Mark O'Haire's football betting tips, best bets and nap: All around the world
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Football betting tips: Weekend
3pts Bologna to win & Under 4.5 goals vs Udinese at 10/11 (Sky Bet)
Already advised:
2.5pts Norwich to win & Over 1.5 goals vs Swansea at 11/10 (Sky Bet)
2.5pts LAFC vs Portland Timbers – BTTS and Over 2.5 goals at evens (Sky Bet)
- The above are enhanced prices with a £25 max stake
Bologna vs Udinese
- Kick-off time: 14:00 BST, Sunday
- Home 3/5 | Draw 14/5 | Away 19/4
Bologna produced an exceptional all-round performance to seal an eye-catching 3-1 success over in-form Roma at the Stadio Olimpico on Monday. The victory has brought the Rossoblu to within touching distance of a first-ever qualification to the Champions League, a remarkable achievement from head coach Thiago Motta and his squad.
However, with an eight-point cushion over sixth-placed Atalanta, Bologna know the job isn’t yet complete and the surprise package are eager to cement their position in Serie A’s top-five with a strong showing at their fortress Stadio Dall’Ara base on Sunday when relegation-threatened Udinese arrive.
Exclude the top-two and Bologna have bagged 12 triumphs in 15 in front of their supporters this season, leaking just five goals and racking up 11 clean sheets in the process. I’m therefore keen to support Motta’s men with BOLOGNA TO WIN AND UNDER 4.5 GOALS standing-out as an option.
Only four of the combined Serie A contests involving both Bologna and Udinese have featured five goals or more, whilst the visitors arrive off the back of three defeats in their last four, scoring a total of only 12 away league goals this term. Meanwhile, only rock-bottom Salernitana have posted a lower Expected Goals (xG) output over the last 12 tussles.
Norwich vs Swansea
- Kick-off time: 15:00 BST, Saturday
- Home 4/6 | Draw 3/1 | Away 19/5
Hull’s midweek win means Norwich are still not certain of a Championship play-off place. The Canaries know victory at home to Swansea on Saturday should prove decisive in their search for a top-six finish and I’m keen to support David Wagner’s troops with the Norfolk giants proving particularly proficient at their Carrow Road base.
Norwich have tabled 15 triumphs in 20 when excluding the top-two here, as well as delivering top honours in 10 of 11 encounters at home to bottom-half opposition. The Canaries are highly-motivated to enhance that impressive return against a Swansea side in mid-table no-mans-land, as well as nine losses in 11 trips to top-half teams this term.
With both sides boasting an 80% success-rate in the OVER 1.5 GOALS market, I’ll tag the goals-based element alongside a NORWICH WIN here – we’ll be paid out should City seal victory by any scoreline that isn’t 1-0 this weekend.
LAFC vs Portland Timbers
- Kick-off time: 03:30 BST, Sunday
- Home 1/2 | Draw 10/3 | Away 19/4
We’re around nine matchdays deep into the new Major League Soccer season and the Stateside division has been producing plenty of entertainment in its embryonic stage in 2024. Across both conferences, the MLS is averaging 2.92 goals per-game with 60% of contests featuring Over 2.5 Goals winners and 63% of dates delivering Both Teams To Score profit.
I’m happy to combine both markets and back OVER 2.5 GOALS AND BTTS when LAFC host the Portland Timbers in the early hours of Sunday morning with these two teams combining to see this particular selection pay-out in 13 (73%) of their 18 matches thus far.
LAFC’s last four league fixtures read 2-2, 2-2, 2-1, 2-3. Meanwhile, Portland have crossed the Over 2.5 Goals barrier in all bar one of their nine outings thus far, with the Timbers getting on the scoresheet in eight of those encounters, yet the visitors have also shipped multiple goals in six of their most recent eight match-ups, suggesting goals should be on the agenda here.
Odds correct at 1220 (25/04/24)
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