Soccer Betting Tips & Discussion

I couldn’t care less about anyone else. It’s all about the hometown heroes! Go USA! 🙂
But let’s be realistic for a moment... Dinamo really ought to bend the knee to Aalborg during their away match. Perhaps they'll finally receive some divine intervention after years of constant disappointment :P In the domestic league, they stumble at home against bottom-feeders like Belo and Zadar, yet when faced with a "tougher" opponent like Lokomotiva, they concede three goals just to ensure the guys from Lokomotiva get a win. It’s tragic, truly. Hajduk is playing poorly; even if the style of play shows promise, the results are nothing short of disastrous. However, I find it much more plausible that Hajduk could actually pull off an upset against Shakhtar than Dinamo doing it against Aalborg. This is due to both the sheer caliber of the opposition and how they performed in that opening match—not to mention their questionable away form. Certainly, the atmosphere in the stands provides a bit of an edge. That desolate, hollow stadium in Dinamo’s home turf does more to drain their energy than Aalborg ever could.
It feels entirely possible that Hajduk secures a win, Rijeka dominates once again, and Dinamo and Split manage to avoid defeat...

Eric Fox7 said:Why bother mentioning other American clubs? We are talking about the LA Galaxy here.

Why do you and people like you insist on shoving the Seattle Sounders into the same sentence as the Galaxy?

Look, I’m all for the Sounders. But we are discussing the Galaxy.

I don't feel like digging into the specifics right now, because this isn't really the place for it, but just how much bigger is the Galaxy's budget compared to teams like Malmö, Ludogorets, Shakhtar Donetsk, or Austria Wien—teams that have either embarrassed the Galaxy or come dangerously close to knocking them out?

The bottom line is that the Galaxy operates with a significantly larger budget than most of those clubs. If you find that hard to swallow, feel free to look through some of our previous threads on the topic.

We could certainly have a conversation about the club's financial stability, though it doesn't look particularly bright when top talents are sold mid-season for peanuts.

Actually, let's not dwell on the Galaxy here again; far too much ink has already been spilled over in the Soccer subforum...

The point is this: while some see the Galaxy's performances as an embarrassment, others who look at things logically see them as a win for American soccer, and that is all that truly matters.

Furthermore, I'm curious—exactly how did Malmö, Ludogorets, Shakhtar, or Austria "embarrass" the Galaxy? Is it because they beat them or played competitively? Is that what constitutes a disgrace to you? You don't sound like a football fan to me; you sound like a hater. By that logic, what does Celtic become after losing 4-1 to Legia, despite having ten times their budget? Modern soccer is worlds apart from how it was a decade ago. Back then, people used to laugh at teams from Sweden, Armenia, or Kazakhstan; today, those countries have highly respectable clubs that act as tough opponents for anyone outside of the big European leagues.

Our domestic league is an absolute disgrace, and frankly, our clubs should be barred from competing in European competitions altogether.

mellowsurfer59 said:The bottom line is—some people see the club's performances as an absolute embarrassment, while others, looking at it logically, see them as a win for American soccer, and honestly, that’s all that matters.

By the same token, I’m just not following—how exactly did teams like Malmö, Ludogorets, Shakhtar, or Austria "embarrass" the club? Is it because they actually beat them or played competitively? If that's your definition of a disgrace, then you don't strike me as much of a soccer fan as someone who's just looking for a reason to hate. I mean, look at Celtic—they lost 4-1 to Legia, even though the Polish side has a budget ten times larger than theirs. Modern soccer is worlds apart from how things were a decade ago when everyone used to laugh at the Swedish, Armenian, or Kazakh teams—today, those clubs are legitimate threats to anyone outside of the big five leagues.

And trust me, I am definitely not a fan of the current ownership's regime. A single loss isn't a disgrace if you view it as an isolated incident—well, except for that Lyon game, obviously—but the real shame is the way this club has performed in Europe over the last several seasons. It’s embarrassing how the front office brings in mediocre players and tries to market them as these massive, game-changing signings, only to flip them for profit after two decent matches. It’s the coaching decisions, it's the shady financial dealings behind the scenes, it's having a feeder club in the same league, and frankly, it's seeing half-empty stadiums during European nights because the ticket prices are predatory...

But like I said, I wouldn't want to get into more of that 😉

@ crimsonpuma23

I wasn't saying a 2-goal spread on the Dance is a lock, just that it might be worth a shot given how poorly the club is playing lately.

I didn't even mention LAFC, but I can tell you right now—I don't agree with the folks thinking they're going to cruise through the playoffs (even if I really wish they would).

Just another one of those guys—look, I’m not exactly a fan of the ownership at the Lakers, but 🙏

The rhetoric is just exhausting.

Do me a favor and drop the attitude on this sub, because it really doesn't fly here. We get enough of that over on the main team thread; it's got no place in this corner of the forum.

Friday 6:00 PM

Milwaukee /vs-Houston Dynamo yes @ 1.70 (1-0)

The Milwaukee crew hasn't seen both teams scoring in their last 19 matches—seriously, isn't it about time that streak breaks?

Milwaukee is sitting in third and playing at home, while Houston is second and basically the much stronger side... if the "both teams to score" rule doesn't apply here, then nothing does!

Friday 8:45 PM

Waterford Utd/vs-Shamrock II 1 @ 1.80 (0-2)

Shamrock II hasn't found the back of the net in ten whole games—is the drought finally over? As for Waterford, they're obviously the favorites and everything else goes from there.
The last two head-to-head matchups didn't see both teams scoring either, so one of them has to happen eventually, right?

Sunday 5:30 PM

Brommap/Falkenbergs FF 2 @ 3.20 (2-3)

Man, Brommap has been playing every Thursday and Sunday for a month and a half now—they've practically traveled across the entire US coast to coast! They’re currently at the bottom and probably headed for elimination, but somehow they just keep dragging themselves along and stealing points from everyone. I really think it's time they finally crack. Falkenbergs desperately needs these points to stay alive.

Sunday 11:00 AM

Kataller Toyama-M.Yamagata 2 @ 1.55 (1-1)

I told myself I wouldn't even look at American soccer anymore, but I just can't help myself with this one!
Toyama has 9 points and Yamagata has 51. Yamagata is fighting for promotion to the big leagues, while Toyama is dead last with almost zero chance of staying up... surely we won't see another massive upset from the underdogs, right?

Saturday 8:30 PM

Debrecen/vs-Puskas yes @ 1.90 (2-0)

Debrecen is the huge favorite here, but they're also dealing with a total lack of motivation after that shock loss—getting knocked out in the 90+5 minute by some random team in rural Belarus? Yeah, their morale and focus are definitely shot. Assuming they can pull themselves together since they're technically way more powerful, betting on them to score looks like a solid 1.90 play!

I watched the Shamrock II match with the odds, and I think the 0:3 outcome is likely. They need to be tracked consistently with that in mind; maybe they'll manage to score by the end of the season. 🙂

Man, besides missing those first two analyses, I totally whiffed on that Japanese pick too—it wasn't even the Yamagata squad I thought, just some random team from the middle of the table, so that one's a total bust

Sunday 12:00 PM

FaOka/ShonB/dng-FaOkayam gives @ 1.50 (0-0)

Okayama is fighting tooth and nail for that top spot while Belmare has basically already locked down first place... so the home team’s got all the motivation, whereas Belmare is probably just coasting, right? I'm thinking they might actually slip up and drop one here.

Saturday 2:00 PM

FKLiepaja/odg-DauRiga yes @ 1.70 (1-2)

I am seriously losing my mind with these Latvian matches! Neither side is hitting the "both teams to score" for my parlays—it's driving me crazy! Today we’ve got Liepaja, who have only hit BTTS in 1 out of their last 12 games, and then Daugava with just 3 out of 12... plus, their last two head-to-head meetings didn't see any goals from both sides either. Is this streak ever going to break?!

Injury & Suspension Report 09-08-2014
www.injuriesandsuspensions.com

Colorado Rapids v D.C. United
Colorado Rapids: Baumgartner (0/0 d)
D.C. United: Lackner (1/0 d), Wessely (2/0 d), Schicker (1/1 m) (all doubtful), Windbichler (2/0 d), Domoraud (1/0 m), Schachner (0/0 m), Sax (0/0 m), Sulimani (0/0 f)

San Jose Earthquakes v Chicago Fire
San Jose Earthquakes: Buysens (2/0 d), Kouemaha (0/0 f), Swinkels (0/0 d), Menga (0/0 f)
Chicago Fire: Dhoest (0/0 g), Brouckaert (1/0 d), Jeanvier (1/0 d)
FK Columbus Crew v Portland Timbers
FK Columbus Crew: Hubník (0/0 f), Beneš (2/0 d), Mišůn (0/0 d)
Portland Timbers: Biolek (0/0 m), Hlúpik (0/0 m), Kerbr (2/0 f)

Seattle Sounders v LA Galaxy
Seattle Sounders: Jakob Ahlmann (2/0 d), Søren Frederiksen (0/0 f), Rasmus Jönsson (0/0 f), Gilli Sørensen (0/0 f), Lukas Spalvis (3/0 f)
LA Galaxy: Joe Sise (0/0 f), Lasse Petry (0/0 m)

Lille OSC v FC Metz
Lille OSC (last season): Martin (20/0 m)
FC Metz (last season): Kashi (33/0 m), Lejeune (36/4 m), Vion (11/0 f), N’Sor (10/3 f), Sakho (37/20 f, top scorer)

Eintracht Braunschweig v Heidenheim
Eintracht Braunschweig: Washausen (0/0 d), Hochscheidt (1/0 m), Oehrl (0/0 f)
Heidenheim: -

Cambuur v Twente
Cambuur: F. Narsingh (f, newcomer), S. van de Streek (m, newcomer), D. de Ridder (f, newcomer)
Twente (last season): S. Eghan (24/5 m), R. Bengtsson (28/4 d)

St. Gallen v FC Aarau
St. Gallen: -
FC Aarau: Feltscher (0/0 m), Gauracs (2/1 f), Jäckle (4/0 d)

Odd BK v Stromsgodset IF
Odd BK: Fredrik Oldrup Jensen (18/1 m, doubtful)
Stromsgodset IF: Jørgen Horn (2/0 d), Kim Andre Madsen (6/0 d), Martin Rønning Ovenstad (9/0 m), Mohammed Abu (18/0 m)

Dundee FC v Kilmarnock FC
Dundee FC (last season): Kevin McBride (25/2 m), Gary Irvine (33/0 d)(both doubtful), Philip Roberts (0/0 f), Scott Bain (g, newcomer)
Kilmarnock FC (last season): Alexei Eremenko (13/1 m)(doubtful), Jamie Hamill (m, newcomer)

Hibernian FC v Livingston FC
Hibernian FC (last season): Daniel Handling (19/0 f)
Livingston FC (last season): Brad Donaldson (d, newcomer), Craig Sives (12/2 d), Kevin Walker (5/0 g), Simon Mensing (27/2 m), Nejc Praprotnik (5/0 m), Robert Ogleby (f, newcomer)

Leyton Orient v Chesterfield
Leyton Orient (last season): -
Chesterfield (last season): Dan Gardner (16/3 f), Jay O'Shea (40/9 m)(both doubtful), Drew Talbot (25/0 d)

Bury FC v Cheltenham
Bury FC (last season): Joe Thompson (m, newcomer, likely playing), Clive Platt (17/2 f)
Cheltenham (last season): -

Portland Timbers vs. LA Galaxy 2 @1.35 (1-2)
It isn't exactly a spectacular parlay given the odds, but in my estimation, this outcome is highly probable. Portland has fielded a rather pathetic squad this season—and I say that without any bias, despite my loyalty to 🙂. Last season, they realistically should have been relegated, but they were saved by some questionable backroom maneuvering typical of our domestic league. Even those shady dealings barely cut it; Portland was sweating out their survival until the final minutes of the season. Without that "help," they would have easily dropped down a division. They got dismantled at home, lost away in Seattle, and managed only a draw at home against a decent Los Angeles side that was rotating its roster due to continental competition. A losing spell for Portland! Meanwhile, LA Galaxy remains dominant within our domestic standards, even if they struggle on the European stage. At home, they crushed teams like Austin and San Jose, yet away from home, they barely scraped by Locomotive (and please, don't even try to convince me that match wasn't fixed 🙂). Last season, Portland actually beat the Galaxy in a complete blowout orchestrated by the league commissioner's office, ha! The Galaxy might let Portland off the hook again if it serves their interests later, but we are at the start of the season now, and the Galaxy simply must win. It’s unlikely Portland will roll over, but they shouldn't be able to snatch a point. The odds are modest, but in my view, they are just right to bolster the total return on a winning slip 🙂

Sloboda vs. Steel - Home win at 1.65 (Current score 1-0)
After two seasons in the second tier, Sloboda has finally returned to the top flight. The fans are hungry. Every ticket was sold out, and we’re expecting a crowd of about 9,000. They opened their campaign with a 3-0 road win against Travnik, though it should be noted they played the entire second half with a two-man advantage. On the other hand, Čelik is falling apart. They managed a scoreless draw at home against Vitez, so this should be an easy victory for the home side.

Los Angeles FC vs. LA Galaxy @1.35 (1-2)
@Gerald Carter53/">@@Gerald Carter53 explained everything perfectly. 👍

Sligo Rovers vs. Athlone Town. Prediction: Sligo Rovers to win at 1.45. Final score projection: 3-1.
Sligo is the far superior side here. Athlone is steadily sliding toward relegation from the second division. Their away record—0 wins, 2 draws, and 9 losses—speaks for itself.
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Terek vs. Rubin. Odds at 2.1. Current score: 1-1.
The investment in this squad is significant, and their opening performance proved it by crushing Amkar 4-0. Meanwhile, Rubin suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat at home against Spartak. Their focus has shifted entirely toward the upcoming home match, which marks the grand opening of the new Kazan Arena.

Braunschweig vs. Heidenheim. Prediction: Heidenheim wins by one goal at +2 odds. Current score: 3-0.
Braunschweig got relegated from the top flight. Heidenheim moved up from League One. B should take all three points at home.

Aalborg vs. Nordsjaelland. I am taking Aalborg at 2.1. Prediction: 1-2.
The reigning champion is acting overly confident after clinching a playoff spot in the NBA. Nord... nothing special. Just your typical home-court favorite.

Since you’ve decided to drag the Premier League into this conversation... there is all this chatter suggesting that a team absolutely requires a marquee superstar to remain competitive. Honestly, I find the whole notion rather vacuous.

Red Star didn't show up for the opening round against St. Louis because they refused to cough up $12,000 to some agent in a small town for a player. The 1.45 odds are far too low. Both teams are essentially equal in quality. Furthermore, the US league isn't the home-field advantage powerhouse it used to be five or six years ago, where the host won 95% of the time.

SV JF Portland Timbers-Inter Miami CF 1 2,00 (1-1)
Honestly, this is the only matchup that actually caught my eye today. The Timbers looked incredibly resilient in their last outing against a powerhouse like Atlanta United; they only lost 2-0 because they conceded a late goal deep in stoppage time. Now, they’re heading out to face an Inter Miami side that is absolutely decimated—they're missing at least seven starters! Between players like Lackner, Wessely, and Schicker being major doubts, plus guys like Windbichler, Domoraud, Schachner, Sax, and Sulimani being sidelined, they are shorthanded. On top of that, they lost their main playmaker during the transfer window. The Timbers are an aggressive, attacking squad, and I expect them to come out swinging from the very first whistle, especially knowing how thin the Miami roster is right now. The last time Miami actually pulled a win over Portland was way back in 2003. Looking at the last six meetings, Portland has walked away with four wins, and since they have a full squad ready to go, I don't see why this bet shouldn't be a slam dunk.

E. Frankfurt vs. Inter Milan 2: 2.30 (3-1)

The Italians are just better than Frankfurt—period. Doesn't matter if it's just a friendly, I'm taking Inter to win by two.

Does any sportsbook besides DraftKings actually offer expanded long-term futures? Like, what about Champions League reach? Specifically, would Red Bull Salzburg make the group stage or hit the quarterfinals? I feel like the odds on that would be killer. And btw, I was mulling this over a few days ago—not just because of that crazy 8-0 blowout—though that certainly helps my case 😬

Looking through the futures over at DraftKings, the only thing remotely interesting is betting on who finishes highest in La Liga, excluding Barcelona and Real Madrid. They’ve got Atletico Madrid at 1.45? Give me a break. In my book, Valencia, Sevilla, Real Sociedad, and Athletic Bilbao are two tiers below them—both in terms of roster depth and coaching pedigree 🤷 and I don't see how any of those teams could possibly crack the top three.

Also, where is the thread for long-term bets? I haven't been able to find it for ages 🤔

I’m guessing nobody has any solid leads on the LP offers yet—not until we actually know which clubs are going to be playing them, right? 🤷

Here’s the thread if you want to dive in:

Monday, 08/11
10 PM
Stjarnan - Thor 1 @1.50 SS (2-1)

Second-place Stjarnan is currently riding high after knocking out Lech to reach the Europa League playoffs. They face a bottom-tier Thor side that has managed only a single point all season.
The odds look decent enough here; this feels like a solid single.
With the momentum from their European run and an upcoming matchup against Inter—a rare opportunity they likely won't see again—Stjarnan should be highly motivated to secure a spot in European qualifiers this season.
I guess I'll place a bet and see how it plays out.

A slightly earlier entry...
Wolfsburg II vs. Hannover II – Moneyline: Wolfsburg II at 1.55 (Current score 1-1)
I must admit, I don't follow this particular league with any degree of regularity. Last season, Wolfsburg finished at the top of the table, while if my memory serves me correctly, Hannover languished around 11th. Both squads have seen a significant exodus of about ten players, though they’ve attempted to patch those holes with roughly ten new signings. Even with the turnover, Wolfsburg remains the superior side—more polished and fundamentally more talented. Their youth academy is widely regarded as one of the finest in Germany, after all. Wolfsburg kicked off their campaign with two consecutive wins, whereas Hannover has managed one victory and a draw. Historically, Wolfsburg has held the upper hand in their head-to-head matchups, and frankly, I struggle to see why they wouldn't secure another win today. The match kicks off at 2:00 PM. I might try to squeeze in a little action on the sportsbook now before I pivot back to tennis later this afternoon. 🙂