Friday 9th February 2024

In Across the Leagues today:

• Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich…
• Real Madrid v Girona…
• Win & Both Teams to Score combo at 111/1… 

Weekend Picks: 2 big matches in Germany and Spain…

We’re spoilt for choice this Saturday teatime…

On terrestrial TV you’ve got Gladiators on the BBC, in a ratings battle with the Six Nations rugby on ITV…

While football fans with Sky (or pub) access can picks between these three 5.30pm live games:

Nottingham Forest v Newcastle in the Premier League (Sky Sports)...

Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga (Sky Sports)...

Real Madrid v Girona in the Spanish La Liga (ITV4)...

Top-of-the-table clashes…

Those two European matches are biggies. With a pair of surprise title challengers in Leverkusen and Girona - taking on long-established trophy magnets Bayern and Real, respectively.

In both cases, it’s the top two in the 2023/24 league tables, going head-to-head. No medals will be handed out on Saturday evening, but these outcomes are bound to have a profound effect on the title races in Germany and Spain…

Bundesliga:

La Liga:

I’ve got a pair of ‘back the best’ stats picks for us here. In both instances, taking a cream-rises-to-the-top approach…

Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich:

Anytime Scorer - Harry Kane @ 5/4 (2.25)

• It’s not often you get Evens or odds-against for Harry to score. Kane has been a revelation since signing for Bayern Munich. The England captain is 7 goals clear at the top of the Bundesliga standings, has landed Anytime Scorer bets in 5 of his last 7 games - and took just 7 minutes to find the net in the reverse fixture v Leverkusen back in September (2-2 draw)

Real Madrid v Girona:

Real Madrid -3 Corner Handicap @ 23/20 (2.15)

• As with our Man City -3 Corner Handicap winner the other day, I like this stats bet for more than one reason. If Madrid are in dominant, champion-mentality mode, then they can boss the ball and the corner count here. If upstarts Girona go ahead, then Real will come for them. If Girona decide to abandon attacking ambitions and park the bus, Madrid will push them back, and back, all the way to the byline…
• Real Madrid have covered a -3 Corner Handicap in their last 3 home meetings v Girona in all competitions, with one-sided corner tallies of 7-1, 7-0, and 13-2. For more recent form, it’s noteworthy that Girona have been out-cornered in 5 of their last 6 games overall, home or away

Win & Both Teams to Score combo at 111/1…

For our big-price weekend assault, we’re taking three chunky prices in the English Football League (EFL)…

With our focus on the Win & Both Teams to Score (Win & BTTS) markets:

Barnsley v LEYTON ORIENT
League One, Sat 3pm

• Orient are the underdog here, and that boosts their Win & BTTS price. The visitors are the form team in League One, winning 5 of their last 6. Barnsley are ranked 4th in the division for Both Teams to Score, with goals at both ends in 10 of their last 11 games

Wycombe v PETERBOROUGH
League One, Sat 3pm

• Promotion-chasing Peterborough have produced 6 x Win & BTTS payouts this season - and 5 of them have come in away games. The Posh are ranked Top 5 in League One this season for Over 2.5 Goals, and also for Both Teams to Score - and are the division’s top scorers. There have been goals at both ends in 8 of Peterborough’s last 9 games. Wycombe are on a run of 5 out of 6 games for Both Teams to Score. And there’s a history of goals in this fixture, including a 2-2 draw earlier this season

Swindon v SALFORD
League Two, Sat 3pm

• Salford are one of the form sides in League Two right now, winning 3 of their last 4. Including 3-1 and 3-2 victories in their last 2 games. With goals at both ends in 4 out of 5. Despite making a change in the dugout recently, Swindon are still looking vulnerable. The Robins have only won 2 of their last 10 league games. Both Teams to Score has paid out in 5 of Swindon’s last 6 - including 3-1, 2-1, and 2-1 defeats

The away-day Win & Both Teams to Score treble on Orient, Peterborough & Salford comes out at over 100/1 with a couple of firms, and around 90/1 elsewhere. We’ll take that big price as one leg of a Trixie - splitting a stake 4 ways across 3 doubles and the treble.

Along with odds of 7/2 or 3/1 for the straight-up Both Teams to Score treble...

TODAY’S PICKS

See above for full details

Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich
German Bundesliga, Sat 5.30pm - Sky Sports

• Anytime Scorer - Harry Kane @ 5/4 (2.25) Unibet, BetUK & BetMGM, 21/20 (2.05) Bet365, Evens (2.0) Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook, 888 Sport, Betfred, Boylesports, SpreadEx, Sporting Index

Real Madrid v Girona
Spanish La Liga, Sat 5.30pm - ITV4

• Real Madrid -3 Corner Handicap @ 23/20 (2.15) William Hill, Evens (2.0) Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook, and Unibet, BetUK & BetMGM (called ‘Real Madrid Starts 0-3’), 19/20 (1.95) Bet365 (‘-3.5 Asian Handicap Corners’), 9/10 (1.9) BetVictor 

League One & League Two, Sat 3pm
Barnsley v Leyton Orient
Wycombe v Peterborough
Swindon v Salford

• TREBLE. Both Teams to Score @ 7/2 (4.5) William Hill, 10/3 (4.33) Bet365, 3/1+ (4.0+) general 
• TRIXIE. Win & Both Teams to Score: Leyton Orient, Peterborough, Salford - best odds Bet365 (111/1 the treble), William Hill (103/1)

Time-saver: where possible, the bookie links above go directly to the matches/ markets in question.

I’ll be back on Tuesday, with the start of the Champions League Knockout games…

P.S
Log-in to view all our bet-specific stats for 17 leagues at:

www.acrosstheleagues.co.uk

• Want to get in touch? Email me at: oliver.upstone@oxonpress.co.uk

Enjoy the football…

Best wishes,

Oliver Upstone

Across the Leagues