Football betting tips: Thursday best bets
17:45 - Crystal Palace vs Hoffenheim
2pts BTTS and Over 2.5 goals at 5/6 (Betway)
1pt Red card in the match at 11/2 (bet365)
17:45 - Sparta Prague vs Bournemouth
1.5pts Bournemouth win to nil at 15/8 (BOYLESports)
20:00 - Benfica vs Lech Poznan
2.25pts Jhon Duran to score anytime at 10/11 (Sky Bet)
0.75pts Jhon Duran to score 2+ goals at 9/2 (Sky Bet)
0.5pts Jhon Duran to score 3+ goals at 20/1 (Sky Bet)
- Possibly more bets to be added...
Crystal Palace vs Hoffenheim
- Kick-off: Thursday, 17:45 GMT
- TV: TNT Sports 1
- Live odds, form and stats
Pierre Sage is a man under pressure at Crystal Palace. The Eagles have won just one of their last six in all competitions, losing four times and conceding 14 goals, a run of results that leaves them 18th in the Premier League title and 15th in the Europa League standings.
GOALS have been a common theme for them and should be on the cards once again as they welcome Hoffenheim on Thursday.
Palace's 14 games this season have seen 47 goals, an average of 3.36 per game, while Hoffenheim's 13 games have brought 46 goals (3.54 per game).
BOTH TEAM TO SCORE AND OVER 2.5 GOALS has copped in both of Palace's last two Europa League contests against Lyon (3-2) and Besiktas (2-2), and should go close against an attack-minded Hoffenheim side who are defensively vulnerable.
We'll also have a go at A SENDING OFF IN THE MATCH at 11/2 given the referee appointment. Romanian referee Horatiu Fesnic has been red hot with red cards for a good while, showing four in 13 games this season and one in each of his two Europa outings.
Last season he dished out 10 reds in 32 games following six reds in his last 28 games of 24/25. Thats a red card per game rate of 0.27, making 11/2 value given recent outings of both Palace and Hoffenheim.
Palace have seen a red in four of their last 10, including two of their three Europa matches, while there have been two reds in Hoffenheim's last six outings.
Sparta Prague vs Bournemouth
- Kick-off: Thursday, 17:45 GMT
- TV: TNT Sports 2
- Live odds, form and stats
Bournemouth are flying after a slow start to the season under Marco Rose. After winning two of their first eight across all competitions, one against Championship Lincoln, the Cherries have rattled off six straight wins, all without conceding.
Their performance levels in that time have been remarkable, creating plenty (2.70 xGF per game) while conceding barely anything (0.78 xGA per game).
Those figures really are a recipe for success if sustained, but the defensive solidity has me intrigued ahead of a tip to Czechia, where we can back BOURNEMOUTH WIN TO NIL at 15/8.
A seventh straight win to nil would be remarkable, but it is realistic given how well Bournemouth are performing, how well Rose is managing and rotating his squad and how poor Sparta Prague have been of late.
The Czech's were held to a goalless draw by a bottom half team in the 1. Liga at the weekend, prior to that they were beaten 2-0 by another bottom half team in the Czech Cup. Before a big 5-1 home league win against another struggler, Sparta were beaten to nil by Olympiakos and held to another goalless draw in the Czech league.
They also failed to beat Swedish side Lillestrom at home in the Europa League, mustering just 1.04 xG. That all means Sparta have scored just six goals in their last six outings, with five of those coming in one game, firing a blank in four of those six - and none of those opponents have been at the same level as Bournemouth.
Rose's side are 8/15 to win the game in 90 minutes, and given the way both teams are playing and trending, the win to nil appeals much more than the win and BTTS.
Benfica vs Lech Poznan
- Kick-off: Thursday, 20:00 GMT
- TV: TNT Sports 2
- Live odds, form and stats
Marco Silva's Benfica are three wins from three to start the Europa League and welcome a Lech Poznan team who have been shipping chances and goals for fun in this competition.
The Poles have conceded nine goals in three games, and allowed a the most xG in the league phase (10.4 - 3.47 per game), so a red-hot Benfica side could take them to the cleaners here, and we'll back JHON DURAN TO SCORE ANYTIME, TO SCORE 2+ AND 3+ GOALS at 10/11, 9/2 and 20/1.
We are backing all of these with Sky Bet who are top price and offer super sub, which could be key given Duran's replacement will likely be Evangelos Pavlidis, Benfica's main striker.
Duran has started, sat, started, sat over the last four games, so is clearly in the midweek rotation, and scored once last time he started and a brace against Celtic the time before that. It's worth noting that agains the Bhoys all three of these bets landed thanks to super sub.
Odd correct at 18:00 GMT (03/11/26)
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