A nice little win on the Team Goals Treble at the weekend should have those betting accounts of yours popping at the seams and ready for more action. We’ve got a full Championship fixture list this Tuesday as well as a few other games dotted around so I’m aiming to build on the weekend’s success and keep the good form going with a bit of midweek betting action.
Derby vs Reading
Derby continued their good run of form at the weekend with a hard fought 1-2 win away at Hartlepool in the FA Cup 3rd round and with a 4 point gap to close on league leaders Middlesbrough, they return to Championship action in need of a decent performance.
The Rams have lost on only 3 occasions so far this season in the league and only 1 of those has been here at the i-Pro Stadium to Leeds back in August. Since then they are undefeated in 9 home league games, winning 7 of those and scoring 2 or more goals in each of their last 4. On Tuesday evening they welcome a mid-table Reading side who’s form has been somewhat indifferent as of late.
The visitors secured a 2-2 draw in their 3rd round tie against Huddersfield on Saturday which gives them a place in the 4th round draw but does mean another game on the cards as they face a replay in a weeks’ time. And it’s away from home where Reading have really struggled this season collecting just 11 points from a possible 36. The majority of those points were secured towards the beginning of the season though and The Royals are now without a win in 7 of their travels, losing their last 6 games in a row and conceding 2 or more goals in 4 of those.
We also have the added story here of Nick Blackman who completed his transfer from Reading to Derby only last week and made his first appearance for his new club at the weekend. The 26 year old hasn’t been in the greatest of form over the past month or so, but has a point to prove here against his old side and that could be a huge factor in this bet coming in for us.
Derby have managed to find the net in 11 of their 12 home league games this season and face a Reading side who have failed to keep a clean sheet in 11 of 12 away. It’s not beyond Derby to bag a couple of goals here and at an attractive price too.
BET: Derby Over 1.5 Team Goals at 5/6
Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace
If you’ve watched Aston Villa at any point this season then you will know exactly what’s coming here. Defensively they have been absolutely woeful, and that’s being kind if I’m completely honest. And so it’s hard not to take Crystal Palace to take something away from Villa Park this Tuesday.
Tuesday night special – Manchester United 8/1 to beat Newcastle. . . Paid in cash. Claim it right here
Villa suffered yet more embarrassment at the weekend in a draw away at League Two side Wycombe in the FA Cup, and though their performance was far from stunning, you have to hand it to Gareth Ainsworth’s men who put in a great performance. The game resulted in fans having a lengthy discussion on the sidelines with Micah Richards before hundreds of fans surrounded the team bus and hurled abuse at what they believe is a complete lack of effort and passion from the players who they pay good money to go and watch.
Whatever your opinion of the situation at Villa, mine is personally that this team simply isn’t good enough to compete at this level and even drastic improvements this January may be too late to save the doomed bottom club.
This Tuesday they welcome Crystal Palace who had a confidence boosting 1-2 win at Southampton at the weekend and it’s fair to say that the majority of their great results this season have been away from home. 17 of their 31 points have been collected on the road this season for Pardew’s men and they have lost only twice in 9 away games.
Wins at Liverpool and Stoke in their last 4 away games prove that Palace are not a side who fear silencing a home crowd and having scored 2 goals in each of those and of course at Stamford Bridge back in August, they can find the net when they need to.
This game really is a tale of two sides heading in opposite directions. Palace sit 7th and a win this Tuesday evening could move them 5th, knocking Man United out of the Europa League spots, an incredible achievement for such a small club. Villa on the other hand are lacking in confidence and, if I’m honest, talent and look doomed to relegation.
Palace secured a 2-1 win against Villa earlier in the season and I really don’t understand the 13/8 on them to score 2 or more goals against a hopeless Villa side here.
BET: Crystal Palace Over 1.5 Team Goals at 13/8
Braintree vs Kidderminster
I’m heading down the National League for the last selection and hoping that the weather holds out in Essex as so many of these lower league games are getting called off at the moment. Hopefully this paragraph won’t be wasted on yet another postponement and the game goes ahead at The Amlin Stadium.
In all honesty, this bet is more backing Kidderminster to concede goals than it is backing Braintree to score them. Braintree are one of those sides who can play out a 0-0 draw for fun as they are so tight defensively, boasting the 2nd best defence in the league, but this can come at the expense of goals at times. They’ve managed to score in 7 of their 11 home league games so far this season, but today they host a Kidderminster side who are in free-fall.
Harriers are currently on a run of 6 straight losses in all competitions, a run which combined with Halifax’s turn of form recently and other sides around the bottom picking up results as condemned them to bottom spot in the National League. They’re now 13 points adrift of safety and it’s away from home where they have really struggled.
They’ve collected 14 points from a possible 78 so far this season and away from home that reads 5 points from a possible 39. Kidderminster are yet to win a single game on their travels this season, have conceded in every single away game and have conceded 2 or more in 8 of those 13.
It really is desperate times for Harrier’s fans as much like Villa, they look doomed for the drop after 11 years at this level, since they were relegated from League Two back in 2005. Braintree picked up a 0-1 win away from home when the two sides met back in September and recorded a 2-0 win here against Kidderminster when the two last met at The Amlin Stadium.
I’m hoping that they can repeat that again tonight.
BET: Braintree Town Over 1.5 Team Goals at 5/6
A £20 bet on the treble returns £176.40
