Well, that was disappointing. After a bright enough start to our Week 1 attempt at the £10-£1k challenge with Forest Green doing the business against North Ferriby United, our hopes of fame and fortune were almost instantly dashed by Scotland’s inability to defeat a limited Lithuania side. It was a humbling experience….for them and for us.
Never mind: we get on the saddle and we ride again, in the words of Frankie Dettori. This time around we are going to be a little bit more circumspect with our selections, but even for these four rather reliable choices we can turn our tenner into £23 in a weekend, and get the wheels in motion for hopefully a glorious and dare we say grand finale.
Bet 1: Tottenham +1 against West Brom – £10 at 2/11
Saturday October 15, 15:00
West Brom have won one of their last 25 Premier League matches by a margin of two goals or more, and it seems highly implausible that they will make that a second against a Tottenham side boasting the best defensive record in the division.
Spurs are unbeaten this term, have conceded a solitary goal in four outings and come into this match having beaten champions-elect Manchester City 2-0. West Brom have won one of their last six and conceded in five of those….this selection has to come in, doesn’t it?
Bet 2: Basel Double Chance against Luzern – £11.82 at 1/6
Saturday October 15, 19:00
Next up we take a trip to Switzerland, where league leaders Basel – W9 D1 L0 being their domestic record this term – welcome Luzern to their manor.
The visitors have not won in five and lost four of those, shipping a rather porous 13 goals in the process. Basel had scored 29 goals in nine games prior to their 1-1 stalemate with Thun, so surely they can win or draw here.
Bet 3: Panathinaikos to beat Xanthi – £13.79 at 1/4
Sunday October 16, 14:00
On Sunday we’ll head to the beautiful island of Greece, and check in on league leaders Panathinaikos, at home, against struggling Xanthi.
The hosts are W3 D1 L0 this term, scoring ten goals and conceding just one. That looks like championship-winning form to us, and they will surely fancy their chances of seeing off a Xanthi side that has already lost 1-4 in one of their outings and who haven’t scored in three.
Panathinaikos have won eight of their last ten home matches, scoring 29 goals, and all in all they have only failed to win on home soil in less than a third of their matches since the tail-end of 2014 (nine of thirty).
Bet 4: Ajax Reserves Double Chance against De Graafschap – £17.24 at 4/11
Monday October 17, 19:00
There is an element of risk attached to Bet 4, with Ajax Reserves having lost three of their last six games. But then you look at their home form – their last two matches have been won 7-0 and 7-1 – and you fancy them to surely be able to avoid defeat here.
’Jong Ajax’, as they are known locally, have scored nearly double the amount of goals of their nearest rivals after ten rounds of games, and that’s bad news for a De Graafschap side that has lost four of their last five matches.