10-21-19 |
Arsenal v. Sheffield United UNDER 2.5 |
Top |
0-1 |
Win
|
105 |
1 h 30 m |
Show
|
At 3:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Arsenal (200077) and Sheffield United (20008). THE SITUATION: Arsenal (4W-3D-1L) returns to English Premier League action after the international break from a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth back on October 6th. Sheffield United (2W-3D-3L) comes off a 0-0 draw at Watford back on October 5th.
REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Arsenal is unbeaten in their last five matches as they have embraced more defensive tactics under second-year manager Unai Emery. The Gunners have scored only one goal in their last two matches while conceding just two goals. The offensive attack has been limited with forward Alexandre Lacazette being injured — and he will be on the bench for this match. Arsenal also has Pierre-Emerick Aubemeyang who is a prolific scorer but who also has a low ceiling regarding his potential offensive output. Aubemeyang has not registered more than two shots on target in a match all season. The Gunners are 6th in the league by averaging 13.5 shots per game — but that number drops significantly to just 8.5 shots per game when they are playing on the road which is 10th in the EPL. Arsenal also averages just 3.5 shots on target per match on the road which is also 10th in the league. They now face a feisty Sheffield United side which is tied for first with only seven goals conceded this season. While this team was promoted from the Championship League last season, this is a dangerous team under manager Chris Wilder who played Liverpool to a narrow 1-0 loss earlier this year. Sheffield has allowed only two goals in their last two matches — but they have also scored only two goals in those four matches while being shut out three times. Sheffield has scored only seven times in their eight matches which is third to last in the league. They average just 9.8 shots per match which is third-to-last. Furthermore, this side averages 2.5 shots on target per match which is the second-fewest in the league — and that number only climbs to a 2.8 mark at home which is also 19th of the twenty team league. In their four home matches, Sheffield has scored only two goals — but they have conceded just four goals. And in their two matches against Power Six clubs this season, Sheffield has allowed only three combined goals.
FINAL TAKE: Sheffield United will be very happy to deploy their defensive tactics to engage in another low-scoring match that they can perhaps steal with a goal on the counter-attack. Arsenal does not play aggressively in hostile environments — Emery’s approach will likely be to have his team stick around until the skill of Aubemeyang eventually finds the back of the net. This is a great formula for a lower scoring match. 25* EPL Monday NBC Sports Network Total of the Month with Under the Total in the match between Arsenal (200077) and Sheffield United (20008). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
09-30-19 |
Arsenal +0.5 v. Manchester United |
Top |
1-1 |
Win
|
100 |
20 h 38 m |
Show
|
At 3:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Arsenal (200045) with the Goal-Line versus Manchester United (200046). THE SITUATION: Arsenal (W3-D2-L1) enters this seventh week of the English Premier League season coming off a 3-2 victory over Aston Villa last Sunday. Manchester United (W2-D2-L2) looks to bounce-back from a 2-0 loss at West Ham last Sunday.
REASONS TO TAKE ARSENAL WITH THE GOAL-LINE: Manchester United is a M*A*S*H unit right now — they are ravaged with injuries. The Red Devils opened the season with plenty of optimism after a dominant 4-0 victory at home against Chelsea. The scoring combination of manager’s Gunnar Solskjaer’s young forwards Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial offered optimism for this side this season. But Martial has not played since Week Three after he suffered a thigh injury that has kept him off the pitch for over a month. Rashford suffered a groin injury last week that pulled him off the pitch after 60 minutes in their loss to West Ham — he has been declared out for this match. And then a sprained ankle to star midfielder Paul Pogba on Wednesday in their Caribou Cup match with Rochdale leaves him very much in doubt for this match. With the Red Devils top three offensive players likely out for this match, who is going to score for Solskjaer? This is an opportunity for Mason Greenwood at forward yet he has only played 47 minutes this season — and he has not registered a point nor an assist in that time in his first year on the roster. Solskjaer was already dealing with a host of injuries headlined by defenseman Luke Shaw has not played since Week Three when he left the pitch with a hamstring injury. Familiar names like Alexis Sanchez and Chris Smalling were loaned out for the year with the expectation of the youth movement taking hold. The fact is that this is a roster of a second-tier team — and that assumes that mostly everyone is healthy. It is telling that the Red Devils could only manage a 1-1 draw with an underwhelming Rochdale side despite the match being played at home at Old Trafford. West Ham surgically tore Man United apart last week. As it is, the Red Devils were just W1-D4-L4 against fellow Big Six teams last year while scoring only eight times and allowing 18 goals. And on their home pitch last season against the Big Six teams, Man United was winless with a W0-D3-L2 mark with just three goals and eight goals conceded. This is an organization that collapsed under the weight of their moody manager Jose Mourinho last fall. They finished in sixth place to end the season in large part because they feasted on the lesser teams in the league. But those accomplishments still required their best players to healthy. Arsenal is dealing with their own health issues Alexandre Lacazette out with an ankle injury. And it does not help that Ainsley Maitland-Niles is suspended for this game after he was issued a red card in their victory over Aston Villa last week. The Gunners deserve credit for rallying from a 2-1 deficit despite playing with only ten men on the pitch given that red card penalty late in the first half. The best two players on the pitch for this match — by far — will be Arsenal’s forward, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and midfielder, Nicolas Pepe. Aubameyang scored 22 times last season and has already scored six goals this year with his game-winner at the 84-minute mark last Sunday in that win over the Villains. The Gunners were then in fine form midweek with their 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest in Caribou Cup action. Arsenal is W1-D1-L1 in their three matches on the road this year with a 3-1 loss to Liverpool sandwiched by a 1-0 win over Newcastle and a 2-2 draw with Watford. Last year, the Gunners were W7-D4-L8 in their nineteen road matches. And they fared better than Man United against Big Six sides last year with a W3-D3-L4 overall record.
FINAL TAKE: These are similar teams in that they are two Big Six organizations that are in rebuild mode having taken a step (or two) back from Manchester City and Liverpool. But the Gunners are still relatively healthy and probably six months ahead of schedule in their reorganization after moving on from their longtime manager Arsene Wagner to bring in Emery last summer. Keeping Solskjaer seemed to be a stop-gap measure this summer after he was able to coax better efforts from players like Pogba and Rashford after Mourinho was sacked. What is the Red Devils plan with those two players (and Martial) unavailable? Arsenal will have a significant talent edge in this match after defeating them by a 2-0 score at home after earning a 2-2 draw against them in their two EPL matches last season. 25* English Premier League Match of the Month with Arsenal (200045) with the Goal-Line versus Manchester United (200046). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
09-22-19 |
Liverpool v. Chelsea OVER 2.5 |
Top |
2-1 |
Win
|
100 |
0 h 13 m |
Show
|
At 11:30 AM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between Liverpool (200017) and Chelsea (200018). THE SITUATION: Liverpool (W5-D0-L0) remained perfect so far in the English Premier League last Saturday with their 3-1 win at home over Newcastle. Chelsea (W2-D3-L1) comes off a dominant 5-2 win at Wolverhampton last Saturday.
REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: The Blues were led by Tammy Abraham who registered a hat trick to lead the way in that big victory over the Wolves. Abraham has already scored seven times for Frank Lampard’s side to give this Chelsea team a scoring threat at forward they have not had since Diego Costa helped them win an EPL championship a few seasons ago. The Blues have scored ten goals in their last three matches as they are finding plenty of scoring opportunities in Lampard’s system. Chelsea is third in the EPL by averaging 16.5 shots per match — and that number rises to 18.7 shots per game when they play at home at Stamford Bridge. But the Blues have also allowed eleven goals this season which is the second-most in the EPL. Lampard’s tactics are leaving this Chelsea team vulnerable in the midfield when they are not possessing the football — and that is a terrifying prospect for them when now facing Mo Salah and Sadio Mane of this powerful Liverpool team. The Reds have scored fifteen goals this season — and the reigning Champions League titleholders are second in the EPL by averaging 18.2 shots per game. Liverpool has seen six combined goals scored in their two road matches this season where they are average 15 shots per match which is also second in the league. An area of concern for this Reds team this season as they strive to win the EPL championship has been the play of their backline which has not been quite as stout as their play of last year. Liverpool has only one clean sheet this season as they have been relying on their prolific scoring attack that has netted at least three goals in four of their five matches.
FINAL TAKE: Chelsea has scored in nineteen of their last twenty matches with Liverpool across all competitions. Expect a higher scoring match. 25* EPL Sunday NBC Sports Network Total of the Month with Over the Total in the match between Liverpool (200017) and Chelsea (200018). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
09-20-19 |
AFC Bournemouth v. Southampton OVER 2.5 |
Top |
3-1 |
Win
|
100 |
1 h 31 m |
Show
|
At 3:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between Bournemouth (20001) and Southampton (20002). THE SITUATION: Bournemouth (W2-D1-L2) looks to build off a 3-1 win over Everton last Sunday. Southampton (W2-D1-L2) comes off a 1-0 win over Sheffield City.
REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Bournemouth has seen each of their last four matches combine for at least three goals scored. The Cherries have scored seven times in those four matches while conceding eight times. With forwards Callum Wilson and Joshua King along with midfielder Ryan Fraser, this Bournemouth team has three players who can score goals — they ranked 7th in the EPL in goals scored last season. But the Cherries are porous on defense. Last season, Bournemouth allowed the third-most goals in the English Premier League. In their nineteen road matches, the Cherries scored 26 times while conceding a whopping 45 goals. Furthermore, in their thirteen road matches against non-Big Six sides, Bournemouth scored 23 goals while conceding 23 times. This season, the Cherries have allowed 15.2 shots per match which is fifth-most in the EPL. That number gets worse on the road where Bournemouth has allowed 19 shots per match which is fourth-most in the league. Southampton also gives up a ton of shots — they allow 15 shots per match which is 6th most in the league. At home, the Saints allowed 18 shots per game which is the second-highest number in the EPL. Southampton conceded the sixth-most shots in the EPL. In their nineteen home matches last year, the Saints scored 27 goals while conceding 30 times.
FINAL TAKE: These two sides last played back on April 27th where Southampton hosted at St. Mary’s in a match that resulted in a 3-3 draw. Expect another higher-scoring match with at least three combined goals scored. 25* EPL Friday NBC Sports Network Total of the Month with Over the Total in the match between Bournemouth (20001) and Southampton (20002). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
09-16-19 |
West Ham United v. Aston Villa UNDER 3 |
Top |
0-0 |
Win
|
100 |
2 h 33 m |
Show
|
At 3:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between West Ham (200189) and Aston Villa (200190). THE SITUATION: West Ham (W2-D1-L1) returns to English Premier League after the international break after defeating Norwich City by a 2-0 score on August 31st. Aston Villa (W1-D0-L3) looks to bounce-back from their 1-0 loss at Crystal Palace back on August 31st in EPL action.
REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: West Ham’s clean sheet against Norwich City looks even more impressive now after the promoted upstarts upset Manchester City on Saturday while scoring three goals against the two-time defending champions. After an opening week 5-0 loss at home to Man City, the Hammers have conceded only two goals in their next three matches. Now West Ham goes back on the road where they fifteen of their last seventeen games on the road in EPL action have not seen more than three combined goals. Furthermore, West Ham is averaging just 1.5 Goals-Per-Game in their last fourteen games on the road against the non-Big Six teams in the EPL going back to the start of last season — and they are conceding just 1.29 Goals-Per-Game in those contests. Aston Villa has seen three of their four matches this season see three or less combined goals scored with the lone exception being against one of the Power Six sides in Tottenham. The Villains were promoted from the Championship League last year via their playoffs. Aston Villa conceded more goals at home than the last-place team in that league so management realized that upgrading the backend was essential for the team’s return to the EPL after a three-year absence. The Villains added left-back Matt Targett from Southampton while received center back Tyrone Mings on loan from Bournemouth. They also made a nice upgrade with their keeper by adding Tom Heaton from the crowded goalie situation at Burnley. Manager Dean Smith is probably playing his star man midfielder, Jack Grealish, 10 to 15 yards too far back on the pitch — but that demonstrates his commitment to defensive tactics for this team. Aston Villa has scored only three times in their four matches — but they have only allowed three combined goals in their three matches outside their 3-1 loss to the Spurs. The Villains rank a respectable 11th in the EPL in Expected Goals Allowed (xGA)— but this has come at a cost of offense as they also rank second-to-last in Expected Goals (xG). In their two home matches this season, Aston Villa has allowed only two goals while scoring just three times.
FINAL TAKE: I do not see four combined goals scored in this match with the Villains playing cautiously and quite content to register a point with a draw. Look for this match to have two goals (or less) scored with less than ten minutes left where we will then be sweating the win or living with the Push. 25* EPL Monday Afternoon NBC-Sports Network Total of the Month with Under the Total in the game between West Ham (200189) and Aston Villa (200190). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
09-14-19 |
Manchester City v. Norwich City OVER 4 |
Top |
2-3 |
Win
|
100 |
1 h 10 m |
Show
|
At 12:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between Manchester City (200193) and Norwich City (200194). THE SITUATION: Manchester City (W3-D1-L0) returns from the international break coming off a 4-0 victory at home over Brighton and Hove Albion two Saturdays ago. Norwich City (W1-D0-L3) looks to bounce back from a 2-0 loss to West Ham back on August 31st.
REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: Norwich City was prompted from the Championship League after finishing in first place in that league. The Canaries accomplished that feat with an aggressive attack with manager Daniel Farke emphasizing shot volume. Their average match last season saw 3.26 combined goals which is the highest number for a promoted side into the English Premier League in ten seasons. But this style of play had consequences as this side was leaky on defense — they conceded 57 goals last year which was the third most in that league. Farke has not backed down with this style of play against EPL competition — they rank tied for 6th in the EPL with six goals. Furthermore, the Canaries average 5.3 shots per game on target which is 6th best in the league — and that number rises to 6.5 shots on target per game when playing at home which ranks 4th best in the EPL. They are led by their feisty forward, Teemu Pukki who has scored five times already this season. Don’t be surprised if Norwich City scores a goal in this game. But they will likely concede at least four goals against the reigning EPL champions. The Canaries have allowed ten goals in their four matches this season which is the most in the EPL. The 47 shots they have allowed in the box also tops the league. Playing at home did not make much of a difference last season either as the 34 goals they allowed which was 15th worst in the league. To compound matters, this Norwich City side is ravaged with injuries in their midfield and their defense. Defensemen Max Aarons has a knock from international play over the break while Ben Godfrey who is out with a groin injury — and that challenges the limited depth of this promoted side on their backline. And here comes Manchester City with a rested Sergio Aguero who did not play for Argentina over the break with that national team going young after years of disappointment in international play. A rested Aguero — who will absolutely play with fellow forward Gabriel Jesus dealing with a thigh injury — should have a field day against this defense. Aguero has scored in all four of the Citizens matches this season. Man City is 2nd in the EPL in goals scored with 14 — and they lead the EPL in Expected Goals scored (xG). Additionally, Man City leads the EPL with 19.35 shots per game — and they lead the league with 7.5 shots per game on target. As scary as this sounds, this team maybe even better than last year’s group with midfielder extraordinaire Kevin DeBruyne now fully healthy again after he dealt with injuries last season. DeBruyne is an assist machine who may have the best foot 40 yards away in the world. Manchester City scored 75 goals last season in their 29 matches against the non-Big Six sides last season. If there is a weakness with this side, it is with their backline with manager Pep Guardiola still searching for four reliable starters who play well together. An injury to Aymeric Laporte takes away one of their best defenders for this match.
FINAL TAKE: To Farke’s credit — or demise — he will not deviate from his strategy of attacking the opposition and having his defensive line play aggressively up the pitch. Norwich City will not play for a nil-nil draw — but they are likely to see a 4-1 (or worse) result. 25* English Premier League Saturday NBC-TV Total of the Month with Over the Total in the match between Manchester City (200193) and Norwich City (200194). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
08-19-19 |
Manchester United v. Wolverhampton Wanderers +0.5 |
Top |
1-1 |
Win
|
100 |
0 h 12 m |
Show
|
At 3:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing Wolverhampton (200066) with the Goal-Line versus Manchester United (200065). THE SITUATION: Wolverhampton (W0-D1-L0) comes off a 0-0 draw in their opening match last week against Leicester City. Manchester United (W1-D0-L0) looks to build off the momentum of their 4-0 victory over Chelsea last Sunday.
REASONS TO TAKE WOLVERHAMPTON WITH THE GOAL-LINE: The Wolves parked the proverbial bus on the road last week to pull out the one-point result against the Foxes. Now Wolverhampton returns home to Molineaux where they were very tough to beat last season — and manager Nuno Espirito Santo is comfortable with having his team play more aggressively on the pitch. The Wolves were W10-D4-L5 in their nineteen home matches last season. They also closed out the EPL campaign last year by going W6-D2-L0 in their last eight matches at home where they scored 16 goals and surrendered just six goals. Wolverhampton was also a giant killer last season — they were W7-D4-L4 in their fifteen matches against the Big Six teams while going W3-D1-L2 in their six home matches against these top six sides. Man United is feeling very good about themselves after their clean sheet blowout victory over Chelsea. But that match was much closer on the pitch than that final score suggests. The Red Devils could have easily surrendered two or three goals in that contest. The Blues controlled possession for 53.8% of that match while outshooting them by an 18 to 11 margin (7 to 5 with shots on target). Frankly, outside the first 20 minutes in their match yesterday with Leicester City, Chelsea has looked very vulnerable this season. Now Man United goes on the road away from Old Trafford where they were not nearly as good. The Red Devils were W9-D3-L7 in their nineteen matches on the road last season while only outscoring those opponents by a 32 to 29 margin. Man United was just W0-D1-L3 in their last four matches on the road in the EPL last year.
FINAL TAKE: Wolverhampton comes off a 4-0 victory last Thursday in Europa League action while managing to rest their key starters for this match. The Wolves were W2-D1-L0 in their three matches against Man United last season with their last meeting being a 2-1 victory at home against the Red Devils back on April 2nd. Don’t be surprised if Wolverhampton wins this match straight-up. 25* English Premier League Monday NBC Sports Network Match of the Month with the Wolverhampton (200066) with the Goal-Line versus Manchester United (200065). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
08-17-19 |
Tottenham Hotspur v. Manchester City UNDER 3 |
Top |
2-2 |
Loss |
-100 |
1 h 3 m |
Show
|
At 12:30 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between the Tottenham Hotspurs (200049) and Manchester City (200050). THE SITUATION: Tottenham (W1-D0-L0) won their opening match last Saturday with their 3-1 victory over Aston Villa. Manchester City (W1-D0-L0) began the defense of their 2018-19 English Premier League championship with a 5-0 victory at West Ham.
REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Tottenham is undermanned for this match with Dele Alli, Ryan Sessegnon, and Ben Davies all dealing with injuries while Juan Foyth and Son Heung-min ineligible to play as they finish out respective suspensions. The Spurs still have a healthy Harry Kane who scored twice in the final five minutes of their match with the promoted Aston Villa side to escape with that 3-1 victory. The Tottenham offensive attack was sluggish for most of that match until Christian Eriksen took the pitch to offer Kane a passing combination from the midfield. The Spurs scored only 10 goals in their ten EPL matches last season against one of the Big Six opponents. However, Tottenham’s defense was solid in those matches as they surrendered only 15 goals in those ten matches against the Big Six. Only two of those ten matches saw more than three combined goals scored with five of those matches seeing no more than two combined goals scored by both teams. Manager Mauricio Pochettino typically has his team embrace defensive tactics in these high-profile matches — and that will even more likely be the case given that his starting XI is not his best possible group. Manchester City produced another clean sheet last Saturday by blanking West Ham. The Citizens were second in the EPL last season by allowing only 29 goals in their thirty-eight matches all season. Man City’s defense plays consistently well even against the best competition in the league. Manchester City allowed only five goals in their ten matches against Power Six sides — and they surrendered a mere three goals in their five home matches against these Big Six teams. Pep Guardiola is also dealing with some injuries with Leroy Sane out as he prepares for knee surgery and Benjamin Mendy still working on his game fitness.
FINAL TAKE: These teams and managers are very familiar with each other. They faced off against each other three times in a twelve-day stretch last April with one EPL match and the two-legs of their Championship League Semifinals clash. Two of those matches ended in 1-0 results with Tottenham winning the opening match at home in that Champions League clash on April 9th before Man City avenged losing that semifinals showdown with a 1-0 victory in EPL play on April 20th. The Spurs advanced to the Champions League Finals by the road team goals scored tie-breaker after a 4-3 result at Man City on April 17th in a wild game where the Citizens needed to win by at least two goals. That result was a bit of an aberration given the urgency Manchester City had to win by two goals (after the Spurs registered a goal on the road). Expect the defensive tactics of those other two April matches serve as the template for this encounter. 25* English Premier League NBC-TV Total of the Month with Under the Total in the match between the Tottenham Hotspurs (200049) and Manchester City (200050). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
08-09-19 |
Norwich City v. Liverpool -2 |
Top |
1-4 |
Win
|
100 |
115 h 48 m |
Show
|
At 3:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Liverpool (20002) minus the Goal-Line versus Norwich City (20001). Liverpool (W0-D0-L0) hosts the opening match of the 2019-20 English Premier League at their Anfield Stadium. Norwich City (W0-D0-L0) is one of the three promoted teams to be entering the EPL this season.
REASONS TO TAKE LIVERPOOL MINUS THE GOAL-LINE: Norwich City earned their promotion to the EPL by winning the Championship League last year with 94 points after being projected to finish mid-table at the beginning of the year. The Canaries have an excellent manager in Daniel Farke who oversaw a dramatic improvement in his club in his second year with the team. Their Sporting Director, Stuart Webber, made it a point this summer to not make the mistake that Fulham made last year by spending lots of money in the transfer window with the goal of upgrading the team to then only see them relegated again by finishing in the bottom three in the EPL table. Instead, Webber signed extension contracts to the core group of his young players with the hopes of laying the foundation of a multiple-year run in the EPL. That might be the prudent choice — but that does not bode well for this team in their early matches. This Norwich City group lacks big names and top-level experience so they will likely be overmatched by the reigning European Champions League champions. Many managers would then play to park the proverbial bus in back to play a cautious game — but that is not the style of Farke who likes to see his team attack in his 4-2-3-1 formation. The average score for the Canaries last season averaged 3.26 combined goals scored per game which is the highest number for a promoted side entering the EPL in the last ten seasons. The Norwich City defense was a bit leaky last year with their fullbacks, Jamal Lewis and Max Aarons, empowered to creep up the pitch to support the attack. The Canaries surrendered 57 goals last year which was more than even a Stoke City side that finished in 16th place in the Championship League. Only four teams allowed more goals on Set Pieces as well — and they make their debut against the brilliant Jurgen Klopp who drew up seventeen Set Piece goals for the Reds last season. And given their lacking quality in the center of the field with their midfield, Liverpool’s outstanding trio of scorers in Mohamad Salah, Sadio Mane, and Roberto Firmino is primed to have a field day against this team that will be experiencing a dramatic uptick in the quality of their typical opponent. Salah and Mane tied for the Golden Boot Award for the most goals scored in the EPL with 22 — and Firmino added another 12 goals himself. The 89 goals scored by the Reds were the second-most in the EPL. But what made Klopp’s team special was their continued improved play on defense as they led the EPL by allowing only 22 goals — and this is why I prefer laying the goal-line with the favorites in this match rather than taking the Over because Liverpool may very well earn a clean sheet in this opening match. The Reds were a dominant W17-D2-L0 in their nineteen matches at home last year in the EPL where they scored 55 goals while conceding just 10 times. Liverpool was also dominant against the non-Big Six teams in the league where they were W24-D3-L0 with 72 goals scored and just 14 goals allowed. The numbers were even more pronounced in the fourteen matches that Liverpool hosted one of the teams that finished in the bottom fourteen sides (apart from the Power Six franchises) as they were W13-D1-L0 against these teams while scoring 72 times and conceding just seven times for a dominating 3.07-0.50 averaging final score. The Pool Boys won seven of these fourteen matches against non-Big Six teams at home by at least three goals with two more of those matches being settled by two goals.
FINAL TAKE: Liverpool has also been the fastest starting team in the EPL under Klopp. The Reds have scored 11 combined goals in their last three opening weekends to the new EPL season. They should be amped to make a statement in this premier spot on Friday that opens the new season with their sights clearly on getting over the top to win their first EPL championship in three decades. Norwich has surrendered 24 combined goals in their last six meetings with Liverpool teams that were not as potent as this current group. 25* EPL Friday Afternoon NBC Sports Network Match of the Month with Liverpool (20002) minus the Goal-Line versus Norwich City (20001). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
07-19-19 |
Algeria v. Senegal |
Top |
1-0 |
Win
|
100 |
0 h 11 m |
Show
|
At 3:00 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing Algeria (235605) with the goal-line versus Senegal (235606) in the Finals of the Africa Cup of Nations. THE SITUATION: Algeria (W5-1D1-L0) reached the Finals of the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday with their 2-1 win over Nigeria. Senegal (W5-D0-L1) joined them in this championship match with their 1-0 win over Tunisia on Sunday.
REASONS TO TAKE ALGERIA WITH THE GOAL-LINE: Algeria has been the best overall team in this tournament with five wins decided in the 90 minute regulation time. The lone blemish on the Desert Foxes record in this tournament was a 1-1 result with the Ivory Coast in the Quarterfinals which they won via penalty kicks. The 12 goals that Algeria scored in their six matches is the most of any competitor in this AFCON. Algeria’s defensive has also been stout as they have surrendered only two goals in those six matches. Their +10 net goal differential is best of all the teams in this tournament. This Algerian side has star power with their talisman being Riyad Mahrez who currently plays for Manchester City and who starred on the Leicester City team that won the English Premier League a few years ago. The Desert Foxes will certainly be hungry after missing out on the 2018 World Cup last summer — and they have not won the Africa Cup of Nations in twenty-nine years. This national program turned things around last November when they hired their former midfielder, Djamel Belmadi, to take over the managing duties. Algeria is unbeaten in their eleven matches since under Belmadi’s guidance. This is a solid group that has no obvious weaknesses. They also demonstrated championship mettle by scoring on the what was the final play of their match against Nigeria on Sunday when Mahrez netted a spectacular free-kick just outside the box. Senegal scored on an own goal in the 100th minute which made the winning difference in their Semifinals match against Tunisia. Scoring is an issue for this side with the Lions of Teranga having not scored a goal from one of their own players 2 hours and 21 minutes of play. Sadio Mane is their only player to find the back of the net only once — and the Liverpool star has shown the physical effects of carrying his national team in the Knockout Stage as he has looked like he was lacking energy at times. Senegal is also undermanned in this championship match. They were already missing their top goaltender, Eduard Mendy, who is dealing with an injury. Now they will be without their best backline player in the 6’5 Kalidou Coulibaly who is suspended for this match after receiving his second yellow card on Sunday.
FINAL TAKE: Algeria defeated Senegal by a 1-0 score when these two teams faced off in the second Group Stage match back on June 27th. I do not think that the Lions of Teranga gets their revenge this afternoon. The Desert Foxes are a better team now three weeks later while playing with more confidence. Senegal, on the other hand, has a tiring Mane along with being without one of their best players in Koulibaly. Finally, Algeria has the geographical and likely crowd advantage with this match taking place in neighboring Egypt. 25* Africa Cup of Nations Match of the Year with Algeria (235605) with the goal-line versus Senegal (235606). Best of luck for us — Frank.
|
07-17-19 |
Nigeria v. Tunisia OVER 2 |
Top |
1-0 |
Loss |
-125 |
11 h 24 m |
Show
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At 3:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing Over the Total in the match between Nigeria (235601) and Tunisia (235602) in the Third Place consolation match in the Africa Cup of Nations. THE SITUATION: Nigeria (W4-D0-L2) lost a heartbreaker in the final play of the fifth minute of extra time after 90 minutes when Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez scored on a spectacular free-kick just outside the box to hand the Nigerians a 2-1 loss. Tunisia (W1-D4-L1) also lost a tough one when they scored an own goal in the 100th minute of the match that was still nil-nil after 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss to Senegal.
REASONS TO TAKE OVER THE TOTAL: It is difficult to assess if Nigeria will be deflated after surrendering the game-winning goal in the final moments of their match with Algeria or if they will rally around each other to bounce-back to take solace in a potential bronze trophy with a victory. Either way, the Super Eagles look poised to either score goals or surrender goals. This is not a side that typically plays low-scoring matches. In their three matches since suffering a surprising 2-0 loss to Madagascar in their final Group Stage match, Nigeria has scored six times. The Super Eagles are loaded with speed, talent, and power at the forward position. But this team also tends to make mistakes in their backline. They have allowed five goals in their last three matches. Nigeria’s last three matches have seen at least three combined goals. Tunisia has seen at least two combined goals in four of their six matches in this tournament. That final score in their loss to Senegal is a bit deceiving since both teams missed penalty kicks — the final score of that Semifinals match could have easily been a 2-1 result. The Eagles of Carthage have scored six times in this event while allowing just four goals with manager Alain Giresse content to grind out lower scoring matches. This tempo may now change in this consolation match. Tunisia competed in last summer’s World Cup where they scored five times in three Group Stage matches while surrendering a whopping eight goals.
FINAL TAKE: With the combination of tired legs, a lack of urgency on defense, and the desire to play more aggressively with less on the line, expect a higher scoring match. 25* Africa Cup of Nations Total of the Year with Over the Total in the match between Nigeria (235601) and Tunisia (235602). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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07-14-19 |
Nigeria v. Algeria |
Top |
1-2 |
Win
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100 |
2 h 32 m |
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At 3:00 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Algeria (235798) with the Goal-Line versus Nigeria (235797) in the Semifinals of the Africa Cup of Nations. THE SITUATION: Algeria (W4-D1-L0) reached the Semifinals of this tournament with their victory over the Ivory Coast on Thursday via Penalty Kicks by a 4-3 margin after a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes of play. Nigeria (W4-D0-L1) punched their ticket to the Semifinals on Wednesday with their 2-1 win over South Africa.
REASONS TO TAKE ALGERIA WITH THE GOAL-LINE: Algeria has a good argument to make that they have been the most impressive team so far in this tournament. Their match with the Ivory Coast was the first time they had not earned an outright victory in the 90 minute regulation time which includes an impressive 1-0 victory over another Semifinalist side in Senegal in the Group Stage of this tournament. The Desert Foxes have scored ten times in this event while conceding just once in their Quarterfinals match. Their +9 net goal differential is best of all the teams in this tournament. This Algerian side has star power with their talisman being Riyad Mahrez who currently plays for Manchester City and who starred on the Leicester City team that won the English Premier League a few years ago. The Desert Foxes will certainly be hungry after missing out on the 2018 World Cup last summer — and they have not won the Africa Cup of Nations in twenty-nine years. This national program turned things around last November when they hired their former midfielder, Djamel Belmadi, to take over the managing duties. Algeria is unbeaten in their eleven matches since under Belmadi’s guidance. This is a solid group that has no obvious weaknesses. Nigeria has the pedigree having won the AFCON three times in program history — but this is their first time competing for the continental championship since 2013. The Super Eagles competed in last summer’s World Cup where they defeated Iceland while losing to Croatia and then Argentina in a crucial final Group Stage match. Nigeria has been underwhelming in this event. They rested players in their third Group Stage match against Madagascar in a 2-0 upset loss— but they still should have overwhelmed that island nation that entered this tournament ranked 108th in the world by FIFA. The Super Eagles then had to rally from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Cameroon in the Round of 16 before experiencing some nervy moments on Wednesday against South Africa before scoring the winning goal in the 89th minute. Nigeria has an impressive group of forwards — but their seven combined goals in this tournament are still three goals behind the Algerians. The bigger concern for this team is their backline that tends to make mistakes. Their ability to handle set-pieces was highlighted in my notes for that group for last summer’s World Cup. The Super Eagles have conceded five goals in this tournament which the exact amount that the other three Semifinalists have allowed combined.
FINAL TAKE: Nigeria has won six of the last eight meetings between these two teams — but Algeria won the last meeting in November of 2017 when they defeated the Super Eagles by a 3-0 score in a World Cup qualifying match. Algeria has looked more impressive than Nigeria in this tournament. The Desert Foxes will also enjoy a geographical advantage with a likely partisan crowd with neighboring Egypt serving as the host nation for this tournament. 25* Africa Cup of Nations Semifinals Match of the Year with Algeria (235798) with the Goal-Line versus Nigeria (235797). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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07-14-19 |
Tunisia v. Senegal UNDER 2 |
Top |
0-0 |
Win
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100 |
1 h 32 m |
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At 12:00 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing Under the Total in the match between Tunisia (235793) and Senegal (235794) in the Semifinals of the Africa Cup of Nations. THE SITUATION: Tunisia (W1-D4-L0) reached the Semifinals of this tournament on Thursday with their 3-0 victory over Madagascar. Senegal (W4-D0-L1) advanced to the Semifinals the day before with their 1-0 victory over Benin.
REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: Tunisia doubled their scoring output in this event with those three goals on Thursday. The Eagles of Carthage had scored only three combined goals in their previous four games before seeing that offensive explosion. Frankly, they were able to take advantage of an overmatched Madagascar side that had been the surprise of the tournament but whose bubble was ready to be burst after defeating a Nigeria side in the Group Stage that was resting key players before sneaking past an underperforming Congo DR team via Penalty Kicks in the Round of Sixteen. Tunisia had not seen more than two combined goals in their first four matches that all ended in draws. This is a team that is quite content to grind out a low scoring match led by an experienced group of defenders that competed in last summer’s World Cup. The Eagles of Carthage have surrendered only three goals in their five matches in this tournament. Senegal has conceded only once in their five tournament matches in what was a 1-0 loss to Algeria in the Group Stage. That contest between two sides that are now in the Semifinals may have been a precursor as to how this contest will play out. The Lions of Teranga probably have the best player left in this tournament (with Egypt’s Mo Salah eliminated) in Sadio Mane. Senegal is happy to play very cautiously with a defensive mindset with the confidence that the Liverpool star will find scoring opportunities in the counterattack. The Lions of Teranga have scored only seven times in their five matches.
FINAL TAKE: This shapes up to be a low scoring match with the worst-case scenario likely being two combined goals scored in the first 90 minutes of regulation time. A 1-0 score — or even a nil-nil result after the first 90 minutes looks to be a more likely outcome. 25* Africa Cup of Nations Semifinals Total of the Year with Under the Total in the match between Tunisia (235793) and Senegal (235794). Best of luck for us — Frank.
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