Orlando City @ Sporting Kansas City

Orlando City will travel to the Children’s Mercy Park on Sunday afternoon, to face Sporting Kansas City in a fixture that the visitors are unlikely to lose.

Western Conference hosts Sporting KC enjoyed a strong start to the MLS season, initially picking up 4 victories in their first 5 matches. However, Peter Vermes’ side have not won any of their past 7 games since beating New York Red Bulls in early April, and show little sign of improving. A humiliating loss to bottom side Houston Dynamo last weekend demonstrated Sporting’s current lack of threat, and they should pose little problems for Orlando.

The Lions have also encountered their fair share of issues this season, currently suffering a 5 match run without a win. However, Orlando City continue to provide promising performances each week, and will be confident of taking something from today’s match, having drawn their past 2 games. The only previous MLS encounter between the two sides ended with a comfortable win for Orlando, and they will be eager for a repeat result today. 

Neither team enter the game in great form, but Orlando have the slight edge and should be able to earn a share of the points today at the very least. Sporting KC supporters should not expect a home win, and will extend their run to 8 matches without a victory.

Fiorentina @ Lazio

For their final match of the season, Lazio welcome Fiorentina at the Stadio Olimpico, with the visitors expected to earn at least a point in the closely-contested fixture.

Although hosts Lazio have picked up consecutive wins against Inter Milan and Carpi this month, Simone Inzaghi’s side have struggled throughout the season and are guaranteed to finish a disappointing 8th place in the league standings. The Biancocelesti have won just five of their past thirteen home games, and despite boasting an excellent record against Fiorentina, will most likely not earn another victory today. Lazio are missing influential pair Lucas Biglia and Filip Djordjevic through suspension, and will not have enough to finish off their opponents.

Likewise, Fiorentina’s position in Serie A will not be affected by tonight’s outcome, with La Viola already securing Europa League football for next season. While frequently struggling against Lazio in the past, including losing the reverse fixture 3-1, Paulo Sousa’s squad have an impressive record away from home. Having struggled in goalless draws against lowly Chievo and Palermo in recent weeks, Fiorentina will be hopeful of finishing the campaign with a positive result in Rome this evening.

Fiorentina supporters should expect their team to earn a share of the spoils in this fixture, earning either a draw or victory against Lazio.

Tottenham Hotspur @ Newcastle United

Tottenham Hotspur travel to St. James’ Park this afternoon, where they will be expected to comfortably win against an already relegated Newcastle United.

While the league title has slipped from their reach in recent weeks, Spurs still have plenty to play for, and a positive result today will confirm their place above local rivals Arsenal for the first time in 21 years. The Lilywhites will be motivated to achieve the feat, and by the news that manager Mauricio Pochettino has agreed a long-term contract with the club. Travelling supporters should expect confident, attacking football as a result, including top goalscorer Harry Kane seeking to reinforce his challenge for the Golden Boot.

In stark contrast, Newcastle cannot be predicted to take anything from this match, with their fate in the Championship sealed following Sunderland’s victory earlier in the week. Several players will be focused on their futures elsewhere, and Magpies’ boss Rafa Benitez will probably be among them. Despite previously claiming victory at White Hart Lane, the Tyneside club are not going to pose any threat to Spurs, who will encounter no problems in earning all three points.

Tottenham supporters should be confident of an easy win this afternoon, bringing an excellent season to a close.

Cincinnati @ Philadelphia

Cincinnati are hopeless on the road at the moment as their 2-11 record shows, they are on a two game losing streak and are up against a Philadelphia outfit with a decent 9-5 home record and who are on a two game winning streak.

The Reds will have rookie Tim Adleman start while the Phillies will have Aaron Nola start and these two could be critical to the outcome of this game, Adleman has had a solid start with Cincinnati but it is too early to know how well he adapts to this level, whereas Nola is in fine form at the moment.

Cincinnati are in a slump, they have a rookie starter and are on the road, which has not been good to them this season, Philadelphia are in decent form, they are strong at home and have a pitcher in form, all this adds up to a Phillies win for me.

The question for me is will Philadelphia win this by more than 2 runs and I am confident they will, the odds are good on such an outcome and I am happy to take advantage of the layers generosity.

Philadelphia to win by at least 1.5 on the run line

Minnesota @ Cleveland

Minnesota are woeful on the road, their 2-16 record tells you all you need to know about how bad they are and against a Cleveland outfit that have won 66% of their home games they are going to struggle.

The only saving grace for the Twins is that they are up against a pitcher that is not in good form, the Indians pitcher Corey Klubber had an awful game last Monday against Houston Astros, he was taken off after just 2 2/3 innings after giving up five runs and his record of just two wins from six starts is not encouraging.

But Klubber is capable of putting in a decent game and he has something to prove, he just had one of those innings, he was doing well before that third innings against the Astros and I am confident we will not see a repeat.

The Twins pitcher is not one to fill you with confidence either, Ervin Santana is not long back from being on the disabled list and in his last outing he gave up three runs on seven hits, so he is not exactly Mr reliable at the moment either.

Minnesota are on a 8 game losing streak and I do not see them breaking that this evening and I am very confident that the Indians will win this game comfortably and will take them to emerge victors by at least 2 runs.

Chicago White Sox @ New York Yankees

On paper the White Sox look a sure thing here, mainly because of the respective pitchers.

The White Sox pitcher Chris Sale is on fire, he has won seven from seven starts and is confident that he will extend that incredible run against the Yankees this evening.

Luis Severino is in a slump, he was taken to pieces in his last two outings and has yet to register a win, his 6.12 ERA tells you all you need to know.

Sale will at some point lose and Severino will surely bounce back, but there is no sign that either will happen this evening.

Now, it must be noted that last time these two met up in a series that Severino won while Sale lost, but the circumstances are very different today.

Add to that the injury list at the Yankees and it is very difficult to see anything other than a White Sox win.

There are other factors of course that one must take into consideration, the Yankees won yesterday, while Chicago are on a two game losing streak, but even with these other factors, I still cannot see a dramatic turnaround in fortunes for both pitchers occurring at the same time.

All things considered I am taking Chicago to win by at least 2 runs

New York Red Bulls @ DC United

Friday evening’s MLS Eastern Conference game sees DC United face New York Red Bulls, with the hosts favourites to take at least a point from the fixture.

The previous encounter between the two teams was last season’s semi-finals, when the Red Bulls won both legs 1-0. DC United will therefore have additional incentive to win this evening, and would overtake their opponents in the league standings with a victory. Earlier in the week, United lost at home to New York City FC, and both players and supporters will be hoping to recover from the defeat with a positive result.

Although the Red Bulls enter the fixture in decent form, having won two of their past three matches, the team are unlikely to snatch a win. Ben Olsen’s side have been disappointing on their travels, earning just one point in five away games, with only the Western Conference’s Houston Dynamo suffering a worse record.

However the game plays out, I cannot see DC United losing and I am far more confident in this game being either a draw or a home win than the Red Bulls leaving the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium with a win.

Tromso @ Sogndal

Tromso travel to Sogndal in the Norwegian Eliteserien today in a game between two teams expected to struggle as the season unfolds.

In fairness to Sogndal they are doing far better than what I thought they would do this season and even when they have lost they have been competitive, not something you can always say about Tromso.

Sogndal registered their first win in five league games last week when they beat Aalesund 4-1 away from home, a fantastic win, that was following a very impressive 1-1 home draw with league leaders and favourites for the title, Rosenborg.

Tromso have won just once in their last five league games, losing the other four and a couple of those losses include away losses to Valerenga 4-0 and Aalesund 6-0, when Tromso lose they tend to do it in style.

Sogndal have lost just the once at home this season from four games while Tromso have not won an away game from their five games on the road, in fact, Tromso have scored just once away from home and conceded 13, while Sogndal have conceded just two goals at home.

Whatever way I look at this it screams home win and that is exactly the way I am going on this game.

Aalesunds @ Sarpsborg 08

14th placed Aalesunds travel to 9th place Sarpsborg 08 today in the Norwegian Eliteserien.

I really like the look of Sarpsborg, they may not be the most consistent team in Norway, but when they are in the mood they can beat almost anybody.

Sarpsborg did lose their most recent game away to Valerenga in a humbling 3-0 loss, however, before that they had won three on the trot including a magnificent 4-0 win over Molde, regarded as one of the best two teams in Norway, that really was an impressive performance.

Aalesunds on the other hand have won just once in their last eight league games, losing six and drawing once and in their most recent game they lost at home 4-1 to Sogndal.

Sarpsborg should be able to put the Valerenga loss behind them, it was always going to be a difficult game for them and they will bounce back, not sure the same can be said about Aalesund, they can fold quickly, have not won away from home in their four road games and scored just the once, a stark contrast to Sarpsborg home record of just one loss.

All things considered I have this game to be a home win for Sarpsborg and for them to cover the spread.

Chelsea @ Liverpool

There is a lot of history between these two and while a lot of games at this stage of the season can be classed as meaningless, especially when you have teams mid table, this is not one of them, certainly not for Liverpool anyway.

The problem for Chelsea is that they are not playing to stop anyone, they showed against Tottenham what they can do if they really try, but of course they reverted to type by losing to Sunderland in the very next game.

Chelsea would have to be at their best to beat Liverpool and I just do not see that being the case, unless it is really personal to them, they do not try.

Chelsea do not like Liverpool, that is true, but their dislike for them is not enough for them to be able to raise their game to a level that would give them victory.

Liverpool always have an advantage when at home, especially in an evening game in England and they really do not like Chelsea, a club that they find crass and provocative.

Liverpool know they have a good opportunity to get one over Chelsea and will be focussed, for Chelsea there is nothing in this for them, if they were able to stop Liverpool winning a trophy or something then they would play out of their skins, but that is not the case.

Liverpool have been the better team this season and they are up against a team that basically do not care, they have that all important home advantage and they will definitely be up for this game, certainly more than Chelsea.

All things considered I take Liverpool to cover the spread.

Stromsgodset @ Molde

Molde have hit a little bump in the road over their last couple of games and are up against a Stromsgodset side that have hit a rich vein of form.

However, I am confident that Molde will get back to winning ways today and stop the away side in their tracks and bring the current good run to an end.

Molde are one of the top sides in the Norwegian league, they are one of the favourites to win the title and until their last couple of games they had been playing to form.

It should also be noted that one of those recent losses was in the Cup and they fielded a very weakened team, they also bounced back with two wins following a massive 4-0 loss to Sarpsborg earlier in the season and I see no reason why they cannot do that again.

Stromsgodset are on a five game unbeaten run in the league, winning four of those games and so they are clearly in form, but playing away at a wounded Molde is not the ideal game to keep an unbeaten run going.

I accept that Stromsgodset are on form, but Molde are the better team, they may be showing some signs of inconsistency, but I am confident they will get back on track today and register a home win.

Man Utd @ West Ham

West Ham United will host Manchester United in their final game at the Boleyn Ground, and can be expected to dent their opponents’ chances of a top-four finish by taking a share of the points this evening.

West Ham have been a thorn in United’s side, playing the Red Devils three times this season in the Premier League and FA Cup. The Hammers drew on the first two occasions, and United were forced to throw everyone into defence to edge past them in the FA Cup replay match. The club have remained at their stadium since 1904, and the West Ham players will be desperate to give it a fitting send-off before their move to the Olympic Stadium.

While Louis van Gaal’s men are unbeaten in their past six matches in all competitions, their performances have been inconsistent and lucky at best. Without talismanic forward Anthony Martial during their match against lowly Norwich, the United attack were toothless and posed little threat. Martial remains injured, and facing a team vying for Europa League qualification, the Red Devils will struggle to create any meaningful chances.

It is hard to see United taking a a win from this highly-charged fixture, and West Ham look good to  secure either a draw or home victory tonight.

Take West Ham to cover the spread

Partick Thistle @ Dundee United 

Dundee United’s woes are not yet over, with the relegated side unlikely to win against Partick Thistle in their final home match of the Scottish Premiership campaign.

United’s fate was sealed after derby defeat to local rivals Dundee, and their status remains uncertain after news that only four players have been told they have a future at the club. Although they overcame Inverness in an excellent 3-2 victory on Friday, a repeat performance against Partick is a tall order. A demotivated team with little to play for will probably feature inexperienced youth prospects, as caretaker manager Gordon Young decides to offer some senior playing-time with nothing at stake. 

Meanwhile, Partick Thistle’s squad will enter the fixture positively, with relegation play-off positions avoided and another season in Scotland’s top division guaranteed. They will enter as favourites for the tie, having beaten United in each of their previous three league encounters this season. Alan Archibald’s side have struggled in recent weeks though, and with a number of players sidelined through injury, a draw may still be possible.

Either way, I am confident that Partick Thistle will cover the spread on this one

New England Revolution @ LA Galaxy

LA Galaxy supporters should expect to celebrate another home victory when they host Eastern Conference struggler's New England Revolution at the StubHub Center on Sunday.

The LA Galaxy have opened the season strongly, losing just one of their eight league matches, and remaining undefeated at home. Bruce Arena’s men lead MLS scoring charts with 18 goals, and will be likely to cause Revolution’s disorganised defence some serious trouble. The team have impressed home fans with large score-lines against Real Salt Lake, DC United and San Jose Earthquakes, and are set to do so once again, with striker Giovani dos Santos in excellent form recently.

New England Revolution are unlikely to pose much of a threat to their hosts, as Jay Heaps’ squad continues to search for their first away victory of the campaign. Although often avoiding defeat, the Revolution have encountered difficulties in attack, recording a remarkable seven ties in ten matches. The coach has admitted being frustrated with their problems in front of goal, and their woes will probably continue against one of the league’s tightest defensive units.

LA Galaxy are clear favourites for the victory on Sunday, with their superior attack and defence likely to overwhelm New England.

Take LA Galaxy to cover the spread

Arsenal @ Manchester City 

Manchester City host Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium tomorrow afternoon, and will be considered favourites for the win as both teams target a top-four finish in the league.

Manuel Pellegrini will be hoping to wish a fond farewell to the City faithful with a home victory as the Citizens chase Champions League qualification, well aware that rivals United are just a single point behind. After a disappointing end to their European campaign, City will be aiming to put their frustrations behind them and retain their position. The players will be motivated to continue their efforts until the final whistle, with incoming manager Pep Guardiola certainly keeping an eye on their performances.

Although Arsenal initially boasted a strong away record this season, their recent travels have left much to be desired, including a lacklustre stalemate to relegation-threatened Sunderland. The Gunners have struggled in attack and are unlikely to frighten the City defence. Main striker Olivier Giroud has not registered a league goal since January, and rumours of a rift between Alexis Sanchez and Arsene Wenger could further disrupt their chances.

Arsenal are a team without inspiration at the moment, while the Manchester City team are keen to prove themselves to their fans after the midweek loss to Real Madrid.

All things considered I am taking Man City to cover the spread. 

Southampton @ Tottenham 

Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur will be aiming to end their season on Sunday, with the Lilywhites looking to take all three points when hosting Ronald Koeman’s Southampton at White Hart Lane.

Despite falling just short of the Premier League title, Spurs players will be well aware that a victory would practically guarantee second-place. Significantly, the win would place the team above rivals Arsenal for the first time in 21 years, and securing the achievement in front of the home support would be a memorable result. The north London club have enjoyed an excellent campaign, and will want to reward their fans’ loyalty by ending it in style.

Southampton will be desperate to pick up a result in their bid for a Europa League qualifiers position, but have struggled on the road this season. The Saints have equal numbers of wins, draws and losses away from home, with even their recent 4-2 victory over lowly Aston Villa unconvincing. In particular, the team have conceded at least once in their past ten matches, and will likely be punished by the strong Spurs attack.

The reverse fixture at St. Mary’s Stadium in December finished in favour of Tottenham, and supporters can expect the same result again on Sunday.

Take Tottenham to win and cover the spread

Portland Timbers @ Vancouver Whitecaps

Vancouver Whitecaps will be hosting Portland Timbers at the BC Place this weekend, with the visitors looking good for a win in the hotly contested MLS Western Conference fixture.

Defending champions Portland Timbers enjoy a good record over their opponents, including last season’s semi-final play off win. Despite a difficult start to the current campaign, the Timbers have gone undefeated in the past three games across all competitions and will be hoping to continue their momentum on Saturday. Caleb Porter’s squad have yet to claim a win on the road, but will be motivated by their Cascadia Cup rivalry to turn out a positive result for the travelling support.

Vancouver have also endured a poor opening to the season, already falling to five league defeats. The Whitecaps’ leaky defence was a significant problem during their recent 3-2 defeat to New York City FC, and the team have shown little sign of improving. Although offering a reasonable home record, the advantage means little in this match-up, with Vancouver winning just one of their past seven games against Portland at the BC Place. 

Motivated to beat their rivals, and with a game in-hand over the Whitecaps, the Timbers are the pick to cover the spread.

Manchester United @ Norwich City

One of the weekend’s most important matches will be contested at Carrow Road Saturday, when relegation-threatened Norwich host a Manchester United side pursuing Champions League qualification.

Manchester United are favourites to take all three points in the fixture, boasting an excellent run of form over recent weeks. The Red Devils have lost just one of their last ten matches, with opposition including the likes of champions Leicester, Manchester City and West Ham. Positive results will have given the squad a significant morale boost in their push for a top-four finish, and it seems doubtful that United will squander their opportunity against a much weaker opponent.

Meanwhile, Norwich’s fortunes are bleak in comparison, having lost three consecutive matches in which they have failed to score a goal. Defeats to fellow struggler's Sunderland and Crystal Palace prove that the Canaries will not have what it takes to threaten United, and the players seem resigned to relegation. 

While Norwich were able to edge out a victory the last time these two teams met in December, it should be noted that United were in the middle of an injury crisis at the time. With their current squad nearly fully fit and desperate to qualify for Europe ahead of their local rivals, another major upset won’t be on the cards.

Truthfully, I cannot see any other result than a comfortable United win on Sunday, most likely putting at least a couple of goals past woeful Norwich.

Take United to cover the spread

Tottenham @ Chelsea

The English Premier League will be decided this evening in favour of Leicester City if Tottenham do not beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Tottenham must win, there is simply no way of getting round that and it will be a tall order against a team they have not beaten at Chelsea in 26 years, but this is not the Chelsea team of past years and neither is it the Tottenham team of years gone by.

Chelsea have been woeful this season and will end it without qualification for Europe or any silverware, quite a come down for last season's Champions, but they are very up for this game with no less than five of their players publicly stating they will not lose to Tottenham, their bitter London rivals.

Thing is this, the Chelsea players can say they will not let Tottenham win all they want, simple truth is that they are not good enough to make any sort of promise, not unless they are admitting that they have not tried all season but they will try against Tottenham.

Tottenham are a better team that Chelsea, that is a fact, they have better players, have a top class manager and are far more stable, they are not a team of ego's like Chelsea and they play for the team and not themselves.

Chelsea will come out all guns blazing but they will not be able to maintain it, they have not all season including in critical games and there is no reason to believe they can do something in this game that they have been unable to do so far.

Tottenham had a hiccup against West Brom, they should have won, but it was just one of those days, to make matters worse they have lost Dele Alli for the rest of the season through suspension, but in players like Lamela, Kane, Dembele, Eriksen and Dier, they have more than enough to over run this mediocre Chelsea side.

I do not see Tottenham losing unless they have one of them games when it goes wrong or Chelsea play like they have not all season.

All things considered I take Tottenham on the Spread.

QPR @ Burnley

Burnley will go all out this evening to beat QPR and take a massive step towards automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Burnley are now in the driving seat following Middlesbrough's weekend draw away to Birmingham and with only relegated Charlton to play on the last day of the season after this match they know that their destiny lies in their own hands.

Burnley now know that winning their last two games and they are once again a Premier League side and the riches that come with that, the idea that they could drop points against QPR seems unfathomable, but this is soccer and anything can happen.

QPR have absolutely nothing to play for, they have been win-less in their last three games which included a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Brighton, one of the three teams, along with Burnley and Middlesbrough fighting for the two automatic promotion spots.

In theory Burnley could be promoted tonight if Brighton do not win their game, though they should, simply because Brighton and Middlesbrough must face off against each come the final day of the season.

Bottom line is I see Burnley winning this game comfortably, they have the motivation, QPR do not, they are in form, QPR are not, they are at home where they have lost just twice all season against a QPR team that have registered just four wins away in 22 games.

The spread has been set high but I do not see Burnley getting a one goal lead and sitting on it, far too dangerous and do expect them to cover the high spread.

All things considered I take Burnley to win by at least two goals covering the spread  

Toronto FC @ Portland Timbers

Toronto face yet another game on the road, their 8th this season, mainly due to Stadium work, and they have done rather well to sit in third spot in the Eastern Conference and come into this game full of momentum.

Toronto beat Montreal last week 2-0, a game I watched live here in Europe and that result will have filled the entire team with belief, especially after what happened last season with Montreal and I expect them to do well this season.

Portland have had a mixed start to their season, well, a poor one, they currently sit second bottom in the Western Conference, but the current MLS Cup champions are of course better than the standings suggest.

Portland have won twice at home, drawn one and lost once, however, last season they lost just three times at home and are difficult to beat at Providence Park.

So what we have here is last seasons MLS Cup winners having a poor start to the season at home against a Toronto side that have done remarkably well considering all their games this season have been on the road.

However, I do see the home side winning and kick starting their season once and for all, Toronto will not be easy to beat, they have shown resilience all season, but Portland are a good solid team that is strong at home and I expect them to show that this evening and cover the spread.

Leicester City @ Manchester United

The romance of Leicester City winning the Premier League today is overwhelming, but that clouds the reality on the ground and I am of the opinion they will have to wait a little while longer to be crowned champions.

That Leicester thrashed Swansea City last week should not be taken as proof that they are doing fine without Jamie Vardy, Swansea were a joke, they should be ashamed, every single professional pundit in the UK condemned them for their performance, they did not try and were clearly mentally on holiday, it was probably the worst performance all season and that is saying something when you have Aston Villa in the same league.

United must win to retain any hope at all of getting an unlikely top four spot and they are not Swansea City, Leicester are up against real opponents today and it is in this sort of game that they will miss Jamie Vardy and his speed.

But lets not kid ourselves, Leicester City deserve to be champions, they have been the best team all season and United will have to be at their very best to stop them, but that is what I expect today, I do expect United to be at their best and with a fit again Wayne Rooney  back in play they will offer up a far more potent attacking force than has been the case in recent months.

United have not been the best this season, I accept that, but they have momentum, they have motivation, albeit not to same degree as Leicester, they are at home and for me they will have enough about them to inflict the fourth loss on the Foxes this season.

All things considered I am going for Man Utd to spoil Leicester's party today.

Norwich City @ Arsenal

Two clubs that really need to get the win today, Arsenal because they need to maintain a top four spot and relieve the pressure from the fans and Norwich for their survival in the Premier League

Anything less than a win today for Arsenal and they really do open the door for Man Utd to overhaul them in fourth spot, they currently sit five points above the Red Devils, who have a game in hand, so you can see how important a win would be.

It should also be noted that a whole bunch of Arsenal supporter clubs will protest today against the Gunners manager Arsene Wenger.

Norwich are in a relegation dog fight with Sunderland and Newcastle to avoid filling one of two relegation spots left following the relegation of Aston Villa, a loss could be devastating if the other two win, which is of course possible.

So that is the context, however, there are some basic truths that have to be recognised.

Arsenal are a far better team than Norwich City, they are unbeaten in their last seven Premier League fixtures, they finally have some pivotal players back from injury including Jack Wilshere and of course they are at home.

Norwich are third bottom, they have won just three games on the road all season, they have lost their last two games on the bounce including a loss at home 3-0 to fellow relegation struggler's Sunderland.

Basically, if Arsenal play to form today, they will win and win comfortably, but will they play to form?

I think they will, they will have a hostile crowd today as their own fans intend to protest, they are under pressure without a doubt, but that is why I believe they will play to form, they will want to change the atmosphere as soon as possible, they will want to relieve the pressure and they will want to finish the season on a high and secure a top four spot, they only way they can do that is by playing to form.

Norwich may have heart, they may have desire, but they lack the talent and players to cope with an Arsenal side capable of brushing them aside, providing Arsenal are in the mood to do so.

All things considered I am going for an Arsenal win and for them to cover the spread.  

Aalesund @ Molde

Molde host Aalesund today in the Norway Eliteserien in a game that the home team will want to win after last weeks debacle against Sarpsborg.

Molde are one of the top two teams in Norway and are expected to fight Rosenborg for the title, however, last week their start to the season came decisively off the rails in a 4-0 thumping at the hands of Sarpsborg, a loss that saw them fall four points behind Rosenborg, they simply cannot afford to fall further behind.

It was not that Molde lost that game but how they lost it, losing away from home is no disaster, but to lose 4-0 is, it was a freaky result and Molde will be looking to put that right in front of their home fans today, that you can be certain of.

Aalesund will be on a bit of a high themselves, they trashed Tromso 6-0 last week and even though they have already lost four times in their seven games this season, they have shown in glimpses that they are no walkovers, in fact they lost only 1-0 away at Rosenborg and showed that against best they are not cannon fodder.

That said, this is not the game that Aalesund will have wanted this week, they would not have wanted to travel to a wounded Molde, they will know that they will spend the vast majority of this game on the back foot and must be expecting a reaction from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer men.

I fully expect Molde to win this game, I accept that Aalesund are on a high themselves but they will be facing a team that will want to repair what happened last week and Molde are more than capable of doing just that.

The spread is set quite high at 1.5 goals, but I am very confident that Molde will overcome that and win this game by at least two goals.

Sunderland @ Stoke City

A must win game for Sunderland away at Stoke City today as they fight to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Stoke City are not doing so great at the moment, they have shipped in 12 goals in their last three games and are in a real bad slump, they may be safe but I am not convinced that they have mentally gone on holiday despite those recent hammering's, they are certainly not like Swansea City who are already on the beach.

The Stoke manager Mark Hughes is a passionate man and he will be devastated at recent results and he will have made his players aware of his anger, that you can be sure of and they will not another bad result in front of their home fans.

It should also be noted that the recent losses that Stoke City have suffered have been against a fantastic Tottenham team, Champions League semi finalists Man City and Europa League semi finalists Liverpool, Sunderland are certainly not in that bracket.

Sunderland have lost just once in their last seven, but they have registered just one win in those games, away to fellow relegation fighters Norwich 3-0 and I watched that game, they were definitely flattered by that result, in fact, Sunderland have won just twice in their last 13 Premier League games, hardly a team in winning form.

Sunderland have won just three times on the road from 17 games this season, not exactly the best of travellers, while Stoke have lost seven from 17 at home, not a fortress, but considering they are mid table it is what is to be expected.

I am not convinced that Sunderland will win this game, I expect to see a reaction from Stoke to their last three thrashings, Sunderland are not world beaters, in fact, they are a poor side, that is why they are in the relegation dog fight and all things considered, I am confident that we will see a very much improved performance from Stoke today.

I am taking Stoke on the spreads.

FC Koln @ Augsburg

Very tricky game between two Bundesliga sides that have not had the best season.

Augsburg are still in a little bit of a tricky situation, they are five points clear of relegation with three games to play and six teams below them, so in reality they look safe, but they cannot be too complacent and will be more desperate for the points today than what Koln are.

Koln are safe, they are on 40 points and because two teams below them play each other there is no way they can be dragged into relegation, there is a good chance that they will not come into this game totally on the ball, why would they, they have done what they needed to do.

Both teams are on winning runs, Augsburg have won their last three on the bounce while Koln have won their last two, so neither team carries any advantage with regards to form.

What this game comes down to is motivation, there is little to choose between them but it is Augsburg that have everything to play for and not Koln and whatever way you look at it, it is the home team that has the more motivation.

Because of what is at stake in this game and because Koln have nothing to play for compared to Augsburg, as well as having home advantage I am going for Augsburg to cover the spread.

Sevilla @ Shakhtar Donetsk

Europa first leg semi final featuring current holders Sevilla of Spain who travel to Ukraine to face off against Shakhtar Donetsk

On paper it would be easy to plump for Sevilla, they are looking to win this title for a third season running, with the added bonus of automatic Champions League qualification for the winners, something they will not achieve via La Liga this year.

But, football games are not won on paper and there is every reason to believe that the Spaniards will come away from this game with nothing.

Sevilla won their first La Liga match in six games when they beat bitter local rivals Real Betis in the Sevilla derby at the weekend, that win will no doubt send them in to this game with a smile on their faces, but it only masks the bad state of their game at this moment.

Shakhtar sit second in the Ukrainian league and are set to qualify for the Champions League, they have lost just once in their last 18 domestic games, they have won their last five Europa league games and of course have home advantage.

It should also be noted that their only loss in their last 18 games was against last seasons Europa League finalists Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.

Sevilla are not the side they were in previous seasons, they are well beatable, their defence is no longer as strong as it was and they are now a very vulnerable team away from home.

Shakhtar are in form, they are at home, they are just as motivated as what Sevilla are and most importantly they are playing probably the weakest Sevilla side we have seen in a very long time.

All things considered, I am going for the Ukrainians to cover the spread on this game and take something back to Spain for the second leg.

Liverpool @ Villarreal

Very tricky game for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool this evening as they travel to Spain to face Villarreal in the Europa League semi final first leg.

Liverpool are a team in transition, now and then they will produce a mighty performance, as they did at Anfield in the previous round against German giants Borussia Dortmund, but too often they show their frailties, especially in defence, just as they did against Newcastle when they squandered a two goal lead, not the first time they have done that this season.

Villarreal have done well this season in Spain, they are very close to securing fourth spot and qualification to next seasons Champions League play off's and at home have lost just twice all season and that was not against Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid or Barcelona, they actually beat the two Madrid sides and drew with Barcelona.

Liverpool will have to be at their very best and most consistent to get anything from this game, but the loss of Mamadou Sakho due to a failed drugs test is a heavy blow, it weakens their defence and casts a shadow over the whole team.

Liverpool come into this game in better form, they are unbeaten in their last seven matches in all competitions, whereas Villarreal have not won in three, but I saw Villarreal in their last game, a draw at home to Rayo Vallecano and they were very unlucky, they should have won that game in a canter, they are not in a slump by any stretch of the imagination.

All things considered I am of the opinion that Liverpool will struggle this evening, Villarreal are formidable at home while Liverpool are vulnerable and not the best travellers.

I am going for Villarreal to cover the spread.

Kalmar @ Sundsvall

This game is between two teams that were very similar last season, but that has not been the case so far this season.

Last season only one point separated these teams with Sundsvall one spot above Kalmar, both teams were just above the relegation zone and are not expected to perform much better this season.

However, Sundsvall have got off to a flyer, in fact if they win this game and results go there way then they could go top.

Kalmar have had an expected start, they sit just one place above the relegation spots and have amassed just four points from five games.

Sundsvall have won their last three games on the bounce, including impressive wins over Malmo away and second placed Orebro, really really good results.

Kalmar have won just once all season, against second from bottom Elfsborg, so it is fairly easy to see which team has form and momentum and which team does not.

The odds makers have been quite generous to be honest on Sundsvall, maybe they are expecting normal service to resume, they may be right in that, Sundsvall are unlikely to maintain this form all season, but until their form drops and they start losing it makes no sense to not take decent odds when you can.

All things considered, Sundsvall are at home, they are on a three game winning run, they could go top against a team just above the relegation zone with just one win all season, then it is Sundsvall to cover the spread for me.

Bayern Munich @ Atletico Madrid

Massive game for both clubs in the Champions League semi final first leg at the Vincente Calderon stadium this evening in Spain.

If there is ever a club that is regularly under rated it is Atletico Madrid, they are never given credit for what they have achieved over the last few years and I suspect that applies in this game as well.

The Spanish side dismissed Barcelona in the previous round, a massive achievement, but it should not have been a huge surprise.

Atletico have a very good defence, a solid midfield and a forward line that is clinical, their manager Diego Simeone, has proven he is a top manager and at home, they are formidable.

Bayern Munich are no slouches of course, they are one of Europe's elite clubs, they have probably the best manager in the world in Pep Guardiola and a team full of winners, they dominate their domestic league for fun and showed in the last round that they have character and a never die spirit coming back from a two goal deficit.

So what we have here is two huge clubs with pedigree, with world class talent and world class managers, a truly epic encounter awaits us.

You can never under estimate Bayern Munich, they are formidable, but they are clearly not as strong away from home as they are at home, especially against the top teams, whereas Atletico are very strong at home.

I do not see Atletico losing at home, I believe there is more chance of them winning this game than Bayern, I do not see why Bayern can do what Barcelona did not do and beat Diego Simeone's men in their own back yard, yes Bayern are world class, but so are Atletico.

Atletico will of course do everything they can to prevent Bayern scoring, an away goal is damaging, neither will they want to travel to Munich without an advantage, they will look to score and then probably defend that until the final whistle

Bayern will probably have most possession, but that does not convert to goals against Atletico, just ask Real Madrid and Barcelona about that and the Germans will also be looking to defend as much as they can, basically we could have a chess game on our hands.

All things considered I see a very tight game, very tactical and probably low scoring and for me the value lies in backing Atletico Madrid on the spreads.

I picked Atletico to cover the spread against Barcelona in the last round first leg and I am doing exactly the same in this game and take the Spaniards to cover the spread against the Germans.

Dumbarton @ Hibernian

This is a very important game for Hibernian and one they must win if they are to have any chance of having to play an extra play off game.

A quick explanation of how the play off's work in the Championship is required here to add some context.

Rangers are already champions and automatically promoted, however, the clubs finishing 2nd, 3rd and 4th then enter the two-legged Premiership play-off. The 3rd-placed club plays the 4th-placed club, with the winner then playing the 2nd-placed club. The winner of that tie then plays against the 11th-placed Scottish Premiership club.

Now, Hibernian sit third as things stand, they are three points behind second placed Falkirk, so a win would take them level with just one game to go for both sides, but Falkirk have a seven goal better goal difference, a huge amount to make up, but a massive win today for Hibernian would see them reduce that gap.

At the very least Hibernian must win and hope they do better than Falkirk in the last game of the regular season.

Dumbarton have absolutely nothing to play for, they are third bottom and safe from relegation, there is zero motivation for them here other than pride.

So, what we have here is a home team fighting for promotion against an away team with nothing to play for, it really is as simple a that.

In 16 away games this season Dumbarton have lost 11 out of 16 games, winning just twice and worst of all, scoring just eight times, while conceding 27.

In 15 home games Hibernian have lost just once, won 12 and knocked in 31 goals, quite a significant difference compared with Dumbarton.

This will be the fourth meeting between these sides and it must be noted that when this game has been played in Dumbarton, the home side has won both games, that said, Hibernian ran out 4-2 winners when this game was played at Hibernian.

Whatever way I look at this game I see a home win all day long, not only that, I see a convincing home win, certainly by more than 1.5 goals.

I will be taking Hibernian to cover the spread on this game.

Real Madrid @ Man City

This is a historical game for Manchester City and probably one of their most important in their long history as they host Spanish giants Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League semi final.

Real Madrid need no introduction, they are European royalty, they have won the Champions League or European Cup as it used to called, more than any other team.

This is the first appearance for City in the Champions League semi finals but it does not mean they will be overawed by the occasion, this is what they have been working towards for a very long time.

It will be a very tough game for sure, but that applies to both sides, remember that in the last round Real Madrid lost the first leg away at Wolfsburg 2-0, they are no different to most teams when they play away from home against a top team.

Of course Madrid will have Ronaldo, Bale, Benzema and a whole host of other stars for the Man City defence to contend with, but Real Madrid will have to cope with Sergio Aguero, arguably the best player in the English Premier League, as well as other season internationals that City have in their squad.

So, we have two top teams, Madrid are slightly the better side, but they are away from home, both sides have suspect defences, but formidable front lines, certainly an interesting match up.

For me, the advantage lies with city, they are at home, their fan will be bouncing, they are in good form, they have momentum and they know they must take a lead to Madrid for the second leg.

Madrid will of course not be easy to beat, but they are not as solid away from home, they struggled to beat Rayo Vallecano at the weekend and had to come back from 2-0 down, they did lose away to Wolfsburg in the previous round and they are not exactly the most harmonious club around.

Gareth Bale is starting to come into his own at Madrid, but Ronaldo is not the player he once was and it is City star Aguero that I see as being the biggest player on the field this evening in Manchester.

If Madrid can contain the diminutive Argentine then they may come away with a good result, if they do not and I do not think they will, then they face an uphill task.

That does not mean that City are a one man team, far from it, City have a world class player in Kevin de Bruyne, he has made such a difference to City since he returned from injury and just like Aguero, if he is not contained, then Madrid will be in trouble.

All things considered I am backing Man City on the spreads and do see them getting a result they can take to Madrid for the second leg.

Hammarby @ Norrkoping

Last seasons Swedish Allsvenskan champions Norrkopping host Hammarby in a game that is already important to both sides despite the season being so early.

Norrkopping were stunned last Friday losing away to bottom side Falkenberg, who had lost their opening four games of the season.

It looked like Norrkopping did not take Falkenberg seriously in that game and thought that all they needed to do was turn up to collect the three points, they will not make that mistake again.

Norrkopping should be top now, but they sit in fourth spot and they have no one to blame for that other than themselves.

Hammarby sit in seventh spot and are doing as expected, they drew their last game, played at home, against second placed Jonkopings Sodra, a credible result for sure, but this game is much harder for them.

Norrkopping will be very motivated for this game, they are in front of their home fans and will be looking to repair the damage their loss to Falkenberg inflicted, they will want to get back to normal service and go back to the top of the table, albeit for probably just the one day.

Hammarby will not roll over, they are doing ok, but they are up against last seasons champions that are wounded and will find themselves on the back foot, probably from the first whistle.

I fully expect Norrkopping to win this game and collect all three points.

AC Milan @ Verona

Milan have been handed a great opportunity here to close the gap on Fiorentina and move to within three points of fifth place.

They face off against the bottom team in Serie A  and though Verona have not yet been relegated, the outlook for them does look bleak.

Milan have changed manager this season after yet another disappointing campaign, though they do face Juventus in the Italian Cup final so may end up with some silverware this season, but it is their league position that has been the biggest concern.

Verona may be fighting for their Serie A survival but with just four games to go, including this one, they are 10 points from safety, so a loss this evening would see them relegated.

So what we have is a team that has been inconsistent this season in Milan who are looking to improve their league position and build up some momentum before the Cup final against a team that will be relegated if they do not win this evening.

That tells me that Verona must score, that they must attack, which will leave them open to counter attack, it will also breed nervousness and anxiety among both the players and fans.

All things considered I think that Verona are cooked, that they will be relegated today and take AC Milan to get the win and cover the spread.

Napoli @ Roma

Napoli mathematically can still win the Italian Serie A but in all reality Juventus are now the champions and Napoli know that. Juventus are 12 points clear with three games to go, Napoli would have to win all their four remaining games and hope that Juventus lose all their remaining three, that is simply not going to happen.

Juventus winning last night will have been a body blow to the Napoli players and it would be no surprise to see that impact them somehow in this game at Roma.

Roma sit in third place in Serie A, they are four points ahead of Inter Milan and with Italian soccer only getting three champions league spots, they will not want to release their grip on that third spot.

A win tonight for Roma would see them go seven points clear of Inter with just three games to go, it basically makes it an almost certainty that they will finish at least third, so a win is what they will be after.

Napoli sit just one spot ahead of Roma in the standings and are five points clear, that would be reduced to just the two if Roma win, so Napoli, even though disappointed at almost certainly losing out on the title, will not want to allow Roma to get too close to them.

These two sides are very closely matched, there is little to separate them, however Roma have two advantages in my opinion, one, they are at home and two, Napoli will be a little down after yesterday's Juventus result.

Therefore the pick for me is Roma on the spreads.

Juventus @ Fiorentina

Massive game for both sides, Fiorentina need the win to keep their hops of European football alive and Juventus could basically wrap up the title with a win, though there is still some mathematical chance Napoli could still overhaul them, but that is very unlikely.

Juventus would go 12 points clear if they win and second place Napoli will only have four games left to play, so you can see how important a win is for Juventus, but a draw would suit them very much as well.

Fiorentina are in fifth spot, they are unlikely to finish third and grab a Champions League spot and a loss would make it almost a certainty, but they can still qualify for the Europa league and they are six points ahead of AC Milan in that regard, but a loss could open up that door for AC Milan, something that Fiorentina will want to avoid at all costs.

Both teams would probably be happy for a draw, a win would of course be welcomed by either side as explained above, but the reality is that a draw is a good result.

The problem for Fiorentina is that they are not in good form, they have won just once in their last six games while Juventus have won all their last six games, however, Fiorentina have lost just twice at home all season and are not an easy team to beat on their home patch.

This game just looks like it could be a draw to me, however having weighed up everything, the motivations for both sides, Fiorentina's home record and what is at stake I am of the opinion that there is more chance of a draw or even a home win than there is of an away win.

All things considered I am taking Fiorentina on the spreads.

Real Sociedad @ Villarreal

An interesting game this one, especially for Villarreal who need to win to keep hold of fourth spot in La Liga and a place in next seasons Champions League qualification stage.

But, they do face Liverpool in the first leg of the Europa League semi final on Thursday and there is a chance that the mind of the players could be on that game, especially when you consider that the winners of the Europa League get automatic qualification to the Champions League.

So, Villarreal have two good shots at Champions League football next season, but if they were to lose this evening, they could open the door up for Celta Vigo to close within three points of them, something they will not want to happen.

A win for Villarreal would more or less make them a certainty to claim that fourth spot with just three games to go, so they do have motivation.

Real Sociedad have nothing to play for really, they will not be getting relegated and have no chance of a European spot, that does not mean they will not try their best, but one has to question their motivation.

Villarreal are in better form than Sociedad, they are at home, they have motivation and a home win really is the way to go.

Start @ Valerenga

The bottom two in the Norwegian Eliteserien face off today in a game where both sides are desperate for points.

Start are hopeless, it must be said, they will surely be relegated, it would be a surprise if they were not and their position at the bottom of the standings is not really a shocker.

Valerenga are not hopeless, but they have had an appalling start to the season, they are much better than what their position indicates, they are certainly a better team than Start.

Valerenga did get their season back on track with a comprehensive 4-0 win over Tromso, but they then went and followed that up with a desperate 4-0 away loss to Molde and while Molde are one of the best teams in Norway, a 4-0 loss is still a very bad result for Valerenga.

That said, at least Valerenga have registered a win in their opening six games, albeit losing five, Start however have not won a singe game, their three point all come from draws.

If both teams play to form then Valerenga will win, but it is open for debate if they will play to form, but I picked Valerenga to beat Tromso and they did and the reason was because I do not feel they are beaten mentally just yet, they are still a team that can produce good football and I am very confident they will against Start this evening.

I just cannot see Start getting anything from this game other than a defeat and all things considered, I am very confident that Valerenga will win and cover the spread.

Viking @ Rosenborg

Top of the standing and title favourites Rosenborg host seventh spot Viking in a game that the home side should win comfortably.

Rosenborg are one of the two top teams in Norway, they are expected to fight it out with Molde for the title and already both those sides are performing as expected.

Viking are not expected to be challenging for the title and their return of three wins, one draw and two losses is about what one would have expected after six games.

Viking could challenge for a European qualification spot, they are not a hopeless side, certainly one of the top six, but the gap between them and Rosenborg is fairly big and that will show today, providing Rosenborg play to form of course.

It should also be noted that Viking have won all three of their away games so far this season, however, Rosenborg have won all their three home games and not conceded a single goal, a much stronger challenge for Viking than what they have faced already this season.

I accept that Viking are in form but they are facing a formidable opponent and I cannot see beyond a Rosenborg win this afternoon.

Malaga @ Atletico Madrid

This is a game that Atletico simply must win to maintain their push for the Spanish La Liga title, anything less and the chances are that their hopes of a second title in three years are over with.

Atletico sit second in the standing on the same points as Barcelona and have the same head to head, so it is all about goal difference and Barca have a far superior record there, which in effect gives them an extra point, so with just four games to go, including this one, you can see what dropped points would do.

Atletico are a top top team, they disposed of Barcelona in the Champions League and have won eight of their last nine league games, a team mentally strong and full of confidence.

Malaga are mid table and have nothing to play for, but that does not mean they will not be up for this game, they will be, all teams are up for the big games and this is a big game for Malaga.

Atletico should win this game but the spread is set at 1.5 goals and I struggle to see the Madrid outfit covering that against this Malaga side.

Malaga have only lost by more than one goal twice all season and they were not against the top teams, lets look at their record against the top three sides.

Barcelona beat them 1-0 at the Nou Camp and 2-1 in Malaga

Real Madrid drew both games home and away with Malaga

Malaga beat Atletico 1-0 in Malaga

So, you can see, that in five games against the top three Malaga have won once, drawn twice, lost twice and never lost by more than one goal.

Atletico are happy with one goal wins, though in four of their last six games they have won by more than 2 goals, but generally speaking Atletico do one goal wins for breakfast and I see that happening this evening in Spain.

So, in conclusion, I do see Atletico winning but not to cover the spread, Malaga just do not roll over against the big teams.

Newcastle @ Liverpool

Former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez will make an emotional return today at Anfield with his beleaguered Newcastle side and will be looking to get a win against the club he won the Champions League with.

Newcastle are in serious trouble, they need points like a thirsty man need water in the desert and they showed they are ready to fight for every single point against Man City in midweek when they collected a very commendable point against far superior opposition.

Liverpool are doing rather well under Jurgen Klopp, they are in form, they are in the Europa League semi final and they are flying up the table, though it is probably a little late to grab a top four spot.

Liverpool are clearly the better team but they are up against a team fighting for their lives and these sort of games tend to be harder than when playing a better team that is already safe from relegation, beating a team fighting for premier league survival is no easy task.

Benitez has got Newcastle organised, they are no longer so easy to break down, they are showing signs of confidence and will be stern opposition today.

Today's game will be more about passion and spirit than talent or form, of course Liverpool could end up winning by three goals, they are a better team, they are at home, but Newcastle are a desperate team finally stabilising and I just do not see this being an easy game for the Reds.

All things considered I am going for Newcastle to get something from this game and to cover the spread.

Stoke City @ Man City

Man City need to keep picking up points with their bitter rivals Man Utd so close behind them in the race for a top four finish, if they do not, they could end up without Champions League football next season.

It would be silly for City to concentrate on their Champions League semi final on Tuesday and not give this game their full attention, they need to make sure that they deal with Stoke City today before they even think about Real Madrid next week.

City dropped points midweek against Newcastle and now sit just two points ahead of United, they simply cannot afford to drop points today.

Stoke City were thrashed last Monday by a very good Tottenham side and have been fending of accusations that they have basically already gone on holiday, but even though Tottenham were fantastic it did seem that Stoke were not fully engaged.

Stoke City will be looking to do better for sure and of course City will have their minds on Tuesday, but I do see this game going to form, which is bad news for Stoke.

Stoke may want to bounce back from such a beating but the truth is that they are not good enough to, City on the other hand will want to go into the Real Madrid game full of momentum.

All things considered I do see City winning this game and winning it by at least two goals.

Burnley @ Preston

Another massive game for promotion chasing Burnley, however, this could be the game that severely damages their chances.

Burnley needed a last minute goal midweek to salvage a home draw against fellow promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough and the signs are that they are starting to struggle to maintain their impressive form.

They have drawn four of their last six matches, dropping eight points and on ore than one occasion have needed last minute goals to rescue them.

Preston are not in great form themselves, they have dropped 12 points over their last six games and won just once, however, this is the sort of game that they love when at home as draws against Middlesbrough and Brighton show, both chasing promotion with Burnley.

Preston lift themselves when playing the better teams, they actually beat Burnley away and drew with Brighton away, the only loss against the top three was when they went down 1-0 to Middlesbrough.

So basically, in five games so far this season home and away Preston have lost just once, drawn three and won one.

Burnley are a very good team, but they are up against a team that does very well against the top teams in the Championship, against a team that already beaten them this season and a team that does not have the pressure on them that Burnley.

All things considered I am taking Preston to cover the spread.

Aalesunds @ Lillestrom

It is very hard to look beyond a home win in this game, especially when you consider how these two teams have started the season in Norway.

Lillestrom are strong at home, they are unbeaten this season, albeit they have just played twice at home, and ended last season with five consecutive home wins.

Aalesunds have had an awful start to the season and find themselves joint bottom, they have lost both their games away this season and lost on nine occasions on the road last season, managing just four wins.

Everything points to a home win, Lillestrom have the form, they have their formidable home record and of course because they are at home they have their fans, whereas Aalesunds are not in form, are awful away from home and show no signs of that changing.

All things considered I am confident that Lillestrom will cover the spread in this game.

Middlesbrough @ Burnley

Absolutely huge game for both sides, whoever wins this game will have taken a massive step towards automatic promotion to the richest league in the world, the English Premier League.

For some context lets look at the league standings as they currently stand.

Al have played 42 games with 4 left to play

Middlesbrough 85

Burnley 83

Brighton 81

Now, only two of these teams can grab automatic promotion and as you can see if Middlesbrough get the win then they are almost there, however, if Burnley get the win then it gets even tighter, especially if Brighton win their game, a draw would be OK and not disastrous for either side.

Both sides are in excellent form, both have been getting very late winners and it is very difficult to separate them if truth be told, however, I will be going for Burnley on the spreads.

Burnley have home advantage and that is important, the crowd will be manic this evening and out of 21 home games they have lost just twice.

Middlesbrough away have lost 7 times in 21 games on the road and drawn 4 from 21, basically they have failed to win more than 50% of time and that is telling.

That said, stats are not enough for me on their own in relation to this game, I will go on what I have personally seen and I have seen both these teams play regular this season and in recent weeks seen them in almost every game they have played and Burnley look the more confident and more accomplished as the pressure mounts.

Based on what I have seen and the respective home and away records, as well as how the spread has been set I am going for Burnley.

Vitesse @ PSV

Massive game for PSV Eindhoven this evening, they must win this game against mid table Vitesse and win it comfortably.

There are just three games to go in the Eredivisie and PSV sit second in the table on the same points as league leaders Ajax, however they are worse off on goal difference and that is critical.

There is a six goal difference between PSV and Ajax and with just three games remaining that will be very hard to close down, however, what it means in the context of this game is that PSV must not only win but win by as many goals as possible.

Vitesse do have a Europa league play off to play for and so they have an interest in this game, it is not like they have nothing to play for, but they are up against one of the giants in Dutch football and are a massive 30 points behind in the standings, that should tell you all you need to know about the difference in the teams.

I just cannot see Vitesse getting anything from this game, PSV are a far better team, they are at home, they need both a win and goals and for me this game will be all one way traffic.

All things considered I see PSV covering the spread even though it is high at 1.5 goals.

Bologna @ Napoli

Critical game for Napoli in Serie A this evening, they have to win after losing last weekend to Inter and going nine points behind leaders Juventus in the standings with just five games to go.

They at least sit five points ahead of Roma in third and a win this evening would give them a massive lift in their quest to secure automatic qualification to the champions league group stages next season.

They will also be looking to bounce back following that defeat to Inter Milan and there is no better place to do that than in front of your home fans.

Bologna sit seven points above the relegation zone and should be safe, but at this time they are not and will be looking to get some sort of result this evening, however eight losses on the road against a Napoli side that have not lost a single game at home all season tells you the scale of the task ahead of them this evening.

The spread has been set quite high at 1.5 goals, but I do see Napoli overcoming that, they must win, they are in front of their home fans, they have the very best home record in the league and in their last seven home games they have covered that spread five times and in their last three games covered it every time.

All things considered, the importance of this game, Napoli's fantastic home record, their current form at home and the context of this game I am going for Napoli to win by 2 goals or more.

Hammarby @ Djurgardens

Still very early days in the Allsvenskan but already there have been a few eye openers and both these teams have already experienced some interesting results.

For starters, Djurgardens sit at the top of the table with three wins from three, that is a surprise, though the teams they have beaten are not the top teams in Sweden, but still, three wins from three is a good start to the season by anyone's reckoning.

Hammarby have had a very mixed start, none less so than their 4-1 defeat away to Elfsborg, however, they did bounce back in their very next game beating Helsingborg 5-1, a very impressive result.

On paper it is easy to side with Djurgardens, but that is not the road I will be taking, I will be going for Hammarby, to at the very least get a draw, if not the win.

Djurgardens have had a good start yes, but it was a fairly easy opening and Hammarby should have done far better, but their last game showed me that they have finally righted the wrongs that marred their first two games of the season and I see them pushing on now.

Djurgardens may have the wins and some momentum but Hammarby are now into their groove and will provide a much sterner opposition than what Djurgardens have had to face so far.

All things considered I see Hammarby bringing the winning run of Djurgardens to an end, they look to me that they have finally clicked after a misfiring start to the season.

Tromso @ Valerenga

Valerenga have got off to a horrendous start this season losing all their opening four league games and find themselves firmly planted at the foot of the table.

This is not what was expected from Valerenga and they are better than this, it was a relief to see them win in the Cup midweek against non league Loten 4-1 an expected result of course, but it at least stopped the rot.

Valerenga must win today, their fans will be very anxious and on their backs, they simply cannot afford to register five consecutive league losses on the trot.

At least in Tromso they are facing an opposition that is very beatable, though they are unbeaten so far, recording three draws and a win.

Tromso will be closer to the bottom than the top come the end of the season and have already set their stall out with three consecutive draws before finally getting a win, their priority is simply not to lose and so far they are achieving that.

But, Valerenga are the better side despite their truly bad start and I am confident that they will finally get off the mark today and kick start their season.

Tromso will look to contain Valerenga but I do not see them doing that for the full 90 minutes.

Take Valerenga to cover the spread.

Crystal Palace @ Arsenal

Arsenal simply must win this game, a defeat would be horrendous for them, not only would it all but end their title hopes but also put their top four ambitions at risk.

The Gunners now sit fourth in the Premier League, if they do lose they will only be three points ahead of Man United with five games to go, not a position they want to find themselves in, that said, if they were to win then they would go back into third, maintain their slim title hopes and sit only three points bitter London rivals Tottenham.

A draw is no use either, Arsenal need the win whatever way it is dressed up and the chances are they will get it today against very limited opposition in Crystal Palace.

Palace have slipped down the table dramatically, they probably will not be relegated but they really cannot afford to take this game lightly, they are unbeaten in their last three games, 2 draws and a win, however, I cannot see that their recent stability will be enough to hold back Arsenal today.

For me Arsenal will win this, they are by far the better team, they are far more motivated, they are in front of their home fans and they are not facing the most formidable opposition.

The only question for me is will the Gunners cover the spread, I believe they will, it is high at 1.5 goals, but I am confident that this Arsenal team have enough about them to register a comfortable win this afternoon.

Molde @ Bodo/Glimt

Molde are one of the favourites to win the Norwegian championship this season and will be looking for the win to keep up with early pace setters Rosenborg.

In fact, it is going to be between Rosenborg and Molde who wins the title and the last thing that Molde will want is to fall behind their title rivals so early on.

Bodo / Glimt are a decent team by Norwegian standards, they may not win the title this season or even be in the race but they are fully expected to be near the top come the end of the season.

Molde have had a mixed start to the season really, they have not lost but two draws and two wins will have disappointed them, they would have hoped to have done slightly better, but still, not a bad start to the season.

Bodo / Glimt have also had a mixed start, winning twice and drawing and losing once, probably a sign of things to come, a few wins, some draws and the odd loss.

So, that is the scene set, two teams that have had OK starts who will be looking to go on a winning run, however, it is Molde I see doing that and not Bodo / Glimt.

I have seen both teams play this season and it is Molde that look the more settled, they have that look about them, they play positive attacking football and they just look the more accomplished side than what Bodo / Glimt do.

All things considered, based on what I have witnessed so far, based on quality of the respective teams I see Mode covering the spread today and getting the win.

AIK @ Norrkoping

Last seasons Allsvenskan champions Norrkoping host AIK in a clash between two of Sweden's top club sides.

Both sides have got off to OK starts, Norkopping lost their opening game away at Malmo but have since gone on to record two straight wins in their opening three games.

AIK have recorded two draws and a win in their opening three games and come into this game unbeaten, albeit behind the hosts in the league standings.

Norrkoping have more momentum at this point, two wins on the trot does that for you while AIK drawing at home 3-3 in their last game will have disappointed them.

It must be noted that AIK have beaten their hosts in their last two domestic meetings at Norrkoping's ground and will be looking for a hat trick today, however, I am confident that will not be the case today.

Norrkoping are the champions, they will be determined to retain the title, they have started winning after a bad start and will be very wound up for this game today.

AIK are stumbling slightly despite being unbeaten, they have drawn twice from their opening three games and they appear to be struggling to get into a winning pattern.

All things considered I see Norrkoping scraping out the win today, they just appear the more settled side at this time and have got into their stride quicker than what AIK have.

West Ham United @ Leicester City

The Leicester City bandwagon rolls on and on and it is now likely that they will win the Premier League title, they are simply too many points ahead, however if they were to stumble this is just the sort of game that it could happened.

Leicester have a lot of luck on their side, it must be said, they beat Sunderland last week 2-0 but when they were leading 1-0 Sunderland missed a sitter and should have equalised but of course they won and that is the sign of champions.

West Ham are a strong team, they are still fighting for a European spot and they must win today if they are to maintain their chances, a draw would not be a good result for the Hammers.

Leicester could draw this game and remain on course for the title, a draw for them would not be a devastating result, they would of course prefer to win, but their lead over Tottenham is such that they can afford to drop some points.

Both teams have match winners, Leicester have the likes of Vardy, Kante, Mahrez while West Ham have Carroll and Payet, point being is that West Ham, on paper, have just as strong a side as the Foxes and can match them on the pitch, as long as they play to form.

I cannot oppose Leicester outright, but neither can I oppose West Ham outright, either could win, but I can see West Ham getting something from the game, a draw is a strong possibility and weighing everything up I am confident that there is more chance of a draw or a West Ham win than a Leicester City win.

All things considered I am taking West Ham on the spreads.

Aston Villa @ Man Utd

Today will be the day that Villa get relegated, I simply cannot see how they will come away from Old Trafford with anything other than a beating.

United were undone against Tottenham last week that is true, however it was basically a ten minute period of madness for them that saw them collapse, however, in the FA Cup midweek against an in form West Ham they showed what they are truly capable of.

Villa have been utterly poor all season, 16 points at this stage of the season is woeful, they are a club in crisis, they have even cancelled their player of the year award, basically because there is not one they could pick.

United still harbour hopes of a top four spot and will be going all out for the win, they will be attacking from word go and even though they have been inconsistent this season, it would take some doing not to beat one of the poorest teams in the history of the Premier League.

I fully expect Louis van Gaal's men to win this game handsomely, by a minimum of two goals, probably more and the spread on offer is simply too good an opportunity to pass.

Take United to cover the spread today, it would be a big surprise t me if they failed to do so.

Middlesbrough @ Bolton

Top of the table facing off against the bottom club and it is not too difficult to pick who the winner will be.

The basic facts are that there is 56 points separating Middlesbrough at the top from Bolton at the bottom, Boro are in form, Bolton are not, in fact, I could roll out endless stats that would show that an away win is almost a certainty, but the standings tell you all you need to know.

So, Middlesbrough should win, but are they value? the short answer is no they are not, their odds are far too low and not for me.

What about the spreads, well, this is were it gets a little tricky and provides an opportunity for us.

The spreads have Middlesbrough giving up 1.5 goals, something they have managed to do on six occasions this season when away from home, a little expected considering they are top.

However, the interesting bit is this, in 20 home games Bolton have lost just once by more than 1.5 goals and they are rock bottom.

That tells me that even though Bolton are rank poor, they do not roll over at home, they obviously lose a lot, but not by a lot and to not lose by more than 1.5 goals in 19 of 20 home games is very telling to me.

Yes I think Middlesbrough will win, but they will struggle to cover the spread, Bolton simply do not lie down at home, even when losing.

Bottom line, I take Bolton minus 1.5 goals.