Sporting Life
Mark O'Haire best bets

Mark O'Haire's football tips, best bets and nap for 23-25 May

By Mark O'Haire
Football
Sun May 25, 2025 · 7M ago

Football betting tips: Weekend best bets

Friday 19:45

2.5pts Napoli to win and Under 3.5 goals vs Cagliari at 11/8 (Sky Bet)

Saturday 15:01

3pts Both teams to score 'no' in Sheff United vs Sunderland at 3/4 (Betfair)

Sunday 16:00

2.5pts Newcastle to win to nil vs Everton at 11/8 (Sky Bet)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair

Napoli vs Cagliari

NAPOLI are a game away from securing their second Scudetto in three years with Antonio Conte’s side knowing victory against Cagliari at their Diego Armando Maradona Stadium base on Friday night will secure top spot. The Partenopei were held at Parma last weekend, but the table-toppers should be well-capable of sealing title honours here.

Cagliari are safe from Serie A relegation following their impressive win over fellow strugglers Venezia last weekend, a result that’s propelled the islanders up to 14th. The Sardinians have been rock-solid against their fellow basement battlers, yet tended to fall short against elite opposition, posting W1-D8-L16 when meeting teams above them in the table this term.

Having suffered eight losses in 11 trips to the top-12 – scoring only five goals in the process – the visitors should make for obliging guests with little left to play for. Meanwhile, Napoli have tabled 11 triumphs in 13 when welcoming clubs in seventh and below, whilst 20 of their overall 23 league victories have arrived alongside UNDER 3.5 GOALS.

Sheffield United vs Sunderland

The Championship play-off final is dubbed ‘the most valuable match in world football’, with promotion to the Premier League boosting the winners’ coffers by at least £170m, and the magnitude of the match can often cripple clubs on their big day at Wembley.

Perhaps unsurprisingly with so much at stake, Championship play-off finals are rarely high-scoring affairs. Since the famous Sunderland 4-4 Charlton play-off final 27 years ago, 18 (69%) Championship curtain-closers have reached the 90-minute mark with fewer than three goals - 54% of those 26 encounters produced no more than a solitary strike.

Meanwhile, only six of the past 24 finals have paid out for Both Teams To Score backers, highlighting the value in opposing goals. With that in mind, I’m keen to back BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE 'NO' with three of the four Championship play-off semi-finals seeing this selection land, whilst Sheffield Utd and Sunderland kept a combined 39 shutouts during the regular season.

Newcastle vs Everton

Newcastle will look to close off a memorable season by securing a top-five finish. Only a victory over Everton at St. James’ Park on Sunday will guarantee the Magpies Champions League football and so Eddie Howe’s side will be eager to enhance their already impressive record on Tyneside (W12-D2-L4), a sample that includes nine triumphs in their last 11 here.

Understandably, NEWCASTLE are a short price TO WIN but we can back the home side to seal a success TO NIL for an appealing 11/8. The Magpies have won without conceding in eight of their 18 St James’ Park dates already this term, with this bet winning in five of their eight matches against sides 12th and below.

Everton arrive after their emotional departure from Goodison Park and the Toffees could be forgiven for failing to reach the same heights on their final outing of the campaign. The Merseysiders have struggled against top-seven opposition (W1-D6-L6), scoring only seven goals in that 13-game sample, and have been nilled in eight of their 18 road trips.

Odds correct at 1020 BST (22/5/25)

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