Mark O'Haire returns with his weekend best bets. He is 26pts in profit on the season, so you don't want to miss his column.
- Mark O'Haire column 21/22: +21.8pts profit | 15% return on investment
- Mark O'Haire column 22/23: +26.0pts profit | 35% return on investment
Football betting tips: Mark O'Haire
2.5pts Both Teams to Score and Over 2.5 Goals in Fulham v Tottenham at 11/10 (10bet)
2.5pts Both Teams to Score and Over 2.5 Goals in Leeds v Brentford at evens (10bet)
Fulham v Tottenham
- Kick-off time: 20:00 GMT, Monday
- TV Channel: Sky Sports Premier League
- Fulham 23/10 | Draw 13/5 | Tottenham 11/10
Entertainment can be expected on Monday Night Football as Fulham face capital rivals Tottenham. The Cottagers are the Premier League goal kings this season but were unfortunately nilled by high-flying Newcastle last weekend as Aleksander Mitrovic’s penalty was ruled out. It was just the third occasion this season the Whites had drawn a blank.
Marco Silva was full of praise for his Fulham players and will demand a bounce-back as the Cottagers bid to consolidate their top-six position. And on home soil, the West Londoners have shown a real penchant for providing a proactive approach with the Whites scoring in nine of 10 tussles as hosts, striking at least twice on seven occasions.
Unfortunately for Silva, his side have been far from watertight this term, sitting amongst the bottom-six for almost all defensive metrics. Fulham have kept a solitary shutout at Craven Cottage, with five visitors getting on the scoresheet multiple times already, leading to a goal-glut in matches on the banks of the River Thames.
Fixtures at Fulham’s base have averaged 3.30 goals – nine of 10 have broken the Over 2.5 Goals barrier and eight of those 10 contests have rewarded Both Teams To Score backers. And so a BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE AND OVER 2.5 GOALS repeat looks well within range, and an appealing punting prospect at an odds-against price against under-fire Tottenham.
Spurs are reeling from a series of below-par efforts, including in a desperately-disappointing North London derby defeat. But Antonio Conte should be able to call upon his awesome foursome in attack here with Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski both fit enough to feature alongside the always-excellent Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min.
There’s just too much attacking quality in Tottenham’s team to be consistently turgid in the final-third against less-than-impressive defences and I’m happy to support Spurs obliging here. The visitors have already netted in 16 of 19 EPL outings, yet have silenced only five top-flight outfits thus far, leading to a bulbous goals per-game average of 3.36 this season.
Leeds v Brentford
- Kick-off time: 14:00 GMT, Sunday
- TV Channel: Sky Sports Premier League
- Leeds 13/10 | Draw 13/5 | Brentford 19/10
“That was my side’s most complete performance since I took charge”, claimed Jesse Marsch after watching his Leeds team suffer an undeserving 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa last weekend.
After sloppily falling behind early on – conceding with their only shot faced in the first-half – the Whites were largely excellent. Two possible penalties were turned down, there was a goal-line clearance, a wonder save and a disallowed goal all going against Leeds in the first-half alone. Overall, the Whites won the shot count 16-11 and forced 11 corners.
Wilfried Gnonto had another excellent night on the left side and Patrick Bamford was back on the scoresheet for the first time since 2021. So it’s understandable that Marsch was enthusiastic about his side’s efforts, although the pressure remains on the American to turn the tide with the Elland Road outfit winless since Bonfire Night.
Returning to their West Yorkshire base should suit Leeds, who’ve scored multiple goals in five of their nine Elland Road outings this term and have displayed all season an ability to create chances and get on the scoresheet. Marsch‘s men have only failed to score in five Premier League games thus far, whilst new record signing Georginio Rutter could be in-line for a debut.
The issue, as it’s tended to be since Leeds returned to the top-flight, has been defensively. The Whites rearguard has managed only three clean sheets in 2022/23, shipping two goals or more in 10 of their overall 18 league fixtures. That’s certainly a concern when coming up against a streetwise Brentford outfit that have notched in 15 of their 19 encounters.
The Bees are performing well above pre-season expectations and arrive unbeaten in seven and on a three-match winning streak. Thomas Frank’s team have been beaten only four times in the Premier League and have provided plenty of threat of their own, particularly on their travels, grabbing at least two goals in five of their nine road trips.
However, Brentford have struggled to find a consistent defensive formula outside of their Hounslow home. Since promotion, the Bees have recorded just four shutouts in 28 Premier League games as guests, conceding a hefty 1.89 goals per-game in that sequence.
So there’s plenty of ammunition to suggest Sunday’s match-up could prove to be a fun affair. Collectively, the two teams have scored in 14 of their respective 18 home/away dates, managing only four clean sheets in the process. Of those 18 fixtures, 12 (67%) have paid out for Over 2.5 backers, and 12 (67%) have also provided Both Teams To Score profit.
Combining the two major goals markets makes plenty of sense with BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE AND OVER 2.5 GOALS available to support at even money.
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