Get the best bets on Wednesday for the final round of Group games in the Champions League as well as English Football League action…
Zenit St Petersburg 6.86/1 v Chelsea 1.594/7, the Draw 4.47/2
17:45
Live on BT Sport 3
Chelsea are in patchy form at the moment and their Russian hosts may be able to get something from the Champions League holders.
Dave Tindall says: “Chelsea’s wobbles, as you might expect, have coincided with some of their key players picking up injuries.
“Midfield stars N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic will again be missing while, at the back, Trevor Chalobah has joined Ben Chilwell on the absent list. Lukaku is trying to find his way back to full fitness after a spell out but hasn’t looked sharp since coming back and Tuchel doesn’t exactly seem over-keen on just throwing him straight back in.
“The Blues have a bigger squad than most but their form is unreliable. After his display against West Ham, even their beacon of consistency, Edouard Mendy, can’t be fully trusted.”
“Overall, there’s enough there to take the visitors on so I’m going to try a lay of Chelsea at 1.594/7.”
Dave’s bet: 2pts Lay of Chelsea at 1.594/7
Juventus 1.21/5 v Malmo 20.019/1, the Draw 7.87/1
17:45
Live on BT Sport 1
Juventus will look to round off their group stage campaign with a win, and potentially finish top, when they host Swedish opponents in one of Wednesday’s early kick-offs.
Dan Fitch says: “The Old Lady are currently second in Group H. Juventus are level on points with the leaders Chelsea, but have an inferior head-to-head goal difference. In order to win the group, Juventus need to take more points from their last game, than Chelsea do when they travel to Zenit.
“Juve beat Genoa 2-0 at home over the weekend. That result sees them still having some work to do if they are to play in the Champions League next season. Juventus are fifth in Serie A, seven points behind fourth placed Atalanta and eleven points adrift of the leaders Milan.
“There were celebrations in Malmo over the weekend, as the Swedish club defended their Allsvenskan title. A 0-0 draw with Halmstad on the final day of the season, saw Malmo pip AIK to the title and they will now come into this match on a high, though they have nothing riding on it. Even if Malmo win this match and finish level on points with Zenit, they will remain bottom of the group, due to their inferior head-to-head record.”
MK Dons v Plymouth Argyle
Wednesday 8th December, kick-off 19:45
Live on Sky Sports Football
League One title contenders meet in MK on Wednesday night and the Sky cameras will be there for the big match. Get our third tier expert’s best bet…
Alan Dudman says: “Liam Manning’s Dons are only two points behind the Greens with a game in hand, and they posses a decent home record in winning six and losing just once. Their football is the most pleasing on the eye and if you are watching the game, you’ll see their dominance in possession. However, against better teams, games tend to be a bit tighter as opponents are happy to sit back to try and absorb and usually play deeper.
“Argyle have a fantastic front two in Ryan Hardie and Luke Jephcott – who have 19 goals between them. Ryan Broom can also weigh in from midfield and he has at times been electric and it’s been good to see Danny Mayor back recently as he has been a fine player at this level for a few years.”
Alan’s bet: Back the draw @ 3.65
Barrow 2.6413/8 v Salford 2.8615/8, the Draw 3.412/5
19:45
Salford have been in good form recently and look a nice price to keep their run going when they travel to struggling Barrow.
Ian Lamont says: “The visitors need to build on their four-game unbeaten run – two draws and two wins – before the weekend’s cup game and improve on their away form which includes five defeats. Getting more from Conor McAleny, who was joint sixth top scorer in League Two last season while at Oldham, seems a must.
“A relatively short trip to Barrow seems a perfect opportunity to push on, given that the Bluebirds have just two points from their past six matches. Opta point out they have won just two of their last nine away, but victory at high-flying Harrogate last time should give them renewed confidence.”
Ian’s bet: Back Salford City @ 2.767/4 to win at Barrow
Man Utd 1.422/5 v Young Boys 8.615/2, the Draw 5.39/2
Wed, 20:00 GMT
Live on BT Sport 2 and BT Sport Ultimate
Manchester United have already qualified for the knock-out stages of the Champions League but they may still be hungry for revenge when they host Young Boys.
James Eastham says: “Young Boys’ poor form and depleted squad mean they cannot be supported with any confidence. But the fact they need to win to stand any chance of claiming a Europa League place means a bold approach from the visitors is likely.
“With the visitors set to take risks and United’s players keen to impress their new boss, we expect an open game. Both teams have scored nine of Young Boys’ 11 Champions League games this season (qualifiers and group games combined). Six of those 11 matches featured Over 3.5 Goals. The average goals-per-game count across those 11 fixtures was 3.45.
“Over 3.0 in the Goal Lines market at 2.01/1 and ‘Yes’ in the Both teams to Score? market at 1.8810/11 are both worth considering.”
Bayern Munich 1.684/6 v Barcelona 4.77/2, the Draw 5.04/1
Wednesday 8 December, 20:00
Live on BT Sport 3
Bayern Munich don’t need the points but that doesn’t mean they won’t want to take all three when they host Barcelona.
Dan Fitch says: “Currently second in Group E, Barcelona are only two points ahead of Benfica, who have a home match against Dynamo Kiev. Barca’s final fixture, away at Bayern, is clearly much tougher and it’s Benfica who have the superior head-to-head record, should the teams finish level on points.
“Over the weekend, Barcelona suffered their first defeat since Xavi was appointed as manager, when they lost 1-0 at home to Betis. That loss leaves Barca in seventh place, some six points away from fourth place.
“In contrast, Bayern Munich are top of the Bundesliga, with their 3-2 win at second placed Dortmund on Saturday, extending their lead to four points. Bayern have already won Group E with some ease, after claiming victory in all five of their games, which included a 3-0 win at the Camp Nou in the reverse fixture.
Source: Betfair Champions League
