Massive game in the Polish Ekstraklasa today between third placed Lech Poznan and sixth placed Wisla Krakow.

Both sides really should make the Champions rounds, however, a loss for the home side today and they would then run the risk of missing out and instead heading for the relegation round, something they will be desperate to avoid.

The away side, Lech Poznan, are very much in the hunt for the overall title and will also be desperate for a win, so both teams are certainly motivated.

Both sides are in excellent form in terms of their respective home and away records and there is very little to separate them.

Home advantage is important and for me that is what will provide the slight edge, Wisla have won eight of their last home league games, drawing twice and no losses, in better words a team very very hard to take points off on their home turf.

Poznan are a very good away side, but on occasions have been vulnerable, they have lost three times on the road over their last ten league games away from home, but they have won six times within that sequence.

The value is with the home side, they have a solid home record and their opponents do slip up on occasions when travelling.

I am taking Ecuador to continue with their impressive home record and grab the win over Colombia in this South American world cup qualifier.

I recall backing Chile when they visited Ecuador and I was stunned at how Ecuador took them to pieces, remember that Chile have won the last two South American Championships and to see them dismantled the way they were was an eye opener.

Ecuador have lost at home, they got beat 3-0 by Brazil but that was their only loss in their last 14 home games in this competition, a sequence that saw them win 11 of those 14 games.

Colombia are a good team of course, but they are vulnerable away from home and with just three wins away in this competition over their last ten games on the road does indicate that they are hardly a formidable away side.

Ecuador won the last time these two played in this competition when Ecuador were at home and I see that being repeated once again tonight.

Take Ecuador on the spread.

Norway would be desperate for a win in this encounter as they hope to kick start their qualifying campaign. They have taken only 3 points from their opening 4 matches which is a far cry from the days of lethal strikers like Ole Gunnar Solskjear and John Carew.

Northern Ireland have kept three clean sheets in their last four matches, and their attackers have similarly been impressive helping to boost their chance of qualifying for a second major tournament after appearing at Euro 2016. If they keep their heads down and keep working hard as in previous fixtures, this could well be another win for them.

Norway have been anything but impressive so far, their defence have let in seven goals so far and their attackers have been goal shy, with the team scoring only three goals so far. They are currently in a hopeless situation, only a win can breathe hope into their campaign.

The Irish are at home and know where the goal is and the Norwegians are not exactly the best defenders, but I do see both teams scoring at least once and am confident that one of the teams, probably Northern Ireland, will go on and win.

This game is one that will determine the destiny of both teams involved, with Romania and Denmark out of the top two spots in their group. 

Romania took four points from their first two qualifying fixtures against Montenegro and Armenia. However, they have failed to score a single goal in their last two matches against Poland and Kazakhstan. This makes this game a win or bust game for them.

Denmark started this qualifying series with a win against Armenia, but lost their next two fixtures against Poland and Montenegro to put themselves in a tough situation, needing at least a win to keep their world cup qualifying hopes alive. 

Denmark do have Christian Erickson, who has returned to goal-scoring form for his club Tottenham. He has scored in his last two games against Milwall and Southampton. He is also their leading scorer in this qualification series. 

If the Romanians can contain him and with home advantage I am confident they will not lose, therefore they are the value pick at scratch in this game.

Group F leaders, England will resume their qualifying campaign against Lithuania. England are favourites with 10 points from four games, while Lithuania are fourth with five points from four games.

England have not been convincing so far in the qualifiers. They struggled to win 1-0 at Slovakia in their first game, also beat a lowly rated Malta 2-0 at home, drawing with Slovenia, before showing superiority over their neighbours Scotland with a 3-0 win. They are yet to meet up with the high expectations placed on them when one considers the limited opposition they have faced.

Lithuania seem to be taking the underdog tag well, they were impressive in their first three fixtures. They recorded draws against Scotland and Slovenia in their first two fixtures before beating Malta 2-0 in the next fixture. However, they were humbled by Slovakia, who eased past them with a 4-0 score line. 

England are at home, they will be looking to put in a fine performance and the truth is that Slovakia beating Lithuania 4-0 was probably the right result and I see no reason why England cannot win by the same sort of score.

Czech Republic would consider this fixture a favourable one to help them get back in the race for second place in their qualifying group. This is as easy as it gets. 

San Marino are the whipping boys of this group. They have lost their opening four qualifying games with so much ease, scoring a single goal and conceding at 16. The last time they were in a qualifying series, they picked up one point in a goalless draw against Estonia, however, they are certainly not going to score a goal let alone score a point in this fixture.

Czech Republic are not having the qualifying campaign they would have hoped for at the start of the series. They could not record a win in their first three fixtures, even failing to beat either Northern Ireland or Azerbaijan on their home turf. However, a spirited performance helped the team earn a 2-1 win over Norway the last time out.

The bottom line is this, the Czechs will run riot and I see them scoring for fun, I cannot imagine them conceding and this will predictably be a one-sided game with the Czech Republic winning by 5 goals or more.

Ireland currently sit at the top of Group D on 10 points, while Wales have  six points, so if Ireland win they will have a huge seven point lead over the Welsh, an unthinkable state of affairs for Chris Coleman's men, especially if they want to make the world cup in Russia next year.

Group D is a six team group, the winners go through and the second side is in for a possible play off, four games have been played out of a possible ten, so for Wales to fall that seven points behind with just five games remaining would be significant.

Wales are actually third at the moment, Serbia are second and that has to play a part as well, if the Serbs win away at Georgia and they should do, then a defeat tonight for Wales really would be a massive hit to their ambitions.

So, Wales have to win, as simple as that, a draw would not be disastrous, but a win really is what is needed.

Ireland of course realise all this as well, they are in front of their own passionate fans and will know the significance of a win.

So the scene is set, question is who will win?

Well, for me no one, I am of the opinion that the most likely outcome is a draw, though the Welsh do have a slight edge overall for me.

The Welsh are the better side in my opinion but they are not playing the way they did in Euro 2016, if they did then I reckon they could win this one.

But, the Irish are no slouches, they are a tough team to beat, especially at their own ground, they are well organised, have a good management structure. have the motivation and know how the Welsh play.

We have two teams here that will be going for the win, two teams that need the win for different reasons, but both also know the cost of a defeat and while each side will want to win I also expect them to be conservative and be slightly risk averse, a draw, while not great for Wales, is probably an acceptable result for both side.

Now, the draw is not available for me on here, so I will take Wales at scratch on the spreads, I think if we was to see a winner it would be the Welsh as they have more reason to go for the win and if it is a draw then at least the stake is returned.

I believe the least likely outcome is an Ireland win.

Atlanta United return home after demolishing Minnesota United FC last Sunday, to host another fast rising team, Chicago Fire. Both clubs come into this game with good results from last week, with Chicago Fire beating Real Salt Lake 2-0 at home.  

Atlanta United would be hoping to follow their record breaking defeat of Minnesota United FC last Sunday with a win against Chicago Fire to continue making a statement that they are for real. 

The Fire are also enjoying a good season, after finishing the 2015 and 2016 MLS season at rock bottom. Their stunning improvement is down partly to their new central midfield pairing of MLS veterans, Dax McCarty and Juninho.  This midfield partnership and a dangerous attack led by striker Nemanja Nikolic, have catapulted them to new heights this season.

Despite their away win against Minnesota United FC, Atlanta are still looking for their first home win of the season.

This is a tough game, but I think Chicago Fire would get a point from this game and will therefore take the Fire on the spread with a 1/2 ball start.

This battle of Canadian rivals is an interesting game, with both teams looking for a first win of the year. The caps come into this game after losing 3-2 at San Jose last weekend and a hard fought 2-0 loss at Tigres in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League semifinals on Tuesday. While Toronto drew their last game 2-2 against Philadelphia.

This game is the third in eight days for the Caps who are still searching for their first win of 2017. They will be looking to pick up maximum points to help them forget a difficult last week. Despite a busy schedule both on air and on the ground, the Caps will be in no mood to take it easy on their rivals, and would be anxious to get their season going with a win.

For Toronto, this would be their third straight match away from home. They have been impressive so far, picking a point in each of their last two away games. They would be thrilled at the prospect of picking a win before playing their first home game next week.

Since Toronto have been impressive away so far, I give them the advantage in this match.

David Villa and Ignacio Piatti wILL be the superstar attraction in this game, with both players enjoying a good run of form so far. David Villa scored two and assisted one against DC united while Piatti scored one and assisted another in his last outing against Seattle Sounders.

Montreal have not had the most positive start to the league so far, losing a late lead to draw with the Sounders and putting a poor performance against San Jose. Despite a loss to Orlando City, NYCFC have been impressive in the two games they have played so far this season.

Playing at home, NYCFC seem to have developed a good habit of being unbeatable. Their defence has been solid so far, and their attack led by Moralez, Rodney Wallace, Jack Harrison, and Villa is capable to terrorising any defence.

The Impact are a good counter attacking team, which might give them an advantage over NYCFC who love to possess the ball. Ignacio Piatti might be the player to finally break down this resilient NYCFC defence, after showing how deadly he can be in his last game.

NYCFC have not lost any of their last nine home games in the league, winning eight and drawing one.

This would be a tight game, but I am confident that New York will emerge the winners.

I like the look of Bournemouth in this one and take them to get all three points against Swansea City today.

Bournemouth finally got back to winning ways last week against West Ham winning 3-2, that result followed on from a 1-1 draw at Man Utd and the signs are that Eddie Howes men have finally started to get their act together.

Swansea have lost their last three away games on the bounce, though in all fairness two of those losses were against Chelsea and Man City, but their most recent away loss was against Hull City and that defeat alone shows you the problems that Swansea still have.

Swansea have turned the corner a little at home, but they are still in bad shape when it comes to playing away and against a resurgent Bournemouth I am of the opinion that their current bad away form will continue.

It will no doubt be an exciting game, but with home advantage I am confident that Bournemouth will emerge the winners.

Crystal Palace enter this game after finally putting together some decent results and they will be hoping to continue their good form with yet another win today.

Palace have a horrendous run in as the season enters its final quarter and know that this is the exact sort of game they really must claim all three points.

Watford are clearly a home side, their record away from home is not good and they will be desperate to put up a good show today and avoid yet another road defeat.

The bottom line is this, Palace are in very good form at long last while Watford have hit the wall, so on paper you would go with a home win, but there is more to it than just whats on paper.

Watford will see Palace as just the sort of opposition that they can get result from and possibly get back tow inning ways, whereas Palace will see Watford exactly the same, a team they can beat.

Basically I see goals in this game, I expect Palace to go all out for the win, they simply must do that and the chances are they will win this one, but Watford also will fancy their chances and I can see them scoring at least once.

So, if I see Palace winning and Watford scoring then the most logical and value pick is over 2.5 goals.

Sunderland come into this fixture with an undesirable record of one win in ten games, they are also without a win and a goal in their last three league matches. Burnley is on a run of five consecutive games without a win, though four of those games have been away from home. Both teams would hope to improve on their recent woeful league results.

Burnley are a very difficult side to break down when facing the top six opponents, but they have not shown the same resilience when facing teams further down the table.

Sunderland would be hoping that Jermaine Defoe who was recently invited into the English national team will inspire them to a win.

Burnley who are 12th on the league table are under less pressure, with their safety almost guaranteed, while Sunderland are bottom of the table, and would be anxious to get a result in this game to kick start their bid for premier league survival.

I see this game being a very cagey affair with Sunderland both anxious and conservative at the same time, I expect Burnley to be a little more free in their play and I am of the opinion that there is more chance of a Burnley win than a Sunderland win, however, not enough to go with the Clarets outright and will take them with the safety net of a 0 spread.

Despite reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, Leicester city is still in a relegation fight with just three points above the relegation zone. West Ham’s inconsistent performances might give Leicester an edge over them, as Shakespeare looks to continue his winning start as caretaker manager.

Leicester are a resurgent side with two wins in their last two league matches, and seem to have gotten into the form that saw them win the league last season.

West Ham has lost two consecutive league game, and are inconsistent in the league so far. 

Both teams are 11th and 15th on the league table, but Leicester need the points more as they hope to avoid relegation and an unwanted legacy.

Although West Ham are a good side and have no major injury problems, they are currently on a poor run of form and this would still be a tough game for them.

Both teams would be looking to get the maximum points, but I think Leicester would continue their winning run with a win in this fixture.

All things considered the value pick is to take Leicester at scratch on the spreads.

The first leg finished 1-1 and therefore the advantage lies with Borussia, they also have the away goal and I expect them to go on and qualify for the next round.

Schalke missed a great opportunity in the first leg and now they are away I see them struggling, they have not won away in their last five Bundesliga games, they have just two away wins in their last ten games and one of those was against a lower league side in the German cup.

Borussia have lost just three times in their last 19 home games in the Bundesliga and that is important considering they are playing a fellow Bundesliga side.

Bottom line for me is that all the advantage is with the home side and I fully expect them to win this game, they have the home form against German sides, whereas Schalke are poor on the road at this moment in time.

Besiktas welcome Olympiakos in what could prove to be one hell of a game.

When Turkish and Greek sides meet they tend to be passionate affairs and the fact that these two are also top of their respective leagues makes this all the more interesting.

There really is little to choose between them, Besiktas may well have home advantage but I am not sure that will faze Olympiakos too much.

This game could go either way and is perfectly set up for a see saw encounter.

For me this game will be about goals, over 2.5 in fact and I will provide no stats or anything like that to back that up, this is all about my opinion and gut feeling and how I see this game unfolding.

Because the first leg finished 1-1 Besikatas have a slight advantage with the away goal, which means that Olympiakos must go for at least one goal and I expect them to get that.

If Olympiakos do get the goal I expect them to get,  then Besiktas must themselves score and again I expect them to do just that.

The real question is, will either of these two sides score twice within 90 minutes and I believe one at least will do, they both have the capabilities and with the game poised the way it is then the circumstances are perfectly set up for just that to happen.

Take over 2.5 goals.

Genk absolutely hammered Gent in the first game between these two and now have home advantage, they are almost certainly through bar a miracle.

But that first game was an aberration, I am sure if it was played another five times that Gent would win four times, how they managed to collapse so quick I will never know, but fair dues to Genk, they took advantage and handing out a thrashing.

Just because Genk won 5-2 does not make them the better side, they are behind Gent in the league and head to head between the pair are fairly even.

I actually think Gent will win this one and make up for the humiliation of the first game, they will not qualify, the lead is too big, but they will regain some pride.

I see Genk playing conservatively and this will allow Gent some freedom to attack, it is not like they have much to lose now.

Take Gent to win.

Tricky game this one but I am confident that Roda will not lose and are more likely to get the win than their opponents.

Roda may be in the relegation zone but their home record is far better than they are given credit for. They have lost just twice in their last home fixtures, not a bad return for a team second bottom and a close look at those results is quite revealing.

At home over those last eight games Roda have drawn with PSV, Utrecht and AZ, 3rd, 4th and 6th in the league, their two losses were against Feyenoord and Ajax, currently 1st and 2nd in the league and when they have played teams outside the top six they have a record of two wins and a draw with no losses in that eight game sequence.

So you can see that Roda form at home over the last eight games is not that bad, not bad at all.

Groningen have just two wins from their last nine away league games and while some of their losses have also been against the top teams they have stilled failed to beat lowly teams on the road, though in all fairness their away record is not as bad as it looks on paper if you dig deep into the analysis.

But the reason I am going with Roda over Groningen is that Roda are in better form at home than Groningen are away and while a draw is a strong possibility (not available as a choice on here) there is more chance of a home win than an away win in my opinion.

Massive game as per usual when these two meet and I am taking Celtic not only to win, but to win comfortably.

The stats for Celtic are awesome, they are almost unbeatable in Scotland and at home they are phenomenal and I cannot see how that will change today.

A few years back Rangers will have been far more competitive, but not at this moment in time, maybe in a couple of years time things will have evened up again, but as things stand now, Celtic are far superior.

Before I analysed this game I had decided that I would back Celtic to win with a spread as high as -2.5, so to get -1.5 is simply a gift and one I will gratefully accept.

It is very rare that I take odds below +100, but it is fully justified in this instance and I will be very surprised if Celtic do not win this game by at least two goals and probably by three or more.

Tricky games this but I am confident that West Ham will avoid the loss and most likely win.

Bournemouth are in terrible shape, they have not won in their last seven Premier League games and even the draw last week at Man Utd should not be taken at face value, they were very lucky to escape that game with a point, United really should have won and won easily, but their poor finishing let them down.

Bournemouth may take some comfort from that draw though and that could be the result that kicks starts their season again, but I doubt it.

West Ham are not doing that much better overall, but away from home they are in decent form, they have lost just once in their last six away games  and have won three of their last five road matches.

The form of West Ham away and the form of Bournemouth overall gives me confidence that West Ham will not lose this game and taking them on the spread is the best option.

This is a very difficult game to choose a winner, but that does not mean that there is not a great opportunity for us to make a profit.

The pick for me in this game is over 2.5 goals and the reason is simple.

When Hull are at home the goals flow, when Swansea are away from home the goals flow and there is no reason why that flow will not continue today.

Lets look at some stats.

The last six Hull City home Premier League games have seen over 2.5 goals in five of them, that is a definite pattern.

The last six away games in the Premier League for Swansea have seen over 2.5 goals in all six, in fact it goes back to seven games.

Now, if you add in the fact that both sides are desperate to avoid relegation and will both be going full force for a win then it is easy to anticipate an open game.

Take the over 2.5 goals.

I take Everton to get a positive result at home against West Brom this afternoon in England.

Everton are in decent form at the moment, yes they lost to Tottenham last week but that is hardly a shock, truth is they were expected to lose that game, but they did equip themselves well, they were a little unfortunate and their confidence would not have been dented following that defeat.

Everton are fairly strong at home, they have won their last four home games in the Premier League and that includes a 4-0 thrashing of Man City and a 3-0 defeat of Southampton, two highly impressive results.

West Brom are West Brom, an average side always content with safety and maintaining their place in the Premier League, they are at best inconsistent and at worse predictable. They have won just once from their last seven league games on the road and while they do not get hammered that often, they did lose 4-0 against Tottenham.

All things considered Everton look good for the win, the only issue is the handicap set, though if you look around there is lower handicaps with good value odds available, but unfortunately I have to go with what is on offer here.

I really fancy Lyngby to get the win today against struggling Viborg.

Viborg sit rock bottom of the table, though they have turned things around recently with an impressive unbeaten run covering their last five league games. 

Also, away from home Viborg have won two and drawn one of their last three away games, so something has happened to turn their fortunes around slightly, but I cannot see them maintaining this form for much longer and against Lyngby I see them finally losing that unbeaten run.

Weirdly, while Viborg have turned their fortunes around slightly, Lyngby have regressed a bit, they have not won at home in their last five league games, but the last two games have ended in draws following three losses, so at least they have stopped the flow of losses at home.

That said, Lynbgy are on an unbeaten four match run overall, those two home draws have been complimented by two away wins, so they are not in a rut and have obviously worked out how to stop the rot.

For me Lyngby will have too much for Viborg today, they have finally come back to some semblance of form and while Viborg are also in form I am not convinced they can or will maintain it.

Lyngby for me to get the win.

I like the look of Gent in this one and take them to beat Genk today in the Europa League.

Gent are quite formidable at home, they have won five from their last six on their own turf in all competitions and lets not forget what they did to Tottenham in the last round of this competition.

Genk are very inconsistent away from home, they win the odd game, lose the odd game and draw the odd game and the last time these two met in Gent, the home side prevailed 1-0.

It will be a close game, of that I have no doubts, there is just two points separating them in their domestic league and previous games between these two have been tight, but the current form of Gent is slightly better, they have home advantage and their confidence is very high following their win over Spurs.

All things considered I am taking Gent to win this one.

This is a match where we expect to see very few number of goals considering the defensive form of both Ajax and Copenhagen. 

Ajax are currently on an unbeaten six game run away from home in all competitions. FC Copenhagen on the other side has three clean sheets in their last three home matches.

It should also be noted that Ajax have never lost against a Danish team away from their home.

Ajax have been unbeaten in their last 11 Europa League games and will be looking to extend that run.

Considering the form of Ajax I am more confident of them getting a result in this game than the home side and take them to cover the spread.

Manchester United are now focused on the Europa League after their weekend draw against Bournemouth. 

Manchester United being sixth in the Premier League might be considering the Europa League as a better way to qualifying for next seasons Champions League.

Rostov however have been a tough nut to crack this season, remember they beat Bayern Munich 3-2 in Russia. 

Jose Mourinho appears to already be looking for excuses, moaning about the pitch, and when that happens it tends to lead to a negative result for the Portuguese maestro.

Basically, I fancy Rostov to get some sort of result in this game and will take them to cover the spread.

Inconsistent Birmingham host relegation threatened Wigan in this English championship game.

Birmingham may be safe from relegation this season even though they are in a lowly 17th place, but they cannot get too complacent, a few losses and they will find themselves fighting for survival.

Birmingham have lost their last two games at home, and from the last eight games (including home and away) they have lost six games and won twice. they really need to do better.

Wigan however are doing worse, over their last eight games they have won once, lost four times and drawn three times and on the road they have lost their last two on the bounce, though in all fairness they have won twice on the road from their last five away games.

Bottom line here is that Birmingham should really win this one, they are playing a team in awful overall form and who are there for the taking.

A great match between Napoli and Real Madrid is on the cards this evening in the Champions League.

Madrid ended up winning 3-1 in the first leg in Spain, a two goal deficit that Napoli will need to overcome, though they do have the away goal to their name, so not an impossible task.

Both sides have great players to call on, Real may have the edge in superstars but Napoli are at home and in front of their fervent fans will feel confident they can match Real on the field of play.

Reals midfield is formidable and with Ronaldo and Benzema up front Napoli will be hard pushed to keep a clean sheet for the entire 90 minutes.

I actually think that Napoli will win on the night, but not by enough to progress, I fully expect that Real will score at least once and a 2-1 scoreline looks good.

All things considered I will back Napoli to win but to be knocked out at the same time.

Brondby really should win this game, the only question for me is, how many will they win by? I expect it to be by at least a couple of goals.

Facts are simple, Brondby are the clear second best side in Denmark while Nordsjalland are just four points off bottom spot.

Brondby have won their last five from six home games and drawn the other while Nordsjalland have won just once in their last ten road games.

Now, Nordsjalland have managed a few draws away from home and Brondby have not always won easily at home, but the respective form and league positions makes a home win an almost certainty and for me there is far more chance of Brondby winning by at least two goals than not winning.

All things considered I am going for a clear home win and for Brondby to beat the spread.

I am going with Utrecht to win this one and win it by a couple of goals.

Den Haag are looking relegation in the face, whereas Utrecht are fighting for a spot in Europe next season, there is 22 points difference between these two teams and with home advantage Utrecht really should win and win comfortably.

Den Haag have been woeful away losing 9 from 11 road games, they have lost six of their last seven league games, drawing the other and are in awful form at this time.

Utrecht have won four from their last five games in the league and have lost just three times from their last 18 league games and those losses were to Ajax twice and PSV, two of the top three teams in the league.

All the conditions are here for Utrecht to get a good home win, they in form playing a team in horrendous form at the bottom of the league., 

I like the look of Silkeborg in this one and believe they are good value for a home win.

Silkeborg are misfiring slightly at the moment but they have a very good home record at the moment, they are unbeaten in their last eight home games, winning five and drawing three and while I accept that overall they have had a mediocre season and that their earlier home form was terrible, their current form at home is very solid.

Randers have lost their last six league games on the bounce, now that is bad form and have just one win from their last eight road games.

Now, Randers are actually above Silkeborg in the league, but recent form and their respective home and away records points to Silkeborg having the edge and with the odds available they are the value pick. 

I like the look of Boavista in this one, they are certainly the value pick.

Lets have a look at the recent form of the respective teams which will help us see where that value lies.

Over their last five away games Boavista have won three and drawn two, that includes a 3-3 draw with league leaders Benfica and wins over two teams above Moreirense in the standings.

Over the same period of five games at home Moreirense have won just once, lost two and drawn two and that win and two draws were against teams below Boavista in the table.

Boavista won 2-0 against Moreirense in the reverse fixture earlier on in the season and it is only Boavista that has improved on last seasons form.

Boavista are 14 goals better off in terms of goal difference than Moreirense and a win for the away side would see them go sixth,whereas a win for the home side would see them no better than fourth bottom.

Basically Boavista have had the better season and are in better form and the odds on them getting the win today are just too good to miss.

I am confident that we will see at least three goals in this game.

The stats are very mixed I will admit, however I am not basing my opinion on stats with regards to this game, but rather the way I see the game unfolding.

It is fairly simple logic that I am applying here, based on what I feel each team will achieve in this match up.

I expect Midtjylland to win, however I also expect that Lyngby will find the net on at least one occasion and therefore the logical outcome must be over 2.5 goals.

My reasoning is simple, Midtjylland are averaging exactly two goals per game at home and while they have been a little scratchy recently they did bounce back to form in their last match.

Lyngby have scored in eight of their last ten away games and are not an easy team to put away, they are just one point behind Midtjylland in the league and on form there is very little to choose between them.

Home advantage is important here and that is why I am confident we will see a home win and Lyngby have shown that they know how to score on the road, therefore over 2.5 goals is my pick based on the logic I am applying.

Rangers season has gone off the tracks slightly in the last few weeks, but I am confident that today is the day when they sort themselves out.

They have not won in their last four Premiership games, though three of them were away from home and the one at home was a draw, but even so, it is a poor run by their standards.

St Johnstone have won their last two away games and so on the face of it it is easy to see why confidence in Rangers is low, but a closer look at the recent results for the respective teams highlights the value that Rangers are today.

At home Rangers have lost just once this season and that was just recently against Celtic, hardly a surprise to be fair and St Johnstone are no Celtic.

St Johnstone may have won their last two away games but they lost the two before that and have won just three of their last eight Premiership games home or away.

Point is this, despite their poor form at the moment Rangers remain a formidable side at home while St Johnstone remain an inconsistent side when on the road.

I fully expect Rangers to win this game, question is by how many and in my opinion there is more chance of them winning by two or more goals than not and therefore I am backing them on the spread.

I am confident that Feyenoord will get the better of PSV Eindhoven today.

Feyenoord are the league leaders in the Netherlands, a clear eight points ahead of PSV, they have a great home record winning ten and drawing two from their 12 home games and not registering a single loss all season on their home turf.

It has to be said that PSV are also unbeaten away from home this season, drawing four and winning seven, but in all honesty that is not really that surprising, teams like PSV, Ajax and Feyenoord do tend to dominate this league.

But, the form over the whole season has favoured Feyenoord and with home advantage, even against PSV, I do expect them to prevail, it will be a close game but home advantage could be significant today

All things considered I am going for a home win.

I am backing Watford to claim a home win over West Ham United today.

Watford are not an easy team to beat at home, they have lost on four occasions on their home turf, but three of those losses were against Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal. Against lesser sides Watford tend to win and West Ham are certainly not one of the better sides.

That said, West Ham have been doing better recently on the road, they have won three of their last four Premier League away games, which was a change from their previous form on the road.

I do not trust West Ham when they are away, they are far too inconsistent, I have much more trust in Watford when they are at home and I am more confident that Watford will win than I am that this game will end in a draw or an away win.

All things considered I am going for a home win.

I am going with Brighton to win this game and cover the spread.

Brighton have won ten and drawn three of their last 13 Championship home games, a formidable record, they are second in the table and desperate to maintain that position and guarantee automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Reading are no walkovers I admit, they are currently sixth and occupy a play off spot, but their away record does not inspire, they have won just seven times from 16 away games and are just as capable of losing by more than a single goal as they are of not doing so.

Brighton are simply in better form, they have home advantage and are playing a team with a very average away record, all things considered I am going for Brighton to win this game and win it by at least two goals.

I am very confident that Utrecht will get the win in this one.

It is true that PEC have won their last two away games  but they were against the bottom two in the league, prior to those results they have won just once way all season long, they are not what you would class as a top Dutch side by any stretch of the imagination.

Utrecht are not one of the elite Dutch sides either, but they are certainly a better outfit that PEC and they will see this game as a great opportunity to claim three points and solidify their position in a Europa League play off spot.

Utrecht have lost just one home game in their last 8 home fixtures and that was against second placed Ajax, it should also be noted that they drew at home 3-3 against League leaders Feyenoord.

My confidence is very high that Utrecht will win easily today.

I cannot see anything other than a clear win today for Cardiff City.

Rotherham are woeful, they are rock bottom of the Championship on just 17 points, they will be relegated that is a certainty and they are nothing more than cannon fodder at this stage of the season. They have lost 15 of their 16 away games this season, drawing the other one, now that is an exceptionally poor away record by any metric.

Cardiff have won 5 of their last 8 home games, drawing one and their two losses in that period were against Norwich City and Barnsley, two teams above them in the league.

This really is a mismatch of a game and I simply cannot see how Cardiff will not win this one and win it by a couple of goals.

Take Cardiff on the spreads.

I fully expect that Hearts will win this one and win it by at least two goals.

Inverness are rock bottom, they have won just once on the road all season, they have lost on eight occasions and drawn three, they are not a good road side that is for sure.

Hearts beat Inverness earlier in the season at home 5-1 and there is very little evidence to suggest that this game will be any closer.

Hearts have lost just twice at home and those losses were against runaway leaders Celtic and second placed Aberdeen.

Whatever way I look at this game struggle to see any case for Inverness, they are a very weak team and away to Hearts is not a game I see them getting anything from.

I am taking Burnley to win this FA Cup match and to win it comfortably.

I do not expect Burnley to put out their very best side today but I do expect that they will field a team with mostly first team players and with their very impressive home record I cannot see anything other than a clear home win today.

Lincoln are a non league side playing a Premier League side and that will clearly show today.

I understand there are romantics out there that will be hoping for a FA Cup shock, but I just do not see it happening, the gulf in class is far too big and fitness will tell come the end of the game.

I see Burnely running out big winners in this one and am very happy to take what I regard as a low spread.

Big game for both sides and I am going with Newcastle to sneak the win.

There is 15 points between these two with Newcastle at the top and Norwich in 7th position. Both sides will want the win so that they can continue their drive to their respective end of season targets, what they will want to avoid is defeat.

The reason I am going with Newcastle is that Norwich are too inconsistent at this level, they may have won their last four at home but prior to that they lost three from five at home and while their recent run has got them back on track for a play off spot they are more than susceptible to going on another bad run.

Newcastle are also on a good recent run, be it on the road or at home, they have lost the odd game but generally speaking they bounce back quickly, they do not do losing runs and over the whole season so far (30 games) they have shown remarkable consistency.

If both sides play to their true ability then I expect Newcastle to grind out the win.

I am going with Northampton to get the win this evening and win by a couple of goals.

This game is all about current form for me, Northampton are in decent form whereas Swindon are on a terrible run.

Northampton have hardly had a great season but they have won their last two home games and they have a great chance of extending that to three wins on the bounce. They won both those games by two and three goals respectively and those opponents were the bottom side and the second bottom side, Swindon currently occupy third bottom.

Swindon have lost their last four games in a row in league one and have won just once in their last 11 league games, they have won just two from 16 away games this season and have lost seven of their last nine away games.

Northampton may well not be a great team but they are beating those in relegation places and I fully expect them to continue that pattern against a woeful Swindon.

I really like the look of Scunthorpe in this one and am very confident they will win and win comfortably.

Scunthorpe currently sit second in the league and occupy an automatic promotion spot, they have lost their last two league games, but for me that is just a blip and I do expect them to get back to winning ways today, they have lost just once at home this season and that was at the weekend, a surprising result that is very much out of character.

Walsall are in 12th place 16 points behind Scunthorpe, they lost 4-1 away at Bolton at the weekend and have won just three times on the road from 16 games, they have drawn a lot but they are playing the second placed team in the league and even a draw is a big ask.

All things considered I expect Scunthorpe to get back to winning ways today, I just do not see Walsall having enough to get even the draw and a backlash is on the cards here.

I fancy Benfica to beat Dortmund this evening and will be backing them on the spread.

Benfica do not lose at home that often, this season in all competitions they have lost just the once on their home ground and that was against Napoli in the group qualification stage, they have lost just twice domestically this season and sit top of the Portuguese league.

Dortmund on the other hand are not exactly setting the world alight, they sit 4th in the Bundesliga and are already 15 points behind leaders Bayern Munich, they have only won three times on the road domestically this season and lost away to bottom of the table Darnstadt at the weekend.

The bottom line for me is that Benfica are an extremely strong home side playing a side that have struggled to get anything from their travels this season.

I was tempted to back Benfica outright but the value was taking them on the spreads with the safety net of this pick being a draw no bet.

I am going to take Tottenham to beat a struggling Liverpool this afternoon.

When two of the big sides meet it really is a question of judgement as stats and form tend to have less of an impact.

If it is stats that we are to look at then Tottenham have the win all day long, they are in fantastic form, Liverpool are not, but that ignores the attitudes and motivation of the players involved.

It cannot be denied that players get more motivated when they play a big team and I do expect Liverpool to offer a better account of themselves than they have done recently against some poor teams, this is Tottenham they are facing and the Liverpool players I am sure will have the right attitude, but I am convinced that will not be enough to get them the win.

Tottenahm are simply the better side, they are second in the league for a reason, because they are a damn good side and I just do not believe that Liverpool have the players or confidence to win this one.

Like I say it is about judgement when it comes to the big games and in my judgement it is Tottenham they will show their superiority and get the win at Anfield.

I am going with Stoke City to record a home win over Crystal Palace today.

Against bottom six sides Stoke have won 6 from 8 home matches, they have lost just once in their last five Premier League games and are unbeaten in their last six home games, albeit they have drawn four of those games.

Palace are in a mess at the moment, they have won just once away in their last nine road games and that was their most recent away game against Bournemouth. Another small factor to bear in mind is that they have conceded first in 15 of their last 20 away games and against Stoke that is not what they will want to be doing.

Stoke are a strong home side against the weaker teams and Palace are a weaker side and I do expect them to collect all three points today.

I am going with Sunderland to get a mini surprise home win against an inconsistent Southampton.

Sunderland have lost 50% of their home games this season and won just three times, however they do seem to have halted their recent poor form and home draws against Tottenham and Liverpool and losing by a single goal to league leaders Chelsea shows that they are not an easy team to beat on their home turf in recent weeks, in fact just two losses at home from their last seven matches at the Stadium of Light confirms this.

Southampton on the other hand have lost their last three away games on the bounce, they have won just twice from their last 12 away games in the league and six losses from their last seven Premier League games shows a team that is simply not in good form at all.

There is no ignoring the respective league positions of these two teams, but recent results indicate to me that Sunderland are excellent value here and that they have a great opportunity to record a win over the struggling Saints.

I like the look of West Ham in this one and will be backing them to collect all three points against West Brom today.

West Ham at home are getting better, yes they have been soundly beaten by the very best teams but when they play the teams below the best they intend to win, a look at their last six home games prove this, they lost to Man Utd, Arsenal and Man City but beat Burnley, Hull and Palace.

West Brom for their part have just two wins from their last 11 away games, they do draw a lot, but the bottom line is that they really do struggle to get wins on the road.

This will be a tight game I am sure, but the home advantage that West Ham will enjoy today I believe will be the difference between the two sides and that they will sneak the win by a single goal.

I am going with Man Utd to get the win against a very poor Leicester side and to win it comfortably.

United have been struggling in front of goal recently but be assured that it is only a matter of time before they punish a side heavily and the circumstances of this game are perfect for them

United are on a 14 game unbeaten run in the Premier League, they have drawn their last three but in all fairness they were the better team and should have won those games, their problem is in front of the goal but I believe it is temporary.

Leicester are in very bad shape, they have gone from Champions to relegation contenders and two wins in their last 15 league games does not bode well, they have scored just once in their last six Premier games and there is no sign that they are on the verge of stopping the rot.

This game is perfectly set up for United and if they can manage to convert chances in to goals they will win convincingly.

I like the value of Brighton in this one and will be going with them to get the win.

Brighton are currently second in the league and looking good for an automatic promotion spot, they have lost their last two away games, but their overall form is excellent and those two losses were their only losses in their last 22 Championship games.

Brentford have won just two of their last nine league games at home, they are far from being a formidable home side and they do tend to lose to teams in the top half of the Championship. They lost 2-1 at home to Newcastle just recently and do not have a good record against the top ten sides.

Bottom line for me is this, if Brighton play to form they will win and I am confident that they will do that.

Brighton to win.

I am confident that Tottenham will win this one by at least two goals.

Tottenham uncharacteristically drew 0-0 with Sunderland last time out and you can be absolutely sure that they will have been very frustrated by that result, they will be determined to bounce back in front of their home fans with a good win to get their title challenge back on track.

Middlesbrough are not that bad a side, they are of course one of the inferior teams and are expected to be in the relegation dog fight but they can be difficult to break down, but playing against one of the best attacking sides in the league will probably be too much for them and I do expect them to ship goals today.

When Tottenham are in the mood they score freely and I fully expect this game to be a one way affair with Spurs attacking throughout and the question for me is will Boro be able to contain Tottenham, the answer is no.

I see Spurs winning this one by at least two goals, probably more and am happy to take the restrictive odds on this one. 

I like the look of Everton in this one.

Everton are getting better, they have four wins and two draws from their last six Premier League fixtures and at home are a difficult side to get anything from.

Bournemouth are limited, especially away from home and just two wins on the road this season proves that.

Everton have the better players, are in better form, are at home and it is difficult to see them not winning.

The issue for me was the spread, I would have preferred it to be less than the one goal but I do believe that there is more chance of the Toffees winning by two goals than not winning and so am happy to take them on the spread.

For me the worse case scenario is they win by just one goal and stakes are returned.

Take Everton -1

Massive game this between two of the top English Premier League sides.

The truth is that either team can win this one, Chelsea are favourites because they are in better form and are the home side, but Arsenal are more than capable of beating Chelsea if they play to their best form.

It is never easy to pick a winner when two top sides face off, but that does not mean that there is not a good opportunity to be had.

The odds on over 2.5 goals are a little low for me but I am very confident that both sides will score and that one of them will score at least twice.

This will be an entertaining attacking game between two sides that know how score and with Chelsea at home and Arsenal looking to bounce back from a shock home defeat against Watford I do see both sides going for the win.

All things considered I am going for over 2.5 goals.

I am going with Stoke to do no worse than draw at home against Everton.

Stoke have not lost at home since last November, since then they have won twice and drawn three times at the Britannia Stadium and that includes holding Man Utd to a draw, they are not an easy team to beat at home.

Everton away form in the league has picked up, they are unbeaten in their last three away games, but prior to that they were rank poor and the opposition recently has hardly been the best. Stoke are a much tougher opponent than the likes of Crystal Palace, Hull City and Leicester City and I am yet to be convinced that Everton can beat a team with a decent home record,

For this pick to actually lose then Everton must win, I am more confident that Stoke will either win or the game ends in a draw than I am of an away win.

Therefore Stoke on the spreads is the value pick.

Massive game this one and I see goals in it.

Liverpool need a win, they have had a dreadful January and in front of their home fans I fully expect them to give this a real go.

Chelsea are flying, we all know this, they are scoring for fun and if you take the loss to Tottenham out of the equation you will see that they have been beating anyone they faced knocking in 20 goals in six of their last seven games in all competitions.

I cannot predict a winner here if I am honest, Liverpool could do a Tottenham in front of their home fans and dominate Chelsea, while the Blues  could easily do a Swansea and put three past Liverpool on their home turf.

What I am very confident in is that both teams will be attack minded and that goals will come.

All things considered over 2.5 goals for me.

I am going with Burnley to win this one.

I have lost total confidence in Leicester City and the statistics back me up in that belief.

Burnley actually have the fifth best home record in the Premier League, better than both Man City and Man Utd while Leicester have the second worst away record in the Premier League, on those stats alone it is a no brainer for the home win.

But it is more than that, Leicester have won just twice in their last 13 league games and are going nowhere fast, whereas Burnley have won three of their last five league games with the two losses coming away at Man City and Arsenal.

Bottom line is this, Burnley are in far better form than Leicester and their home record is significantly superior to Leicester away record.

Burnely win for me.

I am going with Swansea City here to scrape the home win.

Swansea are starting to get it together at long last, they will have been lifted massively by their 3-2 away win at Liverpool and there is very good reason to believe they will kick on now and start to put some decent results together.

Southampton have had some mixed results recently, you can probably ignore the 5-0 loss to Arsenal as they made huge changes for that FA Cup game, but they have lost four of their last five Premier League games and a home win over Leicester is no longer the big result it once was.

Point being this, Swansea have a great opportunity here, they face a Southampton side not doing that great in the league recently and under new management have started to click, you cannot underestimate that Liverpool result.

Swansea for me.

I am going with Leicester City to get back to winning ways today in this FA Cup clash.

Leicester are clearly not the team they were last season, they have key players missing, either sold or in Africa for the African Nations competition and they are in a bit of a slump at the moment, especially after two consecutive thrashings.

But, they are Premier League class and if they play to form they should prove to be too strong for Championship side Derby, yes they will have to contend with a passionate home crowd and Derby are doing fairly well overall in the Championship, currently just outside a play off spot, but this is still a significant step up in class for them.

This game represents a great opportunity for Leicester to rebuild their confidence and give them something to look forward to and a FA Cup run always does that.

I expect it to be close but see Leicester emerging as the winners.

I would have preferred a slightly lower handicap on this one and accepted lower odds, but I am still confident that Leeds United can overcome the spread.

For starters Leeds are flying at the moment, they may have lost against local rivals Barnsley at the weekend, but that was away from home and a derby and now they are back at home I do expect them to get back to winning ways.

Leeds have won their last five home games on the bounce and have won 9 of their last 11 home matches, additionally, they have won four of their last six home games by more than one goal.

Forest finally won at the weekend, that was their first win in eight Championship games, but they were at home and were playing a side in the bottom six, Leeds away is a very different proposition.

Also, Forest have won just twice away all season and lost an incredible 9 times from their 14 away games.

Leeds really should win this game, it is just a question of whether they can win by two goals, I am very confident they can and that is my pick on this game.

I rarely do games from Greece, but every now and then a game will present itself to me that provides a great opportunity to make a good profit and this game is one such game.

The overs has been set at 2 and has positive odds, a great combination and once I analysed this game it became a stand out opportunity.

Lets first look at the away side Iraklis, 5 of their 7 away games in the Greek Super League have had at least 2 goals in them including their last four away games in a row.

Veria at home have had at least two goals in 6 of their 8 home games this season, so basically both teams have featured in games home and away respectively were the overwhelming games. have had at least two goals in them.

Now, both sides current form, their last four games, (Veria at home, Iraklis, away) have had at  least two goals in them.

Bottom line is that these sides play in games under these circumstances were there is at least two goals.

Now the overs is set at 2, this means that if there is just 2 goals then the stake is returned, so what about three goals?

Well, over the last four games that Veria have been at home and Iraklis away there has been 50% with just two goals and 50% over two goals.

Final point, home and away both teams games tend to have at least two goals in them, 12 of Iraklis 15 games this season have had at least two goals and 12 of Veria 16 games, in better words at least 75% for both sides.

From a safety aspect this game is a solid pick, the worst case scenario is of course a loss, but it is far far more likely that this pick will either win or the stake return and from a value point this make this a must pick.

Massive game this one and I am very confident that Tottenham will not lose.

Tottenham are absolutely on fire, they are beating anyone that comes up against them, their wins have been convincing home or away, they have won their last six Premier League games scoring 19 goals, they have good enough cover for the injured Jan Vertonghen and are very strong in every position.

City may well have home advantage but they are hardly inspiring at the moment, the 4-0 loss to Everton showed us a team with serious issues and the magic of Pep Guardiola is not working, their defence is very vulnerable and even when they have won recently it has not been convincing.

Tottenham have been beating City in their recent meetings and City have a very poor record against the top sides over the last couple of seasons.

This Tottenham side are serious title challengers, the same cannot be said about City and the only reason I am taking Tottenham on the spreads and not outright is because City do have home advantage.

All things considered I am going for Tottenham on the spread.

I am going with Middlesbrough to get the win today against West ham United and claim all three points.

Middlesbrough are probably doing slightly better than expected, they are not in the relegation zone when most would have expected them to be firmly in the bottom three at this stage of the season, they are inconsistent, but they are not easy to beat either and at home they are a difficult side to play.

Over their last six home games they have lost twice, against Liverpool and Chelsea, however they have won on three occasions and the drawn the other game, point being that recently at home they only lose to the top four sides and the draw was against last seasons Champions, West Ham simply do not fall into those categories.

West Ham have actually improved away, draws at Liverpool and Man Utd are testament to that, but two wins away and 60% lost road games is very telling, they are not a formidable side when travelling.

All things considered I am going for a home win for Middlebrough today, West Ham are just not convincing enough on the road and only the very best have beaten Middlesbrough in recent weeks at the Riverside.

I like the look of overs in this match up between Crystal Palace and Everton.

Five of the last six Premier league games played at Palace have had a minimum of three goals and overall eight of their last ten home games against sides in the top half have finished over 2.5 goals, the statistics clearly point to a Palace home game being likely to have goals in it.

Four of the last six away games for Everton have also had a minimum of three goals in them and four of their last six games home or away have also featured at least three goals.

That said, the last four meetings between these two sides have all finished under 2.5 goals, but the circumstances are very different in this game, Palace have a new manager and cannot buy a win, while Everton are on fire and have won three of their last four games to nil, including a 4-0 thrashing of Man City.

This game is all set up to be a classic, Palace will be going all out for a win in front of their home fans and Everton will be looking to consolidate their recent big wins.

Take the overs in this one. 

Hard to see anything other than a convincing home win for West Brom today.

Four of West Broms last six home games have been won by at least two goals, their only losses in that time span have been to both Manchester clubs.

Sunderland on the other hand have lost their last four away games by at least two goals and there is little sign of that improving any time soon.

Over their last 17 Premier League games West Brom have lost just four times and they were against Tottenham, Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool, in better words, only the very best beat West Brom these days.

Sunderland seem to lose to almost anyone, they are second bottom and are playing without any confidence, this is the perfect time to be playing them.

I cannot see anything other than a West Brom win and do expect them to win by at least two goals.

There is no getting away from the fact that Chelsea are in great form overall, but I do not see them as any sort of value to win this game and there is good reasons why they may not.

For starters their unbeaten run came to an abrupt end away to Tottenham, they have problems with certain players, Costa as an example and it was always the case that they would at some point have a dip in form, that time could well be now.

Leicester are not the team they were last season, but they have shown on occasions, especially against the big teams, that they can be competitive again as they proved against Man City recently.

The Foxes are no easy side to beat at their home ground and with questions about Chelsea now surfacing I am inclined to go with the home side not to lose and claim at least a draw and therefore cover the spread.

I am going with West Ham to claim all three points today.

The Hammers have not been brilliant at home this season and they have internal issues, however, when they play against teams in the bottom half at home they tend to win.

Palace have not shown much since Sam Allardyce took over and the chances are that they still require time to get to grips with his style of management.

Considering that West Ham do well at home against lower level teams and that Palace still have to click under new management I am going with a West Ham win.

I like the look of Burnley in this game.

Burnley are surprisingly strong at home, they have the sixth best home record in the Premier League, even better than Man Utd, they have won four of their last five home games and are very good value considering their odds.

Southampton have won just twice in ten games away this season, they have lost on five occasions and are hardly the best travellers, additionally they have lost three of their last five away games.

If this was played at Southampton it would be very different, but it is not and Burnley are the clear value pick for the win.

I like the look of Hull in this one.

Hull are rock bottom, that is a fact, but they have been unlucky and could quite easily of picked up the odd win with a bit of luck, they may not be the strongest side at home, but Bournemouth are not exactly world beaters on the road either.

I have seen both these teams play recently and I was far more impressed with Hull than Bournemouth, though in all fairness there were mitigating circumstances.

Bottom line for me is that I am of the opinion that Hull are a better home side than Bournemouth are away and the value clearly lies with Hull City.

I think the odds makers have been slightly harsh on Sunderland and have underestimated them, I do understand why in all fairness, but that does not make them right.

Stoke are poor away from home, just two wins in ten away games proves that and while Sunderland have also been poor at home, it is were they have collected 11 of their 15 points this season. In better words Sunderland are a far better team in front of their home fans than on their travels.

Stoke are the opposite, they have collected nine points away out of the 24 points they have collected this season, not awful, but hardly inspiring.

The value pick is clearly a home win and that is the pick for me.

I am taking Watford to get back on track and claim all three points today.

Watford have been in poor form recently, they have managed just one win in their last six games and have not won at all in their last five, but they have faced stiff opposition a couple of times and their home record is better than it looks on paper. They have lost just twice in their last eight home games, winning on four occasions, so not that bad.

Middlesbrough are in their own mini crisis as well, they have also recorded just the one win in their last six games and have won away just once all season and that was at Sunderland, they have lost their last three away games on the bounce and the only silver lining for them today is that they are visiting Watford at a time that they are struggling.

Watford are the clear value here, they have a half decent home record, whereas Middlesbrough are woeful away, they are in no worse shape than Boro and in front of their home fans I take them to get the win.

I am going with Leeds United to get the win in front of their home fans in this game.

Leeds are in fine form, they have won their last four home games without conceding a single goal, those home wins include defeating the likes of Aston Villa and third placed Reading. Overall they have won nine of their last 12 games, drawing two and losing just once.

Derby are not in bad form themselves overall, but they have failed to win in their last two away games and the signs are that they are struggling to maintain momentum with just one win in their last four Championship games, bearing in mind they had won seven in a row before their last four games.

In front of their home fans and with excellent momentum behind them I am confident that Leeds United will collect all three points today.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I am very confident that we will see at least three goals in this game, both sides are more than capable of scoring and I am of the opinion that the most likely scoreline will be 2-1 to Liverpool, but my confidence is not as high as it needs to be to make them a cast iron pick, but I do see a winner emerging and based on both sides scoring then the most logical pick is the overs.

Tricky top of the table match up between league two leaders Doncaster and fourth placed Portsmouth.

This is a difficult game to call and is best left alone when it comes to picking a winner, however that does not mean that there is not a good value bet to be had.

Doncaster games this season have seen an average of 3.2 goals in them, while Portsmouth games have seen an average of 2.45, not quite over 2.5 goals, but close enough when taken together with Doncaster scoring record.

Admittedly the last few games of both sides have been low scoring affairs, however it is necessary to take into consideration the circumstances of this game.

Both sides want the win, it is very important at this stage of the season and whichever team scores first you can be assured that their opponents will come back on the attack, which will open the game up.

Additionally, both sides are capable of hitting back if they go behind, it will be a lot harder to sit on a lead.

All things considered I am going for over 2.5 goals in this one.

I am going with Tottenham to win this big game today.

When these two met at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season it was a game of two halves, Tottenham dominated the first half while Chelsea dominated the second half.

I thought Tottenham were better overall and if they would have finished better in the first half they would have been out of sight, basically they allowed Chelsea to remain in the game and paid the price.

I do not see that happening again, I know that Chelsea are on an epic run of 13 wins, but they are playing a bitter London rival that is more than a match for them and playing that game away from home.

It will be an exciting game no doubt, it will be played with passion and the referee may well have a busy night, but come 90 minutes I do expect Tottenham to emerge the winners.

I am going with Crystal Palace to win by at least a couple of goals. 

Crystal Palace home record this season has seen them gain two wins, one draw and six losses. 

Their recent form, over their last five league games has seen them record no wins, two draws and three losses. 

In their most recent league game they lost 2-0 against Arsenal and find themselves in 17th position on 16 points. 

Palace are now under new management with former England boss Sam Allardyce at the helm and even though they lost 2-0 against Arsenal they did show improved form and if any manager can get quick results when taking over it is Allardyce, he is a master at turning clubs around and I fully expect that to be the case today. 

Swansea City away record this season has seen them gain one wins, one draws and seven losses. 

Their recent form, over their last five league games has seen them record one wins, no draws and four losses. 

In their most recent league game they lost 3-0 against Bournemouth and find themselves in 20th on 12 points. 

Swansea are in a terrible state, they have a third manager this season, Paul Clement, though he will not be in charge today, they are in a serious downward spiral, they have zero confidence and there is zero evidence that they do any better today than they did against Bournemouth.

Take Palace to win by a couple of goals, they are simply in a better situation than their opponents.

I am going with Arsenal to win this one and win it comfortably 

AFC Bournemouth home record this season has seen them gain five wins, one draw and three losses. 

Their recent form, over their last five league games has seen them record two win, no draws and three losses. 

In their most recent league game they have won 3-0 against Chelsea and find themselves in ninth position on 24 points. 

Bournemouth have recorded some good results at home, notably against Tottenham and Liverpool, but this time they will be without Jack Wilshere and facing a team that tends to beat smaller teams consistently 

Arsenal away record this season has seen them gain five wins, two draws and two losses. 

Their recent form, over their last five league games has seen them record three wins, no draws and two losses. 

In their most recent league game the gunners won 2-0 against Crystal Palace and find themselves in fourth on 40 points. 

This is a game that the Gunners really should win, especially if they continue to harbour hopes of winning the Premier League, they will not have to face Wilshere as they have loaned him to Bournemouth and therefore they will be facing a weakened team.

All things considered I do expect Arsenal to win by at least two goals.

I am going with over 2.5 goals in this one

West Ham United home record this season has seen them gain four wins, two draw and three losses. 

Their recent form, over their last five league games has seen them record three win, one draw and one loss. 

In their most recent league game they lost 1-0 against Leicester City and find themselves in 12th position on 22 points. 

West Ham will not be intimidated by United, they always fancy their chances against them and will be ready, at worst I do see them scoring, even if they end up losing. 

Manchester United away record this season has seen them gain five wins, two draws and two losses. 

Their recent form, over their last five league games has seen them record five wins, no draw and no losses. 

In their most recent league game they won 2-1 against Middlesbrough and find themselves in sixth on 36 points. 

United are flying, they have won their last five premier league games and will be looking for another win today, they may well win this game but I do not see them keeping a clean sheet and I smell goals in this game.

Even at poor odds, taking over 2.5 goals is the bet to have.

I am going with Burnley not to lose this game by more than two goals. 

Manchester City home record this season has seen them gain five wins, three draw and one losses. 

Their recent form, over their last five league games has seen them record three win, 0 draws and two losses. 

In their most recent league game the citizens lost 1-0 against Liverpool and find themselves in fifth position on 39 points. 

City are clearly not firing on all cylinders, they are closer to missing out on a Champions League spot than winning the title and while they may win this game, I am not convinced they will win it in a canter.

Burnley away record this season has seen them gain no wins, one draw and seven losses. 

Their recent form, over their last five league games has seen them record three wins, no draws and two losses. 

In their most recent league game the clarets won 4-1 against Sunderland and find themselves in 11th on 23 points. 

Burnley are in good recent form and while I cannot see them actually winning this game, I do see them staying close to City.

All things considered I am going for Burnley on the spread.

I am going with an Everton win in this one

Everton home record this season has seen them gain four wins, four draw and one losses. 

Their recent form, over their last five league games has seen them record two win, one draws and two losses. 

In their most recent league game the toffees drew 2-2 against Hull City and find themselves in seventh position on 27 points. 

Everton love playing at home, they are in good spirits and they could not have hoped for a better time to be playing Southampton, they will feel they have a strong opportunity to record a win in front of their home fans today. 

Southampton away record this season has seen them gain two wins, three draws and four losses. 

Their recent form, over their last five league games has seen them record two wins, one draw and two losses. 

In their most recent league game the saints lost 1-2 against West Bromwich and find themselves in ninth on 24 points. 

Southampton have hit a wobble, they are on a losing run, albeit a minor one and will be looking to get back to winning ways, I just cannot see them doing that today.

Everton win for me

I am going with Liverpool to stroll to victory today

Sunderland home record this season has seen them gain three wins, one draw and five losses. 

Their recent form, over their last five league games has seen them record one win, no draws and four losses. 

In their most recent league game the black cats lost 4-1 against Burnley and find themselves in 18th position on 14 points. 

Sunderland are woeful again, they did look to be getting it right, but four losses in their last five games, especially the manner of the loss against Burnley, has seen their season hit the skids once again and I cannot see it getting any better today. 

Liverpool away record this season has seen them gain six wins, two draws and two losses. 

Their recent form, over their last five league games has seen them record four wins, one draw and no losses. 

In their most recent league game the reds won 1-0 against Manchester City and find themselves in second on 43 points. 

Bottom line for me is that if Liverpool play to form then they willwin this game and win it by at least a couple of goals and all the available evidence indicates that is exactly what is going to happy.

Liverpool to win by at least two goals.

I am going with Hull City to get either the win or draw today 

West Bromwich Albion home record this season has seen them gain four wins, two draw and three losses. 

Their recent form, over their last five league games has seen them record two win, no draws and three losses. 

In their most recent league game they won 2-1 against Southampton and find themselves in eighth position on 26 points. 

West Brom are not exactly consistent, they may be doing better than Hull this season, but they are just as capable of losing this game or more likely to draw it as they are to win. 

Hull City away record this season has seen them gain one win, one draw and seven losses. 

Their recent form, over their last five league games has seen them record no wins, two draw and three losses. 

In their most recent league game they drew 2-2 against Everton and find themselves in 19th on 13 points. 

If Hull can play this game like they did against Everton then there is every chance that they will collect at least a point, this is a good chance for them to get some momentum going and I am of the opinion that they will take it.

Take Hull +1

I am going with Tottenham to emerge the winners in this one.

Southampton are a solid side at home, there is no doubt about that, however, Tottenham are a top side and providing they play to form they should sneak the win here .

In the four games played at Southampton since 2012 Tottenham have won 3 and drawn 1, Southampton at home have not beaten Spurs since 2005 and considering the strengths and form of both teams I see no reason at all why that would change now.

A draw was a possibility, but the more I looked at this game the more I became convinced that Tottenham would get the win.

I see Tottenham dominating the midfield and having the far larger share of possession and as long as they can convert the many chances the many chances they will make then I can see no other result than an away win.

I am going with Rangers to get the win this evening in Scotland.

Rangers currently sit second in the Scottish Premiership, they still have some way to go before they can compete with bitter rivals Celtic, but they are on the right track and building momentum, they have five wins in their last six Premiership games and that single loss was away to Hearts.

Rangers are not dominant away like they once were but they still have more away wins than losses and draws, whereas St Johnstone have just three wins at home all season, in fact they have won more times away than they have at home.

The form is with Rangers, the stats are with Rangers and the truth is, that Rangers are simply the better team and if they play to form, they will win.

Due to time constraints over the Christmas period there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I fully expect City to win this one, I know they have been inconsistent, but they are playing the worse team in the Premier League and if they cannot win this one then they have some serious issues.

Not only do I expect City to win, but expect them to win by at least two goals.

Due to time constraints over the Christmas period there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Burnley do well at home against teams on their level, in fact teams like Everton and Liverpool have fallen at Burnley and I expect Middlesbrough to do exactly the same.

Due to time constraints over the Christmas period there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Chelsea are flying and with home advantage I expect them to continue their winning ways and to win this one by at least a couple of goals.

Due to time constraints over the Christmas period there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Leicester only win at home and Everton have a poor away record, I can see the Champions winning this one as my confidence in Everton getting anything from this game is minimal.

Due to time constraints over the Christmas period there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I see United winning this one by a single goal, they are not quite there under Jose Mourinho and Sunderland have improved under David Moyes, therefore backing Sunderland with a two goal lead is the safe option.

Due to time constraints over the Christmas period there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

Swansea are starting to improve, yes they are still vulnerable to a beating as last weeks result showed, but back on their home ground against an inconsistent West Ham gives them a great opportunity to claim all three points.

Due to time constraints over the Christmas period there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

I fully expect Arsenal to bounce back from their loss to Man City, yes West Brom are a hard team to beat, but a wounded Arsenal at home is very formidable and I expect them to win this game by at least two goals, if not more.

This game presents a great opportunity for Brisbane to move within four points of league leaders Sydney FC and I fully expect them to take advantage.

Brisbane are unbeaten at home this season, they have won three times and drawn twice and those two draws were against the teams currently occupying first and second in the standings.

It will take a great performance from Western Sydney to beat Brisbane on their home ground and while they are competent on the road, I am of the opinion that Brisbane will have too much for them.

Brisbane have better form, taking 12 points from a possible 18 over their last six games, whereas Sydney have managed just the six.

All things considered I am going for a clear home win.

Due to time constraints there is minimal written analysis today, however, all picks have been fully researched and analysed and you can be assured they come with my full confidence.

This is a derby of sorts and generally speaking when you have a derby between two competitive sides there is goals and that is what I expect in this game.

Both sides are capable of scoring goals when they are in the mood and while their respective records have not seem an abundance of goals this season I am confident that will change today.

Because of the circumstances of this game I cannot pick a winner, always a risky affairs in these sort of rivalries, but I am confident that we will see a free flowing game between two passionate teams determined not to lose.

Over 2.5 goals looks the best pick in this game, it carries the most certainty.

I am going with over 2.5 goals in this game.

My logic is simple really, I expect Man Utd to win and expect West Brom to score, therefore over 2.5 goals is the value pick in this game.

West Brom have scored at least once in seven of their last eight home games, the only time they did not was when they lost 4-0 to Man City, also five of their last six home games have had at least three goals in them.

Four of United's last six away games have all had at least three goals in them, they have been able to keep a clean sheet away from home just twice all season.

All this points to a game with at least three goals and both teams to score.

Considering the form of both teams and recent results then it is highly likely in my opinion that this game will have the three goals minimum I predict.

I am going with Stoke City to win today and collect all three points.

I had given Leicester a chance following their win over Man City, but it has become clear that in the Premier League they are two teams, a decent one at home, though not formidable, and a poor one away from home.

Stoke are decent at home, they have lost three times, two of those losses have been against top teams, they did well midweek drawing at home against Southampton after being reduced to ten men early on and even though they did not win that game, it showed how strong they are at home by not losing when they were at a huge disadvantage playing 10 v 11.

I expect this to be a close game but for Stoke to just edge it by a single goal.

I really fancy Middlesbrough to win this one at home against a very poor Swansea outfit.

Middlesbrough have proven to be a hard team to beat, they have got some good results against the top teams this season and even when they have lost, they put in decent performances, that is not something that can be said about Swansea.

Both teams lost midweek but both played very different sides, Middlesbrough were humbled by Liverpool and Swansea beaten away by West Brom, I am inclined to give Middlesbrough the benefit of doubt because of who their opponent was, Swansea however were beaten away from home yet again and against very mediocre opposition.

With home advantage I do expect Middlesbrough to win this one today.

I am going with Sunderland to win this one.

If this game was played at Watford then I would have gone for a Watford win, but it is at Sunderland and that makes a difference for me.

Sunderland are doing better, they are not consistent I accept that, but their performances have improved, they are certainly a lot more organised now under David Moyes and are getting better, they are making it difficult for teams and against the type of opposition that Watford are, then with home advantage I expect Sunderland to perform well.

Watford done a number on Everton and did well despite losing against Man City in the following game, they are not an easy team to beat, but their away form is not good and they are not the best of travellers.

Last time at home Sunderland lost 1-0 to Chelsea, no embarrassment that and previous to that they won their previous two home games,, in better words they are becoming a hard team to beat at home.

Considering how Sunderland are improving and that they are at home playing an inconsistent Waford who struggle on the road then I am going for a Sunderland win.

I am going with West Ham on the spreads here.

This is more about how poor Hull have been recently as opposed to how well West Ham have been doing, which has not been great.

But, West Ham did get a confidence boosting win midweek against Burnley and that followed a very creditable draw away at Liverpool, they seem to be building some momentum and will be looking for a third good result in a row today.

Hull City have won just once in their last 14 Premier League games, they scrape the odd draw now and then but generally speaking have been woeful, they got beat easily 3--0 away at Spurs midweek and have lost their last six away games in the Premier League on the bounce, they have conceded 19 goals in those six games and scored just twice, a truly awful record.

I expect West Ham to win and to win by more than one goal today.

Tricky games this one, on paper you would have to say Man Utd, but Palace are at home and while they hardly have a stellar home record it is only slight worse than what United have done away.

Therein lies the issue for me, the away record of United, it is simply poor and drains the confidence and the appalling odds on them just do not justify picking them.

Same applies to Palace, they have lost four from seven at home and won just twice, how can anyone back a side with a record like that against a team like United.

Bottom line is that this game could go anywhere, either team could win or it could be a draw, there is just no pick to be made on the outright result.

But there is with the overs.

Palace have gone overs in their last seven Premier League games on the bounce, that is rather impressive all things considered.

Now, United have only gone over 2.5 goals in their last seven Premier League games, but they have been very unlucky and that cannot continue, it is only a matter of time before the United players find their scoring feet and Palace are the perfect opposition for that considering how they leak goals.

The overs looks a solid bet to me and that is how I will be betting on this game today.

I am surprised at the odds on Stoke City this evening, i believe they are far too high and will gladly accept the generosity of the sports books.

Stoke have lost three times at home this season, but two of those losses were against Tottenham and Man City, I have said it before, Stoke have a very good home record if you leave the elite sides out of it.

They have won three of their last four home games and in Southampton they are not playing a side with a brilliant away record.

The Saints have lost four from seven on the road this season and won just the once, they may have a great home record, but their away form is poor.

The odds on Stoke winning are just too high to be ignored, they are the home side, they have won three from their last four at home, while Southampton have not won in their last four on the road and have lost their last two away games to Hull and Crystal Palace, conceding five and scoring just the once.

A home win for me in this one