We’re approaching that point in the season where the fat lady begins to clear her throat, and it is a notoriously difficult time for punters to predict what may unfold.
From Shrewsbury losing at home to an MK Don side which had lost six on the bounce, to Nottingham Forest shipping two goals in the last three minutes to lose at Bolton, last week’s acca was doomed to failure from the get-go.
We have one more round of English fixtures to enjoy, by all accounts, so let’s make the most of it with this week’s football accumulator tips:
| Match | Recommended Bet | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Tottenham vs Leicester City | Tottenham -1 Handicap | 4/7 |
| Charlton vs Shrewsbury | Charlton Draw No Bet | 8/15 |
| Livingston vs Dundee United | Dundee +1.00 Asian Handicap | 2/5 |
| Corinthians vs Palmeiras | Corinthians/Draw Double Chance | 9/20 |
| Cruzeiro vs Sport Recife | Sport Recife +2.00 Asian Handicap | 3/10 |
| Five-Fold Acca Odds | 5.35/1 | |
Tottenham vs Leicester City: Tottenham -1 Handicap
If you have a sound memory you may just recall Tottenham’s 6-1 hammering of Leicester on the last day of the 2016/17 campaign, and there’s every chance that something similar could unfold on Sunday.
The battle for third and fourth place in the Premier League continues in earnest, and Mauricio Pochettino will leave nothing to chance by picking his strongest available side. Don’t forget too that Harry Kane is four goals behind Mo Salah in the race for the Golden Boot with a game in hand – the same motivation led the England man to netting four times against the Foxes 12 months ago.
Leicester are in dire straits at the moment, with no win in five attempts (including four defeats) and no goal in over 270 minutes of football. Claude Puel called up a number of youth teamers for the 0-2 defeat to West Ham; partly by design and partly through necessity – he currently has 12 players out injured.
A Foxes side that is hurting at the moment and without messrs Schmeichel, Ndidi, Chilwell and Simpson is clearly there for the taking.
Charlton vs Shrewsbury: Charlton Draw No Bet
A formline of W2 D3 L3 denotes that Shrewsbury have rather fallen over the line this term, and any feelings of low confidence will surely be taken advantage of by a Charlton side in great heart.
The Addicks have won five of their last ten games to nil, and in 7/10 they have avoided defeat at all. The Lee Bowyer affect is clearly alive and well!
There is a huge amount of pressure on these play-off matches, and it really does make sense to back the team who enters the promotion race in the best spirit.
Livingston vs Dundee United: Dundee United +1.00 Asian Handicap
Dundee rather self-destructed in the first leg of this Scottish Premiership play-off. They led 2-1 at half-time and were going rather nicely, but after shipping two goals in the last 15 minutes – and having Willo Flood sent off – they ended up on the wrong end of a 2-3 scoreline.
But all is not lost, and they can go to the fantastically-named Tony Macaroni Stadium and give it both barrels.
In some ways, the pressure is on Livingston. They are the home side and have the advantage, and if the tempo is as frenetic as the first leg then they may find it hard to keep the likes of Scott McDonald quiet.
Corinthians vs Palmeiras: Corinthians/Draw Double Chance
Last season’s Brazilian Serie A champions, Corinthians, have made a sluggish start to the 2018 campaign, but even so that doesn’t make them a 7/4 chance on home soil!
Palmeiras are a decent side too, and they are unbeaten in four in the early going, but their away record last season of W7 D3 L9 does not instil confidence.
Corinthians, on the other hand, went W12 D5 L2 on home soil last season, and as we know the home team typically holds the advantage in Brazil: in the four rounds of matches played so far, a Double Chance wager on the home team would have been successful on 84% of occasions!
Cruzeiro vs Sport Recife: Sport Recife +2.00 Asian Handicap
Cruzeiro’s form at the tail-end of last season – W2 D4 L4 – left a lot to be desired, and they haven’t exactly blown anyone away this term, scoring just one goal in 360 minutes of football!
They’ve kept two consecutive clean sheets so we’re not expecting a high-scoring encounter against an improving Sport Recife outfit.
They won three on the spin in the final throes of the 2017 season to pull themselves clear of relegation, and that momentum has continued this term. After losing 0-3 to America MG on the opening day, they have beaten Parana and Bahia and drawn with Botafogo.