George Morris3 said:If I recall correctly, even Hazard isn't seeing any field time—likely dealing with those recurring injuries.🤷
Yeah, I saw that coming. 👍 Just read that he's a game-time decision—though, honestly, I still think there's a decent shot he suits up today.
Joshua Bailey21 said:I can't get behind this—mostly because... Ivanovic, Subotic, Nastasic, and Kolarov aren't just some benchwarmers—they wouldn't be playing for Chelsea, Dortmund, or Man City if they were. Simple as that.
They’re good players—no doubt about it—but they aren't quite at the level where the media should be hailing them as the best defense in the world. 🤷
They have far too much history with defensive collapses—and they’ve certainly conceded enough goals in these qualifiers to prove it.
Let me be clear—they’re solid defensive players, nothing more.
The Scots—despite that win against our guys at Yankee Stadium—are a pretty limited side. They lack creativity up front and their defense is anything but solid. Belgium, on the other hand, is easily a top 5 or 6 team in Europe right now. They’re playing high-level football; I expect them to be heavy hitters in the upcoming tournament. They’re just missing Kompany—everyone else is good to go—whereas the Scots seem to have a hospital in their locker again, much like when they faced our boys. They're still missing seven players. I expect Belgium to handle this routinely and stay atop the group. They already took care of business with a 2-0 win in the opener.
After all that hype before the opener, this match arrives in a much calmer atmosphere. Part of the reason is our national team's recent dip in form—it’s hard to deny that. Still, our guys tend to play best when they're being written off; they have that chip on their shoulder. Generally speaking, the squad is built from gritty players (Mario Mandžukić, Ivica Olić, Darijo Srna, Josip Šimunić)—we have character. I suspect we’ll finally put together a proper performance today—a win is vital if we want to stay neck-and-neck with Belgium. A draw doesn't really help us, as we’re almost certainly looking at second place anyway, given the points cushion we have over the other contenders. The US team has real rhythm—they proved that long ago—but they're in a slight slump right now. That won't be an issue today.
The Mexicans lack a true national team culture; they don't have the results, the atmosphere, or quality midfielders and forwards. If you ask me, their defense isn't great either—mostly just players who made names for themselves by heading goals or taking set pieces. Besides, it looks like even 15,000 fans might not show up to support them.
The Chicago match was disjointed, but our side showed they were the better team—and I believe they'll prove it again today. The Mexicans are prone to tactical collapses; it's entirely possible they'll fall apart today and let us run through them.
Osijek vs Hajduk Split 1st half winner @ 10.00 bet365
There are 18 minutes left in the first half. It’s an open game—plenty of chances on both sides. Osijek have already carved out two clear-cut opportunities along with several other decent looks, so frankly, those odds seem way too high for my liking. Hajduk Split's defense looks shaky; Kalinić is basically keeping them in this.
Earlier this morning, the Pinnacle Betting Double Chance for Chelsea was sitting at a massive 2.49. Now it’s dropped to 2.22—still better than the 2.09 we see across most of our local sportsbooks.
Bet365 has been feeling surprisingly generous lately—at least in my experience. I just received an email letting me know they’re dropping a $10 free bet for live wagering to kick off the start of the La Liga season. 😁
urbanrider542 said:Respect to everyone—just had a quick question. Does anyone know which sportsbook allows you to combine winners from the top five leagues—basically France, England, Germany, Italy, and Spain? If you've seen it somewhere, let me know. I can't seem to find it anywhere. Thanks in advance.
You can find that on FanDuel—under soccer antepost, look for "to win outright." They have plenty of leagues available, not just the big five.
The match is being held at a neutral site in Kranjčevićev. Dinamo is miles ahead of Dragovoljac—even if they decide to rotate the squad, which seems unlikely. Dragovoljac is arguably one of the weakest sides in the league; most of their core consists of players who were grinding in the second division last year. Dinamo doesn't have another qualifying round for two weeks, so there’s no reason to hold back. I expect a comfortable win for Dinamo.
Hannover - Wolfsburg over 2.5 goals @ 1.79 2/10 Favorite
Last season, Hannover played an ultra-attacking style—their matches were regular goal fests. Based on recent reports, they intend to stick to that same aggressive approach this season. Wolfsburg boasts a potent attacking line featuring Perišić-Diego-Vieirinha-Olić, so I'm anticipating an open game—a sentiment backed up by their head-to-head history.
Olić to score @ 3.60 2/10 PSK
Our strikers always seem hungry at the start of the season, and Olić is leading the charge for Wolfsburg. Given how leaky Hannover's defense has been lately, Ola could easily find the net—the odds look great.
I’ve watched Zadar in all four of their matches this season—they've made it pretty clear they'll be fighting for survival until the very last round. There isn't much quality there, frankly. Sure, they can hold their own at home, but they are abysmal on the road—mostly because they try to park the bus with a defense that is easily their biggest liability. To make matters worse, Begonja and Surać are out today, and let’s be honest, their bench isn't exactly deep. Miami has high ambitions this season, but after stumbling right out of the gate with only 4 points from 4 games, a win today is essentially mandatory. The lineup gets a massive boost with Rebić returning from suspension; he’s the kind of player who changes the game, even if his style is a bit overly cautious at times. The Miami crowd will see an attacking side today—especially playing at home—which makes them the clear favorites in my eyes. Furthermore, in the last three meetings held in Miami, Zadar conceded three goals every single time, and I expect a similar pattern today. Given that Zadar's defense has proven to be unreliable, slow, and prone to mental lapses, I'm also taking the bet that Rebić scores @ 2.30 Favorite 2/10, especially since he handles penalty duties.
Zilina needs to produce results—which means playing aggressively—and Rijeka is more than capable of exploiting those gaps to find the back of the net. Looking back at the first leg, it was clear the Slovaks aren't particularly special; the Rijeka squad seems to find their scoring opportunities without much struggle. Furthermore, the Rijeka defense doesn't exactly inspire confidence—especially considering they’re playing away from home. I'm expecting an open match with plenty of goals.
Zvezda - Odessa over 2.5 goals @ 2.18 Marathon 3/10 I caught the highlights from the first leg—Zvezda looked superior and created several chances, yet somehow still managed to drop a 3-1 result. They have no choice but to push forward today if they want to claw their way back into this. The consensus in the previews is pretty consistent: neither Zvezda nor Odessa can hold a line to save their lives. Their attacks far outclass their defenses—something that was glaringly obvious in the first match.
driftingbear35 said:Stromsgodset-FK Jablonec 11.70 Stromsgodset is in peak form right now—they’re fighting for the title domestically and looking just as sharp in Europe.
Just stumbled upon a stat—Stromsgodset hasn't lost at home in two years. That’s 32 matches straight. Impressive run.
Personally, I get 25%—again, capped at $50. It probably isn't uniform; likely depends on activity levels or some other metric. I've been playing heavily on DraftKings lately and pulled in some decent profit, so my bonus is lower.
A few months back, when I hadn't touched them at all, they sent me a 100% bonus up to $100. They're clearly just trying to lure back inactive users.
I just got a notification from DraftKings offering a 25% deposit bonus to kick off the new season—definitely worth checking your accounts to see if you're eligible. 😉
I watched the first leg between these two—Ludogorets controlled the tempo, though they struggled to actually finish their chances. We saw last year against Dinamo that this is a solid squad. They recently swapped out their manager following a rough start to the season, which seems to have worked—they've started picking up wins. They hold a 2-1 lead from the first match, which isn't exactly a lock, so I expect an open game tonight. I caught some of Partizan's play in the previous round against some nobodies—can't even remember their names—and frankly, I’m surprised they even made it this far. They’re missing three players today—some due to injury, one due to a red card from the first leg. From the two matches I've seen them play, the attack looks lifeless and the defense is anything but reliable. They have to chase the result and commit bodies forward, which plays right into the hands of the Bulgarians; they're the better side, and the odds are frankly insulting.
Unless someone actually asks me, I couldn't care less about the rules.
The way online betting works here—it’s been this way for years. Nobody ever brings up issues with money transfers, so I don't see why you keep making such a big deal out of it.
I’m just looking over the numbers—Sheriff’s defense looks shaky, and they really struggled against Sutjeska recently. The Galaxy will likely stick to their starting lineup and play an aggressive game; Čop is clearly their most dangerous striker—he should see plenty of service once Soudani and Fernandes start breaking through that defensive line. True, he usually needs three or four clear chances to find the net, but I think he has a solid shot at scoring again tonight. Plus, he’s the one on penalty duty for them.