Weekend Soccer Bonanza *These tips will not count to my stats here in this thread.RUSSIAN PREMIER LEAGUELOST - Take
Zenit St. Petersburg -1.5 goals over Kryla Sovetov (1:30 p.m., Friday, June 26th)
PUSH - Take
UNDER 3.0 GOALS between Zenit St. Petersburg and Kryla Sovetov (1:30 p.m., Friday, June 26th)
We need to win by two or more goals.
Zenit has a +38 goal differential. They have outscored their opponents by a 5-to-1 margin on the season and they had averaged over two goals per game while running roughshod through the Russian Premier League. So yeah, I expect them to bury the last-place team here. This is Zenit's first home game since the hiatus. Their last home game was a 7-1 win. It won't be that ugly, for sure. But this is not a team that takes it easy against overmatched opponents. In league play sthis yar thye have wins by 5-0, 6-1, 4-0, 7-1 and 4-0 (their last time out). They won't be looking ahead; not in their first match back. FK Krylya is way out of its depth. They were in the second division two years ago. Last season they finished in the relegation playoffs. The last time they were in the Premier before that (2016-17) they finished an embarrassing 15th. They lost 4-2 in their first match back to a Grozny team that is in 14th place and is awful. There's just now way around it; these guys are trash. And I think Zenit will put them in their place.
POSTPONED -Take
Krasnodar over Orenburg (7:00 a.m., Saturday, June 27th)
POSTPONED -Take
UNDER 2.5 GOALS between Krasnodar and Orenburg (1:30 p.m., Friday, June 26th)
This is three-way betting. A draw is a loss.
Last year Krasnodar finished No. 1 in the Russian Premier League with a +32 goal differential. That was better than Zenit and better than Lokomotiv. But they finished in third place. This year they are +14, a long way away from Zenit's +38 differential. But they are again in third place. The bottom line is that these guys are better than their win-loss shows. They have 8 draws in 22 matches this year. But when they beat people they are capable of turning out their lights. This is their first match back, so they should have some rust. But they are facing an Orenburg team that has been a mess. By some Act of God they only lost 1-0 to Lokomotiv in their first match back. But they didn't play well at all, blowing an 11 v. 10 opportunity by taking two red cards in the second half. (Lokomotiv also missed a penalty kick.) Orenburg is a mess. They are -11 on the season and are No. 15 in the 16-team league. Last year they played way, way over their heads after promotion from the second division. But they are coming back to earth this year and this should be another L for them today.
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUELOST - Take
OVER 2.5 GOALS between Wolverhampton and Aston Villa (7:30 a.m., Saturday, June 27th)
Aston Villa has been the worst defense in the Premier League, allowing 59 goals on the season. They've actually been OK since the restart, conceding just three goals in three matches. But I think the dam is going to break here. Wolverhampton is just itching for a breakout. Adama Traora has been masterful the last two matches, setting up three goals. I think he'll get one of his own here and I can see both sides punching in multiple opportunities. Aston Villa has been sneaky-productive, scoring in 8 of 11 matches. I think they can find one and Wolverhampton can find the net twice to push this one 'over'.
GERMAN BUNDESLIGALOST - Take
Eintracht Frankfurt -1.5 GOALS over Paderborn (9:30 a.m., Saturday, June 27th)
Paderborn has embraced the horror. They are being relegated and are by far the worst team in this league. Eintracht is not. They are a decent squad that's played well over the last few weeks. They have won two of three (taking a draw in that third match) after a tight 2-1 loss to Bayern Munich. Frankfurt is 4-2-1 in their last seven matches and clearly the better side. Paderborn has nothing to play for so I won't be surprised if they are a no show.
SPAIN LA LIGAWIN - Take
Athletic Bilbao -1.5 GOALS over Mallorca (8:00 a.m., Saturday, June 27th)
WIN - Take
Athletic Bilbao ML over Mallorca (8:00 a.m., Saturday, June 27th)
This Bilbao squad is not bad. They put up a healthy fight against Barcelona earlier this week, losing 1-0. Prior to that they had been playing well since the restart, pulling five points in three matches. They are in 10th place, but are just six points off the No. 6 spot and a slot in Europa. Picking up three points here against a trash Mallorca side is not at all out of the question and should be expected. Mallorca is in a letdown spot after going toe-to-toe with Real Madrid. They should've lost that match about 4-1 but instead covered the number (+2.5) in a 2-0 loss. I don't think they will be as sharp against a lower team here. But Bilbao is better than their position in the table suggests and they should get this one in convincing fashion.