Posts by Angela Hall

Newcastle vs. Manchester United

In Week 27 of the NFL, we have a matchup at St. James Park between Newcastle United and Manchester United. These two sides first met in Week 12 at Old Trafford, where Manchester United secured a dominant 4:1 victory. Currently, Newcastle sits in 17th place—the final spot above the relegation zone—holding a slight advantage over Stock City only due to goal difference. The "Red Devils" arrive at St. James Park trailing City by 16 points. While the title race is out of reach, the battle for the top four spots to secure Champions League qualification is incredibly tight.

The home side's biggest hurdle remains their lack of clinical finishing. Because of this, Rafa Benitez has molded them into a defensively sound unit. With only 36 goals conceded, they boast the best defense among the teams fighting at the bottom of the table. Newcastle enters this fixture following back-to-back draws (1:1 against Burnley and 1:1 against Crystal Palace). They managed to find the net in both matches and will hope to keep that scoring streak alive today, even against much tougher opposition.

Few managers can build a defense as reliable as Jose Mourinho. Manchester United heads to St. James Park coming off a solid 2:0 home win against Huddersfield. In that match, United struggled to break down a very organized visiting defense that arrived at Old Trafford with the sole intention of keeping a clean sheet. Their recent away trip to Tottenham saw them concede two goals, snapping a three-game away shutout streak. However, the Manchester United defense is once again performing at the high level seen earlier in the season.

Rafa Benitez will be without Gamez, while Jose Mourinho is unable to call upon Bailly and Fellaini for this contest.

Jose Mourinho has never secured a win at St. James Park, with three draws and three losses to his name. This lack of success serves as extra motivation for his squad. I expect Newcastle to adopt a defensive posture, looking to catch their opponents on the break or through quick counter-attacks. While Manchester United is the clear favorite, breaking through the Newcastle "bunker" won't be easy. Rafa Benitez has famously frustrated the league's giants, and if Mourinho wants to finally claim his first win at St. James Park, his players will need to deliver a flawless 90-minute performance. With the addition of Sanchez, United's attack has gained much-needed variety—exactly what they'll need in a game that likely mirrors their previous outing against Huddersfield.

TIP: Manchester United

Buffalo-Miami (2-2)

Matchday 19 of the Premier League sees the Buffalo Bills hosting the Miami Dolphins at their home stadium. The Buffalo Bills currently sit at the bottom of the table with just 12 points. Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins are holding steady in seventh place with 26 points. Regarding injuries, the home side will be missing Allan McGregor, Alex Bruce, Greg Luera, and Abel Hernandez, while Kean and Odubaj remain sidelined. For the visitors, James McCarthy, Yannick Bolasiea, Muhamed Besica, and Matthew Pennington are out, and Martin Stekelenburg is a doubt in goal. Buffalo is struggling, having suffered a 0-3 home loss against Manchester City on Christmas Day, extending a disappointing run of form. On average, the home defense concedes two goals per game at home, which presents a clear opening for Miami. The "Candy" squad secured a victory against the champions, Leicester City, on Christmas Day, marking their second win in the last three matches. That win over Leicester has clearly restored confidence to a Miami team that hit a rough patch after a strong start to the season. Buffalo looks weak right now. Miami needs to secure the win tonight.

TIP:2 1.95 @ BET365 6/10

Burnley-Manchester City (1-2)

The NFL Week 13 schedule kicks off with a clash at Turf Moor as Burnley hosts Manchester City. A win here would see City briefly seize the top spot in the standings. Pep Guardiola’s squad has already checked off their first major objective in Europe, securing their spot in the Champions League knockout stages following a draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach. In domestic play, they remain strong, though two home draws against bor and Southampton cost them a much more comfortable lead in the rankings. Looking at recent betting trends, City’s last two away matches resulted in wins against Crystal Palace and WBA. Burnley currently sits in 12th place. For any team returning to the big leagues, the goal is to stay there, and Sean Dyche has his side on a promising path. However, they are coming off a tough 4-0 loss away at WBA. You can expect Burnley to fight hard at home; they held Swansea to a narrow 1-0 loss in the season opener and pushed Arsenal right to the brink before losing 1-0 late. Their most impressive home results this season have been victories over Liverpool and Everton. While this should be an engaging match, the gap in sheer talent favors the visitors. Sergio Agüero is expected to start, providing a massive boost to Guardiola’s lineup given his eight goals so far. With such deep creative talent, City should find a way to break through the home defense and walk away with a two-goal victory.

TIP: Manchester City (h:0-1) 1.80 @ Super Sport
STAKE: 6/10

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Sunderland vs. Manchester United: 2-1, 1.85 @ PSK (1-1)

Manchester United has kicked off this season with the exact same momentum they carried through last year: none. After a strong preseason tour across the States, fans were convinced the front office made the right call by hiring Louis van Gaal. That confidence evaporated quickly when they dropped their home opener against Swansea in a disappointing 2-1 loss. There is one bright spot heading into this matchup, though. The club's star striker, Robin van Persie, is back. A player who netted 39 goals in 58 Premier League appearances for United, he’s finally fit. The manager noted his genuine relief at having him ready for this fixture. Still, the injury list remains a headache. Van Gaal is currently missing four key midfielders: Herrera, Fellaini, Lingard, and Carrick. Sunderland opened their campaign with a 2-2 draw against West Brom. Looking back at last season, Sunderland actually pulled off a 1-0 upset against United in the cup at Old Trafford. However, in their most recent league meeting at the Stadium of Light, United walked away with a 2-1 victory. Sunderland held the lead at halftime, but Januzaj took over in the second half, scoring both goals to secure the win. Sunderland manager Gus Poyet is feeling optimistic ahead of his home opener. He noted that opening day always brings a certain energy, especially when facing a global powerhouse like Manchester United. To pull off an upset, he believes his squad needs to play nearly flawlessly and remain disciplined on defense. It is worth noting that Sunderland hasn't beaten Manchester United on their own turf in 17 years. Despite the stumble against Swansea, the talent gap favors United, and Van Persie’s return should provide the offensive boost the Red Devils desperately need. Motivation isn't an issue here, particularly for Van Gaal. "Two weeks ago I was the king of Manchester; now I'm the villain," he might as well have said. United is a much better side than the one that choked against Swansea. At 1.85, I am taking the away win.

Everton vs. Arsenal: Both Teams to Score at 1.7 odds @ FanDuel (2-2)

We have Week 2 of the Premier League scheduled today. The marquee matchup takes place at Goodison Park as Everton hosts Arsenal. This marks Everton's first home game after a 2-2 draw away against Leicester last weekend. Even though Everton faces an Arsenal side currently sandwiched between Champions League playoff fixtures, manager Roberto Martinez isn't looking for an advantage there. He noted that while a different opponent might be distracted by the schedule, Arsenal is too professional to let that affect their rhythm. Everton will be missing Kone, Barkley, and Oviedo for this one. Meanwhile, the visitors are dealing with a growing injury list. Arsene Wenger is without Ospina, Diaby, Walcott, Miyachi, Gnabry, Arteta, and Gibbs. On the bright side, Mertens, Ozil, and Podolski are likely to return to the lineup. Arsenal opened their season with a gritty 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at the Emirates, secured by a Ramsey goal in stoppage time. In their last meeting, Everton dominated with a 3-0 victory featuring goals from Lukaku and Naismith, plus an Arteta own goal. Given Everton's shaky performance against Leicester, I don't expect another blowout. Arsenal also struggled through their recent matches, grinding out a win against Palace and a scoreless draw in the Champions League. Both sides possess plenty of attacking talent. It should be enough to see both teams find the back of the net.

LA Galaxy vs. LAFC Both Teams to Score YES 1.70 @ DraftKings (1-0)

The second leg of this cup matchup is finally here. After the first game at SoFi Stadium ended in a 1-1 draw, the action moves to the home turf. Last season, this stadium was an absolute fortress for everyone except for Real Madrid, who managed a clean 2-0 win during the tournament semifinals. Since Atletico holds the advantage from the first leg, they have the luxury of starting from a draw, but trying to play for a scoreless tie against an offense as potent as Real's isn't a winning strategy. In that first meeting, despite the 1-1 scoreline, Real completely controlled the tempo and created more opportunities. Meanwhile, the home coach relied on his signature aggressive, gritty philosophy to claw back a vital goal. Even after losing key players like Diego Costa and Thibaut Courtois, this squad has remained incredibly resilient. Playing in front of this crowd, it won't be easy for Real to overcome the away-goal disadvantage held by the home side. On the injury front, the hosts will be missing Arda Turan, which is a significant blow to their structure. On the other side, the manager likely won't have Cristiano Ronaldo available tonight, though having James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos on hand should help bridge that gap. One interesting stat: since the current manager took over, the Galacticos haven't lost a single two-legged series. Because the home team is currently ahead, I expect Real to hunt for a goal from the opening whistle to stay in contention for the trophy. However, if the home side could find the net at SoFi, I believe they can do it again in front of their own fans. For a modest stake, my play is both teams to score.

Standard Liège vs. Zenit St. Petersburg 2 @ PSK 2.00 (0-1)

Following yesterday's five Champions League playoff matches, we have the remaining five on the schedule tonight. In Belgium, Standard Liège will host the wealthy Zenit side at their home stadium. After knocking out Panathinaikos in the third qualifying round, Standard now faces a much more talented opponent. Their manager, Guy Luzon, believes this squad has the depth to reach the Champions League semifinals. However, the Belgian side isn't exactly playing well lately. They’ve struggled through their domestic league schedule, suffering a setback at home against Gent before getting hammered 5-2 by Royal Mouscron in the last round. On top of that poor form, they are dealing with a massive injury crisis. Luzon is missing Stam, Milec, De Sart, Carcela-Gonzalez, and Yuji Ono. There are also doubts regarding Trebel and Mujangi Bia. Given these setbacks, the home manager is giving his team a mere 5% chance of advancing. He was particularly impressed by Zenit's dominant performance in the second leg of the third qualifying round, where they cruised past AEL Limassol with a 3-0 win thanks to goals from Rondón, Danny, and Kerzhakov. While Standard is stumbling domestically, Zenit is rolling through their season with four wins in four games and an impressive 15-2 goal difference. Their only hiccup was that away loss in Cyprus during the third round, but AEL had no real chance of pulling off an upset in St. Petersburg against André Villas-Boas's squad. The visiting manager is being cautious, noting that both teams are close to Champions League qualification, but he won't hide that his primary focus remains winning the Russian league and securing the best possible seeding in Europe. Regarding roster issues, the Portuguese coach is missing Witsel due to suspension and Malafeev due to injury.

Zenit enters this match as the heavy favorite, especially when you consider Standard's injury list and their recent dip in domestic form. Zenit is the superior side. I believe that loss in Cyprus served as a necessary lesson on how not to play away in European competition. Despite what Manager Luzon says, Standard won't roll over easily, but I don't think they have the quality to pull off anything special here. While a high-scoring draw would suit Zenit, I expect Hulk and his teammates to take full advantage and secure their spot in the Champions League group stage. TIP2.