I am taking Celta Vigo in this one with a 1.5 goal start.

Sevilla may well win this game, but I cannot see them doing it by two goals.

Celta are in the semi finals of the Europa League and are no walkovers, I expect them to put up a good account of themselves.

Take Celta +1.5 goals

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.

Massive gulf in class between these two and I am very confident that Basel will win this game and win it very easily.

I expect to see a massive improvement from Barcelona following their humbling midweek against Juventus.

Barcelona are a different team at home these days, they are vulnerable on the road, but seem to get their act together back at the Nou Camp.

I do not think they will be resting players and the players themselves know they have to perform, especially in front of their unhappy home supporters.

Sociedad are half decent, but truth is that if Barcelona click today, they will win easily.

I posted this one last night but because of the bombing the game got postponed, however I still stand by my original analysis despite the emotions that will clearly be in evidence tonight.

The only change I am making this time round is instead of going for an outright Monaco win, I am taking them +1 on the handicap.

The reason for that is that the emotions of last night may have an impact on the game tonight and I am not sure which way they will go and a draw now looks a definite possibility.

Below is the exact same analysis from last night, with just a couple of edits.

The way this match has been priced up you would think that is would be a massive shock if Monaco were to win this game, that makes no sense to me.

Monaco knocked out Man City, they beat Tottenham home and away, they top the French league and have not lost in Ligue 1 since December, they are no walkovers.

Yes, they have lost away in the Champions League to both Man City and Bayer Leverkusen and their opponents today are very strong at home, but Monaco have just as much chance of grabbing a win in this game as they do of losing in my opinion.

Dortmund took a 4-1 thrashing at the weekend, of course their opponents were Bayern Munich, but that was still a hell of a beating, they are fourth in the Bundesliga and that reflects their current status, they are not the Dortmund team of a few seasons ago.

Dortmund have a huge stadium and home advantage is significant and so they are of course favourites, but not by the margin the sportsbook have them at and they are well worth backing receiving one goal..

Impressive Atlanta will hope to continue their impressive form as they host struggling Sassuolo. Atalanta are in line to end up in a European spot this season after racking up impressive wins to shock watchers of the Italian League.

Atalanta are fifth in the table, and showed their mental strength when they bounced back from a humiliating 7-1 loss to Inter Milan last month.

They are a formidable team when they play at home, and that has been key to their success this season.

Sassuolo on the other hand are the whipping boys of Italian football this season. They surprised most people when they finished ahead of AC Milan to qualify for Europe last season, but that seem to have been their biggest undoing. The team has struggled to compete on multiple fronts and have had their season put into disarray by inconsistent performances.

They are sitting fifteenth in the Serie A table, and have not won any of their last five matches, this includes a 3 game consecutive loss in that period.

This game is really set up for Atalanta, they have home advantage and are in great form compared to Sassuolo and should win this game and probably by at least two goals.

Very important game for both sides as the Dutch season enters its final stage.

Both sides are in danger of relegation, especially Excelsior, and both sides know that they really need to win this game, a draw is not good enough at this stage of the season.

Excelsior are second bottom, but a win here and they will be on the same points as Sparta, a win for the home side and it gives them significant breathing space over the the team third bottom.

Sparta have mixed home form, they did lose 2-0 to PSV last time at home, but that was hardly a surprise, they had won their previous two home games, which included a 1-0 win over league leaders Feyenoord.

Excelsior have not won away in their last 13 road games, they really are poor travellers, they do grab the odd draw in all fairness, but the stats speak for themselves.

Bottom line for me is that Sparta should win this game, they have performed well at home recently, they of course have home advantage and their form is better.

Take Sparta to win.

Tricky game between Valencia and Celta Vigo in La Liga this evening, however, I am confident that Valencia will emerge the winners.

Valencia are not having a great season and are definitely inconsistent overall, however, at home recently they have been very consistent, they have won four of their last five home games, drawing the other.

Celta have just two wins in their last 11 away games, they did win their most recent road match against Deportivo La Coruna, who are six places below them, but overall their away form has been rank poor.

Both sides come into this game having won their last league games and so both teams should be up for this, but the home advantage that Valencia enjoy is significant.

Take Valencia on the spread.

Huge game between two of the best teams in England that could prove critical to either teams season.

Chelsea of course have home advantage and are top of the league, but that did them no good at the weekend when they lost to Crystal Palace.

City grabbed a very credible draw at the Emirates against Arsenal, a far better result than what Chelsea enjoyed and it means they will come into this game with a boost in their confidence.

Chelsea may well be feeling some pressure now and we do not know how they will react, they may well come out and beat City hands down, but I do not think so.

I do feel that Chelsea are feeling more vulnerable and are nervous and what they needed was to face cannon fodder today to settle those nerves, but unfortunately for them, it is Man City that they have to face.

For me it is simple, City are facing Chelsea at the perfect time, they are playing a team that is nervous and vulnerable and City know that a win is everything, whereas Chelsea may well play conservative and for the draw,

Take City on the spread.

I take Huddersfield Town to grab all three points against a disappointing Norwich City.

Huddersfield are still very much in the promotion play off positions despite an inconsistent run of results recently and with home advantage, they will be looking to cement that status.

Norwich City are more or less out of the running, their recent form is slightly worse than Huddersfield and they are not exactly world beaters on the road, in fact they are very poor.

Huddersfield know that they cannot afford to drop points any more, otherwise they will run the risk of dropping out of the play off spots, they have already dropped away from an automatic promotion spot, they cannot continue with the inconsistency.

At least they are playing a team in Norwich that are more inconsistent and in poor overall condition, morale is not great and confidence is low, that is what comes with knowing that you will not be getting promoted this season.

Huddersfield have home advantage, they have the better form and far more to play for and therefore they are my pick to win this game today.

I am confident that Hull City will rack up another win against a very poor Middlesbrough side.

Hull have all of a sudden become unbeatable at home, over their last six games they have won four and drawn two at the KCOM stadium and that includes a convincing 2-0 win over Liverpool.

Middlesbrough away from home are terrible and I mean terrible, they have not won once in their last 14 road games, they have had six draws in that sequence, so I suppose there is some positive, but that is grabbing at straws really.

The Boro have won just twice in their last 17 premier league games, their stats are just awful, Hull on the other hand have started to pick up points, albeit mainly at home.

Whatever way I look at this game I just cannot make a case for the away side, you could say they draw a lot, but they are playing a team that has turned their home ground into a fortress recently.

Basically, all the evidence points to a home win and that is what I am going for, a Hull City win.

I am going with West Brom not to lose this game and most likely win.

Earlier in the season I would have gone with Watford at home, they were strong and confident, that is no longer the case and they are now very vulnerable on their home patch.

West Brom are doing well, they are organised and hard to break down, they play a patient game and are brilliant at nullifying the opposition.

Watford will really have to be at their best to beat the Baggies and there is no evidence to suggest that they will be today, they have not been for a while, the odd game aside, whereas West Brom have shown consistently that they are a competitive side that can match the best of them, as they did at the weekend at Man Utd.

For me the most likely result is an away win. Put it this way, the most unlikely outcome in my opinion is a home win, there is more chance of a draw or away win and that is why West Brom are the value on the spread.

PSV are on a run of three consecutive wins, and would be hoping to grab a fourth when they face Sparta Rotterdam. 

Sparta have won two games on the bounce at home, including a victory over league leaders, Feyenoord. The last time out, they scored three goals in a win against Heracles, and will be hoping to follow that up with a win against PSV.

PSV are set to lose their league crown. They are trailing leaders, Feyenoord by eight points with only 7 games left to play and the reason for that is that they have dropped points at critical points this season.

But they know that toppling second placed Ajax, so they can qualify for the UEFA Champions League is a possibility. They currently trail the Amsterdam club by only two points.

PSV have the upper hand in this fixture, they have won 22 of the last 32 encounter between these two teams, but it has not always been easy pickings.

Sparta are a strong team when they play at home and while they may lose this fixture, I cannot see them losing by two goals and a draw is not out of the question.

Leicester are on their best run of form this season, having won three games on the bounce. They are on course to become the first team managed by an Englishman to win their first four games, providing they do in fact beat Stoke.

Craig Shakespeare has done a great job in guiding the defending champions from relegation danger to the cusp of a Champions League semifinal. They defeated Stoke City 3-0 the last time they visited the King Power Stadium.

Stoke city are in a familiar position, ninth. This is where they have ended up in the past three seasons, and would love to improve their position even by a single step or at least consolidate their position.

Stoke city have been impressive against the top teams, but their results against the teams in the lower part of the table has been unpredictable.

Bottom line is this, the Foxes are in great form and with home advantage they really should be able to defeat Stoke

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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., 

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 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.

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 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 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

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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 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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 taking Everton on the spreads.

The only way this pick loses is if Everton lose at home, something that happens rarely, the last big side to visit Goodison Park was United and that ended in a draw.

Take Everton +0.5

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 taking Tottenham not to lose this game and will be backing them on the spreads.

Form, points and league standing all prove that Tottenham are the better team and United are not as strong at home as they have been in previous seasons.

United continue to struggle while Tottenham have finally got back to winning ways beating Swansea 5-0 last week and winning in the Champions League midweek.

I would not put anyone off backing Spurs to win this game outright, but the safer option at great odds is to back Spurs on the spread.

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 going with AZ Alkmaar on the spreads.

AZ are strong at home, they are unbeaten at home in the league this season and teams that have failed to win at AZ include the likes of Ajax.

Feyenoord may be top, but they have failed to win their last two away games and are simply not as string on the road as they are at home.

Take AZ on the spreads.

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 fully expect Southampton to win this one in front of their home fans and to win it by more than the one goal.

The Saints have to win to qualify it is as simple as that, a draw will see Hapoel qualify, only a win will do for Southampton.

On paper Southampton are the better side and I expect that to show this evening.

Paris St Germain v St Etienne

I fully expect that PSG will win this one and win it comfortably.

The French champions were shocked last week suffering a 3-1 loss away to Monaco, that would have been a wake up call and the timing could not be better at the start of the season.

PSG tend to win convincingly at home, their last five home games in Ligue 1 saw them win all five games by at least three goals, which puts into perspective the handicap of 1.5 today.

St Etienne have lost their last three away games at PSG by at least two goals, in fact they lost by two goals, three goals and five goals.

St Etienne have got off to a mixed start this season, winning once, drawing once and losing once and it seems that they face an inconsistent season, whereas PSG are expected to dominate the French league once again.

With their home record, their winning margins and record over St Etienne I am very confident that PSG will win this game by at least a couple of goals, if not more.

Bulgaria v Luxembourg

This will be a one sided game and Bulgaria really should emerge as convincing winners.

Luxembourg are minnows in soccer terms, they are slightly better than most minnows, but they are small fry none the less.

Bulgaria are not world beaters, they are a shadow of the team that we previously saw, however, they should have far too much for a team like Luxembourg, especially when they are at home.

There was never any doubt for me in selecting this game that Bulgaria would win, it was just a question of how many goals they would win by and two goals is not a lot to ask for, not with the gulf in quality between these two.

Luxembourg have lost eight of their last nine games by at least two goals and I really do not see that being any different tonight.

Bulgaria to win by at least two goals.

Andorra v Latvia

Latvia may not be one of the big boys in International soccer, but they are certainly a bigger and better team than Andorra and they should have more than enough to register a convincing win this evening in Europe.

When Latvia play the minnows they tend to win by two goals or more, recent results have seen them defeat Gibraltar 5-0 and Luxembourg 3-1 and while their recent positive results do mask their previous woeful form, they really should extend their unbeaten streak to six games today.

It has been 83 games since Andorra won a game, they have had the odd draw and have been close to some teams, but generally speaking they lose and lose by a good few goals, 

Three of Andorra's last five games have ended with them not being beat by 2 or more goals, but their games before that saw them take some severe beatings and their recent games have been against some very poor teams, not that much better than them.

Whatever way I look at this game all I see is a Latvia win and and a win by at least two goals.

Norway v Germany

There is a huge gulf between these two nations and anything less than a convincing away win would be a huge surprise to me.

Germany are the world champions, they lost out to host nation France in the Euro semi finals and are one of the best teams in International football, if not the best.

Norway could not even qualify for the Euro's, they are a very average International side and looking at their recent results at home when playing against the elite on football they tend to lose, they may well get results against some decent International sides, but when it comes to the very best and Germany are among the very best, they lose.

The handicap has been set at 1, which is a little high, but I am convinced that the Germans will win, it is just a case of by how many, they may well win by just the single goal, Norway are not minnows, but I am of the opinion that there is more chance of Germany winning by at least two goals rather than a single goal and for me the Germans have an excellent chance of covering the spread today.

Germany to win by a couple of goals.

San Marino v Azerbaijan

Two minnows of International football, but even at this level there is still one team far superior to the other.

Azerbaijan may be a very sub standard team, but that are still a whole lot better than San Marino and should really win this game by at least two goals.

You have to go back 12 years for the last time San Marino won an International game at any level, in fact that is their only win ever against another nation, it was against another minnow, Liechtenstein.

Back in November 2014 they managed a goalless draw against Estonia, prior to that they got draws against Liechtenstein, Latvia and strangely enough against Turkey back in 1993, though Turkey were hardly a quality footballing nation back then, that is it at International level, one win, four draws and that win was in a friendly, they have never won a game in World Cup or European Cup qualifications.

Now, Azerbaijan are not that much better, but they do get wins now and then and some decent draws, examples are draws with the likes of Croatia and Norway, wins over Moldova and Malta and they are results from the last two years, there have been other wins and draws in that time as well.

Anyone looking at results from almost any time period can see the world of difference between these two sides, last time out Croatia lost 10-0, yes 10-0, whereas the last game for Azerbaijan was a draw with Canada.

When I first looked at this game I had a 2.5 deficit on the handicaps in my head, so I was pleasantly surprised to see the handicap set at just 1.5, for me that is a gift and one I will gladly accept.

San Marino do on occasions have a close game, a recent 2-1 loss to Lithuania proves that, but some perspective is required, their game previous to that was a 6-0 loss to England, the game after that Lithuania result was 7-0 loss to Switzerland, a 2-0 loss to Slovenia and then that 10-0 thrashing.

As I have stated, Azebaijan are a minnow, but they are certainly a better side than San Marino and I fully expect them to show that today, easily.

The Handicap has been set very high on this one, however, the USA should really be able to cover it.

St Vincent are what is described as minnows in football terms, they really are out of their depths at this level and if they can keep the scoreline down to a four goal deficit then they will probably be pleased with that.

The US beat St Vincent last year 6-1 in the states and despite this game being played in St Vincent the result should not be any different.

Generally when a handicap has been set so high it makes bettors nervous, but in this case the high handicap is justified.

Not all St Vincent games end in goal droughts, they actually do win a few, however that is at their level, when they play higher grade teams they tend to take a bit of a beating.

All things considered I am going for the US to beat St Vincent by at least four goals.

Colombia v Venezuela

It really is hard to look beyond a home win here and a comfortable home win at that.

Venezuela are a really poor side, they hardly ever win away from home in the world cup qualifiers, over the last three world cups they have won just three times away from home in 20 games and those wins were against teams a lot poorer than this Colombia side, they have lost two of their three away games in this campaign by more than two goals and the chances are that is what will happen tonight.

Colombia at home are quite strong, in their last ten at home in the qualifiers they have lost just twice, both times to Argentina and drawn against Chile, other than that, they win and the further you go back the more that record continues.

It will be a major surprise if Venezuela get even a point from this game, a home win is expected all day long, the only real question is by how many will Colombia win by.

As stated above, Venezuela have already lost two of their three games on the road by at least two goals, with regards to Colombia, they have won two of their three home games by at least two goals, the only blip was the loss to Argentina.

The handicap has been set at 1.5 goals and for me that is about right, I do expect Colombia to win and I do expect them to win by at least two goals.

I am going with the New York Red Bulls to win this one and to win it by two or more goals.

The Red Bulls are one of the top MLS teams and at home they are formidable, in their last 9 games at home they have won 8 of them and in that run they have won by at least two goals on six occasions, including 4 of the last 5.

New England have lost 4 of their last six away matches, drawing twice and three of those losses have seen them lose by at least two goals.

Additionally, New England have taken just one point from their last five games, while New York are unbeaten in their last eight games, albeit with some draws thrown in.

Point is this, New York at home tend to win with a bit in hand while New England tend to lose comfortably away from home, certainly recently anyway and therefore the pick for me is for a home win on the spreads giving up one goal.

I actually fancy Start to get a result against Bodo/Glimt today

Start have had an awful season, they are rock bottom and have not won a single game on their travels, however, they have drawn 50% of their away games this season and have held their own against some of the top teams in the league.

Bodo are not exactly world beaters themselves, they are in a relegation dogfight as well and have won just three times from 11 games at home, their place is not a fortress by any stretch of the imagination.

I am not saying that Start will win, but I am far more confident in them getting a draw or grabbing their first away win of the season than I am with Bodo winning.

Take Start on the spread

This is a game that Malmo really should win and win comfortably and I will be backing them to do just that.

Malmo have won four of their last six home games by at least two goals, they are formidable at home and when they are in the mood they can inflict a beating on the visitors.

Jonkopings are no walkovers I admit, they have lost just once on the road this season by two goals or more, not bad for a promoted side, however, they are facing Malmo and if there is one team that can rack up the goals it is Malmo.

Jonkopings have done rather well this season, but they remain a promoted team that is significantly below the standard of Malmo and I fully expect that to be evident today

On Saturday and Sunday there are hundreds of soccer game to choose from and the time taken to analyse, research and choose the best picks is lengthy, therefore the written previews are shorter than usual, however, be assured that every single pick is fully analysed and researched and published with total confidence.

Two really poor teams and neither team fills me with much confidence, but that does not mean there is not an opportunity to be had in this match.

Gefle look a solid pick on the handicap, Falkenbergs are really not a good team and while Gefle are not much better they do not deserve to be underdogs in this one.

Put it this way, I am far more confident it will be either a draw or Gefle win than Falkenbergs winning and that is what I will be backing.

Gefle on handicap

On Saturday and Sunday there are hundreds of soccer game to choose from and the time taken to analyse, research and choose the best picks is lengthy, therefore the written previews are shorter than usual, however, be assured that every single pick is fully analysed and researched and published with total confidence.

Colorado Rapids v Orlando City

I fully expect the Rapids to win this one and to win it convincingly.

Colorado for me are one of the best teams in MLS while Orlando are no better than average, I cannot make a case for an away win in this one, all the evidence points to a comfortable home win.

Colorado bounced back from a surprise stuffing at the hands of New York City while Orlando have won just once in their last eight MLS fixtures.

Whatever way I look at this game it is a convincing home win for me.

On Saturday and Sunday there are hundreds of soccer game to choose from and the time taken to analyse, research and choose the best picks is lengthy, therefore the written previews are shorter than usual, however, be assured that every single pick is fully analysed and researched and published with total confidence.

Montreal Impact v Chicago Fire

Montreal are simply the better team, they have much better form and Chicago have been woeful this season.

The debate for me was not who would win, but how much Montreal would win by.

I am quite confident that they will win this one by a couple of goals, I just cannot see Chicago keeping them at bay for the entire 90 minutes.

The handicap has been set at one goal and for me that is too low.

Montreal to cover the spread.

On Saturday and Sunday there are hundreds of soccer game to choose from and the time taken to analyse, research and choose the best picks is lengthy, therefore the written previews are shorter than usual, however, be assured that every single pick is fully analysed and researched and published with total confidence.

Lillestroem v FK Haugesund

Lillestrom are on woeful form, they have won just once in their last ten games and there is no evidence that they will turn that form round today.

Haugesund have won their last two games on the bounce and are staring to put a mini streak together, they will want to come away from this game without a defeat at the very least.

Take Haugesund on the spreads.

West Ham are not the best travellers in Europe, last season they got dumped after losing their away game and this season they open up their Europa League campaign with a loss.

The Hammers also lost this week against Chelsea on the road, ok, it was Chelsea, however, the performance from West Ham was not exactly inspiring.

That said, they are playing inferior opposition in Astra, they really should win, but I simply cannot ignore the current form and their road form in Europe.

Additionally, the Romanians won their last game 3-1 at home and do come into this game with a semblance of confidence.

All things considered I am going for the home side to win or draw this one.

Viking v Stabaek

I fancy Stabaek to spring a little surprise here and hold Viking to at least a draw.

Form counts and Stabaek are unbeaten in their last four games in the league while Viking have lost their two most recent games.

Now, Viking are probably the better team, but their form is not showing that and it is wrong just to back a team because of their perceived superiority when results show the opposite.

I am not saying that Stabaek will win, what I am saying is that I think there is more chance of a draw or Stabaek winning than I am in a Viking win and will be backing Stabaek on the handicap.

Stabaek +0.5

Stromsgodset v Start

Stromgodset have been given a huge start in this by the handicapper and I am not sure it is justified.

Start are woeful I admit but Stromgodset have been woeful recently and they are on a poor run of form as well, they may well win this, but to win by at least two goals I do find a bit of a stretch.

Start do lose by two goals or more on the odd occasion, but not every game and in their last six away games they have not once lost by two or more goals.

Stromgodset do well at home I admit, but they have not won in their last three league games and the chances are they will be happy with a win by a single goal and not risk going all out for a ton of goals.

All things considered I am taking Start +1.5

PSV v AZ

When analysing today's game this one stood out, the reason is that I feel that the handicap has been set too high for PSV to overcome.

PSV should win this one, they are at home and are one of Hollands best sides, however AZ are no walkovers and giving PSV a 1.5 start does seem a little big, basically means they have to win by two clear goals and while a win for PSV is expected I am not sure it will be by a huge margin.

Take AZ + 1.5

Man City v Sunderland

I fully expect Man City to get off to a very good start today against a very limited Sunderland side.

Both cubs have new managers but that is where any sense of similarity ends between these two sides.

David Moyes is probably a good appointment following Sam Allardyce taking over the management of England, but he has his work cut out against City today, he simply does not have a squad with the quality to compete with the top sides, they barely survived relegation last season and the chances are they will spend the season attempting to avoid relegation once again.

City are a squad full of immense talent and with Pep Guardiola now in charge they are the favourites to win the Premier League this season and they will be going full speed ahead today to get their campaign off to the best possible start.

The handicap has been set quite high, but I am very confident that City will overcome it, they are far superior to Sunderland in every area, there is not one position that Sunderland are as good as City and that will be exposed today I am certain.

Take City to win this one by at least a couple of goals.

All my Soccer picks are researched and analysed fully, each one carries my full confidence with a focus on picks that offer value for money.

Rosenborg are a funny side to gauge, they are clearly the best team in Norway, however, they can be complacent, they raced into a 4-0 lead last week against Lillestrom and ending up winning 4-3, that is typical of Rosenborg.

Prior to that win against Lillestrom, Rosenborg had drawn their three previous away games and while they are dominant at home they are susceptible to dropping points on the road.

Viking at home are inconsistent, they have won three, drawn two and lost three, however, they do raise their game against Rosenborg, they have won and drawn more often at home against Rosenborg than they have lost.

Viking are not a hopeless side, a win today would lift them to 5th and just four points behind second place, so they remain competitive in the league and did win way against Sogndal last week, a game I watched and I thought they were quite impressive in that win.

Rosenborg are the better team, but they are away and Viking are capable of either winning this or grabbing a draw and I will take the home side to cover the spread.

All my Soccer picks are researched and analysed fully, each one carries my full confidence with a focus on picks that offer value for money.

I am a little surprised at the odds on Sogndal, I thought they would be a lot lower, however, I am not going to complain and will gladly accept the generosity of the sportsbooks.

There is very little to separate these teams in the league, however Sogndal are quite strong at home while Viking are inconsistent away and based on current form I am going with the home side to take all three points.

All my Soccer picks are researched and analysed fully, each one carries my full confidence with a focus on picks that offer value for money.

It is quite a big handicap for an away side to overcome, however, I am very confident that Odd will do just that today.

Start are woeful, they are bottom of the table for a reason, they have just seven points from a possible 54 and that alone should show you how poor they are.

Odd are second in the table and the gulf between these two sides is immense, I would be very surprised if Odd do not win this one and win it by at least a couple of goals.

All my Soccer picks are researched and analysed fully, each one carries my full confidence with a focus on picks that offer value for money.

Stromgodset all day long for me in this one, not only do I expect them to win , but I expect them to win by at least two goals and cover the spread.

All my Soccer picks are researched and analysed fully, each one carries my full confidence with a focus on picks that offer value for money.

On paper Sporting KC should win this one, but Portland have been improving, yes they lost last week against NYC and Sporting KC are formidable at home, but Portland have drawn their last four away matches and Sporting KC are not unbeatable at home.

Take Portland on the spread and get both the draw and away win on your side

Flamengo v América Mineiro

As soccer games go, this one is a bit of a mismatch and I fully expect the home side to win and to win easy.

This is not so much about Flamengo but about America Mineiro, they are utterly woeful, they have got just eight points from 15 games and are already seven points adrift at the bottom, they have lost six road games from seven and drawn the other, basically that is one point from a possible 21, like I say woeful.

Flamengo are not world beaters, however they are seventh, they have a 4-3-3 record at home and a win today will take them up to fifth, they have won their last two home games and have some momentum.

One last factor, in five out of their six away losses, America Mineiro have lost by two goals or more.

Therefore I am going for a home win and for Flamengo to cover the 1.5 goal spread.

Elfsborg v Östersunds FK

I am taking Elfsborg to get the better of promoted outfit Ostersunds today in the Swedish Allsvenskan.

Ostersunds have done ok so far for a promoted side, however, they are a mediocre outfit and while their away record is not so bad on the face of it, just two losses from seven, they are still very vulnerable and with just the one win on the road, very limited.

Ostersunds have drawn four times away from home, but when they get beat, they get beat in style, 3-0 and 5-0 losses confirm that, they are very defensive, though in all fairness their most recent away draw against Norkopping did buck that trend with a 3-3 result.

Elfsborg are only two points ahead of Ostersunds and their home record is average with three wins, two draws and a loss, but recently they have shown signs of building momentum with three wins and three draws in their last six games home and away.

Basically, Elfsborg will set out to attack and put Ostersunds down early on, the away side will defend vigorously like they have done in nearly every game this season, but I cannot see them holding out for the full 90 minutes and I do expect Elfsborg to emerge the victors and cover the spread.

Brann v Aalesund

A little bit of a mismatch here when you look at the respective home and away records of these two.

In league games Brann have won their last six straight home games, they have conceded just one goal in those six games and scored ten.

Aalesund have lost four of their last six away games, drawn one and won one, they have conceded eleven and scored five, in their last two away games they have allowed four goals in each game.

In better words, at home Brann are formidable, away from home Aalesund are vulnerable to a thrashing.

I am taking Brann to win this one and to cover the spread, I really cannot see Aalesund getting anything at all from this match.

Hearts v Birkirkara

I was slightly surprised by the 0-0 scoreline in the first leg between these two teams, Hearts should have won and I fully expect them to put that right this evening.

I have watched the Maltese side live in Malta, I know Maltese football and their level is far lower than the Scottish Premiership.

Scottish club football is not good I accept that, but it is of a higher standard than Maltese football, this is not guesswork, this opinion is based on me spending 3 years in Malta and watching their football week in week out.

If Hearts play to their level then they will win this one, of course shocks happen, we have seen so many recently, but it would be a huge shock to me if Hearts do not win this one comfortably.

I am taking Hearts to win this and to cover the spread.

Odd v PAS Giannina

Norwegian outfit Odd host Greek side PAS Giannina in the second leg of the Europa league qualifier with PAS taking a 3-0 advantage with them to Norway.

Odd are much better than the 3-0 loss suggests, they also lost at the weekend in their domestic league 2-1 away to Bodo/Glimt and that was another bad defeat for them, they are second in the Norwegian league and they are in that position for a reason, but their last two results have betrayed their true level.

PAS will be looking to sit on their lead, that you can be certain of, they are not going to risk their lead by attacking and leaving themselves exposed at the back, so I see a game with one team attacking and the other defending.

I fully expect Odd to win this one, I doubt they will overcome the three goal deficit, that will take some doing, but I expect them to give it a real go.

I am backing Odd to win this one and to get close to PAS goal supremacy and therefore will take the Norwegian outfit to win and cover the spread.

Odd -1

New York RB v Portland Timbers

A few weeks ago it would have been easy to pick the Red Bulls to come out on top in this match up, that is no longer the case.

The Red Bulls form is dipping while Portland are finally starting to find some momentum.

The Red Bulls have not won in their last three MLS fixtures, albeit they were on the road each time, but not winning can become a habit just as winning can.

The Timbers are on a six match unbeaten run in MLS, they have won their last three home games and drawn their last three road games, they are in good form and will be confident they will be able to come away from this game with at least a point.

I share that confidence and will be backing Portland to cover the spread.

Lillestrøm v Stabæk

A match up between two fairly poor teams and for me this was a case of which team was the poorest and most likely to lose and that without doubt is Stabaek.

Stabaek have won just once on the road all season and have lost on five occasions, they are not what one would describe as formidable on the road.

Lillestrom are not the greatest team at home either, however they have only lost twice at their own stadium in seven games, which is not too bad for a mediocre outfit.

Neither team is in good form either, but the home form of Lillextrom is simply better than the away form of Stabaek and there is nothing to indicate that will change in this particular game, therefore I am going to confidently back Lillestrom to get the better of Stabaek today

Odd v Aalesund

Very hard to see anything other than a clear home win today

Odd are second in the table, have lost just once at their home ground all season and are in very good form at the moment, collecting 10 points from 12 in their last four league games.

Aalesund are fourth from bottom, have won just once away all season and are in very poor form, winning just once in their last seven league games.

The spread has been set quite high, but I am confident that Odd can cover it, I fully expect them to win this game and it is more probable for me that they will win by at least 2 goals than not.

Kalmar v AIK

An interesting match up between two decent sides and it is the away side that I can see collecting all three points.

AIK have played on the road six times this season wining on four occasions, that is a 66% win rate, a decent return for any team in almost any league.

Kalmar have a 2-2-2 record at home, as mixed a record as you can get, but it must be said, winning just twice at home is nothing to write home about.

AIK are the team in far better form, in fact, over the last six games only Malmo have a better league record than AIK.

Kalmar will not be walkovers, but I am more confident in this game either being a draw or a win for AIK than a win for Kalmar and will be taking AIK to cover the spread.

Start v Bodo/Glimt

A tricky game involving the bottom side against the 4th from bottom side in the Norwegian Eliteserien today.

Start have not won at home this season, they have drawn three time and lost four at their own stadium, they are on just six points out of a possible 42, in better words they are one poor team.

Bodo/Glimt are not that much better, they have massed just six points more than Start, they have managed one win and one draw on the road but lost their other four games.

However, there are clues that can help us determine the most probable winner of this game.

The Norwegian league has just returned from a five week break and on these occasions some teams return from a break a completely different side and even though they have only played one game a piece since the resumption one can already see a difference in one of the sides but not the other.

Start came back and lost, they basically carried on where they left off, it was an away game and it was against one of the top 6 sides, but it was a loss nonetheless.

Bodo/Glimt resumed their season with a home draw, but that home draw was against the league leaders Rosenborg, a very good result.

That tells me that Bodo/Glimt have come back in a positive state of mind, they can kick on from that result against Norway's top team, whereas Start are basically the same side they were before the break, they cannot have much confidence and it is hard to see them grabbing their first home win of the season.

All things considered I am going for Bodo/Glimt to cover the spread

Colarado Rapids v Portland Timbers

On paper you would have to go for a Colarado win, but I am not so sure and fancy Portland to cover the spread on this one.

I was disappointed with Portland this season, they are better than their early season results have shown, but the signs are that they are finally starting to turn the corner.

In the MLS Portland are now unbeaten in their last five games, that comes after an appalling start to the season and I do now expect them to carry on with their upturn in form, they certainly have momentum.

Colorado are formidable at home, that I accept, they have won 7 from 8 and are unbeaten in their last 11 MLS games home and away, they really are in good form, there is no getting away from that and if they were playing the Portland team from early on in the season then this would be an easy win, thing is this though, they are not playing that Portland, they are playing a Portland that has bounced back to form and that changes everything.

A Portland on form is well capable of matching Colorado and their head to heads prove that, in fact last time these two teams met Portland won 4-1.

I am taking Portland to cover the spread on this one with a 0.5 goal start.

France v Iceland

Iceland have been costly for me so far but I am very confident that their luck will finally run out and that their fantastic run will come to a glorious end.

Iceland have been lucky, they beat a terrible England side, an England side that performed well below their abilities and I just cannot see France performing anywhere near as bad as what England did.

As long as France play to form they will win this game, it is just a matter of how many goals they win by and I am confident that it will be by at least two.

Iceland have done well to get this far, but they are not Wales, they do not have a sprinkling of world class players and I simply cannot see them getting anything from this game.

France -1

England v Iceland

England and Iceland play for the right to face France in the quarter finals and it is England that I expect to see win and line up against the host nation.

England have been impotent in front of goal, however, they have top scorers in their squad and it really is only a matter of time before they make that breakthrough and put a team to the sword and there is a good chance it will be Iceland.

Iceland have done well to get to this stage, but they really are not on the same level as England, they will spend most of the game defending and being on the back foot, I really do not see them getting anything from this game, they simply are not good enough.

Not only do I expect England to win, I expect them to win by at least 2 goals.

For me, this is a mismatch and I will be backing England to cover the spread.