August 2015

WEEKEND BETTING GUIDE – MCB PREMIER LEAGUE PREVIEW

August 26, 2015August 26, 2015The Night HawkLeave a comment

Last week, our in-form betting team correctly predicted that Sunderland and Swansea would play out a 1-1 draw at The Stadium of Light on Saturday. A £10 stake on the selection would have returned a tidy £75!

Can you really afford to bet without our team’s insight?

At present, our club betting sites are still unavailable as we carry out vital maintenance to install our new, bigger and better service, which will be available shortly.

As with last week, we really don’t want you to miss out, so our successful tipping team has taken a look at the weekend’s Premier League games and suggested where to put your money.

All the odds we have provided are average industry prices…GOOD LUCK!!

NEWCASTLE v ARSENAL

Newcastle (6.00) are still winless in the league this season, but new manager Steve McClaren will be encouraged by their draw away at Manchester United last time out.

Arsenal (1.58) looked shaky against Liverpool on Monday night, and have keeper Petr Cech to thank after his magnificent display led to a clean sheet. The Gunners won here last year, and they have a fantastic recent record at St James Park.

Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker both missed Monday night’s draw with Liverpool. The Gunners first choice central defensive partnership were replaced by the inexperienced pair of Calum Chambers and Gabriel, who endured a torrid 90 minutes.

Newcastle will be hoping that the untried pairing is still in place on Saturday, with new striker Aleksandar Mitrovic looking to net for the first time in the league since his summer arrival.

We really fancy The Gunners to get the win here, especially if Mertesacker and Koscielny are fit to return.

VERDICT: NEWCASTLE 1 ARSENAL 2 @ 9.00

BEST BET: ARSENAL TO WIN @ 1.58

ASTON VILLA v SUNDERLAND

Tim Sherwood looked far from happy as Aston Villa (1.83) were beaten by a late Bakary Sako goal at Selhurst Park last weekend, but in truth they really didn’t deserve anything from the game.

Sunderland (4.60) managed to pick up their first point of the season in their draw with Swansea last time out. Dick Advocaat’s side showed real improvement after appalling performances against Leicester and Norwich in their opening two games.

Jermaine Defoe has scored two of Sunderland’s three Premier League goals this season, and the prolific striker is going to be vital for his side this season.

Villa have looked a little negative so far this season and have only netted twice in their opening three games. New boy Adama Traore made a very exciting start to his Villa career against Palace, playing a massive part in their only goal.

These two sides are equally short of confidence at the moment and we see them cancelling each other out here.

VERDICT: VILLA 1 SUNDERLAND 1 @ 7.00

BEST BET: SUNDERLAND/DRAW (DOUBLE CHANCE) @ 1.90

BOURNEMOUTH v LEICESTER

Bournemouth (2.15) picked up their first points of the season with an impressive victory away at West Ham last weekend. The Cherries have impressed in their opening games and manager Eddie Howe has surprised many by sticking with the possession-focused style of play he has become famous for in recent years.

Leicester (3.40) continued their impressive unbeaten start to the season by coming from behind to draw with Spurs last weekend.

Callum Wilson scored an impressive hat-trick in The Cherries win at Upton Park last weekend, and his form is going to be vital if Bournemouth are going to avoid relegation.

Riyad Mahrez has had a stunning start to the season for Leicester. The Algerian international has scored in all three of The Foxes league games so far.

We can see a wide open game between two very similar sides here and expect the points to be shared in a high scoring affair.

VERDICT: BOURNEMOUTH 2 LEICESTER 2 @ 14.00

BEST BET: LEICESTER/DRAW (DOUBLE CHANCE) @ 1.70

CHELSEA v CRYSTAL PALACE

Chelsea (1.33) returned to winning ways against West Brom on Sunday, and the Champions managed to do so even after going down to ten men early in the second half when John Terry was sent off.

Alan Pardew has guided Crystal Palace (8.50) to a solid start this season. The Eagles have won two of their opening three games of the season, with their only loss coming at home to Arsenal.

Both sides fielded debutants last weekend, with both men making a fantastic impact.

Pedro made his first Chelsea appearance against West Brom after rejecting Man United in favour of a move to West London. The speedy Spanish International scored, assisted and was named Man of the Match at The Hawthorns.

Bakary Sako managed to score a late winner for Palace against Aston Villa in a dream debut.

Chelsea look to have found their feet and we expect them to win this one. We do however, fancy Palace to score at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

VERDICT: CHELSEA 2 PALACE 1 @ 11.00

BEST BET: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE @ 2.10

LIVERPOOL v WEST HAM

Liverpool (1.36) have made a fine start to the new season, despite the doom-mongers’ predictions. They have a great chance of maintaining that when they entertain a West Ham (9.50) side still finding their feet under the leadership of Slaven Bilic.

The Hammers have not won at Anfield since September 1963 and their last three wins (from the last 25 meetings) all came at Upton Park.

West Ham have failed to score on six of their last seven trips to Anfield and with Enner Valencia ruled out, their striking problems remain a concern.

Nine of the last 11 meetings have seen three or more total goals scored and while we do believe that Liverpool will eventually find their true level – they are far from being title contenders – the Hammers are there for the taking.

A comfortable home win and over 2.5 goals is the verdict.

VERDICT: LIVERPOOL 3 WEST HAM 0 @ 9.50

BEST BET: OVER 2.5 GOALS @ 1.65

MAN CITY v WATFORD

Manuel Pellegrini was a man under all sorts of pressure at the end of last season after finishing the campaign without a major trophy. However the Chilean has guided Manchester City (1.20) to a very impressive start to the season, with the Sky Blues already notching up impressive victories against Chelsea and Everton.

Watford (12.00) are unbeaten in the league, drawing all three of their league games and conceding just two goals in the process.

This could be the game where Watford are bought down to earth with a bang. We can’t deny that they have looked impressive since promotion to the league, but they are yet to face anybody like Manchester City.

The hosts have looked far more energetic in midfield this season, and Yaya Toure has looked like a man possessed at times. We fancy the big Ivorian to get on the scoresheet in a convincing City win here.

VERDICT: MAN CITY 4 WATFORD 1 @ 15.00

BEST BET: YAYA TOURE – ANYTIME GOALSCORER @ 2.40

STOKE CITY v WEST BROM

Saturday afternoon sees Tony Pulis return to the club where he made his name as a manager. The Welshman had two successful spells at the Britannia Stadium and he is still held in great regard by Potters Fans.

West Brom (4.10) have had a poor start to the season, only picking up one point so far.

Stoke (1.93) have transformed their style since Mark Hughes replaced Pulis, and the hosts look like a side who are destined for a top half finish this season. Stoke won 2-0 in this fixture last season.

Mame Diouf has started the season solidly for Stoke. The Senegalese striker has scored twice already this season and has looked a constant threat.

Saido Berahino was left out of the West Brom squad last weekend after becoming unsettled by interest from Spurs. Berahino will reportedly hand in a transfer request this week, so we don’t expect to see him play at Stoke.

Many will see this being a drab low scoring game due to past reputations of both sides, but we disagree. Due to Stoke’s new found attacking style, we can see a high scoring draw being played out at The Britannia.

VERDICT: STOKE 2 WEST BROM 2 @ 20.00

BEST BET: OVER 2.5 GOALS @ 2.25

TOTTENHAM v EVERTON

Tottenham (Evens) have won the last three meetings between these two, all by a single-goal margin, and are unbeaten in the last five against the Toffeemen.

Everton (4.00) have not managed to win at White Hart Lane in their last seven visits (they have won just three times in their last 30 trips) and although Spurs have made a typically slow start to the season, Everton should provide a nice confidence-booster.

Tottenham’s record against Everton means they are perhaps a shorter price than they should be, given their early-season form.

Harry Kane may have a move to a big club on his mind, because he has yet to look a force this season. Yet he is too good to be kept down for too long and Everton, while convincing at Southampton two weeks ago, are still inconsistent.

Spurs are not great value, but we will follow the money.

VERDICT: TOTTENHAM 2 EVERTON 1 @ 9.00

BEST BET: SPURS TO WIN @ EVENS

SOUTHAMPTON v NORWICH

The poor start that Southampton (1.90) have made this season has surprised many. They had arguably the easiest start of any side in the league, but they have only managed to pick up two points from their opening three games and are still winless.

Norwich (4.40) will be satisfied with their early season form, and have played some really exciting football so far. The Canaries battled hard to come from behind and grab a well deserved point against Stoke last week.

Sadio Mane may miss this one, after the Manchester United target suffered concussion at Watford last week. Both Mane and frontman Graziano Pelle have struggled for league form early in the campaign, with the two only scoring one league goal between them.

Norwich will be looking to continue their early season form, but we think that The Saints will claim their first win of the season here.

That being said, we do still fancy Norwich to get on the scoresheet here.

VERDICT: SOTON 2 NORWICH 1 @ 9.00

BEST BET: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE @ 1.90

SWANSEA v MAN UNITED

Swansea (3.30) have won three of the last four meetings with Manchester United (2.20) and have scored at least once in six of the last seven meetings with the Red Devils.

United have made a solid start to the season without really convincing, while Swansea have created plenty of chances in their three games against Chelsea, Newcastle and Sunderland. This could be one of the more entertaining clashes of the weekend.

United missed out on signing Pedro from Barcelona, who was snatched from under their noses by Chelsea. Though Memphis Depay has settled well at Old Trafford, when Wayne Rooney is not on top form, United look a side struggling for goals.

Garry Monk has Swansea playing some attractive stuff and will always pose a potent threat while Bafetimbi Gomis is on the park. Still, we see United securing the points ahead of the international break.

VERDICT: SWANSEA 0 MAN UNITED 1 @ 7.50

BEST BET: MAN UNITED TO WIN @ 2.20

(ALL PRICES CORRECT AT TIME OF PUBLISH)

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WEEKEND BETTING GUIDE – MCB’s Premier League preview

August 20, 2015August 20, 2015The Night HawkLeave a comment

Our betting team correctly advised six out of 10 correct Best Bets last week and topped it off with TWO successful correct scores at odds of 8.80 and 7.80. You are well in profit if you have followed our top tipsters after two weeks of the new football season!

Can you afford to bet without our terrific team’s insight?

At present, our club betting services are unavailable as we undertake maintenance to install a new, bigger and better service, which is coming soon.

But we don’t want you to miss out, so our punting prognosticators takes a look at this weekend’s big matches in the Premier League and suggest where to put your money…

All odds are industry average prices.

Get your club, however large or small, its own tailor-made betting service – FREE – and start benefiting now! See myclubbetting.com for details.

You must be 18+ in order to bet. Please gamble responsibly http://www.gambleaware.co.uk

MAN UTD v NEWCASTLE

Manchester United (Odds: 1.36), buoyed by their 3-1 Champions League qualifying win over Club Brugge on Tuesday, are firm favourites to beat a Newcastle side who have won just two of the last 27 meetings. Goals have been a feature of their clashes in recent times, with six of the last eight clashes yielding three or more. Newcastle have won two of their last 49 trips to Old Trafford since 1950.

Newcastle (8.50) have one point from their opening two Premier League games, while Manchester United have six points on the board, courtesy of two single-goal victories over Tottenham and Aston Villa. Newcastle face Arsenal next week, followed by a tricky trip to West Ham. They need to start picking up points quickly or they will be in an early relegation battle. The Magpies will be out of luck here, though. Home win is the obvious suggestion.

VERDICT: MAN UTD 4 NEWCASTLE 0 @ 17.00

BEST BET: MAN UTD LEAD AT 60 MINS @ 1.57

CRYSTAL PALACE v ASTON VILLA

Crystal Palace (1.88) gave Arsenal a very good game at home last week and will feel a little hard-done by after a poor performance from referee Lee Mason. The already-cautioned Francis Coquelin committed a number of fouls that should really have led to a sending off, something that may well have changed the outcome at Selhurst Park.

Aston Villa (4.80) were narrowly beaten at home to Manchester United last week.

There is no doubt that Villa are struggling to cope with the loss of former star-man Christian Benteke. The Midlands side have only scored once in their opening two games.

However, they do look solid at the back, with summer arrival Micah Richards looking like one of the deals of the summer, after arriving on a free. We expect Palace to do all the attacking in this one, but we can see the newly-formed Villa defence nullifying their threats and soaking up the pressure. We fancy a low-scoring draw here.

VERDICT: PALACE 1 VILLA 1 @ 7.00

BEST BET: UNDER 2.5 GOALS @ 1.72

LEICESTER v TOTTENHAM

Tottenham (2.70) have made a typically slow start to the season, losing one and drawing one, while Leicester (2.62) appear to have started the season as they finished the last. The Foxes have won both their games and if previous form goes to type, they could easily beat the Lilywhites.

Leicester have lost three of the last 10 meetings at home and have not lost successive home games to Spurs since 1986. Having been beaten 2-1 at the King Power last term (they also lost 4-3 at White Hart Lane), the trends point towards a Leicester victory or a draw.

There are usually a few goals when these two sides meet and an easy-on-the-eye passing game is assured. The last 10 meetings yielded more than two goals and both sides found the net in each of those 10 games.

City were good value for their win at West Ham last weekend and confidence is something lacking from Tottenham right now. We fancy a stalemate, but consider City are a bet to nothing in their current form.

VERDICT: LEICESTER 2 TOTTENHAM 2 @ 12.00

BEST BET: LEICESTER AND DRAW @ 1.44

NORWICH v STOKE

Alex Neil managed to guide Norwich (2.30) to their first points of the season last week. The Canaries were victorious over Sunderland, who were truly dreadful at times.

Stoke (3.13) have had arguably the toughest start of anyone in the league. After losing by a single goal to Liverpool on the opening day of the season, they came back from 2-0 down against Tottenham to claim a vital point at White Hart Lane.

Mark Hughes broke the club’s transfer record to bring in the highly-rated Xherdan Shaqiri over the summer, and the £12m man looks ready to make his debut for The Potters.

Norwich will look to continue playing to their strengths, which lies with their pacey wide men. Robbie Brady and Nathan Redmond will cause full-backs problems all season, just as they did at The Stadium of Light. We can see a tight affair in this one, but we really fancy Stoke to grab their first win of the season.

VERDICT: NORWICH 1 STOKE 2 @ 13.00

BEST BET: STOKE (DRAW NO BET) @ 2.20

SUNDERLAND v SWANSEA

Sunderland (4.00) are favourites to be relegated after two successive defeats which saw them ship seven goals to Premier League powerhouses Leicester and Norwich.

This is no surprise to regular readers of this column, as we tipped them to go down before a ball was kicked. The Black Cats drew 17 of 38 games and were the second-lowest scorers in the division last term.

And perhaps their best hope is to take a point against a Swansea (2.10) side who held Chelsea on opening day before disposing of Newcastle last weekend.

Sunderland and Swansea have drawn six of their last nine meetings and the Black Cats have won just one of the last 12 meetings with the Welsh side.

Don’t expect too many goals, as Sunderland are bereft of ideas up front and nine of those 12 previous meetings yielded under 2.5 goals.

VERDICT: SUNDERLAND 1 SWANSEA 1 @ 6.50

BEST BET: GOAL SCORED IN BOTH HALVES – NO @ 1.72

WEST HAM v BOURNEMOUTH

Bournemouth (3.30) were denied a perfectly good goal at Anfield and were sunk by a Christian Benteke strike that clearly should have been ruled offside.

The Cherries have been a breath of fresh air in their first two Premier League games – they attack with free-flowing football and while they have yet to score, they created a hat-full of chances in their two 1-0 defeats at the hands of Aston Villa and Liverpool.

West Ham (2.25) may have stunned Arsenal on opening weekend, but their dreadful pre-season form returned last week when losing at home to in-form Leicester.

West Ham badly need a striker to partner Diafra Sakho, following Enner Valencia’s long-term injury. Andy Carroll is not yet ready to return and so it is surprising they have not pulled the trigger on Charlie Austin, who was a proven Premier League scorer in a bad QPR side last term.

This could be a pivotal game for the Hammers. A win would ease the pressure before tricky trips to Liverpool and Manchester City, while a loss would probably set relegation alarm bells ringing.

We think Bournemouth left a lot on the park at Anfield but West Ham look too big a price, so we will chance the draw.

VERDICT: WEST HAM 1 BOURNEMOUTH 1 @ 6.50

BEST BET: WEST HAM WIN, DRAW NO BET @ 1.57

WEST BROM v CHELSEA

Nobody expected Chelsea (1.65) to get off to the start they have. The Champions are winless in their first three competitive games, and have looked below par in all three outings. There seems to be disharmony at The Bridge and Jose Mourinho is making more headlines off the pitch than on it.

West Brom (6.25) have also looked disappointing in recent weeks. They were lacklustre in their defeat to Man City and they were lucky not to be beaten in their goalless draw at Vicarage Road.

The Baggies beat Chelsea convincingly in this fixture last year.

However, we can’t read too much into that as Chelsea had already been crowned Champions.

West Brom named record signing Salomon Rondon on the bench against Watford and we wouldn’t be surprised if he starts against a Chelsea defence that is lacking confidence. That said, we feel that Sunday will be the perfect opportunity for likes of Eden Hazard and Diego Costa to kick into gear for the first time this season. We fancy an away win.

VERDICT: WEST BROM 1 CHELSEA 3 @ 16.00

BEST BET: CHELSEA TO WIN @ 1.65

EVERTON v MAN CITY

Manchester City (1.72) have made a flying start to the season with successive 3-0 wins at West Brom and at home to Champions Chelsea. Everton (4.50) dropped two points at home to newly promoted Watford before stunning Southampton with a 3-0 win at St Mary’s. City have won one of their last six trips to Goodison Park but are unbeaten in the last four meetings – their best run against Everton since 1982.

Both teams looked outstanding last weekend. Everton striker Romelu Lukaku looked unplayable at times, while City laid down a title-race marker in emphatic fashion. The Sky Blues have not managed to remain unbeaten in three successive trips to Goodison since winning three in row from 1979-1981 and those looking at a shock result will certainly be interested in odds that are simply too big for a home win. We take the Toffeemen to triumph.

VERDICT: EVERTON 2 MAN CITY 0 @ 31.00

BEST BET: EVERTON AND DRAW @ 2.10

WATFORD v SOUTHAMPTON

In all truth, Watford (2.80) would have taken two points from their opening two games if they were offered it in pre-season. They were fantastic against Everton on the opening day but they will feel that they missed the chance to beat a struggling West Brom at home side last week.

Southampton (2.60) have not got going at all, and have only picked up one point so far. Manager Ronald Koeman returned to the bench last week after an injury, but he couldn’t stop his side being convincingly beaten at home to Everton.

Watford are yet to come up against a side in top form and this may have led to a false sense of security at Vicarage Road. Quique Sanchez Flores will be looking for more from captain and talisman Troy Deeney after two rather average performances so far.

Koeman is a manager of vast experience and won’t be jumping to any conclusions after Southampton’s shaky start. The Dutchman will know that a win at Watford will put the club straight back on track and we fully expect the Saints to do just that on Sunday.

VERDICT: WATFORD 0 SOTON 2 @ 13.00

BEST BET: SOTON TO WIN @ 2.60

ARSENAL v LIVERPOOL

There is rarely a dull game between these two and although we will have to wait until Monday for it, we still consider this one to be the pick of the weekend’s action. Arsenal (1.75) recovered after their awful opening-day performance with an impressive away win against Crystal Palace.

Liverpool (4.50) have started the season well, claiming two wins without conceding a goal. Arsenal romped to a convincing 4-1 victory in this fixture last season.

Mesut Ozil has been criticised by many since he arrived in England, but he was magnificent against Palace. Summer signing Christian Benteke will be hoping to give the Arsenal defence more of a test than he did in the FA Cup Final back in May, whilst playing for Villa.

There is no doubting that both these sides operate with a similar style and both place far more emphasis on attacking than defending. We can see goals here and expect both teams to get on the scoresheet.

VERDICT: ARSENAL 2 LIVERPOOL 1 @ 9.00

BEST BET: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE @ 1.70

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IMPORTANT NEWS – SERVICE SUSPENSION FOR UPGRADE

August 17, 2015August 19, 2015The Night HawkLeave a comment

NEW SPORTSBOOK IS COMING SOON!

Dear Valued Customers,

Following feedback from many of our clients, we are shortly to launch a new sportsbook.

To facilitate this, we will take the existing myclubbetting.com sites down from…

00:01 on Wednesday, August 19

…to allow us to undergo a complete software upgrade.

This will enable us to provide you with a new and vastly-improved product experience.

The new service will include horse racing, an enhanced selection of betting products and a greatly enlarged selection of in-play markets.

Once the upgrade has been tested and is ready for launch, we will inform you direct of its launch date.

Please note:

Your account, including balance and open bets, will transferred to the new sportsbook with further details provided to you once we are ready to go live.

We thank you for your patience and continued support.

If you wish to contact us, please email: support@myclubbetting.com.

Best wishes,

The Team

WEEKEND BETTING GUIDE – MCB’s Premier League preview

August 12, 2015August 12, 2015The Night HawkLeave a comment

Our betting team successfully advised eight out of 10 Best Bets last week and topped it off with a correct score winner at 6.60. What a cracking start to the new football season!

Can you afford to bet without our top team’s insight?

Our punting prognosticators takes a look at this weekend’s big matches in the Premier League and suggest where to put your money…

All odds quoted from Whyteleafe’s betting service whyteleafe.myclubbetting.co.uk

Get your club, however large or small, its own tailor-made betting service – FREE – and start benefiting now! See myclubbetting.com for details.

You must be 18+ in order to bet. Please gamble responsibly http://www.gambleaware.co.uk

ASTON VILLA v MAN UTD

These sides enjoyed a positive start to the campaign, with both claiming 1-0 victories on the opening day. Manchester United (1.63) had less possession than Spurs in their victory, but they still created the better chances and were unlucky to not win by a wider margin. Aston Villa (5.90) on the other hand, battled for their win away at Bournemouth, something that not many people fancied them to achieve.

Bastian Schweinsteiger controlled the midfield against Spurs and, as ever, United looked a far better side with Wayne Rooney in the lone striker’s role.

Rudy Gestede looks like a real handful, especially in the air and we can see Villa’s new man causing the visitors defence all sorts of problems on Friday night.

We think United will win, but we can’t see them keeping a clean sheet.

VERDICT: VILLA 1 MAN UNITED 2 @ 8.00

BEST BET: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE @ 2.02

SOUTHAMPTON v EVERTON

Southampton (1.95) earned a point at Newcastle last weekend while Everton (4.00) were held at home by Watford. Plenty can be read into that. The Saints looked full of goals, while Everton looked pretty ordinary and the stats say they will do well to earn a points, as there has neither side has managed to win on the other’s home turf in the last 12 meetings.

Six of the last eight meetings saw the home side victorious. Everton have won on just one of their last 14 trips to Southampton, who seek their third consecutive win in this fixture. One away win in the last 21 clashes means tend-wonks will lean towards either a home win or a draw. While Southampton are strong favourites, we will chance the draw.

VERDICT: SOUTHAMPTON 1 EVERTON 1 @ 6.40

BEST BET: EVERTON TO SCORE @ 1.56

SUNDERLAND v NORWICH

Sunderland (2.48) looked as poor as we expected them to be in defeat at Leicester. The only surprise was they managed to score twice. Defensively, they were all at sea and while the Foxes looked good, time will likely show that they are a bottom-half side at best.

Norwich (2.98) played some intricate stuff at times in their first game since gaining promotion at the first attempt. Yet they failed to convert their chances and were punished at home by an improved Crystal Palace, who won 3-1.

Sunderland have won one of the last six meetings but have not lost to Norwich at home in their last six meetings at the Stadium of Light.

Eight of the last 12 meetings yielded less than three goals and while we think the Canaries will ultimately be safe this season, they may lose a battle or two before ultimately winning the war.

Our betting hearts tell us that Norwich are fair value to sneak a win, but the stats tell us that Sunderland, with their vocal support behind them in their first home game, may surprise.

VERDICT: SUNDERLAND 2 NORWICH 1 @ 10.00

BEST BET: NORWICH TO SCORE @ 1.43

SWANSEA v NEWCASTLE

Arguably they caught Chelsea on an off-day, but Swansea (1.93) were good value for their point at Stamford Bridge on opening day.

Garry Monk’s side looked lively, particularly when Chelsea were reduced to 10 men and they produced the best chances in an entertaining 2-2 draw.

In striker Bafetembi Gomis, the Swans have a player who plays the game in the right fashion. He takes his lumps and gets up smiling. If only there were more like him.

Similarly, new-look Newcastle (4.10) drew 2-2 in their opening home game with Southampton and Steve McClaren’s side looked a different proposition to the one who spiralled down the table last winter.

There are going to be a few officials taking a keen interest in the Magpies’ new striker Aleksandor Mitrovic, who came on as a sub and was booked after just a few seconds. He was also very lucky not to be seen throwing an elbow to Maya Yoshida.

Yet there is no doubting the quality that Gini Wijnaldum brings to St James’s Park and he will be an instant hit on Tyneside.

Swansea have a fair record against Newcastle. They have won five of the last six meetings with another drawn and the Magpies have won just one of their last five trips to South Wales.

This should be a fascinating clash, one that will be easy on the eye, and we take Swansea to eke out victory.

VERDICT: SWANSEA 2 NEWCASTLE 0 @ 8.80

BEST BET: SWANSEA SCORE IN FIRST HALF @ 2.08

WEST HAM v LEICESTER

Both Slaven Bilic and Claudio Ranieri impressed massively in their first league games in charge of their respective new clubs.

West Ham (2.28) shocked everyone by winning away at Arsenal and keeping a clean sheet in the process, while Leicester (3.20) were convincing winners against Sunderland in front of their own fans. West Ham were 2-0 winners in this fixture last season.

Goals and Upton Park are two things rarely mentioned together at the moment. Only one of the last five Premier League games at the stadium has seen more than two goals scored.

Leicester may look like are a free-scoring side, but this is only the case when playing in front of their own fans at The King Power Stadium.

They rarely score more than once when playing away from home. We fancy a low scoring draw.

VERDICT: WEST HAM 1 LEICESTER 1 @ 6.20

BEST BET: UNDER 2.5 GOALS @ 1.95

TOTTENHAM v STOKE

Both sides are coming into this one after 1-0 opening day defeats. Tottenham (1.76) were fairly easily beaten at Old Trafford, while Stoke (4.90) were only beaten by a late Philippe Coutinho screamer against Liverpool.

Ibrahim Afellay was particularly impressive for Stoke. The Dutchman has linked up with former Barcelona teammates Bojan and Marc Muniesa, and already looks more than comfortable in his new surroundings.

Tottenham will be looking to kick-start their season. The link-up play between playmaker Cristian Eriksen and lethal front-man Harry Kane is vital to their success.

Stoke are a completely transformed side under Mark Hughes. These days, The Potters are a side who favour a slow, patient build-up rather than the direct, route-one style adopted in seasons past. We fancy Stoke to snatch a point at the very least.

VERDICT: TOTTENHAM 1 STOKE 1 @ 6.80

BEST BET: STOKE/DRAW (DOUBLE CHANCE) @ 1.96

WATFORD v WEST BROM

Hosts Watford (2.30) provided one of the opening day shocks when holding Everton to a draw at Goodison Park, while West Brom (3.20) were convincingly beaten at home by title favourites Manchester City.

Baggies’ boss Tony Pulis has splashed the cash this week, breaking the club’s transfer record by spending more than £12m on bringing Salomon Rondon in from Zenit.

As good as Watford’s attacking play looked at Goodison Park, they also looked vulnerable at the back.

The Hornets’ two central defenders really struggled with the pace of Everton’s attacks and particularly with the raw strength of Romelu Lukaku.

We don’t expect the new man Rondon to start. However, we do expect the current strike force of Saido Berahino and Rickie Lambert to cause the Watford defence all sorts of problems.

We fancy West Brom to win at Vicarage Road.

VERDICT: WATFORD 0 WEST BROM 1 @ 9.20

BEST BET: WEST BROM TO WIN @ 3.20

CRYSTAL PALACE v ARSENAL

Alan Pardew has done some brilliant business over the summer, and that showed when Crystal Palace (4.80) managed an impressive away win against Norwich on the opening day.

On the other hand, Arsenal (1.75) suffered a shock defeat at home to West Ham, with new signing Petr Cech making errors for both goals. Arsenal have won both meetings at Selhurst Park since Palace returned to the Premier League in 2013.

Palace spent £10m on Yohan Cabaye over the summer and he was magnificent in their opening-day win. He played in a deep-lying role with James McArthur and the two men controlled the game. Arsenal were poor all over the pitch against West Ham. However, they still controlled possession and created chances.

They won’t have it all their own way and they will have to be at their best, but we do expect Arsenal to return to winning ways.

VERDICT: PALACE 1 ARSENAL 2 @ 7.80

BEST BET: ARSENAL TO WIN @ 1.75

MAN CITY v CHELSEA

Last season’s runners-up host last season’s champions in an encounter that, strange as it may sound, could well go a long way to shaping the title race. Chelsea (3.65) looked ordinary in the Community Shield against Arsenal and were lacklustre in their league opener with Swansea. Manchester City (2.08) had a poor pre-season but got their League campaign off to a flying start at West Brom.

The last four meetings have yielded fewer than three total goals, with a scoring draw the outcome in the last two meetings. Chelsea have won just two of the last 10 meetings and four of the last 15 with City. The Sky Blues have won one of the last five clashes. Chelsea have won one of their last seven trips to The Etihad and they will have a point to prove after being usurped as title favourites. We take a punt with the champions.

VERDICT: MAN CITY 1 CHELSEA 2 @ 12.50

BEST BET: CHELSEA TO SCORE FIRST @ 2.20

LIVERPOOL v BOURNEMOUTH

Liverpool (1.49) started their Premier League campaign with a rather fortunate 1-0 win at Stoke, while Bournemouth (7.00) were a little unfortunate in losing 1-0 at home to Aston Villa. Bournemouth have never beaten Liverpool in six previous attempts, although all previous meetings were in cup competitions and the Reds won both home meetings by a 4-1 margin. This will be a major test of Bournemouth’s top flight credentials but most neutrals will hope they acquit themselves well. We are still stunned that a club of Bournemouth’s size has managed to reach the Premier League. The capacity at Dean Court is 11,700 and they will not be able to attract the players capable of holding their lofty status. Liverpool are still some way short of title contenders, but victory here and in their next home game with West Ham, means they could easily be top by the end of August.

VERDICT: LIVERPOOL 3 BOURNEMOUTH 0 @ 10.00

BEST BET: BOURNEMOUTH NOT TO SCORE @ 2.12

All odds quoted from Whyteleafe’s betting service whyteleafe.myclubbetting.co.uk

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US PGA CHAMPIONSHIP: The big betting preview

August 12, 2015The Night HawkLeave a comment

Rory McIloy US PGA Champion — Rory McIlroy: US PGA Champion

By Calum Chinchen

The final golf ‘Major’ of the year, the US PGA Championship, is seen by many as the least important of all four Majors. However, it usually proves to be the most exciting.

For the third time in its history, Whistling Straits in Michigan is hosting the event. Vijay Singh managed to win in 2004 and Martin Kaymer was successful in 2010. Both men claimed their titles in sudden death Playoffs.

Whistling Straights — Tricky course: Whistling Straits

The layout of Whistling Straits is nothing short of breath-taking. Pete Dye is the course designer, and his famous layouts generally test the modern golfer in every area single area of their game. The course is a rare American links that contains over 100 bunkers. If the wind blows then there is a chance that the winner’s score could be level par or even higher.

Rory McIlroy (11.50) is the defending champion after winning at Valhalla last year. He is still nursing the ankle injury that kept him out of the Open Championship.

However, it does look as though he will be fit after he announced he would be resting instead of playing at The Bridgestone Invitational. We just can’t see him contending on this demanding layout, especially after a month away from competitive action.

In-form man Dustin Johnson (14.00) has bad memories of Whistling Straits. The big-hitting American breached a rule involving club grounding on the 18th hole back in 2010, and ended up with a two-shot penalty, causing him to miss out on the playoff and potentially his first maiden Major Championship title – something he is still waiting for.

Jason Day (12.50) is also a man still waiting to break his Major duck. He possesses arguably the strongest all-round game in golf and always seems to contend in the Majors. He does have a terrible habit of struggling to hold onto a lead once in contention. However, we feel as though this trend has to stop at some point – maybe even this week.

Players Champion and Scottish Open winner Rickie Fowler (18.00) would have been the Player of the Year by a considerable distance if it wasn’t for his fellow young American Jordan Speith (7.20), who is stealing the limelight with success at The Masters and US Open.

Fowler seems comfortable on any style of course and seems to have very little weaknesses in his game. He is rarely out of contention on the PGA tour and we really fancy him to win this week. Speith is also a young man with a tremendously well rounded game.

However, he tends to rely more on his phenomenal putting ability than Fowler. We fully expect Speith to contend in Michigan yet, as with The Open, we feel he will be in the places rather than going on to win.

Paul Casey (70.00) has battled back from a lack of form over recent years. The Englishman is a product of the American collegiate system, but returned to the European Tour shortly after to hone his skills. This has allowed him to be one of the few players on the planet to be equally strong on either side of the Atlantic.

Casey finished in a tie for 12th at Whistling Straits back in 2010 and looked comfortable on the testy links, particularly when conditions worsened.

OUR SELECTIONS: JASON DAY @ 12.50 and RICKIE FOWLER @ 18.00

ONE FOR THE EACH WAY PUNTER: PAUL CASEY @ 70.00

All odds quoted from Whyteleafe’s betting service whyteleafe.myclubbetting.co.uk

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UEFA SUPER CUP 2015 – BARCELONA v SEVILLA: Exclusive betting preview

August 10, 2015August 10, 2015The Night HawkLeave a comment

Real Madrid Super Cup winners 2014 — Real Madrid: 2014 Super Cup winners

The UEFA Super Cup traditionally sees the Champions League winners take on the Europa League winners. This year the game will take place in Tbilisi, Georgia, and will involve La Liga heavyweights Barcelona and Sevilla.

Neither side is a stranger to the competition, with the two sharing eleven Super Cup appearances. Sevilla claimed the title in 2006, while Barcelona have claimed four victories, with the last coming in 2011.

Barcelona qualified for the competition by beating Juventus in last year’s Champions League Final, while Sevilla take their place after beating Dnipro in the Europa League Final back in May.

The two played twice in the league last year with Barcelona romping to a 5-1 victory in the Nou Camp, while the points were shared in the reverse meeting in Seville later in the season.

messi2 — Best in the world: Lionel Messi

There is no doubt that the Catalan giants will go into the game as heavy favourites, and rightly so. Barcelona (1.35) enjoyed a near perfect 2014/15 season, where they managed to win a famous treble.

They possess the best attacking force in world football, with Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez tormenting opposition defences on a regular basis.

However, their defensive unit has never been a strength. Some will argue that with an attacking force so strong, there is no need to worry about defending, but others will worry that the current unit lacks any real cohesion and should have been invested in over the summer.

Barca have added two of La Liga’s biggest attacking talents to their squad over the summer. Arda Turan joined from Atletico in a big money deal, while Aleix Vidal arrived from Tuesday’s opponents.

However, neither will be able to feature in the game, as they cannot make their debuts until January due to a transfer embargo.

Sevilla (8.40) are a side who pride themselves on being organised and extremely hard to beat. They like to stay compact in defence before counter attacking with both flair and pace.

Ever Banega is their key man. The Argentine likes to control the game from a deep-lying central midfield position, and has a truly wonderful range of passing.

Sevilla finished fifth in La Liga last year and, in truth, it really is going to be difficult for them to finish above that in the current climate.

This is due to the dominance of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico, along with the unlimited finance of Valencia.

Despite finishing outside of the qualification places, Sevilla will be playing Champions League football this season after their Europa League victory led to an automatic spot.

Last season’s top scorer Carlos Bacca left for AC Milan over the summer and will no doubt be missed.

However, the Andalusians have added serious talent to soften the blow with Ciro Immobile, Steven N’Zonzi and Yevhen Konoplyanka all arriving at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

As can be expected with every game they play in, Barcelona will more than likely dominate possession and the entire game on Tuesday evening.

aleix vidal — Proven quality: Aleix Vidal

Sevilla are a very good side who need to be respected by the European Champions, but we can only see a convincing Barcelona win in this one. However, we do feel that Sevilla will get themselves on the scoresheet in Tbilisi.

VERDICT: BARCELONA 3 SEVILLA 1 @ 9.60

BEST BET: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE @ 1.73

All odds quoted from Whyteleafe’s betting service whyteleafe.myclubbetting.co.uk

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WEEKEND BETTING GUIDE – MCB’s Premier League preview

August 6, 2015August 6, 2015The Night HawkLeave a comment

The Premier League returns at last and there are some fascinating opening-weekend fixtures to have a punt on.

Our punting prognosticator takes a look at this weekend’s big matches and suggest where to put your money…

All odds quoted from Whyteleafe’s betting service whyteleafe.myclubbetting.co.uk

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MAN UTD v TOTTENHAM

Manchester United (Odds: 1.63) have not won the title since 2012-13, yet the club have resources to throw money at the problem, bringing in Bastian Schweinsteiger from Bayern Munich, Morgan Schneiderlin from Southampton and Memphis Depay from PSV. Spurs signed Belgium defender Toby Alderweireld from under the noses of Southampton, but they need to keep hold of Harry Kane, who has piqued the interest of several big clubs.

Tottenham (5.70) have won two of their last three trips to Old Trafford but those are the only two wins in the last 32 meetings. United have won just one of the last six clashes with Spurs, however. Six of their last eight meetings yielded three goals or more and United have scored at least twice in seven of the last eight meetings at Old Trafford. We take United to get off the mark in style.

VERDICT: MAN UTD 3 TOTTENHAM 1 @ 12.00

BEST BET: HT/FT MAN UTD/MAN UTD @ 2.40

NORWICH v CRYSTAL PALACE

Norwich (Odds: 2.54) were promoted through the Championship play-offs last season, and rookie manager Alex Neil has improved his already Premier League-worthy squad with the addition of former Hull City man Robbie Brady.

Crystal Palace (2.90) were rejuvenated by the arrival of manager Alan Pardew midway through last season and will be delighted with their business over the summer. Yohan Cabaye, Connor Wickham and Bakary Sako have all been added good depth to the squad.

We expect Palace to go well this season. Pardew has got the Eagles playing some fantastic attacking football, and their pacey trio of Wilfried Zaha, Jason Puncheon and Yannick Bolasie will cause all sorts of problems for Premier League opponents.

We think that Saturday will be a rude awakening for Norwich, who are not blessed with the paciest defensive unit and fancy Palace to grab a narrow victory at Carrow Road.

VERDICT: NORWICH 0 PALACE 1 @ 8.00

BEST BET: PALACE TO WIN @ 2.90

LEICESTER v SUNDERLAND

A relegation dog-fight on the first day of the season? Strange as this may sound, this is a game that neither side can afford to lose.

Leicester (1.97) won seven of their last nine games last season in clambering to safety, having won four of their previous 29.

It will be interesting to see how the appointment of Claudio Ranieri as manager pans out and how they replace Esteban Cambiasso is also something to ponder. Yet unlike Villa, they do appear to have enough goals in them with Andrej Kramaric, Leonardo Ulloa and Jamie Vardy.

Sunderland (4.10) drew 17 of 38 games and were the second-lowest scorers in the division last term. Little has changed. Conor Wickham has left and the arrivals of Younes Kaboul and Sebastian Coates do not inspire anything than shoulder-shrugging. Jeremain Lens looks a fair purchase at £8m but this could be a similarly turgid campaign for Dick Advocaat’s men and they are taken to be relegated.

The Foxes may well carry over their momentum and take the spoils.

VERDICT: LEICESTER 1 SUNDERLAND 0 @ 6.20

BEST BET: LEICESTER TO WIN @ 1.97

EVERTON v WATFORD

Everton (1.70) were far from impressive last season, which surprised so many after their fantastic 2013/14 campaign.

Roberto Martinez spent big on the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Muhamed Besic, but he simply wasn’t repaid with any consistency on the pitch.

Watford (5.20) were promoted from the Championship last season. However, that was not good enough for Slavisa Jokanovic to keep his job. Jokanovic was replaced by former Atletico manager Quique Sanchez Flores in the summer.

Everton have added some less high-profile names this summer with the likes of Tom Cleverley and Gerard Deulofeu arriving on permanent deals to add stability.

Watford look like the weakest of the three promoted clubs and have added a mass of fairly unknown players over the summer.

However, they have managed to keep skipper Troy Deeney amid interest from some big clubs.

We fully expect Everton to dominate the game and win comfortably here.

VERDICT: EVERTON 2 WATFORD 0 @ 8.00

BEST BET: EVERTON WIN TO NIL @ 3.05

BOURNEMOUTH v ASTON VILLA

Premier League new-boys Bournemouth (2.00) should not be considered relegation fodder. They appear to have a strong squad who have, on the whole, bought well, bringing in the likes of Lee Tomlin (Middlesbrough), Max Gradel (St Etienne) and Tyrone Mings (Ipswich), who looks expensive at £8m.

Three of the last four winners of the Championship have lasted just one season in the top flight, but we see the Cherries as bucking that trend.

Aston Villa (3.85) looked in turmoil last year and have been circling the relegation zone for the last three years. Losing Christian Benteke, Fabian Delph, Ron Vlaar and Andreas Weimann in the summer has not helped.

Villa are almost certain to finish in the bottom half of the table and they do not appear to be a side with many goals in them, even accounting for the arrival of Rudy Gestede.

Last season they only netted 31 times and that was with a decent striker looking for a payday, which Benteke eventually got.

Still, Villa could be a bit of value to pinch an opening-day win. If they don’t, Tim Sherwood will already start to feel the pressure.

VERDICT: BOURNEMOUTH 1 ASTON VILLA 2 @ 12.50

BEST BET: VILLA WIN, DRAW NO BET @ 2.50

CHELSEA v SWANSEA

Radamel falcao PNG — New start: Radamel Falcao

The first Saturday night football of the season sees two of last season’s success stories playing each other at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea (1.37) were deserved winners of the Premier League last season while Swansea (10.00) performed well above expectations by finishing eighth.

Both sides have opted to add quality rather than quantity over the summer with the likes of Radamel Falcao and Asmir Begovic arriving for the hosts, while the Swans added Andre Ayew and Eder.

Despite a poor showing in Sunday’s Community Shield loss to Arsenal, Chelsea are deservedly favourites. The hosts are an organised side, who tend to favour attacking football when playing at home.

Swansea are a very good team. However, they were comfortably beaten in both meetings last season. We feel that the hosts possess a style that really doesn’t suit Swansea and we expect Chelsea to be comfortable winners.

VERDICT: CHELSEA 3 SWANSEA 1 @ 11.50

BEST BET: OVER 2.5 GOALS @ 1.82

ARSENAL v WEST HAM

This is not the first competitive game of the season for either of these two sides. Arsenal (1.30) were victorious over bitter London rivals Chelsea in the Community Shield on Sunday, while West Ham (11.00) have been involved in the Europa League since early July.

Arsene Wenger will lead Arsenal into yet other campaign, while former Hammer Slaven Bilic arrived to take charge at Upton Park over the summer.

West Ham have been far from convincing in pre-season and in their Europa league qualifiers. They have really struggled for goals and the absence of Enner Valencia until Christmas won’t help that.

Arsenal, on the other hand, have looked brilliant at times. They have claimed three pre-season titles and have hardly let in a goal along the way.

We can only see a home win in this one, and we really can’t see the Hammers getting on the scoresheet.

VERDICT: ARSENAL 2 WEST HAM 0 @ 5.80

BEST BET: ARSENAL WIN TO NIL @ 2.06

NEWCASTLE v SOUTHAMPTON

It has been another summer of upheaval at Southampton (2.62). They have seen Morgan Schneiderlin and Nathaniel Clyne leave the club, while Toby Alderweireld chose to move to Spurs instead of sealing a permanent move to St Mary’s.

Newcastle (2.78) replaced lack-lustre caretaker manager John Carver with Steve McLaren over the summer, something that not all Magpies fans are happy about due to his Middlesbrough connections.

has done a terrific job since taking over at St Mary’s and we don’t expect another summer of losing players to affect him or the club.

Southampton are a side who are extremely solid at the back and are always dangerous on the counter attack. McLaren is a manager who favours the same sort of style as Koeman, but whether he can impart this on his new side is a totally different matter.

We can see these two sides cancelling each other out on Sunday afternoon.

VERDICT: NEWCASTLE 1 SOUTHAMPTON 1 @ 6.00

BEST BET: THE DRAW @ 3.20

STOKE v LIVERPOOL

Stoke (3.25) thumped Liverpool 6-1 in Steven Gerrard’s last game before he went to the MLS. It was the first time that Liverpool (2.20) had conceded six times or more since losing 7-2 to Spurs in 1963. Liverpool do not have a great recent record in the Potteries, winning just two of their last eight visits. While losing Raheem Sterling, they have bought well – albeit paying ridiculous money for Christian Beneteke, who looks sure to flourish at Anfield.

Stoke are head and shoulders above the rest of the Midlands clubs and should be able to maintain their top 10 spot this season. The arrival of Marco van Ginkel on loan from Chelsea looks a really decent addition, while former Barcelona winger Moha El Ouriach and striker Joselu from Hannover could pep up formidable strike-force. Still, Liverpool are the value bet to sneak a narrow win.

VERDICT: STOKE 0 LIVERPOOL 1 @ 6.20

BEST BET: UNDER 2.5 GOALS @ 1.78

WEST BROM v MAN CITY

Sergio aguero new — Top scorer: Sergio Aguero

Manchester City’s European campaign appeared to drain them around the New Year and they dropped off the pace before winning their last six. City (1.63) were heavily reliant on the goals of Sergio Aguero, so they took the talented Raheem Sterling off Liverpool’s hands. Despite overpaying, he offers a different dynamic to the attack. The signing of Fabian Delph raises a few eyebrows, but he could be a ready replacement for Yaya Toure.

West Brom (5.50) kept 10 clean sheets in 18 league games after Tony Pulis arrived as manager. He has created a decent spine to a team and added good depth with the arrivals of James Chester and Rickie Lambert.

City have won nine of the last 10 meetings, however, and drawn the other. Seven of those last nine meetings saw three or more goals and we see those trends continuing. City should win tidily.

VERDICT: WEST BROM 1 MAN CITY 4 @ 23.00

BEST BET: OVER 2.5 GOALS @ 1.81

All odds quoted from Whyteleafe’s betting service whyteleafe.myclubbetting.co.uk

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PREMIER LEAGUE BETTING GUIDE: City the value to reclaim title

August 3, 2015August 3, 2015The Night HawkLeave a comment

Money makes the world go around, particularly the Premier League.

You will notice that we did not say ‘football’ in general, because the money swilling around at the top tier invariably does not filter down to the lower leagues.

And that is where My Club Betting comes in – we are the only bookmaker to give cash back to your club. So don’t forget to take a look at our FREE service and tell your local club about it.

The Premier League takes the most bets of any football league in the world and it is the big kick-off this weekend.

Money from the Champions League helps the superpowers recruit the best players on top wages and so the wheel keeps turning.

Realistically, there are only four teams who can win it and there is a direct correlation between wage bills and results, so one of these four teams will win the 2015-16 Premier League:

Raheem Sterling new — Boom or bust: Raheem Sterling

Manchester City lost their title to Chelsea last season and slipped at a vital stage. Their European campaign appeared to drain them around the New Year and they dropped off the pace before winning their last six. City were heavily reliant on the goals of Sergio Aguero, so much so that they took the talented Raheem Sterling off of Liverpool’s hands. Despite overpaying, he offers a different dynamic to the attack.

The signing of Fabian Delph from Aston Villa raised a few eyebrows in the My Club Betting dungeon, but he will add depth if not regular goals, and if Bundesliga star Kevin De Bruyne arrives from Wolfsburg, as expected, the Belgian midfielder will be a ready replacement for Yaya Toure.

Manuel Pellegrini is on borrowed time with Pep Guardiola waiting in the wings and he looks likely to be gone from the newly-expanded 55,000-seater Etihad Stadium at the end of next season, however successful City may be.

And we do think they are the value to win the title for the third time in five years at 3.50.

Champions Chelsea are the favourites at 2.48 but something does not look quite right at Stamford Bridge.

Not much has changed from the squad that won the title by eight points. They have added Asmir Begvic and Radamel Falcao to replace back-ups Petr Cech and Didier Drogba, and John Stones may well arrive from Everton.

Radamel Falcao new — Shrewd signing: Radamel Falcao

And that would be a significant signing, as John Terry looks past his best. While it is perhaps unfair to jump to that conclusion on his performance in the Community Shield, he will need to raise his game markedly if Chelsea are to maintain their excellent defensive record, which included 17 clean sheets last term.

Falcao is a good addition to an effective side. Despite a poor return at Manchester United, his scoring record in Europe is impressive.

Diego Costa also bothers us. Great striker though he is, his persistent hamstring problems mean he is not certain to hit the 20-goal mark in his first season in the Premier League. His fitness will be key to a successful title defence and at 2.50, they look a bit too short.

Arsenal finally managed to defeat Chelsea, albeit in the Community Shield, but while they have got over that psychological hurdle, they have not made any marquee signings aside from Petr Cech. Goalkeeper has been a position problematic to Arsene Wenger over the past few years and Cech’s experience should be good for at least two extra victories.

Jack Wilshere finally delivered for England in the Euro 2016 qualifiers and Theo Walcott starts the season without any injury worries, but his side may come up just short and odds of 4.20 do not strike us a generous for a side that has not tasted Premier League victory for 11 years.

Manchester United have not won the league since 2012-13, yet the club have enough resource to have thrown money at the problem. The Red Devils have recruited World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger from Bayern Munich, but the capture of Morgan Schneiderlin from Southampton not only makes United a nightmare for writers and sub-editors, it also eases their defensive headaches.

Memphis Depay also appears to be a solid signing, although the jury is out on the 21-year-old winger – who was top scorer in the Eredivise last season – after the failed Angel Di Maria experiment.

We are still not convinced that Louis van Gaal knows the players he has. Playing Wayne Rooney out of position last season in midfield was a total misjudgement on the manager’s part.

United, priced at 5.40 still need another main striker to take the load off, particularly with a potential Champions League campaign looming.

They will do well to finish third.

VERDICT: Manchester City to win the title @ 3.50

All odds quoted from CREIGIAU F.C’s betting service creigiaufc.myclubbetting.co.uk

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Bayern Munich v AC Milan – Audi Cup betting preview

August 2, 2015August 2, 2015The Night HawkLeave a comment

The second game of the 2015 Audi Cup takes place directly after the Real Madrid vs. Tottenham game on Tuesday.

Bayern are hosting the competition and will be playing in front of their home fans against the Italian giants from Milan.

This will be the teams’ first meeting since Milan knocked Bayern out of the Champions League in 2007, winning 4-2 on aggregate.

Things have changed hugely since then: Bayern are now one of the best sides in the world, while AC Milan have fallen away.

Bayern Munich (1.38) managed to romp to the Bundesliga title last season. However, defeats in the German Cup and Champions League still left fans demanding more from Pep Guardiola and his players.

Former Shakhtar attacking midfielder Douglas Costa has been added to the squad in the summer. Juventus star Arturo Vidal looks set to follow Costa to the Allianz Arena after impressing in Serie A last year and at the Copa America over summer.

The Bayern fans and board are far from easy to please, and Guardiola will be feeling the pressure this time next year if he can’t manage to win the Champions League this season.

AC Milan (6.60) have been on the decline in recent years. They have not managed a Serie A title since 2011 and haven’t qualified for Champions League football since 2013.

After poor recent campaigns under club legends Clarence Seedorf and Filippo Inzaghi, the club have appointed former Fiorentina manager and disciplinarian Siniša Mihajlović as manager.

Milan really have not spent wisely over the last few years.

However, they have recruited some real quality this summer with South American goal-poachers Luiz Adriano and Carlos Bacca arriving from Shakhtar and Sevilla respectively.

We feel that Milan will improve on last year’s 10th-place finish in Serie A and we wouldn’t be surprised if they managed to finish the season in the Champions League qualification places.

AC Milan will deservedly go into the game as underdogs and, due to Bayern’s home advantage and far superior squad, that seems to be fair.

However, Bayern are playing Wolfsburg in the German Super Cup on the Saturday before this fixture and we fully expect them to field a weakened and/or tired side against their Italian counterparts two days later.

Pep Guardiola is man who always likes his sides to play patient attacking football, and goals never appear to be an issue. Milan have also adopted a more attacking style during pre-season, so we can see goals for both sides.

There is the potential for an upset here and we feel that Milan can manage to get a draw in 90 minutes and send the game to extra time or even penalties.

VERDICT: BAYERN MUNICH 1 AC MILAN 1 @ 8.00

BEST BET: DRAW (90 MINS) @ 4.00

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Real Madrid v Spurs – Audi Cup Betting preview

August 2, 2015August 2, 2015The Night HawkLeave a comment

The 2015 Audi Cup opener will be played inside the world famous Allianz Arena, just like all the other games in the tournament.

Tottenham face Real Madrid in their first meeting since the Spanish giants eliminated Spurs 5-0 on aggregate in the 2011 Champions League quarter-finals. If fit, both Gareth Bale and Luka Modric are expected to feature for Real against their former employers.

Tottenham (7.40) had a relatively underwhelming 2014/15 Premier League campaign and will certainly be looking to be making improvements this season.

Toby alderwiereld — Defensive arrival: Toby Alderwiereld

They have had a relatively quiet summer in the transfer market, only adding defenders Kieran Trippier, Toby Alderweireld and Kevin Wimmer to the squad.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino really struggled to get his usually patient and technical style of play ingrained in this Tottenham team last season, with the side favouring a more direct approach, particularly in games where Harry Kane was alone up front.

By their extremely high standards, Madrid’s Galacticos had a poor season in La Liga last year. Real Madrid (1.31) are a club who demand success at every level, so it was no surprise when Carlo Ancelotti was sacked at the end of the season after failing to win a major trophy.

Former Liverpool and Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez was chosen as the replacement, much to the surprise of many within the football world.

Madrid have had a fairly quiet summer by their standards, with no big names coming into the club. However, they are in hot pursuit of Manchester United keeper David De Gea after controversially letting club icon Iker Casillas leave for Porto.

Carlos Casmiero has returned from a very successful loan spell in Portugal and it looks like he will be a permanent fixture in the base of the Real Madrid midfield for years to come.

Real go into the game as heavy odds on favourites, and deservedly so. They may have had a poor campaign last time out, so the likes of Sergio Ramos, James Rodriguez and Cristiano Ronaldo will be out to impress.

There is no doubt that Alderweireld will help solidify the Spurs defence. However, the likes of Federico Fazio and Kyle Walker are still prone to error and lapses in concentration, something you just cannot afford against the likes of Ronaldo and company.

We cannot see anything but a Real Madrid victory here, and a rather convincing one at that.

VERDICT: REAL MADRID LEAD HT/FT @ 1.82

BEST BET: OVER 3.5 GOALS @ 2.18

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