All articles by: Thomas Mcgrath

Chelsea vs Lille – Match Preview

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Chelsea vs Lille
Tuesday 10th December 2019
UEFA Champions League, Stamford Bridge

Live on BT Sport 2 – Kick Off: 20:00 GMT

Chelsea look to secure qualification to the Champions League knockout stages when they host Lille at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.

A win for Frank Lampard’s side will be enough to see his side qualify, however, a draw could see them through if Ajax beat Valencia in Group H’s other game.

Chelsea’s Premier League form in recent week has taken a negative turn, which has seen them lose three of their last four matches. The Blues were defeated 3-1 at Goodison Park against managerless Everton on Saturday, a result not taken too kindly by boss Frank Lampard.

In the Champions League however Chelsea have lost one of their five encounters, that being to Valencia on the opening matchday. Chelsea’s fate isn’t entirely in their own hands for qualification. If Valencia do beat Ajax, then it will be the Spanish side who qualify, thanks to that win over Chelsea earlier in the group, which gives them the superior head-to-head record.

Lille on the other hand have no hopes of qualification for the next round, or even the Europa League in 3rd place. The French side have failed to win any of their group matches and have taken one point from their five matches so far.

Lille have won their last three consecutive matches in Ligue 1, and sit 3rd in the league. Although there’s nothing to play for in the Champions League, their recent form suggests that it won’t be a game which they have any intention of losing, and they will be looking to spoil any potential Chelsea party.

Chelsea were victorious in the earlier group match between the two thanks to goals from Tammy Abraham, and a late winner from Willian. The meeting in October was the first time that these two sides had met competitively.

The Referee for this fixture is Anastasios Sidiropoulos from Greece. The 40-year old has taken charge of two Champions League matches this campaign, awarding eight yellow cards. This considered, I would recommend a maximum of 50+ booking points. The Greek has taken charge of Chelsea before. He was the man in charge for Chelsea’s 6-0 win over Quarabag in the Champions League in 2017, where he awarded one yellow card.

This match will be shown live on BT Sport 2, with kick-off scheduled for 20:00 GMT.

Prediction: Chelsea 3-1 Lille

Suggested Tips – Chelsea vs Lille – (BET 365)

  • Correct score – Chelsea 3-1 – (link no longer available).
  • First Goalscorer – Mateo Kovacic – (link no longer available).
  • Player to be booked – Jorginho – (link no longer available).

Suggested Tips – Chelsea vs Lille – (SKYBET)

  • Correct Score Group Betting- Chelsea to win 3-0, 3-1 or 3-2 – 11/4.
  • Scorecast (Double Chance) – N’Golo Kante to score first and either Chelsea to win 3-1 or Chelsea to win 3-0 – 66/1.
  • RequestABet Specials Up to 10/1 – Lille to score 1+ goals and 4+ Lille corners – 7/2.
  • Price Boost – Tammy Abraham to score a hat-trick – 11/1.

Markets last updated at 17:55 GMT on Tuesday 10th December 2019.

Preston North End vs Fulham – Match Preview

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Preston vs Fulham
Tuesday 10th December 2019
The Championship, Deepdale

Live on Sky Sports Football HD – Kick Off: 19:45 GMT

Preston North End look to return to winning ways in the Championship as they welcome the arrival of Fulham on Tuesday night.

The Lilywhites will be desperate to rediscover some of their early season promise, which saw them competing at the top of the division. Alex Neil’s side have lost their last four consecutive matches, a run which has seen them slip as low as 7th in the Championship. Their last Championship win came on November 9th.

Their opponents Fulham will themselves be hoping to bounce back from defeat, following their 2-1 home defeat to Bristol City on Saturday. Saturday’s loss was the first time Scott Parker’s side had been beaten since early November, when they lost 3-0 at home to Hull. Before defeat, Fulham had won four consecutive matches in the Championship, which had seen them rise to 3rd.

Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored four goals in his last five matches, which has taken his season tally to fifteen, the Championships top scorer. SkyBet are offering odds of 11/8 for the Serbian to add to his tally in 90 mins.

Tuesday nights encounter will be the first time these sides have met since March 2018, where Fulham were 2-1 winners at Deepdale. In fact, Scott Parkers side are unbeaten in this fixture since October 2000, a run which has seen five Fulham wins, and two draws.

The referee for this fixture is Keith Stroud. The 50-year old has overseen eleven Championship matches this season, accumulating a total of thirty-four yellow cards. This considered, I would recommend a minimum of 30+ booking points for this fixture. Stroud is yet to take charge of a match involving Preston this season but was the man in the middle for Fulham’s 2-0 win over Blackburn in August, where he awarded two yellow cards.

This match will be shown live on Sky Sports Football, with kick-off scheduled to take place at 19:45 GMT.

Prediction: Preston 1-2 Fulham

Suggested Tips – Preston vs Fulham – (BET 365)

  • Correct Score – Fulham 2-1 – (link no longer available).
  • First Goalscorer – Aboubakar Kamara – (link no longer available).
  • Half Time / Full Time – Draw / Fulham – (link no longer available).
  • Player to be booked – Dennis Odoi – (link no longer available). 

Suggested Tips – Preston vs Fulham – (SKYBET)

  • Correct Score Group Betting – Fulham to win 1-0, 2-0, or 2-1 – 5/2.
  • Fulham Price Boost – Fulham to win and BTTS – 7/2.
  • Popular RequestABets – BTTS, 1+ corners each team in each half, and 20+ booking points each team – 6/1.
  • Popular Player Stats RequestABets – Mitrovic to score a header and Cairney to score from outside the area – 50/1.

Markets last updated on Tuesday 10th December at 15:28 GMT.

Brighton and Hove Albion vs Wolverhampton Wanderers – Match Preview

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Brighton and Hove Albion vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
Sunday 8th December 2019
FA Premier League, Amex Stadium

Live on Sky Sports Premier League HD – Kick Off: 16:30 GMT

Brighton and Hove Albion return to the Amex on Sunday afternoon as they host Wolves in the Premier League.

Graham Potter’s side will be looking to build on their impressive midweek win at the Emirates, where they defeated managerless Arsenal 2-1. Albion have shown tremendous promise in their most recent fixtures, and prior to the win over Arsenal, were unfortunate to come away with nothing from Anfield; a game which they dominated for large periods. There’s a real feeling of positivity surrounding Graham Potters side currently.

Wolves similarly were victorious in midweek following their 2-0 triumph over West Ham United at Molineux. The win added more pressure on Hammers boss Mauricio Pellegrini, who has led his side to only one victory in their last nine.

Wednesdays win for Brighton was much needed. Despite their promise over recent weeks, they had very little to show for it. Brighton had lost three of their last four in the league, with their last victory coming at the end of October. Potters side currently sit 13th in the league.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolves side however have gone somewhat under the radar in recent weeks, and their form has seen them reach 5th in the league. Wolves are unbeaten in their last ten in the league (winning five and drawing five). Their last league defeat came at home to Chelsea in September.

Last seasons exploits between these two sides saw Brighton win at the Amex, before a stalemate at Molineux. Brighton are unbeaten in their last four encounters with Wolves, winning three. Brighton completed a league double over Wolves in the 2016/17 season, back when this was Championship fixture. Wolves’ last win in the fixture came in January 2016, where they won 1-0 at the Amex.

The man in charge for this game is Jonathan Moss. The 49-year old has taken charge of twelve top-flight matches so far this season, accumulating a total of forty-two yellow cards, and two red cards. This considered, I would suggest a minimum of 30+ booking points for this clash. Moss took charge of Wolves’ 1-1 draw with Manchester United where he awarded four yellow cards, and has overseen two Brighton matches, their 4-0 defeat to Manchester City where four yellow cards were awarded, and their 3-0 win over Spurs, where he awarded three yellow cards.

This match will be shown live on Sky Sports Premier League, with kick-off scheduled for 16:30 GMT on Sunday afternoon.

Prediction: Brighton and Hove Albion 1-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Suggested Tips – Aston Villa vs Leicester City – (BET 365)

  • Correct Score – Draw 1-1 – (link no longer available).
  • First Goalscorer – Neil Maupay – (link no longer available).
  • Half Time / Full Time – Brighton/Draw- (link no longer available).
  • Player to be booked – Dan Burn – (link no longer available).

Suggested Tips – Aston Villa vs Leicester City – (SKYBET)

  • Correct Score Group Betting – Draw 1-1, 2-2 or 3-3 – 10/3.
  • Price Boost – Neil Maupay and Raul Jimenez to score – 15/2.
  • Match Specials – Brighton to score in the first 10 Minutes – 15/2.
  • Popular Player Stats RequestABets – Maupay to score a header and Wolves to score a penalty –100/1.

Markets last updated at 13:00 GMT on Sunday 8th December 2019.