Betfair Cross-Sport Multiple: Back a Dortmund draw in Bruges

"Brugge will want to impress against a top European team and they are capable of holding a reserve Dortmund team to a mutually acceptable draw."

Andrew Hughes thinks that Saturday's friendly in Bruges will end in stalemate and help land another cross-sport multiple

Betfair now gives you the facility to mix and match your multiples across a huge range of sports and markets with the easy-to-use betslip and so each weekend I've been putting together a cross-sport treble with the aim of showing the way to maximise your profits.

Bet 1: Club Brugge to draw with Borussia Dortmund at 3.5
There should be a big crowd for the Brugse Metten, the traditional pre-season friendly match in which Club Brugge take on an invited foreign team. The home side have won the last five of these, but the last time they met someone from the top tier of European football, Porto in 2005, they lost.

Given that this year's visitors are Bundesliga Champions Borussia Dortmund, if this were a competitive fixture, you'd expect Brugge to struggle. But friendlies are much harder to predict. Both sides are at an early stage of their pre-season build-ups, manager Georges Leekens has been candid about the lack of match fitness in the Brugge Squad and Dortmund will not be bringing any of their Euro 2012 players.

Brugge will want to impress against a top European team and they are capable of holding a reserve Dortmund team to a mutually acceptable draw.

Bet 2: New Zealand to beat West Indies at 3.25
The West Indies are improving steadily, particularly at home, where they have followed up a useful series draw with Australian by dominating a weakened New Zealand team. Darren Sammy's men won both the Twenty20 games and took the first two one day internationals fairly comfortably.

But though on paper they have the edge over an inexperienced New Zealand outfit, a familiar fragility was on display last time. Chasing a modest 249 to clinch the five game series, their talisman Chris Gayle failed and the rest of the tea followed, giving the beleaguered tourists a moral boost.

With Brendon McCullum set to return for New Zealand and the tourists notably sharper in the field than the home side, I think they are a good bet to level the series at 3.252/1

Bet 3: Wigan Warriors to beat Leeds Rhinos at 1.35
Saturday's Challenge Cup semi-final sees reigning Super League Champions Leeds Rhinos taking on Wigan Warriors, the side that beat them in last year's final. Leeds were struggling until recently but a string of wins has lifted them up the table and given them some much needed confidence.

But they will have their work cut out to stop Wigan, who have already done the double over them this season, including a 50-8 spanking on their last meeting. The Warriors did slip up recently against Bradford, but that looks as though it was just a hiccup and it should also be noted that Leeds' run of victories has come against some of Super League's poorer sides. Wigan will be strengthened by the return of four players who sat out the thrashing of Wakefield and once again they should prove too strong for the Rhinos.

Total Odds for this multiple: 15.3614/1 Remember, multiple prices are based on our Fixed Odds product, so any winnings are exempt from commission.

There are no comments on this article.

Amazon Watches Center

Lee Dixon: Walcott and van Persie to get the better of Dortmund

Champions League / Lee Dixon / 22 November 2011 / Leave a Comment

The pace man and the hitman. Theo Walcott congratulates Robin van Persie after they combine for another goal.

"This should be a pretty tight game between two sides who are probably quite evenly matched at this moment in time but Arsenal’s extra experience of these type of matches in this competition plus home advantage should get them over the line. Draw/Arsenal in the HT/FT market is also worth including in our portfolio of bets for this match."

Red-hot tipster Lee Dixon looks ahed to Arsenal's match against a confident Borussia Dortmund side. The Gunners should win and qualify for the knock-out stages but it won't be easy...

I'll do well to match my tipping effort at the weekend where all four of my recommended bets on Norwich v Arsenal won .

If you'd placed £10 on each you would have returned a profit of £91.50. But the good news is that with a third of the season gone, we've seen enough of this 2011-12 version of Arsenal to know what to expect of them. The key of course, is knowing how to profit from that knowledge.

Match Odds

If Arsenal had beaten Marseille a few weeks back like they should have, they would have been pretty much home and dry as regards making the knock-out stages of the Champions League.

But Arsene Wenger decided that captain, talisman and top scorer (he probably drives the team bus, too) Robin van Persie needed a rest and only gave him half an hour in that match. Without him, the Gunners never really got going and drew 0-0. They can't afford any more slip-ups here and I'd be amazed if RVP doesn't start this one, especially after scoring two more at the weekend (shall I mention I tipped that as well? No? OK).

Borussia Dortmund could be excused for really fancying their chances of causing an upset here and going into the final round of fixtures with it all to play for. After all, they're fresh from beating league leaders Bayern Munich at the weekend.

This should be a pretty tight game between two sides who are probably quite evenly matched at this moment in time but Arsenal's extra experience of these type of matches in this competition plus home advantage should get them over the line. Draw/Arsenal in the HT/FT market is also worth including in our portfolio of bets for this match.

Over/Under 2.5 Goals and Correct Score

In the last 13 matches Arsenal have played in all competitions, only twice has the over 2.5 goals barrier not been broken. Interestingly, those two 'anomalies' occurred against the same team - Marseille, whom Arsenal beat 1-0 in France before that aforementioned goalless draw. So we know that matches between those two produce low-scoring games but also that as a general rule Arsenal's games are high-scoring. That's hardly surprising.

In van Persie they have one of the most in-form strikers in Europe and the team continues to adopt an attack-minded philosophy. At the other end, they remain suspect. The goal they conceded away at Norwich was defending the likes of which I last saw in a school playground. I don't expect the floodgates to open because there's so much at stake in this match but 'overs' is a confident selection and 2-1 would be my idea of the most likely scoreline.

To Score

I'm not going to come up with any new and original ways of explaining why backing Robin van Persie to score is a good bet, other than to say: look at his scoring record in 2011 and his record in his last seven matches- ten goals no less. Back him again.

Theo Walcott was lively on Saturday and is due a goal, having created plenty of chances in recent weeks for others to score. He's available at [3.3] and looks a solid bet.

2 pts Back Arsenal to win @ [2.16]
1 pt Back Draw/Arsenal @ [6.0]
2 pts Back Arsenal to win 2-1 @ [10.0]
2 pts Back Over 2.5 Goals @ [1.96]
Back Robin van Persie to score at anytime @ 2.1
Back Theo Walcott to score at anytime @ [3.3]

Benfica are struggling for goals, so Tobias Gourlay thinks United's defence will hold firm even without Nemanja Vidic...

Napoli's fans always make it difficult for visitors to San Paolo and Tobias Gourlay believes the team can match their mega-rich visitors...

Over the course of his incredible 25 years at Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson has competed in the champions-only version of the Champions League and the modern variation, but which does he prefer? We asked him......

Play Casino & Poker here

Bundesliga Betting: It's over but it's not over for Dortmund

German Football / Kevin Hatchard / 05 May 2011 / Leave a Comment

Golden boy. Mario Gotze has been one of Dortmund's shining lights this season

"I’m dumbfounded by the big price on offer for a BVB victory, so take advantage and back Dortmund to win at [3.75]."

Borussia Dortmund have already been crowned champions but with the attitude they've shown and the type of football they've been playing they're unlikely to stop winning anytime soon. Take advantage, says Kevin Hatchard.

Last weekend Borussia Dortmund sealed their first Bundesliga title since 2002, and their success is richly deserved. Charismatic coach Jurgen Klopp put together a youthful squad brimming with confidence and enthusiasm, and they have played with pace and panache. By Klopp's own admission his side were too wasteful in possession last season, unable to dominate games throughout. This time around BVB have played with much more control, and Nuri Sahin has blossomed into a playmaker who can run a game from start to finish.

While young attacking talents like Shinji Kagawa and Mario Gotze have emerged and been lavishly praised, Dortmund's success has been built on a rock-solid defence. Miserly BVB have conceded just 19 goals in 32 matches - the next-best defence (Mainz) has conceded 37. This is a remarkable achievement when you consider the ages of the regular back-four - left-back Marcel Schmelzer is 23, right-back Lukasz Piszczek is 25, while centre-backs Neven Subotic and Mats Hummels are both 22.

There's no doubt Dortmund wobbled after the winter break, and a serious injury to Kagawa dented their attack. However, with the pressure of the title race now released, BVB are dangerous opponents for anyone. They've picked up a league-high 11 away wins, and I fancy them to make it 12 at Werder Bremen.

While Dortmund have vastly exceeded expectations, 13th-placed Werder have underperformed feebly. They have defended badly all season (58 goals conceded), with Mikael Silvestre and Sebastian Prodl accidents waiting to happen. At the other end of the pitch the departure of star string-puller Mesut Ozil to Real Madrid has left a gaping void - Werder have scored just 43 goals, compared to last season's tally of 71.
Werder are still not safe from the drop, with just four points between them and the bottom three. This puts extra pressure on a side that's won just five out of 16 home games.

RECOMMENDED BET: I'm dumbfounded by the big price on offer for a BVB victory, so take advantage and back Dortmund to win at [3.75]

Eintracht Frankfurt [2.1] vs FC Cologne [3.9], the draw [3.6]

Last week's 3-0 defeat at Mainz saw Eintracht slip to third from bottom, so securing a victory against fellow strugglers Cologne is now of paramount importance. Eintracht are yet to win in five games under new coach Christoph Daum, but they have been desperately unlucky not to pick up more points. They led 1-0 in matches against Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich, but conceded late levellers on both occasions.

Eintracht have become embroiled in the relegation scrap because at some stage over Christmas they forgot how to score goals. Since the winter break they have scored just six goals in fifteen games. Bearing that in mind it's lucky that Cologne are coming to town, because they've conceded more goals away from home than anyone else in the Bundesliga.

As we saw in last week's win over Bayer Leverkusen, Cologne can b
eat anyone in front of their own fans. The story is somewhat different on the road - the Billy Goats have lost their last three away games 4-1, 5-1 and 6-2. Cologne have the worst away record in the league, with just one win and three draws from 16 games.
RECOMMENDED BETS: Eintracht have improved since Daum took charge, and Cologne are abysmal away from home. Back Eintracht to win at [2.1]. In-play bettors should note that Eintracht haven't scored before half-time in any of their last five games, so you could wait for that [2.1] to lengthen.

Stuttgart [2.16] vs Hannover [3.7], the draw [3.65]

Hannover's shock loss at home to Borussia Monchengladbach saw them drop behind Bayern in the race for Champions League qualification, and I suspect their morale has taken a huge dip. The last thing they need is a trip to in-form Stuttgart, who have surged clear of the relegation dogfight with three straight wins.

The Swabians have lost just one of their last nine games, and the timely resurgence of striker Cacau (three goals in two games) has given them a cutting edge.

RECOMMENDED BET: Hannover have surprised everyone, but the Champions League dream dies here. Back Stuttgart to win at [2.16]

It's been a pretty tough last six or seven years for Borussia Dortmund, who in different circumstances may have gone into adminstration rather than winning this year's Bundesliga. Richard Aikman explains how they did it....

Why Michael Ballack had to apologise, how Cologne are far better at home than their league position suggests and the best bets ahead of another weekend of Bundesliga action....

Kevin Hatchard looks at the comings and goings in the Bundesliga this week and, of course, the best bets from this weekend's matches...

Play Casino & Poker here

Bundesliga Betting: Can Dortmund overcome self-doubt?

German Football / Kevin Hatchard / 17 February 2011 / Leave a Comment

Jurgen Klopp must rally his team for the visit of St Pauli

"I fancy St Pauli to score, especially with Dortmund defender Neven Subotic suspended, so back both teams to score at [2.06]."

Jurgen Klopp is concerned that his side have look nervous in recent weeks but can they get their title campaign back on track this weekend? Kevin Hatchard selects the weekend's best Bundesliga bets.

Borussia Dortmund [1.32] v St Pauli [13], the draw [5.7]

Borussia Dortmund lead the Bundesliga by a healthy 10 points, but the creeping mistress that is doubt is starting to whisper seductively into the ears of his players. BVB have drawn their last two matches, and have dropped six points since the winter break. Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich are keeping the pressure on, and are beginning to scent blood.

BVB conceded a 90th-minute equaliser in last week's 1-1 draw at struggling Kaiserslautern, and missed a host of chances in their goalless stalemate with derby rivals Schalke the week before. The concern for coach Klopp will be that a side that usually expresses itself with verve and freedom is starting to look nervous, especially when protecting a narrow lead. Perhaps this is to be expected with a squad comprised of so many young and relatively inexperienced players.

The last thing Dortmund need is Saturday's visit of St Pauli, who are brimming with confidence. On Wednesday night they performed the quintessential smash-and-grab raid at local rivals Hamburg, winning 1-0 thanks to a goal from Gerald Asamoah. The Pirates were outplayed for large chunks of the match, but battened down the hatches to scrape a vital win. St Pauli have won their last three matches, and are unbeaten since Christmas.

Holger Stanislawski's battlers are now five points above the dropzone, and their improvement can largely be attributed to a sudden goalscoring explosion. St Pauli went into the mid-season breather with one of the league's most ineffective forward lines, having scored just 16 goals in 17 games. Since then they've suddenly found their shooting boots, racking up 11 goals in just five games. Midweek match-winner Asamoah has scored in four of those matches.

Recommended bet: I fancy St Pauli to score in this one, especially with Dortmund defender Neven Subotic suspended, so back both teams to score at [2.06]. Given the recent form of both sides, I think [1.32] is too short for a home win, so lay Dortmund at [1.33]

Borussia Monchengladbach [3.7] v Schalke [2.16], the draw [3.6]

Rock-bottom Monchengladbach finally lost patience with coach Michael Frontzeck, and sacked him just over half a season into a two-year contract. The former Manchester City defender left Borussia Park with the Foals propping up the table and a daunting seven points adrift of safety. Frontzeck had already seen Aachen and Bielefeld relegated on his watch, and Borussia weren't about to let him complete an unwanted hat-trick.

The new man in charge is Lucien Favre, who's been itching (not literally) to get back into management since his departure from Hertha Berlin last season. Favre is a former coach of the year but takes over a side who haven't won a home game this season.

Schalke are in town on Sunday, and will be buoyant after a creditable 1-1 Champions League draw at Valencia in midweek. Since losing 5-0 at Kaiserslautern in November, Schalke have improved on the road, winning 1-0 at Mainz and Hannover (both top-four sides at the time) and drawing 0-0 at leaders Dortmund.

Recommended bet: Favre or no Favre, Borussia are still dreadful, and Schalke have toughened up. Back Schalke to win at [2.16]

Hannover [2.18] v Kaiserslautern [3.85], the draw [3.5]

The Champions League qualification dream is still alive for fourth-placed Hannover, who are just a point outside the top three. Mirko Slomka's side has been inconsistent since the winter break, beating Frankfurt and Wolfsburg but losing to Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke. Hannover's home form remains a cause for comfort, with seven wins from 11 matches.

Kaiserslautern have slipped into the bottom three thanks to a rapid post-Christmas decline. Last season's Bundesliga Zwei champions have collected just two points from their last five games, although they did hold leaders Borussia Dortmund to a 1-1 draw last week. Coach Marco Kurz must find a way to pick up points away from home - his side have lost eight of 11 road games.

Recommended bet: Hannover are hot at home, Kaiserslautern are cold away. Back Hannover to win at [2.18]. In-Play bettors should note Hannover have opened the scoring in eight of 11 home games, and are unbeaten in all eight games.

Jurgen Klopp is concerned that his side have look nervous in recent weeks but can they get their title campaign back on track this weekend? Kevin Hatchard selects the weekend's best Bundesliga bets....

Steve McClaren left Wolsburg this week amid talk of mutiny in the camp, not to mention poor results. The Wolves have a tricky match against Hamburg first up whereas elsewhere Cologne should grab another three points....

Kevin Hatchard is on some run of form with 11 winning bets from his last 19 recommendations showing a 31 point profit (before commission). He may be a good guy to carry on following this week......

Play Casino & Poker here