Preview:
Pompey will be looking forward to a break from their depressing domestic affairs in this Carling Cup match. They have never reached the last four in the League Cup, and are looking to get past the quarter finals at the fifth time of asking. Villa have a much better record in this competition and will be fielding a strong side so its likely to be a tough match for the home side. For Avram Grant, it's certainly a less challenging fixture than his 1st match in charge but Villa like to play these away matches against struggling sides as they can soak up the pressure and use their speed on the counter. Pompey could really do with a win here to boost morale and managed to score 4 goals in both their last 2 Cup matches but as Villa fans we are hoping to see Villa progress to the last 4. Realistically the most likely thing we will see is both sides scoring. Villa have seen this in 9 of their last 10 and Pompey are hardly in strong defensive shape and don't defend well against pacey sides but have scored well so far in this competition. So for this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal come after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £8 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
All 4 sides in group B have a chance at qualification so we don't expect this to be a meaningless kick about. Valencia are unbeaten in the group, but draws home and away against Slavia have cost them points they shouldn't have really dropped. Lille are sitting top one point above Valencia so we expect the home side to be doing the chasing. When they met back in September it finished all square (1-1). Valencia haven't lost at home in 18 games and generally score around 2 goals a game so Lille will need to be solid at the back. We should see Valencia avoid defeat here but they keep making silly defensive errors lately which has seen them score and concede in the last 5, which is what we expect to see in this match. So our trading plan here is to lay the draw trading out after a goal. Its worth staggering your stake for a shorter average odds just incase Lille score 1st and the odds move against you. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal come after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £8 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
These two are sitting at opposite ends of the table. Lecce pulled level with table leaders Ancona with a hard fought win over Grosseto in their last outing. Albinoleffe are sitting just above the relegation zone. Albinoleffe since October have looked a more convincing side than their early part of the season and should avoid relegation but will likely continue to struggle against top 6 sides. The last time these two met Lecce walked away easy winners in a 4-0 walk over. We expect this meeting to be a little closer although Albinoleffe have a poor record against top ranked sides so Lecce should walk away winners. Over 2.5 goals is well supported as is both sides scoring against sides with a similar style. It might take a while for the deadlock to be broken but the goals should come. So for this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal come after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £10 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
Pompey's players look like they are getting paid this week after new owners took out a bank loan so at least they can't blame another poor performance on pay issues. Avram Grant will improve things at Portsmouth but it isn't likely to happen just yet. They are still creating lots of chances with converting them being the main issue. Against a Burnley side that is always good for scoring but has a terrible defensive record on their travels (conceded 30 in last 10) Pompey will more than likely convert a few of their chances. This is simply a must win game for the home side which might just go their way but we are more confident of the deadlock being broken before the break (ideally by Portsmouth) and a scoreline that finishes over 2.5 goals. So for this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal, please feel free to stagger your stake for a shorter overall price. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal come after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £7 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
Hannover come into this match after two consecutive losses to top 6 sides. They also are suffering from the death of goalkeeper Robert Enke’s which is obviously something the players will still be upset about. Having watch re-runs of their last two matches they actually deserved a point in both with good levels of possession and some decent shots on goal but Leverkusen are in superb form so it should be a little more one sided. Saying this it isn't likely to be a walk in the park for Leverkusen but they should have enough to win or at least avoid defeat. Ideally we will see Leverkusen ahead before the break which has been a key feature this season against similar opponents. In-form striker Stefan Kiessling is firing on all cylinders with 12 goals this season and wants to get to 15 before the Christmas break so we won't be surprised if he adds to this total. For this match we will be laying Hannover with around £30 and trading out after Leverkusen take the lead or draw level. If they surprisingly go two behind we will look to lay Hannover again as Leverkusen should score so we will potentially be able to trade out with a small profit/loss. Out at 60 mins if it remains goalless. We will also have a small side trade on over 2.5 goals following the usual plan if its goalless at the break.

Preview:
There is no question this City side is hard to beat and we won't be surprised if they see yet another draw in this match but the way they have been relinquishing leads is almost embarrassing. Whilst this has made a traders dream by laying them at short odds when they take the lead and trading out after they concede it can't be doing much for the sanity of the players and fans. City's recent trend against the leagues better sides is a high scoring match. Chelsea haven't conceded in 5 but City have scored in 16 consecutive home matches and have a practically full strength side so we do expect the home side to score. 8 of Chelsea last 9 away games have settles the +2.5 goal market so both sides on the scoresheet looks very likely. Ideally we will see a similar match to the City V Utd a few weeks ago. So for this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal come after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £7 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
Both teams are sitting dangerously at the wrong end of the table with only a few points separating them from the drop zone. Coventry haven't won in 8 games and will be without two vital players for this encounter. Scunthorpe managed to grab a draw in their last outing but it wasn't really deserved they have conceded in all home matches this season and this will likely continue here. Coventry without suspended fullbacks Wright and Van Aanholt will likely struggle and look a banker for conceding themselves. This is a match both sides need to win and both look good for scoring and conceding so we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half as we feel Coventry will score before the break, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal come after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £7 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
Everton's form has been poor of late with only 2 wins from their last 10 and this won't be helped by quite a few new injuries to key players. Tottenham have a few injury concerns themselves but nothing near the level of Everton. Everton's record against Spurs is pretty poor with only 5 wins from the last 35 meetings, with so many key players injured they are very unlikely to make this 6. Their recent record against sides in the top 6 supports Spurs avoiding defeat with Everton only winning 1 of their last 10. Spurs beat the Toffees back in October in the Cup 2-0, we feel the Toffees with register today with King and Woodgate missing from the Spurs backline but expect Spurs to emerge as winners. For this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half as we feel Spurs will score before the break, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal come after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £7 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
Sorry we are struggling with time for a preview here but will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half as we feel Valencia will score before the break, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal come after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £7 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
QPR definitely have some issues and whilst their team looks stronger than Watford's their away record and record against top-half sides is very poor, with only 2 wins in their last 15. Watford give us more confidence and have won their last 3 home games and 5 of their last 6 on home soil against QPR (all finished over 2.5 goals). Both sides suffered losses at the weekend (QPR were terrible against Middlesbrough losing 5-1) so should be focused on getting 3 points. For this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half as we feel the deadlock will be broken before the break, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal come after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £7 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
Madrid are 3 points above Marseille and convincingly beat them in the reverse fixture. The French side need to go for it here as they need a win to have any chance of reaching the last 16. Both sides are missing key players but Madrid's depth will find suitable replacements. Marseille look to have worse issues especially in Midfield with 3 of their best players out with injuries. H2H in recent years the scoring has always breached over 2.5 goals. We expect to see this again in this match but with both sides scoring. For this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal come after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £7 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
Both sides need to win this to progress to the last 16 so expect an entertaining, hard fought match. Rubin have shown they are no pushovers but with Inter having very few injury concerns and a nice little safety zone in the Serie A they can afford to place all their focus on securing a win here. We have been impressed with Rubin but they will not have the fire power or experience to overcome Inter, but we aren't writing off a draw which suits neither side. For this match we will be laying Rubin with £25 and trading out after Inter take the lead or draw level. If Inter go two behind we will lay Rubin again as we can't see them not grabbing one back. If its goalless at 60 min's we will close the trade for a small profit. We have a strong feeling Inter will be up going into the break so will have the usual side trade on over 2.5 goals, following the usual plan if its goalless.

Preview:
Hertha are sitting bottom with only one win from their 15 games this season. Its not just defensive or offensive issue, they have been shocking all over the pitch. We have seen signs things are slightly improving and they might advance from the Europa League group stage with some better than average performances, but domestically they are 7 points adrift of Nurnberg who sit 2nd from bottom and have a mountain to climb. Leverkusen sit top but in recent games have been stumbling more from a lack of finishing than anything else. They definitely haven't been poor but just not 100%. With Hertha's woeful defense we should see their misery continue and Leverkusen on the scoresheet, we aren't very confident that Hertha will grab one but the home side should take confidence in the fact they have won the last 2 H2H games (these where when they were in much better form). For this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal (we will be looking for a shorter price around 3.5 inplay, just incase Hertha open the scoring). We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal come after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £8 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
Both sides are in need of points so this should be an entertaining match. Nurnberg really have to improve if they are to have any chance of staying in the top tier next season, but we are yet to witness obvious signs of improvement. A key feature of their matches home and away is going into the break having conceded. Hamburg scoring before the break is well supported as they have managed to score in 8 of their last 10 against similar opponents inside 45 min's. Hamburg might have been stuttering of late with injuries to their front line but Elia and Petric are likely to feature here so they should have the firepower to overcome a formless Nurnberg. Both sides scoring and the deadlock broken fairly early is what we expect to see here so we will be following our standard trading plan of laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal come after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £7 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
Sunderland at home have been a tough opponent this season and have only lost once so far. Pompey will be keen to build on their 2-0 home defeat of Burnley but on their travels they have looked very poor losing 5 of their 7 games played winning just 2 of their last 20. They have also been a little goal shy hitting the back of the net just 3 times. Whilst on paper Sunderland look good for avoiding defeat they come into this match with a number of defensive issues which should play into Pompey's favour. Pompey have also won 5 of the last 6 H2H meetings with the Black Cats. For us we feel Sunderland will just edge this but we are pretty confident Pompey will score at some point because of Sunderland's defensive issues. For this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal come after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £7 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
Valencia have been very entertaining this season so we are really looking forward to this top of the table clash. They come into this match having won 6 of their last 8 which is superior form to the two sides above them in the table. They take on a Real side which will be missing Ronaldo and Kaka so we should hopefully see Valencia pull level on points with Real. Goals should definitely be on the cards here, more than likely from both sides. For this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal come after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £6 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
Last season this was one of the top 3 games in our opinion which finished 4-4 and saw Arshavin scoring four times. A repeat of that will be greatly appreciated by us neutral fans. Liverpool's form doesn't really need to be mentioned here as we are all aware of what they have been playing like recently. Arsenal have also been going through somewhat of a slump themselves and now have lost 4 of their last 6 which hasn't been helped by the injury to Van Persie. Liverpool will welcome back Torres and Aquilani for this match which should have a clear impact on their performance so they should extend their home scoring record to 19 consecutive games and avoid defeat. There hasn't been a goalless draw between these two this Millennium so we shouldn't have any issue trading this match. For this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal comes after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £7 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
As soon as we saw these two were playing today the 1st thing we thought of was both sides scoring. Wolfsburg have seen this happen in 9 of their last 10 and Dortmund have seen it in their last 7 on the road. Wolfsburg are unlike to make too many changes to the side that played mid-week and rest key players as Dortmund have definitely had a turn around to their season picking up 18 points in their last 8. Wolfsburg are winless in 5 and Dortmund are undefeated over the same period so this could go either way but we do expect Wolfsburg to start the stronger and take the lead. For this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal (you might want to chase a slightly shorter price just incase Dortmund score 1st). We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal comes after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £6 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
Both these two are level on points so it should be a competitive match. Sampdoria haven't lost on home soil in over 10 games but Roma are a side they have had difficulty with in recent years losing 5 of the last 6 encounters. This is another match where goal trend stand out. All of Roma's last 10 against non big for sides on the road have breach +2.5 goals as well as the large majority of Sampdoria's home games against similar opponents. It shouldn't matter who scores 1st here as the odds should move in a positive directing. For this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal comes after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £6 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
QPR have been playing poorly of late due to all the back room issues which has seen them only win 1 of their last 7 despite the majority of these being against bottom half sides. They are also having to deal with the suspension of their manager and a unsettling drop to 14th in the table after looking unstoppable prior to October. West Brom come into this match after a surprise mid-week loss to Cardiff but one thing we have confidence in is their bounce back record which has seen them at least avoid defeat after losing their previous match. Considering all the issues at QPR and the fact West Brom are in good form with very few selection issues we should see the home side avoid defeat. This is supported in their H2H history, with Rangers not beating West Brom at the Hawthorns since 1999 and the last two competitive matches were also convincingly won by West Brom. For this match we will be laying QPR with around £25 and trading out after West Brom take the lead or draw level. We will look to lay QPR again if they go 2 up as West Brom rarely fail to score on home soil against similar ranked sides. Out at 60 min's in if its still goalless. We will also have a small side trade on over 2.5 goals, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break.

Preview:
Sunderland have one of the best home records in the league but will be without six 1st team players for this encounter which is a little worrying for Steve Bruce as he takes on a Villa side that is practically at full strength, and comes fresh from beating Utd at Old Trafford. We have noticed a tighter defense in recent weeks from the home side but this has been complimented by also a lack of goals being scored, so this doesn't look like it is going to be a high scoring affair. Villa also only tend to score just once on their travels, but they rarely fail to hit the back of the net, scoring in all of their last 10 on the road. If Darren Bent is on form he will cause no end of issues for Villa but on paper Villa look too strong for this make shift Sunderland side so we expect them to avoid defeat. For this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal comes after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £7 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
Expect both of these top 4 hopeful's to play for the win in an open an entertaining match. Either side could win this encounter. Both sides possess enough firepower to breach their opponents defenses and considering the amount of defensive lapses we have seen from both sides this season we should definitely see the ball hit the back of the net at both ends. An interesting fact about H2H's between these two is the last 7 times they have met domestically it has finished 2-1, so ideally we shouldn't see City register yet another draw. Spurs have won 10 of their last 11 previous encounters with City, but not against a City in this kind of form so we don't feel you can read much into this. This could go either way but we should also see both sides scoring so our standard trading plan looks ideal here. So to confirm we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal comes after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £7 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
Heracles might have lost 3 of their 8 homes games this season but against sides outside the top 4 they have managed to win the rest. To support another home win for Heracles or at least them avoiding defeat they are undefeated in their last 6 games hosting promoted sides and their opponents VVV are yet to win on their travels this season also the last 5 times these two have met Heracles have won or avoided defeat. Heracles have looked pretty sharp up front in recent weeks scoring 10 goals in their last 3 so against VVV we should definitely see the deadlock broken as they seem to be getting worse every week in defense (conceding in 9 of their last 10). So for this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal comes after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £6 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
Wolfsburg have been stuttering of late without a win in 6 games and were pretty poor in the 3-1 loss last week to Dortmund. With the pressure piling on Armin Veh his side need a win desperately or we could see him being shown the door in the new year. Looking at the press the Team have quoted they will be playing for the manager this weekend so hopefully we will see a decent performance from the visitors. They have actually been playing better on their travels recently with just 1 loss from their last 6 so we won't be surprised if they grab a point. Frankfurt are one of the sides we all forget about, but they are sitting on the same points as the visitors so should make a game of it. One thing worth noting is Frankfurt's poor record against Wolfsburg which has seen them fail to win any of the last 12 domestic H2H encounters so considering Wolfsburg's motivation and their record of holding off Frankfurt we should see Armin keep his job for at least a few more games. For this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal comes after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £6 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
Blackburn have been impressive defensively of late with 3 clean sheets in their last 5. They are also undefeated in 7 at Ewood Park. What has been letting them down is their lack of scoring. With Dunn sidelined this looks an even more difficult task for the home side. Spurs have the opposite problem having scored 38 goals so far but they keep having lapses of concentration at the back which has been costly and this hasn't been helped by injuries to key players. The side that Harry fielded against Man City mid-week gave us a little more confidence in their defense so we don't expect many changes to the team in this match. For us we feel this match will go to Spurs as Blackburn give us little confidence they can score which is something Spurs have no issue doing. For this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal comes after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £7 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
This was going to be the Villa match but O'Neil is resting too many key players so with Hughes job on the line this makes a better decision. Man City are 10 games unbeaten at home and the pressure is on Hughes to bounce back from their 3-0 loss to Spurs and start turning draws into wins. City have some defensive selection issues again but against a Sunderland side hampered by injuries and with only 1 win on the road this season and 11 defeats in their last 14 games Hughes should see his side grab a much needed win. We expect both sides to score here as they both look vulnerable at the back but City's superior offence should see them walk away with 3 points. For this match we will be laying Sunderland with £25 and trading out after City take the lead or draw level. If Sunderland manage to go two up we will lay them again as City should grab at least 1 back. We will have a small side trade on over 2.5 goals, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break. We will close the trade at 60 min's in if its goalless.

Preview:
With Mick McCarthy's stunt mid-week against Utd where he rested 10 players was in anticipation of this match. So its pretty clear he is playing for the win here. With this in mind we should see this match finish with one side grabbing the points which would make 10 consecutive meetings between these two finishing with a winner. Goals definitely look on the cards as Wolves have conceded in 16 of their last 17 games and Burnley have the worst away record in the league and have been conceding at least 2 goals in all their away games this season. For this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal comes after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £7 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
Tenerife are still hanging in there and currently sit in 12th place which is quite a surprise as we expected them to be languishing down at the foot of the table going into the Christmas break. Madrid's recent performances inspire little confidence, and with Reyes and Aguero not likely to feature, we are a little concerned that their misery will continue against the Islanders. Tenerife have done relatively well at home, so they may well get a positive result here but the one thing that has stood out recently is Madrid scoring before the break and Tenerife finding themselves behind before HT. So for this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal comes after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £7 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
Whilst Deportivo have been flying high this season there has been a fairly obvious drop in the standard of play in the last few games (more than likely something to do with the injuries to key players). Their record against top 6 sides recently has been pretty good with only 3 losses from the last 12, but if they play like they did against Almeria last week it will be 4. Deportivo's injury list hasn't improved so we feel Valencia will take advantage of this and more than likely walk away with 3 points but it isn't likely to go all their way so expect both sides on the score sheet. So for this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal comes after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £7 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
Feyenoord have been in good form for quite a while now and come into this match on the back of 4 wins. Their training ground has been under snow for the last few days so the players should be well rested for this match. AZ have improved under Dick Advocaat and have showed marked improvement in recent weeks so this makes this interesting. We don't feel they will turn Feyenoord over with Holman and Dembele missing but we feel confident they will score here. We expect this to be pretty open and both sides pushing for the win in the last match before the winter break, so despite the low goals trends for these two we expect it to finish over 2.5 goals. For this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with at least the same stake by laying over), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless loss on the draw, if a goal comes after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £7 initially backing further if concerned in play.

Preview:
A battle between two sides looking to stay out of the bottom 3 so expect a hard fought match with both sides looking for the win. Bolton will be well rested after their last match being postponed. This will be a little frustrating for Megson as they secured two good results against Man City and West Ham, scoring 3 goals in both games before this enforced break. Burnley have failed to win for seven games but at home have been very competitive managing to score in all their matches. They also have been a banker for conceding with only 1 clean sheet in their last 15 so we should see both sides on the scoresheet. They look to have defensive issues for this match with both Caldwell and Carlisle struggling for fitness after injury so expect their record of conceding in all games this season to continue but they do have a decent record of scoring against similar sides so both sides scoring looks the most likely outcome. For this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half staggering the stake as usual, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with a £5 profit on under 2.5), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless with loss on the draw, if a goal comes after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £7 initially backing further if concerned in play around HT, or just after.

Preview:
We were quite impressed with Sunderland in their last outing against Man City but this was their 7th loss in 10 games so Steve Bruce is in desperate need of a win. Whilst Everton should be an easier opponent than Man City in their current form Everton will be the more confident of the two, having won 8 of their last 9 meetings with the home side. Sunderland look to have the slightly stronger side for this match with Everton's hefty injury list and they aren't an easy side to beat at home so we feel Sunderland will avoid defeat here. Both sides look strong up front with Saha and Bent very likely to score but neither looks solid at the back so both sides conceding looks the most likely outcome. For this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half staggering the stake as usual, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with a £5 profit on under 2.5), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless with loss on the draw, if a goal comes after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £7 initially backing further if concerned in play around HT, or just after.

Preview:
This match pits the league leaders Anderlecht against the other inform side in the Jupiler league. 3rd placed Gent have now won 6 in a row and look like the only side that has a chance of challenging for top spot at the moment. Historically their record against Anderlecht needs to improve as they have only picked up 1 win from their lat 8 H2H's but on a positive note they haven't looked this good in years so have a good fighting chance here. Anderlecht haven't failed to score in the last 10 and they will more than like register here as Gent despite looking strong offensively haven't kept a clean sheet in the last 10. The interesting twist will be how Mbark Boussoufa plays against his old club and if he is on form he could be the deciding factor. This originally was going to be a lay for Terry but we felt trading it would be the slightly safer option. For this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half staggering the stake as usual, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with a £5 profit on under 2.5), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless with loss on the draw, if a goal comes after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £7 initially backing further if concerned in play around HT, or just after.

Preview:
Both these two come into this match after some decent results so they should be confident of a good result here. Spurs look to have the edge with a 100% record against the Hammers this millennium and with West Ham winless in 8 on the road and missing 7 1st team players for this encounter, it looks an up hill struggle for Zola's men. Spurs have gone into a couple of their matches against bottom half sides with their heads in the clouds hopefully Harry will have them focused for this one. We feel that the attacking power at Harry's disposal will prove too much for the visitors in this encounter and whilst they may score, Tottenham should secure all three points. We will be laying West Ham with £25 (feel free to use whatever stake your happy with) and trading out after Spurs take the lead or draw level. We will close the trade if its goalless at 60 min's. Spurs have a had a habit of scoring late so if they are behind going into the last 15 min's we will hang in there. We are a little concerned about the 0-1 result as both their losses to bottom half sides at home this season have had this result so if Hammers are on top a £5 trade on 0-1 makes sense. We will also have a small side trade on over 2.5 goals as we expect Spurs to be be leading going into the break. We will follow the usual plan on the goals trade if its goalless at the break. In the unlikely result of Hammers going 2 up we will look to lay them again as Spurs should grab one back, especially with Defoe well rested.

Preview:
Villa come into this on the back of a Cesc Fabregas whirlwind which saw Villa hold their own for the opening 45 only to be pulled apart by the Spaniard after the break. Liverpool as we all know have been far from their usual selves and certainly not playing like the Gunners, but we expect them to do well in this match. Gerrard has his scoring boots on and with Torres likely to feature with Aquilani this could tip this match into their favour. Villa will be missing Young and Heskey which adds to our concern as well as Villa's record of winning this fixture (1998 was the last time). Villa did manage to beat Liverpool back in August 3-1 at Anfield which highlights how much Villa have improved this season but with last season in the back of our minds we just hope the 3-0 loss to the Gunners wasn't the trigger for Villa slipping down the table like last season. On a positive note Liverpool are yet to beat a current top 8 side on the road so we would be happy if this continues in this match. For this match we will be laying the draw trading out after a goal. We will also having a small side trade on over 2.5 goals in play during the 1st half staggering the stake as usual, following the usual plan if its goalless at the break (trading out with a £5 profit on under 2.5), backing further as the odds drift with a few quid after the break if concerned 3 look likely for safety. Out at 1.8 on the draw as usual if its goalless with loss on the draw, if a goal comes after this point and your concerned its going to finish in a draw, look to lay the leading team for safety. We will grab some cover on the 0-0, £7 initially backing further if concerned in play around HT, or just after.

Preview:
We have seen a few positive signs for Pompey since Grant took over and at home they have now won their last 3 which is a good reflection of the impact he has made, but there are clearly lots of things that still need to improve. The last time they beat the Gunners was in 1958 and from what we have seen of the visitors in their last 5 games we can't see this trend being broken here. Both sides have a similar level of motivation to win this match with Pompey sitting bottom and focusing on becoming only the 2nd club in Premier League history to avoid relegation after finding themselves bottom at Christmas. The Gunners motivation is by winning here and against Bolton in their next outing will enable them to pull within 1 point of leaders Chelsea before their next game putting serious pressure on the league leaders. The African Cup of Nations might effect the team selection for this match with a couple of the players already left but this is likely to effect Pompey more than the visitors.
For this match we will be laying Portsmouth with £25 (feel free to use whatever stake your happy with) and trading out after Arsenal take the lead or draw level. We will close the trade if its goalless at 60 min's. We will also have a small side trade on over 2.5 goals as we expect Arsenal to be be leading going into the break. We will follow the usual plan on the goals trade if its goalless at the break. In the unlikely result of Pompey going 2 up we will look to lay them again as Arsenal should grab at least one back.