Make the right choices in your TAB soccer bets this weekend and you may have money than you know what to do with come Christmas. It’s a weekend loaded with chances to win mega bucks like the Joburg TAB customer, who was one of the two winners of last Sunday’s Soccer 13 and collected nearly R3 million!
There are two bonanza Soccer 13 pools this weekend with Saturday’s bet offering a guaranteed R25-million jackpot for all-13-correct entries followed by a guaranteed R9-million jackpot for outright winners on Sunday. Plus there are cash-added Soccer 6 and 10 pools tonight and tomorrow and most bets contain a challenging and exciting mix of matches from the world’s top leagues.
Tonight’s big Soccer 10 is loaded with competitive games and the best bankers look to be an away win for Leipzig in the German Bundesliga and a home victory for Real Sociedad in a LaLiga clash against Girona. Leipzig are on a good run that has driven them into second place on the log and should have too many guns for Union Berlin, who are toiling in 12th place and have lost their last two.
The most entertaining game should be the English Championship clash between West Brom and Sheffield United at 22:00. West Brom have lost three of their last five, but one of those defeats was to log-leaders Coventry and they played well enough midweek when edged out by Southampton in a five-goal thriller.
They can expect a tough match from Sheffield though. Sheffield replaced manager Alan Wilder with Ruben Selles after they lost to Sunderland in last season’s playoff final, but that move proved as intelligent as replacing Nuno with Ange Postecoglou at Nottingham Forest.
The Blades promptly lost their first five games of the new season and back came Wilder, who now has the ship on course again with Sheffield reeling off four consecutive wins and then a midweek draw in their last five.
Saturday’s huge Soccer 13 comprises four English Premier League (EPL) games and two matches from League One with Championship clashes making up the balance of the pool.
First up is Arsenal against Wolves at the Emirates and the betting says it all in this first-versus-last encounter. EPL log-leaders Arsenal are 1.13-1 favourites to win with Wolves at 21-1 with just two draws and two points from their first 15 league games this season. Arsenal are an obvious banker to win, but the other three EPL matches are much tougher to call.
Fulham are good enough to win away at Burnley, but they have looked a trifle unlucky several times this season and things could easily go awry for them here. Reigning champs Liverpool did look better in beating Inter Milan 1-0 in a Champions League game midweek, but a storm is brewing around Anfield after Mo Salah’s thrown-under-the-buss comments about coach Arne Slot, who dropped the Egyptian for three games running.
That relationship is probably irreparable barring an apology from Salah and there’s obviously a degree of unhappiness in the dressing room, so it will be no surprise to see The Reds under pressure against visitors Brighton.
The outcome of the Chelsea-Everton clash is also murky. It’s a contest Chelsea should win seven times out 10 as reflected by their odds of 1.66-1 to win, but they have blown hot and could this season and you can’t be sure which Chelsea will turn up tomorrow afternoon. Everton, on the other hand, have registered two solid wins in the wake of a woeful performance against Newcastle.
Best to look for other bankers among the Championship and League matches with all of Birmingham, Coventry, Middlesbrough, Millwall and Stockport looking capable of registering home wins.
Sunday’s action is headlined by a game at Selhurst Park in London with Manchester City travelling south to take on Crystal Palace. It’s M2 in the guaranteed R9-million Soccer 13.
City have been a long way from perfect this season, losing four EPL games with their defence a shambles at times. But they still have destructive powers like no other, spearheaded by goal machine Erling Haaland.
City have bounced back impressively from consecutive defeats to Newcastle in the league and Bayer Leverkusen in Champions League, winning their last four matches including a 2-1 win victory away to Real Madrid on Wednesday.
Palace are in good form of late, winning four and losing just one of their last six league matches. They are fourth in the table and have conceded only 12 goals in 15 league matches.
Only Arsenal have a better defensive record in the league, but City have the best attacking record with 35 goals in 15 matches and Palace should battle to keep them at bay.
| M1 | FC Annecy vs Le Mans | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| This pool gets a R200,000 cash injection from TAB and could pay big. Annecy have won five of their last nine games, while Le Mans are unbeaten in their last 10. Le Mans are fourth in France’s Ligue 2 with 27 points, five ahead of 10th-placed Annecy after 16 games. | |||
| M2 | Nancy vs Clermont Foot | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Nancy have lost six of their last nine Ligue two games, while Clermont are unbeaten in their last four matches across all competitions. Clermont are 12th in the table, four points above 17th-placed Nancy. | |||
| M3 | Rodez AF vs Guingamp | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Rodez are winless in their last four games, while Guingamp have avoided defeat in eight of their last 10. Guingamp won the last meeting 3-0 in January and are ninth on the Ligue 2 log, five points ahead of 13th-placed Rodez after 16 games. | |||
| M4 | Union Berlin vs RB Leipzig | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Berlin are on a three-game losing streak, while Leipzig are unbeaten in their last four matches. The last meeting between them ended 0-0. Leipzig are second in the German Bundesliga with 29 points, 14 ahead of 12th-placed Union Berlin. | |||
| M5 | Angers SCO vs Nantes | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Angers have won three of their last four Ligue 1 games, while Nantes are winless in their last six. Angers are 11th with 19 points, eight ahead of 17th-placed Nantes after 15 games. | |||
| M6 | Larne vs Glentoran FC | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Northern Ireland Premiership. Larne have won four of their last six games, while Glentoran are unbeaten in their last five. Larne have won 10 of the last 15 meetings with the most recent clash ending 0-0 and are second with 39 points, eight ahead of 4th-placed Glentoran. | |||
| M7 | Lecce vs Pisa | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Lecce have lost four of their last seven Serie A games, while Pisa have been unable to win in nine of their last 10 across all competitions. Both are battling with Lecce 17th in the table with 13 points, three more than 18th-placed Pisa. | |||
| M8 | Ayr United vs St Johnstone | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Ayr are unbeaten in their last five games, while St. Johnstone are winless in their last three. The teams last drew 0-0 in October, but St. Johnstone lead the Scottish second division table and are 11 points ahead of fourth-placed Ayr United after 17 games. | |||
| M9 | Real Sociedad vs Girona | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Sociedad have won six of their last 10 games in all competitions, while Girona are winless in their last four. Sociedad won the last meeting between the teams 3-2 in May and are 14th in LaLiga with 16 points, four ahead of 18th-placed Girona. | |||
| M10 | West Brom vs Sheffield United | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| West Brom suffered their third defeat in their last five games midweek, while United drew with Norwich after winning four in a row. West Brom are 16th in the Championship with 25 points, two ahead of 17th-placed United. | |||
Suggested R48 perm: 1,2,3 x 2,3 x 1,2 x 3 x 1 x 1 x 1 x 1,2 x 1 x 1
| M1 | Norwich City vs Southampton | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Norwich have lost six of their last 10 games, while Southampton have won six of their last six. Southampton won the last meeting between them and are ninth in the Championship, 16 points above second-last Norwich. | |||
| M2 | Oxford United vs Preston North End | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Oxford have been unable to win in eight of their last 10 Championship games, while Preston are unbeaten in their last four. The teams drew 1-1 earlier this year. Preston are fifth in the table on 32 points, 13 more than 21st-placed Oxford. | |||
| M3 | Stoke City vs Swansea City | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Stoke have lost four of their last five games, while Swansea have got back on the inning path with two successive wins. Stoke won the last meeting 3-1 in February and are eighth with 30 points, seven more than 18th-placed Swansea after 20 games. | |||
| M4 | Birmingham City vs Charlton Athletic | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Birmingham have won five of their last 10 Championship games, while Charlton are on a five-game losing streak. Birmingham are 11th with 28 points, five ahead of 18th-placed Charlton. | |||
| M5 | Coventry City vs Bristol City | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Log-leaders Coventry have won eight of their last 11 Championship matches but were trounced by Ipswich last weekend before drawing midweek. Bristol have won four of their last 10, drawing four others. Coventry won the last clash with Bristol 1-0 in January and are 14 points ahead of them. | |||
| M6 | Leicester City vs Ipswich Town | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Leicester have lost five of their last 10 games, while Ipswich have lost only one of their last 10, winning six. They beat top-of-table Coventry 3-0 last weekend and are fourth in the Championship, six points ahead of 13th-placed Leicester. | |||
| M7 | Middlesbrough vs Queens Park Rangers | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Middlesbrough are on a two-game winning streak in the Championship, while QPR have won three of their last four. Middlesbrough won the last meeting between them 2-1 in March and are second in the table with 36 points, eight more than 10th-placed QPR. | |||
| M8 | Millwall vs Hull City | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Millwall are flying high and have won their last three, whereas Hull have lost four of their last six. Hull won the last meeting between them 1-0 in January, but are six points behind third-placed Millwall on the log. | |||
| M9 | Portsmouth vs Blackburn Rovers | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Blackburn have drawn three games running, while Portsmouth have lost seven of their last nine. Portsmouth beat Blackburn 1-0 in March in their last clash. Blackburn are 20th with 22 points, five ahead of 22nd-placed Portsmouth. | |||
| M10 | Wrexham vs Watford | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Wrexham suffered their first defeat in ages midweek, are unbeaten in their last eight Championship games, while Watford have avoided defeat in eight of their last 10. Watford are 12th and Wrexham 14th in the table. | |||
Suggested R48 perm: 3 x 2,3 x 1,2,3 x 1 x 2,3 x 1 x 1 x 1,2 x 1 x 2