The lineups are officially out—and it’s confirmed that Judge won't be playing for Brentford FC, which is a huge blow since he's been their standout player lately. He sat out the last match too, and we saw them drop that one after a really solid run... On the other hand, Rhodes is looking sharp right now, so I'm counting on him to decide this one...
United is sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League right now—they’ve picked up three straight wins, scoring three goals in each match too... They aren't exactly playing world-class football yet, but they are definitely finding their rhythm. Anthony Martial has integrated seamlessly and added a whole new dimension to their attack—plus, it's great to see Wayne Rooney getting back into scoring form after that long drought. It actually matters quite a bit since he's just a couple of goals away from climbing the ranks of the club's all-time leading scorers. On the other side, Wolfsburg is coming off a loss to Bayern Munich and a draw against Hannover 96... United really needs this win today, and I have a feeling they'll get it done.
After dropping out of Europe, Southampton is finally starting to show some life—it feels like they're finding that rhythm they had last season. Even though they lost to United 2-3 in the last round, they actually played quite well, so you can tell the momentum is building. They’re facing Swansea now, who had a decent start to the season but have hit a bit of a slump lately—no wins and no goals in their last three official matches. Since Pelle is looking sharp in front of the net and the rest of the squad seems to be scoring easily, I’m leaning toward the home side here...
Chicago Bears - New York Giants 1 @2,30 Germania (2-0)
The Chicago Bears are hunting for that first home win—and honestly, I don't see why they couldn't pull it off against a Giants squad that's looking a bit lost lately. Scoring has been a struggle for New York, and missing Mitrović isn't going to help matters... On the flip side, the energy in Chicago is great after that win over the Los Angeles Lakers, plus Carroll is back in the lineup. They've brought in some fresh talent too, specifically Antonio—he's an absolute beast on the field and in top form right now—so I'm expecting him to be a huge factor tonight.
I really think it’s about time Buffalo grabs that first win of the season—they've been playing much better than the scoreboard suggests, creating plenty of chances... plus, they just snagged Andre Agassi from Brentford right before today's match, so Brentford is definitely feeling that loss of a key player.
Scunthorpe is sitting pretty in second place right now—they haven't lost in 14 straight matches... quite the streak. Accrington is hovering just above the relegation zone, but honestly, they’ve been playing great lately—if they hadn't stumbled so badly at the start of the season, they'd be fighting for the top spot. Their momentum really kicked in right after they beat these guys away last time—that was actually their last loss in the league. On the flip side, the visitors are cooling off a bit, having dropped five draws in a row recently. Plus, they've had a busier schedule than the home team, playing two more games over the last month. There was even some chatter about Beattie potentially leaving to coach over at Oxford—which actually seemed to pull the players together—though he shut those rumors down quickly. All things considered, given the odds, I’m leaning toward the home team...
Saturday Barnsley vs. Doncaster Rovers @ 2.15 SS (0:0)
This one is a local derby—which might be why the home odds look so tempting—even though they’re currently sitting near the bottom of the table. That said, looking at how both clubs are actually playing lately, I'm leaning toward a Barnsley win... They've been finding their rhythm again, picking up points in a 1-3-1 stretch over their last five. There have been plenty of draws, but the morale seems high and the play is definitely improving. On the flip side, Doncaster is struggling through three straight losses, going 1-0-4 in their last five matches. Their performance has been lackluster, and the vibe in the locker room isn't great either—especially with rumors swirling about their long-time chairman stepping down after years of leading them to the second division. It’s all trickling down to the players, and to make matters worse, they'll be playing without their captain, who is the backbone of their defense...
Sitting at 3rd against 18th... Oldham has lost their last two, and honestly, they've been terrible on the road—picking up only 3 points total... The Wolves just played to a draw at home against Coventry City, so it's definitely time for another win to keep them within striking distance of those top two spots—which, of course, means direct promotion... It’s a long, grueling season, and you really can't afford any slip-ups if the goal is getting back into the Championship... I wouldn't call this a "sure thing," but Wolves are clearly the better side here—more efficient and everything seems to be lining up for them to grab all three points today... Worth a shot...
Just my two cents, but I wouldn't touch this at those odds... I actually put money on Oldham against Carlisle earlier, and I'd probably do it again if they weren't facing Wolves today. There isn't a massive gap in quality, so this could easily go either way—especially since MacDonald is out, which is a huge blow... though they're still a tough squad regardless...
Given the current momentum and overall quality—it really feels like the right move to back Iceland here—if not for a straight win, then at least for this result... The Norwegians seem pretty deflated after that 0-3 loss to the Canadians, whereas these guys are playing the game of their lives. You’d almost expect them to make history tonight, if you catch my drift...
Is it finally time for Leyton Orient to drop one? I'm thinking today might be the day—especially after seeing them draw with Walsall... they seem to be losing a bit of steam, if you ask me. It’s not even about the score, just their overall rhythm looks a little off lately. On the flip side, Oldham is playing solid soccer, though they've had some incredibly bad luck recently—and honestly, that just makes them more hungry to take down the league leaders today. I caught them playing against Preston back when I was active in those circles, and they looked like a top-tier squad that just got unlucky. A win is definitely overdue...
It’s honestly pretty funny watching the sportsbooks tank the odds on a Forest win—you’d think they were playing an away game against Manchester City or Arsenal rather than competing in the most unpredictable league out there... I swear, at one point earlier today, the odds were sitting at 1.80, then when I checked at my local DraftKings an hour ago, they were up to 2.05, only to see them slashed back down to 1.85 just now. 🙄
Still, looking at how both teams are playing right now, an away victory makes total sense. Doncaster hasn't tasted a win in five games—and while they haven't played poorly, that kind of drought definitely weighs on the locker room mood... On the flip side, Forest doesn't always win convincingly, but they have this knack for clawing their way back from losing positions, which shows real grit. Both sides brought in some new blood too—Doncaster grabbed Macheda from Manchester United, while Forest picked up Chalobah from Chelsea. In my book, Forest definitely got the better end of those deals; they landed a high-potential young talent who really shined at Watford last season, whereas Macheda has mostly struggled through various loan spells elsewhere. Long story short—Forest is objectively the stronger side right now and should come out on top.
The odds have dropped quite a bit—not ideal, but that’s how it goes... Lyon just isn't finding the net lately, scoring only once in their last five matches. They're also dealing with a ton of injuries today, especially losing Gourcuff—I still remember how he basically single-handedly dismantled Nice a while back... Betis looks like a solid squad to me, so I'm expecting them to pull this one out in front of their energetic home crowd...
Middlesbrough is coming off three straight draws—while Ipswich has struggled with two losses and a draw lately. That said, based on how they actually played, Ipswich definitely deserved more... Middlesbrough just doesn't look convincing to me right now, despite their recent results. Usually, Ipswich has a hard time against this side—they took a rough 4-0 loss last season—but I’m really liking the way Mick McCarthy's squad is moving, so I'll take those 2.35 odds
It’s a local derby—and I’m backing the objectively stronger side that’s finding its rhythm... Preston remains undefeated through five rounds, having held their own against tough outfits like the Wolves and MK Dons—they even pulled a 4-4 draw against a surging Coventry. They’ve sat at four draws before finally grabbing a win last round. Oldham, on the other hand, is already looking at three losses. Historically, they haven't fared well against Preston, nor is there much of a heated rivalry here to make it a "do or die" situation on the pitch. Granted, the game will be televised—but Preston proved they can handle the spotlight when they knocked out Blackpool in the cup. Both squads have some absences—perhaps more impactful for the home side—but I really like how Preston is evolving under Grayson... he's quite an impressive manager at this level...
Honestly, I just love those odds...🙂 Burnley plays really well against Derby—they've taken all the spoils from their last three trips to Pride Park. Plus, they haven't lost to Derby in eight matches... When facing teams that are somewhat evenly matched, I always go with wherever the value is... 🙂
I think a draw is about as much as Burnley can hope for today, but if you ask me, Derby pulls this one off—maybe even covering the handicap. Based on what I've seen, they look like the better side, whereas Derby has mostly been riding a wave of luck lately... though they did lose last round, and we'll see how much they miss Austin now. 1.80 on Derby isn't bad at all...
Both sides are desperate for that first win—it’s been a tough start. Millwall is struggling quite a bit right now; they haven't found the back of the net in three matches, so it looks like it might take a little while to get things clicking under their new manager. Still, Kenny Jackett was there for five years... and replacing the scoring touch and physical presence of someone like Darius Henderson, who moved over to Forest, won't be easy either. As for Wednesday, despite the two losses and a draw, they don't look bad at all on the pitch—they've scored in every single game, and they were actually quite close to pulling off a win against Leeds last time out. It's interesting that the odds were sitting at 2.00 across most books yesterday, only to jump today—especially in the HL... Thanks, I'm taking this one.
It’s only the first round, so there isn't much to say about how either side is actually playing yet—but still... Sunderland under di Canio looks like a much more exciting squad, and I'm backing them to take all three points against Fulham. Their preseason was quite impressive, especially that 3-1 win over Tottenham, which showed they can really attack... They've brought in Altidore, who is clearly a top-tier talent and in great shape right now, whereas Fulham picked up Bent. He just doesn't seem to be in the same league he used to be—not in terms of form, and he might not even be match-fit... Then there's Taarabt, who is brilliant when he's on, but his fitness is also a question mark. Of course, Fulham's attack relies heavily on Berbatov's spark, but Kacaniklic is such a vital piece of that puzzle, and if he's struggling with an injury, he won't be at 100%... While Fulham has had decent recent results at Sunderland, they are much better known as a home-field team that picks up most of their points in front of their own fans. Their preseason wasn't anything to write home about, and aside from a change in ownership, nothing much has changed at the club—they spent most of last season hovering just above the relegation zone...
It’s just a friendly match—so caution is always wise—but I’m still leaning toward a home win here... Why? Because this victory carries extra weight for the young Ville squad, playing their final preseason test and their first home game of the summer. Expecting a crowd of over 20,000 fans... Plus, Villa looks promising with plenty of upside—they've kept Benteke and brought in some solid depth, including striker Helenius, who seems to have settled in nicely and could form a great partnership with the Belgian player. While Lambert has been rotating the roster heavily during these friendlies, he should probably stick to his starting XI today given how close we are to the season opener... As for the visitors, they're essentially rebuilding after losing coach Pellegrini and several key players, most notably Isc.
The home side is dealing with some significant absences in their starting lineup—which isn't ideal when you're facing one of the top teams in the Championship. Zola mentioned he’s taking this tournament pretty seriously, though... which gives a great opportunity for the bench players to step up, especially since they've brought in some high-caliber talent from clubs like Udinese and Granada...
I’m definitely grabbing a single unit at these odds for the team showing much more momentum—they've really turned a corner lately. While they struggled earlier in the season, their recent run of 3-1-1 looks great compared to Baltimore's shaky 1-2-2 stretch... Plus, the head-to-head stats favor Pittsburgh, especially since they dominated on the road this year with a 3-3 record. Their top scorer, who’s been absolutely clinical lately, will likely be sidelined tomorrow due to injury—and even if he does suit up, he won't be at 100%... I think the home team is the smarter play here, especially with these odds likely to drop soon...