WORLD football fanatic James O'Rourke (@JamesOR1) looks to continue his fabulous form with a selection of hand-picked best bets from across the planet on Saturday.
Sion v Basel | Saturday 15th December 2018, 18:00
Basel might sit second in the Swiss Super League standings but in truth it has been a poor campaign. Quite incredibly, whilst they are second to runaway leaders Young Boys, they’re still 19 points behind. That means they are closer to bottom of the table Xamax, who are only a further 14 points away.
This has been a one-team league this season, but one thing we can generally guarantee in Basel games are goals.
Sion themselves are sitting seventh in this 10-team division, but the reality is that they are only six points away from Basel. They head into this weekend’s clash unbeaten in four, three of which have ended in victory. They’ve secured back-to-back home victories, including over third in the table Thun. With Basel not being the dominant force in this league anymore, most opponents now fancy their chances against them.
Having said that, if there is one phrase anyone with a Sion persuasion would use to describe Basel that would be ‘bogey team’. Sion did secure an away win in Basel in a Swiss Cup tie back in 2015, but the last time they defeated them in league action was all the way back in May 2011. It could be argued that they are due another win, but Basel just quite simply seem to have the upper hand in this battle.
If you’re looking at Both Teams To Score statistics for this season, you’ll find Basel appearing quite regularly near the top. In fact, they sit exactly at the top – 16/17 of their Swiss Super League encounters this season has witnessed each side netting. Whilst they are second in the standings, they have a zero goal difference, whilst reflects the main issue they have.
71% of Sion’s matches have seen each side score too. That is a big amount, but it only appears quite low in comparison to a side like Basel, who regularly participate in open matches. Sion are normally good for goals, only failing to score in 18% of their league encounters in the current campaign. Basel have scored in every single match, and that is a record we at least expect to continue this weekend.
Basel have just the one solitary clean sheet in the league, which ironically came last time out when beating rivals Zurich 2-0 at home. It would be sods law to a degree for them to not keep a clean sheet all season and then earn two in the space of a few weeks, but away from home they are certainly leaky.
Only Xamax and Sion have conceded more on the road than Basel. Only league leaders Young Boys have netted more than Basel away however.
With Basel being good for goals but a little leaky at the back, plus with them ultimately having a fairly firm stranglehold in the head-to-head history, there is only one selection we can put forward. Basel to win and Both Teams To Score pays a handsome 12/5 (Bet365).
Best Bets
Sion v Basel – Basel to win and Both Teams To Score (12/5 Bet365)
