Well, that was slightly embarrassing.
Just one of five legs landed last week in a rare show of haplessness from this column, and even the juicy 8/11 price of Preston vs West Brom could not retrieve the situation.
There is little else to say on the matter other than we must, and will, do better with this week’s both teams to score betting tips!
| Match | Both Teams to Score Yes/No | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Watford vs Bournemouth | Yes | 8/13 |
| Liverpool vs Manchester City | Yes | 1/2 |
| Swansea City vs Ipswich Town | No | 8/11 |
| Freiburg vs Bayer Leverkusen | Yes | 8/13 |
| Fluminense vs Parana | No | 1/2 |
| All Five Results as an Accumulator | 9.14/1 | |
Watford vs Bournemouth – Yes (8/13)
Watford’s 0-2 defeat at Arsenal last week was a strange old game.
Even the hardiest of Gunners’ supporters would admit that the Hornets deserved something from the game. Once again, Watford’s front two of Andre Gray and Troy Deeney caused mischief, and Javi Gracia’s attacking 4-4-2 shape lends itself to plenty of activity at both ends of the pitch.
The roaming of Roberto Pereyra can leave the midfield exposed, and a lively Bournemouth will be ready to take full advantage.
The Cherries have failed to find the net at Stamford Bridge and Turf Moor this term, but those matches were against sides who either a) keep possession and have three defensive midfielders occupying the centre of the park (Chelsea), or b) an outfit that defends from front to back (Burnley).
Against a more expansive Watford side, the likes of Wilson, King, Stanislas and Fraser will have space to roam and counter at pace.
The trouble for Eddie Howe’s men is that they can’t defend: they’ve failed to keep a clean sheet since the opening day of the campaign, and have shipped two or more in four of their last six outings.
Liverpool vs Manchester City – Yes (1/2)
You don’t need to be a genius to work out why this fixture is amongst our picks this week!
They met on four separate occasions last season in league and European action, with the quartet of matches finishing 5-0, 4-3, 3-0 and 2-1.
In short, goals are almost guaranteed when a pair of teams who are infinitely better going forward than in defence meet.
You don’t need us to introduce you to the litany of attacking talents that will take to the field, and just remember that both will have played in the Champions League in midweek: can Vincent Kompany handle two intense games in the space of four days? The same question goes for Liverpool’s midfield enforcer James Milner too.
Swansea City vs Ipswich Town – No (8/11)
When one of the Championship’s best defences meets one of its bluntest attacks, we simply have to do the necessary.
Swansea have conceded just six goals this season – only Middlesbrough have shipped fewer – as the Welsh side get to grips with new manager Graham Potter’s defence-first approach.
The Swans have kept four clean sheets in their last five starts, so quite how an Ipswich outfit with the joint-worst goalscoring record in the division will find a way through is anybody’s guess.
The Tractor Boys have failed to find the net at Derby, Rotherham and Hull already, and we expect that run to continue in Wales on Saturday.
Freiburg vs Bayer Leverkusen – Yes (8/13)
Goals seem to be following these two sides around. Freiburg’s six games this term have finished 0-2, 1-3, 3-3, 3-1, 1-0 and 1-4, so clearly they offer punters plenty of value in the goals-based betting markets.
And Leverkusen, a perennial favourite of BTTS backers, have delivered in 4/6 including 1-3, 1-3, 2-1 and 2-4 scorelines.
It doesn’t always pan out as such, but goals are expected here and 8/13 appears to be a more than fair price.
Fluminense vs Parana – No (1/2)
This is a bet where we are essentially laying Parana to score.
And why not? The hapless visitors, who sit bottom of the pile in Brazil’s Serie A, have scored just two goals in twelve away matches this term.
They’ve only scored two in their last seven games full stop, and so Fluminense’s defenders won’t be struggling to sleep this week.
They have conceded just once in more than 360 minutes of football on home soil, and it would take a statistical anomaly of some order for Parana to find the net here.