Tip-Ex -- Sports betting and odds comparison service for gamblers and bookmakers: Bets, odds, betting tips and best prices.

Wednesdays Soccer – By Chris.

The Premiership

Chelsea   -   Reading          1.25  -  17.99
If Reading had a sound defence they could possibly get a point from this match but their defence is the worst there is, at least in their away fixtures. They have conceded 32 goals in their twelve away games which is pretty awful. They will come with the same squad that lost to Man United ten days ago, missing only the injured striker Shane Long. Gunnarsson and Duberry remain on the sidelines and their three Africans remain in Ghana.

For Chelsea, Michael Ballack is battling to be fit for this match, having missed their last two games vs. with Everton and Wigan. Chelsea have managed all right without him and all the other missing key players and they will be fine tomorrow as well. Home win (1.25). 

Chelsea 2 Reading 0

Derby   -   Manchester City         5.60   -   1.73
After their 1-4 cup loss to Preston things cannot get any worse for this lousy Derby side. Their players can relax now they know and everybody concerned knows, that Derby will be relegated to the Championship. They are quite simply not good enough for the Premiership and they would not excel in the Championship either. However, the new owners and Jewell is a committed boss so you never know about the future. For now they will once again be without defenders Mears, McEveley and D Mills and their keeper Bywater. A fourth defender Nyatanga is out suspended and E Lewis is a major injury doubt. C Fagan will be back. Latest signing, Sterjovski, could play some part.

City continue to bore me although the incident with M Ball and the balloons was quite funny. Two days to go and no sign of a new City striker. OK, young Sturridge will be fine, but surely City cannot rely on Vassell and Mpenza for goals untill the end of the season. M Petrov has not been at his best lately and without him in form and without proper strikers City will continue to play poorly. Their defensive ace Micah Richards was missing at the weekend when City lost the cup game to Sheffield United, 1-2. He will back tomorrow and in other words City should at least not lose this match. X2 then!

Derby 1 Man City 1

Everton   -   Tottenham         2.40   -   3.20
Last season I made some money on this fixture, with Tottenham scoring the winner a few minutes before the end. I definitely prefer the way Tottenham play their football, but  this time the value is on the home win. Everton miss their African trio plus the injured L Baines.

M Dawson, the Tottenham defender is out suspended. New signing Woodgate has passed a medical and he could be involved tomorrow. He was never fit for R Madrid and he seldom lasted the full 90 minutes for Middlesbrough, so expecting him to play a major roll is asking a bit much. L King, Tottenham’s ace defender is not 100% fit but he will play tomorrow. Chimbonda will also be available. Offensively Tottenham are as exciting as Arsenal and M United, but there are many question marks regarding their present defence, with or without Woodgate. Everton will be a tough opponent tomorrow. Backing the home win (2.40).

Everton 0 Tottenham 0

Manchester Utd    -   Portsmouth        1.29   -   15.00
I can live with 1.25 on the Chelsea win against Reading but I am not happy with 1.29 offered on the United win. While Reading are 0-3-8 away from home Pompey are 7-1-4 after 12 league games. OK, they are missing all their African stars plus the injured D Nugent. Sol Campbell is expected back for this match and new singing M Baros will make his debut for the club.

United defender Vidic risks missing the match, while Saha and G Neville are not fit to play but maybe we will see P Scholes in the starting line up. Likely home win of course (1.29).

Man Utd 2 Portsmouth 0

West Ham   -  Liverpool          4.10   -   2.00
When West Ham drew their last match with Man City both D Ashton and M Etherington were missing. They will be available tomorrow but J Faubert is an injury doubt.

Liverpool have practically a fully fit squad with only D Agger on their injury list. Why they have been so lack lustre for weeks I cannot say. It seems like they constantly put themselves in trouble regardless which opponents they face. Luton, Wigan even Havant became major obstacles for Liverpool. There is something about Benitez and low profile matches. He is not happy playing these midweek fixtures but in Britain there are no easy wins and this should be obvious by now. Lots of character in the present West Ham side and they could earn a draw from this game. The draw then (3.25).

West Ham 1 Liverpool 0

Serie A

Reggina   -   Milan        7.90   -   1.57
The positive Reggina run continues. They were 0-2 down at Atalanta at the weekend but coach Ulivieri made some inspired substitutions and Reggina reached a strong 2-2 draw. Reggina will have Cozza back for this match and he will play together with Brienza just behind their striker Ceravolo. Valdez, defender, is suspended with Cirillo his replacement.

Milan will be without Ronaldo and Ambrosini. Their first choice keeper Dida is fit again. Likely away win but should one use this price? (1.57) I am not convinced at all. 

Reggina 0 Milan 1

Coppa Italia, second leg

Catania   -  Udinese    2.35  -   3.10
Udinese will send out their second string squad for this match while Catania will pick their strongest possible side. It was the same situation last week at Udine, but the home side managed nevertheless to win the match 3-2. They were down 1-2 with some twenty minutes to go and their coach gave first team memebers Quagliarellla and Pepe some playing time late in the game. It was enough to make Udinese 3-2 winners. It was a tough result for all of us who had backed Catania that day. Paolucci and Obodo played in the first match but they will not be available this time. So possibly an even weaker Udinese side this time and with the match taking place in Sicily tomorrow, surely we will have a home winner here. Catania miss the suspended Edusei. Outstanding odds on the home win (2.35).

Catania 2 Udinese 1

Chris.