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The match stats below are compiled with major football betting markets in mind. They are presented as facts without recommendation, allowing you to spot trends and decide whether they have relevance as betting opportunities. Click any ‘Bet Now’ button to see a bet slip from that bookmaker.

NARRATIVE:

Liverpool led 1-0 en route to a 3-1 winning score-line in the inaugural Premier League fixture last season. Liverpool won the reverse game 6-1 this year whilst the all time league record between these two teams reads as follows: Hull: 0–Draws: 2–Liverpool: 7

MARKET:

Hull: No wins–Draws: 0–Liverpool: 1 win (goal difference: 1-3)

MARKET: Correct Score

1 x 1-3

MARKET: First team to score

Hull: 0— Liverpool: 1

MARKET: Even or odd total of goals:

Even: 1—-Odd: 0

The match stats below are compiled with major football betting markets in mind. They are presented as facts without recommendation, allowing you to spot trends and decide whether they have relevance as betting opportunities. Click any ‘Bet Now’ button to see a bet slip from that bookmaker.

NARRATIVE:

Portsmouth have only scored more than one goal on one occasion though the visitors ended a potential hat trick for the home side when winning 3-0 at Goodison in August last season. Portsmouth went on to achieve the double over the Toffees for the first time so they should go into this year

The match stats below are compiled with major football betting markets in mind. They are presented as facts without recommendation, allowing you to spot trends and decide whether they have relevance as betting opportunities. Click any ‘Bet Now’ button to see a bet slip from that bookmaker.

NARRATIVE:

Chelsea turned their three victories at Stamford Bridge into

The match stats below are compiled with major football betting markets in mind. They are presented as facts without recommendation, allowing you to spot trends and decide whether they have relevance as betting opportunities. Click any ‘Bet Now’ button to see a bet slip from that bookmaker.

NARRATIVE:

This is a new Premier League fixture. Tottenham won the reverse game via a 5-0 score-line earlier in the season having led 2-0 at half time. All time league record between these two teams reads as follows: Burnley 34–Draws: 22–Tottenham: 33

MARKET:

N/A

MARKET: Correct Score

N/A

MARKET: First team to score

N/A

MARKET: Even or odd total of goals:

N/A

The match stats below are compiled with major football betting markets in mind. They are presented as facts without recommendation, allowing you to spot trends and decide whether they have relevance as betting opportunities. Click any ‘Bet Now’ button to see a bet slip from that bookmaker.

NARRATIVE:

The fact that Blackburn scored fourteen goals despite failing to find the net in eight of the fifteen games makes for interesting reading. Villa scored a maximum of one goal in ten games whilst the half time score-line dominated the way matches were eventually decided. Blackburn only led in five games but won them all, as did Villa in both the matches where they were in front at the interval. Villa secured a staggering twenty points via eight games that were level at the break, bearing in mind that neither side would have started these matches as hot favourites down the years. Doubles: Aston Villa 3—-Blackburn 4

MARKET:

Aston Villa: 8 wins–Draws: 2–Blackburn: 5 wins (goal difference: 17/14)

MARKET: Correct Score

3 x 1-0, 3 x 2-0, 2 x 0-1

MARKET: First team to score

Aston Villa: 7—-Blackburn: 7 (1 x 0-0 draw)

MARKET: Even or odd total of goals:

Even: 8—-Odd: 7

The match stats below are compiled with major football betting markets in mind. They are presented as facts without recommendation, allowing you to spot trends and decide whether they have relevance as betting opportunities. Click any ‘Bet Now’ button to see a bet slip from that bookmaker.

NARRATIVE:

Arsenal turned five of their six home victories into

Nottingham Forest, Cardiff City, Blackpool Town & Leicester City have all earned their places in the Play-Offs and now the time has come for one of those 4 sides to prove they can handle the pressure, the expectations & show that deserve to earn the final spot in the Premier League for next season.
All the Play-Off matches are always intense, high pressure occasions & particularly the Championship Play-Offs because a place in the Premier League guarantees a side millions of pounds in revenue & the chance to test themselves against the very best teams in the country and absolutely everything is at stake over the next few weeks.

We have had a good look at the set-up of both Championship Play-Off Semi Final 1st leg matches & here are our previews of the games with value betting recommendations we feel are worth consideration:

Blackpool vs Nottingham Forest – (Saturday 12.45pm)

9 points separated 3rd place Nottingham Forest & 6th place in the final Championship League table but the teams line-up for this Playoff Semi Final 1st leg with an equal chance of getting to the final & these two sides do look set to produce a really close battle.

Blackpool built their season on fantastic home form with 13 wins & 6 draws from 23 matches and indeed they go into this home leg with massive confidence given their fantastic end of season form.

Blackpool lost only 1 of their last 9 Championship matches & their victories included a resounding 3-1 home victory over Nottingham Forest so that should give them massive belief & certainly every reason to have great confidence of getting a positive result here.

Ian Holloway is a fantastically positive manager & he will certainly have spent all the preparation time for this match building up the belief & confidence of the Blackpool players & he will know that their best chance of getting through this Semi Final tie is to get a good home win first to take an advantage into the 2nd leg.

Billy Davies will be frustrated Nottingham Forest did not achieve automatic promotion after looking rock solid candidates to do so earlier in the season but the main thing is Nottingham Forest have a chance of promotion & indeed they are probably the team to beat in the Play-offs given their quality.

The Nottingham Forest players will be pumped up for this match & determined to put right what went badly wrong against Blackpool when they were beaten 3-1 a few weeks ago & Nottingham Forest will believe they have the talent to get a good positive result from this one.

Nottingham Forest’s away form was terrible in the latter part of the season but they were incredibly strong away from home in the early parts of the season & the fact they achieved 11 draws away from shows how tough they when playing away & we expect the same here.

This is a fascinating game to call because Blackpool & Nottingham Forest both have positive to recommended backing them & it is going to be fiercely competitive so it’s a tight call but we feel the real value lies in backing a scoring draw which will set things up perfectly for the 2nd leg.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: DRAW

Correct Score optionS: 1-1/2-2

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Adam/Blackstock/Earnshaw

Scorecast options: Adam/Blackstock/Earnshaw score 1st & 1-1/2-2

Double Result: DRAW H/T & F/T

Leicester City vs Cardiff City – (Sunday 1.15pm)

A goal difference of only 3 goals was all that split these two strong sides at the end of the regulation season in the Championship as Leicester City & Cardiff City finished level on points & this Semi Final certainly looks a hard one to call with real confidence.

Leicester City have done fantastically well to get into the playoffs & manager Nigel Pearson deserves all the credit going for achieving it with a relatively thing squad in such a competitive league.

Leicester City are desperate to get back into the Premier League & indeed their best chance to do lies in getting a good, solid result & preferably a good win in this first leg at home so we are expecting Leicester City to be really positive but clearly they face a very tough test against Cardiff City.

Dave Jones again deserves huge credit for the great job he has done at Cardiff City & the way he has handled the club despite all the major financial, off field concerns & especially for getting Cardiff City into the playoffs after missing out so narrowly last season.

The fact Cardiff City have achieved a place in the playoffs again after suffering that major disappointment last season illustrates the character & indeed the quality within the Cardiff City squad and they will definitely believe they can earn their place in the Premier League.

Cardiff City are a hard side to play against because they provide a really good mix of competitive team spirit & an excellent level of quality with their attacking unit probably the best in the Championship with the likes of Bothroyd, Chopra & Whittingham all massive goal threats & they could well be the key to this tie & to Cardiff’s bid for playoff glory.

Leicester City & Cardiff City have already played each three times this season with 2 wins for Cardiff City & 1 win for Leicester City with home advantage the key each time so that could be important again but it really is a tough game to call.

We are expecting a good, competitive battle with a good mix of good football & indeed physical power and it was really tempting to go for a competitive, scoring draw but on balance we feel Cardiff City have the extra quality in attack & that makes them a value bet to get a vital away win here.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Cardiff City to win

Correct Score options: Cardiff City to win 2-1/3-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Bothroyd/Whittingham/Chopra

Scorecast options: Bothroyd/Whittingham/Chopra score 1st & Cardiff City win 2-1/3-1

Double Result: Cardiff City H/T & F/T

Tottenham have deservedly qualified for the Champions League & we see that as being more bad news for Burnley in their final home game of the season as this looks the perfect opportunity for Tottenham to celebrate their achievements on the pitch in style.
Yes Burnley will want to give their loyal home fans one last hurrah in the Premier League but Tottenham come here as a side full of quality with the pressure off & certainly they will believe they can take Burnley apart just like they did at White Hart Lane earlier in the season.

Of course there is a chance that the Tottenham players might go into this game having celebrated hard having deservedly reached the Champions League but we expect whichever Tottenham side turns up at Burnley to be way too good for Burnley & a Tottenham away win looks the only sensible & viable outcome with goals likely.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Tottenham to win

Correct Score options: Tottenham to win 3-1/4-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Defoe/Crouch/Modric

Scorecast options: Defoe/Crouch/Modric score 1st & Tottenham win 3-1/4-1

Double Result: Tottenham H/T & F/T

This season has been a case of job well done for Wolves with safety secured against all expectations & a case of good but could do better for Sunderland making this a tough match to call with confidence.
Wolves have defied the critics & expectations to stay up & Mick McCarthy does deserve praise for doing that & to be fair to Wolves they have showed great spirit & determination throughout the season & in the end that was good enough for them this season.

Wolves are a good, organised team with a strong team spirit & worth ethic and their lack of quality & particularly in terms of creating & scoring goals has not cost them but it is a major weakness & something that has to be changed for next season.

Obviously Mick McCarthy will want Wolves to finish the season by winning at home & we expect Wolves to have a go but their home record is nothing special with a pathetic return of only 4 home wins & only 11 home goals so it’s hard to suggest Sunderland can actually win this so a draw looks the best they can achieve.

Sunderland have done ok under Steve Bruce this season with tremendous home form let down by incredibly poor away form so Steve Bruce has reasons to be happy but also reasons to be frustrated & clearly Sunderland’s away form is the major concern.

2 wins & 4 draws from their previous 17 away games is an incredibly poor return & it’s hard to explain properly because Sunderland have got quality players who should be able to get results home & away.

Extra prize money & of course pride are the only elements on the line in this one so both Wolves & Sunderland should be able to relax and play good, positive football which should make for a good game that can go either way but in our minds Sunderland have more attacking quality with Darren Bent a solid contender to fire the goals & give Sunderland a rare away win.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Sunderland to win

Correct Score options: Sunderland to win 2-1/3-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Bent/Campbell/Jones

Scorecast options: Bent/Campbell/Jones score 1st & Sunderland win 2-1/3-1

Double Result: Sunderland H/T & F/T

This is the last game of the season for Hull City & Liverpool but in reality both their seasons finished long ago & after what has been a disastrous season for both, it’s impossible for us to expect too much from this game.
Hull City were finally officially relegated on monday following their 2-2 draw with Wigan but in effect their relegation looked certain from christmas time onwards as they have lacked the necessary quality & consistency to stay in the Premier League.

Commitment & effort has never been lacking & indeed Ian Dowie has done his limited best to keep that going but that is the only real quality Hull City have and while they will be committed to do well in this game, whether they can conjure up a result is doubtful.

Liverpool’s season has been equally as disastrous as Hull City & although they obviously don’t face relegation, the tepid performances in all competitions, the obvious lack of quality within the squad & all the off field problems all combined to make the 2009/10 season one to erase from memory with immediate effect.

In terms of this match, then it really is impossible to know what to expect from Liverpool because they have been way too inconsistent to have any great confidence in their mental approach but in terms of quality then they are far superior to Hull City and that should be good enough on the day to make the difference.

Ian Dowie will want the Hull City players to give one last Premier League performance for the Hull City fans & will hope for a committed performance from his players & that should make the game competitive making a scoring draw a possibility but Liverpool have more quality & should have enough about them to make that count on the day & finish their nightmare season with a win.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Liverpool to win

Correct Score options: Liverpool to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Gerrard/Benayoun/Kuyt

Scorecast options: Gerrard/Benayoun/Kuyt score 1st & Liverpool win 2-0/2-1

Double Result: Liverpool H/T & F/T