LIVERPOOL ML @ 1.45 (ss);Fulham no win @ 2.00; over 2 @ 2.15; BTTS no @ 1.85 (2-3); 1st half no @ 1.15 (1-1); DC 2 @ 1.30 (x/2)
Let’s look at the facts: Fulham is sitting dead last in the league with 20 points through 25 games. Liverpool is fourth with 50 points after 25, currently hunting down the top three and fighting for the title.
Motivation should be pretty even here. One side is fighting for survival to avoid relegation, while the other is trying to stay in the championship hunt knowing this might be their last shot at catching the leaders.
At home, Fulham is a disaster, holding a 3-1-8 record. Their only wins came against Stoke, Villa, and Norwich—all bottom-tier teams—and they managed a draw against West Brom. Against anyone in the upper half of the table, they are pathetic, going 0-0-5 and usually losing by two goals. Their "best" loss was a narrow 1-2 against Tottenham, but they got thrashed 0-3 by Southampton.
Liverpool is just average on the road with a 4-4-4 record. Away from home against bottom-dwellers, they have a 3-2-1 record. They played West Brom last time out and ended in a 1-1 draw, which wasn't much of a surprise since Chelsea also drew with them recently. West Brom is a tough nut to crack, I guess. They did lose 3-1 to Hull, but you can chalk that up to a bad day and missing Sturridge. Looking at recent form, they haven't lost an away game in any competition this year.
Head-to-head history tells us there hasn't been a draw between these two since 2002. The record stands at 7-5 in favor of Liverpool. Last time they met on May 12, 2013, Liverpool took it 3-1.
Both squads are banged up. Liverpool is missing Agger, Johnson, Sakho, and Silva; they expect two of those guys back sometime today. Fulham is without Amorebieta, Mitroglou, Etheridge, and Briggs.
Fulham got lucky last week against United, scraping a point in the final minutes after playing a total defensive bunker. That won't happen against Liverpool. They simply don't have the depth to play actual football against a side like this.
Alex Scott31 said:A 1.50 coefficient feels a bit too high for me, though I completely agree that 2 is the only way to go these days. Chelsea simply has to win if they want the title, and this is their window since both Arsenal and City dropped points.
The only real hurdle might be that Saturday-to-Wednesday schedule, but Birmingham is only about 99 miles-miles from London, so it’s roughly a two-hour drive. That shouldn't wreck them too much.
I ended up betting on the handicap. Maybe Hazard finally finds the back of the net this time.
First off, I have to admit I’ve put the Orlando Magic on my parlay three times this year, and three times they’ve absolutely screwed me. That team is cursed, but I'm hoping for some fourth-time luck today.
On the Hull game earlier, we went with a straight win. Now we’re pivoting to a slightly "safer" play: Double Chance (Draw No Bet), which is sitting at 1.45 in the sportsbook.
The Brooklyn Nets are one of the five worst home teams in the league with a 3-3-6 record. Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic are among the worst road teams in the NFL, sporting a miserable 2-2-8.
Since we already covered the win and the draw with the previous bet, let's focus on the likelihood of a Brooklyn Nets loss.
Historically, whenever these two met at Shea Stadium, the Orlando Magic never walked away with a win. That’s a solid point in favor of our pick based on their head-to-head history.
Looking at the Nets' home losses this season, they fell in this order: Stoke City, Seattle Seahawks, Manchester City, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, New Orleans Pelicans, and finally Manchester City again in CAP. Aside from that Stoke City game, every single loss came against teams with objectively better rosters—basically everyone in the top tier of the league.
That loss to Stoke City was an anomaly; it was their only away win all season, so it's not really a reliable metric for predicting future games... yet.
As for the Orlando Magic, their only away wins came against Stoke City on 12/29 (0-1) and Detroit Pistons on 12/07 (0-2). They are currently on a four-game winless streak with a 0-1-3 record and a goal difference of 2-8. Given their injury list, that slide is bound to continue.
Specifically, the Magic are missing six players, some of whom are vital to the lineup. While Robert Snodgrass is supposedly returning today, the Brooklyn Nets are dealing with zero injury issues.
Detroit Pistons - Los Angeles Lakers 2 @ 1.50 (ss); f+2 @ 2.30; Detroit Pistons no goal @ 2.20 (1-1)
Let’s just get this over with regarding Los Angeles Lakers and José Mourinho, because this game's outcome rests entirely on them.
A quick look back at how the Los Angeles Lakers have choked on the road this season: Manchester United 0-0 on 8/26—well, it's Manchester United, and it was the season opener; Seattle Seahawks 0-1 on 9/14—their second away game, and everyone knows the Seahawks started the season on fire, plus José Mourinho probably needed a month or two to settle back in; San Antonio Spurs 1-1 on 9/28 and New Orleans Pelicans 0-1 on 11/02—those are teams that can scrap for a result against anyone at home; FC Basel 0-1 on 11/26 in the Champions League—that was just bad luck; and finally, Stoke City 3-2 on 12/07 and Golden State Warriors 0-0 on 12/23.
Looking at those numbers, the Los Angeles Lakers seem to have moved past last year's away-game struggles. This year, they've won all four away matches with a goal difference of 0-8.
I expect them to keep the streak going against a weaker side like Detroit Pistons. Their record against top-tier teams is 1-3-2, but in their last five games, they've gone 0-2-3 with a goal difference of 6-10.
Birmingham is in terrible shape, while José Mourinho's squad has been hitting their stride this year. Add in the fact that Eden Hazard is playing out of his mind, and you have everything you need for a comfortable Los Angeles Lakers win. They could easily cover the handicap or even keep a clean sheet.
Plus, Birmingham is missing key players like Marco Senesi and Nicolas Anelka, which means they'll struggle to find the net. Even though the Los Angeles Lakers are without John Terry, their greatest defender ever, this roster should be able to patch things up easily.
I'm just not seeing why the odds are sitting at 1.50. That feels high; might be a trap.
Hull vs. Southampton | Southampton 1 @ 2.70 (ss) (0-1)
Let’s start by pointing out that this Premier League season is basically split into two halves: the top tier, led by Southampton, and the bottom tier, currently topped by Swansea. There’s a 9-point gap between these two groups right now.
Up until now, the rule of thumb has been that the top-tier team beats the bottom-tier team, though we've seen plenty of exceptions.
Today, we might just see another slip-up from the "top tier" crowd.
Hull's home record stands at 5-4-3, while Southampton's away form is 4-4-4.
The real metric is how Hull handles top-tier opponents; they sit at 1-1-2. They managed a win against Liverpool (1.12), a draw against Tottenham (1.2), but lost to Manchester United (26.12) and Chelsea (11.1).
They are significantly weaker on the road with a 0-1-7 record, but they aren't playing away today, are they?
On the other side, you have Southampton with a 1-2-3 record. However, their wins came against the three worst teams in the league (WBA, Cardiff, and Fulham), while their draws were against Sunderland and Stoke, and they actually lost to Norwich.
It might be time for another Norwich-style upset, especially since Hull finally broke a goal drought to grab 4 points in their last two matches—scoring three goals, albeit with some help from the refs. Meanwhile, Southampton is unbeaten in five, but those wins were against underdogs, and their draws were lucky escapes involving four goals apiece.
No major absences to report, except for Lovren being out for Southampton.
Prediction sites seem to be leaning toward a draw, but these two clubs have drawn four times in their last ten meetings, which is well above the league average of 23%.
At first glance, backing Southampton looks like good value because Hull's recent results have been sketchy. But when you consider that Hull's home losses came somewhat randomly against Chelsea, United, and Crystal Palace, you have to wonder if Southampton is actually next in line to win in Hull. Personally, I don't think so.
Patrick Martin said:Look, I think we’re talking past each other. I’m not saying they wouldn't talk like that in real life. My issue is just that the director spent way too much time on that empty dialogue. After a while, it just gets tedious.
Everything was clearly leading toward that miserable ending. The movie dragged on with far too much melodrama. Babies being born, weddings, parties, celebrations, all that nonsense...
Listen, those are all just devices. The director uses them to build a connection between the audience and the characters, which then allows him to manipulate how you feel through the plot twists.
I don't know why you couldn't connect with anyone, though. Personally, the movie ran me through the wringer—joy, happiness, anxiety, pure bliss, sadness, suspense. If a film can actually trigger that kind of emotional response in an audience, it’s a massive success.
Patrick Martin said:"what's up, dude?" i "you're my bro, bro" i "fuck man, fuck fuck fuck..."
That's basically 90% of the dialogue in this movie.🙄
In reality, that’s pretty much how two guys talk when they spend over eight hours a day together in tight quarters, forced to bond and trust each other just to get the job done.
On the IMDb forums, some actual cops chimed in saying this is a literal transcription of daily life between average partners on duty. One guy pointed out that because partners spend so much time together, they burn through all the serious or creative topics fast, leaving their conversation to dwindle down to exactly what you see on screen.
You have to recognize that kind of realism instead of just dismissing it as bad writing.
Patrick Martin said:and an ending so predictable it's infuriating.
I wonder what they would have even said if both characters had survived and gone on to live happy lives with their partners.
Jeffrey Howard79 said:Pure American absurdity with zero filter. You’ve got the President running around in overalls firing rocket launchers, and some girl waving a flag in front of fighter jets to stop a bombing run. 🙂
That said, it isn't a total waste of time. It's entertaining, which is honestly all you can ask for sometimes. There are even a few decent jokes in there that actually landed for me. If you're looking for mindless, over-the-top action where you don't have to use your brain, you'll probably dig it.
Rating: 6/10
A classic no-brainer action flick, right up there with this year's Olympus Has Fallen and Pacific Rim.