It was largely a good week last time out for our latest attempt at the £10 to £1000 Challenge, and while we endured a slight hiccup with one of our selections the upshot is that we are still dancing.
Here’s a look at last week’s results:
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- Bet 1: Nancy vs Marseille: Marseille +1.00 Asian Handicap – A 0-0 draw got this attempt of the challenge off to a good start.
- Bet 2: Rotherham vs Ipswich: Ipswich +1.00 Asian Handicap – Here was where the problem set in. Ipswich lost 1-0, so our stake was returned under the terms of the bet. So no harm done.
- Bet 3: Bordeaux vs Bastia: Bordeaux Double Chance – Easy as it gets, with Bordeaux landing a simple 2-0 win.
- Bet 4: Lyon vs Monaco: Over 1.5 Goals – This wasn’t the absolute goal-fest we were expecting, but a 2-1 win for Monaco keeps us in the hunt.
So with the stake refund from the Ipswich selection, we are carrying £13.71 forward to Week 2.
Bet 5: WBA vs Leicester City: Leicester +1.75 Asian Handicap – £13.71 at 1/10
Saturday April 29, 15:00
If their most recent form is anything to go by, it would be a huge surprise if West Brom were to beat Leicester by two goals or more here.
They have scored in just one of their last six matches, suggesting that their season is all but over psychologically. They cannot climb any higher than their current eighth position in the league table, so motivation seems to be deserting them.
No such problem for Leicester, who have gone W5 D1 L1 in the league under Craig Shakespeare and narrowly lost to Atletico Madrid over two legs. If their intensity is high here they will get a positive result from the game; if they lose by one goal our selection lands, lose by two and half our stake is returned.
Bet 6: Nantes vs Lorient: Lorient +2.00 Asian Handicap – £15.08 at 1/10
Saturday April 29, 19:00
Lorient are a huge 3/1 to win this game outright, and in the context of the challenge they are still a decent price to evade defeat by a landslide here. A one goal loss still lands, while a two-goal deficit sees our stake returned.
Why are we so chipper about Lorient’s chances? Because they have reacted so well to the threat of relegation, winning four of their last five outings including a pair of blockbusting victories by margins of 4-1 (Lyon) and 5-1 (Metz). Their confidence could not be higher.
Nantes are winding down for the season, and have only won three of their last twenty games by a margin of two goals or more. Against a riotous Lorient side, we don’t see them chalking up number four.
Bet 7: Fleetwood vs Port Vale: Fleetwood Over 0.5 Goals – £16.59 at 3/20
Sunday April 30, 12:00
This is a selection with plenty of logic attached to it. Fleetwood, excellent at home this term (W12 D7 L3), are secured a play-off place in League One with a single game to go but could go up automatically if they win here and Bolton don’t beat Peterborough at home.
But what we really like is the fact that Port Vale need to win this game to avoid relegation. That means they will need to play on the front foot – playing right into the hands of the hosts.
Bet 8: Caen vs Marseille: Marseille +1.00 Asian Handicap – £19.08 at 1/10
Sunday April 30, 14:00
Caen are right up against it in their battle to avoid relegation from Ligue 1 having failed to win in any of their last seven outings (W0 D2 L5). They have won just two of their last twelve, and not triumphed by two or more goals in a game since December.
Marseille struggled at the start of 2017 but had a pretty severe injury list to deal with. With faces coming back and hungry to end the campaign on a high, they have evaded defeat in their last seven (W3 D4 L0) – keeping an excellent five clean sheets in that time.