WORLD football fanatic James O'Rourke (@JamesOR1) continues his quest for global value with a selection of hand-picked best bets from across the planet on Sunday.
Perth Glory v Central Coast | Sunday 3rd November 2019, 07:00 | BT Sport
Note the early kick-off here as the Australian A-League continues on matchday four as Perth Glory entertain Central Coast Mariners looking to maintain their unbeaten start to the campaign. One win and two draws keeps the Glory ticking along nicely, whereas the Mariners remain one of four winless teams, although they’ve played a game less than most of the division.
Perth made it all the way to the Grand Final last season, but would eventually succumb to Sydney FC on penalties. They now look to go one better, but matching their first-place finish in the regular season is likely to be a tall order for Tony Popovic’s side. They will however be in the mix, but many rival clubs have strengthened, making this a very competitive league.
Central Coast have finished bottom of the table for two seasons running, and the 2013 Grand Final victors are looking to rediscover those glory years once again. That is unlikely to happen considering their struggles for a few seasons now, but they are one of those sides who can make life awkward for opponents if something close to their best.
Focusing on this weekend, we’re still early into the season and there’s no doubt in my mind that if this game was a few months down the line they’d Perth Glory would be the obvious play here. They’re normally so tough to defeat at home and losing only one league home fixture in 2019 proves that. However, they’re still not quite at it yet, and this is the Mariners’ best chance to cause a shock.
The Mariners however haven’t won away in Perth since 2013, whilst they’ve been dreadful away from home for some time. Both Teams To Score will be our play on the basis of every game for these two this season seeing each side net. With odds of 4/5 (Black Type) on offer I do think it is worthy of a wager. Four of the last five head-to-head encounters also saw this selection pay out.
Krasnodar v Rostov | Sunday 3rd November 2019, 13:30
The Russian Premier League looks as competitive as ever this season as the top-five clubs are separated by only six-points going into the weekend, and this after 14 games. In this league within a league are Krasnodar and Rostov, who harbour ambitions of challenging Zenit for the end of season gong.
Zenit face CSKA Moscow on Saturday, and with this game on the Sunday it is a good time for Russia to advertise what they’ve got from a footballing perspective. I suspect this is a game which won’t disappoint if both teams were to uphold their respective form and performance levels from across the season so far.
Krasnodar remain unbeaten at home this season, with only Rostov holding a stronger record on home soil. Rostov have been a little inconsistent on the road, as a record of 3-1-3 suggests, but they have been to CSKA and Lokomotiv Moscow, another side within the top-five, and won. They’re anything but a soft touch, and whilst they have the best home record in the league, that doesn’t mean they’re slouches on the road.
I’ll cut to the chase with this one and again Both Teams To Score will be our play. I am most surprised to see odds of 4/5 (Sportingbet) available considering the likelihood of this contest being an entertaining spectacle.
Bear in mind this is a match between two of the best attacking teams in the league, with only top of the table Zenit managing more goals as things stand. Surprisingly, Rostov have the joint-second worst defensive record in the division, which is probably all you need to know regards to how they play.
This offensively style from Rostov however seems to serve them well against the bigger teams more often than not, that is forgetting the 6-1 loss at Zenit a few weeks ago! That can happen playing that style, but then wins at CSKA and Lokomotiv are when they can get it right. Chances of them gaining a positive result are lifted knowing that Krasnodar have conceded in eight of their 10 home matches this season.
71% of Rostov’s league games, and 86% away, has also seen BTTS pay out, and we can say the same of 64% of Krasnodar’s league fixtures. Maybe the odds on offer will drift nearer to matchday but I’m happy to put this selection up at the advertised price. Also, four of the last five head-to-head meetings saw BTTS come through, too.
Best Bets
Perth Glory v Central Coast – Both Teams To Score (4/5 Black Type)
Krasnodar v Rostov – Both Teams To Score (4/5 Sportingbet)
