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Mark O'Haire Odegaard Arsenal

Mark O'Haire's football betting tips, best bets and nap: Excitement at the Emirates

By Mark O'Haire
Football
Sun September 24, 2023 · 2y ago

Football betting tips: Weekend

3pts BTTS & Over 2.5 goals in Arsenal vs Tottenham at evens (Sky Bet)

2.5pts BTTS & Over 2.5 goals in Augsburg vs Mainz at evens (Sky Bet)

2.5pts BTTS & Over 2.5 goals in Montpellier vs Rennes at evens (Sky Bet)

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Montpellier vs Rennes

The embryonic stages of the Ligue 1 season have been fun to follow. France’s top tier is returning 2.91 goals per game – 58% of fixtures have featured Over 2.5 Goals, 40% of contests have produced four goals or more while 62% of showdowns have delivered winning Both Teams To Score wagers.

Montpellier’s match-up with Rennes on Sunday afternoon has great potential to follow the early-season trends with BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE & OVER 2.5 GOALS again appealing at an attractive even money with both sides well capable of contributing.

Collectively, the pair have delivered seven successful Over 3.5 Goals wagers across their combined 10 Ligue 1 dates thus far – eight of those encounters also produced profitable BTTS selections, highlighting the potential for a goal glut at the Stade de la Mosson.

Bruno Genesio's Rennes side have been a fun follow this term

Interestingly too, eight of Montpellier’s 10 matches here against top-half finishers saw both sides get on the scoresheet last season. Under current boss Michel Der Zakarian, La Pallade have crossed the Over 2.5 Goals barrier in seven of 10 home tussles, with Both Teams To Score also banking on seven occasions.

When Rennes take to the road, entertainment almost always follows. The Brittany boys have scored in 18 of their 21 away trips since the start of 2022/23, though Bruno Genesio’s group have silenced only five of their hosts during the same sample, leading to 15 winning BTTS plays.

Augsburg vs Mainz

The Bundesliga looks like keeping hold of its crown as Europe’s highest-scoring major league after a scintillating start to the season.

The German top-flight is averaging 3.83 goals per game, with 78% of matches beating the Over 2.5 Goals barrier, 58% of fixtures featuring four strikes or more and 69% of showdowns paying out for Both Teams To Score backers after MD4.

Augsburg’s basement battle with Mainz promises plenty this weekend and I’m eager to support BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE & OVER 2.5 GOALS here at a boosted even money considering the two teams have already seen Over 3.5 Goals click in six of their first eight combined encounters, with the duo also recording BTTS profit in six of those eight outings thus far.

Augsburg are a forward-thinking side under former Dortmund reserve coach Enrico Maassen. The Fuggerstädter’s first two home fixtures ended in enjoyable 2-2 and 4-4 draws, and if we go back further we can see the Bavarians have bagged in 15 of their past 19 Bundesliga battles at their WWK Arena base, yet also managed just five shutouts.

Augsburg coach Enrico Maassen

Meanwhile, rock-bottom Mainz have already suffered chastening 4-0 and 4-1 defeats on their travels this term. Under-pressure Bo Svensson has seen his group score in 15 of their 19 away days going back to the beginning of 2022/23 but Die Nullfunfer have also kept their sheets clean on only three occasions.

Arsenal vs Tottenham

North London derbies have a history of goals and I’m expecting Super Sunday’s highlight to follow recent trends with a potentially explosive and entertaining encounter in the offing.

Therefore, I’ll be backing BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE & OVER 2.5 GOALS at even money when Arsenal and Tottenham collide at Emirates Stadium.

It’s been a while since both sides arrived at the NLD in bullishly confident mood, and that should also lend itself to a high-scoring shootout.

Arsenal have enjoyed real dominance in this fixture – suffering a solitary home league loss in 30 – and the Gunners also arrive off a cushy midweek Champions League success. Mikel Arteta’s men haven’t been the swashbuckling side of 2022/23 as yet, though results have largely been on-point with Arsenal striking twice or more in all four home dates.

Ange Postecoglou has his side playing well

Meanwhile, the mood around Tottenham is sky-high following last week’s late show against Sheffield United. Ange Postecoglou has made a major impression on supporters and the stylistic shift means Spurs are now very much a front-foot side, playing with a swagger and confidence that’s not been seen consistently since the Mauricio Pochettino era.

We could be in for a real treat here. Arsenal’s Emirates outings have been goal-crazy since the start of last term – those 22 tussles have averaged 4.05 goals with 20 of those 22 matches producing Over 2.5 Goals, 16 breaking the Over 3.5 Goals barrier and a massive 17 also paying out for Both Teams To Score backers.

Seven of the last 10 north London derbies have seen BTTS bank, with Over 2.5 Goals also clicking on seven occasions. Both teams have also obliged in 11 of the last 13 renewals between the pair at Emirates Stadium and, with Tottenham notching twice or more in all five of their openers under Postecoglou, the visitors should be expected to contribute.

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