Friday 10th May 2024

In Across the Leagues today:

• Aiming for Wembley…
• Heading for Germany…
• Villa v Liverpool…

Weekend Preview: Euro dreams – and a 23/1 treble…

I was having a drink with a few Oxford fans the other day. They’d been ‘warming up’ for Wednesday’s Playoff semi final, 2nd leg at Peterborough with a few cold beverages on a bar-on-a-boat on the River Nene…

Having survived the eight or so minutes of time added-on (heart-attack stuff, according to my inebriated new friend…), Oxford booked their place at Wembley. Our picks will face favourites Bolton in the League One Playoff final next Saturday, 18th May.

One of the Oxford supporters I met has booked himself in to a hotel for not one, not two, but three nights in the capital next weekend. I guess, come the Sunday, he’ll either be drowning his sorrows – or still celebrating…

Aiming for Wembley…

Our League Two selection, Doncaster, play their 2nd leg tonight. Rovers are 2-0 up on aggregate, at home to Crewe.

On Sunday lunchtime, the Championship Playoffs get underway. In search of a potential Wembley hat-trick this month, we’re on Norwich. The Canaries are the underdogs to get past Leeds… but remember, this is the Playoffs, where anything can happen…

• Full details of our Football League Playoff picks can be found in last Friday’s email, here

We’re also heading to Wembley with our Champions League team this season. Our 8/1 Each Way bet on Real Madrid is in good shape, with a 1/2 odds place return for reaching the final already assured. The Spanish giants will kick-off as the favourites to lift the trophy when they take on Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, 1st June.

Likewise in the Europa League, where our 20/1 Each Way pick Bayer Leverkusen scored yet more late goals last night – preserving their record-breaking 49-game unbeaten run in all competitions this season…

Leverkusen came from 0-2 down on the night to draw 2-2 with Roma, and progress 4-2 on aggregate. Booking their spot in the final in Dublin on Wednesday, 22nd May. Where they’ll go off as favourites against Atalanta.

• Late drama… After yesterday’s latest heroics, Leverkusen have now scored in the 89th minute or later (!) in 7 of their last 8 games in all competitions. The newly-crowned Bundesliga champs will look to make it 50 games unbeaten when they go to Bochum on Sunday. The reverse fixture ended 4-0 to Leverkusen. But there have been goals at both ends in 12 of Bochum’s last 14 games. Could be fun…

We backed Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen in our 2023/34 UEFA cups preview in September, here.

Our attentions will soon be turning to another big European event. And I don’t mean Eurovision…

Heading for Germany…

Euro 2024 in Germany is just around the corner. Once the domestic silverware has all been dished out, expect the media hype machine to rev-up, fast. Three Lions this, Southgate that. Kane needs a medal. Bellingham the golden boy, Foden’s magic boots. Etc…

We’ll let other publications ramp up the storylines. Here at Across the Leagues, our focus will be on the stats, the betting markets – and the pursuit of winning bets. Expect match predictions, a comprehensive email schedule covering the month-long tournament… unique betting angles and advice… the occasional big-odds Bet Builder… outsiders for Top Goalscorer, and more…

The Euros kick-off on Friday, 14th June, with hosts Germany taking on Scotland…

England start against Serbia on Sunday, 16th June…

• Did you know… Scotland have got the Most Cards in 5 of their last 6 meetings with the Germans? Or that England have paid out for -3 Corner Handicap bets in 5 of their last 7 games? That’s the kind of info you can expect from my upcoming Euro 2024 service this summer… ALL INCLUDED as long as you’re an Across the Leagues member. Lots to look forward to. Stay tuned…

Meanwhile, in Sweden…

Did someone say Eurovision? Go on then…

We’ve been doing a bit of ‘research’ in my house. By that I mean, playing our daughter a different 2024 entry on YouTube after breakfast every morning…

My verdict, going into Saturday night’s final in Malmo: Croatia have a very catchy, high-energy number, making them worthy favourites (although the bookies have them odds-on, at just 10/11). Ireland’s moody and dramatic staging could go well at 25/1 Each Way (4 places at 1/5 odds with Unibet). And if you want a rank outsider to cheer for, Cyprus has the hallmarks of a slick, radio-friendly pop banger…. 400/1 EW with Skybet.

More European goals…

Back on the football pitch, I’ve been looking into the Top Performing Teams stats on our website. And going into this weekend’s fixtures in Turkey and Portugal, three of this season’s standout teams catch the eye in the Win & Both Teams to Score market:

BRAGA to Win & Both Teams to Score
Vitoria Guimaraes v Braga, Sat 8.30pm
Portugal, Primeira Liga

GALATASARAY to Win & Both Teams to Score
Fatih Karagumruk v Galatasaray, Sun 5pm
Turkey, Super Lig

FENERBAHCE to Win & Both Teams to Score
Fenerbahce v Kayserispor, Sun 5pm
Turkey, Super Lig

The treble pays over 20/1 – see below for bookies & best odds.

Win & Both Teams to Score – Top Performing Teams 2023/24:

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

www.acrosstheleagues.co.uk

Watkins to hit the target…

One man who will be hoping to contribute some goals for England this summer is Ollie Watkins…

Ollie has done well for us in the ante-post markets before, notably as a 33/1 Each Way outsider when banging in the goals for Brentford in the Championship.

This season, in the Premier League, we’re on Watkins at 16/1 Each Way (4 places at 1/4 odds) for Top Scorer ‘Without Erling Haaland’ – a bet that the Villa striker is potentially just three goals off landing at the moment, and currently on track for an EW return.

Villa take on Liverpool in the Monday Night Football on Sky Sports (8pm). Watkins has done well in this fixture before. Scoring a total of four times in his last three home starts against the Reds.

Liverpool’s Mo Salah is the favourite in the Anytime Scorer betting for this match. But Watkins has a goal more than Mo so far this season, and I prefer the slightly bigger price for the home player here. Liverpool are nine league games without a clean sheet…

TODAY’S PICKS

See above for full details

Portuguese and Turkish games as listed above:

• Treble. Win & Both Teams to Score: Braga, Galatasaray, Fenerbahce @ 23/1 Bet365, 22/1 William Hill, BetVictor, Boylesports, Ladbrokes, Coral

Aston Villa v Liverpool:

• Anytime Scorer: Ollie Watkins @ 15/8 (2.88) Skybet, Unibet, 9/5 (2.8) William Hill, BetVictor, 8/5+ (2.6+) in general

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

Have a good weekend…

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

Enjoy the football…

Best wishes,

Oliver Upstone

Across the Leagues