With the group stages of European club football now done and dusted, we turn our focus to Europe’s top five leagues and bring you 10 of our best bets and value picks for the weekend. Hopefully, we can help you make some extra money before Christmas.
Chelsea v Leeds (Saturday)
Chelsea will be desperate to return to winning ways at the weekend as they welcome Leeds United to west London. Thomas Tuchel’s side was stunned 3-2 by West Ham at the London Stadium in their last Premier League game, while Patrick Bamford rode to Leeds United’s rescue late on to salvage a 2-2 draw at home to Brentford. The last time the two sides met at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea ran out comfortable 3-1 winners after Bamford had given Marcelo Bielsa’s side an early lead.
Suggested bet: Chelsea to win
Value bet: Patrick Bamford to score anytime
Arsenal v Southampton (Saturday)
Arsenal host Southampton on Saturday looking to get back on track following two successive defeats. Both losses were on the road, and Mikel Arteta’s side will welcome the return to the Emirates Stadium where the north Londoners have won four in a row and kept three clean sheets. The Saints meanwhile are winless in four and have lost their last two games away from home.
Suggested bet: Arsenal to win
Value bet: Arsenal to win to zero
Alaves v Getafe (Saturday)
This Saturday, two of La Liga’s most out-of-form sides go toe-to-toe in a contest that could go a long way in deciding who will be playing Segunda Division football next season. Hosts Alaves rank 17th in the league table with 14 points from their opening 15 matches, while Getafe sits down in 19th with just 11 points to show for their first 16 games. The last four meetings have all ended in stalemates, with the last three resulting in goalless draws.
Suggested bet: Under 2.5 goals
Value bet: Draw
Osasuna v Barcelona (Sunday)
After a first defeat as Barcelona manager last weekend, Xavi Hernandez will be hoping to see his side bounce back strongly against an Osasuna side who have gone seven games without a win. The Catalans will be hoping to repeat the 2-0 victory they earned in the last meeting between these sides.
Suggested bet: Barcelona to win
Value bet: Barcelona to win and both teams to score
Hertha BSC v Arminia Bielefeld (Saturday)
Two out-of-form sides meet on Saturday in the German Bundesliga as Hertha BSC and Arminia Bielefeld face off for three crucial league points. Hosts Hertha BSC is in 14th place in the table and sits just five points better off than their opponents who find themselves in the relegation zone. The Old Lady will be looking to make home advantage count in this early season relegation battle.
Suggested bet: Under 2.5 goals
Value bet: Hertha BSC to win and under 2.5 goals
Bochum v Dortmund (Saturday)
Borussia Dortmund will travel to the newly-promoted Bochum on Saturday and the Black and Yellows will be looking to keep the pressure on in the upper echelons of the Bundesliga standings. Marco Rose’s side is four points behind first-placed Bayern Munich after their 3-2 home defeat against the Bavarians last weekend. The BVB steamrolled Besiktas 5-0 in the Champions League in midweek and will be confident of leaving North Rhine Westphalia with all three points.
Suggested bet: Dortmund to win
Value bet: Dortmund 1-handicap
Venezia v Juventus (Saturday)
After 19 seasons, Juventus make the trip to Venice to lock horns with Venezia in a top-flight league encounter. When these teams last faced each other, a fresh-faced Gianluigi Buffon was between the sticks with the likes of Lilian Thuram, Antonio Conte, Edgar Davids, and Pavel Nedved donning the famous black and white stripes. Juve has won four of their last five Serie A games, keeping clean sheets on each occasion, while Venezia comes off three straight defeats – conceding 10 goals in the same period.
Suggested bet: Juventus to win
Value bet: Juventus to win to zero
Sassuolo v Lazio (Sunday)
Lazio will be hoping to improve on their record on the road when the Eagles aim to take flight against Sassuolo on Sunday evening. Maurizio Sarri’s men earned only their second away win of the season at Sampdoria last weekend with a 3-1 win, snapping a three-game winless streak. Meanwhile, Sassuolo has been involved in 10 consecutive high-scoring clashes – all 10 games seeing over 2.5 goals scored and both teams find the net. The Neroverdi’s last four games have seen them play out to three (2-2) stalemates against Cagliari, Napoli, and Spezia while beating AC Milan (3-1).
Suggested bet: Both teams to score
Value bet: Over 2.5 goals and both teams to score
Strasbourg v Marseille (Sunday)
Strasbourg is in fine form, unbeaten in six games with convincing victories against Bordeaux (5-2) and Nice (3-0) in their last two performances. The home team has won five of their last seven Ligue 1 matches at the Stade de la Meinau and will provide a stern test. Marseille was stunned last time out after going 1-0 up at the 30-minute mark, Brest came from behind to snatch maximum points and allowed Rennes to leapfrog Marseille into second place on the log. Strasbourg is also chasing qualification to European football which could make this a very cagey affair.
Suggested bet: Under 2.5 goals
Value bet: Marseille to win to zero
Lille v Lyon (Sunday)
Lille comes into their home clash with Lyon unbeaten in five matches. After tasting defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, the Mastiffs went on to share the spoils with Angers, Monaco and Nantes and then beat Rennes and Troyes. Lyon, on the other hand, is flying in the UEFA Europa League, securing qualification with games to spare but has tasted three defeats in six Ligue 1 games and can’t seem to find the balance between playing in both competitions.
Suggested bet: Draw
Value bet: Draw and both teams to score