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Any Other Bets: Premier League, EFL and Scottish Premiership tips for Saturday 14 September
Football betting tips: Sky Bet EFL, Premier League, Premiership
2.5pts Celtic to keep a clean sheet vs Hearts at 20/21 (General)
1pt Trent Alexander-Arnold 1+ assists in Liverpool vs N Forest at 5/2 (General)
0.5pt Alexander-Arnold 2+ assists at 18/1 (Sporting Index, SpreadEx)
1pt Adam Phillips to score anytime in Stevenage vs Barnsley at 7/2 (Betfair, Paddy Power)
0.5pt Phillips to score a header at 40/1 (bet365)
0.5pt Preston to beat Middlesbrough at 13/2 (Betfair)
*All games kick off 3pm Saturday
Celtic vs Hearts
Celtic have made a superb start to the season, winning all four Scottish Premiership matches without conceding.
Brendan Rodgers' side have barely given up a chance, restricting Kilmarnock, Hibernian and St Mirren to a combined 0.44 expected goals (xG).
Only Old Firm rivals Rangers have been able to fashion anything worthwhile (1.24 xG) in a match where game state played a huge part after Celtic led by two goals before half-time, eventually winning 3-0.
Hearts, meanwhile, have scored just twice in seven matches in all competitions this season, losing their last six.
CELTIC are too short to be worthwhile backing in the 1X2 but with them almost even money to KEEP A CLEAN SHEET that is a selection that should be backed.
Liverpool vs Nottm Forest
Third time's a charm? I backed TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD TO PROVIDE AN ASSIST against the Republic of Ireland based on the role he was likely to play and the form he has been in this season for Liverpool.
He was fantastic, with only his team-mates to blame for his lack of assist.
The price wasn't quite there against Finland, but it was for 2+ ASSISTS. Sod's law he landed one, and again his team-mates were profligate when he created plenty of further opportunities for them.
With the value there for both selections, at 5/2 and 18/1, as Nottingham Forest visit Anfield, it's very much worth sticking with this.
Alexander-Arnold has already created 2.0 expected assists in Liverpool's opening three Premier League games, more than any other player who is yet to provide a goal for a team-mate.
Stevenage vs Barnsley
Barnsley have started the season well under new manager Darrell Clarke, recovering from an opening defeat to win three and draw one of their next four matches as well as reaching the Carabao Cup third round, where they'll meet Manchester United.
Much of their success has been down to a change in system which has seen Clarke get the best from ADAM PHILLIPS, moving him into a far more attacking role as almost a second striker.
It is not much more than common sense, though, as Phillips ended last season in phenomenal form, with the midfielder now scoring 14 goals in his last 24 league games, including four in his most recent three appearances.
Those statistics, combined with his change of role, makes the 7/2 about him TO SCORE ANYTIME appeal.
On top of that, the 40/1 available for him to SCORE A HEADER looks huge.
- CLICK HERE to back Adam Phillips to score anytime with Sky Bet
- CLICK HERE to back Phillips headed goal with Sky Bet
His most recent goal was a header against Bristol Rovers, a match in which he also missed a huge headed opportunity from six yards out. While the rest of his goals this season have been with his feet, one third of his attempts have come via his head.
It's a consistent avenue of success for Barnsley, who scored the most headed goals in League One in each of the last two seasons, 16 last term and 18 in 2022/23.
Middlesbrough vs Preston
Paul Heckingbottom has made an instant impact at Preston, starting with a 1-0 win over Luton, backing it up with a 5-0 thrashing of Harrogate in the Carabao Cup before a keenly-fought encounter at Oxford ended in defeat, one which swung on the sending off of North End centre-back Liam Lindsay midway through the second half.
This certainly falls in to the realms of a longshot, but there is method in backing PRESTON TO WIN at Middlesbrough.
Heckingbottom has had a fortnight to get to grips with his squad and will hope at the very least his side can make life difficult for the hosts at the Riverside.
Michael Carrick's men have struggled so far this season when faced with obdurate opposition, losing 1-0 at Derby, requiring a stoppage-time penalty to draw 2-2 at home to Portsmouth and losing 5-0 to Stoke on their own patch in the Carabao Cup.
Boro averaged 68% possession across those matches; this isn't a new issue. Six of Middlesbrough's final seven defeats of last season saw them have more than 62% of the ball.
Odds correct at 2100 BST (12/09/24)
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