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Friday night football picks

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There are a host of football games on Friday night and further down the ladder there are half a dozen games across League One and League Two – so here’s a guide to those games taking place (totesport – Friday’s picks).

Npower League One
Huddersfield v Carlisle

Huddersfield suffered two losses in a row, to Charlton and Bournemouth, earlier in December as their 43-game unbeaten league record came to an end. It was always going to be difficult for Lee Clark’s men to bounce back but a morale-boosting 4-4 draw away to Sheffield Wednesday and a win over Chesterfield means they are getting back to their best. Carlisle themselves are sitting only three places behind and are unbeaten in three games, but expect Huddersfield to be too strong.

Prediction: Huddersfield to win @ 4/6

Tranmere v Bury

Tranmere saw their Boxing Day game with Rochdale postponed due to structural damage at Prenton Park, but hopefully they will be able to play on Friday. On the pitch, it has been eight games without a win and they welcome a Bury side that are great on their travels – winning six and drawing one on the road this season. It could mean more misery for Les Parry’s team.

Prediction: Bury to win @ 9/4

Npower League Two
Cheltenham v Rotherham

Cheltenham are riding high in the league and it has been only one defeat in their last six games, and three wins and a draw in their last four home matches. With only two home defeats and a mere six goals conceded on their home patch Cheltenham are consistent, which cannot be said of Rotherham of late.

Prediction: Cheltenham to win @ evens

Crawley Town v Barnet

Crawley sit at the top of League Two and face the perennial strugglers from North London. Even though Steve Evan’s men lost at home to Gillingham you should not expect Barnet to pull off a big shock as Crawley look for momentum to boost their push to League One.

Prediction: Crawley to win @ 4/11

Dag & Red v Gillingham

It is now five home defeats in a row for poor Dagenham and Redbridge, which has left them sitting level on points with the bottom two of Northampton and Plymouth. Confidence is low and they welcome a Gills team who thrashed Bristol Rovers and won away at league leaders Crawley in their last two games. All the signs point to a miserable end of 2011 for John Still’s team.

Prediction: Gillingham to win @ 21/20

Hereford v Accrington Stanley

It is eight games without a win for Hereford and only two points taken in that stage, and they really need to stop losing leads and start picking up points at Edgar Street. They welcome an Accrington side who have only won twice on the road all season – and those two wins have come in December. Stanley have drawn seven of their 11 matches away from home and this could be magical number 12.

Prediction: Draw @ 12/5

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League One and Two Picks

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There is a full schedule in League One and League Two this weekend which means there are a lot of options available for those who look further down the league ladder. Here is our guide to five games on Saturday which gives great options for any accumulator.

League One: Huddersfield v Walsall

This game looks a banker on paper, as Walsall have struggled on the road in League One this season while Huddersfield remain on this incredible record-breaking unbeaten run of 41 league games.

Lee Clark rejected Leicester’s advances this week to continue his project at the Galpharm, while in Jordan Rhodes Huddersfield have the most in-form and potent striker in the Football League.

While the Terriers ride high in the league, Walsall are on the brink of dropping into the relegation places and with only one win in their last 13 games in total, and no away win since August, they look like lambs walking to the slaughter on Saturday.

Prediction: A win for Huddersfield @ 4/11

League One: Oldham v Bury

Oldham have been in the goals in recent games but still boosted their attacking options with the loan signings of Luca Scapuzzi and Andreas Mancini from Manchester City this week.

Their last two games have been on the road and both have resulted in 3-3 draws, with Preston and Carlisle respectively, so they will be hoping to be leaner in defence against Bury at Boundary Park.

Paul Dickov’s side have not been as proficient in front of their home fans but that could change with the signing of the two City stars.

The former AC Milan youth man Scapuzzi has impressed in the Carling Cup while Mancini is the son of the City boss and both will be out to prove a point in League One.

Bury have conceded a lot of goals this season so Oldham should fancy their chances of finding the back of the net at Boundary Park.

Prediction: Oldham win @ evens

League One: Leyton Orient v Hartlepool

Leyton Orient may be unbeaten in their last seven matches but they have struggled at Brisbane Road and they face a Hartlepool side that excel on the road.

Mick Wadsworth’s side have won four of their last six matches on the road – compared to their poor home form at Victoria Park of only two wins in the same period – and they could be boosted by the return of experienced midfielder Nolberto Solano.

Both these teams seem to prefer playing away from home, which suggests a possible shock could be on the cards, but in reality a draw looks a distinct possibility.

Prediction: A draw @ 5/2

League Two: Plymouth v Morecambe

Things are looking a bit shinier for Plymouth off the pitch but things need to improve on it this weekend as they risk being marooned at the bottom of League Two.

While they want a win the league’s best travellers arrive at Home Park, with Morecambe having won five of their eight away games this season and drawing the other three.

Their morale will be riding high and last time on their travels they plundered four at ninth-placed Port Vale, which could be worrying reading for Pilgrims fans dreaming of getting only their second home win on Saturday.

Prediction: Away win for Morecambe @4/5

League Two: Bradford v Cheltenham

Cheltenham are unbeaten in their last five away games, with four wins and one draw, and travel to a Bradford side who are struggling near the wrong end of the table.

Bradford tend to score as many as they concede at Valley Parade and are struggling to really get any consistency – in the last six games they have won two, drawn two and lost two.

Their home form is the only thing really saving Bradford from being in a worse position this season but they will need to step up a level when Cheltenham roll into town.

Prediction: A punt at a draw at @12/5

These results combine to form a tasty five-way accumulator

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Boxing Day Championship Picks

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There’s a full fixture list planned in the Championship on Boxing Day and, providing the weather is not the winner again, there are plenty of festive footy delights to keep you entertained in the second tier if that’s your betting bag and you’ve already had enough Turkey stew, leftover cake and old movies for Christmas.

Leeds are the form team in the Championship at the moment and head to Leicester on Boxing Day with another promotion-boosting victory in their sights.

The 2-0 win over table-toppers QPR last weekend underlined United’s title credentials and there is a growing belief in West Yorkshire that a return to the big time may just be around the corner.

They will again be tested at the Walkers Stadium and Sven appears to have the Foxes on the up, too, but such is Leeds’ confidence, an away win is a distinct possibility.

That game kicks off at the traditional 3pm time but there are three 1pm ko’s with the aforementioned Rangers hosting Swansea in another eyecatching clash.

Neil Warnock’s men will be keen to erase the memory of the Leeds loss with a win over the Swans and we can’t see anything other than a handsome win for the home side – go for 3-0 at 16/1.

One of Warnock’s old clubs, Crystal Palace, host Norwich and here the away win at 6/4 is attractive while a double with Portsmouth to win at evens against Millwall would return a decent profit.

In a division that is often difficult to predict, finding more value bets on Boxing Day is not easy. Middlesbrough boss Tony Mowbray has had a tough time of it since he came in to rescue his old club following a disastrous spell under Gordon Strachan but a win at home over Forest could just be the turning point.

Boro are on offer at 6/4 to win and it’s worth a punt with a big crowd expected at the Riverside to help cheer Mowbray’s men on.

Finally, two more clubs in need of a vital win are Sheffield United (23/20) and Hull City, who go head to head at Bramall Lane. United, who are in search of a permanent successor to Gary Speed after his decision to take up the Wales job the other week, have experienced coach John Carver in charge and may just have the edge over the Tigers.

This is, of course, if we’re not all snowed in and forced to watch the Royle Family instead that you recorded on Christmas Day!

Boxing Day Championship picks:

Leeds to win at Leicester at 11/5

QPR 3-0 versus Swansea at 16/1

Double:
Norwich to win at Crystal Palace
Portsmouth to beat Millwall

Boro to beat Forest (6/4)
Sheffield United to beat Hull (23/20).

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Chile boss makes surprise picks

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Luis Marin, Jaime Valdes and Charles Aranguiz were the surprise names in Chile (9/2 to win Group H) coach Marcelo Bielsa’s 30-man preliminary squad for the World Cup.

Union Espanola’s Marin has won the battle for the third goalkeeping berth over Universidad Catolica’s Cristopher Toselli and will travel to South Africa alongside Real Sociedad’s Claudio Bravo and Miguel Pinto.

Atalanta midfielder Valdes and Colo Colo midfielder Aranguiz, who has just recovered from a knee injury, did not feature in qualifying, but both make the squad.

Flamengo midfielder Claudio Maldonado was not included despite getting over cruciate ligament surgery very quickly.

Universidad Catolica defender Hans Martinez and Osvaldo Gonzalez, who reached the Mexican Bicentenario semi-finals with Toluca, also missed out.

Squad: Claudio Bravo (Real Sociedad), Miguel Pinto (Universidad de Chile), Luis Marin (Union Espanola); Roberto Cereceda (Colo Colo), Pablo Contreras (PAOK), Ismael Fuentes (Universidad Catolica), Mauricio Isla (Udinese), Gary Medel (Boca Juniors), Gonzalo Jara (West Brom), Waldo Ponce (Universidad Catolica), Arturo Vidal (Bayer Leverkusen); Charles Aranguiz (Colo Colo), Carlos Carmona (Reggina), Marco Estrada (Universidad de Chile), Matias Fernandez (Sporting Lisbon), Gonzalo Fierro (Flamengo), Jose Pedro Fuenzalida (Colo Colo), Manuel Iturra (Universidad de Chile), Rodrigo Millar (Colo Colo), Pedro Morales (Dinamo Zagreb), Rodrigo Tello (Besiktas), Jorge Valdivia (Al-Ain), Jaime Valdes (Atalanta); Jean Beausejour (America), Mark Gonzalez, Hector Mancilla (Toluca), Fabian Orellana (Xerez), Esteban Paredes (Colo Colo), Alexis Sanchez (Udinese), Humberto Suazo (Real Zaragoza).

Meanwhile, Juventus winger Mauro Camoranesi feels Italy (12/1 to win World Cup) have “a very strong squad for the World Cup and nobody wants to take us on.”

Camoranesi has had a poor campaign, but remains in Marcello Lippi’s 30-man preliminary list.

“This is a very strong Italy squad for the World Cup and if I look at our opponents, nobody wants to take us on,” said the 2006 winner.

“The other teams know they’d be facing a side that has lifting the trophy as its sole objective.”

The Azzurri are the reigning holders with many of the same players who were in Berlin four years ago.

“We feel in good shape and now need to work ourselves very hard indeed over the next two weeks,” continued Camoranesi.

“History tells us the favourites for the World Cup are always the same, basically: Germany, Brazil, Argentina, and France.

“On top of them Spain have proved they are very strong by winning Euro 2008 and will fight to the end.

“With Fabio Capello’s arrival, England have improved a great deal.”

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