The weekend is nearly upon us and that means one thing…EPL Week 4 is about to kick into full swing.  Back by popular demand James Kempton offers his thoughts on every fixture for your gambling pleasure. Newcastle United v Arsenal Arsenal -1 and 2.75 goals Arsenal has won the last seven straight meetings of the sides, out scoring Newcastle 21-6 but I can’t lay a full goal here! Wenger’s side are under huge pressure right now and against what I see as an improving Newcastle side I see the Gunners extremely vulnerable. It’s the type of game they normally win but maybe not this week…Newcastle could do even do this straight up. Aston Villa v Sunderland Aston Villa -0.5 and 2.25 goals Sunderland have failed to score in each of the last four meetings of the two sides and in six of the last seven.  Under 2.5 goals is 10-3 in the last thirteen meetings. This looks a very boring game to me with a heavy draw bias. Unders is the call if I had to bet this game. Bournemouth v Leicester City Bournemouth -0.25 and 2.5 goals Two spunky sides who haven’t read the script yet this season meet here on the south coast. I think the handicap line is set about right for this match but if I was forced to have a bet it would be with a fairly open contest making over the only attractive wager. Chelsea v Crystal Palace Chelsea -1.5 and 2.75 goals Chelsea have not won any of the last four meetings of the sides by more than one goal. That suggests this game should be very tight, I disagree. Palace’s belief they can get a result here may end up being their downfall. Chelsea are back...

We’re only 2 matches into the EPL marathon and already the pressure is mounting at Stamford Bridge with 2 lethargic efforts from Chelsea.  Being in the lower third of the table is unfamiliar territory for Jose Mourinho’s team at any point but with 36 fixtures left to go hardly reason for panic.  James Kempton is here with complete thoughts on every match this weekend.  If the Premiership isn’t your thing, his stat packs are available for purchase here with information on England’s lower divisions. Click here for complete EPL Podcast Manchester United v Newcastle United Manchester United -1.25 and 2.75 goals Man Utd have won six of the last seven meetings of the sides. They have scored two or more goals in five of those games.  The line opened -1.5 and the shrewd punters piled in on Newcastle but I can’t take them personally. If this goal line stays at 2.75 then you have to take a big chunk of the unders. The Toon have conceded twice in both opening games, 2-0 correct score seems about right in this spot. Crystal Palace v Aston Villa Crystal Palace -0.5 and 2.25 goals There have been just three total goals in the last four EPL meetings between these sides. No on BTTS has gone 4-0 and under 1.5 goals is 4-0. I was very impressed with the pace and vibrancy with which Palace played against Arsenal last week, a much different looking attacking side than we saw before Pardew’s arrival. Sometimes though the smaller teams give it everything against the big teams and play more cautiously against the struggling sides. Stick with the unders as I can’t take Palace just yet giving up half a goal. Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur Pk and 2.5 goals All...

Our soccer coverage of the biggest leagues in Europe is on the rise!  I want to personally welcome @SlickLizardSports to the team for this upcoming fall.  His knowledge of Bundesliga and La Liga will be on display throughout the season adding to our already comprehensive EPL game capsules.  I know you’ll enjoy his content just as much as I do, especially with increased TV coverage beginning this fall. Bayern Munich-Hamburg SV Bayern -2.5 and a total of 3.5 Bayern are the class of Bundesliga once again and have their opponent outclassed in this one. The question isn’t if they’ll win but rather by how much and will they play it hard until the end. I’m reluctant to get involved with a side in this one but will lean to the Over 3.5 as the Reds should score at least 3 themselves and a fourth is not unlikely nor would I count out HSV sneaking one into the back of the net. FC Augsburg- Hertha Berlin FC Augsburg -.5 and a total of 2.25 Hertha Berlin managed a poor offensive showing last season to match their constantly atrocious defense. Without the addition of a striker this offseason, it’s difficult to see any improvement on the horizon. Augsburg should come through at home and I will back them to win against this bottom of the table side. Bayer Leverkusen- Hoffenheim Bayer Leverkusen -1 and a total of 3 Hoffenheim lost a first round match in the DFB-Pokal to second tier side 1860 Munich just a few days ago. I can’t see that as a sign of confidence for the start of a new campaign. Bayern have the offense to put a few in the net and open with a comfortable win at home. Bayer laying a...

The opening weekend of the EPL season offered plenty of surprises.  James Kempton is back to share his thoughts on how he sees the 2nd week unfolding highlighted by a rare Friday night kickoff by Man United’s trip to Aston Villa to start the weekend before a finishing kick pitting the last 2 champions Man City and Chelsea against one another. Looking for Division 2 stats? Click here Aston Villa v Manchester United Manchester United -0.75 and 2.5 goals United have an incredible record in this fixture having won seven and drawn three of the last ten meetings. Both teams squeaked 1-0 wins to start the season and Villa Park will be rocking for this Friday night EPL game. I lean towards United but sense it will be tough in the red hot atmosphere so will prefer an unders play. Southampton v Everton Southampton -0.5 and 2.25 goals Since the Saints returned to the EPL in 2012 the home side in the game has dominated the meetings between these two teams. Five home wins and a draw have been seen with only two goals scored by the away team with Everton firing blanks on each trip to the south coast. Both sides drew two apiece last weekend but the Saints’ result was a far better start to the season. Give me the home team laying the half goal Click here for the official EPL Podcast Sunderland v Norwich City Sunderland -0.25 and 2.25 goals Both teams lost by two goal margins last weekend but Norwich showed some encouraging signs it looks bleak again this year for Sunderland. The home team are not great in this spot hosting weaker opposition so I will take a piece of the road dog. Swansea City v Newcastle United...

It’s great to have the Premier League season back in full swing…although sometimes it feels like it really just ended.  As he will every week this year James Kempton is back to offer his game capsules of every fixture on the betting board. Click here for the season preview Looking to do more digging and bet lower division football this season?  The stat packs are a very affordable and useful tool for bettors of all ability levels. Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur Man U -0.75 and 2.5 goals A new season means new hope has descended over Old Trafford as their big name impressive signings could lead them to challenge for the title. Spurs also appear to have recruited well as coach Pochettino looks to further drill his philosophy into this side. On the match line I will pass but lean towards the overs on the goal market. AFC Bournemouth v Aston Villa AFC -0.5 and 2.25 goals This looks a good opening day opportunity for both sides to start the season with a victory. The small ground on the south coast will feel more like an FA Cup trip for the big boys this season and they could spring plenty of surprises. However on opening day I can’t lay half a goal with a newly promoted side, even if they are playing Aston Villa! Everton v Watford Everton -0.75 and 2.5 goals The Toffees and Roberto Martinez sides always look vulnerable early in the season so Watford will travel north with great belief. Martinez is 1-3-4 on opening day as manager so giving up three quarters of a goal on the handicap line does not appeal to me. With the goal markets looking like a mystery as well I will take a watch...

Pleased to announce that James Kempton, our EPL analyst, will be back for another season of contributions.   We’ll have other big announcements regarding our soccer coverage coming in the next few days as well so be sure to stay tuned. The season is here, well at least it will be this weekend, and if you bettors over the pond think the six months of college and NFL football is hard enough then try handicapping the nine months of the EPL grind!  However, futures betting in EPL markets is far easier than the NFL simply because the chances of an outsider making a run for the title is zero. The economic might of the top teams is so great that it’s impossible to look past the top four clubs in Arsenal, Chelsea and the two Manchester clubs. Depending on which book you wager with there are a couple of other season long bets that appeal to me which you may be able to invest in as well. Here’s your analysis on how the big 4 shape up this season…in order of how they finished last year. Before you read the official analysis, listen to the preseason podcast… Chelsea are the defending champions managed by the legendary Jose Mourinho who is known as the master tactician. At the current market price of +160 they look too short of a price for me to tie up my money for nine months waiting to collect. Last season they avoided any significant injuries to their key players and their squad still only looks to be about 14 players deep. This philosophy of a small but very high quality squad has worked over the last couple of years for Jose so who are we to argue? Manchester City are...

Future prices are on the move in the Women’s World Cup.  The tournament hasn’t quite reached the mid point but certain teams have shown themselves to be pretenders (or contenders) in their quest for international glory.  Team USA entered the competition as short favorites against a competitive of field but have moved to the 2nd post amid some offensive struggles.  Germany, despite their tie against Norway, has seen their price drop from a peak of 4-1 down below the 2 range.  France remains the side people aren’t paying attention to but the trendy wiseguy pick before things got started last weekend in Vancouver continue to sit in the 6-1 range.  Looking for a little long shot or maybe just a value play? Japan +1275, Sweden +3550, and even Switzerland at 100-1 could be intriguing as we head towards the knockout stage. Women’s Soccer   Women’s World Cup 2015 Winner Sat 6/13  1:00PM Hosted by Canada Germany   +195 USA   +300 France   +575 Brazil   +1250 Canada   +1250 Japan   +1275 Sweden   +3550 Norway   +3650 England   +4000 Australia   +6500 Netherlands   +8000 Spain   +8500 Switzerland   +10000 China   +12000 South Korea   +15000 Nigeria   +25000 Mexico   +25000 Colombia   +25000 Cameroon   +29000 New Zealand   +30000 Costa Rica   +70000 Ecuador   +250000 Ivory Coast   +750000 Thailand...

The pinnacle of European club soccer takes place Saturday from Olympiastadion in Berlin, pitting the class of much maligned Serie A, Juventus, against Spanish blue blood FC Barcelona.  For such a big game we brought in a new guest posted to share his take on Saturday’s big match Analysis provided by Ryan Faulkner After a long wait, it’s finally here. The Champion’s League final will be played Saturday in Berlin. These two sides have taken completely different approaches to arrive at this final tilt. Barcelona have what many consider the world’s best attack while Juventus come in sporting the tournament’s best defense (as of Thursday morning they will be without the services of Chiellini due to a calf injury which moved the line .18 cents in Barca’s favor). Before we get to the picks, let’s take a look at what each side brings to the table and why they can win. Why Barca can win… We start with the Spanish side who come in with the three-headed monster attack of Messi, Suarez and Neymar. Barca have scored at least 2 goals in 9 of the last 10 matches and are coming off of a 3-1 triumph over Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Ray final and yet another La Liga title. This is a side that have not been held to a clean sheet since February 21st when Malaga found the net at 7 minutes and then proceeded to play 10 men behind the ball for the remaining 83 minutes. Expect Barca to be aggressive on the attack, especially early, as if they can get Juventus down a goal it will pull Juve out of their comfort zone of playing back on the counter and force the Italian side into offensive aggression that doesn’t suit...

Some crazy prices about on this final EPL weekend. Such is the unpredictable nature of this last day that I suggest lower stakes spread over a wider number of games. Jimmy Kempton signing off for another season! (Editor’s Note: Special thanks again this year to Jimmy for all his hard work and contributions covering EPL every week.  Hopefully we can secure him for another season beginning in the fall after sure to be intense contract negotiations!  Also if you’re a European soccer enthusiast interested in covering Serie A, La Liga, or Bundesliga for the site we’d love to see your submissions.  They can be sent here) Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion Arsenal -1.5 Goals 3 Tony Pulis would love to rub Wenger up the wrong way in this final game of the season. Animosity still exists between the two and I see West Brom pushing the home team close in this one so lean heavily to the away side on this line.  It might be nice if Arsenal elected to score this week as well going 3 straight home fixtures without finding the back of the net Aston Villa v Burnley Aston Villa -0.25 Goals 2.5 Villa may have the FA Cup final on their minds whilst Burnley say au revoir to the EPL, possibly forever! Burnley have shown very little away from home this season as they have won just once so why should we expect any different here? Look for the home team to bounce back after the south coast drubbing last weekend. Chelsea v Sunderland Chelsea -1.25 Goals 2.75 Jose will want to finish off in style after that sorry defeat on Monday night. Sunderland are safe from relegation after that heroic draw at Arsenal midweek so I see them coasting...

It’s bitter sweet when the season winds down…well unless you’re a QPR or Burnley fan sick of seeing your favorite club get drummed by the big boys in the Premiership.  As he’s done every week this season James Kempton (follow him on twitter @UKBettingPro) is back to drop knowledge before figuring out the weekend’s best bets. Southampton v Aston Villa Southampton -0.75 and 2.25 goals On current form this line looks set a quarter of a goal too high so from a risk/reward perspective you should only consider bets that favour the away team. Burnley v Stoke City Pk and 2.25 goals Burnley are already relegated ahead of next years campaign whilst Stoke look focused on providing coach Mark Hughes with a strong end to this season. The trends suggest a low scoring game but these meaningless games often explode into goal fests wither neither side having anything to lose. QPR v Newcastle United Newcastle -0.25 and 2.5 goals Given the way the other fixtures pan out a draw could be a great result for Newcastle. In view of that I want the draw on my side here so I love the home side to at least avoid defeat. Sunderland v Leicester City Pk and 2.25 goals I don’t believe in collusion in the ranks of the EPL but a draw could strongly favour both sides. I honestly haven’t got a clue in this one so I’m going to stay well clear and advise you do the same! Tottenham Hotspur v Hull City Tottenham -0.75 and 2.5 goals Straight up bets may be the way forward in the match market and I do like a bit of the overs on the goal markets. Hull will throw everything (including the kitchen sink) at Tottenham especially...

The season is winding down…I mean we’ve already crowned the 2015 EPL champion but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty left to play for with European positioning and relegation still in the mix.  James Kempton is here to drop some knowledge for the weekend slate Everton v Sunderland Everton -0.5 Goals 2.25 The variable nature of the Toffees performances makes me wary of siding with them here against a team fighting for their EPL life. Only five goals in the last four EPL meetings of the sides suggests this will be a cagey low scoring game and given the away sides plight who could argue? Under 2.5 goals for me. Aston Villa v West Ham Aston Villa -0.5 Goals 2.5 Was the victory at home to Burnley last Saturday West Ham’s final stand at the end of a long season for the Hammers? I can’t trust Villa though on this match line and despite their recent expansive play against a dour Hammers side the goal markets also appear a mystery to me. Hull v Burnley Hull -0.5 Goals 2.25 Burnley have to win this game and whilst it’s not imperative that the home team gain all three points, it is advisable that they do. Burnley have gained just one win on the road all season so although I suggest looking at straight up bets for either team it will be a brave man who bets Burnley. All the trends though point to a bet on the home team or a complete swerve. Leicester v Southampton PK and Goals 2.25 Leicester are in an incredible run of form and you’d think you have to favour them here? The Saints don’t concede many goals on the road at the poorer teams, just eight in nine away...

Start your weekend off in style with a few winners in the EPL.  James Kempton is back to give you angles worth exploring for every fixture across the pond. Leicester v Newcastle Leicester -0.5 Goals 2.5 The Foxes bandwagon looks set to continue this Saturday as the home side full of momentum take on an awful Newcastle side. Six weeks ago this line would have been a Pk so have the teams changed so much in their overall quality since then? Maybe not but it’s the home team or nothing here. Aston Villa v Everton Pk Goals 2.5 Sherwood Mania is gripping the Claret and Blue side of Birmingham but will they start looking ahead to Wembley? The match market looks tricky so I prefer to side with the overs on the goal line here as Villa play a far more expansive game under Sherwood. Liverpool v QPR Liverpool -1.5 Goals 2.75 Rangers’ failure to beat West Ham last week has all but condemned them to relegation. The home team need a performance after that horrible midweek loss to Hull and the visitors seem perfect for some goal difference improvement. I favour the home win and overs on the goal line. Sunderland v Southampton Southampton -0.5 Goals 2  I love what Ronald Koeman has done at St Mary’s but at this stage of the season laying half a goal with them away from home seems loaded with risk. The home team could scrap for a point so I lean towards Sunderland on the handicap line. The Saints don’t concede many goals to poor teams so it’s under or pass regarding the total Swansea v Stoke Swansea -0.25 Goals 2.25 Both clubs have taken big steps forward this season but this has all the hallmarks...