Rarely in the mutual duels the total teams make this kind of big mistakes, and today because of the table it is especially important to play well. The referee de Burgos, after a scandal from the Real side for not giving a penalty, should maybe blow the whistle a bit more today, there must be physicality today.
After almost scoring two goals, Chelsea's ability to score goals seems to be heavily underestimated according to the given coefficient. Leeds, demonstrating a very weak form, has a series of four losses and has conceded three goals in three of those matches and two goals in one. In this Premier League season, in eight lost matches, Leeds has only once not conceded two goals, and in eleven matches, they have conceded the ball from their own goal line twice or more. Chelsea rightfully stands high in the league and must defeat Leeds with good gameplay.
Last weekend there were matches in the Bundesliga and 3 goals were scored, today is the cup match where we can expect some rotation. In any case, the playing style of the teams favors goals, but here in the cup, I doubt that any team would want to postpone the match after regular time. I am looking forward to a high-scoring game, as it usually happens between these teams.
The Manchester team Fulham is a particularly favorable opponent, having beaten City's team 18 times in a row and this winning streak should continue. Although City is no longer dominating, the team is in good form with a strong offense and also consistently scoring two or more goals. It is not necessary to focus on a high coefficient, as this is a good choice for assessing the teams' playing and abilities.
Perhaps miraculously, Tottenham will not recover against Newcastle, because according to the game trend, some are quite stable, especially when playing at home, while others are stagnant and their performance in matches is constantly declining. Tottenham's game is unbelievable, it seemed that with a new coach they would become more defensive, but recently their defense has been failing and Newcastle should take advantage of playing at home.
Maybe not the most confident City game lately, but I believe they will at least take a working draw here. The composition and talent are on their side, and sometimes it seems that the harder the team, the better. Fulham had a decent series in Peru, but there weren't any particularly loud results. The win against Tottenham was impressive, but I don't think Tottenham is much of a threat this year with a new coach. The head-to-head record is impressive in favor of City.
Although the Celtics team shows that they can play without Tatum and there are players who can replace him, it is difficult for the Boston team to maintain a stable game both throughout the match and in every game. Their quality is there, but their opponents have an advantage. Without Tatum, the Celtics seem much weaker, while the Knicks team lacks a consistent rotation of players and their leaders are healthy and in good form.
Challenger Angers, France, is tough... Candidate for the Czech Republic team, Dominica S. (21 years old), is versatile and feels good on this surface, she should take one set, but... In Peru, on the rise, Jelina V. (18 years old) from Belgium on her favorite surface, this encounter should start more aggressively, with under errors.
Although the Grizzlies surprisingly compete well against lower-ranked teams, in my opinion, they will reach their limits today. The Spurs are showing good basketball, even without Wembi. Fox is successful in his leadership role and the team has plenty of talent even without him. Plus, the Spurs have a strong home record of 8-2 this season. I am expecting a solid performance from San Antonio against the Grizzlies at home.
Snooker UK Championship, competition up to eleven games. The last face-to-face meeting in the past autumn was won by Eliotas S. (31 years old), and it was his only win out of four meetings. This season, Kyren Wilson (33 years old) has risen to the top 3 world's best players. Despite the recent unsuccessful period, Kyren maintains his dynamic and feels the game, favorable tour format, and the motivation to bounce back.
Although recently Atarkpa has not been the best player for Jadenas, his abilities definitely allow him to score such a high points total. He has a great shooting hand, plays a lot, and I think it's time for him to score over 20 points. The only downside is that he doesn't take much initiative, as other players often take the majority of shots and he usually focuses on defense. However, when given at least 15-16 shots, he can confidently score, especially when the 3-pointers are falling. It's a risky bet, but considering the New Orleans defense, I think it's worth a try.
San Antonio Spurs (Devin Vassell 22+ points) @2.950 8/10
Even though Memphis can put up a fight, I think their defense is dangerous upfront. The Peruvian defenders are not very impressive and they should be punished with 3-pointers. That's why my choice is Devin, who can shoot pretty well from long range. Currently, he's playing an average of 35 minutes per game and makes a lot of 3-pointers, which can be a key weapon against Memphis, who have recently struggled defensively. However, I wouldn't count them out completely, as they still have a lot of problems. So, not only is Devin a threat from long range, but he can also punish them in fast breaks. And while not all players have returned to the Spurs, in my opinion, he's a solid option and I would predict around 25 points for him tonight.
After a tough game against the Atlanta Hawks, I believe it's time for Philadelphia to rebound with a strong performance, and my choice would be Edgecombe who had a weak game against the Hawks due to returning from an injury, but I believe he will shine with different colors today. On average, he makes about 15 shots per game and plays for about 35 minutes, and while his percentages are not impressive so far, he definitely has a lot of potential, especially with the Wizards' defense. I hope he will score around 20 points, but more importantly, he needs to make good shots and not take away any opportunities from Maxey.
The leaders and top players of Euroleague, attacking team Hapoel with an average of 90.7 points, will play against the worst team in the league with the worst attack of 75.8 points. With such a strong attack and the playing style of Asvel team, I believe there will be a significant difference in favor of Hapoel. The team is still playing in Bulgaria, but after playing against Hapoel in multiple matches, they will understand and be able to do what the top players do.
Back to back games for these teams, Juventus LKL defeated Nevėžio team by 17 points in their last match before the national team, and now they are given a double-digit handicap at home. The leader of the Kėdainiai club - Tony Peru has already left the team and without him, it will be even harder for the club to face Juventus. The Utenos team has lost to this team twice before, but at home, Juventus is a different team with 5 wins out of 6 recent home games, and all of them with a difference of +9.
Before heading out in search of more league points against Mansfield Town next Tuesday, December 9th, Steven Schumacher's men face Vertu Trophy and FA Cup matches. First up, Bradford City face the Vertu Trophy last-32 at the Toughsheet Community Stadium tomorrow (Tuesday evening), before a trip to the County Ground on Saturday to face League Two heavyweights in the FA Cup second round. Boasting a 100% record from the group stage, Wanderers enter the Vertu Trophy knockout stages with another clean sheet. Thierry Gale remains suspended after his red card against Rotherham United, but Bolton have a fully fit squad to choose from against Bradford City. Jordi Osei-Tutu shrugged off a weak leg against Luton Town, and there could be an opportunity for Victor Adeboyejo to get his first competitive minutes since February following his recent return to training. The Nigerian striker has been out since February but had already anticipated this match as his return to action. Will Forrester is also expected to make his second appearance of the season, after facing Oldham Athletic in the final group game. The Wanderers – winners of the trophy in 2023 – reached the quarter-finals last season and will secure a round of 16 match if they overcome Bradford, who ended the Whites' eight-game winning streak with a goalless draw in their last League One away game. Both teams are likely to be significantly changed from last month's meeting, but the Wanderers have the squad depth to cope with the situation, while also looking to offer further opportunities to players aiming for a league title and who have already made their mark in this season's Trophy, leading the Wanderers to three consecutive wins and 10 goals in the group stage. Bolton are worth significantly more than their opponents at 19,70 million vs 6,10 million and are playing this second round of the Cup in their home stadium, with the advantage of a home crowd. In this case, I choose the 1 sign with possible 1-0/2-0.
The Lechia Gdańsk vs. Górnik Zabrze match will open the round of 16 of the STS Polish Cup. It will be a special encounter for John Carver. The English coach will begin his second year with the green and whites. Lechia Gdańsk has been performing very well in the PKO Ekstraklasa recently. In their last three matches, the Tri-City team has collected seven points and is just one step away from leaving the relegation zone. Naturally, Tomas Bobcek has made a huge contribution to the Gdańsk team's results, having already scored 11 goals this season and leading the scoring charts. Górnik Zabrze, on the other hand, still leads the PKO Ekstraklasa standings, but their recent results are less than impressive. In Zabrze's case, they have only collected one point in their last three matches, which has meant they are closing in on the chasing pack. However, this year, the Silesian team could lose their leading position. The hosts are slightly more valuable than their opponents at 17,75 million vs 16,78 million. Lechia plays at their home stadium with the advantage of a home crowd, so they could also seek a win to advance, although in the event of a draw there will be penalties. In this case, I choose to play Asian at home, which will be voided in the event of a draw. Possible results: 1-0, 2-0. gl
Everything is returning to Israel. The welcome from the fans should be impressive and the atmosphere will be stellar. Hapoel fans are one of the best, and it will be their first time hosting the Euroleague. After such a long break from top-level basketball, everything will be lit up. I believe ASVEL will simply be cannon fodder here, a team of tragedy, who are not at the Euroleague level and realistically only have one Euroleague-level player in DeColo, who is already 40 years old.
Bournemouth has a poor record, but they are a strong team that will be competing for European spots this season. They are very strong at home, having not lost a single game this season and scoring 10 goals while only conceding 4. Everton, on the other hand, seem to be falling apart after the incident with Guye and were completely defeated by Newcastle, who simply overpowered them away from home. It will be a tough game for the Toffees today, especially since Bournemouth will be looking to collect points after their poor performance.
Maccabi is completely dead in defense this year. They are averaging historically high points allowed, at 95 on average. Maccabi is the top team in three-pointers made, while Žalgiris is the most successful in defending against them. Žalgiris understands that they don't need to go all out on offense, but rather focus on defense, as getting into a high-scoring game against Maccabi could end poorly. The absence of Katasho will not bring any changes to the game, and there is also uncertainty about whether Leaf and Hoard will play, while Dowtin is out. These are all key players for both teams.
Where Barcelona is, there are no surprises this season at all. And the reason for that is very clear - a high defensive line. Everyone easily goes on the attack, one-on-one with the goalkeeper, there are plenty of 3v1, 3v2 situations during the match. And Atletico this season is very serious about fighting for the title, they execute opportunities perfectly, so we can expect goals from them today. Barcelona attacks very well, with 39 goals in 14 matches this season. I suspect it will be an open match from the first minutes and we can expect goals in the first half.
Where Barca is, there the opponents are not surprising at all this season. And the reason for that is very clear - a high defensive line. Everyone easily goes into attacks, one on one with the goalkeeper, there are many 3v1, 3v2 situations during the matches. And Atletico, who are very serious about fighting for the title this season, execute their chances perfectly, so you can expect goals from them today. Barca themselves attack incredibly well, with 39 goals scored in 14 matches this season.
Newcastle is a great team, which struggled at the beginning but has now started to collect points as expected. They are physically strong and tough, making it difficult for even Spurs to play against them. Spurs have been completely lifeless this season, with no offense, and they have no chance of representing and creating opportunities against physical teams. Their matches this season have resulted in under 0.1 expected goals.
The City team had a difficult period, before Leeds there was a complete domination, but in the second period they were a bit lost and did not expect such a strong game from Leeds. However, they managed to take the lead. In the last 4 games, Fulham scored 3 times but it's not worth mentioning, as they were against very weak Wolves, a 1-0 win against Sunderland, who have been over performing so far, and a tragic missed opportunity against Tottenham, who are just not capable of winning games at home. City started scoring goals without Haaland, which is a great sign. Foden is playing very well, so they should take this opportunity, especially since the Gunners failed to grab 3 points against Chelsea and the fight for the title is still open.
We will take Overi here, Chelsea plays very productively in away games this season with 14 scored goals in the PL from 6 played away matches and I think their form should be tested against Leeds, especially with the addition of Palmer back in the lineup who should get his time in this match. Leeds have conceded 3 goals in away matches in the PL, although they have a solid defense at home, their opponents have been relatively favorable so far, they only had to play against stronger teams like Aston Villa and Tottenham and both of them scored 2 goals on their own pitch. Chelsea, without Caicedo due to suspension, may also make it easier for Leeds to play football and I believe they will have their chances here as well. I predict a 1-2/1-3 score here.
Erjavec Veronika - at the age of 25, the Slovenian has had a successful career season, where she plays on clay courts. She is technically skilled and has a great defense from the backline, and also has good stability.
Tikhonova Anastasia - a 25-year-old Russian, whose main court surface is fast hard, but she doesn't perform well on clay. She likes to quickly close out points and doesn't like to keep the ball on the court for long. She also tends to make fewer unforced errors, which the Slovenian could easily take advantage of.
Erjavec Veronika - 25 years old Slovenian has the best season of her career, where she mostly plays on clay courts. She is very technical, versatile with excellent defense from the backline, and has good stability.
Tikhonova Anastasia - 25 years old Russian, whose main surface is a fast hard court, has not had much success on clay. She enjoys closing out points quickly and does not like to hold onto the ball for too long on the court. She tends to make fewer unforced errors, which the Slovenian should easily take advantage of.
The Polish Cup, two Ekstraklasa clubs meet as 16th place Lechia hosts league leader Gornik. I'm going with Over because this season Lechia has been demonstrating incredible scoring results, even though they are currently in the relegation zone with a score of 32 goals for and 35 goals against in 17 league matches, averaging 4 goals per game. I think this will be an above-average match due to their current form. Gornik has slightly lower scoring results, but I believe they will be more motivated in this game and their defense should also improve after their 4-0 defeat in the last match against Lechia, which may have shaken their confidence.
Arsenal should have no problems taking all 3 points here, as the league leaders who have only lost once at home this season against City have dominated all clubs and Ghana has plenty of elite level clubs that the Gunners have already defeated in the Emirates. Now they face Brentford, a team that cannot offer much here, only average in the league, their success depending on a strong home game, but only managing to take 3 points in 6 away games.
One of the teams from the lower 2 Bundesliga championship, Bochum, after being relegated from the top league last season, is not recovering well. The team looks very poor and unstable, while Stuttgart appears to be playing fairly well. With a heavier workload, Stuttgart is used to it as they play in the European league, so mid-week matches are nothing new for them. Playing a productive style of football, even with an experimental lineup, I believe Stuttgart will easily overcome Bochum.
After a very successful match against Bayern in the Bundesliga championship, it is now time for these teams to determine who is stronger in the cup. Union led at home twice, but Bayern cannot afford to play such poor matches for the second time. Bayern, who created opportunities and had 74% possession, must crush their opponents, who as I see it were like a stick once shot.
We are moving with the home handicap and the Hertha club that shows very good form. 6 consecutive wins, including a trophy, show how strong the current form of the Berlin team is, not to mention the recent away win against Kaiserslautern team. Although they are neighbors in the 2nd Bundesliga, the form of both teams differs greatly, and the home stadium of Hertha has become a fortress with 5 consecutive wins, while the away team celebrates rarely this season.
Despite facing tougher matches, City team is once again undervalued. While Fulham is a good and interesting team in England, they must meet the standards set by City. While City is often known for fighting for the title, they rarely make mistakes, and after a weaker match, they always follow up with strong performances. I believe we should expect the same from the citizens of Manchester. Fulham has defeated Tottenham and Sunderland, but I do not think they have much chance against City, who, as usual, confidently marches forward in England.
I believe that we can even expect a productive clash between these teams. Atletico club, who are in good form, have scored 2 goals in 3 out of their last 4 matches against each other. Since they have only won once, I think this option looks the most attractive. Atletico has been scoring goals consistently, with 27 goals in 14 league matches and 12 goals in 5 Champions League matches. On the other hand, Barcelona is struggling, especially in defense, and even though their strong offense has kept them from falling into a hole, there are still many signs of trouble. Barcelona has been facing defensive issues throughout the season, and Atletico should take advantage of this.
First long-term bet for the new full season. Chelsea's coefficient is still over 2, which means they will finish in the Top 4, and I have no doubts about that. Last season, they finished fourth and strengthened their team impressively at the end of the season. It was clear that this young team is a force to be reckoned with, winning two trophies and beating PSG gave them a lot of confidence going forward. So yes, Chelsea will play Champions League football, but in terms of the main competition for the fourth place, I see Newcastle as the main rival and I don't think they have strengthened enough to challenge for it. As for the other teams, United and Tottenham? United have made too much progress in just one season and Tottenham have a lower level than Chelsea, plus they are also in the Champions League. Aston Villa seems destined for relegation and I don't see any other contenders. Overall, I believe Chelsea is closer to joining the top three of Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool, rather than fighting for the Top 4 spot, which I don't see them achieving in the upcoming Premier League season.