Soccer Friday – Leganes at Celta Vigo

79-61-7 on Soccer since World Cup up 20.21 units

Celta Vigo at -115 for 4 units. Celta Vigo have won back 2 back games. Leganes will be missing two starting midfielders due to card suspensions (Ruben Perez and Allan Nyom). Leganes also has a long list of injury concerns; whereas, Celta are one of the healthiest teams in La Liga. Iago Aspas has found his form again and is La Liga’s top Spanish goal scorer with 10 goals. Leganes have struggled on the road this season scoring only 7 goals in 8 matches. 4 of those away goals were against relegation candidate Valladolid, which was the only away win for Leganes this season. Maximiliano Gómez González has found some form for Vigo as well. Vigo has the homefield, a healthier squad, better attacking options, and better form. I think this line should be around -200 so I am playing it.

Final Europa League Group Stage Round

78-58-7 on Soccer since World Cup up 23.85 units

Back 2 back days with a winning record on soccer, but losing due to my big plays losing. Ronaldo let me down. Ronaldo talked about how at Real Madrid people wanted to score for themselves, but at Juve it doesn’t matter who scores. Well, look in the mirror Ronaldo.. we all know you love to do that anyway. Dyabala came on as a sub and scored and almost scored again before you tried to steal it and were offsides disallowing the goal. Just imagine if Dybala did that to Ronaldo. This is not mentioning the 3 clear chances Ronaldo bottled in the first 25 minutes of the game. I do like Ronaldo, but it is games like this that make me think Messi is better. I digress..

Sevilla at -294 for 4 units. Sevilla have won 8 games in a row at home. The Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium (that I took a photo of as the header photo for this website) is good to Sevilla. Sevilla needs to match or do better than Standard Liege if they want to move on. It is hard to believe that a team fighting for the La Liga title is in this position, but here we are. Pablo Sarabia is in-form for Sevilla. Krasnodar are leading the group and are moving onto the next round unless the highly unlikely happens. Sevilla lost the last meeting 2-1, with Tornike Okriashvili scoring the winner for Krasnodar. Sevilla did not start Silva, Sarabia, or Vazquez in that game. I think all 3 start today in this crucial game and make a huge difference.

Celtic at +164 for 3 units.

Celtic/Salzburg draw at +241 for 1 unit. Salzburg are comfortably winning their group and are 14 points clear in their domestic campaign. This is a great chance for them to rotate some younger players in and give their starters a rest. Odsonne Edouard has 9 goals in his last 14 games for Celtic. The Scottish Giants have to avoid a loss here to move on. Celtic haven’t lost at home to European competition this season. Also, they have a good habit of scoring first at home.

Besiktas at -151 for 2 units. In a wide open group, Besiktas advance without losing here. Malmo have to win to move on. Malmo FF haven’t played a competitive game in two weeks, as their domestic season ended a month ago. Vagner Love has come into form for Besiktas. Vodafone Park in Istanbul is not an easy place for opponents to come play. Besiktas have only lost twice at home in eighteen European matches. I want to make this a bigger play, but Besiktas only needing a draw keeps me from doing that.

Last Day of Champions League Group Stage

72-54-6 on Soccer since World Cup up 27.09 units

Ousmane Dembele is good. Tottenham got a late equalizer to move on to the round of 16. Inter could not do enough to beat PSV at home to move on. Inter had over 20 shots and 1 goal. They bottled it. Also, Salah is good.

Real Madrid/CSKA Moscow under 4 at -215 for 3 units. Moscow needs a point and a Viktoria Plzeň loss, or a win a Viktoria loss or draw. Viktoria is playing Roma. Real Madrid secures the group with a draw. 5 goals is a lot for a game that both teams could be happy with a draw. Moscow haven’t scored more than twice in their last 16 games. Moscow won 1-0 last time these two met, but Real is in much better form than they were in that game. Real have only allowed 1 goal in their past 3 games. Real’s improved defense and them only needing a draw pushes this one under.

Juventus -1 at -167 for 6 units. Juventus won against Young Boys 3-0 last time they met. Juve have kept 5 clean sheets in a row. Juve wins the group with a win. They win today. Don’t bet against Ronaldo in Champions League..

Bayern Munich +0 at -191 for 2 units. Bayern and Ajax play for the group today. Bayern wins the group with a win or draw. Niko Kovac is still coaching for his job for Bayern so he will want to put in a good result here (a good lineup will be out there today). De Boer and Seedorf were playing on Ajax last time they beat Bayern in 1995. Dusan Tadic is great for Ajax, but Bayern has a lot to play for and too much talent.

Hoffenheim +2 at +101 for 2 units. Man City is out of form. KDB and David Silva will be missed. Man City just need a draw to win the group. Hoffenheim need a win and a Shakhtar loss to Lyon today to move on. Not likely. Hoffenheim have scored more than 4 goals a game in away games this season. I like this spot.

Lyon +0.5 at -149 for 2 units. Lyon secure the next round with a win or draw. Nabil Fekir may be gone in January, but he has been great for Lyon for a few years now. They tied 2-2 last time they played Shakhtar Donetsk. Lyon have not lost in Champions League yet this season and I don’t think they lose today.

Juventus -1/Bayern Munich +0/Hoffenheim +2/Lyon +0.5 Parlay risking 2 units to win 11.25 units. Send it.

Champions League Group Stage is Coming to an End..

68-51-6 on Soccer since World Cup up 30.82 units

Barcelona only favored by 1 over the weekend against Espanyol after the Messi Ballon d’Or snub was the easiest bet I have made in a while. It was “only” a 5 unit play for me though. I have to get better at making angles like that a max play. If you didn’t like Messi’s Free-kick in the first half. He scored a second half free-kick you’ll have to like (Sorry Espanyol fans, Lo Siento).

I mean just look at Messi’s dribbling before his assist on the Dembele goal. He runs away from defender #1 and then shields the ball from defender #2, then does a left to right foot chop quicker than you can sneeze to get around defender #1 again. Defender #3 tries to tackle. Messi falls on the ball and dodges that tackle along with Defender #1’s standing tackle. Then he throws it off Vidal’s leg and orders him to fall down because he sees a pass and doesn’t want Vidal to fuck it up. Then while defender #1 is sprinting at him, he threads the through ball to Dembele who displays a clinical finish.

Messi and Ronaldo are freaks for how long they have been dominant. Pele probably thinks Ronaldo is better cause he heads the ball, but I have never seen Ronaldo have a game like Messi had against Espanyol. You have to appreciate greatness while it is here. My last bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 23 Bourbon Whiskey taught me that. Messi will not be gracing us forever, but for now I will enjoy (betting on) him. Lebron James and Roger Federer are the only other players in all the major sports I can think of that are like Messi and Ronaldo in regards to longevity of dominance.

Alright sorry for the Messi session.. Onto today’s games,

Dortmund -1 at +120 for 2 units. Dortmund is already onto the next round. Monaco will finish last in the group. Dortmund hasn’t won either of their last two away games in this competition. So why bet Dortmund? Monaco have an injury list longer than Kevin Durant. Monaco just won’t be able to field a team that can match Dortmund’s talent.

Napoli +1.5 at -204 for 2 units.

Napoli/Liverpool over 3 for 2 units. Alright. If PSG beat Red Star (they will), then Liverpool either has to win 1-0 or by 2. Napoli are leading the group heading into these games. Liverpool is going to come out attacking because the only way the runner-ups move on is if they win. I mean, they could take the Mourinho approach and leave it late and then start sending in crosses to Virgil, but I think I know Klopp better than that. Napoli has played 9 away matches this season. 8 of them have gone over 2.5 goals. Klopp is 1-2 against Ancelotti. Salah scored a hat-trick over the weekend. We will see goals in this one. Napoli are leading the group for a reason, two goals is too much value to pass them up even on the road in my opinion. In an up and down match like this, there are a wide array of outcomes, but I don’t see Napoli losing by 2 or more happening.

Inter Milan -1 at -180 for 8 units. Inter know they clinch if they get more points than Tottenham does against Barcelona. PSV have not won a Champions League game this group stage. Also, PSV have given up at least two goals in every game this group stage. Icardi scored against PSV last time out. Inter have only lost at home once this season. Inter are the more talented team on the pitch and will go all out in this one. They win by 2 or more.

Atletico Madrid -1 at +124 for 2 units.

Atletico Madrid/Club Brugge KV under 2.5 at -122 for 2 units. Atletico win the group with a win. Diego Simeone might be the best coach in the world to have if you have to win against an inferior opponent. Atletico win 2-0. Club Brugge have secured Europa, but can’t make the round of 16. Brugge have played well so far..

Tottenham/Barcelona to Draw at +325 for 1 unit. Barcelona have not lost at the Camp Nou in the Champions League since the 13/14 season. They have already won the group, while Tottenham have to win to have a chance at moving on. It will be interesting to see what kind of lineup Barcelona puts out. If Messi and Suarez sit, Dembele and Countinho are no slouches. I may make a new post once the lineups come out, so stay tuned for that.. but I think a draw is the most likely outcome for this match and 3x your money is great value.

Saturday Soccer

66-51-6 on Soccer since World Cup up 23.98 units

Tottenham +0 at -228 for 3 units. I don’t know if I like Tottenham this season more than I should, or if Vegas just hates them, but I usually like the Tottenham lines this season. Today is no different. Tottenham has won 8 of their last 10 league matches. Harry Kane, Son, Eriksen, and Lucas are all in form. Leicester have only scored 5 goals in their past 5 league games. Tottenham’s attacking talent will be too much for Leicester to keep pace with.

Barcelona -1 at -142 for 5 units. Messi has scored or assisted in every game since his injury. Espanyol have only scored 4 goals in their past 5 league games. Espanyol have lost 3 games in a row. Real Madrid and Barcelona have looked vulnerable at points this season, which is why Sevilla has been atop the table for some of this season. I think Barcelona knows they need to win these games if they want to win the league. It’ll be a fun Catalan Derby, but I think Barcelona wins.

A Little Friday Soccer

65-50-6 on Soccer since World Cup up 22.67 units

Juventus at -173 for 4 units. Juve have not lost in the league at home to Inter since 2012. Juve have kept 3 clean sheets in a row. Ronaldo has 10 goals already this domestic season. The Italian champions have not allowed a goal since their surprising defeat to Manchester United in the Champions league. Inter gave up 4 goals to Atalanta just a few games ago. Dybala, Ronaldo, and Mandzukic will be too much going forward for the recently exposed Inter backline.

Getafe at +210 for 1 unit. Leganes have won two in a row to get out of the relegation spaces, but their mini run ends today. Besides the game against Valladolid, Leganes have struggled to score. Jorge Molina has scored 4 goals after halftime this season for Getafe. I just think Getafe is better, so I will sprinkle a little on them to win straight up on the road.

Copa Del Ray, PSG, and Premier League Soccer

62-47-6 on Soccer since World Cup up 26.58 units

Biggest card I have had in a while. A lot of spots I like.

Celta Vigo +0.5 at +101 for 2 units. Real Sociedad have struggled to score lately scoring 8 goals in their last 8 games. Celta Vigo’s away form has been poor, but I like them to score today and at least secure a draw. Juami got the late goal for Sociedad to tie the first leg. Aspas and Sisto will be too much going forward the Sociedad defense to handle.

Sevilla -2 at -158 for 3 units. Sevilla tied the first leg 0-0 against Villanovense. Now they get the team from Villanueva de la Serena at home. Sevilla played a pretty strong team in the first leg, but Sarabia nor Ben Yedder featured. Sevilla had 21 shots in the first leg, but only 3 were on goal. Sevilla will be more clinical in the final third and will win by 2 or more.

PSG -1 at -205 for 4 units. PSG lost to Strasbourg last season. PSG drew last time out to end their record-breaking start to the Ligue 1 season. Strasbourg only have 6 goals in their last 5 league games, so I doubt they will be able to secure a draw here as PSG will score. Bet it.

Tottenham -1 at -190 for 1 unit. I think they rebound after their second half collapse against Arsenal. Be good to me Harry Kane.

Arsenal +0.5 at -151 for 6 units. Manchester United is ass. This is strictly an eye ball test. Lukaku being back fit keeps me from making this a max play, but Arsenal are in much better form. A team in better form as the underdog..? I will bite.

Liverpool at -364 for 2 units. Juice bet. No way Liverpool loses this game to Burnley right?

Sevilla’s Teams and Zenit in Europa League

61-46-5 on Soccer since World Cup up 24.47 units

Sevilla -0.5 first half at +105 for 3 units. More talent. I like this first half bet because Sevilla only need a draw to move forward. I see them coming out firing for that early first goal, then relaxing a little bit. I could see this game ending in a draw, but Sevilla should score first. Liege have also struggled at the back and have not kept a clean sheet in this competition in a while. The La Liga leaders will take care of business here.

Zenit at -137 for 7 units. Zenit haven’t lost a home match since April. They beat Copenhagen 5-0 last time they met. Zenit have never lost a match at home in this competition. Artem Dzyuba is still scoring goals in Russia. Zenit have scored in every Europa League group stage match they have every played. Zenit can guarantee moving on to the round-of-32 with a win and I think they do just that.

Betis -1 at -120 for 3 units. With a win Betis moves through. Betis have scored first at home in 4 of their last 5 games. The Spaniards haven’t lost yet in this competition this season. Olympiakos Piraeus have some talent, like former Betis player, Matias Nahuel, but I don’t think they have enough talent here. Lo Celso and Sanabria have been in form in this competition for Betis. Olympiakos have some injury concerns (like YaYa Toure) and Betis is hard to beat in Sevilla.

Will Dortmund or Atletico Win Their Group? Is Tottenham Dead?

60-44-5 on Soccer since World Cup up 25.91 units

Man City losing kept me from having a big day unfortunately. If Lyon played like they do against Man City week in and week out, they would be closer than 15 points out of PSG in the league. Marouane Fellaini did it again for Man United, winning in extra time. Real Madrid looked like Real Madrid should in the second half against Roma. Ajax qualified for the final 16 for the first time in a while. My big bet on bayern won and Niko Kovac lives to coach another day thanks to Robben’s left foot and Lewandowski’s head.

Dortmund -1.5 at -143 for 5 units. Dortmund have not won a game by 2 since October 24th surprisingly. That changes today. Club Brugge does not have the class to keep up with Dortmund, even though they only loss by 1 at home against Dortmund. Signal Iduna Park is a tough place to play. Paco Alcacer has 10 goals in 9 games this season. Dortmund may concede as Brugge can score, but I think Dortmund knocks in a few today. Dortmund can move one step closer to securing the group today, but a win secures them a final 16 spot. They come out firing at the Westfalenstadion today.

Atletico Madrid under 2.5 at +103 for 2 units. Public Fade. Madrid are basically already through to the next stage, but a draw or win here will guarantee it (draw assumes Dortmund beats Brugge). Atletico’s last few games have gone over, but I think they batten down the hatches here and make it a low scoring game.

Tottenham at -133 for 2 units. Tottenham have to win to stay alive. Inter can produce a kill shot today. Betting against Icardi always makes me nervous, but Tottenham is more talented across the pitch. Harry Kane gets a goal today. I feel it.

Champions League Soccer – Will Niko Kovac Keep His Job?

59-41-5 on Soccer since World Cup up 27.58 units

A beautiful Witsel pass to Paco Alcácer that led to Dortmund’s 3-2 win on November 9th kept me from going above 30 units. I bet on a tie in that game and it was a fun watch. I remember when people were saying that the Bundesliga is the worst major European league because their biggest transfer was Witsel this off-season. Witsel has actually done terrific and has been one of the best defensive midfielders in the world. I can think of about 16 premier league teams that could use his services. Anyway, just thought that was a weird way for people to take a stab at a league. Atletico Madrid and Tottenham were my other big bets on that day and they won.

Going to get back into soccer on this Champions League Tuesday. Some teams are already knocked out of the group stage, while others are fighting to win their group. It should make for an exciting round of games.

Manchester City -1½ at +102 for 2 units.

Manchester City at -256 for 1 unit. City have been in much better form since their loss to Lyon earlier in this group stage. City can win the group with a win today. City have won 12 of their last 14 road games. City have kept a clean sheet in their last 4 road games. Manchester get their revenge today. No Bernado Silva keeps me from making this a massive play, but I still like City a lot in this one.

Bayern Munchen -1½ at -120 for 4 units. Bayern needs a win here to secure the group if everything else falls into place. Robert Lewandowski has 3 braces to his name since October 20th. Bayern won the first meeting 2-0 in Portugal. Now they get Benfica at the Allianz Arena. Javi Martinez leads all players in combined tackles and interceptions in Champions League this season.

It is reported that Niko Kovac threw his players under the bus lately instead of taking the blame for Bayern’s poor form this season. It will be interesting to see how his players react and if he can keep his job here. I don’t remember Pep or Klopp ever saying stuff along those lines… Even with the coaching turmoil, Bayern will get the win on more class and talent. Benfica can take advantage of space when Kimmich and Alaba get too far forward, but they will have to be clinical with these chances.. I think that is too much to ask for.

Ajax/Juventus/Man United/Man City/Bayern Munich Parlay risking 2 units to win 8.22 units. Ajax move on with a victory. Juve is more talented than Valencia. I don’t really see Valencia getting many clear goal scoring opportunities. United are playing a far less talented Young Boys team… but they may be the parlay killer. City and Munich are written about above. Been winning parlays so let’s keep it going.