Tag Archives: sting

Hammers out to avoid Hornets’ sting

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Midweek Championship matches usually throw up a few surprise results but with three of the four teams in action on Wednesday desperate for the three points in the battle for promotion surely there won’t be any shocks on the cards?

West Ham will fancy their chances against Watford, while Cardiff will be looking to bounce back from defeat to the Hammers against Brighton.

West Ham v Watford 7:45pm

Depending on how Tuesday night’s matches go West Ham could go top of the Championship with a win over Watford. The Hammers look to be building a head of steam for the final 13 matches of the season, losing just once in their last eight outings.

Sunday’s win in Cardiff was as professional a performance as you are likely to see in the Championship, West Ham taking full advantage of a demoralised Bluebirds team to pick up another three points. Away from home Sam Allardyce’s men have been performing well recently, the win in Wales coming after they had put Blackpool to the sword.

At home though West Ham have drawn the last two – against Southampton and Crystal Palace. Maybe the pressure placed on them by the expectant West Ham supporters is taking its toll? Whatever it is, it will give Watford hope of causing an upset.

The Hornets are what you would call a typical Championship team, unpredictable, and on their day capable of beating anyone. Before last Saturday’s remarkable 3-2 win over Burnley, Watford had been stuffed by Crystal Palace and Southampton. Manager Sean Dyche will hope the victory over the Clarets will have restored his team’s confidence and that they will at least put on a show at Upton Park.

West Ham are 4/7 to beat Watford , who have won just three times away from Vicarage Road all season. However, it won’t be easy and draw half-time/ West Ham full time result at 3/1 should appeal. Watford won on their last visit to Upton Park and if you expect them to cause another upset you can get them at 5/1.

Brighton v Cardiff City 7:45pm

Based on Sunday’s defeat to West Ham, Cardiff’s Carling Cup exploits could have a detrimental effect on their hopes of being promoted. The Bluebirds have lost four of the last five in the league, and rather than galvanise the squad their fine performance in the final against Liverpool appears to have taken a lot out of the players.

Malky Mackay has conceded a top-two finish is beyond Cardiff’s reach and has called on his team to get their act together or risk missing out on the play-offs. Victory for the Welsh side would lift them back into the play-off places but it won’t be easy at the Amex Stadium.

Brighton’s away form might be patchy but at home they are a tough nut to crack, losing just one of the last 11 on their own patch and keeping clean sheets in four of the last five on the south coast. The Seagulls could be in the play-offs had it not been for a late El Hadji Diouf penalty rescuing a point for Doncaster and they will be keen to make amends.

Brighton were excellent in their last outing at home against in-form Ipswich, beating the Tractor Boys 3-0. Gus Poyet seems to have rediscovered some of that gold dust which gave them such a flying start in the Championship and they will be confident of picking apart Cardiff.

Brighton are 11/8 to win at home and that looks a solid enough bet, as does Craig Mackail-Smith to score first at 13/2. The Scottish striker recently ended his goal drought and has got two in the last two, prompting thoughts he could be about to go on a run of finding the back of the net. You can get 40/1 on Mackail-Smith as first goalscorer and Brighton to win 2-0 if you are feeling extra brave.

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Spurs to avoid Hornets’ sting

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Watford are hoping to spring a surprise on Friday night when they take on Tottenham in the FA Cup fourth round at Vicarage Road, but the north Londoners should have too much for them.

The Hornets will be hoping Spurs are still reeling from their last-gasp defeat by Manchester City in the Premier League last Sunday – a result which put a major dent in their Premier League title aspirations.

Tottenham will be looking to bounce back from that Etihad Stadium loss and may see the FA Cup as their only chance for silverware this season, given that they now trail table-toppers City by eight points.

But Watford, currently 18th in the Championship, are no mugs at home and their recent defeat by Reading was their first in nine games.

Tottenham are favourites at 2/5, though the Hornets will be looking to maintain their decent form at Vicarage Road by attempting to beat their illustrious opponents and are 11/2 to cause an upset.

With a midweek Premier League fixture, Spurs could rest a few players, meaning Jermain Defoe may get another start, and with five goals in his last nine games he may be a decent bet for First Goalscorer at 6/1.

The Championship outfit will fancy their chances of scoring against a Spurs side that has only kept two clean sheets in their last 11 away games, with Marvin Sordell priced at 10/1 to net first.

Tottenham seem likely to edge the match but Watford can hold them until half-time before the north Londoners’ Premier League class tells.

Friday’s other FA Cup tie is an all-Premier League affair, with Everton taking on Fulham at Goodison Park.

With the sides level on points in the Premier League, it may prove to be a close affair with the draw offering value at 9/4. Everton start favourites at 10/11, but Fulham – at 5/2 – go into the match after an impressive 5-2 demolition of Newcastle at Craven Cottage last weekend.

Clint Dempsey scored a hat-trick against the Magpies and the American is in form with that being his second three-goal haul in three games, the first of which was against Charlton in the previous round.

With 15 goals to his name already this season, Dempsey is 6/1 to add to that total by opening the scoring at Goodison.

Everton, on the other hand, are finding goals hard to come by this season, with left-back Leighton Baines their top scorer with four.

The Toffees will hope Tim Cahill will now step up to the goal-scoring plate after netting his first goal in 35 matches in the 1-1 draw with Blackburn last Saturday.

The Aussie is 7/1 to open the scoring in the fourth-round clash as Everton look to embark on a decent FA Cup run to make up for their indifferent Premier League form.

Even though the Goodison club will start favourites, 10/11 offers scant value about such a shot-shy unit and punters may decide an in-form Dempsey can earn Martin Jol’s men a replay back at Craven Cottage.

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Hibs out to sting Caley Thistle

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While much of the nation’s attention will understandably be on the Old Firm on Wednesday, there’s also a relegation battle between Hibernian and Inverness in Scotland which could be just as significant come the end of the season, and both teams will be going all out to claim what could be three vital points (Hibs 13/10, draw 9/4, Inverness 21/10).

After strong campaigns last term, both clubs have struggled this time around and now find themselves 10th and 11th respectively in the table with only lowly Dunfermline below them.

Hibs have been hugely disappointing as many believed they could possibly go on to trouble Celtic and Rangers this year due to the strong mix of youth and experience in their squad.

However, they have struggled for consistency, especially in defence where barely a week goes by without them conceding a calamitous goal and they are currently on a run of seven games without a victory.

One look at their squad and you start to believe that is only a matter of time before they start to climb the table and their forward line of Garry O’Connor (11/8 to score at anytime) and Leigh Griffiths (also 11/8 to score at anytime) should be good enough to trouble even the meanest defences in the SPL.

Both players possess superb strength and have been in good form this season with O’Connor netting seven while Griffiths has scored four. These two could make the difference on Wednesday so look out for them to be on the score sheet.

Inverness are perhaps one of the lesser known sides in the league but have held their own since being promoted back to the top league in 2010. They go into the game at Easter Road in good form as well, having won two of their last four games and Terry Butcher’s side look as if they may be on their way up the league.

Their star man is captain and striker Richie Foran (7/4 to score anytime) who has often carried them through difficult times and his ability to hold the ball up and bring his team-mates into play could prove priceless against Hibs.

One of the players he’ll be looking to bring into the game will be winger Andrew Shinnie who has a habit of scoring vital goals at important times and is understood to have been looked at by a number of English Premier League clubs ahead of the January transfer window.

However, despite Shinnie and Foran’s excellence, Hibs should just sneak this one and home advantage could make all the difference. The partnership between O’Connor and Griffiths is truly a class one at this level and they should see their side through, but it’ll be close (Hibernian 6/1 to win 1-0).

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Hornets have a sting in the tail

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There are several big games at the top and the bottom of the Championship this weekend and the highlight is a mouth-watering clash in the Welsh capital between Cardiff and Watford. Here’s some suggestions for your Championship match betting.

Cardiff City v Watford (Sat 3pm)

It’s 3rd v 6th at the Cardiff City Stadium and it’s the visitors who look like the team on an upward curve, as they set their sights on a top-two place. Malky Mackay’s men have surprised many so far this term and wins at QPR, Norwich and Sheffield United have shown there are serious promotion contenders.

The Hornets hammered Cardiff 4-1 at Vicarage Road last month and with 15-goal striker Danny Graham in hot form, can extend their unbeaten run to ten games this weekend.

Match Bet: Graham to score anytime @ 7/4

Derby v Nottingham Forest (Sat 1pm)

The East Midlands rivals meet for the second time in a month, with Forest looking to do the double over the Rams after a crushing 5-2 win at the City Ground.

Billy Davies’ men look to have found their stride and should prove too strong for a Derby team that has won just one of their last nine matches.

Match Bet: Forest to win @ 6/4

Reading v Hull City (Sat 3pm)

Two of the most improved teams in the division meet at the Madejski Stadium – Reading have lost just one of their last 12, while Hull have suffered just one loss in 11 league games.

The two teams, both serious promotion contenders, played out a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture on December 28 and there is likely to be nothing to split them again this time.

Match Bet: 1-1 Correct Score @ 11/2

Barnsley v Swansea (Sat 3pm)

Second-placed Swansea have been another of the surprise packages this season, having forced their way into the top two. The Swans have built their success on strong form at the Liberty Stadium with the most home wins of any team (nine), but their away form also stands up to scrutiny.

Brendan Rodgers’ men look too powerful for a Barnsley team slipping down the table and that have lost their key man Adam Hammill to Wolves this week.

Match Bet: HT-Draw FT-Swansea @ 7/2

Portsmouth v Leeds (Sat 3pm)

Pompey have lost their last four games since these two teams drew 3-3 at Elland Road, with their home form a concern following just four wins in 11 games.

Leeds may have gone out of the FA Cup to Arsenal in midweek but their display is only likely to further boost confidence. Simon Grayson will be aware that a win at Fratton Park and other results going their way could see Leeds move up to second.

Match Bet: Leeds to win @ 6/4

QPR v Coventry (Sun 1.15pm)

The league leaders have further strengthened their squad this week, including the loan capture of Newcastle’s Wayne Routledge, which will be a concern for their rivals.

Coventry’s winter flirtation with the play-offs now seems a distant memory and with no wins in their last seven league games, the Sky Blues look unlikely to become only the second team to beat the R’s at Loftus Road this season.

Match Bet: A Goal in Both Halves @ 8/13

Ipswich v Doncaster (Sat 3pm)

Paul Jewell takes charge of his first home game as Ipswich manager and it looks on paper like it might be a winning beginning at Portman Road. The Tractor Boys may have slipped to defeat at Millwall last week, but there have been signs of improvement in recent weeks.

Doncaster, meanwhile, have lost their last two games 5-0 and 3-0 and have struggled on their travels – with just three wins away from the Keepmoat.

Match Bet: Ipswich to win @ 6/5

Middlesbrough v Preston (Sat 3pm)

These two teams looked doomed when they met at Deepdale last month, but a 3-1 win for Boro that day helped them on the way to pulling four points clear of the drop zone.

North End are still rooted to the bottom of the table though, with new boss Phil Brown looking to inspire. If fit, Nathan Ellington looks a decent addition to the Preston ranks.

Match Bet: Draw @ 13/5

Crystal Palace v Bristol City (Sat 3pm)

Both of these teams look set for a battle to stay in the division between now and May, having been very inconsistent to date.

Despite being in the bottom three, Palace’s home form is decent and with City beaten 0-4 by Middlesbrough and 0-3 by League One Sheffield Wednesday in their last two games, the points look to be there for the taking for the Eagles.

Match Bet: Palace to win @ Evens

Sheffield United v Norwich (Sat 3pm)

The Blades are in real danger of slipping into the English football’s third tier, but there does seem to be a chink of light at the end of the very long tunnel. Two draws, against Doncaster and Coventry, indicate Micky Adams is slowly turning the tide.

Norwich may be 17 points ahead of their Yorkshire opponents, but they haven’t won in their last three games, which includes a cup shock against Leyton Orient.

Match Bet: HT-Draw FT-Sheff Utd @ 9/2

Leicester v Millwall (Sat 3pm)

The Foxes have made further additions to their squad in the last week as they look to make a concerted attempt to reach the play-offs.

Who would have thought Millwall would have been four places and three points above Leicester at this stage? But under Sven Goran Eriksson, the Foxes have been hard to beat at home and have lost just twice at the Walkers Stadium all season.

Match Bet: Both Teams to Score @ 8/11

Scunthorpe v Burnley (Sat 5.20pm)

New manager syndrome looks like being a major factor at Glanford Park, as Eddie Howe takes charge of Burnley for the first time. Brian Laws lost his job with the Clarets still in touch with those in the play-off places and Howe will want to hit the ground running.

Where better to start that at Scunthorpe, who have won just once at home all season, although their last three points came at Burnley in the reverse fixture.

Match Bet: Burnley to win @ 21/20

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