In the words of Celine Dion: ‘this is getting serious’. Sixteen winning selections on the bounce have gotten this attempt at the challenge up and running with a vengeance, and while we are still miles and miles away from our £1k target things are going rather well at present.
It’s amazing how having fewer options when it comes to placing our bets actually works in our favour; it concentrates the mind somewhat. Spotting value is so much easier when the fog of choice has been lifted!
Let’s remind ourselves about last week’s selections:
- Bet 13: Wales vs Finland: Wales +4.5 Handicap – This was the first of our World Cup of Darts picks, and it strolled home: Wales winning 5-4.
- Bet 14: Austria vs China: Austria +4.5 Handicap – Our second darts punt and what a blinder it was: Austria romping home 5-0 against the Chinese.
- Bet 15: Yanbian Fude vs Guangzhou Evergrande: Guangzhou +0.50 Asian Handicap – The Evergrande are having a great time in the China Super League at present, and their fine run continued with a 3-1 win here.
- Bet 16: Ostersunds vs Sundsvall: Ostersunds +1 Handicap – Another 3-1 scoreline in our final pick – Ostersunds doing the job on home soil.
So we’ve creaked up to a kitty of £57.39 – a lot to lose, but don’t forget if you cash out your original tenner then everything from here is a bonus. With that in mind….where’s our money going this week?
Bet 17: Atletico Goianiense vs Ponte Preta: Ponte Preta +1.50 Asian Handicap – £57.39 at 1/10
Thursday June 8, 23:30
We’ll slip out to Brazil for our first pick and take on an Atletico Goianiense side whose Serie A record so far this term reads W0 D0 L4 GF1 GA11.
Yep, that’s a goal difference of -10 after just 360 minutes of football, with their sole goal scored coming back on the opening day of the season.
Ponte Preta are shaping up well, and despite a 0-2 defeat to the capable Botafago they have won twice (4-0 against Sport Recife, 1-0 versus Sao Paolo) and taken a point from Atletico MG. The thought of them losing by more than a goal – the terms of our selection – seems fanciful.
Bet 18: Latvia vs Portugal: Portugal to Win – £63.13 at 1/8
Friday June 9, 19:45
The big news here is that Cristiano Ronaldo will link up with the Portugal squad. In the five qualifiers he has played in this World Cup 2018 campaign the Portuguese’s form reads W4 D0 L0 GF19 GA1, and it’s obvious that the talisman is irreplaceable in this squad.
The other bit of new is that Latvia are awful, and so while betting on the outright win is a huge threat to the challenge’s continuation, we have to go with the numbers here.
The Latvians have been beaten by the Faroe Islands in this campaign – oh, the indignity – got thumped 1-4 in Portugal and managed a woeful 1-0 win over the hapless Andorra. They have lost both of their home games 0-2 so far (the Faroes and Hungary).
Bar the 0-2 loss to Switzerland (Ronaldo was absent), Portugal have won 3-0, 4-1, 6-0 and 6-1 in their four other qualifiers, and it’s hard to see past a similar scoreline on Friday.
Bet 19: Frej Taby vs Falkenbergs: Falkenbergs +2.00 Asian Handicap – £71.02 at 1/10
Saturday June 10, 15:00
Our next selection is in the Swedish Second Division, naturally, and is a healthy punt backing against a hapless Frej Taby outfit.
The hosts are without a win in nine attempts (W0 D3 L6), and have failed to score in their last 270 minutes of action. To make matters worse they are conceding at a rate of roughly two goals per game.
It must be great fun being a Falkenbergs fan; their 11 games so far have witnessed 37 goals (20 for, 17 against). Their form is good though (W4 D1 L1), and a couple of handsome wins on the road – 4-2 at Gefle and 5-3 at Varberg – set them up nicely for this one.