FA CUP REPLAY ........ BLACKBURN ROVERS - ARSENAL

Having had my fingers burned in the first match, I am on something of a recovery mission tonight, with the "over".

Despite the change of venue, the reasons remain basically the same, the original post, can be read here .......

http://ubet2win.blogspot.com/2007/02/fa-cup-arsenal-blackburn.html

Both teams must be a little tired, after a hectic schedule, but that should work in our favour and I will be very surprised if play does not become extremely stretched, late in the game.

4 points over 2 goals Blackburn-Arsenal 1.76 asian line.

Good Luck.

COPA DEL REY ........

I was interested in both Valladolid and Osasuna tonight, they host opponents defending 3 goal leads and resting players.

However, Osasuna have added some youngsters to their squad and may feel that the tie is, already, beyond them, so I have decided to leave that match alone.

Deportivo are making 7-8 changes fron the weekend league game and look set to start with a very inexperienced eleven. They only have to avoid a 3 goal defeat and Valladolid are making the right noises, claiming that the tie can still be salvaged.

The hosts may well rest one or two theirselves, but should easily be the more more motivated of the two.

4 points Valladolid -1/4 ball asian line 2.085.

Good Luck.

AFTERNOON UPDATE ......

The afternoon matches went well, two winners and the 3rd selection was stakes returned.

I am putting up two more bets for tonight's football, both will be online in the next hour or so.

Check back.

SERIE A ..............

I have two more bets for this afternoon's action in Italy.

The Tuscan derby, between Siena and Livorno, looks likely to be a tight affair and with both sides facing tough weekend fixtures, they will each want something from today.

A point apiece, will leave both clear of the drop zone, at least for the time being. Think a draw is very likely, but will side with the visitors and the handicap start.

By contrast, we can expect a much more open game in Verona. Chievo will once again start with 3 strikers, in an adventurous 4-3-3 formation.

Last 3 h2h meetings have produced 15 goals and spectators, could be in for another treat today.

4 points Livorno +1/2 ball asian line 1.75.

5 points Chievo-Roma over 2.25 goals 1.80.

Good Luck.

ASCOLI - PARMA

We have discussed Claudio Ranieri's, Parma, in great detail recently and they finally came good for us, at the weekend.

They travel to face fellow strugglers Ascoli, in an empty Del Duca Stadium and the visitors look to hold all the aces.

The hosts are without Boudiansky, Foglio and Fini, who are all suspended, plus several other injured starters, including their top scorer and first choice goalkeeper.

With Reggina visiting Parma at the weekend, Ranieri's team have been offered a real lifeline, but have to start with a result today. They look solid with the level ball option.

5 points Parma level ball 1.84 asian line.

Good Luck.

A LITTLE LATE NEWS .........

Going to leave the tennis for today, I was looking to oppose Tim Henman who has not played for 4-5 months and having recovered from injury, then caught a virus.

However, his opponent, Frenchman , Nicolas Mahut, is something of a journeyman, he does boast a win over a lack lustre, Ivan Ljubicic this year, but the next week lost to a player ranked outside the top 150. A fit Henman, would be a comfortable winnner and so the odds, roughly 50/50, seem about right.

The weather has got worse here and it will not be a pleasant evening at Reading, given the conditions and the fact that Manchester United are resting many of their stars and have Liverpool at the weekend, plus the return match with Lille, next midweek. The hosts, suddenly look great odds, to do what they have already done twice this season and hold the visitors to at least a draw. Think we should chance a little.

3 points Reading +1/2 ball asian line 2.0875.

Good Luck.

OLDHAM ATHLETIC - BLACKPOOL

Something of a North West derby here and when these two meet, there are normally goals.

Both got themselves in good position to lauch a promotion challenge and then, lost form.

However, a win tonight will put all that right, it could take the hosts back into the top 2 and the visitors to within 2 points of the play-offs. We can expect both to go for it, reverse fixture was 2-2 and the last 7 meetings here, have averaged 4.43 goals, with 6 being "over", the "loser" produced 2 goals. Therefore a lot of value in the 2.25 goal line.

I understand the pitch is in good condition, considering the heavy rain, so no concerns on that front.

4 points over 2.25 goals Oldham-Blackpool 1.99 asian line.

An apology, I put the wrong odds up originally, in the previous post, but they are correct now.

Good luck.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION-MIDDLESBROUGH

These two shared 4 goals in a very open 5th round FA Cup tie, I see no reason, why tonight's replay, should be any different.

We have two teams in good shape and scoring plenty of goals, with both sides boasting an inform strike force.

Albion have scored more home goals than the other 91 clubs in the Football League and in, Diomansy Kamara, they have arguably, the best player outside the Premiership.

Only Chelsea have beaten Boro in 2007 and they are very motivated to do well in the Cup. They would be my choice to progress, WBA have to have one eye on their league game with Sunderland at the weekend and would not want extra time, but that is just another reason to expect tonight, to be open.

I think the odds are fantastic.

5 points over 2.25 goals WBA-Middlesbrough 1.73 asian line.

Back shortly.

GRAYS ATHLETIC - ST ALBANS

FA Trophy specialists Grays, they have won that cup the last 2 seasons, had better get down to the bread and butter of Conference football and 3 much needed points tonight.

The team from Essex find theirselves in the drop zone, but victory tonight could take them out and above 3 clubs. They will have been boosted by the weekend 4-1 win over Welling, this was a very competent performance and will go a long way to restoring some much needed confidence.

They can even freshen up the squad tonight, with the inclusion of 5 players who, for various reasons, were not available at Welling.

Saints are in poor form and were booed off the pitch, following the 3-0 home loss, to fellow strugglers, Stafford Rangers, on Saturday. This resulted in the manager getting involved in an argument with supporters and has left some ill feeling.

Grays are a better team and won the reverse fixture 6-0 ! they are looking for a strong finish to a disappointing season and can run out easy winners tonight, if on song.

4 points Grays -1/2 ball asian line 1.94.

Back shortly.

TUESDAY MORNING UPDATE .....

We have a lot of very interesting matches today in both football and tennis today, including Tim Henman's return from injury. He has not played since October and I will definitely be coming back to this later.

In Scotland, Hearts are about to name their 8th coach, in just two years ! Latest choice/victim is expected to be named as Kestutis Latoza, the former Lithuanian national coach. Good Luck to him, he will need it.

The two FA Cup replays, Reading-Manchester United and West Bromwich-Middlesbrough, have special appeal and we will probably be "playing" in both. Quick word of warning, I live not too far from the Madejski Stadium, it has been raining for hours and it is set to carry on all day.

Back later.

STOKE-BARNSLEY // BENFICA-PACOS

I have taken two bets on the half time/full time, or double result market.

Stoke are, at least on paper, a much stronger team, usually fielding 5-6 players, with plenty of Premiership experience. After a disappointing run of results, their promotion challenge burst back into life, with a win at Championship leaders, Derby, last week. County were previously unbeaten in 10 starts.

Victory tonight will take them to within 3 points of the play-off places.

Barnsley, who by contrast, are pretty much a Division 1 side, with a few Championship players thrown in, will be without their key striker, Daniel Nardello.

City should win and are priced accordingly, but there looks a little value in them, also leading at the break. The visitors have been losing at half time, in 10 of their 17 away starts.

In Portugal, Benfica will be looking to close the gap at the top, on Porto. They have a fantastic h2h record with Pacos, winning the last 4 meetings, with a 15-1 goal difference.

The hosts are very strong at their Estadio da Luz fortress, where they are 7-1-0 this season. However, in 5 of those 8 games, they have gone in level at the break, turning the heat up in the second half. That is very much their way and the draw/home win, double result, is very competitively priced, under the circumstances.

3 points Stoke-Stoke HT/FT 2.70 Betfair.

3 points Draw-Benfica HT/FT 4.80 Betfair.

Good Luck.

BUNDESLIGA 2 ....... DUISBURG- ROSTOCK

We have a real top of the table clash here, these two sit in 2nd and 3rd places, knowing that a point a piece, will keep them both at least a "win" clear, of 4th placed, Kaiserslautern.

Think we can expect a cagey opening, with neither willing to over commit.

Looking at their respective records, Duisburg are unbeaten (6-4-0) at home and have been drawning 50% of them, at half time.

Rostock are 4-6-1 away, so just one loss and have gone in level at the break, in 8, or 67% of those.

The reverse fixture was very tight, with the single decisive goal, coming late in the game, we might see something similar tonight.

4 points half time draw Duisburg-Rostock 2.18 Betfair.

I will be back shortly, with something else for tonight's action.

LIGUE 2 ....... GRENOBLE - LE HAVRE

A win will take Le Havre level in 3rd place, with Strasbourg, who they meet in a vital encounter, at the weekend.

They will be desperate to take at least one point tonight, to keep that match "live". Difficult to beat on the road, where they have a 4-7-1 record, Le Havre look something to bet on, with the "draw no bet" option.

Grenoble are very much a mid table side and they can have little ambition for the remainder of the season. The more motivated team for me.

4 points Le Havre level ball 1.87 asian line.

Good Luck.

GOOD AFTERNOON !

I am running a bit late today, following a morning at the dentist.

Looking at two bets, the first will be online around 17.00 cet, with the second to follow shortly after. Things will be back to normal tomorrow.

Check back.

LIGUE 1

A swift look, at a couple of matches in France today.

It may surprise some of you that I am not backing PSG, who have done so fantastically well for us in recent weeks. They will probably win, but I see little value in the odds and they have played a lot of football, in a short period of time.

Also heard that St Etienne, who lost heavily at home last week, had a few players who were suffering from a virus that day and that, all have now recovered.

Bordeaux had a tiring, extended match, at Osasuna on Thursday and are without a couple of key players for the visit of strugglers Valenciennes. So why am I siding with the hosts ?

They really need the win today, a victory will take Les Girondins to within 2 points of a Champions League spot and whatever side they put out, should be capable of beating the visitors, who are 2-1-11 on the road, conceding exactly 2 per game and failing to score in 8.

Valenciennes have played well at home, but struggle on the road and player for player, there is a gulf in class. Home win for me.

4 points Bordeaux -1/2 ball asian line 1.80.

Good Luck.

CELTA VIGO - RACING SANTANDER

I discussed Celta last week and the fact that they look too good ( famous last words) to go down.

You can read those comments here ......

http://ubet2win.blogspot.com/2007/02/la-liga-osasuna-celta-vigo.html

They did us a favour last week, with a fine win at Osasuna and followed it up with a victory in the UEFA Cup in midweek. I believe that they will make it 3 in a week today.

Celta are slowly getting things together and look to have a quality that is missing from many of the sides at the foot of La Liga. Their next 4 fixtures make frightening reading with Valencia, Bilbao, Seville and Real Madrid, following Santander.

The visitors arrive without several players and are set for a mid table finish, something they would have settled for at the season's outset. A home win for the hungrier side.

4 points Celta -1/4 ball 2.05 asian line.

Good Luck.

BUNDESLIGA ....... BMG - WERDER BREMEN

Vital clash for both teams and one where we can expect both to go looking for the 3 points, for very different reasons.

BMG are bottom of the Bundesliga and in a very poor run, they have scored just once in 4 starts, have won just one in 16, losing 10. They will be without joint top scorer Oliver Neuville.

Bremen looked to be heading for the title, until losing the last 3, they will not want to slip any further off the pace and, following Stuttgart's draw on Friday, can retake second place with maximum points. Playmaker Diego Leon, faces a late fitness test and he would be missed, but Werder should still be too strong and will be well suited, if and when, it does open up.

4 points Werder Bremen -1/2 ball asian line 1.89.

Good Luck.

SERIE A ... UDINESE- PARMA

I have to give Parma another chance, to get their season back on track. Their remaining fixtures are not too bad and if they can get something from today, the 5 points gap to safety, can still be closed.

Claudio Ranieri will have had, a full week to prepare for this game, fairly sure that the visit of Braga in the UEFA Cup, would have been given little consideration.

Udinese are very inconsistent and have conceded 11 in their last 6, they have scored the fewest (11) home goals, of any team in the top half of the table.

Not going to get overly involved and will make this quick, as kick off is less than 2 hours away.

The handicap worries me a little, as with confidence so fragile and such a poor defensive record, if they do go a goal behing the floodgates could open and I do not want to take odds on, with a 3/4 ball start, hope that makes sense.Therefore, I feel more comfortable, with a bet on the draw and a "saver" on the away win, which is the same as laying the hosts, at a little under 1.80.

2 points Udinese-Parma draw 3.50 exchanges.

1 point Parma to win 6.40 general.

Back later.

CARLING CUP FINAL ..........

Not sure if the stadium will be full at kick off, there have been huge road and rail problems, for the massive number of fans, heading to Cardiff this morning. If ever a final should have been at Wembley, this was it.

Arsene Wenger is going to keep faith with the youngsters, that have taken the Gunners to the final, so no place for Gallas, Henry or Ljungberg and Lehmann and van Persie are unavailable.

TH has had a very poor season, by his extremely high standards, he just looks lethargic and to be honest, Arsenal look more of a team, without him. Wow ! Never dreamt that I would be writing that.

John Terry is making an early return to the squad and Jose Mourinho, is claiming to be treating the match with the respect it deserves. Which could be taken two ways.

Think we will see a fairly open game, Chelsea have scored 30 goals in 11 starts and before last week, Arsenal had notched 39 in 14, they also have only one clean sheet in 8.

Ten of the last 12 h2h meetings, have produced 2 or more goals, at an average of 2.583 per game. More of the same today.

5 points over 2 goals Chelsea-Arsenal 1.70 asian line.

Good Luck.

WIGAN ATHLETIC - NEWCASTLE UNITED

The hosts will be extremely motivated, they now sit just 3 points outside the drop zone, following Charlton's win yesterday and the Londoners, are the next visitors to the JJB Stadium.

Wigan will feel hard done by, having collected just one point, from games against Arsenal and Watford, where they could easily have earned all six.

My original selection was going to be Paul Jewell's team with the level ball option, but the odds have fallen and my concern about their ability to hold onto a lead, has risen.

Wigan have dropped a league high, 19 points from winning positions, a total which would put them in the top 6 ! They will probably score, Newcastle are some 13 matches without a clean sheet in the Premiership. The visitors are unlikely to panic, if they do fall behind, as only Arsenal have gained more points, from matches in which they have fallen behind.

Given those statistics, we can expect both teams to score and a 1-1 draw would not surprise me at all. We could also consider laying Wigan in running, if they take an early(ish) lead, they are likely to be quoted at very short odds on the exchanges. By early, I mean the first 60 minutes or so.

However, all things considered, I like the quote for both teams to score and will bet accordingly.

3 points both teams to score Wigan-Newcastle 1.80 general // bet 365.

Good Luck.

MEMPHIS ATP TENNIS FINAL

Andy Roddick faces Tommy Haas and here we have another pairing, that know each other very well.

The German leads the h2h 5-3 and won their only previous meeting here, but that was 6 years ago, so of little significance, his other 4 victories, all came on clay. Haas likes it here and he will be looking for his 3rd title, he has also thrown in the odd howler in Memphis.

This is also Roddick's third final appearance and he will be looking for win number two. I was impressed with the American yesterday, in his straight sets win over Andy Murray, gaining revenge for last weeks loss to the British player. He was serving HUGE ! No one in the world would have returned some of those bombs.

Roddick looks motivated and has won their last 3 meetings on hard courts. The schedule has not been too kind to Haas, he has had a couple of early starts, which he was not impressed with and has a flight from New York to Dubai, 10 hours after his match in Memphis starts ! The complex life of a tennis player .

I think Roddick really wants this one.

4 points Roddick to beat Haas 1.69 Pinnacle // exchanges.

Good Luck.

ROTTERDAM TENNIS ..........

Ivan Ljubicic and Mikhail Youzhny must be getting to know each other very well, today's final is the 3rd time they have met in 2007.

The Croatian has won both of those in 3 sets and leads the h2h 6-0 overall. He totally dominated the service stats in those games and this surface suits him very well. Ivan made the final here on his last appearance, back in 2005, taking Roger Federer to a 3rd set tie break and thundering down 16 aces, against the world number one.

Youzhny saved 3 match points in his semi final win over Novak Djokovic and will not give up, without a fight. However, I strongly favour Ljubicic, who has averaged a 4 game advantage in aces alone, during their earlier outings this season, which is a huge handicap for the Russian to overcome.

I am going for the straight win, but for the more adventurous of you out there, the 2-1 sets win is competitively priced at 4.0 with Bet365 and Expekt.

5 points Ljubicic to beat Youzhny 1.633 Pinnacle// Betfair.

Good Luck.

MACCLESFIELD TOWN - GRIMSBY TOWN

Final selection of a very busy afternoon, is the "over" in this fixture.

Regular supporters of these two, will have seen just about 100 goals each this season, at an average of almost 3 per game. Lots of highs and mostly lows there and plenty of heartache. However, both can look forward, with a lot of optimism.

Paul Ince has turned around, what looked an impossible situation at Macclesfied and despite recent losses to 3 of the top 4 clubs, they look too strong to fall back into the drop zone. Hartlepool supporters in particular were impressed with Ince's boys and rated them one of the better teams they had faced.

We can expect both to look for the win, Grimsby have won 4 straight, scoring 14, but at the other end, have conceded 9 in 5.

The hosts have also conceded 9 in 5 and are without a clean sheet in 9 starts. There HAS to be goals.

4 points over 2.5 goals Macclesfield-Grimsby 1.95 asian line.

Good Luck.

MANSFIELD TOWN - WYCOMBE WANDERERS

Wanderers are another team that got side tracked with a wonderful cup run. This is one of the better sides in League 2 and they have to get their promotion push, back on track. After today, they have 4 from 5 at home, with the away trip being to the 92nd placed club, in the Football League.

They have had a strange season, with a 7-8-1 home record and at times, have seen happier on the road, where they tend to "go for it" and are 8-1-8. Wycombe have not conceded in 3 and have won the last two on the road against similar teams, to their hosts today.

Field have beaten only basement club, Torquay United, in their last 7 starts and will probably be forced to start with two teenage strikers, as there is a virus at the club.

Another clean sheet for the visitors, so the level ball option looks fine.

5 points Wycombe level ball 1.80 asian line.

Back shortly.

BURY - PETERBOROUGH UNITED

Boro have been huge spenders in the transfer market this season, paying out sums, most clubs at this level, can only dream about. However, things have not worked out, Keith Alexander was dismissed and replaced as coach,by Sir Alex's son, Darren.

They sit in mid table, 11 points adrift of a play-off spot, which looked a minimum target, early in the campaign. There are signs that Ferguson is getting things together and that Posh can put a decent run together.

Their away form is decent, almost identical to their home tally and they could not ask for a better game today. Bury are in a very long winless run and have lost the last 3, with a 0-7 goal difference.

Man for man, Boro have a far superior squad to Bury, infact to most clubs in Division 2 and with two home games up next, may still think they can put in a late season charge. Ferguson and his Chairman, face a fans forum this week and will feel much happier, meeting the supporters, with a win under their belts.

4 points Peterborough level ball asian line 2.075.

Good Luck.

BRISTOL ROVERS - STOCKPORT COUNTY

We have to stick with County, who are in a rich vein of form and have served us well in recent weeks.

Jim Gannon's team have charged into the play-off places and now, have their sights firmly set, on one of the automatic promotion spots. They travel to Rovers, who were in similar form until recently, when two cup runs and a very busy programme, began to take it's toll.

They are 4 without a win and face a huge return leg, with Bristol City, their biggest rivals, in midweek. That game will be shown live on SKY and is Rovers' biggest game in years, no one will want to miss out and it is only human, to have one eye on the forthcoming fixture.

County have won 7 in a row, without conceding, it is hard to beat a team, you can't score against and they look a strong bet with the level ball option.

4 points Stockport County level ball 2.02 asian line.

Good Luck.

THIS MATCH HAS BEEN POSTPONED, DUE TO A WATERLOGGED PITCH.

NORTHAMPTON TOWN - ROTHERHAM UNITED

On reflection, the Monday game between Brentford and Nortampton, probably came too soon for the Bees, who were very sluggish in the first half.

Having said that, Town impressed me greatly, they passed the ball and kept possession well, worked hard and looked well organised.

I have seen a LOT of football at this level and this is not a bottom of the table team. Stuart Gray is well respected in the game and he simple ouzed confidence before the match started, which considering their previous results, was amazing.

Think he knows, that he has the right players at the club now and it was just a matter of time before they turned things around. I expect them to go on a good run and certainly to beat bottom club, Rotherham today. Who have lost the plot and are winlesss in 12 matches since December 2nd, losing 8 and conceding at a rate of 2 per game. Home win.

5 points Northampton -1/2 ball 1.92 asian line.

I have 4 (!) more selections to put online, all for Division 2, told you there was a lot, it is just one of those days, when everything looks good. It could get expensive, but I will be amazed if we do not make a decent profit this afternoon.

Good Luck.

BLACKPOOL - MILLWALL

Millwall have put together a good run since Christmas and Willie Donachie has done an excellent job. However, they are always capable of throwing in the odd howler, like the 3-0 loss at Nothampton and the shocking, 5-2 loss at home to Leyton Orient, in midweek.

Today they travel to play Blackpool, who are a pretty talented side and were on the crest of a wave, before getting side tracked by a fine FA Cup run and the town's failure to get the Super Casino license, which was important to the development of the football club.

They stopped the rot with the point at Forest and are boosted by the return of 3 key players today. Think that they are competitively priced to beat the Lions, who I have been told, have had a few players down with flu this week.

No draws on the road (6-0-11) for the London club and I think that will be a round dozen, come 5 o'clock this afternoon.

4 points Blackpool -1/2 ball 2.0 general....... 2.05 William Hill.

Good Luck.

NORWICH CITY - COVENTRY CITY

I do not feel Ian Dowie was given a fair chance at Charlton and believe he would have turned things around there, given enough time.

This should work to Coventry's advantage, he is, no doubt, very hungry again now and keen to prove his worth. After starting with a fine win over Southampton, he will have had a full week with his troops and will be looking to build on that result.

He is a passionate, enthusiastic guy and that will manifest itself, in his side's performance.

They travel to East Anglia to meet a Norwich team, short on confidence and players, they are likely to be without 4-5 regulars today. The hosts could not beat Division 1 club, Blackpool over 180 minutes play and are getting dragged into the relegation dog fight. Just get the feeling that they would probably settle for a point, with most of the teams below them, facing difficult games. Therefore, I see value in the visitors with a handicap start.

4 points Coventry +1/2 ball asian line/ exchanges 1.78.

Good Luck.

DUBAI DUTY FREE WOMEN'S OPEN TENNIS FINAL

This will be mini preview day, I have so much to discuss, it will not be possible to get everything in otherwise. Football all the way after this.

Dream final in Dubai for the sponsors, with the top two seeds, Amelie Mauresmo and Justine Henin, meeting for the 13th time and looking to break a 6-6 tie.

I am happy to stick with the Frenchwoman, she has never let us down and her game looks a little ahead of her opponent, at the moment. Mauresmo should also be fresher, having only played one set yesterday, as opposed to the Belgian's three.

Henin has been starting her matches very slowly and she can ill afford to give Mauresmo an early lead.

3 points Mauresmo to beat Henin 2.22 Betfair.

Good Luck.

LIGUE 2

Two bets for tonight in Ligue 2.

VERY briefly, firstly the over in Libourne-Amiens, the free scoring hosts are averaging 3.5 goals in their last 10 starts and the visitors matches are producing at the rate of 2.6, over the same period.

Amiens have to go for the win and try to put some pressure on the top 3, this should result in an open and exciting contest, Libourne are always happy to try and outscore their opponents.

Secondly, Bastia are back in form and can be backed to beat Montpellier, who are without two key defenders and are short of options in midfield. Caen and Metz have already lost at Bastia and most of the visitors, improved recent form, is against the division's lesser lights.

4 points Libourne-Amiens over 2 goals 1.75 asian line.
4 points Bastia -1/2 ball 1.83 asian line.

Good Luck.

BUNDESLIGA 2 ...... CZJ - 1860

I have three more selections to put online, so this one will be very quick, it starts in 90 minutes.

Carl Zeiss Jena have given theirselves a good chance of survival, with two recent wins and a point tonight will take them, at least temporarily, out of the relegation zone, but they will be looking for all 3.

1860 are very unpredictable, for example, in their last 6 starts, they have a 4-0 and 5-1 win, to go alongside two 3-0 defeats. They look set for an upper mid table finish and will be without a few players tonight. A flu virus has affected the club, not sure how many are sick, but the goalkeeper and coach, who will probably not attend, are struck down for sure and these things can spread very quickly.

4 points CZJ level ball asian line 1.70.

Back shortly.

CARDIFF CITY - PRESTON NORTH END

Two promotion hopefuls meet at Ninian Park.

City will still be without the suspended Walton, but Loovens and top scorer Chopra, will be available.

PNE will be boosted by Agyemang, Davidson, Ricketts and Mellor who notched a midweek hatrick for the reserves, all looking set to take part.

I have few doubts that the visitors are the better team, but their form has see-sawed since late November. During that time, they have played 16 matches without a draw, winning 9 and losing 7.

With all the top clubs set to meet each other, in the coming weeks, Preston can steal a march on their rivals with a win today, especially with 3 of their next 4, at Deepdale.

Only drawback, this is their 3rd start in 6 days, but the squad has been rotated. North End are now a far more adventuous team under boss Paul Simpson, who favours a 4-3-3 system, home and away. On their travels, they have already collected points at Wolves, Sunderland, Derby, Stoke and Southampton, so the task tonight, should hold few fears.

4 points Preston +1/4 ball 1.75 asian line.

Good Luck.

ATP // WTA TENNIS .........

I am interested in two matches today.

Very briefly, in Rotterdam the Djokovic-Robredo match looks a coin flip. Both came into the tournament with identical 8-2 records and each lost to Federer in 3 sets, at the Australian Open.

H2h is tied at 1-1, not too much to read into that, but Robredo did seem to have a good read on his opponents serve, which could prove crucial today. At the odds, he is rated a 42% chance to win and that seems too generous.

In Dubai, I am going to oppose, Jelena Jankovic, with Amelie Mauresmo. The Frenchwoman expects to improve a lot today, now that she has another outdoor match under her belt. She has played very well, but it patches and just needs to find a little more consistency. The Serb won their last meeting, in Sydney earlier this year, when she held a distinct fitness advantage.

Mauresmo took the 4 previous encounters and can add to that tally today.

3 points Robredo to beat Djokovic 2.38 Betfair.

5 points Mauresmo to beat Jankovic 1.87 Betfair.

Good Luck.

UEFA CUP ...........

Maccabi Haifa - CSKA Moscow

The first leg ended 0-0, it was played in Vladikavkaz, some 1500km from Moscow, so not too much home advantage for the Russians.

I expect CSKA to progress, the score draw is a concern, but less so, on the 1/4 ball asian line, where we get half our stakes back, in the event of a stalemate.

They will have Carvalho fit to start tonight and they should have too much class and be too strong, for a weakened, out of sorts, Maccabi.

Haifa are without 4 players, including captain Yaniv Katan, they are also unable to play at their own stadium and the visitors seem to hold all the cards.

5 points CSKA -1/4 ball 1.92 asian line.

PSG - AEK ATHENS

PSG have been good to us in recent weeks. They sit on a two goal lead and Paul le Guen is sure to rest several starters, as he did in the away tie. This makes little difference in reality, as the replacements are probably "hungrier".

I am sure that the Parisians, will want to keep the run and goals flowing, having won the last 3 , netting 9 goals in the process, a total which seemed impossible, a few weeks ago.

Greek teams are never the best of travellers and if they go a goal behind, the floodgates might open.

4 points PSG -1 ball 2.095 asian line.

Good Luck.

BLACKBURN ROVERS - BAYER LEVERKUSEN

Rovers are expecting a big crowd tonight, they have slashed admission prices and with the early kick off, the ground will be full of school children. I thought it was illegal to be cruel to minors!

Anyway, Mark Hughes' team are very motivated to progress in the competition and will be boosted by the return of Morten Gamst Pedersen, who returns after a ban and the fit again, Tugay and Benni McCarthy.

Leverkusen bring a 3-2 lead with them, but are in poor form. They are without a win in 4 Bundesliga starts, during which they have conceded 8 goals.

Bayer have struggled to keep a clean sheet all season, with just 3 in 31 matches. In away UEFA Cup trips to Sion, Club Brugge and Dinamo Bucharest, they have yet to post a win and Rovers must be considered superior, to all of those. Home win.

4 points Blackburn -1/2 ball asian line 2.04.

Good Luck.

DUBAI DUTY FREE WOMEN'S OPEN TENNIS ........ QUARTER-FINALS

The sponsors must be very pleased with the last 8 line up, all the big names are there and we have some very attractive looking matches.

Probably the pick of which is, Jelena Jankovic-Martina Hingis, the pair met in Sydney last month, with Jankovic, who was in the middle of a wonderful run at the time, winning in 3 close sets.

The "Swiss Miss" will be out for revenge and will probably strip fitter this time, in the earlier encounter, her opponent had the benefit of some high altitude, hot weather, conditioning in Colombia, during the off season. At the odds available, she is my strongest tennis bet of the day.

Justine Henin is still not 100%, she took two and a half hours to beat the 16 yo Austrian, Tamira Paszek, yesterday, after dropping the first set. She may also struggle today against Eleni Daniilidou, the Greek woman holds a 2-1 h2h lead and the two wins have gone to 32 and 33 games. The Belgian should progress, but we can chance a little, on her opponent to take a set.

Finally, we come to Svetlana Kuznetsova verses Patty Schnyder, both are struggling to find some consistency and this could go either way. The Russian leads the h2h 3-2, most have been close and we can expect more of the same today. I made Kuznetsova the narrowest of favourites, so we have to take Schnyder at the quoted odds.

4 points Hingis to beat Jankovic 2.16 Betfair.

1 point Henin to win 2-1 sets 5.90 Betfair.

2.5 points Schnyder to beat Kuznetsova 2.72 Betfair.

Good Luck.

GOOD MORNING !

Back on track yesterday, with 5 winners from 6 selections and a very healthy profit.

Excellent performances by the British clubs in the Champions League, where we could see all 5 in the quarter-finals !

Going to keep things simple today and stick with the UEFA Cup, where I am looking at three bets and the WTA tennis, which will be covered in my next post, this will be online before 12.30 cet.

Please check back.

TWO TO GO .............

Here, very quickly are the final two selections for today .........

Sofia Arvidsson has had a poor run in ATP events, I think she lost 9/10 matches before this week. However, she entered a ITF event last week, to get some confidence and it seems to have worked, she won the tournament and beat Bychkova in her first round match, she can now build on that .

Arvidsson won this event last year and has a lot of points to defend, she will be very motivated and is nicely priced to beat Nicole Pratt, who is having a good start to her season.

Finally, I like the "over" in the Bristol City-Rovers derby, there are sure to be nerves in front of a fanatical, sell out crowd. Feel this will be open, with a few mistakes and some goals.

3 points Arvidsson to beat Pratt 2.16 betfair.

3 points Bristol City-Bristol Rovers "over" 2.5 goals 2.03 asian line.

Good Luck.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ........

Porto-Chelsea // Barcelona-Liverpool

I have four bets to put online for this evenings action, but only have time to put basic comments. Therefore, I shall keep the stakes small.

"The Chosen One" returns to his former club and will probably settle for a draw and take the Portugese champions, back to Stamford Bridge, all square.

Porto have impressed me greatly this season, almost as much as any team I have watched. They are not out of this tie by any means and could spring a surprise. Think this is the most interesting match of the night and will become more so, if Porto stick to their plan, to play a 4-3-3 system.

Barca and Pool have created more headlines off the pitch this week. The difference is that the English side seem to have put their in-fighting behind them, the Spanish giants have reacted by dropping Samuel Eto'o.

Even Ronaldinho seems to have lost his smile, rumours are that he too, is out of love with Barcelona and is on his way in the summer, probably to Milan.

So, all is not rosy, they created little in the loss at Valencia, at least until, Lionel Messi joined the action and lack a spark.

Liverpool are well suited to playing away in Europe and should be capable of containing a lack lustre Barcelona.

3 points Porto +1/2 ball 1.75 asian line.

3 points Liverpool +3/4 ball 1.90 asian line.

Good Luck.

TENNIS UPDATE ..............

The morning has gone very well, Schnyder won 6-4 in the third set and Daniilidou took the decider 7-5.

So, both bets won and the double paid 17.33, if anyone was brave enough !

I am looking into one more tennis bet tonight, but will be back a little later, with the first football selection of the day.

Good Luck.

DUBAI DUTY FREE WOMEN'S OPEN TENNIS

Early start in Dubai and I am going to suggest a couple of matches, to go the distance.

Patty Schnyder should beat Alicia Molik, the two met in the Australian Open last month, the Swiss player lost the first set, before racing away with the last two. You can never be sure what to expect with Schnyder and she is always capable of the odd howler. I am going for a repeat of Melbourne and a small bet on her to win in three.

The Daniilidou-Sugiyama contest looks very close. H2h is 4-4 with the Greek woman taking the last two, but the Japanese player took their previous meeting here and the last 3 matches have gone the distance. Hard to split them and I really like the odds available on a decider.

1.5 points Schnyder to win 2-1 sets 4.0 stan james.

2 points each Daniilidou and Sugiyama both to win 2-1 sets 4.33 stan james.

Similar odds will be available on the exchanges.

Back shortly.

LEEDS UNITED - QPR

Dennis Wise will no doubt be disappointed, to have come away from Ninian Park, pointless at the weekend. His team had chances and Cardiff finished the match, with 9 men, so, a missed opportunity.

That makes tonight's "six pointer" even more important, especially with away trips to Wolves and Birmingham up next.

New loan signing, Jemal Johnson, will start and Wise is also likely to have the services of Richard Cresswell and David Healey, to call upon, giving him even further options.

Rangers are in a dismal run, they looked very poor in the recent 5-0 drubbing at Southend and have lost 12 of 16 starts. Manager John Gregory received the dreaded vote of confidence yesterday, so he will be looking for a new job soon.

He can expect few favours from Mr Wise, home win.

5 points Leeds United -1/2 ball 1.96 asian line.

Good Luck.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION - CARDIFF CITY

The Albion bandwagon continues on it's merry way, one loss in 16 starts since late November and in the quarter final draw for the FA Cup.

However, it is the goals "for" column that really takes the eye. WBA have scored in each of their last 17, with 34 strikes in the last 14, notching 2 or more in 11 of those.

Senegalese striker Diomansy Kamara, is in wonderful form, with 20 goals this season, including 8 in the last 7 matches.

Albion showed their potential in the 2-2 draw with Middlesbrough at the weekend, where they outplayed the Premiership side, for significant periods of the game.

Boss Tony Mowbray, has a fully fit squad to choose from, with the exception of the banned, Curtis Davies.

Visitors Cardiff, have no such luxuries, they are without 3 suspended players, including key starters, Simon Walton and top scorer Michael Chopra, who has scored 7 of City's last 10 goals, plus maybe 3 others, who face late fitness tests.

Forget the cup, promotion and the vast riches it will bring next season, is what really matters to West Brom. Expect a comfortable win, from a talented home side.

5 points WBA -1/2 ball 1.67 general quote.

Back shortly.

PSV EINDHOVEN - ARSENAL

I feel that, this is what the Gunners have been waiting for and expect them to put on something of a "performance" tonight.

They were very lack lustre in the FA Cup bore, with Blackburn at the weekend, but have lost only once in 20 starts. On their day, very few teams can live with Arsene Wenger's team and they are capable of going to ANy stadium in Europe and winning.

PSV are not in their best form and Ronald Koeman's side, look a little short on experience. Afellay, Kluivert and Reiziger are out, Jefferson Farfan is a major doubt and has not trained this week. The Peruvian striker, has 15 goals in 21 starts and would be sorely missed.

Arsenal's likely line up ......... Jens Lehmann, William Gallas, Philippe Senderos, Kolo Touré, Gaël Clichy, Tomáš Rosický, Cesc Fabregas, Gilberto, Fredrik Ljungberg, Aleksandr Hleb, Thierry Henry , looks strong enough to me and a must bet, with the level ball option.

5 points Arsenal level ball 1.71 asian line.

Back shortly.

METZ - CAEN

Top of the table clash in Ligue 2, with top hosting second, in a match shown live on Eurosport.

Metz have gone off the boil, with just 2 wins in 8, scoring just once in 4 starts. Since selling creative midfielder, Ludovic Obraniak, to Lille in the transfer window, they have lost their cutting edge.

A draw might suit both, it would leave Metz 4 points clear of 4th placed Strasbourg and a whopping 10 ahead of the "field", Caen would sit 3 and 9 clear, respectively.

The hosts would still have a game in hand, which they play on Thursday, at home to Dijon. The visitors play their next 3 against teams currently in the bottom 5 places, so both would be in very strong positions.

I think we can expect to see a cautious approach, especially in the opening 45 minutes. Metz are 11-12-0 at half time, in their 23 starts and a stalemate at the break, looks very likely tonight.

If either side wants to "go for it", they can push forward in the second half.

4 points Metz-Caen half time draw 2.10 betfair.

Good Luck.

BRENTFORD FC - NORTHAMPTON TOWN

Finally SKY have got it right and are showing a game that everyone wants to watch, everyone in my house that is !

Griffin Park is the venue for the match of the day, the mighty Brentford against poor old Northampton Town.

The Bees are, compared to what came before, in a rich vein of form, with 3 straight wins, for the first time this season. Infact, for a team that had previously won only 4 matches and had managed a run of 22 starts, without a win inside 90 minutes, that is manna from heaven.

It is not just the results, Brentford look a completely different side and are playing some decent stuff. Boss Scott Fitzgerald, deserves a lot of credit for sorting the squad out, he has got the shape of the team right, well, at least now they have some, everyone knows what is expected of them and they look solid and committed to the cause.

Northampton, broke a run of 4 losses, with a home draw against Gillingham on Friday night, they now sit just outside the drop zone and only 4 points clear of the Bees. So you can see that, this is a real "six pointer". Having looked down and out, just a couple of weeks ago, the hosts have a realistic shot at survival.

I was very confident of a home win tonight, despite the visitors having an extra days rest. However, the win at Huddersfield came at a price, Sam Tillen (concussion) and goal scorers Jo Kuffour and Charlie Ide, all had to leave the pitch and are doubts for tonight.

Kuffour and Ide have scored 9 of Brentford's last 10 goals, if both miss out, it will be something of a disaster, Willock would then start and believe me, no one wants to go down that route .

I have been trying to get some concrete news all morning, but it looks like these will be last minute decisions. Do understand that Kuffour is the most likely to start, which is good news, as Ide is easier for Fitzgerald to replace, with Brooker being the obvious candidate.

Going to proceed with that as the line up and suggest a small bet, should I hear later that the news is better, stakes might be increased.

Neil Shipperley has yet to score for Brentford, but has been creating chances for others and as the highest profile player, is no doubt being singled out for special attention and freeing up space.

3 points Brentford -1/4 ball 2.04 asian line.

Good Luck.

WTA TENNIS .....

Lisa Raymond has had a fantastic career and earned a LOT of money, very much a doubles specialist, where she has a "grand slam" of titles to her name, she remains very capable in singles events.

Raymond is extremely selective about the tournaments she competes in, but absolutely loves it in Memphis, where she has a wonderful record. Winning the title in 02 and 03, she was a finalist in 04 and last year lost to the eventual winner, Sofia Arvidsson, in two very close sets.

Raymond can boast a recent 12-2 win/loss record in the singles and 20-6 overall. In addition she is a two time doubles champion, including last year's event.

Today she meets Bethanie Mattek, the 21 yo American is 12 years Raymond's junior, but that is pretty much all you can say in her favour. Known for her crazy dress sense and not a lot else, she looks very much a journeywoman player and is 0-8 in Grand Slam events.

Given Raymond's outstanding history here and vast experience, 68 Grand Slam wins, 4 single and 62 doubles titles, I find it hard to understand why Mattek has been made favourite.

The younger player tends to exit tournaments, as soon as she meets a top 100 player and even at 33 years of age, Raymond could easily get her ranking much lower than that, if doubles was not such a money making machine ($7m) for her.

4 points Raymond to beat Mattek 2.14 Pinnacle, you will no doubt find something similar on the exchanges a little later.

Good Luck.

MONDAY ROUND UP .........

Following an excellent fortnight, during which we posted some very nice results, last week started slowly. However, we managed to turn things around, going 14/22 from Thursday onwards. No real complaints, we are close to 40 points up, for the last 3 weeks and those are profit levels that we should all be happy with.

The tennis went perfectly yesterday, Mauresmo won in straight sets, Simon not only took a set as predicted, but also won in 2 and Andy Murray retained his title in San Jose, in a titanic 3 set battle.

Plenty of tennis this week, with ATP events in Rotterdam, Buenos Aires and Memphis, the WTA moves on to Dubai, Bogota and also Memphis, which has both tours in town.

I am not going to dwell too long on yesterday's football, most disappointing result, was Marseille's failure to beat Nantes. OM had 67% possession and 19 attempts on goals, but, needless to say, Fabien Barthez was in outstanding form and on the rare occasion he was beaten, there was someone, to kick the ball off the line.

MASSIVE week ahead on the football, with some outstanding looking Champions League action.

Today, there are matches from England, Germany, France and Portugal and I will be back with these, currently looking at two bets and the tennis, later this morning.

Check back.

MARSEILLE - NANTES .... LIGUE 1

It is going to be very tough for Marseille to reach a Champions League spot, unless they collect 3 points tonight.

Up next they meet direct rivals Lens and Toulouse, followed by runaway leaders Lyon, who will be looking for revenge, after OM knocked them out of the domestic cup recently.

At times this season, OM have looked a very good side indeed, at others, merely average. You are never quite sure what you are going to get with them, but they should be capable of beating Ligue 1 strugglers Nantes.

In goal, the visitors will have former Marseille hero, Fabien Barthez who is assured of a warm welcome. They will be without 5-6 starters and will have a caretaker coach, former boss Georges Eo, having been dismissed earlier this week.

No Cisse or Cana for the hosts, but they cannot offer that as an excuse, this HAS to be a home win.

6 points Marseille -1/2 ball 1.55 Betfair.

Good Luck.

LA LIGA ..... OSASUNA- CELTA VIGO

Sorry guys, I spent a lot of time on the earlier posts today and am now in a rush, as kick offs are approaching.

There are going to be two more selections, the second is for an evening kick off, so I should be able to write a longer preview, but this will be very brief. However, as always, you can be sure that I have done my homework and spent many hours looking at the matches. On the day, it is usually just checking one or two things and actually writing the post.

Anyway, I like the visitors, feel they are in a false position in the league and we should start to see some improvement. They are without a win in 11, but have drawn 5 of the last 10 in the league and their European form has been much stronger.

They will be boosted today, by the inclusion of top scorer Fernabdo Baiano and the availability of recent signings Areias and Bamogo. Celta's problem and it is the same with all clubs on a long winless run is confidence, however, they earned a fine draw at Spartak Moscow in midweek and were unlucky not to snatch a win. They can take heart from that and begin their climb away from the relegation zone.

4 points Celta Vigo +3/4 ball asian line 1.71 asian line.

Good Luck.

SERIE A .... PARMA - SAMPDORIA

This will have to be very brief.

Claudio Ranieri returns to Serie A after 10 years coaching around Europe, his agenda is simple, save Parma from relegation, nothing else matters, just do what you have to do and no doubt. receive a massive financial bonus in the process.

They sit 3 points from safety and have to win their home games if they are to survive and with their next two fixtures away from their Ennio Tardini home, the visit of poor travellers Sampdoria (2-2-6), will have been targeted as 3 "must win" points.

Samp have major doubts about two strikers, are very inconsistent, have a poor record here, with no wins in 9 starts, going back over a decade and seem to lack motivation, talking very negatively in pre match interviews.

The stadium has been passed "fit", so a passionate crowd will welcome Ranieri and his team, they are likely to witness the start of the Parma revival.

4 points Parma level ball 1.88 asian line.

Good Luck.

FA CUP ...... FULHAM - TOTTENHAM

These two met at Craven Cottage in the league, just 4 weeks ago, that match ended 1-1. Spurs dominated through the first 45 minutes and early in the second half, then the hosts had a player sent off and as, so often happens, that complicated things for the team with the one man advantage.

Fulham took the lead with a penalty, before Tottenham forced a late equaliser.

Today's game has taken on huge significance for the visitors, Martin Jol's team have now lost 3 in a row, for the first time this season. They are out of contention for a Champions League place in the league and do not have to concern theirselves with the UEFA Cup for several weeks, after Feyenoord's expulsion. Following their humiliating elimination from the Carling Cup by the Arsenal youth team, they NEED progress in this cup and the prospect of some silverware.

Spurs are without Defoe and Jenas, who are both suspended today, but can call upon the services of Lennon, Gardner, Rocha and Huddlestone, all of whom return.

Fulham will be without Michael Brown and Wayne Routledge and their losses will be hard felt.

No excuses for the visitors, Jol will come under increased pressure if they lose, he has been given a lot of money to spend and expectations are high. They are my selection on the asian handicap, where we make a small profit with the draw, which I feel is a very good value bet.

5 points Tottenham +1/4 ball 1.73 asian line.

Good Luck.

GRONINGEN FC - AZ ALKMAAR

PSV Eindhoven got back on track yesterday, with a 2-0 win at Heracles, this puts the pressure firmly back on Ajax and AZ in the title race.


With those two challengers facing each other next week, they both know that 3 points today are absolutely vital, if they are to put in a realistic push for the Championship.


AZ travel to face Groningen and their very passionate fans, in excellent form, they have won 4 straight in the league and scored 14 goals in 5 starts. The visitors boast the best away record in Holland, with 9 wins and 28 goals in 12 matches.


Groningen's recent home form has been disappointing, with losses to Sparta and Ajax and a draw with Heerenveen. Only Willem and bottom club Den Haag, have conceded more home goals, at an average of 1.67 per game, it is hard to see them restricting free scoring AZ today.


The equation is simple, if AZ harbour title ambitions, they HAVE to win . Given the motivation factor and goal scoring form, I think we will see an away victory.


4 points AZ Alkmaar -1/2 ball 1.77 asian line.


Good Luck.