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Top 10 midweek football bets

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Chelsea face group F whipping boys MSK Zilina on Tuesday in the Champions League and will surely bounce back to winning ways with a clean sheet at Stamford Bridge (Chelsea 4/7 to win to nil).

It is true that the Blues conceded three goals to Sunderland at home but Tuesday’s opponents have only scored once in their four European games this term, while letting in 15 and, while it is not a big price, surely a win to nil is a banker for Carlo Ancelotti’s men, who have already qualified for the last 16.

Arsenal need a point against Braga in Group H on Tuesday to progress to the knock-out stage and they are tipped to get it against a side who could also qualify.

The Gunners have looked excellent in Europe and should be too good for Braga, but home advantage and the fact they are fighting for their lives could inspire the hosts against Arsene Wenger’s men (draw 13/5).

Rangers took a point from Manchester United at Old Trafford and will be a tough nut for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men to crack at Ibrox.

United have not played particularly well this season, despite remaining unbeaten, but this could be where it all ends, with the Gers tipped to win by a solitary goal (Rangers 9/1 to win 1-0).

Tottenham have been superb in Europe and have won back-to-back Premier League matches and they can qualify for the Champions League knock-out stage with victory over Werder Bremen.

The Germans have scored just three goals in Europe this term but Spurs have scored 12 and 2-3 goals (21/20) seems a good bet, with Spurs scoring all of them.

Bayern Munich are already through to the last 16 and will probably play a weakened team at Roma who should win this one at a decent price (5/6)  to give themselves a great chance of joining the Germans.

Real Madrid have secured their passage to the knock-out stage but Italian giants AC Milan still have it all to do.

Victory over Auxerre coupled with a Madrid win against Ajax would see them progress and they are tipped to get the win at a price which could tempt many punters (11/10).

Southampton take on league-leading Brighton in a south coast clash on Tuesday and are tipped to add to their five home wins so far this season with another success.

Brighton have stuttered in their past couple of League One games and we believe the Saints will continue their five-match winning streak at St Mary’s (10/11).

Charlton have had an up-and-down few weeks but are good value to beat Bristol Rovers on Tuesday evening (4/5).

The Addicks have won their last two in all competitions at The Valley and, with Rovers suffering injuries among their back line, they should make it three this week.

League Two leaders Chesterfield face an Oxford side who are just one place above the relegation zone and surely this must be the banker of the night on Tuesday.

Seven wins already at home means they will be full of confidence and are a decent price to make that eight against the U’s (8/11), who have won just once on their travels to date.

If you are seeking value away from home then look no further than Bury’s trip to Sincil Bank to face Lincoln City.

The Shakers have won an amazing six times away from Gigg Lane while the Imps have won three, lost three and drawn three at home.

Bury (11/8 to win) look a tasty price to continue their heroics on the road.

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10 things we now know…

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It has been a busy weekend of football. Here is what we have learned in the last two days (check out midweek match prices on totesport.com).

1) Fans who declared earlier in the season that Chelsea were going to walk the title race were completely, and utterly, wrong. The Blues were on fire at the start of the campaign, but three losses out of four has seen their lead at the top of the Premier League diminish and they are now having to scrap like the rest of them (Chelsea 6/5 Man United 11/5, Arsenal 4/1, Man City 8/1 – Premier League outright).

2) Wayne Rooney has some way to go if he wants to win over the Manchester United fans. It was a mixed reception from the Old Trafford fans when he came on as a substitute, and many claim the cheers among the jeers were for Paul Scholes rather than Rooney. If Rooney (22/1 – Premier League top goalscorer) had not fluffed his lines and scored on Saturday he might be back in their good books, but time will probably make the best healer. Speaking of cold receptions???

3) Fans will boo only when they are winning. Arsenal fans were vocal in their hatred towards William Gallas for long periods – but only up to when Tottenham pulled back their lead. Then suddenly the booing stopped and the Gunners fans went strangely silent as Younes Kaboul gave the visitors a shock win. Harry Redknapp had made Gallas captain and declared him the undoubted man of the match – has the Frenchman made Arsene Wenger realise he made a mistake?

4) Another Arsenal one, everyone always knew Wenger was not exactly Mr Muscle, but we were shocked to see him lose a fight with a bottle of water after Spurs got their third goal. Shocking, but ultimately funny for all watching on TV.

5) Rangers have been suffering with huge injury problems and as a result their defence is leaking goals. They went behind to the mighty Kilmarnock before launching a comeback, and that tendency to concede goals does not bode well considering Manchester United, with Rooney back in the line-up, are heading to Ibrox in the Champions League on Wednesday (7/2 Rangers 5/ draw 4/5 Manchester United – match prices).

6) Newcastle United striker Andy Carroll (14/1 – top Premier League goalscorer) really cares for his club. The way he chased after the ball after getting the goal back at Bolton and raised one arm in salute to the Geordie fans showed how much his heart his in Newcastle. The same definitely cannot be said about Fabricio Colloccini, however, as his cowardly and shocking assault on Johan Elmander was not the actions of a man who values the badge on his chest.

7) Could we have seen the goal of the season already? The superb volley from Luke Varney was a sublime moment. A finer dipping volley from 30 yards we are not likely to see this season, and it is just another great moment among an amazing season for Blackpool (4/5 to stay up) so far.

8) What has happened to the West Brom that beat Arsenal and drew with Manchester United? They rose as high as fourth in the Premier League and now they sit only two points above the relegation zone and are looking a shadow of the side they were. Roberto Di Matteo needs to inspire a win sooner rather than later, or it could be a repeat of Burnley’s campaign last time out and you know how that ended (West Brom 11/4 to be relegated).

9) Is the Middlesbrough job a poisoned chalice? They were touted as Championship favourites, Gordon Strachan failed and walked away and now Tony Mowbray is already feeling the wrath of the Boro fans after only a few weeks. How long will the Riverside faithful put up with sitting in the relegation places?

10) Money maybe can buy success. There has been massive debate in the Premier League about buying glory (Man City et al), but is it being proven to work down in the Blue Square Premier?  Steve Evans spent huge money for a non-league side during the summer on what is being called ‘Project Promotion’, up to £250,000 on Richard Brodie, and their 7-0 win over Altrincham sees them riding high in the table.

It is, however, a good feeling for old-school football fans to see AFC Wimbledon beating them to top spot. Tradition rather than exuberance is leading the way but for how long?

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Redknapp dreaming of title

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Despite having only just making it into the Champions League last season, Harry Redknapp has set his sights on winning the title after victory over Arsenal, claiming his Tottenham side, who are 66/1 to finish top come the end of the season, can win the Premier League.

Redknapp’s quotes came after his side had produced a remarkable turn around to beat the Gunners on their own patch for the first time in 17 years and will probably be put down to over excitement at the result.

Seeing as how Spurs haven’t won the title since 1961 it might be a little bit optimistic of Tottenham fans and punters to expect them to be winning the league less than a year after they had scraped into the Champions League.

However, Redknapp was not to be denied another moment in the sun as he went on to say that he thought his Spurs’ side can beat anyone in the Premier League.

“We can beat anybody and this win today has put us right back in the race again. It is wide open,” said Redknapp

“We can achieve anything. We have to believe. It is not impossible to win the title. Let’s see how we go.”

While one half of north London would have been celebrating long into the night, it was a different story in the red half, with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger left kicking himself at his side’s failure to hold onto a two goal lead, a result which would have sent them top.

Chelsea losing at Birmingham might have been a good result in the eyes of some Arsenal fans but had they not capitulated they would have been a point clear right now.

Arsenal are still 4/1 to win the Premier League but the 3-2 reverse could have a huge impact on the Gunners season and the coming weeks could be a struggle, something Wenger claims he is well aware of.

“What is worrying for me is that we had an opportunity to go top of the league and when you have to deliver, we can’t. That’s worrying because that’s part of our job,” said Wenger.

“We put ourselves in the right position and we failed, so we have to accept that. That is mental more than football.”

While Wenger was in a downbeat mood after Arsenal’s defeat West Ham manager Avram Grant was amazingly upbeat considering his team’s predicament.

The Hammers were pitiful in their 3-0 defeat to Liverpool on Saturday evening and look for all the world like they will need a miracle to save them from relegation, with totesport agreeing after they made them the 4/7 favourites for the drop.

Grant’s time at Upton Park has been a disaster and the natives have begun to turn on the former Chelsea and Portsmouth boss, signing the name of potential replacement Paulo Di Canio at Anfield.

Despite the pressure Grant still believes he can turn things around and save the hapless Hammers.

“I am concentrating on my job. Even now in this situation we can get out of this,” said Grant.

“If I can take West Ham to the place I want to take them that is what is important.”

While Grant  desperately trying not to discuss the obvious frailties of his side Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson wasn’t afraid to bemoan his side for not scoring more than two against nine-man Wigan.

“We really could have done our goal difference a power of good in the last 20 minutes. We missed a lot of chances and we could have had five or six, easily,” said Ferguson.

United’s win over Wigan moved them into second, level on points with Chelsea at the top of the league, but that was overlooked in favour of concentrating on the return of the chosen one, Wayne Rooney.

The 25-year-old made his long-awaited return to Old Trafford, coming off the bench for the last half an hour to a decent reception from the United faithful, who had every right to be disgruntled with Rooney after the recent contract saga.

Ferguson wasn’t forthcoming with praise for Rooney on his comeback but hoped we would see the real Wayne when United take on Rangers (11/2 to qualify from Group C) in the Champions League on Wednesday.

“It was a quiet comeback. He got involved in a few bits of the interplay. He needed 25 minutes or so,” said Ferguson.

“He will play against Rangers on Wednesday, that is the perfect game for him to come back and get 90 minutes.”

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Rovers start new regime

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Rovers manager Sam AllardyceBlackburn Rovers will be desperate to start life under their new owners, Venky’s London Limited, with a victory and Aston Villa beware, with Gerard  Houllier’s men visiting Ewood Park (Blackburn 13/10, draw 11/5, Aston Villa 11/5 – Match Betting) on Sunday.

The new owners started their business as a poultry firm in India and they will be looking for Rovers to ‘rule the roost’ at Ewood Park and maintain their impressive home form.

Blackburn go into this game on the back of a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, but had won back-to-back games prior to that.

Sam Allardyce’s men sit just two points above the relegation zone, despite decent wins against Wigan Athletic and Newcastle United, but at home they are always a tough nut to crack.

Villa meanwhile, will be disappointed that they could not make a two goal lead count against Manchester United at Villa Park last weekend, but it was a much improved display.

The Villains welcome new signing Robert Pires into the squad for this clash after the former Arsenal midfielder signed a short-term deal with the Midlands’ club this week.

With the backing of new owners the Rovers players will be looking to impress but will need to end a poor run against Villa, having lost three of the last four meetings at Ewood Park.

Manchester City desperately need to get their season back on track, when they travel to Craven Cottage on Sunday.

City have only won one of their last five Premier League matches and manager Roberto Mancini has come under pressure for playing negatively.

With the amount of attacking talent at Eastlands, you would expect them to try and win every game and this will be another stern test of the top four credentials.

However, last weekend against Birmingham, the Italian boss brought off leading goalscorer Carlos Tevez (21/5 to score the first goal against Fulham) for defensive midfielder Gareth Barry, with the game goalless with seven minutes remaining.

It’s doubtful that Mancini will be that negative again after the criticism that fans directed at the Italian manager, but he will be up against a Fulham team whose manager will be out to prove a point.

This is an important home game for Fulham, who just sit one point above the relegation zone in the Premier League, with ex-City boss Mark Hughes looking to put one over on the club he left last season.

Half of the last 14 games between these two teams have ended in draws, but without Moussa Dembele and their star striker Bobby Zamora, it looks like a struggle for Hughes’ men.

In Monday evening’s game, Sunderland take on Everton at the Stadium of Light and the Black Cats will be full of confidence after they demolished Chelsea 3-0 at Stamford Bridge last time out.

Asamoah Gyan is fast becoming the signing of the season as he has notched up five Premier League goals in 10 appearances, eight of those as a substitute.

The Ghana striker is starting to form a tidy partnership with Danny Welbeck up front for Sunderland and they could be a threat to the Toffees on Monday, with Darren Bent still sidelined.

Everton  have won just one of their last five games and they will face another tough test in the North East, as they look to climb the table after another poor start to the season.

There could be a start for Jermaine Beckford, who has impressed when coming off the bench in recent matches, scoring a fine curling shot against Bolton in the dying moments of the game.

However, with the mood Sunderland are in the Black Cats look a good shout to take the points (Sunderland 6/4, draw 23/10, Everton 9/5 – Match Betting).

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Saturday’s EPL betting preview

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Arsenal will go into the north London derby full of confidence after back-to-back away wins but Tottenham are not without hope because Arsene Wenger’s men have already lost at home twice this season (Arsenal 8/13 match betting v Tottenham).

Harry Redknapp will have Jermain Defoe back in the squad while Arsenal starlet midfielder Jack Wilshere is set for a late fitness test.

As ever with derby matches form does not come into the equation and the home side are tipped to continue their winning run on Saturday lunchtime.

Birmingham may be in the bottom three but they are a much tougher nut to crack at home with just one defeat this term at St Andrew’s.

However there is always the danger of a Chelsea backlash after their incredible 3-0 defeat to Sunderland at Stamford Bridge last time out.

The Blues of west London are capable of beating anyone on the day but we believe this will not be their day with a draw the likely result (draw 13/5).

Blackpool have won only once at home this season while Wolverhampton Wanderers have yet to win away from Molineux but that could all change this weekend at Bloomfield Road.

Wolves have been praised for their performances this term despite not picking up many points but surely their persistence will pay off against an unpredictable Blackpool side who will be without first-choice keeper Matt Gilks (Wolves 9/5 match betting v Blackpool).

Bolton have been the surprise team this season and face a Newcastle side who have also punched above their weight with 18 points from their first 13 games.

There is not much to choose between the clubs in the table but the Magpies excellent away form should see them secure a point at the Reebok Stadium (draw 9/4).

Manchester United could have Wayne Rooney back for the visit of Wigan and this must be the banker of the weekend in the top flight.

The Red Devils have drawn their last two fixtures and rarely will Sir Alex Ferguson’s men go three games without a victory.

Wigan have won only once on the travels and are a different side away from the DW Stadium while United remain a dominant force on their own patch and should win by at least two clear goals (United 11/2 to win 2-0 correct score).

West Brom and Stoke have both garnered 16 points so far this term but the Baggies have not won in four and face a Potters side who have won their last two, including a 2-0 victory over Liverpool.

However Tony Pulis’ men rarely win on the road and a draw seems the likely result here for two sides who will feel that finishing in mid-table obscurity is as good as it gets (draw 11/5).

Finally Liverpool are in desperate need of three points when basement boys West Ham arrive at Anfield on Saturday but will have to do without the services of the inspirational Steven Gerrard, who is out for four weeks.

The Hammers have improved in recent times and are unbeaten in three, and Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson knows that if they lose to the bottom club they will be dragged back towards the relegation zone, which looked a distant memory after three successive victories just a couple of weeks ago.

With Fernando Torres in the side the Reds will be confident of victory, however, and are tipped to win this one by a solitary goal (Liverpool 4/9 match betting v West Ham).

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Bougherra adds to Rangers’ woes

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Rangers are sitting pretty at the top of the Scottish Premier League but Walter Smith is struggling with an injury crisis ahead of the trip to Kilmarnock (7/1 in the match betting).

The champions bounced back from their first defeat of the season to Hibernian earlier in the month by beating Aberdeen, but now they have to add Madjid Bougherra to an injury list that already includes Maurice Edu, Sasa Papac, Nikica Jelavic, James Beattie, Andy Webster, Steven Naismith and Steven Whittaker.

Rangers are 2/5 to win this weekend but could have one eye on their forthcoming Champions League game against Manchester United, and that could be their downfall as they face a Killie side that are unbeaten in their last four matches and have scored 10 goals in the process.

Dundee United were always going to face a daunting challenge travelling to Celtic Park, but they are not being helped by the number of injuries they are struggling with.

Peter Houston is without Craig Conway, Darren Dods, Scott Severin and Mihael Kovacevic for the clash, so is hoping that Danny Swanson and Jon Daly are available to come back into the side.

Celtic (1/4 to beat Dundee United) have stuttered since their staggering 9-0 win over Aberdeen, but their home goalscoring record has been impressive this term and the Terrors have only mustered 9 goals on their travels all season.

Hearts (1/2 to continue the winning run) have consolidated their third place with an impressive three wins in a row, in which they have scored six goals without conceding. That run included a victory over Celtic at Tynecastle only ten days ago and they have no new injury worries so can rely on the same side that have done them so well in recent weeks.

Hamilton (11/2 to win, 14/5 the draw) probably stand more chance on the road that at home, as they have won eight of their nine points on their travels. The facts suggest though that it will not be a goal-packed game, as Hearts have scored eight goals at Tynecastle and the Accies have scored six away from home all season, but Jim Jeffries knows a win for his side can see them further secure their third place standing.

Inverness CT (5/4 to win) have struggled at home this season and Hibernian (2/1 to win, draw 23/10) have not excelled on their travels, suggesting a draw could be the way forward. However both sides are currently chasing a third successive Clydesdale Bank Premier League victory, and Terry Butcher will be looking for the Highland side to continue their strong start that sees them sitting fifth in the table.

Derek Riordan will be looking to go out on a high before starting a suspension and help Hibernian get a third win on the bounce, but Colin Calderwood, who is recovering from a poor start as Hibs boss, goes into the game with David Wotherspoon, Daryl Duffy, Graham Stack and Merouane Zemmama all injured.

St Mirren (19/10 in the match betting) have struggled so far this season but Danny Lennon is finally getting an almost full squad available after seeing his side decimated by injuries in recent weeks. Motherwell (13/10 favourites to win) have had an up-and-down time of late but will want to keep the pressure on third-place Hearts win a win at New St Mirren Park.

Things have all been a struggle at Aberdeen recently. The Dons sit second bottom of the SPL and have only won two of their home games. Things have not been much better for St Johnstone, with five successive losses seeing them only one point and one place ahead of Saturday’s opposition.

Both teams are desperate for a result to go their way (Aberdeen 6/5 to win, St Johnstone 21/10) so they can climb away from the bottom reaches of the league, so it is likely there will be a war of attrition at Pittodrie this weekend.

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Elite Leagues predictions…

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For those looking to avoid the unpredictable nature of the Premier League and Championship then why not take a trip across the English Channel to the homes of our continental cousins. We pick out the best bets from this weekend’s Spanish, Italian and German action from Totesport’s Elite League match betting.

Mainz 05 started the season like a house of fire with eight wins from their first nine Bundesliga fixtures. Those results were good enough to put the newly promoted side from Rhineland top of the Bundesliga before a recent downturn in fortunes. Mainz travel to struggling Borussia Monchengladbach and at 8/5 look a good bet to get their season back on track. Borussia haven’t won at home since April and despite last week’s 4-0 win over Cologne look right for the picking.

The big game of the weekend in Germany is the clash between Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich at the BayArena on Saturday evening. Leverkusen are 17/10 to win and that looks like a good price when you take into consideration Bayern’s away form this season. Louis van Gaal’s side have won just once on their travels this season and while recent results have improved Bayer have been flying of late, winning six of their last eights league matches.

Heading south now and into Italy where Inter Milan need a win to close a six point gap on rivals AC Milan, who currently sit atop Serie A. Rafael Benitez’s men have struggled domestically since their defeat to Tottenham, losing last weekend’s Milan derby 1-0. Inter will be desperate to bounce back against Chievo on Sunday and while the trip to the Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi will be tough the Nerazzuri have what it takes to claim three points. The best bet could be draw half-time and Inter full-time at 7/2 with Chievo having been narrowly beaten in their two home defeats this season.

In Spain it looks like a predictable two horse race for the La Liga title between Real Madrid and Barcelona but don’t let that put you off getting involved in the betting. While the two super powers of Spanish football look like picking up another three points there is still some value to be had. Barcelona have been excellent away from home this season and Almeria should present no problems for Pep Guardiola’s men. With that in mind Barcelona to start with a minus one handicap and win at 4/6 doesn’t look like a bad option. Lionel Messi to score two or more at 9/4 could also be worth a punt with the Argentinean having already scored 10 goals, including last week’s brace against Villarreal.

Looking a bit further down the league and Atletico Madrid look as though they could be about to enter a good run of form after last week’s 3-0 win over Osasuna. Atletico travel to Real Socided this week looking to turn around a run of three straight defeats on the road. However, that run of loses came at the hands of Real Madrid, Villarreal and Sevilla, all of who have been in great runs of form recently. They travel north with Sergio Arguero and Diego Forlan both back to full fitness and looking sharp. Real Sociedad have won their last three at home but at 6/4 Atletico can’t be overlooked to end Sociedad’s recent run of wins.

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Cardiff look to England inspiration

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Championship leaders Cardiff City will look to the England debutant Jay Bothroyd to inspire them as they come up against poor travellers Nottingham Forest (10/3 to win) on Saturday.

Forest sit in mid-table and have once on their travels this term but are unbeaten in their last three matches and will have former Cardiff players Robert Earnshaw and Chris Gunter among their ranks when they return to the Welsh capital.

Billy Davies’ side have tended to concede more goals than they score on the road this season, and with Cardiff boasting firepower such as Bothroyd, Craig Bellamy and Michael Chopra, the visitors are likely to create a host of chances and are 4/5 to take all three points and retain their spot at the top of the table.

QPR will hope to put some real pressure on the leaders, and take top-spot if the Bluebirds slip-up, when they face Championship bottom club Preston (11/2 to win, draw 16/5 match betting) at Loftus Road.

Darren Ferguson has bolstered Preston’s ranks of Manchester United players with the loan signing of Ritchie De Laet this week but they are without a win in four and you would expect QPR, who are unbeaten at home and 4/9 to get the win, to have too much strength for them on Saturday.

Brendan Rodgers will hope his Swansea side can keep in touch with the top two as they face play-off chasing Doncaster at the Keepmoat Stadium. The Swans have looked strong in recent weeks and are 13/8 to land the spoils on their travels, but Doncaster sit only one spot outside the play-off places and are unbeaten in their last three.

The winner of the Norwich and Leeds United clash will gain some advantage on their rivals in the chase for a play-off position, while fourth-placed Derby are favourites at 4/6 to take all three points at home to a struggling Scunthorpe side who have lost their last four games in a row.

Middlesbrough suffered a setback with their loss to Swansea last time out, but will hope the Tony Mowbray revolution can see them climb further clear of the bottom three against a Millwall side who they can draw level with if they were to take the three points.

Boro have already lost three games at the Riverside, and Millwall are without a win in six so are lacking confidence, so the fans are likely to get anxious if the home side do not look to put away their London visitors. The home side are 10/11 to win compared to Millwall at 11/4 in the match betting.

Sheffield United (Evens for the win) and Crystal Palace are both sitting lower in the table than their fans probably expected before the season started. Their respective managers will pray for another good result as their teams have improved in recent weeks and are looking to climb the table.

Crystal Palace climbed off bottom spot with last week’s win and the return of Darren Ambrose, who has scored 4 in 6, is vital to their aspirations for the season.

Finally, Bristol City face a tough task to climb out of the bottom three as they take on in-form Leicester City that have looked rejuvenated under Sven-Goran Eriksson. The Foxes are on a four-game unbeaten streak, with three clean sheets in the last four, and are 11/8 to win at Ashton Gate.

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McLeish joy in battle of Blues

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Birmingham may be languishing in the bottom three, but they are always a tough nut to crack at St Andrew’s and Chelsea’s poor form will raise optimism amongst the home fans (Birmingham 9/2, Draw 11/4, Chelsea 4/7 – totesport.com Match Betting).

Blues have never beaten Chelsea in 12 Premier League meetings and will never have a better chance!

Tottenham are a big price (4/1) to win the north London derby at the Emirates and Harry Redknapp’s men will fancy their chances of turning over their rivals. Arsenal have already lost twice at home this term and look shaky at the back.

Bolton continue to improve and Kevin Davies (15/8 to score anytime) will be out to prove a point when Newcastle visit the Reebok this weekend. Davies should have been in the England squad ahead of Andy Carroll and the Trotters frontman will be a man on a mission on Saturday.

If goals are what you are after, then look no further than Bloomfield Road this weekend (4/6 both teams to score). There have been 45 goals in Blackpool’s 13 matches to date, whilst visitors Wolves have not kept a clean sheet yet this season.

The Championship is unpredictable to say the least, but Hull (7/5) could pile more frustration onto Ipswich boss Roy Keane this weekend. The Tractorboys have lost their last two games, to Barnsley and Derby, while the Tigers’ form appears to be improving.

High-flyers Swansea may have their wings clipped this weekend, when they make the long journey up to Yorkshire (Doncaster 6/4, Draw 23/10, Swansea 13/8 – Match Betting). Doncaster have an impressive home record and will prove a tough test for the goal shy Swans.

Sheffield Wednesday’s off-the field problems could be compounded by on-the-pitch League One defeat on Saturday. With all the financial issues hanging over the Owls, MK Dons (5/4) – unbeaten at home this season – will be eyeing up three points.

Manchester City’s title hopes could be crushed by their former boss this Sunday. Mark Hughes’ Fulham (19/10) entertain City at Craven Cottage and the home side can exploit a lack of harmony in the Blues’ ranks.

Andy Murray starts his ATP World Tour Finals campaign on Sunday and the British number one looks doomed to defeat in his first match. The Scot faces in-form Robin Soderling (Evs – match prices), who goes into the tournament off the back of success first Masters title in Paris earlier this month.

South Africa (4/6) will surely prove too strong for Pakistan (9/2) in the second Test in Abu Dhabi, which gets underway on Saturday. The Proteas looked the stronger side in the drawn first Test, but Graeme Smith’s men will prove their quality in the final five-day encounter.

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Five possible weekend shocks…

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It has been an unpredictable Premier League season to date and this weekend could throw up some more shocks with Spurs having every chance of taking the spoils from the north London derby (Tottenham 4/1 to beat Arsenal).

Arsenal have been impressive of late and have moved to within two points of Chelsea at the top of the table but they have already lost twice at the Emirates Stadium, and Spurs showed last time out that they are capable of taking sides apart when on form.

Form will count for little on Saturday lunchtime but with the man of the moment, Gareth Bale, in the ranks, then anything is possible for Harry’s men.

Birmingham are currently in the relegation zone but have lost just once at home all season while Chelsea have already lost twice on their travels.

This fixture would normally be put down as an away banker but the Blues of Stamford Bridge have hit a sticky patch with two defeats in their last three top-flight games.

With John Terry out of the running they are not the same side and Birmingham’s work ethic has never been in question. A draw would be a superb result for Alex McLeish’s men but do not rule out all three points staying in the West Midlands this weekend (Birmingham 9/2 to beat Chelsea).

It appeared as though Liverpool had turned the corner but the resurgence has come to a shuddering halt after defeat to Stoke last time out and now Steven Gerrard has been ruled out for four weeks.

They face a West Ham side who have won only once this season and have picked up just three points away from home to date.

While it is unlikely that Avram Grant’s men will pick up all three points from the trip to Anfield, a draw would be a shock result given the season the Hammers have had and we predict honours will be even on Merseyside (3/1 the draw).

Fulham are one of the teams at the wrong end of a tight Premier League table but are a much tougher nut to crack at Craven Cottage with just one defeat this term.

They host a Manchester City side who have won just one of their past five top-flight games and are seemingly at war with each other in the dressing room.

With the talent on show for both sides City should expect to win this one but Fulham boss Mark Hughes will want to get one over on the club that sacked him and will have his players pumped up for Sunday’s encounter by the Thames.

The Eastlands outfit are there for the taking and Fulham have it in them to shock their cash-rich Premier League rivals (Fulham 19/10 to beat City).

It is difficult to tip against the Old Firm in Scotland but Kilmarnock must have a great chance of upsetting Rangers at Rugby Park (Killie 7/1 to beat Rangers).

The Gers’ 3-0 home reverse to Hibs sent shockwaves through Scottish football while they were also held recently by Inverness at Ibrox.

Killie have enjoyed an up-and-down season to date but have taken seven points from a possible nine in their last three games and may cause a further shock for Walter Smith’s side this weekend.

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