Mark O'Haire's football tips, best bets and nap for October 19 and 20
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Football betting tips: Weekend best bets
Saturday 15:00
3pts Both Teams To Score ‘No’ in Cambridge vs Wigan at 10/11 (bet365)
2.5pts Over 2.5 Goals in Motherwell vs Dundee at 20/23 (Betfair)
Sunday 17:30
2.5pts Both Teams To Score ‘No’ in Standard Liege vs Sporting Charleroi at 19/20 (Boylesports)
Cambridge vs Wigan
- Kick-off time: 15:00 BST, Saturday
- Home 14/1 | Draw 13/2 | Away 1/7
Garry Monk is clinging on to his job as Cambridge boss. The U’s are winless in 18 games either side of the summer and sit rock-bottom of Sky Bet League One with a solitary point from their opening nine games this season (W0-D1-L8). The Abbey outfit have failed to score in six of those nine and now face Wigan’s impenetrable defence this weekend.
Wigan opened their campaign with back-to-back losses but have since suffered just one reverse in eight – a stoppage-time defeat at league-leading Birmingham. The Latics have recorded clean sheets in seven of those eight encounters, including a remarkable six on the spin. However, Athletic have endured issues of their own in the final-third.
The visitors’ attacking woes have resulted in four goalless games from their last five and I’m therefore eager to oppose a goal-heavy game on Saturday.
BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE 'NO' has proven profitable in 15 of the duos combined 19 League One matches this season – the pair have scored just 15 goals in that sample – and BTTS No is trading at 10/11 (1.91) here.
Motherwell vs Dundee
- Kick-off time: 15:00 BST, Saturday
- Home 19/20 | Draw 12/5 | Away 23/10
The Scottish Premiership has proven good fun to follow this season – the league is averaging a very healthy 2.95 goals per-game with 61% of dates delivering OVER 2.5 GOALS. Motherwell and Dundee have been key contributors to those impressive figures and the two teams meeting at Fir Park on Saturday screams goals – Over 2.5 appeals at 20/23 (1.87).
Motherwell are going great guns. Only high-flying Aberdeen and Rangers have thwarted the Steelman, yet Stuart Kettlewell’s side were competitive on both occasions (1-2). The Well have entertained along the way – Premiership matches have averaged 2.91 Expected Goals (xG) with all six since the opening day seeing Over 2.5 and Both Teams To Score land.
Dundee have endured a difficult start, winning just once in seven despite yet facing an Old Firm side. Even so, the visitors have notched in all bar one outing, netting multiple goals on five occasions. The Dark Blues’ issue has been defensively, where six opponents have scored at least twice against the Dee with five of those fixtures featuring Over 3.5 Goals.
Together the two teams have paid-out for Over 2.5 Goals and Both Teams To Score hunters in 12 of 14 league matches this season.
Standard Liege vs Sporting Charleroi
- Kick-off time: 17:30 BST, Sunday
- Home 2/1 | Draw 21/10 | Away 6/5
Standard Liege have been the BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE 'NO' kings of Europe this season. Les Rouches’ have paid-out for BTTS No backers in nine of their opening 10 tussles with arch-pragmatist Ivan Leko overseeing some dreadfully dull encounters. Standard have scored a league-low five goals in that 10-game sample yet conceded only eight goals of their own.
Despite occupying a bottom-half berth in Belgium’s top-flight, Charleroi boast the division’s fourth-best defensive record, whilst three of their five away days have produced a maximum of one goal. Indeed, six of the visitors’ overall 10 league fixtures have featured no more than a solitary goal, with the same dreary hit-rate also applying to Standard.
Considering the turgid goal outputs from both sides on show, it’s surprising to see Both Teams To Score ‘No’ offered as the outsider of the two in the market with 19/20 (1.95) available on one of both teams failing to score. BTTS No has been the right selection in 16 of the duos combined 20 Pro League matches this season and is well worth our support again.
Odds correct at 1000 BST (17/10/24)
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