojvodina has a better team so I think the home team will win tomorrow.
Vojvodina AH(-1) @ 1.75  4pt

Radnik Surdulica - TSC

Although Radnik was founded in 1926, it is a small club that was never significant in Serbian or Yugoslavian football. On the contrary - the club played only local leagues and was almost at the amateur level. However, things started to change in the middle of the decade when a local politician from one of the ruling political parties came to the head of the club. In just a few years,Radnik has risen to elite rank of Serbian football.
Despite this,the team is very averige in terms of quality and without great ambition in the league. They have a score of just two wins in nine rounds.

TSC,on the other hand,is very ambitious project like i said and there's no doubt they are a better side. Still..i'm not that sure they will claime a victory so i'll go with a safer bet.
TSC DNB @2.02  2.5pt

Napredak - Crvena Zvezda

Napredak is a club from central Serbia, from the city of Krusevac. It is one of the traditional centers of Serbian football,altough Napredak never actually been a successful club. It is never easy to play in Krusevac because the atmosphere is a bit hostile.
However, as the biggest and most successful Serbian club, Red Star has a lot of fans in this part of Serbia. They will also have great support from the stands.

Napredak's home record this season is 1-1-2 so far. They're able to hold Partizan in 2-2 draw,but lost to Vojvodina 0-2. One of their problems is short roster and because of this they can't really hold their form. Their best striker Ivanovic is injured and therefore doubtful for Sunday clash.

After a big UCL victory against Olympiacos the morale in Crvena Zvezda is really high. Atmosphere is great,team is playing better after a lost against Partizan. Although coach Milojevic will make some changes to the team and rotate players, I expect a strong Red Star lineup and a routine three points for the team from Belgrade. Handicap victory is on the card.
Crvena Zvezda AH2(-2) @2.02  2pt

GL to all who follows

Once again i'll go with three picks.

Vojvodina - Spartak

Both clubs are from Vojvodina province so this is a small derby. I already wrote about Vojvodina FC,so i wont repeat myself.
Spartak is a club from Subotica,in the far north of the country. The club has a long tradition but not a trophy history.

Vojvodina has a perfect score on the road, but this is not the case at home. Therefore, they will try to change this already against the Spartak. Everyone in the club saying that the match has to be won, coach Lalatovic returns to the bench,Vojvodina has a better team so I think the home team will win tomorrow.
Vojvodina AH(-1) @ 1.75  4pt

Radnik Surdulica - TSC

Although Radnik was founded in 1926, it is a small club that was never significant in Serbian or Yugoslavian football. On the contrary - the club played only local leagues and was almost at the amateur level. However, things started to change in the middle of the decade when a local politician from one of the ruling political parties came to the head of the club. In just a few years,Radnik has risen to elite rank of Serbian football.
Despite this,the team is very averige in terms of quality and without great ambition in the league. They have a score of just two wins in nine rounds.

TSC,on the other hand,is very ambitious project like i said and there's no doubt they are a better side. Still..i'm not that sure they will claime a victory so i'll go with a safer bet.
TSC DNB @2.02  2.5pt

Napredak - Crvena Zvezda

Napredak is a club from central Serbia, from the city of Krusevac. It is one of the traditional centers of Serbian football,altough Napredak never actually been a successful club. It is never easy to play in Krusevac because the atmosphere is a bit hostile.
However, as the biggest and most successful Serbian club, Red Star has a lot of fans in this part of Serbia. They will also have great support from the stands.

Napredak's home record this season is 1-1-2 so far. They're able to hold Partizan in 2-2 draw,but lost to Vojvodina 0-2. One of their problems is short roster and because of this they can't really hold their form. Their best striker Ivanovic is injured and therefore doubtful for Sunday clash.

After a big UCL victory against Olympiacos the morale in Crvena Zvezda is really high. Atmosphere is great,team is playing better after a lost against Partizan. Although coach Milojevic will make some changes to the team and rotate players, I expect a strong Red Star lineup and a routine three points for the team from Belgrade. Handicap victory is on the card.
Crvena Zvezda AH2(-2) @2.02  2pt

GL to all who follows

I have three picks for this round

Radnicki Nis - Partizan

Undoubtedly the derby of this round.

Radnicki is club from the south of the country, a club of great tradition and success in the past. Their peak was in the 1980's when they played European Cups.
Radnicki has been on the rise in recent years. This is mostly due to the fact that the ruling party stood behind the club and channeled money into it. Last season they ended as runners up in domestic league. However, their coach Nenad Lalatovic has left the club, as have several players. This was reflected in bad results in the opening of the new season,so coach Simo Krunic was sacked. The experienced Milorad Kosanovic was brought in his place,but their game didn't improve a lot. Also,the absence of certain players due to injuries will be a problem to home side. 
Partizan is the second largest club in Serbia just behind Red Star. After a disappointing last season, they got a lot better in this one. Their coach,a former Serbian international,Savo Milosevic has build a team which is a mix of experience and young players. Last week they beat Red Star in so-called 'eternal derby' and they're just one point behind biggest rivals on the table. Also,they managed to qualify for the Europa League group stage. So they're coming in this match full of confidence. 
Partizan's style of play is very attacking-minded. They'v got good offense and pretty poor defense. Like i said - Radnicki's coach Kosanovic is very experienced coach,a coach with 'guts' so he wont be impressed or scared of Partizan. Open game is on the card,but i feel that away team have momentum on their side and i see them taking 3 points in Nis. Probably 1-2 win. 

Partizan to win @2.05  2pt
BTTS @1.77                2.5 pt

Mladost Lucani - Vojvodina

Nothing much to say about hosts. They are a team from a small town in Serbia without any particular tradition or success in the past. Also,a club without big supporters. 
Vojvodina,on the other hand,is a big club for Serbian standards. Club of great tradition founded in 1914. They gave a lot of great coaches and players to Yogoslavian/Serbian football. The most famous coach certainly was Vujadin Boskov and most popular players were Sinisa Mihajlovic and these days Dusan Tadic. Vojvodina is a club from Novi Sad which is a capitol city of Serbian province Vojvodina. Some of you may know Novi Sad as a place where the famous EXIT music festival is hold for many years now. 

Now..what is more important..after a period of very poor results this summer Vojvodina got a new board. With the new management, money has come into the club. Several state and public companies have become sponsors of the club. You guessed it - all the changes came directly from politics. The new management has also hired a new coach - Nenad Lalatovic. Yes, the one who coached Radnički Nis. To Serbian standards, he's a solid coach. He is a great motivator and a coach who makes good chemistry on the team. We in Serbia know that he is also a coach who goes where there is money and where he knows that the club has the "help" of certain structures. And this is exactly the help Vojvodina has this season. They started well in the league and I think they will win in Lucani.
The stakes would be even higher, but coach Lalatovic was penalized for misconduct and would not be with the team. 

Vojvodina DNB @1.80    5pt
(if you don't have this option or if odds dropped then take AH0 on Vojvodina)

THC - Rad

THC is newly promoted team from a small town also in Vojvodina,but it's a very ambitious project behind which Hungarian capital stands. These are the same investors who invest in NK Osijek - a club in neighboring Croatia. Rumors say that these investors are actually people close to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. I don't know if these rumors are true or not,but the fact is that there's a serious money behind this club from Backa Topola. They even build a brand new stadium which is why the home team is playing in nearby Senta. So far this has not proven to be a handicap for THC as the team is sitting on the top of the table after nine rounds, but with a game more than Red Star.
Opponent,Rad,is from Belgrade and it's one of the worst teams in the league and one of the biggest relegation contenders. In the midweek they were knocked out from the National Cup competition by a lower league team of OFK Beograd. 
I expect nothing more but a routine win for the home side.


THC to win @1.67  4pt
(by the time i write this preview odds dropped so i advise to take THC AH-1)

GL to all who follows 

 

Before i start with the actual previews i want to share with you something about Serbian Football League which i found very important to know.
 
Those who follow my activity here may remember a couple of my long posts about Serbian football written before the World Cup in Russia last year. These were posts that tried to show the connection between football, crime, football agents and politics. Everything I wrote back then also applies to club football. Things are even worse here. Many club officials are in conflict of interest,many are members of the ruling party and cooperate 'off the pitch',trade points, etc. Because of all this, there is a reasonable doubt about the match fixing and the regularity of the competition itself.

How is it even worth it to bet on a league like this, you wonder? Well, because of the knowledge of these things, it is possible to predict the outcomes of matches.

Of course, not all matches are fixed in the conventional sense, but rather who has a better position in the Sebian football, who is closer to football or even political authorities.

Despite all the above, it is possible to make a profit by betting on the Serbian League.
I have already made a nice profit since the start of the season so i hope that this positive trend can continue.

I have three picks for this round

Radnicki Nis - Partizan

Undoubtedly the derby of this round.

Radnicki is club from the south of the country, a club of great tradition and success in the past. Their peak was in the 1980's when they played European Cups.
Radnicki has been on the rise in recent years. This is mostly due to the fact that the ruling party stood behind the club and channeled money into it. Last season they ended as runners up in domestic league. However, their coach Nenad Lalatovic has left the club, as have several players. This was reflected in bad results in the opening of the new season,so coach Simo Krunic was sacked. The experienced Milorad Kosanovic was brought in his place,but their game didn't improve a lot. Also,the absence of certain players due to injuries will be a problem to home side. 
Partizan is the second largest club in Serbia just behind Red Star. After a disappointing last season, they got a lot better in this one. Their coach,a former Serbian international,Savo Milosevic has build a team which is a mix of experience and young players. Last week they beat Red Star in so-called 'eternal derby' and they're just one point behind biggest rivals on the table. Also,they managed to qualify for the Europa League group stage. So they're coming in this match full of confidence. 
Partizan's style of play is very attacking-minded. They'v got good offense and pretty poor defense. Like i said - Radnicki's coach Kosanovic is very experienced coach,a coach with 'guts' so he wont be impressed or scared of Partizan. Open game is on the card,but i feel that away team have momentum on their side and i see them taking 3 points in Nis. Probably 1-2 win. 

Partizan to win @2.05  2pt
BTTS @1.77                2.5 pt

Mladost Lucani - Vojvodina

Nothing much to say about hosts. They are a team from a small town in Serbia without any particular tradition or success in the past. Also,a club without big supporters. 
Vojvodina,on the other hand,is a big club for Serbian standards. Club of great tradition founded in 1914. They gave a lot of great coaches and players to Yogoslavian/Serbian football. The most famous coach certainly was Vujadin Boskov and most popular players were Sinisa Mihajlovic and these days Dusan Tadic. Vojvodina is a club from Novi Sad which is a capitol city of Serbian province Vojvodina. Some of you may know Novi Sad as a place where the famous EXIT music festival is hold for many years now. 

Now..what is more important..after a period of very poor results this summer Vojvodina got a new board. With the new management, money has come into the club. Several state and public companies have become sponsors of the club. You guessed it - all the changes came directly from politics. The new management has also hired a new coach - Nenad Lalatovic. Yes, the one who coached Radnički Nis. To Serbian standards, he's a solid coach. He is a great motivator and a coach who makes good chemistry on the team. We in Serbia know that he is also a coach who goes where there is money and where he knows that the club has the "help" of certain structures. And this is exactly the help Vojvodina has this season. They started well in the league and I think they will win in Lucani.
The stakes would be even higher, but coach Lalatovic was penalized for misconduct and would not be with the team. 

Vojvodina DNB @1.80    5pt
(if you don't have this option or if odds dropped then take AH0 on Vojvodina)

THC - Rad

THC is newly promoted team from a small town also in Vojvodina,but it's a very ambitious project behind which Hungarian capital stands. These are the same investors who invest in NK Osijek - a club in neighboring Croatia. Rumors say that these investors are actually people close to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. I don't know if these rumors are true or not,but the fact is that there's a serious money behind this club from Backa Topola. They even build a brand new stadium which is why the home team is playing in nearby Senta. So far this has not proven to be a handicap for THC as the team is sitting on the top of the table after nine rounds, but with a game more than Red Star.
Opponent,Rad,is from Belgrade and it's one of the worst teams in the league and one of the biggest relegation contenders. In the midweek they were knocked out from the National Cup competition by a lower league team of OFK Beograd. 
I expect nothing more but a routine win for the home side.


THC to win @1.67  4pt
(by the time i write this preview odds dropped so i advise to take THC AH-1)

GL to all who follows 

 

Levante vs Eibar
La Liga is full of exciting big-name sides and players so you'd think we'd be shining the light on some of those in our weekly preview. Oh no, not this week. No disrespect to Levante and Eibar but we're choosing to focus on those two sides that don't quite get the limelight as they meet in a 3pm BST kick-off this Saturday afternoon at the Estadi Ciutat de Valencia.
Levante have had a mixed start to their league season with 2 wins and 2 defeats. You won't be surprised to see that their two victories came at home and their two losses came on the road. Credit where it's due to Paco Lopez and his players. Even in their 1-0 loss to Alaves and their 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid they weren't turned over. Granotas have become a side that are not easy to beat and know how to grind out the results at home. The 2-1 win against Villarreal being a particular highlight.
Eibar continue to be the little train that could under head coach Jose Luis Mendiilibar. Los Armeros are second from bottom after a poor start to their league campaign. After six straight seasons in La Liga it's beginning to look like the club might have their top flight status tested this season. Three defeats and one draw from their four league games so far is far from great reading and the manner of the losses has also be a concern. Even Mendilibar has come out claiming his side must score more than one in this game to win. How much faith does that show he doesn't have in his own back-line? Hardly awe-inspiring stuff!
This is a game where the odds are looking quite generous given Levante's encouraging home form so far and Eibar's terrible start. The ELO ratings are backing the home side here and it seems a decent bet. Levante have every reason to feel they can improve on last season's 15th placed finish. I think they'll grab a narrow win here to continue this positive run of results on home territory. Eibar's misery is likely to go on.
Levante to Win @ 2.32 with Marathonbet
Total Goals Scored Over 2.5 @ 1.80 with William Hill
@Pep004, @Magic0024, @betcatalog, @malabgd, @AndreBR, @Xcout, @four-leaf, @sajtion, @Arkadi Manucharov, @Jamesboaz, @RealUnited, @allyhibs, @jazzman02, @Mr.Paul, @notanotherdonkey, @Marek76, @freestylerx, @DonPaulo, @fhuefdsa, @laprikon, @Gabosbet, @Dr. Florida192, @thinkpink63, @MarioDunav, @EuroDream, @vicsuna, @i1_principe, @dinero, @Sterphyle, @SPACEGHOST87, @Odyssey, @i1_principe, and @derbent, what bets are you all putting down this weekend in La Liga?

I just want to ask @StevieDay1983and @Sir Puntalotis there a chance to create a Serbian Super League thread? I would like to post sometime a preview or two. It's a football league to be precise. 

Hi @DrO,
I've set this up. There's currently not enough interest in a specific section for the Serbian Super League but if it gains enough activity in here then we can expand it at a later date. Feel free to post any predictions in here though. If you have any mates that are keen to chat about it or bet on matches in the league then get them involved.
I know the last time we had a thread dedicated to the league we had @balkan-pro leading the talk. Hopefully, he's keen to get involved again! 
On a separate note, I once managed Hajduk Lion on Football Manager once in the second tier of the Serbian league so I have a very basic knowledge of the league... from about 10 years ago! 

In case anyone wonders what I did with the pick - i did nothing. Literally nothing. I just sat there and watched the match. And I made more than a nice profit in the end. 

In case anyone wonders what I did with the pick - i did nothing. Literally nothing. I just sat there and watched the match. And I made more than a nice profit in the end. 

In case anyone wonders what I did with the pick - i did nothing. Literally nothing. I just sat there and watched the match. And I made more than a nice profit in the end. 

One early bet for me.

Bianca Vanessa Andreescu to win US Open - Yes - @19 local bookie

The young Canadian is a revelation of the season and a most pleasant surprise. She won Indian Wells this year. She got injured on Roland Garros but she's now back with a Toronto title.
The Grand Slam is a two-week long tournament and anything can happen of course and it's true that Bianca doesn't have much experience at that level, but that didn't stop Osaka from winning the title last year, for example.
No one is playing better on American HC this season than Andreescu and I think the bet is worth a small punt.

GL

In case anyone wonders what I did with the pick - i did nothing. Literally nothing. I just sat there and watched the match. And I made more than a nice profit in the end. 

In case anyone wonders what I did with the pick - i did nothing. Literally nothing. I just sat there and watched the match. And I made more than a nice profit in the end.