We’ve got a bumper batch of north London derby tips in today’s Betfair Football Cheat Sheet – including Dimitar Berbatov’s Bet Builder – so get our experts’ best bets…
“Antonio Conte’s charges have improved in both boxes, and the hosts supreme firepower could prove pivotal against an Arsenal side that’s unlikely to be proactive.”
Rayo Vallecano 4.57/2 v Villarreal 1.875/6, the Draw 3.953/1
19:00
Live on LaLiga TV and Betfair Live Video
Before we get to north London we start in Spain where Unai Emery’s men are in action in La Liga…
Tom Victor says: “Villarreal responded to their Champions League elimination by coming within moments of beating Sevilla on Sunday, but a late equaliser means three more points at Vallecas are essential to keep them in the hunt for Europe.
“Opponents Rayo have averaged just 0.89 xGF per game across their last six, but still picked up enough points during that run to keep themselves in the league, and Infogol backs the visitors to take all three points here.
BTTS? Yes
Over/Under 2.5? Over
Tom’s bet:
Tottenham 2.245/4 v Arsenal 3.45, the Draw 3.711/4
19:45
Tottenham take on North London rivals Arsenal in Thursday night’s mouthwatering match-up in the Premier League and Mark O’Haire thinks the hosts are the value.
Mark says: “Tottenham have enjoyed recent home encounters with Arsenal, posting W5-D2-L0 in their last seven home showdowns against the Gunners, the club’s best such streak since 1968. Spurs are also looking to win three consecutive home league games against Arsenal for the first time since 1961, but were beaten 3-1 in the reverse meeting back in September.
“Tottenham have earned the fourth-most points since Antonio Conte was appointed in early November (W14-D5-L6) with only Manchester City (69) and Liverpool (58) scoring more Premier League goals in that sample than Spurs (51). The hosts have won eight of their 12 home dates under the Italian and have excelled against the league’s elite opposition.
“Arsenal recovered superbly following a disastrous August. The Gunners boast a W20-D3-L6 return against sides outside of the top-four but have still shown a degree of fragility on their travels; Mikel Arteta’s troops have been turned over in seven of 17 away days and have shipped multiple goals on eight occasions in games as Premier League guests.”
Mark’s bet:
In his exclusive column Betfair Ambassador Dimitar Berbatov reveals what it’s like to play in a north London derby and recommends his Bet Builder for the big night…
Dimitar says: “Of course, I want to see Spurs win and of course I am biased. This is a massive game for them, and it’s a great opportunity to put the pressure on Arsenal in the race for a spot in the Champions League. The prospect of cutting the gap to one point makes this a must win for Spurs.
“Harry Kane would be the obvious choice to score, but Son has got some incredible numbers this season. The goals speak louder than everything else but in his case it’s the way he moves and runs into the space using his speed, making it easy for Harry Kane to find him.
“Arsenal have a lot of young talented players, and Eddie Nketia is one of them, he’s in great form at the moment and he’ll be hungry to prove himself in the derby. You can see that they are playing the Arteta way of football and you can see that he has worked under Pep Guardiola.
“I think this will be an entertaining game where both teams will get on the scoresheet, otherwise we will die of boredom, and we don’t want that. Based on what both teams have in attack, I’m sure there will be goals.”
Berbatov’s Derby Bet Builder:
Back Spurs to win, Son to Score, Nketiah to have a shot and both teams to score @ 6.86/1
Dan Fitch has also selected a Bet Builder for Thursday night’s match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium…
Dan says: “Though Spurs are rightful favourites, it would not be a huge surprise if they failed to get the win they require, with the pressure very much on Antonio Conte’s team to perform. The cautious way to start this Bet Builder is with Tottenham to avoid defeat in the Double Chance market at 3/10 on the Sportsbook.
“North London derbies often seem to produce games with plenty of goals. Everything points to this game being no exception. The styles on offer should gel and Arsenal’s last four games have seen both teams to score.
“We will add both teams to score at 8/13. It’s landed in five of the last six matches between these rivals, which have averaged exactly three goals-per-game. Over 2.5 goals is 4/5 and crates a Bet Builder treble at 2.89/5.”
Dan’s bet:
Real Madrid 1.511/2 v Levante 6.411/2, the Draw 5.49/2
20:30
Live on LaLigaTV and Betfair Live Video
Next up Dan Fitch applies his Bet Builder expertise to a Thursday night outing for the Whites of Madrid as they face relegation-threatened Levante in the Spanish capital…
Dan says: “While Real Madrid are free to think ahead to the upcoming Champions League final, having secured the title, Levante are in deep trouble. Currently 19th at the table at the time of writing, they may well need maximum points from their remaining three games, to have any chance of avoiding the drop.
“If Levante go down, they will do so while putting up a fight. They beat Real Sociedad 2-1 on Saturday and even in recent defeats against the likes of Barcelona and Sevilla, they have lost by a narrow 3-2 scoreline.
“Carlo Ancelotti made a number of changes against Atletico Madrid on Sunday and lost 1-0. Though he will be keen to avoid injuries, he needs to also keep his best players sharp ahead of the Champions League final. Goals seem likely.”
Dan’s bet:
Back over 2.5 goals, both teams to score and goals in both halves @ 1.784/5
Source: Betfair Spanish La Liga
