Bournemouth Lead 7/1 Carabao Cup Four-Fold

The fourth round of the Carabao Cup is here – we are another step closer to the Wembley Stadium showpiece. With five of England’s top six still in the competition, punters will be eagerly anticipating Tuesday night’s fixtures. Manchester United do feature in our tips for this week but Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth head the accumulator. Check out my thoughts on the action below...

BOURNEMOUTH vs Middlesbrough

Eddie Howe’s men have struggled so far this season but a 2-1 victory away at Stoke City last weekend may spur the Cherries on as they look to build momentum.

Bournemouth will be confident of challenging for silverware in the League Cup this campaign and a quarter-final berth beckons barring a major collapse on their part on Tuesday evening.

Meanwhile, Middlesbrough have bigger fish to fry – securing promotion back to the Premier League has to be their number one priority. Garry Monk is a decent manager but this may be a step too far for the visitors.

The top flight side are unbeaten in their last three home games in all competitions and Boro’s run of five without a win does nothing to inspire confidence.

TIP: Bournemouth to win @ 8/11

Swansea City vs MANCHESTER UNITED

Swansea will rue last weekend’s defeat to Leicester City – the Welsh side failed to make up for a disappointing first half performance.

Against Manchester United, it is always going to be difficult but this might just be the best time to play the Red Devils. Swansea’s record in this fixture isn’t the worst but United did put four goals past Paul Clement’s side earlier this season...

And while Jose Mourinho’s men may not score four this time around, I’m expecting a similar outcome in terms of result – a convincing United win.

The Red Devils represent great value at 4/7 to win in south Wales on Tuesday evening and plenty of punters will be backing the visitors to get back to winning ways. This could get out of hand if United hit top form.

TIP: Manchester United to win @ 4/7

CHELSEA vs Everton

What is going on at Stamford Bridge? Chelsea have been far from assured in recent weeks – conceding three at home against Roma before allowing Watford to bag a couple of goals in their most recent top flight encounter.

Antonio Conte is in dire need of a confidence booster and an early Blues onslaught may be expected against Everton.

via GIPHY

It is official: Ronald Koeman has left the club. You won’t find too many Toffees fans crying at his departure after a very poor start to the campaign and this isn’t the easiest of starts for interim boss David Unsworth.

Everton may struggle to keep tabs on Chelsea if the hosts go for the jugular and Conte may go with a strong starting line-up as he hunts silverware for the second year in a row.

TIP: Chelsea to win the first half @ 19/20

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR vs West Ham United

Spurs will head into this contest as red hot favourites and rightly so. After picking up a draw away at Real Madrid in the Champions League, the north London outfit thrashed Liverpool on Sunday – putting four goals past Jurgen Klopp’s hapless defence.

Harry Kane may get a rest here but if he does feature, expect the England man to get his name on the scoresheet at some stage.

Meanwhile, West Ham are in disarray and Slaven Bilic’s days at the London Stadium may be numbered; although the owners have stated that they will discuss his future at the end of the current campaign.

Spurs aren’t totally consistent at Wembley Stadium just yet but this looks tough for the Hammers and the hosts are worth backing at 4/9 in our League Cup odds.

TIP: Tottenham to win @ 4/9

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

October 23, 2017
Football

By Alex McMahon

Alex McMahon Sport
Body

Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.

He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.

As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible. 
 

Alex McMahon

Burnley vs Newcastle United: 13/2 For Narrow Clarets Win

Sean Dyche and Rafael Benitez have Burnley and Newcastle sitting in eighth and seventh respectively before any weekend matches are played. Each team, fans, and the managers would rapidly bite hands off if they were offered that in August. They would probably do exactly the same if they were offered to keep their positions until May, too.

Burnley threatened, albeit briefly, to cause an upset at Manchester City last weekend. The eventual 3-0 defeat is hardly humiliating given what City have done, and will do, to many teams this season. The Clarets will see this match as a chance to get back on course, especially having failed to beat West Ham the last time they played at Turf Moor.

Newcastle were so nearly frustrated into a bore draw by Crystal Palace. Their eventual goal was probably fair given the balance of the match, but the difficulty that Benitez’s side had in trying to break down an opponent was clear again. The same issue could well resurface at Burnley, with both teams comfortable out of possession and well organised at the back.

The hosts have fallen far short of their own lofty standards at home. Draws with Huddersfield and West Ham are joined by a defeat to West Brom. The Clarets were one of the toughest away fixtures last season, and will see their home credentials tested by a well-managed Magpie team.

Goals are a rare treat for the Turf Moor faithful. There have been under 2.5 in 10 of the last 12 at the historic Lancashire ground, and Newcastle have scored only three in their last four Premier League matches on the road, with two of those coming at St Mary’s. Benitez’s side are at 2/1 to fail to score.

Burnley have been fortunate to only concede nine this season. Goalkeeping heroics and some poor opponent finishing has saved them despite giving up over 13 expected goals. Dyche continues to make his team defy all odds, and sometimes, all logic. There is no reason to believe that will end this Monday, though.

Newcastle, perhaps fittingly, have been one of a host of Premier League teams struggling to finish chances. Joselu has been a good focal point for their attack, but the Magpies could be having an even stronger start to the season if they had been more clinical. 

In true Burnley fashion, Dyche has seen his side only score eight in nine so far. The eight have almost all been scored in the right matches, at the right times. Burnley to score under 2.5 at 4/7 is a steal given their record. The loss of Andre Gray over the summer has not been as hurtful as many – including myself – thought it would be. Their attack is functional, but chances will be limited against this Newcastle defence.

Under two pragmatic, skilled managers, these two teams look safe already. They could be neck-and-neck in the Premier League midriff for the remainder of the Premier League campaign. Neither team will be thinking like that just yet, however. Each manager will stick to their trademark approaches for this one, meaning the match could revert to an attritional stalemate.

Tip: Burnley to win 1-0 at 13/2 

October 27, 2017
Football
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Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.

He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.

Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.

Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.

Sam Cox

Leicester City Top 11/2 Super Sunday Double

After an impressive Super Sunday last weekend that blessed us with a total of 12 goals over just two games, we can only hope for a similar situation this weekend. Kicking us off in the early afternoon is Brighton & Hove Albion who look to maintain their impressive home form this season as Southampton visit the AMEX stadium.

Later in the day we have an exciting fixture between Leicester City and Everton – two struggling clubs that have both dismissed their manager’s in the past few weeks.

The home team have form on their side, but could Everton be revitalised after Koeman’s departure? It’s fair to say that both games, especially the latter, will be incredibly tense with no manager ready to give their opposition an advantage in the league.

I took a look at both fixtures and give my tips for Sunday’s Premier League double header.

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION vs SOUTHAMPTON

Despite our earlier mention hoping for a repeat of last week’s goal fest – do not expect them to be flying in left, right and centre in this fixture. Whilst Brighton have performed significantly better than many neutrals predicted before the season started, one thing they have struggled for is goals.

And it is not just the home side who have struggled in front of goal. Brighton and Southampton have scored just 9 and 8 goals respectively out of the 9 Premier League games that have been played so far. Equally, they have conceded just 10 and 9 respectively too which shows just how conservative both sides have been this season.

One factor which sits in favour of the home side is their impressive home form this season – especially for a newly promoted side. Losing only one game, 0-2 to Manchester City on the opening day of the season, they have certainly been solid on their own turf.

Because of this, a punt on a Brighton win at 23/10 is a solid shout, however when looking at both team’s poor form in front of goal, I fancy Sunday’s early fixture to end in a draw.

TIP:  Draw @ 21/10

LEICESTER CITY vs. EVERTON

Arguably the fixture of the weekend after Manchester United vs. Tottenham, the late afternoon kick-off has the potential to be an exciting one. Both teams have had an abysmal start to the 2017/18 season and have consequently sacked their manager’s.

With new Leicester boss Claude Puel and interim Everton manager David Unsworth looking to impress club owners and cement their respective positions, this tie is set up to be an incredibly tense affair.

While it is hard to predict how both sides will line up and set out to play, going on recent form it would be hard to bet against a home victory. Having scored 12 goals compared to the visitors’ 7, it could be the case that Appleton’s men simply outscore their opponents.

It is more than likely we will see goals from both teams and at EVS, over 2.5 goals in the game is worth a shot in a fixture of this calibre.

TIP:  Leicester win @ 11/10

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Antonio Conte's men got back to winning ways against Watford - can they build on that success away at Bournemouth? Our preview is available here.

October 29, 2017
Football

By Alex McMahon

Alex McMahon Sport
Body

Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.

He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.

As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible. 
 

Alex McMahon

Champions League: Manchester United Top 12/1 Accumulator

Who is ready for match day four of the 2017/18 Champions League campaign? Manchester United, fresh from their 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday afternoon, lead my accumulator this time around.

Jose Mourinho’s men have won three out of three so far in Europe’s elite club competition and another win looks likely here. Check out my views on the action below...

Celtic vs BAYERN MUNICH

Celtic remain the dominant force in Scottish football but they aren’t as solid as they were in the previous campaign.

Brendan Rodgers’ men are still unbeaten in the Scottish Premiership but the Champions League is much tougher and home advantage isn’t what it used to be. A difficult fixture awaits for Celtic here and a positive result looks unlikely.

Bayern are a class above and a comfortable evening could be on the cards if Bayern take the lead. In years gone by, Celtic Park has been somewhat of a fortress on European nights but neutrals will recall their 5-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain earlier this season.

The Bavarians should have a fairly straightforward night if they play at their brilliant best.

TIP: Bayern Munich to win @ 1/3

MANCHESTER UNITED vs Benfica

The Red Devils were lucky to come away with a win in the away leg earlier this month as the young Benfica goalkeeper made a crucial mistake to gift the English giants victory.

This time around, United should have no trouble dispatching the Portuguese outfit. I’m expecting the hosts to come out firing and an early goal could settle a few nerves in the crowd.

Benfica were THE force in Portuguese football last term but they have tended to struggle on the big stage this season. Trailing FC Porto by five points in the race for the domestic title, it may be wise for Benfica to harness their attention on Primeira Liga.

Reaching the next round of the Champions League is almost out of reach and this will be their toughest test yet.

TIP: Manchester United to win the first half @ 4/5

BORUSSIA DORTMUND vs APOEL Nicosia

The German giants have struggled to inspire confidence in their group stage fixtures so far but victory over APOEL Nicosia here will boost their stock to qualify ahead of Tottenham or Real Madrid.

Peter Bosz’s men are building momentum at Signal Iduna Park and this one could get ugly for the European minnows if Dortmund go for the jugular.

As expected, APOEL have been the whipping boys in Group H so far this season. The Cyprus-based outfit have scored just one goal in three Champions League fixtures and it would take a brave man to back against another thrashing here.

888Sport are currently priced at 11/25 for Dortmund to score three or more goals and that looks like the best bet.

TIP: Borussia Dortmund to score over 2.5 goals @ 11/25

Napoli vs MANCHESTER CITY

Napoli will be quietly confident of finishing above Juventus in Serie A this season and plenty of punters will fancy the Italian giants to prevail on home soil.

The English outfit edged the first contest 2-1 and Napoli may be about to get their own back. It is a difficult contest to call and an opening goal for the hosts could set the tone for the evening.

The Manchester City juggernaut continues to roll on – and another win for Pep Guardiola’s side looks likely here. They won’t necessarily keep a clean sheet but City are solid value for money at 13/5 to win with both teams scoring.

It is hard to put too much faith in the Blues defence right now but this City side has goals in it and a high-scoring contest looks likely.

TIP: Manchester City to win and both teams to score @ 13/5

*Odds subject to change – accurate at the time of writing...*

October 31, 2017
Football

By Alex McMahon

Alex McMahon Sport
Body

Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.

He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.

As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible. 
 

Alex McMahon
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Stoke City vs Leicester City: 8/1 For Tight Foxes Triumph

Stoke City host one of their fellow Midlanders in the Saturday lunchtime weekend opening showpiece. As winter sets in, the Potters’ blustery stadium becomes an even less appetising day trip.

Both sides notched crucial wins last weekend, though. Stoke fought – on some occasions literally – to a surprising win at Watford, while Leicester delivered a win on Claude Puel’s first match in charge as they saw off the languishing Everton.

Mark Hughes lifted a lot of the pressure that had built with that win. It is still possible the Potters drop into the bottom three again this weekend, however. The visitors, on the other hand, will be looking up. Puel could take his side as high as eighth with a win at the Bet365 Stadium, such is the bunched nature of the Premier League mid-table.

The sides are separated by a mere point, but new manager bounce was already evident for Leicester. Stoke are at risk of having a long season embroiled in a relegation tussle, with their attack not producing and their defence far more porous than any of the overused stereotypes suggest.

Taking chances has been a trouble for Stoke. Mame Diouf has been their best goal threat, but his versatility costs him minutes in the final third. When Xherdan Shaqiri is absent – as he was for defeat to Bournemouth two weeks ago – Hughes’ side are without invention.

Needing plenty of opportunities to score, and not creating many, makes for a perilous combination. Stoke to score under 1.5 goals at 1/2 is one of my picks for this one.

The hosts’ defence has given up the second most expected goals in the league this season. Perhaps considered uncharacteristic, but Stoke’s back-line has been unsettled with injuries and too often without protection from the midfield.

Facing a Leicester team who have the most expected goals outside of the top six, Stoke will need to recreate the backs-to-the-wall defensive resilience of last week to have any chance.

Given his four goals already this season, Shinji Okazaki is at a great price of 7/1 to open the scoring. Okazaki is one of the league’s most underrated players, and could cause problems with his well-timed surges into the opponent’s box.

This match may not be pretty, and could – again – have us wondering why it was picked to go on television. Combative football should be expected, particularly with both sides more comfortable playing on the counter-attack. Leicester will be happy to gamble on Stoke’s limited creativity, and unleash the devastating duo of Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy on an uncertain defence.

Cards are well worth backing. I can’t look past Christian Fuchs in this market. His price of 12/5 to pick up a card looks very long considering that he will be dealing with the jinking Shaqiri. Joe Allen at 15/4 is good value, too, given that he is already on four yellows for the season and could be forced into a play-breaking trip.

Leicester suffered with a torturous early fixture list, but have now gone four unbeaten in the league. I think their price of 37/20 is a solid one to make it three wins in a row, with the matchup of their flying attack against this Stoke defence. Kevin Wimmer getting isolated against Mahrez has to be a massive concern for Hughes.

TIP: Leicester to win 1-0 @ 8/1

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

Look no further than our very own 888sport Premier League Super Sunday preview - top tips and odds on the action this weekend!

November 2, 2017
Football
Body

Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.

He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.

Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.

Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.

Sam Cox