Mark O'Haire's football tips, best bets and nap for Saturday November 9
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Football betting tips: Weekend best bets
Saturday 15:00
2.5pts Falkirk half-time/Falkirk full-time vs Airdrie at 10/11 (bet365, Boylesports)
Saturday 17:30
2.5pts Over 2.5 goals and both teams to score in Brighton vs Man City at 4/5 (General)
Saturday 19:30
3pts Botafogo to beat Cuiaba to nil at 5/6 (Betfair, Paddy Power)
Falkirk vs Airdrie
- Kick-off time: 15:00 GMT, Saturday
- Home 2/7 | Draw 4/1 | Away 7/1
It’s top versus bottom in the Scottish Championship and it’s difficult to envisage anything other than a comfortable home success for flying FALKIRK.
The hosts are fresh from a 6-0 demolition of Morton to make it nine wins from 12 league dates this term, 25 goals scored, as well as a W5-D1-L0 home record where the Bairns have scored 2+ goals in 5/6 outings.
Falkirk are topping all of the key data points in the Championship, including boasting a monstrous 73% shot ratio return at the Falkirk Stadium.
Having already gone five from five against bottom-three opposition – scoring 15 goals – the table-toppers look well worth backing at 10/11 (1.91) as the FALKIRK/FALKIRK option in the HALF-TIME/FULL-TIME market.
The Bairns are yet to concede a goal before half-time at home and face an Airdrie outfit in disarray. The Diamonds are W0-D2-L9 in their last 11, posting W0-D1-L5 away whilst conceding multiple goals on five occasions.
Smashed 4-0 in their home derby against Hamilton last week, Airdrie have also scored only two first-half goals all season.
Brighton vs Manchester City
- Kick-off time: 17:30 GMT, Saturday
- TV: Sky Sports Premier League
- Home 16/5 | Draw 29/10 | Away 8/11
Man City’s 4-1 thrashing at Sporting in midweek has provoked plenty of inquisition.
A small squad that’s suffering key defensive injuries have left the Citizens short – with no return for John Stones or Ruben Dias before the international break, the significant absence of Rodri, and neither Nathan Ake and Kyle Walker being 100% has left the Citizens weakened.
A fresh Brighton side that thrilled in the first-half at Anfield last time out should spy an opportunity at The Amex on Saturday and I’m expecting the Seagulls to at least get on the scoresheet and play their part in an entertaining encounter with OVER 2.5 GOALS and BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE available to support at an appetising price.
Lewis Dunk remains out for Brighton, who have kept a solitary shutout in five home fixtures under Fabian Hurzeler – three away sides have plundered multiple goals here.
Meanwhile, City’s only away clean sheet since the opening day came at Slovan Bratislava with the Citizens silencing just five sides in 16 overall. They have, however, scored in 32/33 Premier League dates.
Botafogo vs Cuiaba
- Kick-off time: 19:30 GMT, Saturday
- Home 1/4 | Draw 19/5 | Away 9/1
Botafogo sit six points clear at the top of the Brasileirao with just six rounds of action left to play and the table-toppers look well worthy of our support on Saturday night when they welcome struggling Cuiaba to the Estadio Olimpico Nilton Santos.
Fogo are W11-D3-L2 on their plastic pitch, silencing eight sides and conceding just 11 goals in their own backyard.
That exceptional defensive record has really come to the fore in recent months with Artur Jorge’s team returning W7-D3-L0 in their past 10 tussles across all venues, leaking a solitary non-penalty goal in their last nine league matches.
BOTAFOGO TO WIN TO NIL therefore looks too big at 5/6 (1.83) when lowly Cuiaba arrive in Rio to face the league-leaders.
Cuiaba are seven points from safety having claimed three Serie A victories since June – it’s nine defeats in 16, they’ve failed to even score in nine of their most recent 11 and their only away goal in eight came from the penalty spot.
The visitors have fired blanks in nine of their previous 16 away days and rank rock-bottom for almost all major attacking metrics.
Odds correct at 0900 GMT (07/11/24)
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