Football betting tips: Thursday best bets
2pts Christopher Nkunku to score anytime in Astana vs Chelsea (15:30) at 9/5 (Unibet)
0.5pt Christopher Nkunku to score 2+ goals at 10/1 (Unibet)
3pts Harry Maguire 1+ shots in Plzen vs Man Utd (17:45) at 10/11 (Sky Bet)
1pt Harry Maguire 2+ shots at 9/2 (Sky Bet)
0.5pt Harry Maguire 3+ shots at 18/1 (Sky Bet)
0.5pt Harry Maguire to be carded at 5/1 (bet365)
1.5pts Real Sociedad to win to nil vs Dynamo Kiev (20:00) at 17/20 (BetVictor)
Astana vs Chelsea
- Kick-off time: 15:30 GMT, Thursday
- TV: TNT Sports 4
- Home 6/1 | Draw 19/5 | Away 1/3
Jake Osgathorpe
It doesn't get much more Europa Conference League than this. Chelsea, playing in Kazakhstan, at 3.30pm.
The Blues are making light work of the league phase as expected, winning all four matches and scoring 18 times in the process.
Astana are down in 23rd, picking up four points from their four games against Serbian side TSC, Welsh side The New Saints, Cypriot side Pafos FC and Portuguese team Vitoria Guimaraes. Fair to say, this is a huge step up.
Enzo Maresca has continued to field a second string side in this competition, though Chelsea's squad is so deep that their second team would likely be a top half Premier League side, which explains why they are trouncing everyone in Europe's tertiary competition.
CHRISTOPHER NKUNKU is among that second team, and he's been scoring for fun in this competition, meaning it's staggering to see a price of 9/5 about him TO SCORE ANYTIME available here.
That price is standout with Unibet and BetMGM, though I still think the next best 5/4 with Sky Bet is value.
Nkunku has scored in all six of his Conference League outings stretching back to the qualifying round, netting seven times in total. His overall record is sensational too, with the Frenchman starting only 10 games in all competitions and scoring in eight of them - firing 11 times when starting.
He's simply too good for this level, and is playing in a team too good for this level that continue to create numerous chances for him. He's averaging 1.30 xG per 90 in the Conference League which highlights exactly that.
More of the same should be expected here, and, given the fact we know he is the Blues' penalty taker, the 9/5 about him finding the net again on Thursday is simply massive.
I wasn't going to, but having looked at Astana's performances against much lesser teams than Chelsea, I have to back him TO SCORE 2+ GOALS at 10/1.
Astana, against very poor sides, have allowed a whopping 2.74 xGA... Just imagine what Chelsea could do to them.
The Blues should have a field day, and Nkunku could be on the end of a bucket load of chances and has scored a brace and a hat-trick across his 10 starts this season already.
Odds correct at 1930 GMT (10/12/24)
Plzen vs Man Utd
- Kick-off time: 17:45 GMT, Thursday
- TV: TNT Sports 2
- Home 17/4 | Draw 16/5 | Away 11/20
Jimmy 'The Punt' Cantrill
HARRY MAGUIRE could be brought into the heart of defence. He started at the Emirates, was carded and then hooked on the hour and he came off at home to Nottingham Forest.
In four domestic starts, Maguire has picked up three bookings already, equaling his cards tally for last season and the season before and at 5/1, his price TO BE CARDED is worth a punt.
Ruben Amorim is still working out his best team which makes predicting his starting XI tricky but there is another price involving Maguire that is too big to ignore. The centre back is 10/11 to have 1+ SHOT, 9/2 to have 2+ SHOTS and 18/1 to have 3+ SHOTS with Sky Bet.
- CLICK HERE to back Harry Maguire 1+ shots with Sky Bet
- CLICK HERE to back Harry Maguire 2+ shots with Sky Bet
- CLICK HERE to back Harry Maguire 3+ shots with Sky Bet
He had four against Twente in this competition and one in a 12 minute cameo against Porto as he grabbed the equaliser.
Odds correct at 1130 GMT (11/12/24)
Real Sociedad vs Dynamo Kiev
- Kick-off time: 20:00 GMT, Thursday
- TV: TNT Sports 2
- Home 2/9 | Draw 19/4 | Away 11/1
Jake Osgathorpe
After a slow start to the season, REAL SOCIEDAD have kicked into gear. After one win in their first eight matches of the campaign, Imanol Alguacil's side have since won 10 of the following 15 matches.
Seven of those 10 wins have come TO NIL, and that looks the way in again here as they host Dynamo Kiev.
The Ukrainians prop up the Europa League table, losing all five games with four of those defeats seeing them fail to score.
Ferencvaros, Roma, Lazio and Hoffenheim have beaten them to nil already, and I'd put Sociedad in the same quality bracket as those four. Dynamo have averaged just 0.56 xGF per game in the UEL, so simply aren't creating chances, meaning their lack of goals is not due to bad luck.
Given the way the Spaniards are playing right now, and especially the way they are defending, the 17/20 about them winning with a shutout looks too big.
Odds correct at 1100 GMT (11/12/24)
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