It’s sods law that we’re hitting form just as the main European club season is ending!
This column had another winner to enjoy last week with 4/5 selections landing outright and the fifth, Bournemouth +1.00 Asian handicap at Southampton, resulting in a push.
That’s a pair of winning accas in as many weeks….we don’t want the season to end!
Let’s see if we can sneak another winner then prior to the conclusion of the campaign. Here are this week’s football accumulator betting tips:
| Match | Recommended Bet | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Everton vs Southampton | Everton/Draw Double Chance | 1/2 |
| Bolton vs Nottingham Forest | Notts Forest +1.00 Asian Handicap | 4/6 |
| Shrewsbury Town vs MK Dons | Shrewsbury to Win | 3/4 |
| Southend United vs Bristol Rovers | Southend Draw No Bet | 8/13 |
| Toronto vs Philadelphia Union | Philadelphia +1.50 Asian Handicap | 1/2 |
| Five-Fold Acca Odds | 9.69/1 | |
Everton vs Southampton: Everton/Draw Double Chance
We may be missing something here, but is there are any real reason why Everton are nearly 2/1 at home against Southampton, who are as short as 6/4?
Of course, the Saints are fighting for their lives and so they will be going all out for the victory, but the Toffees come into this one on the back of two wins themselves. Be under no illusions: Sam Allardyce will have told his troops that they are playing for their future in the blue shirt.
The Merseysiders ended Newcastle’s fine run with a 1-0 triumph, and followed up with a resounding 2-0 win at Huddersfield. They may not be playing for anything as far as the league table is concerned, but Big Sam has got them playing nonetheless.
Bolton vs Nottingham Forest: Forest +1.00 Asian Handicap
It’s one thing needing to win, but quite another making it happen when you are woefully out of form.
A run of W1 D3 L7 tells its own tale of Bolton’s woes, and the fact they have failed to score in five of their last six reflects the difficulty they will face in claiming the three points they need to leap out of the Championship’s relegation zone in what is sure to be a pulsating final day of the campaign on Sunday.
As for Nottingham Forest, well, it’s happy days to some extent. They can’t finish any lower than their current position of seventeenth, but they could climb two places with a win here. It’s the proverbial ‘free hit’, and a mini-run of W2 D1 L1 lately suggests they can get a result in Lancashire.
Shrewsbury Town vs MK Dons: Shrewsbury to Win
Fans of ‘real football’ will have emitted a little snigger with the news that the MK Dons have been relegated, and will next season play in a division below the club they tried to steal the identity of: AFC Wimbledon.
Of course, we can have sympathy for the supporters who have adopted the Dons, and especially the ones who have witnessed their side’s awful form of late. They’ve lost six on the spin and four of those have been by a margin of two goals or more. The towel has well and truly gone in.
As for Shrewsbury, they will finish third in League One come what may, but they will certainly want to finish the campaign with a bang given that the play-offs are on the horizon.
Southend United vs Bristol Rovers: Southend Draw No Bet
On the face of it there is nothing for Southend to play for this term, but Chris Powell’s men are ending the season on a high after blitzing MK Dons, Oldham and Bradford by scorelines of 4-0, 3-0 and 2-0.
The Shrimpers will be determined to keep that momentum going against a Bristol Rovers side limping towards the end of the campaign.
The Gas have drawn four of their last five matches – a quartet of those came at home, and knowing how they struggle on the road (W5 D4 L13) we expect Southend to claim a positive result here.
Toronto vs Philadelphia Union: Philadelphia +1.50 Asian Handicap
Home teams in the MLS tend to have a huge advantage. That’s perhaps due to the distances that the away team has to travel, and has resulted in some 56% of all games ending in a home win this term.
Even so, it’s hard to stomach Toronto – bottom of the combined MLS table courtesy of a run reading W1 D1 L4 – as a 1/2 favourite here.
Philadelphia isn’t a million miles away from Canada, and their outfit Union aren’t too bad either; they won last time out and have shipped just ten goals in seven starts this term.
It really is hard to fathom them as a 5/1 outsider here.