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Mark O'Haire's football tips, best bets and nap: Opening weekend
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Football betting tips: Weekend best bets
Saturday
2.5pts West Brom +0.5 Asian Handicap vs Leeds (12:30) at 5/6 (bet365)
3pts Ayr to beat Hamilton (15:00) at 3/4 (William Hill)
Monday
2.5pts Tottenham to beat Leicester and over 1.5 goals (20:00) at 4/5 (bet365)
Leicester vs Tottenham
- Kick-off time: 20:00 BST, Monday
- TV channel: Sky Sports Premier League
- Home 4/1 | Draw 16/5 | Away 4/7
Leicester are looking vulnerable ahead of their return to the Premier League. The second-tier champions saw head coach Enzo Maresca and Player of the Year Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall depart in the summer with incomings restricted due to the club’s off-the-field issues. Recently friendly performances have also brought criticism from boss Steve Cooper.
Jamie Vardy, Patson Daka and Conor Coady are all unavailable for Leicester here and TOTTENHAM have to be fancied at the odds TO WIN AND OVER 1.5 GOALS. Spurs started superbly under Ange Postecoglou last season and their final-third threat is difficult to ignore – the visitors plundered multiple goals in 29 of their 38 EPL outings and that firepower could prove decisive at the KP.
Tottenham collected seven victories from 12 at teams in 10th and below last term, interestingly, winning all four of their trips to the bottom-four. Spurs scored twice or more in five of six away days at the bottom-six and a repeat should be enough to secure maximum points on Monday night.
West Brom vs Leeds
- Kick-off time: 12:30 BST, Saturday
- TV channel: Sky Sports Football
- Home 13/5 | Draw 12/5 | Away 1/1
West Brom started the new season impressively, dispatching QPR 3-1 at Loftus Road in typical Carlos Corberan style. The Baggies were efficient and effective, well-organised and difficult to breakdown despite losing a clutch of last season’s stars during a difficult summer.
Back at The Hawthorns, I’m keen to get Albion onside as they host Leeds. The visitors somehow failed to succeed despite a dominant display against Portsmouth but the Whites look a touch overrated here considering Georginio Rutter is on the verge of joining Crysencio Summerville, Archie Gray and Glen Kamara out the door – four key cogs from last term.
Leeds’ squad is looking a little threadbare right now and having failed to beat WBA in both meetings in 2023/24, I’m happy to oppose their current prices. West Brom have suffered just six league losses in 38 at home under Corberan, boasting clean sheets in 58% of those fixtures – we can back the Baggies with a +0.5 ASIAN HANDICAP start at 5/6 (1.83).
Ayr vs Hamilton
- Kick-off time: 15:00 BST, Saturday
- Home 4/6 | Draw 11/4 | Away 16/5
Ayr are the early pacesetters in Scotland’s Championship, bagging back-to-back victories in impressive stye. The Honest Men boast a 36-12 shot supremacy and 18-4 shots on-target supremacy across those two tussles, winning 2-0 away at Hamilton on the opening day before slamming Airdrie 5-0 last time out.
Ayr were also eye-catching during their League Cup campaign, picking up top honours in three of four fixtures, only losing out narrowly against Premiership outfit Dundee United (1-2). I’m therefore eager to support AYR TO WIN at 3/4 (1.75) on Saturday when they go head-to-head with Hamilton once more.
Newly-promoted Hamilton have been blanked in each of their opening encounters – including, of course, their Championship curtain-raiser against Saturday’s opponents – with the Accies also toiling during their League Cup schedule. The visitors only success came against League Two side Stranraer as they failed to net in two of their four tussles.
Odds correct at 0930 BST (15/08/24)
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