*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Get the latest ⚽ Football Tips & Predictions from Betfair experts and claim today's football betting offer. Top Football Tips Football Previews Daily Predictions. Teasers and pleasers are two of the more advanced wagers that can be used when betting on football. Many bettors avoid them for this very reason. They’re good wagers to understand though, as they can.
Some people call Barnsley ‘the Chelsea of the Championship’. Now, in a world where some people call dressing gowns ‘house coats’, is there really much substance to any of these random claims anymore? Either way, they’re meeting in the FA Cup so we can find out.
Now, not to give away any spoilers, but Chelsea did absolutely batter Barnsley in the.. *checks 2020-21 competition name* Carabao Cup back in September. They hammered them 6-0 and that was under Frank Lampard’s regime of memes and Dad jokes in the WhatsApp group.
Now, you can make the argument that it was so long ago that Kai Havertz looked like a footballer and Barnsley has claimed its independence from Yorkshire. But you also have to realise that Chelsea have improved considerably since then, too.
Thursday 8pm: Barnsley v Chelsea
BBC One and BBC iPlayer
BBC One and BBC iPlayer
Obviously with Chelsea being within touching distance of third after looking like they’d finish in the bottom half there for the most of the season, this hardly acts as a priority, but trying to impress a new manager is the biggest motivator in football.
Oh and for those too lazy to check, Barnsley are 13th in the Championship despite not having won any of their last five, only scoring in one of those games. Standard Championship behaviour. Here’s a Thursday night Bet Builder for you fine folk.
- READ MORE: The 3 Best Bets As Wolves Face Southampton On Thursday
Chelsea to Win
I don’t want to waste time insulting your intelligence by explaining to you why I believe the Roman Abramovich-backed, Thomas Tuchel-coached global conglomerate Chelsea Football Club will beat the tenants of Oakwell, Grove Street, Barnsley, S71 1ET.
They just will. I’m not sure I can throw much more reasoning behind such a short-price poke so I’ll refrain. Chelsea to Win kicks us off, here.
Both Teams to Score – No
Chelsea will likely have 80% of the ball, as is their way these days – and while Barnsley can occasionally break at pace, they’re actually more considered in their build-up than other teams in the division. This is why they clawed their way out of trouble last year in dramatic fashion and had people wondering just how they were ever in that situation in the first place.
There were shades of Bournemouth about them. Unfortunately this season, there’s shades of Dartmouth about them again, and they’ve scored in just one of their last five games in the Championship.
We’re not saying that Barnsley are hard to watch – it’s definitely not that. But to borrow a horse racing analogy, Barnsley are very much off the bridle for 80% of the season and come alive unexpectedly at the right times. And no, that’s not an invitation to back them in-play either. Side with Both Teams To Score? No.
Cauley Woodrow to Have Two or More Shots
Now, perhaps the biggest issue with Barnsley is that they’re so reliant on a single player to produce – and that’s former England U21 star Cauley Woodrow.
Yes, he’s got a name that would make you consider him a clerk in the Exchequer’s office but he’s also a very talented footballer, who’s netted 35 times in just over 80 appearances for The Tykes and has three times more goals than any other Barnsley player in the Championship this season.
He’ll be shooting from everywhere – make no mistake – and that’s why we’re backing Cauley Woodrow to Have Two or More Shots.
Tammy Abraham to Have Three or More Shots on Target
Tammy Abraham is probably more hard done by than any other Chelsea player at the moment, as he’s certainly not in favour with Tuchel but given his hat-trick against Luton, he’ll naturally start this game.
Sometimes that built-up frustration is a negative, but in his case here, he’s too good and too clever not to take his chances when they’re presented to him. Expect Abraham to shoot on sight and clock up Three or More Shots on Target to show he’s worth more than any of Chelsea’s other central strikers.
Tips for Barnsley v Chelsea
Chelsea to Win
Both Teams To Score? No
Cauley Woodrow to Have Two or More Shots
Tammy Abraham to Have Three or More Shots on Target
Both Teams To Score? No
Cauley Woodrow to Have Two or More Shots
Tammy Abraham to Have Three or More Shots on Target
These selections in an insured Bet Builder will give you odds of around 18/1 with Paddy Power.
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* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
MORE TIPS THIS WEEKEND:
- Watkins the key in this 29/1 Bet Builder for Brighton v Aston Villa
- Our 13/1 Bet Builder for Man City v Tottenham on Saturday
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Get the latest FA Cup odds on PaddyPower.comBuilding a successful strategy for football betting can be a real challenge. Even if you do manage to achieve it, this doesn’t mean you will just place bets and collect your winnings. Constant effort is required and there are certain steps in the preparation for each bet that just can’t be ignored.
The research before each football match is the key to success, as it’s the only way to get a good evaluation of what’s to be expected. Depending on the markets you choose, there might be plenty of details, but the basis remains the same most of the time. In this article, we will try to cover the aspects of the preparation that just can’t be ignored. They won’t instantly make you a winner, but it’s a huge step in the right direction.
Check the Performance of Both Teams Over a Long Period
This is an obvious step and yet, somehow plenty of people underestimate its importance. The long-term performance of both teams involved is the best way to get a good idea of their average performance. There is a reason the legendary Bill Shankly once said: “form is temporary, class is permanent”. Certain bookies like bet365 will under-price a well known team, just because punters assume they’ll win. Sometimes a side like Man Utd may always struggle away to Sunderland, but the bookies don’t reflect this in their odds – they want to suck people in that just jump on the big named teams.
The exact time frame depends on what you are looking for, but the minimum should be around a couple of months or even a year. This will give you a good start and a platform to build on when you go into more details later.
The important questions here are how does the team perform in terms of goals scored, goals conceded, playing home or away (depending on the game), results against teams similar to the next opponent and many more valid points that should be considered.
Check the Short-Term Trends
After you have a good understanding of the bigger picture, it’s time to dig deeper and see what is the current shape of both teams. As we know, confidence is key in football and certain players can look like world beaters one day and like Sunday league amateurs the next. That makes short-term trends extremely important.
Cached
Take a look at the last 5-10 games of each team, this should be enough to show you what to expect. Once again, stats such as goals scored, goals conceded, average possession and form of the best players are the things you should be looking for. It’s a good idea to actually read a short match report for each of the games in case you haven’t watched them. You never know if a team was just unlucky with some near misses, wonder goals conceded or referee mistakes.
Team News Is Essential
Almost every punter out there knows that you should check the list of suspended, injured and doubtful players. The problem of most people is that they don’t fully evaluate the influence of the absentees. A certain player can be badly missed against certain opposition and easily compensated against another. For example, a team missing its best centre back could struggle against an attacking-minded opponent and do well against a side that prefers to sit back.
WhoScored.com has a great section in their match previews that highlights current injuries and suspensions
Of course, you should also take a look who’s going to replace the missing players. How did their subs perform the last time they played? Are they just bench-warmers or squad players that get enough minutes to be in good shape? Those questions and many more need to be answered.
There is another aspect that is often ignored. The schedule of both teams is essential, as nowadays the number of games played per season demands rotation. This is especially true for the English Premier League due to the lack of a winter break. Check the last couple of games of each team and what’s coming next. It should give you a good idea if the manager will start his strongest line-up or try to rotate a bit.
Previous Meetings Between the Two Teams
The next step would be to check how both teams performed against each other in the past. The last couple of games are the most telling, but the historical data shouldn’t be underestimated. Certain fierce rivalries such as the North London Derby between Tottenham and Arsenal, for example, has its own rules and the game often does not depend on form as much.
There is another important thing you might notice – certain teams or even certain players sometimes have a good streak against a specific opposition. Plenty of examples can be seen in the English Premier League where Sunderland is on a great streak against the local rival Newcastle in the past couple of years. The Magpies are also the favorite opponent for Arsenal’s striker Olivier Giroud who is scoring against them on a regular basis.
Listen to the Experts
Nowadays, you can find so many opinions on the Internet that could be pretty overwhelming. Most of them would just confuse you and can’t contribute much to your analysis. Still, there are certain experts that could be useful. Whether is successful punters or well-known journalists, there are people who are good at analyzing and predicting football matches.
We don’t recommend you to directly copy someone else’s opinion, but taking your time to read a preview is not a bad idea. Seeing a different perspective could confirm your own expectations or show you an angle you might have missed.
List of Useful Sources
After we went through the most important steps you have to take in your preparation, it’s time to list some useful websites that can help you in this regard. Most of them will provide you the necessary data:
SoccerStats.Com
After we went through the most important steps you have to take in your preparation, it’s time to list some useful websites that can help you in this regard. Most of them will provide you the necessary data:
OddsPortal.Com
One of the best free odds comparison services in the business. You will find the best prices for almost any football match out there. It has all the important markets and then some more. On top of that, there are plenty of stats, betting tools, a reliable live score service and even tipsters who provide picks. It’s pretty much the full package.
OLBG.Com
The OLBG community is probably the biggest when it comes to betting. The platform has many useful features including free tournaments with real prizes, hundreds of successful tipsters and much more. One of the best things is that it’s not limited to football only, so you could check it for other sports as well.
Conclusion
How To Make A Good Bet On Football Games
Consider this article as your starter pack for how to bet on football. It’s not enough, but it’s a pretty solid beginning. We strongly encourage you to build on it by finding your own ways for an even better evaluation of the matches you are willing to bet on. Also, there are so many reliable websites and services out there, that you should spend some time checking what can be useful to you.