UCAM Murcia vs Elche

UCAM Murcia didn’t have a really good start in the season for now, as the team has two draws and a defeat after first three matches played. Their defeat came in the first round against Zaragoza away from home, while we’ve seen improvement in next two rounds when they stood undefeated against Cordoba and Sevilla B.

Now, even though they are taking on Elche, team that probably wants to try to promote, they are obligated to seek for something else than a point and no doubt that the players will behave like that. Apart from La Liga 2 performances, they played a Copa del Rey match three days ago and managed to improve their morale with a 4:3 victory after overtime at home against Real Oviedo, even though they were leading 3:1 till ten minutes before the game. They showed good improvement in attack, but also that they must work much more of defensive tasks.

UCAM Murcia will be playing without midfielders Basha (3/0) who is suspended, plus Mora (0/0), Nono (1/0) who are injured, while forward Mejia (3/0) is doubtful but with chances to play.


Elche, on the other side, has two victories and a defeat for now, which already puts them at the fifth position and play-off zone at this moment. In case of a victory here, they could go all the way till second position and be just a point away from the leaders from Levante, so a positive result here is a primary target for them.

The team looks as one of the most interesting to watch for now, since they are attacking usually and look to score one more than the opponent. Till now, all their matches ended as over 2.5 goals, also with both teams scoring in the proccess. In previous round, they won at home over Tenerife 3:1, while only defeat came on the road against Girona with the same score. Team also played Copa del Rey match few days before this one, winning after penalty kicks over Mirandes, having a 2:2 game after ninety minutes.

Elche can’t count at goalkeeper Freixanet (0/0), defenders Albacar (1/0), Armando (0/0), midfielders Mandi (2/0) and Hadzic (0/0).

As it could be understand, I’m expecting quite an open game here. Hosts need to search for their first victory, while players of Elche anyway have more quality and could easily dictate the tempo here. They also have more open style than most of LaLiga2 teams and behavior of both teams could lead us to an easy over. Odds are definitely worth a try.
Bet: Over 2.25 goals @ 2.28

Lillestrom vs Odd

Lillestrom is experiencing trouble both on and off the pitch these days which naturally leaves them in a horrible situation as a club at the moment. A total 5-8-9 this season has put them on the edge of relegation with a 13th place, but only a slightly better goal difference than 14th placed Aalesund, leaves the club over the line for now. Lillestrom managed to get three straight draws before the national break last weekend including a strong comeback against Viking (2-2) last time out.

The club came behind twice, but was still able to fight their way back into the game which is a factor they desperately need to keep onto when going ahead. The long row of weak results this season has resulted in several meetings higher up on whether the coach Runar Krisitinsson should be sacked or not. That has not been helpful to the players’ focus on the pitch during the recent months, and the club has taken criticism for its handling of that case.


Odd was marked as the only club that could challenge Rosenborg for the title some months back as the 2nd place seemed theirs. Odd was only two points behind the league leaders at the best, but it has taken a sudden turn for the challengers lately. 1-2-4 is their horrible statistics since July 17th which has brought their top 3 position to a huge test right now. With Brann taking a point yesterday against Viking (0-0), Odd is now in 3rd place with four teams still possible to go pass them if Odd should lose tonight.

Their current situation was stated in their last game against Valerenga (1-2). It was a game where Valerenga had several important absentees, but Odd still did not manage to take control at home. It now seems like everything is falling apart, just when it all counts the most. As the bad form is not enough, their important central back Fredrik Semb Berge (18/4) is out after a knee-operation and top scorer Olivier Occean (21/8) is suspended.

It is two teams that struggle heavily at the moment that faces each other tonight and both teams need three points in each end of the table. Lillestrom is still the team that needs them the most given their possible relegation after over 40 years in Norway’s highest division. It is therefore tempting to give Lillestrom the edge here, but Odd has still the better squad despite their missing here.

Semb Berge is naturally replaced by Lars Kristian Eriksen (7/0), while Occean is a tougher one to replace. However, the nerve in this game will be fantastic and I expect the importance of the game to bring goals to each side. I expect an open match with three goals at Åråasen Stadion tonight.
Bet: Over 2.5 goals @1.7

Molde vs Haugesund

Molde has pretty much done the same thing as Sandnes Ulf has done in OBOS-Ligaen by entering the fight for a top 3 position after a dreadful period. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men noticed four straight wins before the national break last weekend which has brought them up to a 4th place with 37 points. It is extremely close behind Rosenborg on the table and Molde is only one point behind 2nd placed Brann at the moment.

Molde’s last performance against Stromsgodset (0-2) away from home really gave the impression of a team that is recognizable. The players were dominating every phase of the game against a team that is usually very strong at home. Stromsgodset had not lost in front of their own fans this season until that point which makes Molde’s performance even better. The return-signing of striker Bjorn Bergmann Sigurdarson has really boosted the team’s offensive force with three goals in three games so far. Their important central back Vegard Forren (20/0) will miss the rest of the season.


Haugseund has enjoyed a sensational season as mentioned before with a currently outstanding 4th place on the table after 11-5-6 so far. The club was expecting to fight for relegation by the experts ahead of the season and their former coach Mark Dempsey got a lot of critics for not bringing a striker into the club. However, Dempsey gave his own talents the chance to shine and what a payoff it has been for the club. Their top scorer Torbjørn Agdestein has finally got his career going with nine goals this season.

That has brought attention to his name and Molde has already signed him for next season. Haugesund comes from an impressive win in the derby against Brann (3-2) last time out in what was an highly impressive performance. Brann lead 0-2 after 30 minutes, but two quick goals made it 2-2 at half time. The second half was close, but Haugesund scored a late winner with their only shot at the goal in the second half and grabbed three vital points. That leaves everything to their own hands in terms of taking a 2nd or 3rd place with eight games to go. The important midfielder Filip Kiss (19/4) is back after being suspended against Brann.

With all games being important at this stage in Tippeligaen, this match is absolutely no exception. The winner tonight could claim a current 2nd place after the evening is finished which gives plenty of motivation for both clubs. Both teams’ is in great form, but has also been involved in high-scoring matches all season with 13 of 22 games going over 2.5 goals.

Their first meeting this season ended 3-3 in what was a fantastic match where Haugesund came back from 0-3 inside the last 15 minutes of the game. I should not be that dramatic this time, but I still expect at least three goals to be scored here. With the odds being too low on over 2.5 goals, I pick over 3 goals Asian handicap.
Bet: Over 3 goals AH @1.92

Real Madrid vs Osasuna

Real Madrid got out of jail as Toni Kroos struck home in the 81st minute to give them a 2-1 win over Celta Vigo on match day 2 of the 2016/17 La Liga season. However, the win gave them 6 points from the opening two games and also registered their 14 consecutive La Liga wins.
While the newly promotes Osasuna failed to win in their opening two games of the season. They started with a promising 1-1 draw away at Malaga, but succumbed to a 2-0 defeat at home to Real Sociedad on the match day 2. They shouldn’t bother this as their main priority will be to stay as far as possible from the relegation zone.

Real Madrid vs Osasuna: Head-to-Head Stats

Real Madrid are on a 9-match winning run at home against Osasuna in all competitions and are also unbeaten in the last 11. Osasuna’s last win at Madrid has to be dated back to 2004.
Osasuna have conceded 2 or more goals against Madrid in the last four meetings and were trailing at half time in three of those games.

Real Madrid vs Osasuna: Prediction

There are no doubts that Real Madrid will get a win here and will score at least 2 goals. But to pick a bet is quite hard as the bookmakers have made Real Madrid heavy favourites and odds for most markets are pretty low.
However the best bets I can recommend for this match is over 1.5 goals in first half, which is priced at 1.66. An alternate option is handicap Real Madrid (-1) for the first half at 1.95. However the second bet involves high risk.

Real Madrid vs Osasuna: Betting Tips

First Half – over 1.5 goals at 4/6 (1.66)
First Half – Handicap Real Madrid -1 at 20/21 (1.95).

Real Sociedad vs Espanyol

Real Sociedad bounced back with a 2-0 win at Osasuna after suffering a 3-0 loss to Real Madrid on the opening day. The Royals are looking to improve upon the ninth placed finish last season and Eusebio Sacristan will be hoping to build upon the momentum when Espanyol comes to town on Friday evening.
While Espanyol earned their first point of the season with the 2-2 home draw against Malaga in the last round. They were beaten 6-4 at Sevilla on the opening day of the 2016/17 Spanish league. And poor defending is a major concern for Quique Flores Sanchez as his team prepares for a difficult away match at Anoeta on Friday.

Real Sociedad vs Espanyol: Head-to-Head Stats

Real Sociedad lost 3-2 to Espanyol in the corresponding fixture of previous season. This was also their first win at Anoeta in eight seasons. While Espanyol suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat to Sociedad in the home fixture of the 2015/16 season.
Real Sociedad have won in 10 of the last 19 home meetings with Espanyol, while they lost just 3 times with 6 matches seeing draws.
There are no draws in the last 6 meetings between Espanyol and Real Sociedad, with Sociedad leading with 4 wins against 2 lost.

Real Sociedad vs Espanyol: Prediction

Eusebio Sacristan has a fully fit squad to welcome Espanyol to Anoeta on Friday night. Let alone the defeat to Real Madrid on the opening week, Sociedad has done pretty well in the friendlies and have a strong head-to-head record in recent seasons against Espanyol. And this is the kind of match they must be winning to fulfil their season ambitions.
While the visiting Espanyol have already conceded 8 goals in two matches this season, but also scored 6 times during the period. Also six of the 7 previous meetings between these two have seen over 2.5 goals, so expect the same here.

Real Sociedad vs Espanyol: Betting Tips

Real Sociedad to win at 10/11 (1.90)
Over 2.5 goals at 1/1 (2.00).

Belarus vs France

Belarus have a mountain to climb when they take on France at Borisov Arena in the Europe World Cup qualifiers group A.
Belarus failed to qualify in the just concluded Euro 2016, they finished 4th behind Spain, Slovakia and Ukraine. Belarus couldn’t have more difficult fixtures in this campaign, as they are facing France and Netherlands in first 2 games. With their star man Hleb retired, youngster Nikita Korzun is seen as his successor in the team. Belarus are in a 5 team table consisting of France, Netherlands, Bulgaria and Sweden which are all bigger teams than they are. Belarus will be hoping for a better campaign, as they await their first appearance in a major competition since their independence.
France had an almost perfect Euro Campaign, beating the likes of Germany in the semi-final but Portugal was a stumbling block. They held on till the extra time before Eder’s winner snatched the trophy from Didier Deschamps’ men. Deschamps’ men seem to have improved more after the Euro, as they swept Italy side in a 1-3 away win at Italy. Martial, Giroud and Kurzawa were all on the score sheet for France will G. Pelle scored Italy’s only goal. They will be confident of a win in this one as they prepare for another successful campaign.

Belarus vs France: Head-to-Head

Surprisingly, France are not without a spot against Belarus, they have won 2 of their previous 4 meetings, lost 1 and drawn 1. The French men are just 3 goals above Belarusians have scored 5 goals against France, while France have scored 8.

Belarus vs France: Prediction

Belarus are the underdogs in this fixture, but they are not far of the mark. They are unbeaten in 7 of their last 8 games, though most of the games have ended in draw. They defeated Norway in their last game, and are ready to surprise France in this fixture.
France are the favourites and seem unstoppable, considering their recent performance and quality in their squad. They should have no problem winning this one if they avoid complacency.
France is bound to win in this game, but they should prepare themselves for a surprise from the hosts

Belarus vs France: Betting Tips

France to win at 4/11 (1.36)
Both teams to score at 6/5 (2.20)
Over 2.5 goals at 19/20 (1.95).

Albania - Macedonia

The Albanian national team are the favorites here due to the various reasons, and I believe they can book the 1st win in these qualifications. They will have all their best players available, so the likes of Mavraj, Sadiku, Cikalleshi and Hysaj are likely to lead Albania in this game. They will have a great support of the fans, as the stadium has been sold out, which is going to be a huge pressure for the Macedonians, who won't have almost any support due to the security measures, as there could easily be problems. This is more than just a football match, as the relation between these two countries is very bad.It will be almost like a hell for the visiting side, who are, on top of that, with a very weakened rooster in these qualifications.


The Macedonian national team will have to do without their absolutely best player, Agim Ibraimi, who is worth a half of the squad, so it will be a huge blow for the guests. They are also a terrible away side, as they are without an away win in the last 21 away match, from which they've lost 15.


The conditions will be almost unbearable for the guests, and they won't be able to deal with all that pressure. The hosts will be full of confidence and motivation in front of the full stadium, and I believe they can take all 3 points. Good luck!

Pick     1 Odds 1.75     Stake 9