After going so close in 2008, Chelsea could be just 90 minutes away from finally landing the Champions League trophy under the guidance of Roberto Di Matteo. Spread bettors might not have expected a Chelsea v Bayern Munich final as both Real Madrid and Barcelona reached the last four.

Spread buyers of Chelsea’s win index will be interested to learn that the Blues lost 3-2 on their last visit to Bayern, although they did progress to the semi-final in 2005. It finished 6-5 on aggregate to the Blues and total goal buyers will take plenty of encouragement from that scoreline.

Those spread punters that like a bet on the ‘time of last match goal’ market will be pleased to hear that there were three goals scored in the 90^th minute across both legs between Chelsea and Bayern seven years ago. Late goals often mean that there was a high goal minutes make-up and spread buyers of that market would love another repeat of the only two ever meetings between the clubs. The average total goal minutes sum from Chelsea’s two fixtures against their German opponents is 356 points.

Sporting Index’s total goals market often provides a popular betting debate and those thinking of a spread bet on goals should be aware that the previous 12 Champions League finals have accumulated 33 goals, averaging 2.75 per game. Sellers of the total goals spread might be intrigued to learn that in those 12 finals there has only been one goalless draw – which was in 2003 when AC Milan edged past Juventus on penalties at Old Trafford.
The total goal minutes spread will again spark plenty of discussion among spread betting fans. Those buying total goal minutes for the final might like to know that the last six finals have accumulated 184, 105, 71, 216, 194 and 254. The 254 was the largest total during that period which was when Liverpool fought back from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan in 2005 on penalties.

Spread sellers of the total bookings market at the Allianz Arena will be pleased to hear that there were only four yellow cards brandished in last year’s final and that there were just three in the 2010 final. The past five finals have seen a total of 19 yellow cards issued and no dismissals within 90 minutes. Spread buyers of the bookings index will be hoping for a repeat of the 2006 final between Barcelona and Arsenal, when Jens Lehman was sent off and the total reached 65 points.

Sellers of the bookings index might think twice after seeing the Blues’ second leg with Barcelona that saw John Terry sent off and a total of 105 points, of which 85 points were contributed by Chelsea.

For spread enthusiasts looking at individual player performance markets, Mario Gomez may stand out as the second highest scorer in the competition. Spread buyers of his player performance index might like to know he has 12 goals already and he’s scored six in his last five European games.

Manchester City could be just 90 minutes away from landing their first league title in 44 years and it’s now only QPR that stand in the way.

Those spread bettors that have bought City’s championship index will have been delighted with the performance and result at St James’ Park last Sunday which put them in touching distance of the title.

Spread buyers of Manchester United’s championship index will be praying that QPR can join Sunderland and become only the second side to take points from City at home in the league since August. Roberto Mancini’s side  have put together a great run since losing to Arsenal and spread buyers of their win index will be hoping that City can win their sixth successive league match.

Those spread enthusiasts looking to buy City’s supremacy for Sunday’s contest will be happy to hear that they have kept four clean sheets in those five triumphs. Total goal buyers may have also seen that City have scored 15 times in their past six home league games – at an average of 2.5 goals per game. Another positive for total goal buyers against Rangers is that the reverse fixture in November produced five goals in a 3-2 City victory.

Spread sellers of the total goal minutes market might like to know that the first City/QPR meeting produced a total of 266 points.

Manchester United need to beat Sunderland to have any chance of overhauling City and the champions’ spread supporters might have spotted that the Black Cats have not scored against Sir Alex Ferguson’s side for four consecutive games.

There was only a goal to separate the clubs at Old Trafford as total goal sellers made a healthy profit that afternoon. Total goal sellers on Sunday will also take encouragement from the fact that it finished goalless on United’s most recent visit to the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland and United games have tended to be friendly affairs and that could make sellers of the bookings index take note. There have been only seven yellow cards shown in the previous three United/Sunderland contests and there were just two brandished when the sides met at Old Trafford earlier in the campaign.

If Bolton don’t beat Stoke at the Britannia then they will be relegated. Some good news for Bolton’s spread supporters is that they hammered the Potters 5-0 at the Reebok and total goal buyers made an excellent profit on the result. Total goal sellers possibly will take care after finding out that there have been ten goals scored in the past two meetings between the clubs.

Spread buyers of total goal minutes at Stoke this weekend will likely be delighted to hear that the average make-up across those two matches currently stands at 224 points. Sporting Index’s ‘time of first match goal market’ could be of interest as Kevin Davies scored as early as the second minute in Bolton’s 5-0 win over Stoke, while the first goal arrived in the 11^th minute in the game before.

Liverpool and Chelsea are two of the most successful clubs in FA Cup history and spread bettors may be intrigued to know that they’ve never contested a final against each other before.

Spread buyers of Liverpool’s win index will be hoping the club can secure a fifth consecutive victory against Chelsea. The Reds’ spread supporters will also be pleased that the side have already won the Carling Cup this season after edging out Cardiff City at Wembley on penalties.

Those spread punters hoping to sell the match supremacy will be delighted to find that four of the Reds’ past five triumphs over Chelsea have been without conceding a goal. However, match supremacy spread buyers might argue that the Blues managed the same trick in the 2009/10 campaign.

Games between these two clubs have not produced a glut of cards in recent meetings and those spread punters looking to sell the bookings index might like to hear that there have only been 13 yellows brandished in the past five Liverpool and Chelsea league games. Spread buyers of the bookings index would be looking for a repeat of the most recent clash between these great rivals that accumulated 60 points on the index.

In last year’s FA Cup final there was just two yellow cards shown and that news will be well received by spread sellers of the bookings index. The average bookings total for the past seven FA Cup finals currently stands at 45 points, while the largest total in that run came in 2005 when it reached 85 points. That 2005 final between Man United and Arsenal was the last one that produced a red card, which will make spread sellers of the bookings index take note.

Those spread enthusiasts that enjoy a bet on the total goals market will be interested to learn that only once in the previous six Liverpool/Chelsea meetings has there been over 2.5 goals. However, spread buyers of the total goals market will likely recall the two Champions League games in 2008/09 that produced 12 goals – including the 4-4 that came in West London. The total goal minutes sum reached a staggering 482 points in that contest.

Spread sellers of total goals might be interested to hear that three of the past four FA Cup finals have featured only one goal. Total goal buyers may have seen that the highest scoring FA Cup final since 2000 was between West Ham and Liverpool in 2006, which finished 3-3.

Sporting Index’s ‘time of first match goal’ market often sparks debate amongst spread enthusiasts. Spread sellers of the market will be interested to find that the past two finals have seen the first goal arrive in the 74^th and 59^th minute respectively. Spread buyers of the market could argue that Louis Saha scored in the first minute when Everton and Chelsea contested the 2009 FA Cup final.

After 35 games of an enthralling season, it looks as if it could all come down to the Manchester derby as spread bettors wonder which club will make a defining stand in the title race.

A few games ago spread buyers of Man United’s Championship Index were sitting pretty with an eight point advantage. Spread buyers now know that should Man City win on Monday evening, Roberto Mancini’s side will go top on goal difference.

Spread punters planning on buying City’s win index will likely know just how strong the side have been at home in the league this season, winning 16 of their 17 games and drawing the remaining one. City’s spread supporters will also probably remember the 6-1 drubbing at Old Trafford they registered over the Red Devils. Those spread enthusiasts buying United’s win index could argue that Sir Alex Ferguson’s side have beaten City twice this season – once being in the FA Cup at the Etihad Stadium.

Further encouragement for spread buyers of United’s win index is that the Red Devils have not lost on their past three league visits to City – winning two of those. Spread bettors with an interest in the match supremacy market may have seen that the last league game between the two sides finished 6-1. That afternoon proved a hugely successful one for spread punters who bought total goal minutes as there were three late goals and a sum of 501 points. The most recent United game against City produced a total goal minutes make-up of 193 points and the Community Shield game wielded 283 points.

Total goal buyers will be happy to hear that there have been 17 goals scored in the three Manchester derby fixtures this season. However, total goal sellers will take confidence that City’s last home league game against United finished goalless.

In two of the three Manchester derby games this year there have already been three goals scored in the 90^th minute and that will please those spread bettors with an interest in the ‘last match goal’ market. However, spread sellers of that market could point to the last two games between the sides at City that produced the final strike in the 52^nd minute in a 1-0 United defeat and a goalless draw.

With so much riding on the game, spread bettors may look towards the bookings index market given the feisty nature of a derby. Spread buyers of the bookings index will be delighted to learn that there have been three red cards in the past three competitive City/United matches.

Wayne Rooney is now just one behind Robin van Persie in the Premier League scoring charts and spread punters looking at his player performance index will be delighted to learn that the striker has scored eleven times in his last ten starts in the league. Rooney scored a brace in his last league game and two in the last meeting against City, which will offer further encouragement for buyers of his player performance spread.

Alan McInally’s official Celtic FC betting preview

Former Celtic striker Alan McInally has teamed up with online betting partner BETDAQ to preview this weekend’s game against Rangers.

The impressive 3-0 win at Motherwell just shows how much strength and depth there is in this current Celtic squad. Neil Lennon opted to rest some of his more recognised players last Sunday and those that stepped in did a magnificent job.

Even as the season draws to a close Celtic Park is sure to be rocking for the final Old Firm battle of the year. Even though the Hoops have missed out on a couple of trophies over the past few weeks, beating Rangers would go some way to giving something back to the loyal fans.

The Hoops will need to tread carefully though as Rangers have put together a couple of decent results. Rangers’ recent Old Firm victory will still be fresh in the minds of the players and this is the perfect opportunity to exact some revenge.

It’s vital the Hoops keep a full complement of players on the pitch after what happened at Ibrox last time out. Even Lennon didn’t escape the referee’s wrath and if it remains eleven versus eleven, I have no doubt the Hoops will pick up the win.

The Hoops have won their past three SPL games without conceding a goal and with that I’m happy to tip up the home win at around 1.81 on BETDAQ.

As a betting exchange, as opposed to a traditional bookmaker, fans can get better odds on BETDAQ by betting against each other. To bet online: http://www.betdaq.com/UI/?pc=celtic

Phone betting:

Ire customers phone: 1800 765 865
UK customers phone: 0870 178 1221

*Prices appear as decimal odds, all odds correct at time of going to press. For more information see http://www.betdaq.com/UI/. The views expressed in this column are the personal opinions of Alan McInally. Please gamble responsibly and only with money you can afford to lose. http://www.gambleaware.co.uk/

Alan McInally’s official Celtic FC betting preview

Former Celtic striker Alan McInally has teamed up with online betting partner BETDAQ to preview this weekend’s game against Motherwell.

It was a disappointing weekend for all involved with the club as Celtic missed out on the chance of a double-winning season at the hands of Hearts. The manner of the defeat will have left a bitter taste in the mouth as the players were left ruing what could have been a truly memorable season.

The Hoops will need to pick themselves up as they have a tricky game at Motherwell to negotiate next. As it stands Motherwell are five points ahead of St Johnstone and should they finish above them, they will qualify for Europe given that Rangers are prevented from competing next season due to their ongoing financial problems.

That all means that Fir Park will be bouncing and the Hoops will need to be much better than they were against Hearts if they’re to return to winning ways. It was a close fought thing when the sides last clashed at Celtic Park as Gary Hooper rode to the rescue after the break.

Still, Celtic have an excellent record against the Steelmen. It’s five straight victories for the Hoops and I fancy another one against Stuart McCall’s side on Sunday. The Steelmen have also failed to win any of their past three SPL games, so my advice would be to take the 1.67 available on BETDAQ for an away win.

Neil Lennon will be demanding a reaction and I fully expect the Hoops to rise to the occasion.

As a betting exchange, as opposed to a traditional bookmaker, fans can get better odds on BETDAQ by betting against each other. To bet online: http://www.betdaq.com/UI/?pc=celtic

Phone betting:

Ire customers phone: 1800 765 865
UK customers phone: 0870 178 1221

*Prices appear as decimal odds, all odds correct at time of going to press. For more information see http://www.betdaq.com/UI/. The views expressed in this column are the personal opinions of Alan McInally. Please gamble responsibly and only with money you can afford to lose. http://www.gambleaware.co.uk/

It’s one big game after another for Chelsea at the moment, as this time the Blues’ spread supporters prepare for a huge fixture against Arsenal at the Emirates.

Spread buyers of the total goals market have profited well from this fixture in the past as there have been 30 goals scored in the previous eight fixtures between the two sides. Further support for total goal buyers is that earlier this season Arsenal came through an eight goal thriller at Stamford Bridge.

Spread bettors looking at Sporting Index’s match supremacy market will be intrigued to know that the last six fixtures between the two clubs have ended with a winning margin of at least two goals on four occasions. Another interesting factor for those spread enthusiasts looking at the match supremacy market is that Chelsea have kept three clean sheets in their last five outings against the Gunners.

For any spread punters that like a bet on the ‘time of last match goal’ market they will be interested to learn that the Gunners have scored in the last five minutes in three of their previous four home games.

This will also be encouraging news for spread buyers of total goal minutes. Spread buyers of the market will take plenty of positives from the fact that the average total over the past five Chelsea/Arsenal contests currently stands at 197 minutes.

On Sunday Manchester United welcome in form Everton to Old Trafford for a crucial Premier League game and spread buyers of the host’s outright Championship index will be hoping United can secure their 15^th home league win from 18 matches.

Those spread punters contemplating buying the match supremacy will be more than happy to hear that Everton have failed to score against Man United in seven out of the last 12 matches. Anyone hoping to buy Everton’s win index should take note that the Toffees have won just once in 12 Premier League outings against Sir Alex Ferguson’s Red Devils.

Spread betting fans who keep a close eye on the bookings index might have spotted that the past five Everton games with United have averaged 48 points. Another plus for spread buyers of the bookings index is that this season has produced the most yellow cards at this stage than any other campaign to date.

Everton have tended to struggle for goals at Old Trafford and spread bettors hoping to sell Everton’s match goals may have seen that Moyes’ side haven’t scored at the Theatre of Dreams since December 2007. United have averaged 2.6 goals at home in the league thus far and that news will be well received by spread buyers of total match goals in Sunday’s game.

Wayne Rooney will line-up against his former club once more and spread punters looking at his player performance index will be delighted to learn that the striker has scored nine times in his last nine starts in the league.

Alan McInally’s official Celtic FC betting preview

Former Celtic striker Alan McInally has teamed up with online betting partner BETDAQ to preview this weekend’s game against Hearts.

Celtic sealed their first SPL title in four years in emphatic style to spark mass celebrations all around Rugby Park. Six unanswered goals capped off a perfect afternoon and brought Neil Lennon the title in his second season at the club.

The Hoops are back at Celtic Park on Sunday and there promises to be a special atmosphere inside the ground. Having gone through a little sticky patch a week or so ago, the big win over St Johnstone proves the players are back to their best and in a position to reach a second cup final of the season.

Hearts will of course try and spoil the party on their visit, but I cannot see them causing an upset. Paulo Sergio will arrive thinking his side can chase down a European spot before the season is out and their past two games have given them an outside chance of doing so. Back-to-back wins is a good starting point, but Hearts have lost their past two against the Hoops.

Three goals before the break were enough to hand the Hoops a simple win over Hearts in the most recent meeting, but they gave it a real push on their last visit to Celtic Park. In the end Victor Wanyama’s strike saw the underdogs left empty handed.

With the mood the Hoops are in, I just cannot see any other outcome than Celtic reaching another cup final within 90 minutes. The goals are flowing and with that I’m more than happy to tip Celtic to win with the –2 Asian handicap at around evens on BETDAQ 1BET.

As a betting exchange, as opposed to a traditional bookmaker, fans can get better odds on BETDAQ by betting against each other. To bet online: http://www.betdaq.com/UI/?pc=celtic

Phone betting:

Ire customers phone: 1800 765 865
UK customers phone: 0870 178 1221

*Prices appear as decimal odds, all odds correct at time of going to press. For more information see http://www.betdaq.com/UI/. The views expressed in this column are the personal opinions of Alan McInally. Please gamble responsibly and only with money you can afford to lose. http://www.gambleaware.co.uk/

Liverpool face Everton and Chelsea meet Tottenham in the FA Cup semi-finals where local bragging rights as well as a place in the final are up for grabs. The Merseyside derby gets the action underway on Saturday lunchtime and Everton’s spread supporters might recall that it was Everton that progressed when these rivals last met in the FA Cup.

Dan Gosling’s winner 118 minutes into the replay was enough to give Everton the victory, but spread sellers of the Toffees’ win index will likely have seen that they have already been beaten twice this year by Liverpool. Any spread punters looking to buy Everton’s win index will be disappointed to hear that in both the Toffees’ defeats to Liverpool they have failed to find the back of the net.

Merseyside derbies are renowned for their passion and that will likely have spread punters that enjoy a bet on the bookings index stand up and take note. Spread buyers of the bookings index will be pleased to hear that there has been seven yellow cards and one red card issued in the two league meetings between the clubs this campaign. Those looking to sell the bookings index might like to learn that there was an average of 68 points on the bookings total across Everton’s two FA Cup games against Liverpool in the 2008/09 campaign – with one red card.

Steven Gerrard has had plenty of success in this fixture and spread buyers of his player performance index will be encouraged that the midfielder scored a hat-trick against David Moyes’ side on the most recent meeting. Further support for buyers of Gerrard’s player performance spread is that he scored the equaliser in the first cup tie three years ago. Those spread punters that enjoy a like on the total goals market may have seen that Nikica Jelavic’s arrival at Everton has seen his new club average 2.4 goals per game across their previous five fixtures.

Sunday sees Tottenham take on Chelsea and spread buyers of Spurs’ win index will be hoping they can get the better of their London rivals at the third time of asking this term. Those spread bettors with an interest in the match supremacy market might like to know that the two league meetings  between the clubs finished all square. Match supremacy sellers could point to the Blues’ last Wembley fixture against Spurs that ended 1-1 at 90 minutes, before Jonathan Woodgate scored the winner in extra-time.

Spread punters debating a bet on the bookings index market may have seen that the two meetings this season have averaged 35 points. Spread sellers looking at the total goals market will be pleased to hear that there has only been two goals between the two sides so far this season. However, there is some positive news for total goal buyers as before this season the previous four fixtures between the two teams had produced 11 goals – while the three previous FA Cup meetings between the two sides accumulated 13 goals.

Alan McInally’s official Celtic FC betting preview

Former Celtic striker Alan McInally has teamed up with online betting partner BETDAQ to preview this weekend’s game against Rangers.

Celtic’s defeat in the League Cup to Kilmarnock last Sunday just shows that anything can happen in a final. The Hoops were desperately unlucky not to get a penalty in the dying seconds, but there’s no better way to get over a defeat than with an Old Firm derby.

The double is still very much on the cards and the league cup disappointment should act as a marker for the rest of the season. Even though Rangers are in disarray they would like nothing more than to get three points off the Hoops at Ibrox.

However, this Rangers side is the worst I’ve seen and it should be one of the most one-sided Old Firm clashes in my time. Neil Lennon will have been banging it in to his players’ heads that they simply cannot get complacent. Ally McCoist’s side have lost two on the spin coming into the game, which included a 2-1 loss to Hearts at Ibrox.

Celtic edged the previous game against Rangers with a lone Joe Ledley strike, but I expect things to be far easier this time around. They’ll of course be some tackles flying about and it’s important Celtic keep all eleven players on the pitch. At around 10/11 on BETDAQ 1BET there’s only one bet to be had this weekend as Celtic hopefully take another step towards the SPL title.
As a betting exchange, as opposed to a traditional bookmaker, fans can get better odds on BETDAQ by betting against each other. To bet online: http://www.betdaq.com/UI/?pc=celtic

Phone betting:

Ire customers phone: 1800 765 865
UK customers phone: 0870 178 1221

*Prices appear as decimal odds, all odds correct at time of going to press. For more information see http://www.betdaq.com/UI/. The views expressed in this column are the personal opinions of Alan McInally. Please gamble responsibly and only with money you can afford to lose. http://www.gambleaware.co.uk/