Tuesday 30th October

Back Sunderland (8/11, Paddy Power) to beat Middlesbrough

Martin O’Neill takes the cup competitions seriously; he knows the impact and momentum a good cup run can bring to his side.  O’Neill won this cup earlier in his career when in charge of Leicester City and will field a strong side tomorrow in order to progress to the next round.  If brutally honest his Sunderland side will struggle to compete for a place in Europe this season and are well safe from being relegated, this means the cup competitions offer Sunderland and O’Neill a real chance of silverware and a successful season.  Sunderland have looked rock solid so far this campaign losing only 1 game in the league.  Their main problem this season is a lack of goals, having scored only 6, with only one goal scorer in their side, Steven Fletcher.  Fletcher has scored all 5 of Sunderland goals in the league with the other being an own goal.  Not scoring goals and only having Fletcher as their only goal scorer isn’t Sunderland’s only problem, drawing too many games is most defiantly another to add to the list.  Sunderland have drawn 6 of their 8 league games, winning 1 and losing the other.  On 3 occasions the Black Cats have drawn from winning positions, against Swansea, Liverpool and West Ham.  Away from the league Sunderland have found winning games slightly easier, they won their first round tie in the Capital Cup 2-0 at home to Morecambe, with young Irish striker McClean scoring both goals and won comfortably away at MK Dons 2-0 with both goals being scored after going down to 10 men due to Lee Cattermole’s sending off.  Expect Sunderland to continue playing a strong side in this competition and continue their winning form.

Middlesbrough are in fine form of late, winning their last 4 matches in the Championship against tough opposition like Brighton, Hull and Bolton.  Middlesbrough are sitting comfortably in 3rd position in the league with 25 points from 13 fixtures, winning 8, drawing 1 and losing 4, scoring 21 goals and conceding 18 in the process.  Middlesbrough have a very respectable squad for a championship side with numerous strikers to choose from upfront, meaning lots of completion for a starting berth which many managers would love to have.  Tony Mowbray’s attackers are in fine form this season with young Lukas Jutkiwicz having scored 4 in 6 and McDonald scoring 3 in his last 4 along with Dutchman Emnes scoring 2 in his last 4 matches.  These 2 sides were hard to separate when they met in the league cup last season with Sunderland forcing a replay at home before winning away in extra time.

Expect this match to be just as tight as last season FA Cup encounters, but like last year expect Sunderland to progress to the next round, this time round in 90 minutes.

Back Southampton DNB  (11/10 SkyBet) to beat Leeds (draw = stakes returned)

Southampton are really struggling in their return to the Premiership; since gaining their first league win of the season to Aston Villa over a month ago they haven’t been able to buy a win, losing 3 and drawing the other in their last 4 matches.  Nigel Adkins will be pleased to turn his attention away from the Premiership to the Capital One Cup this week and try and get his side back to winning ways.  As previously stated earlier in this competition, teams who struggle in their domestic leagues often see the cup as a way to reignite their teams against lower opposition and improve confidence in their side.  Tomorrow will be no different, I expect Southampton to play a strong side and go all out for the win.

Leeds are up and down this season with 5 wins, 4 draws and 4 losses.  As usual Leeds aren’t having any problem finding the net in the Championship with 20 goals to their name but have conceded just as many, 19.  Goals have dried up in recent weeks, scoring only 2 goals in their last 3 matches and not winning any of them, losing 1-0 at home on Saturday to a poor Birmingham side.  This Leeds side is very average and very reliant on their 2 star players, Diouf and Becchio.  Neil Warnock is taking the cup seriously as shown in the last round when beating a 2nd string Everton side 2-1, which helped in making the odds on a Southampton win tomorrow night very juicy.

Leeds and Southampton are both teams who like to get forward and score goals.  At first glance this match screams over 2.5 goals.  However, with Southampton scoring plenty and conceding more, Nigel Adkins will need to look carefully at his tactics and game plan in the upcoming weeks as clearly his current one isn’t working.  This could easily be a high scoring game and if it is I expect the Saints to outscore Leeds, either way I don’t see Southampton losing and for that reason alone tomorrow night the selection is Southampton Draw no Bet.

Saturday 27th October

After 2 wins and 2 disappointing loses in midweek it’s back to League football with a full list of games to pick winning selections from.  This weekend it’s all about the goals!! With a tight fixture list in all 4 English divisions, goals look the most appealing. 6 matches stood out as over 2.5 goals and I have narrowed those down to my 3 favourites.

Back Over 2.5 goal (8/13, Coral) in the Cardiff/Burnley game

Cardiff are joint top of the Championship. Leicester are currently top thanks to a better goal difference than the bluebirds. Cardiff have 25 points from 12 games, winning 8, drawing 1 and losing 3, scoring 22 goals and conceding 15. The majority of Cardiff wins have come at home where they have a 100% league record, beating good sides like Blackpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Wolves, Watford and early high flyer's Huddersfield. Cardiff have goals throughout their side and a bucket load of experience in Premiership veterans Tommy Smith, Heidar Helguson and Craig Bellamy (Injured for this game) plus the likes of new recruit Nicky Maynard and regular goal scoring midfielder Guy Whittingham. You may wonder why I am not picking Cardiff to win this match considering they have won all 6 matches at home. The reason being is Cardiff form seems to have dipped in the last 2 weeks, losing away at Forest before scoring a late goal to see off 9 men Watford at home in midweek.

The possibility of Cardiff form taking a dip isn’t the only reason I have chosen to back over 2.5 goals. Another factor in this selection is they play a Burnley side who have scored more goals than any team in the league. They have the leagues top scorer in Charlie Austin, who already has 14 league goals this season from only 12 games! Burnley are a team who love to entertain and attack the opposition. They are 14^thin the Championship, winning 5, drawing 2 and losing 5 matches from their opening 12. Below middle of the table doesn’t look an attractive position after 12 games but considering the tough fixtures and injuries they had at the start of the season, 14^th is a very respectable showing. Terry Pashley has done a fantastic job since taking over in October. As well as scoring bucket loads of goals Burnley also concede bucket loads, 25 so far this season so over 2.5 looks the correct bet in this game.

With the talent both teams have in attack and the weaknesses both have at the back this game could go either way, one thing for sure there will e goals today.

Back Over 2.5 goals (5/6 Ladbrokes) in the Wigan/West Ham game

Wigan are 16^th in the league with 1 win, 2 draws and 5 loses, scoring 8 goals and conceding 15. Wigan are an unpredictable side capable of beating the best teams in the league as well as losing to the worst! That being said Wigan are always competitive, they don’t have the wealth other teams have with Martinez doing his transfer business on a shoe string trying to unearth gems like Victor Moses who they sold to Chelsea in the summer. Martinez has done a wonderful job at Wigan and always sends out a side ready to fight for the team and leave everything on the pitch. Wigan last home match was a 2:2 draw to Everton, I expect more goals to come at the DW stadium.

West Ham did us proud at home to Southampton last weekend in our over 2.5 selection, scoring 4 of the 5 goals at Upton Park. In the preview last week I spoke about how West Ham like to play attacking football but don’t poses the best defence, not much has changed since last week. Andy Carroll is fit again and ready to lead the line tomorrow meaning Wigan’s poor defence will have their work cut out keeping him, Nolan and co quiet.

Wigan are in desperate need of a win and I expect tomorrow to be a lively game with plenty of action and more importantly, plenty of goals.

Back Over 2.5 goals (8/11, Stanjames) in the Tranmere/Preston game

The Tranmere train has slowed down since we backed them to win at home to Yeovil 2 weeks ago, losing their last 2 matches conceding 5 goals and scoring only 2. Tranmere have some of the best attackers in the league and a midfield that creates chances for them. The defence that looked so strong early in the season is now starting to form cracks with both Doncaster and Bournemouth showing that they aren’t unbreakable at the back, that's good news for us tomorrow.

Preston and Tranmere are 2 of the leading scorers in League 1 this season, between them they have scored 55 goals with Preston scoring 24 of them. Preston are 8^th in the league with 6 wins, 3 draws and 5 loses, conceding 18 goals. Preston are a good side, they don’t have any standout stars in their side or a clinical striker with numerous goals, what they do have is a hard working team with goals spread throughout the side, meaning they don’t have to rely on a top marksman upfront. Preston last game was a 3:2 win away at Scunthorpe, lets hope there is more of the same tomorrow.

With both teams scoring plenty of goals this season, a Tranmere defence that looks shaky and a Preston defence that’s always questionable expect there to be goals tomorrow.

Tuesday 23rd / Wednesday 24th October

Back Sheffield United (4/6, Coral) to beat Walsall

Anyone can select an unbeaten side to win! The hard part is selecting an unbeaten side to win at the correct time! Sheff Utd are unbeaten all season. If you had backed them in every game since the season kicked off you wouldn’t have a green bank account, you would have a red one. This is due to the fact Utd have drawn 7 of their 13 unbeaten fixtures. Utd are solid at the back, conceding only 10 goals, but still struggle to beat sides by large margins having only scored 17 goals, the same as tomorrow’s opponents Walsall. That being said Utd have got into their groove in recent weeks, winning 4 of their last 5 competitive matches and drawing the other.

Walsall’s form is the opposite of Sheffield United’s, losing 4 of their last 5 competitive matches and drawing the other. Like Utd they have struggled to score goals, but unlike Utd they don’t have a solid defence that’s hard to penetrate, conceding 19 goals this season.

It’s hard to see Walsall form improving away at Utd. Utd are finding their form and the confidence that comes with an undefeated team on a winning run. Expect Utd to extend that run and up the win column by 1 to equal that of the draw column. Tomorrow night’s table will read, 7 wins and 7 draws after this match.

Back Man City (3/4, William Hill) to beat Ajax

Man City are in their 2nd consecutive season in the Champions League and just like last season, find themselves in the “group of death”.  Once again they have started slowly in Europe’s biggest football competition, losing and drawing their opening games. In the last round of matches City scored a late equaliser to salvage a point at home to Dortmund, had they not scored that goal, their participation in this seasons tournament may have been over before it started.  Ajax are the weakest side in this group and the team others in the group would have selected as the side they must take all 6 points from. So far both Dortmund and Real Madrid have taken maximum points from Ajax and Roberto Mancini will know anything less than a win tomorrow night will leave City facing an uphill challenge, a position City will not want to find themselves in. City will go all out in order to win this match and with the attacking talent they possess upfront, they can take all 3 points.

Ajax were once a dominant force in Europe, not anymore, Ajax are now seen as a feeder club for Europe’s elite. They still possess arguably the best youth academy in the world, but can no longer keep their players before sell them at the height of their career. Instead they produce these talented youngsters and sell them young in order to keep the books ticking over and in order to fund their next protégée. Ajax are still a good side with some good players but Man City are a  better side with better players with much more to play for tomorrow night than the Dutch club.

This is a must win match for City and I expect them to go all out in order to get their CL campaign up and running. Anything less than a City win in my eyes will see them out of this competition and looking ahead to next seasons participation. Expect City to have too much quality for Ajax and come home with all 3 points.

Back Porto (8/13, Ladbrokes) to beat Dynamo Kyiv

Porto are still a force to be reckoned with on the European stage, especially at home. They have started the season in typical fashion and sit in the league where they ended the last campaign, 1st. They have won 4 games and drawn 2 from their opening league fixtures and are top on goal difference thanks to scoring 15 and conceding only 4 goals. They lost their star player, Hulk, during the summer to Zenit, but still have plenty of talent in their squad thanks to the links of Moutinho, Defour, Martinez, Kleber and Rodriguez.

Dynamo Kyiv are 3rd in the Ukraine league after 12 matches with 24 points. 8 Wins, 0 Draws and 4 Loses. Scoring a lowly 19 goals but conceding only 12. Kyiv travelled to PSG in the last round and were convincingly beaten 4:1, with the match all but overcome the half hour mark with PSG winning by 3 goals to nil. Kyiv have lost their last 2 league games, 1 away and 1 at home, conceding 5 goals in the process. This doesn’t bode well for Kyiv and I can’t see them adding to the 3 points they have from beating the weakest team in the group, Dinamo Zagreb.

Expect Porto to extend their lead at the top of group A with a comfortably home win tomorrow night.

Back Real Madrid (11/10, Coral) to beat Dortmund

Real Madrid have had a dreadful start to La Liga and trail Barcelona by 8 points. With Barcelona and Real Madrid the strongest sides in Spain by a long way, Madrid will find it extremely difficult to claw back those points and compete for the league title this season, with both sides rarely losing in La Liga, often win comfortably home and away. Last season Madrid won 32 of their 38 league matches, losing only 2 games all season, with one of those loses coming to Barcelona. Last season combined Madrid and Barcelona scored 235 league goals!!! Mourinho and Madrid won’t be giving up on the league title so early in the season but know the magnitude of the task at hand, and will have one eye firmly fixed on finally bringing the Ultimate prize back to the Bernabeu – The Champions League. Madrid have regained their form in the last month, winning 5 of their last 6 in la Liga and the CL,  drawing the other away in the Nou Camp, against Barcelona. They have scored 18 goals in those 6 matches and conceded only 6. They have numerous attacking options and players like Ronaldo, Di Maria, Higuain and Benzema, who can all produce a moment of magic and change a game in a split second.

Dortmund have been the standout side in Germany for the past 2 seasons winning the title at the expense of German heavy weight and Champions League runners up Bayern Munich.  Dortmund lost one of their prized assets this summer in the shape of Kagawa who joined Manchester United but still have plenty of talent in their side, with the likes of Gotze, Blaszcykowski, Reus and Lewandowski.  Dortmund currently sit 4th in the league table thanks to a somewhat average start to the campaign with 3 wins, 3 draws and 2 loses, the second of those loses coming this weekend in a 2-1 home defeat to inform Schalke. Bayern have scored 18 goals and conceded 11 from their league matches. They are well of the pace of leaders Bayern Munich who have won all 8 of their fixtures.

Just like the odds suggest, a Real Madrid win in Germany will not be easy tomorrow night. With the current form of the Spanish champions and the form of both their attackers and defenders I see Dortmund struggling in front of their home supporters. I see Real Madrid pinching this one and flying home with another 3 points in the bag and a big gap between them and 2nd place in this group.

Saturday 20th October

A galling midweek with a 94th minute blow in the Spain game but back to the bread and butter with a maximum confidence three selections this weekend.

Back Port Vale (5/6, Coral) to beat Wycombe

Port Vale were top of league 2 in December 2010 when then manager, Micky Adams, departed to take charge at Sheffield United.  After Adams left, Port Vale became a shadow of the impressive side that led the league at Christmas,  falling further and further down the league weekly and finishing the season outside the playoffs.  The team was the same as the one before Christmas, but without Adams at the helm they looked lost. After an unsuccessful spell at Sheffield United Adam returned to his old post in May 2011. The squad is almost the same as the one he left behind and this season he has got them playing the same way they did before he left.  Vale are second in the table after 12 league games, winning 8, drawing 2 and losing 2.  Scoring the most goals of all 92 football league and premiership teams, with a monster 28 goals, conceding only 12. Vale are in a rich vein of form, winning their last 2 league outings easily, 2-0 away against a decent Exeter side and 3-0 at home to Oxford on Monday night. Confidence is high at Hamil Road, and rightly so. Mickey has got Vale playing the football they played in his first spell at the club and has got his attackers firing. Myrie Williams has 3 goals, Dodds and Vincent 4 each and Pope leads the way with 12 (scoring 4 against promotion favourites Rotherham)

Last weekend I selected Fleetwood to put Wycombe to the sword. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case and Wycombe came home 1.0 winners, winning only their 4th game in their last 23 league outings – Typical!! I still maintain that Wycombe are a poor side, however having viewed extended highlights thanks to a Fleetwood fan (Big thanks to Ian Wells) I have to admit that Wycombe looked considerably better than the side I have seen regularly this season.  Fleetwood did have their chances to take something from the game, hitting the woodwork and coming close on occasions, the match was very much 50/50.  I still see Wycombe struggling to score goals this season and against a Port Vale side who have consistently scored multiple goals a game Wycombe will struggle to come home with a share of the spoils.

Even a rejuvenated Wycombe full of confidence after winning their last 3 outings won’t be able to stop an equally confident Port Vale who will be looking to close the gap at the top of the too Gillingham, and increase their goal difference.   

Back Over 2.5 goals (8/11, Stan James) in the West Ham/Southampton game

West Ham sit comfortably 8th in the league table. 3 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses. Scoring 8 goals and conceding the same in the process. If you take away their last match against an in form Arsenal where they lost by 3 goals to 1, they have only conceded 5 goals in 6 games and 1 goal in 3 home games.  This should indicate that the West Ham defence is a solid unit with the team defending well as a whole, but to me, it doesn’t.  The hammers beat a below par Aston Villa in their first home game of the season, beat an out of sorts Fulham to nil who were struggling for fire power due to losing Dempsey and Dembele on deadline day (the day before that match).  Conceded only once against a Sunderland side who scored early and tried to see out the game 1.0, before conceding a late equaliser.  West Ham are a very open, attacking side, when they play both teams have opportunities in front of goal, with end to end football seen from both sides competing at Upton Park. A defence of Demel, Collins, Tomkins and Reid doesn’t scream clean sheets, but a creative midfield with the likes of Diame, Taylor, Noble and Nolan has goals in them.  They will feed off knockdowns from Andy Carroll like they did so well against Fulham. Carroll was a thorn in Fulham’s side all afternoon when they won 3-0 and was the focal point of every attack. Add new summer signing Jarvis into the mix and he will deliver the crosses for Andy to get on the end off.

Southampton have had the toughest opening fixtures of any premiership side this season. After 7 games they have already played the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton. That’s one tough fixture list for a newly promoted team, so it won’t surprise you that they have conceded a whopping 20 goals! What will surprise you is they have scored a very respectable 12 goals, scoring against all 4 of the big sides named above, that’s good going! I rate Southampton highly, they have good, hardworking players, and in Nigel Adkins they have a fantastic manager who knows what he is working with, and how to get the best out of his players.  I personally think they will survive their debut season back in the Premiership as they are a very competitive side and can give anyone a game on their day, as shown in their opening fixture when they came back from behind to let a 2-1 lead slip away at the home of the Champions, Manchester City, eventually losing the game 3-2. The Saints certainly have goals in their side with the likes of record signing Ramirez (unfortunately injured for this match), Lallana, Davis, young Rodriguez and upfront Rickie Lambert, who is a natural goal scorer and reminds me of Alan Shearer in the way he plays and constantly finds the back of the net.  6 out of the 7 games Southampton have played in the league have been over 2.5 goals, and I don’t expect that to change against West Ham on Saturday.

This open game between two evenly matched teams with similar playing styles has goals written all over it. Neither team is one to sit back or hold onto a 1 goal lead, both will be looking to attack and score more goals than the other. Expect a highly entertaining end to end game with lots of goals.

Back Arsenal (4/7, Paddy Power) to beat Norwich

Arsenal to beat Norwich is the selection for Saturday’s evening Kick-off. As previously stated in my preview to the Arsenal/West Ham match where we backed the Gunners to win at Even money, Arsenal have started the season brightly.  After tough opening fixtures away at Liverpool and Man City as well as the home fixture against Chelsea the gunners have got into their groove, and have won their last 2 matches.  If you haven’t already read the preview I suggest you do so, as it will help put your mind at ease that an Arsenal win on Saturday evening is the correct selection. It’s often hard for the away team after an international break with 2 games in that period, but what with the extra days rest, now that internationals are played on a Friday and Tuesday, there should be no complaints about recuperation time. Unlike a Man City, Arsenal don’t have any South American players, so don’t have to worry about them arriving home late and with Fatigue, the Ivory Coast didn’t have games in this international break so Gervinho will be rested and ready to play.  Arsenal have a clean bill of health with all their international players arriving home unscathed.  Arsenal have looked bright this season, starting the campaign with confidence and a belief that they can win major honours this season with their current squad.  The Gunners have 12 points with 3 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss against Chelsea. Since then they have convincingly won their last 2 matches, at home to Olympiakos and away at West Ham.  I don’t expect this run to stop against a poor Norwich side who have conceded 17 goals already this season.

Norwich are having a tough second year in the premiership.  The hardest task for any promoted side that survive the drop in their first season in the top flight is to repeat that achievement the following year.  The reason it’s so hard is, teams get to know your style of play, danger men, weaknesses, and they hone in on them.  Norwich haven’t been helped by the loss of Paul Lambert, the man who kept them up last season, and are yet to settle under new boss Chris Houghton.  Norwich are finding out this season just how tough life in the premiership is, with no wins and a goal difference of -12!  Grant Holt is the Canaries main form of attack.  He is big, strong and brings others into the game with his great hold play with his back to goal.  In previous seasons Holt would have caused Arsenal numerous problems.  However with the Arsenal back 4 looking so reliable thanks to the work Steve Bold has done, and the transformation of Mertesacker, who now looks like the German defender we all expected to see last season, Arsenal shouldn’t have to many problems keeping Holt on a tight leash.  Without Holt as a focal point, Norwich don’t have many other attacking options in their side. This could well be Norwich 3rd thrashing of the season after conceding 5 at home to Liverpool, followed by 4 away at Norwich, how many will Arsenal put past them Saturday night??!

Tuesday 16th October

Two from three on Saturday for a small profit.  Midweek and onto a couple of international fixtures.

Spain (1/2, Ladbrokes) to beat France

There probably isn't much I can tell you about the reigning European and World Cup Winners you don’t already know. Spain are the standout nation in world football today, with their own unique style of play that every team/nation in the modern game look to emulate. Spain’s philosophy is to let the ball do the work. Every player including the goalkeeper and defenders play football. Spain start attacks from the back, are comfortable on the ball, keep possession and pass it round until gaps arrive in the opposition. If they lose the ball they press and pressure high up the pitch and in packs to retrieve the ball. Movement on and off the ball is fantastic, even the best nations in the world struggle to get a foot in the game, often leaving the pitch shattered and frustrated, after chasing shadows for 90 minutes. Spain could have sent out 2 teams in the European Championships this summer and no one would have been surprised if they had both reached the final. English fans will be well aware of players like Cazorla of Arsenal and Mata of Chelsea, both have looked world beaters in the premiership this season and neither can get in the Spain starting 11! Mata isn't even in the squad, that tells you just how good Spain are! This Spanish team is even stronger than the team that won the European Championship thanks to the return of their all time top scorer, David Villa, who has 52 Goals from 84 Caps.

France are in a transitional period. They are no longer the force they were in the late 90’s when they won the European Championship and World Cup. Gone are the big name superstars renowned as the best players in the world, the Zidanes, Henrys and Vieras of this world are no more. Their main stars today are Franck Ribery and the hot and cold Kazim Benzema. France had a very poor European Championship this summer, only squeezing through the group stages as runners up. Losing to Sweden, beating Ukraine and drawing with England before losing in the knockout stages to tomorrows opponents Spain. Since that loss Laurent Blanc has departed and World Cup winning midfielder Didier Deschamps (better known as the water carrier during his playing days) has taken over as manager. This game will be won in the midfield, I expect the French midfield to be over run and outplayed by the creativeness and simple football played by the Spanish Maestros. A French centre midfield of Cabaye, Mavuba and Menez won’t be able to deal with the Spanish midfield, no matter who they select to play.

Unlike Spain, France don’t know their best starting 11 and are bedding in new players to try and find out what it is. Away at the home of the World and European Champions is not the place they will find answers to the above. Deschamps has come into the French national side with different ideas and a different way of playing to that of Blanc, and it will take this team time to settle and time to get used to his style of play. France are Spain’s only rivals to win this group, the other teams are weak so the group could well boil down H2H between these two great nations. Both teams have won their opening 2 games so tomorrow night is a huge game for both sides. Spain can’t take the opposition lightly tomorrow and will need to win all 3 points in order to heap pressure on the French and reduce the pressure on themselves. Spain to win this and move 3 points clear of their closest rivals.

Uruguay DNB (21/20, William Hill) to beat Bolivia (draw = stakes returned)

Uruguay are a strong force in world football today, in the FiFA world ranking they are 7th, 1 position above this summer’s European Champion runners up, Italy. Uruguay have consistently performed well for the past 5 years and are suddenly a Nation to be feared on the football pitch. The team have been playing together for years, with almost the whole squad playing their domestic football in Europe and for high profile teams. With a solid defence, a well orchestrated midfield and a strike force most nations would dream of with the likes of in form Suarez and Cavani as well as the veteran and the man voted player of the last world cup, Diego Forlan. Uruguay on their day are a match for any opposition as shown in the previous Copa America, which they won, beating the likes of Brazil and Argentina to the South American Cup. Uruguay have had a steady start to World Cup qualification winning 3, drawing 3 and losing 2 games. They will be looking to push on now after not winning in their last 3 qualifiers, with away loses to inform Colombia and Argentina and a poor home draw against Ecuador.

Bolivia are one of the weaker sides in the South American Qualifiers and have so far only won 1 of their opening 8 games, that coming against bottom side Paraguay. Conceding 13 goals in qualification so far and only scoring 8 goals from their 8 games. Unlike Uruguay they don’t have many players plying their trade in Europe or the wealth of talent and match winning players upfront. Their top scorer in qualifying is midfielder Escobar who only has 2 goals to his name, compared to the 7 Suarez and Cavani have between them. Bolivia came back from 1:0 down in their last qualifier at home to Peru, but I expect Uruguay to go on and win the game should they take the lead in this one.

After not winning in their previous 3 qualifiers Uruguay will want to get back to winning ways tomorrow night. This could well be a tight game but should Uruguay get their noses in front early I can see them going on to win with ease. Either way I can only see one winner, whatever happens I don’t see Bolivia adding to their 1 and only win, and with favourable odds, draw no bet seems the standout selection with the least risk. The Blue and White of Uruguay to prevail in this one.

Saturday 13th October

A great start last weekend. All 3 bets winning thanks to away wins for Arsenal, Tranmere and Sheffield United. This weekend its all about the home wins! No international selections for the sole reason the prices were not accurate or worth investment. The odds didn’t reflect the risk, and the big nations were overpriced! So its League 1 and League 2 this weekend. Don’t let that put you off though, there are some cracking bets waiting to earn us all money.  I prefer to keep hold of my money than place a bet for the sake of it.  A selection telling you to keep hold of your money is better than a losing selection, so don’t be surprised if on occasions not having a bet is the pick of the week.  Not this week however, so let’s get down to business…

Back Tranmere (8/11, Blue Square) to beat Yeovil

Those who followed the selections last week would have read my write-up on Tranmere.  The pros and cons to their team, and why I rate them so highly this season – those of you who haven’t read last week’s preview, I advise you to do so. I can’t speak highly enough of the job Ronnie Moore is doing at Tranmere and the way his team are playing.  I don’t expect the winning run to end this weekend, they have too much class for a Yeovil side who leak goals.

Yeovil stopped the rot last weekend with their first win in 7 matches, a 3-1 home win against a Colchester side who don't travel well, winning once in 15 away fixtures.  The one concern I have tomorrow is Yeovil know where the back of the net is, scoring 17 goals this season.  However they don’t have a star striker up front and Tranmere possess the best defence in the league, conceding only 6 goals.

Nothing here to suggest the Tranmere Rovers Express will slow down anytime soon. Another home win and goals to add to the 13 they have already scored in 5 home games this season.

Back Gillingham (7/10, Bet Victor) to beat Aldershot

Unfancied preseason for promotion, Gillingham are at the summit of League 2, and rightly so. Martin Allen is well known for leasing new life into teams when he initially takes charge as manager but it doesn’t always last. He gets the best out of his players, he makes training fun and creates a great togetherness in the dressing room. Only the other week when they played away "Mad Dog" Allen let a female post office worker, a fan he meet when leaving the team bus, deliver his team talk! I believe Allen's Gillingham will last the season at the hefty heights and gain promotion.  Not only do they have a good manager, they have good squad depth with many talented players. A solid defence and two good young midfielders. Upfront they have the lot, Danny Kedwell is the out and out striker who puts the ball in the net (8 in 11).  Former premiership striker Deon Burton pulls the strings, at 35 Burton still looks divisions better than league two, picking his passes creating many chances and helping out with his fair share of goals (4 in 10).  Robbie Findley the speed demon has to make do with a position on the bench, such is their strength.

Aldershot are 2nd from bottom with 8 points to their name after 11 games.  With 2 wins, 2 draws and 7 losses. They have scored a lowly 10 goals this season and have relied heavily on Craig Reid to score them (6 this season). Aldershot have lost their last 5 games in a row, conceding 10 goals in those fixtures and 17 goals in total this season. On that kind of form they will be in trouble against the league leaders.

I don’t see Aldershot’s losing streak ending today. Gillingham have too much strength and too many options in the team not to win this games. Another disappointing coach journey home for the away side.

Back Fleetwood Town (4/6, William Hill) to beat Wycombe Wanderers

2 teams that are heading in different directions meet at Park Avenue on Saturday.  Fleetwood gained promotion last season as Conference Champions.  This is their first season in the football leagues and they have started well.  Wycombe were relegated from League 1 last season and have started the new season very poorly. Fleetwood are 3rd in League 2, collecting 21 points from 11 games, Winning 6, drawing 3 and losing 2. Fleetwood have a wealth of strikers to choose from upfront with all 4 strikers in good form so far this season. Ball, Gillespie and Mangan have each scored twice and football league veteran John Park has scored 3 times.  They have goals throughout the team, scoring 18 goals this season, only conceding on 10 occasions. Fleetwood haven't lost in their last 4 matches and I expect them to beat a poor Wycombe side at home.

Things haven't got any better for Wycombe since being relegated last season.  They are one place above the relegation zone thanks to a goal difference of -6 and have only picked up 8 points with 2 wins, 2 draws, 6 loses.  They have played one less game than the rest of the league, having only played 10.  Wycombe are averaging a goal a game, having scored only 10 goals, with their strikers struggling with 2 between them. Wycombe have won their last 2 games, at home in the league to Torquay and away in the Football League Trophy at Portsmouth. Don’t let those wins fall you, Wycombe are not a good side, having won before once in 20 games!

Expect Fleetwood to keep marching on in this one and for Wycombe to get back to losing ways.