Premier League Betting: Tottenham Hotspur vs. Sunderland

Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland are separated by two points and by three ranking spots. Their close proximity in the Premier League table makes their upcoming clash on the weekend the most compelling and it should live up to the hype. Is understood they will be each looking to win this match, I hope.

Soccer Betting Line:

Tottenham Hotspur -1 -105 -200 3 O +125 U -145 2 O +105 U -125 Draw +285

Sunderland AFC +1 -115 +600 3 O +125 U -145 1 O +105 U -125 Draw +285

Venue: White Hart Lane

Soccer Betting Verdict: Tottenham Hotspur are significantly favoured in this all-important clash, listed at BetUS Sportsbook at -200 to win outright. The Spurs are after back-to-back losses and looking to turn things around. They lost surprisingly 1:0 to Stoke City a fortnight ago at White Hart Lane and most recently, they lost the local derby to Arsenal 3:0 at the Emirates Stadium.

The loss to Arsenal shouldn’t knock a bother out of them though as they have a history of losing to Arsenal, even when in good form. Harry Redknapp and his men will have to put it behind them. No sense in crying over spilt milk.

Sunderland are having a good season and pose a dangerous threat to Tottenham. It is a bit surprising to see they are so disadvantaged in the market, listed at +600 to win outright. Surely, the side that has contributed no less than 20 goals so far and sits eighth in the table would be more vested in the match than that.

The Black Cats are confident after coming back from behind to draw against West Ham United last weekend, playing with 10 men for most of the match. The point was a good result considering the heroics. The Black Cats will be mindful of Spurs’ recent woes as well and looking to capitalize on the negative trend. Spurs have to be ready for this match. If they are not focused, they risk extending the negative trend.

This match should be more open than the money line suggests and the winner a tossup. Certainly, there will be many goals, so perhaps betting on the totals will be the better strategy. However, I like Sunderland in this match.

read more...

Premier League Betting - Liverpool vs. Birmingham City

Liverpool FC are after a 1:1 draw against Lyon in midweek Champions League action. The Champions League attempt came right after a 3:1 to Fulham in Premier League action. Indeed, the Reds are in all sorts of woes right now. And as you might expect their upcoming domestic commitment against Birmingham City is a must-win. Birmingham City are relegation threatened but they are coming off a scoreless draw against Manchester City, which considering the state of their campaign is a good result for them. However, Birmingham City cannot really be overconfident about their chances at Anfield Stadium.

Soccer Betting Line:

Liverpool FC -1½ -115 -325 2½ O -120 U Ev 2 O -120 U Ev Draw +375
Birmingham City +1½ -105 +1200 2½ O -120 U Ev ½ O -130 U +110

Venue: Anfield Stadium

Match Time: 03:00 P.M. Eastern Time Monday November 9, 2009

Soccer Betting Verdict: Liverpool FC were sixth in the table ahead of the weekend, but slipped to seventh when most contested their matches on Saturday and Sunday. As Liverpool and Birmingham close the 12 th cycle, the standings will be adjusted accordingly. Liverpool have a shot to move up to fifth in the League if they take all three points at the expense of Birmingham City.

Birmingham City are currently 15 th in the table on 11 points, at a level with 16 th Bolton and 17 th Hull City. They are at the positive end of the mark on a better goal difference and so long as they don’t lose by a huge margin to Liverpool, they will hold on to their place in the standings.

Liverpool enter this match as the favourites to win outright however, they are listed at rather pricey odds of -325 to win outright. They are expected to win so. But at such a hefty price they are not worth the risk. Birmingham City are unlikely to take anything away from Anfield Stadium so they would be a long shot bet at +1200 to win outright. They have shown some stoicism through the early season and therefore while they are expected to lose they are not expected to capitulate huge. The value in this match is betting on the score. Taking Liverpool to cover the spread at -1 ½ -115. And taking the combined totals at Over 2.5 goals -120, Liverpool to score over 2 goals at -120 and Birmingham City to score at least one goal at Over ½ -130 are some of the better options on offer.

Free Soccer Picks: Liverpool -325 | Liverpool -1 ½ -115 | Over 2.5 -120

read more...