And there's even a chance at 2.05 if the home team stays shut out—it could easily be a 0-0 affair, especially since the visitors haven't been particularly clinical lately...
That’s just how it looks to you. They haven't been scoring any less than anyone else in the league (aside from Žalgiris)—it's just that they haven't faced this specific lineup yet. If you take five goals off everyone else's total—which is roughly what these guys concede on average (they gave up 3 once, 8 once, 4 once, and usually 5 or 6)—then suddenly these guys look like the most efficient scorers in the league...😁
I honestly don't know if there's a more ridiculous league out there than the one in Lithuania. Two years ago they had 12 clubs, last year it was down to 9, and now we're looking at an even number—10—though we might as well treat it as 9, since Dainava seems to be there just to fill a slot... I haven't bothered digging into the specifics of what happened to them—I assume they just ran out of cash or something similar. Their roster is essentially a mix of former reserves and juniors—even cadets, really—with six kids aged 16 to 19 in the starting XI. They're getting thrashed by everyone... after 8 rounds, their goal difference is sitting at 0:42. Their main striker has only managed 4 goals in 55 appearances over the last three seasons. He actually managed to find the net this season, though it was an own goal 😁. Apparently, these kids can only score by accident—let's just hope that luck doesn't strike today. They'll likely give up at least 3... Edit: 1N2D means the home team won't cover, but the visitors will 😁
Yes, I was actually planning to mention that we’re marking the 25th anniversary of Hillsborough these days—which is why all the matches are kicking off seven minutes late. Back then, Liverpool was sitting in second place, tied on points and goal difference with Arsenal, though they had fewer goals scored... winning the title this season would mean even more to them. A victory today would put them just one step away from that goal—they'd be 7 points ahead of Manchester City, with two games in hand—and they have Chelsea coming up in two weeks, sandwiched between two matches against Athletics... plus, their home record is 14-1-1...
Queens Park Rangers - Nottingham Forest 1 2,15 (5:2)
Before they dropped ten goals, Nottingham was basically a lock for the Premier League playoffs—they were playing incredible football, with only four losses on the record. And then—honestly, I have no clue what went wrong—but over the last 10 rounds, they’ve been absolutely nothing... four draws and six losses. They even lost to Millwall at home... QPR isn't exactly in top shape either, and frankly, they don't seem to care; they’re sitting 9 points ahead in the race for those Premier League playoff spots, making them nearly certainties. Given how much Nottingham has fallen off, I think this is a pretty generous odd, regardless of the fact that the home side hasn't been great lately either...
If we aren't being misled—and I truly hope we aren't—Joe Šimunić is the only healthy center-back available for Dinamo Chicago. It remains uncertain if Šimunović will even make the squad, and frankly, there isn't anyone else capable of stepping in to cover that defensive gap. On the flip side, Kramarić is fighting hard for the Golden Boot... and I suspect he’d value that title more than just scoring against today's Dinamo Chicago. The odds are high enough to justify a shot...
Borussia Dortmund vs Wolfsburg — Both Teams to Score and Over 2.5 goals — DraftKings 2.1 (2:1 prediction)
There’s been an unusually low number of goals in the afternoon matches over in Germany lately—only one game saw both sides score, and nothing went over 2.5... So, this one should help bring those averages back up. Historically, when these two meet, the goals tend to flow—their last five head-to-head matchups all hit the Over 2.5 mark, often even exceeding three goals. A win would serve both sides well at this stage: Borussia needs to protect their lead to secure that Champions League spot, while Wolfsburg is fighting for 4th place—which leads to the Champions League qualifiers—and they'd find themselves just 4 points behind Schalke 04 and today's opponents if they pull this off. Statistically, both teams are averaging slightly north of 3 goals per match; Borussia at home sits around a 2:1 average, while Wolfsburg away is hovering near 1.5:1.5. PSK seems to be offering the most convincing odds for this one—DraftKings 2.1 is the move, compared to 1.75 at SS or 1.85 at HL...
wiredjackal91 said:New York City vs Manchester United 2 San Diego vs Los Angeles FC 2
The argument is that Manchester United is playing in the Democratic Party tournament—and they'll be back at it soon—so they're exhausted, and so on... However, they’re currently on a hot streak; that result against Bayern Munich was a massive morale booster. On the flip side, you have New York City, who haven't looked good in ages. Watching them play against Southampton was honestly embarrassing. At DraftKings 2.1, I'm taking it.
Los Angeles FC, after handing over a few players to Indianapolis for those 6 crucial points, is heading out to face San Diego. They’re coming off some wins, while San Diego is looking pretty pathetic—they'll stay in the league, but they aren't going to be particularly motivated.
All things considered, this is about a 3.5 double.
To be precise, the double is actually 3.213, since the odds for Los Angeles FC are 1.53 at that same sportsbook. Come on, man... in the future, please write the odds next to the picks—not just because that's how the rules work, but for the sake of keeping track of statistics.
I placed a bet last night on that pathetic sportsbook—damn it, I play my cards close to the vest, so I can never seem to burn through those ten dollars in free credits 😁—predicting Yaya Touré would score a goal. Woke up this morning, checked the results, saw he scored, yet the bet shows red on the site, a total loss. I sent an inquiry, wondering where the hell my money went... it took four or five hours before the funds finally hit my account, but there was no email, no notification, absolutely no apology or explanation regarding how much they skim off the top...
Now I have to audit all my active wagers, just to see how many more times they've screwed me over...😁
Slaven has been looking desperate lately—they’re getting slapped around by anyone they face. Even the coaching change hasn't helped; if anything, they look even worse than before... On the other hand, Rijeka is on a roll with these wins. They've got Tomečak back from injury, and Kramarić is in incredible form—scoring consistently. Given the momentum, Rijeka has a chance to leapfrog Hajduk and snatch second place... I honestly don't see them missing this opportunity.
I used to play poker and occasionally placed bets over at Unibet, and for about a year now I’ve been using Marathon—neither of them ever asked me for any kind of verification. The withdrawals just went straight back to the same account I used for deposits, so...
The player options are actually more detailed than what you find at our local US sportsbooks. You can combine players with other players—or players with specific matches. The only restriction is that you cannot combine different player props from within the exact same game. Meaning, if there are three separate games happening, you can parlay three different players together—one from each match...
but you can't pair a player's point total with anything else in that same matchup. For instance, in tonight's Minnesota vs. NY Knicks game, you can't bet on a Minnesota win and also have Carmelo go under his points total at the same time—if I recall correctly, that's what coolwater was asking about...
U21 - Northern Ireland vs. Italy - Ireland fails to score 1.92 at DraftKings (0:2)
(Comparing domestic books—DraftKings is at 1.90, FanDuel is 1.65, BetMGM is 1.70...)
The Irish side is struggling in this group—their only win was a narrow 1-0 against Cyprus. In fact, that’s their lone victory in their last 15 matches—aside from some wins against San Marino and the Faroe Islands over the last five years—and they've only managed to find the net in four games total. On the other hand, these young Italians play an open game—scoring and conceding in equal measure. They suffered a 3-1 stumble at home against Belgium, which—despite their 1-0 away win later—will likely cost them the top spot in the group. They'll probably have to fight for a wildcard spot as one of the four best runners-up, meaning they need every single win from here on out. I expect them to be highly motivated... and I doubt a weak Irish squad can pose any real threat to them. Given how rarely Ireland scores, this price seems worth a shot...
Lyon - Chornomorets Under 2.5, 1.80 (1:0) 1st Half Draw X, 2.45 SS (0:0) Under 1 goal in the first half, 1.81 Marathon
I'm leaning toward these picks primarily because of Chornomorets—though things aren't much different for Lyon... We saw this during the group stage against Dinamo, specifically in that opening match. Looking at their league results, it's clear that Chornomorets' main priority is keeping a clean sheet, especially in the opening half... Their matches only end up "over" by pure accident. In the group stage, they had a 6:6 total, but if you strip away the games against Dinamo, they sit at 2:4—meaning, aside from those two high-scoring bouts with Dinamo, everything else has been strictly under. As for Lyon, all six of their matches have stayed under, including a 0:0 start where there were hardly any real scoring chances... I doubt tonight will be any different...
What is there left to say about these teams besides expecting a shootout... This is a cup match—they played a different cup just last month and ended up with a 3:4 scoreline. It’s being held at the same venue as that previous game—some kind of gym/warehouse setup in a suburb outside of Seattle—but the pitch is standard size, artificial turf. You see plenty of these setups in the States for winter games... both sides tend to play high-scoring matches in these conditions. Stjarnan's five recent outings went 2:1, 3:4, 3:2, 3:1, and 2:2, while Haukar saw 2:1, 4:3, 0:2, 2:5, and 7:1. All things considered, expect plenty of goals...
Benjamin Rivera5 said:Manchester City/away-FC Barcelona DA (1.55) The odds aren't exactly great for this kind of risk but I went ahead and placed it anyway. If City thinks they're moving on, they need to step up today—and if they do, FC Barcelona will have an immediate chance to respond via a quick counter. Plus, if City manages to tuck away two goals (which should happen, given how disastrously FC Barcelona's defense looks right now), Barca will be forced to chase the game since being down by two at home doesn't leave them much room for error. Either way, this should be a high-scoring affair...
If you aren't even sure FC Barcelona can find the net, yet you're convinced Manchester City can score twice, why not just bet on Manchester City to score over 1.5 goals? You'd get a much better return than this one. 🤷
Without getting bogged down in the betting side of things—but why on earth would they face a suspension for a mere preseason friendly, especially when those cards were handed out during another identical exhibition match?
Charles Wright said:I agree—it’s just more practical to put it that way. I’m actually a bit confused that the sportsbook doesn't offer a "final winner" or "to advance" option... because if they did, I'd be bold enough to put my money on Nottingham Forest...
One really ought to master the fundamentals before diving headlong into betting....
In the FA Cup, it’s just a single match. However—and this is where it differs from most other tournaments, I believe—if the score ends in a draw, there are no extra periods or penalty shootouts. Instead, they play a replay at the opponent's stadium. If that second game also ends in a tie, then we move to overtime and, if necessary, penalties...
The standings show Dinamo has the worst defense and the weakest attack in the group (2:9), whereas for Ludogorets, it is the exact opposite (9:1). Still—considering how much this match actually matters, and looking at the current form of the Dinamo fans' preferred strikers—I am expecting at least one goal on both sides... Dynamo Kyiv vs Rapid Wien — BTTS YES 1.80 SS (3-1)
Both sides seem intent on scoring as much as they are on conceding. Dinamo is clearly the better side, but since this is a direct knockout scenario for who moves on, Rapid won't pull it off without finding the net—so I expect them to push hard for it. The first leg ended 2:2...
Real Betis vs Rijeka — Under 3 goals 1.80 SS (0-0) Vitória Guimarães vs Olympique Lyonnais — Under 3 goals 1.65 SS (1-2)
This is easily the lowest-scoring group out there. Aside from that disaster in Vitória Guimarães involving Rijeka, we haven't seen more than two goals. In the other seven matches, it’s been two 1:1 draws, four 1:0 results, and one 0:0. Given that these games aren't crucial—and considering all four teams are struggling with form—I don't expect anything different today...
Lazio vs Trabzonspor — BTTS YES 1.80 SS (0-0)
Another match where the stakes feel low. Both sides—especially the Turkish outfit—tend to play high-scoring games. The first leg was a 3:3 shootout. It might not be quite that wild today, but one goal apiece should be plenty...
In my experience, Unibet had no issues sending payouts directly back to the card I used for deposits—no extra hoops to jump through or endless verification steps required. Mind you, most of the cash I was withdrawing came from my poker winnings...