TODAY'S FOOTBALL .............

Here are my four afternoon football selections, along with very basic previews, which were written early yesterday afternoon, all have been backed, one is now trading at a full 1/4 ball less, and once again, subscribers have a huge advantage over the pack........ if you cannot understand how much difference, consistently getting the best odds makes to your long term profits , you really should not be betting !

CHAMPIONSHIP

DERBY COUNTY - COVENTRY CITY

County, have too good a squad to languish in the drop zone, they completely dominated Birmingham in the first half in midweek, missing chance after chance, before conceding an undeserved winner, after the break. Nigel Clough is still looking for a maiden win in charge, but he is not too downbeat and after the Birmingham game said "I'm very, very pleased with the performance and with everything but the result."We kept the ball well, created chances and a couple of the lads are saying it's the best we've played all season."We're in the bottom three but there were a few surprising results tonight. We must take positives from the game."

They could be meeting City at a good time, the Sky Blues were battered at home by Cardiff in midweek and visiting boss Dave Jones was disappointed his team didn't win by five or six !

Clough will have the returning Nathan Ellington, to give him a few more options up front and I expect him to be celebrating a first win, come Saturday evening.

7 points Derby County -1/4 1.95 asian line..... NOW 1.80

DIVISION 1

WALSALL - LEEDS UNITED

Hosts have only won once in seven and that came in a narrow win over Stockport, who dominated the game, but they have since been in freefall, with just one point from a possible 15, so not much of a formline there ! They are going to take a chance and start a couple of players returning quickly, perhaps too quickly, from long term injury and this could backfire, with them totally devoid of any match practice.

United seem to be back on track, they have huge competition for starting places up front, with three talented individuals, Beckford, Becchio and Trundle all vying for a spot and Simon Grayson's team are seeking a fourth straight win, which could take them back into the playoff zone. They have created 402 attempts on goal this season, a massive 160 more than Walsall, which is an average of five per game more.

6 points Leeds United -1/2 ball 1.95 + .......... NOW 1.89

DIVISION 2

ALDERSHOT- ROCHDALE

I do not feel that all is right at Aldershot, as I touched upon last week, things are starting to go very wrong on and off the pitch, they have collected just two points from 15 and were very fortunate to even get those. They were comprehensive beaten 3-0 by mighty Brentford in midweek, with the Bees even missing a penalty and could have lost by far more. In addition to which, I hear that boss Gary Warnock is unhappy, as, after spending months looking at new players, he has been told that there is no money to fund any signings at all, something he was only informed of this week !

Dale are a strong team and were unlucky not to go up last season. I rate them amongst the top three this time round and their current eight spot, is not a true reflection of their ability. Boss Keith Hill has set his team a target of eleven wins from their remaining fixtures to seal an automatic spot and is very confident that his troops will get them. They have goals in them, have scored two or more in each of their last four starts and are set to be unchanged, leaving a proven marksman in Adam le Fondre, who came off the bench to score last time out, on the sidelines. Away win.

7 points Rochdale +1/4 ball 1.78 asian line..... NOW LEVEL 1.82 !!!!

SCOTLAND SPL

GLASGOW RANGERS -DUNDEE UNITED

These two have met twice already this season and shared ten goals, in very open encounters. They both played in midweek, with United losing a semi-final to Celtic, 11-10 on penalties, in a match they dominated. A day earlier, Rangers eased to a 3-0 win over Falkirk.

Therefore, we can expect the home side to be much fresher and probably do enough to win. However, I still prefer the "over" for my money, United will press forward and we can argue that they are due a little more good fortune in front of goal, they will certainly not have to face Artur Borac, who was in inspired form for the Buoys in midweek. Dundee's last four SPL starts have all produced at least four goals and this could/should do likewise. Added bonus is that if they do tire, Rangers could run riot.

6 points "over" 2.75 goals 1.96 asian line.... NOW 1.80

Good Luck.

UPDATE ..........

OK, subscribers please check your inbox, I have sent another two selections, both of which are evening "kick offs". That makes seven previews, eight bets in total, which gives me a little more leeway with blog posts today, so, game on !

Remember, the only way to get to see all the Predictuwin output, is by subscribing to the newsletter, details are on the website www.predictuwin.com .

Good Luck.

WHAT A WEEKEND OF SPORT !

Something for everyone this weekend, the climax of the Australian Open, finally, a full round of football fixtures right across Europe (weather permitting) and the Superbowl !

Of course, I have a view on most of these and previewed five football matches (six selections) on the email, all covering domestic UK games, which was sent to subscribers late yesterday afternoon.

If any of them are reading this, I am looking at an "update", as I have got some very interesting news about one game and would also like to discuss another. If the price holds up on the first, I will post it to you within the hour.

Blog wise, I will try to post a couple of selections on here today, maybe more, so please check back.

Good Luck.

FRIDAY UPDATE .............

What entertainment Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco served up for us this morning ! Five sets, 59 games and five hours 14 minutes of fantastic tennis, before Rafa prevailed, despite Verdasco hitting an incredible 95 winners ! I was exhausted just watching !

I sent subscribers previews of four matches today, but will not be able to post any of them on the blog. Three have already been fairly well backed and the fourth contains information I want to use in the future.

Good Luck with your bets today !

TGIF .......... THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE !

Our under bet on the first half of the Barcelona-Espanol game was a half stake winner, which means 13 of the last 15 blog selections have shown a profit !

As expected, the match got very stretched after the break, but we had already "collected" by that stage and only an error by the visiting goalkeeper, stopped a full payout.

At the Australian Open, it was going to be all change in the Men's event, King Roger was "finished", Fed-ex had forgotten how to deliver, yet two weeks on, only Fernando Verdasco stands between yet another Nadal-Federer Grand Slam showdown. In the Women's event, Serena Williams will have to see off Dinara Safina, her fourth straight Russian opponent, to win her fourth AO title, after winning in 03/05/07, there would be a very nice symmetry to another victory. However, it might not be quite so straightforward, the winner will also take the world number one spot and Safina has worked very hard on her fitness, losing 7 kilos since Wimbledon and is a far more focused individual now.

Back later.

Predictuwin newsletter www.predictuwin.com.

MORE ACTION AFTER THE BREAK ..........

SPAIN COPA DEL REY

BARCELONA - ESPANOL

These two played out a goaless draw last week in the first leg, that was struggling Espanol's first start under new coach Mauricio Pochettino and they followed up with another draw at Valladolid on Sunday. TheY are in a dire position in La Liga, but would like to build on those two performances and the very last thing they need, would be another heavy defeat. Pochettino was a defender, so will always look to get that right first and as he is again missing two key offensive players in Tamudo and De la Pena, will set up very deEinsively, as you might expect.

They will look to keep this tight for as long as possible and in their last 20 starts this season, have only once conceded two goals in the first half, only one or fewer in their last eleven.

Barce have looked unbeatable this season, but have tended to rotate their squad in the cup, bringing on the "names", if at all, in the second period. It is also true that they have been far more prolific in the second period of all games, their last ten starts have produced 36 goals in total, with just ten coming in the opening 45 minutes. Only three first half's have produced two or more goals.

We can bet under 1.25 first half goals at odds against, this bet would have shown a profit in the vistor's last eleven matches and 18 from 20 and also, in seven of Barce's last ten. That looks excellent value in a game where Espanol will defend like demons and the home side will be wary of injury and can accept a victory by even the minimum scoreline.

6.5 points under 1.25 goals in the first half 2.05 asian line.

Good Luck.

WEDNESDAY ..........

Barnet were half stake winners and Tottenham eased home, that makes 12 winners from the last 14 blog selections !

Unfortunately, one of my long term subscribers has had to withdraw from the service, due to personal reasons, therefore, I have one single unexpected opening, which I will offer at the same terms (very competitive and no longer available), to the first applicant, email me for details.

In addition to which, there will another ten standard packages available from Sunday, February 1st, on a first come first served basis. If anyone wants to subscribe now (and avoid the rush !), I will ensure that you also receive Friday and Saturday's email too, as a freebie.

Payment can be made on the website using Paypal, or any bank debit/credit card, if you wish to use Moneybookers or bank transfer, please email for details.

Good Luck.

AMY WINEHOUSE IS A BIG BARNET FAN ...........

DIVISION 2

BARNET - SHREWSBURY TOWN

Home boss Paul Fairclough stepped down at Christmas and this has coincided with an upturn in form, especially defensively. Since Ian Hendon took charge, they have conceded just three in four starts, which included games against high scoring Dagenham and Bury, in this sequence they also played two games, with just ten men, which adds to the feeling that the steel and fire has been added to a team that can play a little bit.

Town are very much a Jekell and Hyde team, at home they are invincible (almost), on the road, simply dire. They have played nine away starts without a win, stretching back to early October and in the league even longer, not since September, almost five months. The goals have dried up and they have not scored more than once in nine starts, just five times in total. They will have top scorer Grant Holt back tonight after suspension, but he only missed two games, not nine ! This looks very drawish, but the (fake) Bees might be able to pinch all three points and getting a start, taking them seems good business.

6 points Barnet +1/4 ball 2.04 asian line..... currently 1.88.

Good Luck.

PREMIER LEAGUE .......

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR- STOKE CITY

The revolving doors at the White Hart Lane entrance have been working overtime, with Carlo Cudicini and the returning Pascal Chimbonda the latest arrivals and any number of players set to be moving one way or another in this, the final week of the transfer window, which ends at 17.00 UK time on Monday. Happy Harry Redknapp loves this wheeling and dealing and would have probably been very happy as a used car salesman in a former life. Hopefully, when the doors stop spinning, Redknapp will have a side that can keep Spurs in the Premier League !

Personally, I have few, if any doubts on that score, but they really need to get another win on board asap, I strongly feel that will come tonight. These two clubs are amongst the five tied on 21 points at the foot of the table, so defeat for either, would leave them in trouble. Cudicini is a very good signing to my eyes, he will probably save Spurs 4-5 points between now and the end of the season, the error prone Heurelho Gomes, who has yet to come to terms with life in the EPL, would probably cost them the same. At the moment, those nine points or so ,are the difference between 20th and 8th place in the table.

City are pleased with what they have achieved so far and looking at various forums, they are a popular pick tonight, at what certainly appears a big price, but is it really ? Let's look a little at their recent form, firstly, they are without a win in ten starts (0-4-6), but, I hear you cry, they have been very unlucky and should have won at Chelsea, where they led with a few minutes remaining, but was that luck, or justice ? The Blues created 37 (!) attempts on goal, or one every 2.43 minutes, with an incredible 22 on target.

Ok, but they drew 0-0 at home to Liverpool before that.......... the visitors were dire that day, arguably their worst performance of the season, yet still City only enjoyed 34% possession and did not create a single attempt on target in 90 minutes play. Their only other start in 2009, was a cup defeat at struggling Division 1 side Hartlepool United, who completely dominated the game.

So, on reflection, they are not a side I would be rushing to back, their game plan is one dimensional and Cudicini will be a big asset in combating much of that aerial threat. Tottenham are going to thump someone soon, it is all going to fall into place and if, they can score first and settle any nerves, it could easily happen tonight, they will certainly get plenty of the ball and opportunities to do so.

6 points Tottenham -1 ball 2.12 asian line.

Back later.

SUPER TUESDAY ..........

We have circa 50 domestic games in the top five leagues in England today and I had a very late night, studying all of them ! I am just about to start writing today's newsletter, in which I will post a little something about eight matches and probably put up five selections. At the risk of getting tiresome on the subject, the daily email is about far more than just the selections, although they alone will make you fantastic returns (see here).

I told you yesterday, I had sent subscribers just a single preview and selection at odds of 3.75, here it is ..........

BLUE SQUARE PREMIERSHIP

BURTON ALBION - BARROW

Albion have the opportunity to open up an incredible 17 point lead at the top of the BSP, albeit having played more games than most of the teams below them, with a win tonight.

I think they will do it, but expect the match to be close and it might take some time for the goal(s) to come. After winning a record twelve games in a row, Burton had to scrap for a point, in a 1-1home draw with Altrincham over the weekend, which preserved a 22 match unbeaten run at the Pirelli Stadium.

They are long overdue a dip in form of course, but they should be ultra motivated to win tonight and not just to collect the points, firstly, with a big cup game at the weekend, this will be their last league start for ten days and secondly, a big crowd is expected, to come and say farewell to former boss Nigel Clough. He is returning to receive the December MOTM award and to say his goodbye's to the club, where he spent ten years in charge.

Barrow have tightened up defensively recently and will set up to frustrate the home side. They have struggled on the road all season and are without a win in eight away starts, however, four of those last six losses, including at Premier League Middlesbrough, have come by just a single goal and I think that might be the case again tonight. The visitors play very narrowly at times and I do feel that Burton will eventually get some joy out wide, where they are strong and sneak a narrow win, by the minimum margin.

4.5 points Burton to win by exactly one goal 3.75 general quote ( this is the same as the match to be drawn, on the traditional -1 goal handicap).

Burton won 2-1, so we have started the week with a 12 point + profit, which puts us in a very strong position for the battle ahead !

I have not decided what to post on the blog today selection wise yet, but will put up something and also send all of you that are registered on the website, or in my data base, an email, so please check your inbox.

Good Luck.

www.predictuwin.com

MONDAY ROUND UP ....

Adriano was on target for us yesterday, unfortunately, Genoa were not on a going day, yet, despite being reduced to ten men, still had chances to steal the points late in the game, but all in all, a draw was a fair result there, so no complaints..... which is rare !

We have a huge week ahead, with a double programme of football action in England and Italy, the return of the "beautiful game "in Germany, plus Copa del Rey and Australian Open tennis , sans Andy Murray.

I have only previewed one match for subscribers today, but am hopeful I have found them a "winner" a odds of 3.75 , nothing on the blog today, selection wise, but please check back tomorrow.

Good Luck.

SERIE A .....

GENOA -CATANIA

HUGE game for Genoa, they are up to fourth spot in the table and face a daunting run of fixtures after this, staring with a trip to face Milan on Wednesday. They have won three in a row without conceding and those wins are all the more impressive, because they were earned in the absence of top scorer Diego Milito, who is back in the squad today :

PORTIERI: 1 Lamanna, 83 Rubinho. DIFENSORI: 25 Biava, 26 Bocchetti, 4 Criscito, 13 Ferrari, 15 Sokratis. CENTROCAMPISTI: 20 Mesto, 77 Milanetto, 23 Modesto, 7 Rossi, 88 Thiago Motta, 68 Vanden Borre. ATTACCANTI: 31 El Shaarawy, 17 Jankovic, 22 Milito, 11 Olivera, 14 Sculli.

Genoa have an awesome home record (7-2-0) and Catania, who have lost five straight road games without scoring, cannot be looking forward to this one. Huge offensive options for the home side and I expect them to cover the handicap, with Milito looking to impress upon his return.

6 points Genoa -1 ball 2.12 asian line.

INTERNAZIONALE- SAMPDORIA

Very quickly, I like to follow strikers in form, as you probably know, no Zlatan for Inter tonight, but I think Adriano who has been slowly returning to something like his old level, will revel in the extra responsibility. He scored a good goal against Roma in midweek and the transfer window, would be an ideal time for him to continue to impress. Do not forget, before injuries took their toll, this man mountain, who is incredible difficult to shake off the ball, especially in the penalty area, scored 77 goals in 128 appearances, in his first six seasons in Serie A. I think we are about to see a return to that level of performance in the coming weeks. I think that anything above 2.10 is acceptable, but the circa 2.50 offered on the exchanges is great value.

5 points Adriano to score at anytime 2.50 exchanges.

Good Luck.

SUNDAY UPDATE .....

I have been very busy this morning and previewed seven matches for subscribers to the email service, we are on course (touch wood) for our 11th winning week from 14, so, hopefully, I have not been too greedy today !

I am planning to post two, maybe three of these on the blog today, along with very basic notes about the selections, as always, these will not contain my strongest news of the day and will be guided by how the market reacts to the others, but please check back and maybe we can make some money !

Full details about the daily newsletter/email, can be found on my website www.predictuwin.com.

Good Luck !

OH MY GOODNESS !

Rafael Da Silva has taken the Premier League by storm this season, with a series of eye catching, sensational performances. However, he was quite prepared to tell anyone that would listen, that his twin brother Fabio was the much better player, most just nodded, admired Rafael's modesty and his generosity towards his brother.

That was until yesterday, it is perhaps wrong to go overboard about a debut that lasted just 53 minutes, but there was only one superstar on the left side of the field for United yesterday and it was not Ronaldo. It is frightening to think how good the twins could be and if Rafael is adamant that Fabio is far and away the better of the two, we might just have to believe him. It was certainly an awesome debut and he was clearly the best player, on a pitch packed with big name international players.

Apparently, they were spotted by United scout Les Kershaw, who convinced Sir Alex to sign the pair, despite never having started a league game for their club Fluminense. I just wonder what such scouts get paid and why these guys are also not subject to big money transfer fees. Kershaw has probably made/saved United some £60m+ by spotting two players, that can almost certainly play anywhere and have unlimited potential.

Back later.

PRESSURE, WHAT PRESSURE !

My beloved Bees have just announced a £864k operating loss for the last financial year, this is an believable level of new, additional debt, for the club to absorb. The figure was reduced to just under half a million by some "exceptional income", which will not be available in the current year.

They are in a similar situation to many lower league clubs and have to rely on the generosity of directors and supporters to keep them alive. In the current financial climate, that is always a huge concern. Brentford are in a slightly stronger position than most, as despite being some £7-8 million in debt, it is impossible to get a true figure (!), they do own their own ground , the theatre of dreams, known as Griffin Park. This is key in the proposed move to a new home, which might enable the Bees to clear their debts.

That is a couple of years away at best and in the meantime, Brentford have put all their eggs in a promotion basket this season and gambled on Andy Scott leading " my" men back to the promised land of Division 1 .

Chairman Greg Dyke made the following statement: "The Board took a decision to run the club at this level of loss in an attempt to gain promotion and thus improve our financial position considerably. We decided we would support the team manager to the maximum extent possible by way of ploughing every available penny into both the playing budget and playing facilities. If we were to gain promotion there would be an immediate and substantial increase in revenue from Football League payments, television monies and an increase in gates."

So, when we talk about pressure at the big clubs, it pails into insignificance, when you realise that coaches like Scott, have their team's very future at stake. His side will take the pitch at Macclesfield today, sitting second in the table and looking to build on a nine match unbeaten run in the league. Both coach and squad know what is at stake, is that motivation or pressure ? You decide.

Good Luck.

SATURDAY MORNING ...........

Two of my three email selections won yesterday, including a six point bet at odds of 3.35, so a very pleasing day.

Another exciting day in prospect, I have "only"previewed four matches on the newsletter and have kept to the domestic (UK) action, but am incredibly pleased with my write ups on the games covered, he said smugly. The email contains information you will not find anywhere else and today's results are almost immaterial, as readers WILL make money from the content in the coming weeks.

The email service has made over 610 points profit (see here) and in addition to which, has pinpointed countless other winners.

Today, I wrote a 750 word preview of one game, which, win or lose , is probably worth 100 euros minimum, it forms just 25% of a newsletter, which cost a shade over two euros.

I discussed a lower league club and ended by saying: This is an ambitious, evolving club, making exciting innovative decisions and we have to keep them on our side. I strongly believe that in the near future, every club in the country, at whatever level, will be preparing for games along similar lines. On the rare occasion that we can back them at such huge odds, we have to step forward, it will not happen very often.

This is a team available at 5.0 + today, if they do not win this afternoon, we will get our money back many times over on future games.

www.predictuwin.com

Back later.

FRIDAY .............

Very exciting day in prospect, on the email today I have previewed three matches, putting up two strong (7 point) selections and a third confident pick at odds of well over 3.0 .

I think that I will keep these for subscribers, so no preview posts on the blog today. You must already be well ahead of the game in any case, as nine of the last ten blog selections have won, so save your money for another day.

There have been some very interested transfer dealings this week, epecially in the lower leagues, one almost knocked me off my feet and I am absolutely certain that two teams in particular, are going to make us a lot of money in the coming weeks.

Good luck with all your bets this weekend !

www.predictuwin.com
TEN WINNING WEEKS FROM THE LAST THIRTEEN, PRODUCING 198 POINTS PROFIT !

THURSDAY UPDATE .........

Inter won yesterday, in addition to which, my "big" bet sent to subscribers at mid morning, won by three clear goals and we backed them with a handicap start !

It is exactly 13 weeks since I returned from my usual October break, which also happens to be the minimum subscription period to the newsletter. The daily email has shown a profit in ten of those weeks and 198 points profit in total, that is an average of over 15 every single week and more than two points on each of those 91 days !

If you had bet for $25 units, you would be $4,950 ahead and would have paid less than $3 per day to receive the newsletter every morning, directly to your inbox.

This was a good three months, but AVERAGE profit in any 13 week period has been a shade under 117 points, or $2,925 for your $25 units.

You all know the quality of my previews from reading the blog, gambling is a fun hobby, but can become expensive, if you do not approach it in a professional manner, if you are not winning consistently, then you need Predictuwin, details of the service can be found on the website www.predictuwin.com .

Here you will find a Q&A section, results and a full email archive going back over 16 months, nothing is hidden. Payment can be made via Paypal and any bank debit or credit card on the website, for details of other payment methods, or to ask me any questions, send me an email via this link.

Good Luck.

TONIGHT'S FOOTBALL .........

COPPA ITALIA

INTER - ROMA

These two take the competition seriously and have won the last four runnings between them , two each, including meeing in the final last season, so we can expect them to give of their best tonight. Both played poorly at the weekend, but Roma did manage a win and must be given great credit for getting back into the hunt for a Champions League spot, after a dismal start to their season. They are currently just five points off 4th place and having closed the gap so much, they were 14 adrift just eight games back, will not want to throw that away and will surely have one eye, on a very tough trip to Napoli at the weekend. Inter were dire in the 3-1 defeat at Atalanta, their consolation came right at the death and they could easily have been 4 or 5 goals down, maybe more. They lacked fire, I am sure that Mourinho will have worked overtime on his team since then and expect that he has given them a tough time and will not be giving any of them, a place to hide. He is expecting an immediate reaction from his players and said "The group on the pitch will be the same as in the last matches, the one I consider the strongest possible, and Ibrahimovic, Zanetti, Muntari, Cambiasso and Maicon will definitely play" .

The Nerazzurri seem to only play their best against the better opposition, I have seen this so many times in recent seasons and it was true again in the earlier meeting this season, when they went to the Olimpico and won 4-0, in a truly commanding performance, Roma had been unbeaten in 19 Serie A games (16-3-0) since their previous home loss, a 4-1 defeat to ............... yes, you guessed it,Inter of course.

Surely we will see the real Inter tonight and I am happy to bet them at the odds on offer.

6.5 points Inter -1/2 ball 1.93 asian line.

Good Luck.

TUESDAY UPDATE ..........

Liverpool and Everton shared the spoils at Anfield last night and also went in level at the break, which landed a very nice bet for us. It was never in too much danger to be honest and that makes eight winners from nine blog selections and the loser, well, I do not think that I will go there !

I have sent out today's email, previewing three football matches, all english lower league games, my "bread and butter". Not sure if I will post any of these on the blog though, I have been spoiling you recently and too much of a good thing, is not good for you !

I want to pass on a message to subscribers, there is a "big bet" (7.5 pts+) planned for tomorrow and it will be sent out at exactly 10.30 am UK time, so that you all have the same opportunity to "get on", at the best available odds.

Good Luck with all your bets today !

Predictuwin, the number one daily sports betting newsletter, details are on the website www.predictuwin.com .

PACKED MIDFIELD AT ANFIELD ...............

LIVERPOOL - EVERTON

These derby games at Anfield are traditionally tight and I see this one being little different. Pool will be looking for the win that will take them back to the top of the table, but have not handled such pressure situations well in recent seasons. They will welcome Fernando Torres back to the starting line up, but have struggled to break down a number of well organised defences in the past couple of months, notably Stoke and both Fulham and West Ham here.

Everton certainly fall into that category and since losing (unluckily) to Villa, they have kept six successive cleansheets and won five times. This has pretty much coincided with the loss of all strikers, which has meant the team is flooded with midfielders and this has worked incredibly well for David Moyes men. He will be without the suspended Marouane Fellini, which might eventually cost them tonight, but with Pool also playing two holding midfielders, it is going to be very tight for space in the centre of the pitch. Visitors last six away starts and the reverse fixture have all been 0-0 at the break and it is hard to see this being too much different.

Looking at both teams opening 45 minutes play this season in the EPL, Liverpool have drawn 62% of all games, 70% at Anfield, Everton 57% of all and also 70% on the road. We can bet the half time stalemate at 2.25 which equates to 44.44 %, if you shop around you might even find a shade higher, about what is clearly a value price.

5 points half time draw 2.25 general quote.

Good Luck.

EAGLES TO FEED ON CARDINALS .......

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES @ ARIZONA CARDINALS

When these two met on Thanksgiving Day, no one could have envisaged that they would be facing each other in the Championship game, some eight weeks later, it was simply unthinkable.

Philly won 48-20 that day and the scoreline probably flattered the Cards, who would have taken the flight home in very poor spirits. That win kick started the Eagles season, they have won 6 from their last 7 and not conceded more than 14 points in any game since then. I have discussed them a lot in recent weeks and they are not a team I would care to oppose, Reid, Westbrook and especially McNabb, are three talented individuals who were hurt by the abuse/criticism hurled at them.........in Philadelphia (The City of Brotherly Love) it is never just criticism btw. They were hurt, because they have taken the Eagles to five Championship games and one Superbowl in just eight years, a record which would have given then sainthood in any other city !

The whole team has rallied and are playing at, or near, the peak of their abilities. I do not think that the previous game has too much bearing, Arizona, despite the impressive win at Carolina last week, do not like (understatement) travelling East and were on a very short week. On reflection, they match up well with the Panthers and there is no doubt that almost anyone would have beaten Carolina on that particular day. The Cardinals also had something to prove, after they were said to be the worst team ever to make the post season and labelled with other such outrageous statements. However, I still think that their game is far too one dimensional and totally dependent on the arm of Kurt Warner, they can claim to have developed a running game of some sort during the post season, but have yet to convince me.

I am sticking with the Eagles, who are a team on a mission, McNabb will be happy with the return to warmer climes and will feel comfortable in the surroundings, as he lives in Arizona. I expect the Eagles defense to be all over Warner like a rash and the Cardinals problems, which have been swept under the carpet, to be clear for all to see.

6 points Philadelphia -3.5 points Vegas Line 2.0.

Good Luck.

A MESSAGE TO YOU .........

There must be some very big winners reading this blog, you must have won an absolute fortune recently and are probably sitting at home now, counting your loot, how do I know this ? Well, you are reading this post, instead of signing up to a service, which has given exactly 100 selctions in the last five weeks, all of which were previewed in full, 61% of which have won and produced an incredible 136 points profit ! So, you are obviously doing much better than that, do not need the email and good luck to you !

Subscribers have been sent five previews today, three were sent shortly after midnight and the other two in the last hour. I work 12-15 hours a day looking for winners and I am offering a very professional service, which costs a shade over two euros per day, the best value you are likely to find anywhere on the internet ! If you are not sitting at home looking at that pile of cash, then maybe you should at least take a look at the Predictuwin service.

Full details of the newsletter can be found on the website www.predictuwin.com , or send me an email with any questions about the service.

Good Luck.

WHO LEFT THE DROG OUT ?

Big Phil I guess, latest news from Stamford Bridge is that Didier Drogba has been left out of the squad again today, not even a space on the bench .

Good Luck.

WIGAN RUNNING ON EMPTY ...........

PREMIER LEAGUE

MANCHESTER CITY - WIGAN ATHLETIC

Yet another big game for Wigan, their third in six days, the previous two were high profile, televised fixtures, where they were forced to play at a very high tempo and spend much of the game, chasing the ball. Now they make the short journey to Eastlands, for a second straight "derby" fixture.

City will strip much fresher, having not played since the humiliating home loss to Championship side , Nottingham Forest, on January 3rd. They desperately need a result and despite the Forest shocker, it is always much more likely to come on home soil, where they have scored a Premier League high 24 times. City miss the suspended Stephen Ireland and Wright-Phillips is a doubt, but on the plus side, Wayne Bridge will make his debut and free scoring ( at least at home) Robinho will be back in the line up.

Regardless of whether, or not ,Kaka comes to Manchester, there are obviously going to be a large number of big money signings, if anyone wants to play a role in City's seemingly glittering future, now is the time to start performing.

Wigan boss Steve Bruce claimed his side were exhausted after the United game on Tuesday and will be forced to rotate his squad and also leave out star performer Winston Palacios (now plays, very strange !), who is set to sign for Tottenham in a £14m move. He joined little more than a year ago for £im, a terrific piece of business for Athletic. One game too far, too soon for them, home win.

5.5 points Manchester City -1/2 ball 2.05 + asian line.

Good Luck.

GOALS IN EAST LONDON .......

DIVISION 1

LEYTON ORIENT - BRISTOL ROVERS

Let me start by saying that I rate Rovers much the better team, however, despite reports that training has gone very well this week, they have not played for three weeks, might be a little rusty and the odd error, would certainly not surprise.

Orient are in a very bad run and conceding far too freely, allowing seven in their last two starts alone. The h2h stats scream GOALS ! With both teams scoring in each of the last 16 meetings (!), seven from eight have been "over" and five of the last ten, have produced five or more goals. "Over" for me and a small wager on the game again producing a handful, at a very big price.

6 points "over" 2.5 goals 2.04 asian line.

1.5 points "over" 4.5 goals @ 6.50 Stan James/ Paddy Power .... you are likely to find this in a few other spots too.

Good Luck.

SATURDAY PLANS ........... AND RICKY KAKA !

Wrexham held on for a point last night and could, perhaps should, have even stole all three late in the game. However, I have no complaints, as it could also have gone the other way and that now makes five straight winners on the blog.

Subscribers have been sent previews of seven matches today, one from France and the other six are all domestic (English) fixtures, spead across four divisions.

I am likely to publish two or three of these on the blog, later in the day, but am a little unsure about my exact plans at present, but will probably be able to update the situation in my next post. This is part of the benefit of subscribing to the service, not only are you receiving premium information, which has made huge profits over a 16 month period, but you get it very early in the day, so no delays and all for around two euros per day.

Much as I would like to see Kaka in the Premier League, the money being discussed is just plain crazy ! It can only be compared to the David Beckham- LA Galaxy deal and whilst that was equally mind boggling, it at least made some kind of sense, Beckham has a global image that few footballers can ever aspire to, I am not talking skill here, just image and his mission was to raise the profile of the MLS and "soccer" in the US.

The EPL does not need that, I guess you could argue that Manchester City do, but I keep returning to the view that few South American players inprove after the age of 25. They tend to peak much earlier and whether it is burn out, or the good life, it is hard to get the best out of them in the second half of their careers. Maybe it will be different for Kaka, who made his debut comparatively late following a career threatening injury, comes from a very different middle class background, not the favelas like most footballers in Brazil and is a deeply religious guy. We will see !

Back later.

WREXHAM TO REPAY BOARD'S FAITH ..........

BLUE SQUARE PREMIER

TORQUAY UNITED - WREXHAM

Big BSP game, between two teams with ambition of returning to the Football league asap. Hosts are in the final playoff spot, with the visitors four points off the pace, but with two games in hand.The goals have dried up a little for United with just three in their last four starts , but they will be helped in that respect, by the return of top scorer Tom Sills from suspension. However, they will surely have one eye on their FA Cup 4th round home tie with Coventry next week, a huge, high profile game for the non league side.

Wrexham are wildly ambitious, certainly at this level, as denoted by the appointment of Dean Saunders as boss, who, since taking charge, has guided them to a 8-2-1 record in the league, the two draws came in their last two starts, but they created 35 attempts on goal in those two, with an incredible 21 on target, so it could very easily have been ten wins from eleven. The players are excited and motivated by being on television and the board have once again shown their faith in the coach, by allowing the whole squad to remain in the South, after the FA Trophy win at Basingstoke on Tuesday, which helped blow away the New Year cobwebs. This has meant four nights away from home, a massive commitment for a team outside the FL and one that almost no other club at this level would have made. They rested a couple of key players for the Trophy game and they have been training at the Plymouth Argyle ground in recent days, approaching this crunch game, in as professional a manner as possible.

Wrexham have played as well as any BSP outfit since October and are confident of a result. Despite trailing leaders Burton by a massive 20 points, they have still to face the now, managerless, Albion and have four games in hand over them, so have not yet given up on a run at the sole automatic promotion spot, but can afford few slip ups.

6 points Wrexham +1/4 ball 2.02 + asian line.

Back later.

THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE !

This is going to be an incredibly busy weekend and I am hoping to be able to post quite a few selections on the blog. Just putting the finishing touches to today's newsletter, which will contain previews of five matches, four for tonight's action and an early pick for tomorrow.

I am confident of a strong showing on the English lower league matches, which should be clear from any weather concerns and where many teams have been busy in the transfer window. In addition to which, we have a full programme of European fixtures and the NFL Championship games to look forward to, so, something for everyone !

Back later.

FA CUP REPLAY .....

SOUTHEND UNITED - CHELSEA

Luiz Filipe Scolari now realises how tough it is to win a Premier League title, he could have been forgiven for thinking it was going to be easy, after making a very strong start to the campaign, but things have gone badly recently and he will have to make some big changes.

He cannot let the full backs get forward so often,which is his preferred style, as it is causing the central defenders to get pulled out of position to cover, they might get away with this against lesser teams, but will get caught out against the better sides. Drogba has been dropped tonight and Anelka will start on his own up front, he is someting of a bully, who loves to beat up the weaker teams (ten of his 14 domestic goals have come against teams in the bottom eight), so, no doubt he is looking forward to tonight and we might even see a smile on his face, which is about as rare as a George W Bush gaff free press conference !

I rate this a huge game for the visitors , they are desperate for both a win and a performance, to restore some confidence in the squad, this ship needs to be steadied and it had better be tonight ! Southend are a little better than their league position might suggest, but endured a woeful December, with a 1-0-4 record and 1-9 goal difference, before going to Stamford Bridge and earning a very fortunate late equaliser. That was their only attempt on target in 90 minutes and Chelsea had missed twelve, including at least three "one on one" chances. I expect a very strong line up from Scolari , a professional performance and comfortable win, another poor showing, especially one on national television, would be unthinkable.

5.5 points Chelsea -1.75 goals 2.13 asian line.

Good Luck.

WEDNESDAY UPDATE ....

WBA obliged yesterday and were very comfortable winners, we had the team news pretty much spot on, unlike many other sites who had the wrong information, which caused Albion to be big drifters throughout the day..... all the better for us !

I have sent out previews of four matches today to subscribers and also to those taking part in the free trial. This was a one off trial and not one I have any plans to repeat, at least in the near future, so please, no more emails on the subject, although you are welcome to write on any other topic.

I am likely to post one of these on the blog later today, so please check back.

If you are tired of waiting, or missing out on the winners, details of the daily newsletter, which costs just a shade over two euros per day, can be found on the website www.predictuwin.com .

Subcription is for a minimum of three months, with the last 13 weeks showing a profit of almost 194 points, almost 15 each and every week and an average of over two per day, unbelievable returns ! Full results and email archive can be found on the website.

Good Luck.

FA CUP THIRD ROUND REPLAY ....

PETERBOROUGH UNITED - WEST BROMWICH ALBION

Posh have big ambitions and are desperate to at least make a big push at the Championship, despite equalising late at the Hawthorns to earn this replay, I still think that they would not have been too upset to be out of the competition, especially now that they have had so many matches postponed. Boss Darren Ferguson is lamenting his congested schedule and his side have five league games to play before the end of the month, including a real six pointer with big rivals MK Dons next Tuesday. He has a smallish, albeit stylish, squad at his disposal and this is bound to catch up with his troops at some stage.

Although these two could easily face each other in the Championship next season, there is a clear gulf in class and Albion are playing well at present, they were very unlucky to lose at Villa over the wekend and allowed the high flying Villans few attempts on goal. I feel that WBA have come to terms with the Premier League now and should make a decent fist of at least trying to stay up. That will be a priority of course, but I still expect them to field a strong side tonight, despite being without James Morrison and up front Roman Bednar ( attracting interest) and Jay Simpson (on loan from Arsenal) should be leading the line and out to impress. I have read in many places that Bednar is likely to sit this one out, that is not my understanding at all. He is suspended for the weekend league game, so it would surely be foolhardy to rest him, at the expense of players who might be needed in the Premier League match.They will have positive mental memories of playing at London Road, as they won here 3-0 in the 4th round last season, when again, both sides, who were going for promotion, had other priorities. I expect the same outcome, although maybe not as emphatic.

6 points WBA level ball 2.05 asian line

PETERBOROUGH: (from) Lewis, Martin, Zakuani, Lee, Whelpdale, Batt, Morgan, Keates, Coutts, Boyd, McLean, Mackail-Smith, McKeown, Westwood, Green, Andrew, Blanchett, Torres.

ALBION: (from) Carson, Kiely, Hoefkens, Cech, Robinson, Olsson, Barnett, Pele, Donk, Greening, Koren, Kim, Borja, Brunt, Dorrans, Simpson, Moore, Beattie, Bednar.

Good Luck.

TUESDAY ...........

The free trial list got filled up very quickly yesterday, I did accept a few extra, but there are no more spaces available. If you received a confirmation, you can expect an email for the next seven days, starting tomorrow.

I only previewed two matches on the newsletter today, despite there being quite a lot of domestic football to choose from, however, one of them was an eight point selection and football wise, there has only ever been one bigger football bet given on the service, so, obviously, I am reasonably confident. That will be kept for subscribers, but I will probably post the other, on the blog later today, so please check back.

Good Luck.

MONDAY ROUND UP ....... AND A FREE TRIAL

We are down to four in the hunt for a Superbowl ring, Arizona will host the Eagles in the NFC title game and the winner will face either Pittsburgh or Baltimore, with these two massive rivals set to battle it out for the AFC crown, in a game that has already got me excited..... it doesn't take much ! I have hit 23 winners from 34 selections (almost 68%) on the NFL this season, so check back at the weekend for my opinion on the big games.

Manchester United eased past Chelsea at Old Trafford and are now odds on with all bookmakers to win yet another Premier League title. Sir Alex is one of only four managers to have won the championship, the others being Dalglish, Wenger and Mourinho, there is no doubt that mental toughness is the number one requirement and I wonder if Big Phil considers winning the World Cup a "breeze" in comparison !

There is increasing call in the UK for a winter break, especially from the lower leagues, where they do not have the resources to combat the bad weather. The problem is that they would miss out on the increased Christmas/ New Year crowds, which can make a huge difference to income. These once or twice per year fans, are all paying cash and an extra 1,800 or so, at two holiday games could mean an additional £100k for some Division 2 teams, maybe 10% of their playing budget. It is a lot of potential income to miss out on.

If you would like to try out the email service, there is a seven day free trial available, just send me an email on this link and I will include you on the list from Wednesday Jan 14th- Tuesday 20th inclusive. This is limited to the first 25 to apply .

Good Luck.

McNABB TO PROVE THE DOUBTERS WRONG .... PHILADELPHIA EAGLES @ NEW YORK GIANTS

The fans in Philly are a fickle lot and it doesn't take long for them to turn on a player or coach. Quarterback Donovan McNabb and coach Andy Reid have had a torrid time this year, at least up to and including week 12 and when Reid benched McNabb that day, during the frightful loss to the Ravens, few would have thought that they would both still be in a job today, let alone 60 minutes away from a Championship game.

However, since Thanksgiving Day, when they beat playoff surprise package Arizona, by 28 points, they have won 5 from 6, including a 20-14 win over the Giants in New York. They played very well that day, restricting New York to just 211 yards of offense and dominating possession. These are always traditionally close meetings and I cannot see this being any different. The Eagles have taken over the Giants role from last year, slipping into the post season on a winning run, almost under the radar and with little pressure. I wanted to write a lot more about this game, but have run out of time, having promised that it would be online at a certain time.

Running back Brian Westbrook had a huge day in the last meeting and he will be key, I take him and especially Reid and McNabb to have the last word and then they will be welcomed back with open arms to the "City of Brotherly Love".

6.5 points Eagles +4 points 1.94 Vegas Line.

Good Luck.

LA LIGA ........

OSASUNA - BARCELONA

What to say about Barcelona ? They are in incredible shape this season and at present, they can probably play Messi and any ten others, give any side in La Liga a game and probably win. However, they have a very big lead at the top of the table, at least nine points, regardless of what happens tonight, sooner or later they will suffer a dip and /or realise that they do not need to win every game, or certainly do not need to go chasing a second or third goal when it is not necessary. I do not think they will get things their own way today, Osasuna looked doomed, just a couple of months into the season, after scoring just three goals in eleven starts. They have recently found their scoring boots and hit 15 in their last 7 starts. They are traditionally a very strong side at home and in eight h2h meetings with Barcelona this Millenium, have lost only twice, both losses coming by a single goal. This will be close in my opinion and to bet an established La Liga , inform team, o n home soil, regardless of the opponent, at +1.25 goals, is something of a no brainer for me.

6.5 points Osasuna +1.25 ball 1.88 asian line.

Back shortly.

RADYOSPOR CUP ........

GALATASARAY - BAYER LEVERKUSEN

Bayern Munich aside, oh and newcomers Hoffenheim of course, no Bundesliga teams have impressed me this season and I am delighted to see Galatasaray, whom I rate very highly at the moment, at level level ball today. This is a mini tournament played in Antalya, but has always, there will be a huge number of Gala gans there to cheer their heroes, in the other "semi" yesterday, Bursapor beat Bremen 1-0 and will play the winner on Tuesday.

Leverkusen have at least six players missing from their squad (several would be termed key), including three with flu and there is no way to be sure, if any other players are affected by the bug. They resumed training after the winter break on January 3rd and are looking to peak, for the end of the month, they have been working very hard in the last 2-3 days and are almost certain to be very "leggy" today.

The Turkish side are in excellent shape and come here on the back of six straight wins in all competitions, scoring three or more in four of these, the other two were a 1-0 win at Hertha in the UEFA Cup and a 2-1 win at Altay in the domestic cup on Thursday. The last of which will have left them primed for today, they fell a goal behind midway through the first half, but attacked non stop afterwards and the goals were always going to come, despite a missed penalty and inspired display from home keeper Gokhan Erdi. Their winter break was much shorter, only ten days in total and served as a chance to recharge their batteries, rather than to completely switch off. Star player Lincoln, who was in great form before Christmas, did not play at Altay, but has since joined the squad and is likely to play some part in the tournament. He forms part of a very strong team including Baros, Meira and Kewell, although the latter is not currently available. This is a team I expect to do very well domestically and also in Europe during 2009 and we will be discussing them again in the near future. They are coached by Michael Skibbe and he will surely be looking for the win today, after being dismissed by Bayer last season, despite what he might say publicly, what could be sweeter than to beat the team that sacked him ?

7.5 points Galatasay level ball 1.82 asian line.... now 1.73

Back later.

NFL PLAYOFFS ..............

written at 19.00 Friday

ARIZONA CARDINALS @ CAROLINA PANTHERS

Something strange happens to Arizona whenever they head across two time zones and they are an incredible 2-20 on the East Coast, 0-5 this season, which include a couple of massive recent losses, by 40 points in New England over Christmas and a 28 point thumping in front of the nation, at Philly on Thanksgiving Day, that they will want to forget. Their average margin of defeat in those five games was over 20 points, helped only by a 27-23 loss in Carolina back in October. Everything was going well for them that day, they were on top of their game and led 17-3 early in the third quarter, but then pressed the self destruct button, failing on a fake field goal attempt, missing an extra point and making far too many simple errors, it was like they were scared to win in the East. They have tried everything to break the cycle, flying early, flying late, staying over for a week, nothing works !

They played about as well as they could in the earlier meeting and the Panthers, who remain the only unbeaten home team in the NFL, as poorly as they are able, at least for almost three quarters. Therefore, it is hard to see them winning in Carolina, against a well rested and better balanced team and if the home secondary step up their game, it could be a rout. Despite the narrow earlier win, the Panthers have won all their home games by an average of over 15 points and in Jake Delhomme, who celebrates his 34th birthday today, they have the quarterback with the highest post season pass rating left in the playoffs. He is ably assisted by two running backs with over 2300 yards and 28 touchdowns between them, a star receiver in Steve Smith, coming off arguably his best ever season and has other offensive options too. Arizona have a daunting offensive threat also, but it is a little one dimensional and they will be missing much of it, if Boldin fails a late fitness test. The Panthers are a much stronger all round team, I simply cannot see them not winning and expect them to cover the handicap with a degree of comfort.

6 points Carolina -10 points 2.08 Vegas Line.... now 1.99

1 point Carolina to win by 19-24 points 7.0 + .... 8.0 Corals/ 7.50 Bet 365

Good Luck.

CHAMPIONSHIP ....

BURNLEY - SWANSEA CITY

I feel it will be tough for Burnley to pick themselves up after conceding four second half goals at White Hart Lane in midweek. It is not so much that they lost 4-1, but that the Championship side looked so comfortable for much of the first half, that such a wide margin defeat seemed impossible. They still have the return leg with Spurs to come and a FA Cup replay too, in what is becoming a very heavy and draining schedule.

Swansea will be a tough nut to crack, they are rested having not played since the 28th December, are well organised and very comfortable on the ball. Few teams enjoy more possession than Roberto Martinez's team, who pass the ball as well as any other side in the Championship. They are struggling to finish teams off and have drawn an incredible eight matches in a row, but sooner or later, someone will get a thumping. On the road, they have only lost to league leaders Wolves in nine outings.

This is being televised and should be a very entertaining game to watch, not much between these two, but Swansea should be fresher and in a better mental state, I do not expect them to lose.

5.5 points Swansea City +1/4 ball 2.05 asian line.... now 1.97

Back later.

DING, DING ! ROUND TWO AT THE RIAZOR !

DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA - SEVILLA

This is the second of the three meetings between these two clubs in eight days. Hosts will be fielding a much stronger team today, than the one which lost 2-1 in the Copa on Wednesday, with all their big name players returning. They have thrown in the odd stinker this season, but overall have impressed me and many other viewers, a return to their huge success of the early decade, is not impossible to envisage over the next season or two.

Seville will be without Javi Varas, Javi Navarro, Abdoulay Konko, Federico Fazio, Aquivaldo Mosquera, Lautaro Acosta, Javier Chevanton , Arouna Kone and the suspended Aldo Duscher, at least five of whom would have been in the squad and they have been forced to call up three youth players. This means that they will have to field very much their Copa line up, with just two enforced changes. To my mind, this gives a big advantage to the home team, who will be the better rested and dare I say prepared, of the two. I understand that Seviila coach Manolo Jiminez had no option but to field his best available eleven in midweek, after being warned that a positive result was essential to his future at the club, which seems harsh, given their current standing, although that was on the back of two poor league performances.

Deportivo are very strong at home, where they are 6-1-1 in the league this season, 9-2-1 in all starts. In the last 12 months, they have played 18 Primera fixtures at the Riazor (in surroundings almost as beautiful as Griffin Park, see photo ), with a 14-2-2 record, including wins over Barcelona, Sevilla (last season) and Real Madrid (twice). They have equally solid stats when Sevilla come to call, losing just twice in 55 years (!) and at level ball, they look something to get stuck in to.

Likely line ups:

Deportivo: Aranzubia - Manuel Pablo, Lopo, Zé Castro, Filipe - Sergio, Juan Rodríguez - Lafita, Verdú, Guardado - Bodipo.
Sevilla: Palop - Crespo, Escudé, Squillaci, Fernando Navarro - Jesús Navas, Romaric, Maresca, Adriano - Luis Fabiano, Kanouté.

7 points Deportivo level ball 1.86 asian line.

Back Later.

SATURDAY PLANS ....

Pleasing day yesterday, in addition to Reading easing home 4-0, the two other selections given to subscribers both won, at odds of 2.07 and 2.05 .

I sent today's newsletter out in the early hours of the morning, it included previews of six matches and despite the long list of postponements, especially in the UK, I am pretty confident that all of these will start and that they will produce another profit. Four of them have already been fairly well backed, hopefully by subscribers, but providing there is still some value left later in the day, I plan to post two or three selections on the blog, so please check back.

For those of you that cannot wait, details of the email service can be found on the website www.predictuwin.com .

Good Luck.

CHAMPIONSHIP ....

READING - WATFORD

The weather situation is driving me crazy, temperatures dipped again in many areas yesterday, but are set to stabilize today and rise considerably over the weekend, this is set to leave a lot of games at risk, as the thaw might arrive too late. However, I live very close to Reading and we have had no frost for 48 hours and sunshine for much of yesterday, so I can forsee no problems tonight.

Regular readers will know that I am a fan of Reading and especially their coach Steve Coppell. I believe that they are the best squad of players in the Championship and that they will win the title. Not only do they have a touch a class, but like all Coppell's team's they are very resilient and do not know when they are beaten. They have not lost in eight starts and in their last five outings, have scored five times after the 82nd minute. They have a touch of steel and collected four points in consecutive away games at Barnsley and Cardiff after having a man sent off in each and playing for 90 minutes + with ten men, over the two matches.

It might appear at first glance that they have gone off the boil, with two draws in the last two league starts and a cup loss at Cardiff last week. However, there was much to take from the league stalemates and Coppell is notorious for resting his key players in the cup competition's, he is only concerened with returning to the top flight and will have Doyle, Rosenior, Ingimarsson and Stephen Hunt back tonight.

They are currently in an automatic playoff spot, ahead of Birmingham on goal difference, they will be targeting three points tonight, ahead of a tough run of fixtures, starting with Swansea away, leaders Wolves at home and a visit to QPR. Reading have scored a league high 32 goals at home, only one other club has even managed 25, they boast the best goal difference in the Championship and have conceded a league low eight times, at the Madejski. Which brings me to an additional motivation for Coppell, he has a very good and close relationship with club owner John Madejski, this is the first home start since "Sir John" received a knighthood in the New Year honours list and I am sure that Coppell, who is "old school", would like to celebrate that with a glowing performance.

When they win at home, it is usually with a manner of ease, nine of the eleven wins have come by two or more goals and the average margin of victory is over 2.6 per game. It will not be easy, Watford are improving and have tightened up considerably defensively under Brendan Rodgers and come here on the back of two clean sheets, but did concede three at Birmingham recently and four at home to Bristol City, who had not won in eight, on Boxing Day, so, when they do concede, a second or third is likely to follow, once they are out of their game plan. Tough handicap, so I will not go overboard, but I am confident of a home win.

Much has been written elsewhere about the state of the pitch, but the undersoil heating has kept it in reasonable condition and Reading trained on it last night, which they would not have done , if there were any concerns about the surface cutting up.

5.5 points Reading -1 goal 1.91 + asian line.

Good Luck.

THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE !

I have a big weekend planned on the betting front and I am hoping that the weather is not going to play too big a role. The cold snap continues in the UK, although we have not had too much frost in the last day or so in the South East and the forecast is for a much warmer period, starting tomorrow. However, whether this comes in time to ease the rock hard conditions, especially at the lower league grounds, remains to be seen......... fingers crossed.

It is not just this side of the English Channel that is suffering, as France have already lost much of their Ligue 2 programme today. However, I have managed to find three matches to preview today on the newsletter and would be very surprised if they did not all go ahead, so I will be covering at least one of them on the blog later today.

Plenty to look forward to, with four NFL playoff games, which will go ahead regardless of what the weather is like, very few games are ever postponed, especially when the whole country is watching. In addition to which, we have full football programmes scheduled in Italy, Spain and France and in the Premier League, the much awaited Manchester United- Chelsea clash. So, something for everyone !

Back later.

COPA DEL REY .............

RACING SANTANDER- VALENCIA

Hosts will doubtless be giving this match their full attention, sitting as they do in a (fairly) comfortable mid table position. They are on a five match unbeaten run and have not lost in eight starts at El Sardinero. On the minus side, they are definitely short of options upfront, Nikola Zigic cannot play against his former club and Tchite, who appears to be on his way out of Racing, will not be used. Having said that, they do have an incredible record against Valencia, are unbeaten in eight meetings, winning the last six , including a fine 4-2 win at the Mestalla two months ago. They have named the following squad of 16 :

Fabio Coltorti, Mario Fernandez, Marcano, Pinillos, Sepsi, Oriol, Garay, Mehdi Lacen, Goncalves, Colsa, Edu Bedia, Toral, Serrano, Munitis, Jonathan Pereira and Juanjo.

The visitors are desperate to get back into the Champions League, after missing out this season, they have a meeting with a direct rival at the weekend and will not take any chances tonight, especially with the second leg still to come and a chance to turn things around then. On their home website, in a look at the month ahead, coach Unai Emery, did not even mention the Copa and was very focused on the key league meetings against rivals for a top 4 spot. At level ball and odds against, I have to side with the home team.

5 points Racing level ball 2.19 asian line.

Good Luck.

TUESDAY PROSPECTS ...........

......... not very good, at least in the UK, where we have had snow, a heavy frost and sub zero temperatures. Therefore, few, if any, lower league fixtures are expected to go ahead, with most either already postponed, or subject to early inspections. There is little point in placing any early bets on these fixtures, especially with companies that insist on "holding" onto stakes for several days, just"in case" the matches are immediately rescheduled !

As far as I know, the Tottenham- Burnley match is OK and the sun is currently shining in the London area, as indeed, it always does !

Good Luck

HAPPY MONDAY !

Unless you are a Blyth Spartans supporter, who have the biggest day in their club's recent history, it is fairly quiet on the sporting front today. So, I will take the opportunity to discuss something that I have meaning to mention for some time.

Firstly let me just say, that the email service had another succesful week, which makes 11 winning weeks from the last 14 . Also, that we have broken through the 600 point profit barrier for the newsletter (details) , since the website was opened in late September 2007, all emails, some 450 of them are archived in full on the site and you can view a sample, or all, if you so wish, here. That equates to an average of well over nine points profit each and every week. Further details can be read on this link.

Those are minimum profit levels, obtained by blindly backing every selection, but most of you are clever enough to improve upon those returns, which brings me to my main point. I would like to hear from you, if you feel that you have something to offer, it might be an idea, a special area of expertise that you might have, maybe you are the world expert on badger racing, perhaps you write like sports journalist Simon Kuper, it doesn't matter really, if it is gambling related to some extent, then there is probably some way that we could co-operate, so get in touch and let's talk, send me an email (just click) and I will get back to you.

Good Luck.

LA LIGA .............

REAL MADRID - VILLARREAL

I see this as a big, big game for Real, a New Year, a new start, most of their stars return and two new and very expensive signings are on show. Here is the squad for today :

Casillas, Dudek,Ramos, Salgado, Heinze, Pepe, Cannavaro, Metzelder ,Guti, Gago, Lass, Sneijder, Robben, Drenthe, Van der Vaart,Palanca, Raúl, Huntelaar and Saviola.

What a wealth of riches in midfield, where Guti, Diarra (Lass), Sneijder, Robben and Van der Vaart will all be competing for starting roles, the strikers must be drooling at the prospect of the chances that will be created for them. On song, there is not a team in Europe who could stop them from scoring.

Villarreal have struggled for several months now, they have collected just one point in four starts and are in their lowest league position for eighteen months. They do not have the greatest record in Madrid, where they have just three points and no wins, from nine visits. The visitors seem resigned to losing one or two key players in the "window", especially Marcos Senna, who once again is being chased by a number of clubs.

Real have a fantastic record in these first home starts of the New Year, which they see as a "present" for their fans, they have won the last eight, six of them by two or more goals and the three against big name sides, have averaged five goals.

There is a good chance that we will see another Real special today, six of their eight La Liga games at the Bernabeu have produced four or more goals and in all competitions, 3 from 6 ,an incredible seven or more ! Villarreal are not much less prolific, with 7 of the last 15 containing at least four , with five producing 5 or more.

H2h wise, three of the last 5 have also had at least five goals and Real did the double last year, scoring eight in the process. I expect a big win for them today and another goal rush is on the cards.

7 points Real Madrid -3/4 ball 2.02 asian line

2.5 points "over" 4.5 goals 4.90 exchanges.

Good Luck.

NFL WILDCARD GAME .....

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS @ SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

We were firmly with San Diego last week and they served us well and they must be given every credit for winning four in a row, to pip Denver to the AFC West title, but this was as much down to the Broncos ineptitude as anything else. This was another weak section and there must be something in the water out west, the Chargers are 2-4 in Conference games outside their division.

The Colts have won nine in a row and were unlucky that their 12-4 record has only been beaten by one NFL team and that is their divisional rival Titans, otherwise, they would be sitting at home, with their feet up, watching these games on television. The recent winning run, includes victories over New England (11-5) , Pittsburgh (12-4) and Tennessee (13-3) the last of these, by 23 unanswered points last week. It also included a 23-20 win here in week 12, which was seen at the time, as payback for last year's playoff defeat, but that will only truly be erased by victory today. Indianapolis are an eyepopping 6-0 in non divisional Conference games.

Colts are on a roll and have allowed the fewest touchdown passes in history by any team over a 16 game season. Therefore, the Chargers will be looking to star running back, LaDalian Tomlinson to have a big day on the ground, but he has had very limited practice this week, missing at least two full days and even if he starts, will surely be below 100%. A road win for me.

6 points Indianapolis -1 point 2.0 Vegas Line.

Good Luck.

FA CUP GOALS AS THE SUN SETS OVER DEEPDALE ...........

PRESTON NORTH END- LIVERPOOL

Steven Gerrard has been told that he will start and I am certain that he will welcome the opportunity to put his off field woes behind him, at least for a couple of hours. He has been performing at a very high level recently and scored twice at Newcastle last week, when the whole team were on fire and created 25 attempts on goal, 13 of which were on target and they could easily have doubled their tally of five goals, which is no exaggeration, the first half was one of the most one sided I have ever seen in the EPL and they only scored twice ! Fernando Torres is also set to make his comeback after missing the last month and the home backline is set for a busy afternoon.

Preston are a very strong Championship home side and will probably score, but this is all about the visitors. Liverpool are "over" in five of their last six, they have scored and conceded in ten from twelve. In the FA Cup they have adopted a very attacking approach in recent seasons, with 9 of the last 11 being "over" and producing a huge 49 goals, at an average of 4.45 per game, many of these starts, like all four last season, came against lower level teams and I fully expect the match today to follow suit, "over" it is then !

5.5 points "over" 2.5 goals 2.03 asian line.

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