Ireland’s away record doesn’t suggest they will shock Italy

Giovanni Trapattoni’s side often struggle in away qualifiers

Robbie Keane and Stephen Hunt have made a big deal to the press about how Ireland raise their game when written off and relish underdog status but there isn’t enough evidence to suggest the visitors should be backed, despite being available at 9/1.

Ireland have lost on their three previous visits to Italy and alarmingly have won just four of their last fifteen competitive away games. Those victories have all come against countries who hadn’t/haven’t won a home game during that campaign (Faroe Islands, Cyprus, San Marino and Georgia).

Posted: April 1st, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Newcastle and Spurs should provide Arsenal and Chelsea with tough tests

A stat on every Premier League game taking place this weekend

Portsmouth v Everton (Saturday, 12.45pm, Sky Sports 1)
There have been under 2.5 goals in each of Everton’s last four trips to Fratton Park and their last ten away games.
Best Bet: Under 2.5 goals at 1.66 on Betfair

Blackburn v West Ham
West Ham have won six straight games against Blackburn but have lost all five of their Premier League away games against Sam Allardyce sides.
Best Bet: The home win at evens with most bookmakers

Fulham v Manchester United
Both teams have scored in each of the champions’ last three league games and six of their seven Premier League trips to Craven Cottage.

Posted: March 20th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Five reasons why Liverpool won’t win in ninety minutes

Everton/Liverpool, 8.10pm, ITV1, Free Bets, Best Odds

Liverpool looked to have finally got their season back on track by beating Chelsea but the high of that win has been tempered by bewilderment at Rafael Benitez’s decision to sell Robbie Keane without replacing him. Despite losing to Manchester United, Everton are in great form and even if they are eliminated tonight, here’s five reasons why we think Liverpool will need extra-time or penalties to do it:

1. The two sides couldn’t be separated in their two meetings last month, with both games finishing 1-1.

2. Liverpool have won just seven of their last seventeen domestic games, including just one of their last five. They have drawn their last two away games.

3. Everton have lost just one of their last six matches against Big Four opposition and have drawn at home with Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal since losing to Liverpool in September.

Posted: February 4th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Betfair punters expect Santa Cruz and Bellamy to be sold

Use Betfair to garner public opinion on who’s staying and going

In the summer there were so many ongoing transfer sagas that ended with the player in question staying put, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Emmanuel Adebayor, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Andrei Arshavin and Samuel Eto’o just being a few examples.

With so many players’ futures again up in the air this month it is tough to figure out which rumours to believe and which to immediately dismiss. One way of establishing the general opinion is to check Betfair’s transfer specials markets, which offer prices on a number of players staying or leaving their current clubs in the transfer window

To make things easier, chickendinner have compiled a list of each player you can bet on and what their current prices are to stay and go:

Posted: January 8th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Which manager will be the next to “get stoned”?

Here are our favourite Paddy Power novelty bets this week

Our friends at Paddy Power have some great novelty bets and football specials available at the moment and here are our pick of the bunch:

Who will be the next manager admitted to hospital because of kidney stones? In light of Luiz Felipe Scolari and Rafael Benitez’s suffering early this week, Paddy Power have opened a market on who will be next. Joe Kinnear is 4/1 favourite while relative youngsters Tony Adams and Gareth Southgate are a distant 33/1.

Posted: December 18th, 2008 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Five reasons why Manchester United won’t beat Tottenham

Spurs/Man Utd, 5.30pm Sat, Setanta Spts 1, Best Odds, Free Bets

(Photo Credit: Martin Rickett, PA Wire)

There is more at stake for Tottenham’s players than the chance to earn the crowds’ adulation by giving Dimitar Berbatov a kick or two - they are defending an unbeaten record against the Big Four this season. Manchester United have their own proud seven-and-a-half year unbeaten streak over Spurs to protect. Of course the only way to maintain both sequences would be with a draw, which is 13/5 with 888sport and Boylesports. Here are five reasons why Spurs won’t be beaten:

1. Tottenham are unbeaten against the Big Four this season having drawn away to Arsenal and Chelsea and picked up home wins over Liverpool in both the Premier League and the Carling Cup.

2. The champions have won just one of their last eight away games in London. Besides a win against Fulham, the Red Devils have drawn twice and lost once at Chelsea, drawn and lost at Arsenal, drawn at Tottenham and lost to West Ham over the last nineteen months.

Posted: December 12th, 2008 by Michael Lintorn | 1 Comment