All articles by: Ieuan Ivett

Swansea City vs Tottenham – Match Preview

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Swansea City vs Tottenham
Saturday 17th March 2018
FA Cup Quarter-Final, Liberty Stadium

Live on BT Sport – Kick-Off: 12:15

Swansea City vs Tottenham  – Swansea City host Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter finals of the FA Cup.

Both sides will be hoping for cup success after Tottenham’s recent Champions League exit and Swansea’s uninspiring Premier League campaign. The match will progress straight to extra-time and penalties if it is a draw after 90 minutes.

Both sides are missing key players for Saturday’s match. Andre Ayew is cup-tied whilst his brother, Jordan, will serve a suspension for his red card against Huddersfield. Harry Kane will be out for Spurs after his horror injury against Bournemouth.

The hosts are currently 14th in the Premier League and knocked out Sheffield Wednesday in the last round. Former Wednesday boss Carlos Carvalhal has seemed to bring life back into a Swansea side that was at the bottom of the table upon his arrival just over three months ago. Their goal scoring form has improved, having now scored two or more in 16% of their Premier League matches. They have managed to score 25 goals in their 30 appearances.

Whilst that may not seem all the impressive, they have become a much harder side to break down. The Swans have one of the best defensive records in the bottom half with 42 goals conceded. They have also kept a clean sheet in 30% of the matches; proving their defensive improvements under Carvalhal.

Tottenham are currently third in the Premier League and knocked out Rochdale in the last round. As aforementioned, the absence of Harry Kane could be crucial for Spurs as he has been the key talisman yet again this season. Kane has led a defence that has scored two or more goals in 50% of their Premier League matches. Heung-Min Son will have big boots to fill however many believe he will be up for the task. The South Korean has 12 goals and 4 assists in the Premier League campaign.

Spurs have also been defensively exemplary. They have only conceded 25 goals and kept a clean sheet in 46% of their matches. Both Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez are building a very stable and effective partnership at the back.

The referee for this fixture will be Kevin Friend. He shouldn’t have too many cards to show as both sides are well disciplined. Sours have averaged 14 booking points whilst Swansea have averaged 13.8. However, with high stakes it could become a feisty encounter.

Swansea City vs Tottenham will be televised live in the UK on BT Sport 1 with kick off at 12:15 GMT.

Prediction: 2-1 Tottenham win.

Suggested tips – Swansea City vs Tottenham  – (BET365):

  • Correct Score – 2-1 Tottenham – (link no longer available).

Suggested tips – Swansea City vs Tottenham – (SKYBET):

  • Popular RequestABets – BTTS, 2+ corners each team in each half and 10+ booking points each team – 11/1.
  • RequestABetSpecial – 80/1 and above -Alli to score, Tottenham to win and Vertonghen & Trippier to be carded – 125/1.
  • Popular RequestABets – Alli to score a header and Tottenham to score a penalty – 11/2.
  • @FootyAccums Specials – Heung-Min Son to score and Tottenham to win to nil – 7/2.
  • Scorecast Boost (Double Chance) – Tammy Abraham to score first and either Swansea to win 1-0 or Swansea to win 2-0 – 66/1.

Odds and markets last updated on 16 March 2018 @21:45 GMT.

Keep visiting the tips and preview area for further updates and betting previews for more previews from this weekends FA Cup and SkyBet Championship action.

 

Barcelona vs Chelsea – Match Preview

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Barcelona vs Chelsea
Wednesday 14th March 2018
UEFA Champions League, Camp Nou

Live on BT Sport – Kick-Off: 19:45

Barcelona vs Chelsea – It’s the second leg of arguably the closest tie of the Champions League round of 16. Chelsea will travel to Catalonia to face La Liga leaders Barcelona following their 1-1 draw in the first leg at Stamford Bridge.

The first leg was a tighter encounter than many expected, with Chelsea possessing a much more potent attacking prowess than their recent domestic form would suggest. Brazilian winger Willian was like a man possessed last time out. However, his goal was cancelled out by Lionel Messi.

Wednesday’s hosts are currently first in La Liga and haven’t lost since 17th January. Their last outing saw them put two past bottom of the table, Malaga. Amazingly, Barcelona have managed to score two or more in 78% of their La Liga matches this season. With an attacking line-up consisting of Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi, Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele, you can see why they are so prolific.

Defensively, the Catalonian outfit have also proved their tactical understanding with a clean sheet in 60% of all their league matches. They have only conceded 13 goals all season in their 28 matches. This defensive superiority has transferred to their Champions League campaign seamlessly. In the group stages they only managed to concede once in their six outings. They’re favourites for this one and with good reason.

The visitors are currently fifth in the Premier League following a bad run of form. Their most recent match saw them narrowly defeat relegation strugglers Crystal Palace however their torrid form during February seems to have still had a knock-on effect. The main positive for Chelsea to take is that their performance in the first leg was very positive and many of their out of form players stepped up. Willian was a pleasure to watch as he hit the woodwork twice before scoring a delightful goal. The Brazilian is part of an attack that has managed to score twice or more in 50% of their Premier League matches. Eden Hazard will also be a key figure to look out for.

Chelsea’s defence will have a great task ahead of them to silence the aforementioned world class attackers that Barcelona possess. They have defended admirably this season with a clean sheet in 46% of their league matches. They have only conceded 27 goals in their 30 Premier League matches.

Damir Skomina from Slovenia is the referee for this match. He shouldn’t have too many issues as Chelsea have only averaged 14.3 booking points and Barcelona have only averaged 17.1. However, often on Champions League nights more cards are shown.

Barcelona vs Chelsea will be televised live on BT Sport 2 and kicks-off at 19:45.

Prediction 0-0 draw. Barcelona AET.

Suggested tips – Barcelona vs Chelsea  – (BET365):

  • Correct Score – 0-0 Draw – (link no longer available).

Suggested tips – Barcelona vs Chelsea  – (BET365):

  • Method Tie will be decided – Barcelona in Extra Time – 18/1.
  • RequestABetSpecial – 80/1 and above – Messi to Score, Giroud to score a header, 4+ corners each team and 30+ Chelsea booking pts – 80/1.
  • RequestABetSpecial – up to 10/1 – Messi to score, BTTS, 1+ corner each team in each half and 20+ match booking points – 7/2 (NAP).
  • Lionel Messi to score outside the area – 11/2.
  • @FootyAccums Specials – Messi & Hazard to score, and Busquets, Kante & Alonso all to be carded – 150/1.
  • RequestABetSpecial – 80/1 and above – Suarez to Score , Draw 1-1, 12+ Match Corners, Fabregas to be carded – 125/1.

Odds and markets last updated on 14 March 2018 @19:10 GMT.

Keep visiting the tips and preview area for further updates and betting previews for more previews from this weeks domestic cup action and remainder European fixtures.

 

Bournemouth vs Spurs – Match Preview

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Bournemouth vs Spurs
Sunday 11th March 2018
FA Premier League, Dean Court

Live on Sky Sports – Kick-Off: 16:00

Bournemouth vs Spurs – Bournemouth host Spurs this weekend in Premier League action on Super Sunday.

Both sides have been enduring rather differing campaigns. The hosts have been battling away all the relegation strugglers that has seen them more recently and have gained a tiny bit of breathing space on the hectic nature of the bottom half. Meanwhile, the visitors have been juggling European duties along with their bid for top four.

Bournemouth are currently 12th in the Premier League with 33 points. Eddie Howe’s side have been a rather steady outfit this season, however not spectacular by any means. Callum Wilson has been the most prolific for the Cherries with seven league goals. Their attacking prowess however has been rather limited as they have only managed two or more goals in 37% of their Premier League matches.

Bournemouth’s recent results have been promising in their bid for survival, with a 3-0 victory over Chelsea being the highlight. Defensively they have been rather poor at times. They’ve conceded a total of 44 goals in 29 matches and kept a clean sheet in only 17% of their outings. Whilst they have managed some rather large scalps against the top six this season, Spurs will prove a very tough test for the home side.

Tottenham are currently fourth in the Premier League and fresh from midweek Champions League action against Juventus. Domestically, Mauricio Pochettino has made Spurs, once again, a tough opponent for any side. They are a very rigid and defensively sound side who have conceded only 24 goals this season. Along with this, they have also managed to keep a clean sheet in 48% of their matches; which is the second best clean sheet record behind Manchester United.

Going forward, there are only two words to describe them. Harry Kane. The Englishman is leading the golden boot race along with Liverpool winger Mo Salah with 24 goals. Whilst at times, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen have gone missing, time and again, Kane continues to find the back of the net to save the North Londoners. Kane has led an attack that has managed two or more goals in 50% of their away Premier League matches. It is tough to see Spurs not getting a crucial result this Sunday.

The referee for this match is Mike Dean. The official shouldn’t have too many problems on Sunday as Arsenal have averaged 15.9 booking points this season and Bournemouth have averaged 16.4 points. That being said, Dean isn’t afraid to reach into his pocket as he has averaged 39.5 booking points in his 19 Premier League matches.

Bournemouth vs Spurs will be televised in the UK on Sky Sports Premier League and will kick off at 16:00.

Prediction: 2-0 Spurs.

Suggested tips – Bournemouth vs Spurs – (BET365):

  • Correct score, Spurs win 2-0 – (link no longer available).
  • First Goalscorer – Heung-Min Son – (link no longer available).

Suggested tips – Bournemouth vs Spurs – (SKYBET):

  • Price Boost – Harry Kane to score a brace – 7/2.

Odds and markets last updated on 9 March 2018 @14:15 GMT.

More markets will be added prior to the game kicking off on Sunday afternoon.

Keep visiting the tips and preview area for further updates and betting previews for more previews from this weekends domestic league action.