Hands up who would like to be Rayo Vallecano tonight? And yet Barca’s Primera Liga opponents have had a good record against them, losing only two of the last eight meetings, though the last game was back in 2003.

Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola will be delighted to have an immediate chance to put right the loss against Getafe with this league match. However, Vallecano will be no pushovers. They are mid-table having been promoted last season and have had some decent results to date.

They will keep Barca honest but the class should tell and I can see home wins of either 3-0 at around 5/1, or 4-0, which is a 13/2 shot with Unibet.

This game is being played early with Barca set to play in the upcoming Club World Championship and a win would cut the gap to Real to three points.

There is an equally important game being played in Serie A with leaders Juventus going to a Napoli side that is just slipping back from the leading pack.

Juventus have won their last four games and are really benefitting from hacing no European distractions. The opposite can be said of Napoli, who are going well in Europe but stuttering domestically. I can see them raising their game here and so a draw at 11/5 with bet365 looks a good bet.

England’s Tuesday night fare is split between three Carling Cup quarter-finals and nine matches in the Championship.

The top two are in action in the Championship as Southampton host Hull and West Ham visit Middlesbrough.

I can see the Saints slipping up against Hull, a similarly attacking team that is being inspired by young Irishman Robbie Brady. The Tigers are a mighty 5/1 to win with SportingBet and I see that as good odds.

West Ham are also to be backed at a Middlesbrough side that just can’t get flowing at home. The Hammers have no such problems on the road and 9/5 with bet365 are to be backed.

Two other away sides catch my eye in that league, Peterborough (18/5, SportingBet) and Leeds (11/5, bet365).

That just leaves the three Carling Cup ties and of course full judgment should be reserved until the teams are announced, but I would side with Blackburn (2/1, bet365, Unibet) to win at Cardiff, I’ll go with a 90-minute draw between Chelsea and Liverpool at a general 12/5, while I think Manchester City will beat Arsenal at a widely available 13/10.

A preview of all the action from around the major leagues in Europe this weekend and a selection of weekend accumulators.

SPAIN

Levante finally saw their unbeaten La Liga run end last week, but we will give them one more chance and they are 11/5 with bet365 to win at home to Valencia on Saturday evening. Real Madrid face a Sunday morning game at home to Osasuna and it will be interesting if that early start changes their usual dominance. I’ll stick with Gonzalo Higuain as first scorer at 11/4 with SportingBet. Barcelona face no easy task at Athletic Bilbao and I’ll go with Barca wins of 2-0 at 13/2 with Unibet and 3-0 which is 7/1 with bet365.

ITALY

The enigmatic Palermo – so good at home, poor away – are on their own ground on Saturday and should be backed at around 4/6. In the early Sunday game Genoa are taken to win at home to Inter Milan at 17/10 with Unibet. Bet365′s 8/5 about Udinese winning at home to Siena at -1 on the handicap is a bet that should be taken. The big game on Sunday evening sees fifth-placed Napoli host Juventus and the Old Lady get my vote here at 24/13 with Unibet.

FRANCE

Lille at 4/11 with bet365 are one for the accas as they host Evian in the only Saturday game in Ligue 1. On Sunday it is worth opposing leaders PSG with Bordeaux, even though the hosts have yet to win at home. That just makes them excellent value at 12/5 with bet365. Rennes should be too strong for Valenciennes at 8/11 with bet365, while St Etienne and Montpellier looks a draw at a widely available 21/10.

GERMANY

Dortmund are worth a go at -2 on the handicap at home to lowly Wolfsburg and they are 12/5 with Unibet to do it. Bayer Leverkusen are another short-priced home side that should win, they are 4/6 with SportingBet to beat Hamburg. Bayern Munich are at struggling Augsburg on Sunday and at 2/9 are not too short for accumulators. A handicap draw with Augsburg getting a two-goal start is worth a crack at 3/1 with Unibet.

SCOTLAND

Provided they win at home to Dundee United on Saturday then Rangers can sit back on Sunday with a 12-point lead and watch their nearest two rivals, Motherwell and Celtic, battle it out. The Gers have suffered a huge blow with the loss of Steven Naismith for the season, but at 2/7 with SportingBet they should have plenty in the tank. I will go with correct scores of 3-0 to Ally McCoist’s team at 7/1 with Sportingbet and 3-1, a 21/2 shot with Unibet. Nikica Jelavic, as so often, should be backed to score first at 3/1 with bet365. As for Motherwell-Celtic, I’m not sure who will come out on top. Celtic have been woeful lately, but can pull goals out of the hat from nowhere. Over 3.5 goals looks as safe a bet as any and is 31/20 with SportingBet.

ENGLAND – FOOTBALL LEAGUE

In the Championship it is yet another tough week to pick any winners, but Southampton, even at 4/5 on the road, look a class above Coventry, while title rivals West Ham can win at a juicy 6/4 at Hull. In a Sunday game Brighton are worth backing at 4/5 to win at home to Barnsley. League One sides that catch my eye are at shorter odds MK Dons (8/13, general), Sheffield Wednesday (11/13, Unibet) and Huddersfield (4/9, general) while at odds against Chesterfield (5/4, bet365), Exeter (13/8, SportingBet, bet365) and Preston (9/2, bet365) are worthy of support. Finally in League Two Burton (19/20, SprtingBet), Plymouth (7/2, Bet365), Swindon (17/10, bet365) and Rotherham (13/10, SportingBet).

---

WEEKEND ACCUMULATORS

FIVEFOLD – Huddersfield, Lille, Palermo, Rangers, Rennes – €10 stake returns €78

OVER 3.5 GOALS TREBLE – Bristol City v Burnley, Leyton Orient v Hartlepool, Bournemouth v Scunthorpe – €10 stake returns €253

OVER 2.5 GOALS FIVEFOLD – St Mirren v Hearts, Novara v Roma, Motherwell v Celtic, Brighton v Barnsley, Hannover v Schalke – €10 stake returns €303

After a fantastic weekend that saw winning tips at 24/1, 23/2, 10/1 and 9/1 among many others, let’s see if that good form holds up for the latest round of Champions League games.

Arsenal and Chelsea are both in action on Tuesday night, fresh from their eight-goal thriller. The Gunners came away with plenty of plaudits, despite shipping three more goals and their defence still looks flimsy.

Marseille are in solid form and I am not expecting an easy ride for Arsene Wenger’s men. I think they will win but 4/6 is a little skinny for me. I’ll go with scores of 2-1 to Arsenal at 7/1 generally and 3-1, which is 14/1 with Unibet.

Chelsea and Andre Villas-Boas are getting what I think is unfair stick at the moment. They should see off Genk which will all-but seal their passage through.

Genk notched five at the weekend, though they conceded four while they were at it and are just a notch below this level of football. If the Blues do a professional job they should win, though again the match odds of 1/4 are too short.
Draw-Chelsea in the Double Result is 3/1 with SportingBet and that is worth a go.

In Arsenal’s group I expect Borussia Dortmund to see off Olympiakos at a general 4/9, while Bayer Leverkusen are worth a go at 5/1 with bet365 to win at Valencia.

Finally in the Champions League, Plzen are 28/1 to beat Barcelona AT HOME! Still it’s highly unlikely to happen but they are essentially 7/4 to score a goal with bet365 as that is what it is for both teams to score and I like those odds.

In England there are nine Championship games to be played and Portsmouth look a good bet at 5/2 with bet365 and SportingBet to win at Crystal Palace.

Middlesbrough can also do the business when they make the short trip to Doncaster and they are 6/5 with SportingBet. I think backing the draw can pay off at 12/5 with bet365 as Nottingham Forest host Reading and for Southampton’s home game with Peterborough and that is a 37/13 shot with Unibet.

---

Betting Tips

Arsenal v Marseille

Arsenal to win 2-1 @ 7/1 (General)

Genk v Chelsea

Draw-Chelsea @ 3/1 (SportingBet)

Borussia Dormtund v Olympiakos

Borussia Dortmund @ 4/9 (General)

Valencia v Beyer Leverkusen

Beyer Leverkusen @ 5/1 (bet365)

Crystal Palace v Portsmouth

Portsmouth @ 5/2 (bet365)

Doncaster v Middlesborough

Middlesborough @ 6/5 (SportingBet)

Nottingham Forest v Reading

Draw @ 5/2 (General)

Southampton v Peterborough

Draw @ 37/13 (Unibet)

Here is a look at the action happening outside the top-flight in England, and some weekend accumalators that hopefully will prove profitable over the coming days.

In the Championship, Derby fielded a 15-year-old last week, but far from being a desperate idea, it shows that the Rams are serious about developing their own talent, rather than pay inflated wages to Premier League rejects. The Rams currently sit in the play-off spots, with well over a quarter of the league already gone and I am giving them the vote to win at home to Portsmouth tomorrow.

Pompey have had a bit of a revival since Steve Cotterill left to join Nottingham Forest, while Derby have not won in five, but Nigel Clough’s team are on a general upward curve. They are rated at 6/5 with bet365 and they get our seal of approval.

Elsewhere in the Championship on Saturday Watford get the vote to beat Darren Ferguson’s Peterborough United at 13/8 with bet365. Sean Dyche’s men are struggling this season, but the signing of Craig Beattie can give them an edge.

In League One Brentford (10/11, bet365, Unibet) can see off Chesterfield at Griffin Park, while Huddersfield are worth a little pop at 5/1 to win at bottom side Yeovil at -2 on the handicaps.

Down in League Two, Plymouth are worth a go at 5/1 to win at Cheltenham, while a more secure proposition can be found with Torquay, who are 5/6 (bet365, SportingBet) to beat Hereford.

There is a full Saturday programme in the SPL and the early game sees Aberdeen host Rangers in what is one of Britian’s bitterest rivalries. The Dons are doing a lot better in recent weeks and I can see them giving Rangers a real test in this one, though the 1/2 Gers should still come out on top.

I’ll go with scores of 2-1 to Rangers, a 29-4 with Unibet, or 3-2 which is a 28-1 shot with SportingBet.

Celtic face Hibernian for the second time in four days, having beaten the Hibees 4-1 in the Scottish League Cup. That was at Easter Road and you can’t see a much happier time in store for Hibs in this one. I will go for a handicap draw – with Hibs getting a two-goal start – which is a 3/1 shot with bet365 and SportingBet.

It is also worth backing Motherwell to continue their fine start to the season with a win at Inverness at 7/5 with SportingBet and Unibet.

Levante have had a brilliant season, but the fixture list is putting pressure on them this weekend as both Barcelona and Real Madrid play on Saturday and the leaders are not in action till Sunday. And very few people would bet against either Barcelona or Real Madrid winning their games.

Barcelona have been doing the necessary and no more but they should have no trouble in despatching Mallorca. I think they can break the recent shackles that have seen them score just seven goals in their last five games. A 5-0 win for Pep Guardiola’s men is 10/1 with SportingBet while a 6-0 victory is 18/1 with the same firm.

Real face a trip to Real Sociedad and should come away with the win and Gonzalo Higuain should be taken to score first at 3/1 with Bet365.

Levante make the trip to an Osasuna side that is becoming the league’s draw specialists and I can see the visitors’ luck running out here. Another draw is 23/10 with Unibet.

In Italy Catania pulled back to draw at Lazio on Wednesday and they can go one better by beating Napoli at home on Saturday and they are a healthy 2/1 with SportingBet and Unibet to do it.

Other homes sides in Serie A fancied to win are, on Saturday, Roma (7/4, bet365, Unibet) who play AC Milan and on Sunday Udinese (4/6, bet365) who should beat Palermo.

There are a number of short-priced home sides in France this weekend, but two who can win at bigger odds on their own patch are Ajaccio (13/5, bet365) and Valenciennes (1/-5, bet365) who can see off Joe Cole’s Lille.

Finally in Germany Bayern Munich are a must bet at 13/10 with bet365 to win at -2 against Nurnberg at home.

The evens on offer with Unibet for Schalke to beat Hoffenheim also looks too good to pass up.

---

Weekend Accumulators

I have three weekend accumulators for you, one on straight match bets, one of Over 2.5 goals and one of Over 3.5 goals.

My fivefold is Manchester United, Huddersfield, PSG, Lyon and Udinese, which amounts to around 9/1 with SportingBet.

A fourfold of games to produce Over 2.5 goals contains West Brom-Liverpool, Crystal Palace-Reading, Aldershot-Crewe and Inverness-Motherwell and is around 15/1 with bet365.

Finally a treble of games backed to provide Over 3.5 goals is Dunfermline-Dundee United, Tottenham-QPR and Barnet-Burton which comes to around 24/1 with SportingBet.

---

Betting Tips

Derby v Portsmouth

Derby @ 6/5 (bet365)

Watford v Peterborough Utd

Watford @ 13/8 (bet365)

Brentford v Chesterfield

Brentford @ 10/11 (Unibet)

Huddersfield v Yeovil

Huddersfield (-2) @ 5/1 (bet365)

Torquay v Hereford

Torquay @ 5/6 (bet365)

Cheltenham v Plymouth

Plymouth @ 5/1 (General)

Aberdeen v Rangers

Rangers @ 1/2 (General)

Inverness v Motherwell

Motherwell @ 7/5 (SportingBet)

Osasuna v Levante

Draw @ 23/10 (Unibet)

Catania v Napoli

Catania @ 2/1 (SportingBet)

Roma v AC Milan

Roma @ 7/4 (SportingBet)

Udinese v Palermo

Udinese @ 4/6 (bet365)

Bayern Munich v Nuremburg

Bayern Munich (-2) @ 13/10 (bet365)

---

Chris Hughton is doing an absolutely fabulous job at Birmingham – soon he will be way too big to even consider being the next Ireland manager.

Birmingham were a club in turmoil even before Alex McLeish left to take over (after a very short hiatus) at their rivals Aston Villa. After relegation from the Premier League a host of names left the club and Hughton may have wondered what he had taken on. Birmingham fans should not have worried. They may not be flying high in the Championship but they have played three games less than almost all the other teams.

They’re behind because of their impressive Europa League exploits, which this evening take them to Belgium to face Club Brugge. The Belgian side had a fine win at Braga in the last round of matches, but the Belgian league and the Championship are not too far apart in terms of quality and a little bet on Birmingham at 15/4 with Unibet could pay a nice dividend.

That is one of the 6pm matches, with Celtic involved in another when they visit the celtic cousins in Brittany for a match against Rennes. The French side are pushing hard for a Champions League spot this season and I think they will win this one, though not by much. Celtic would really expect to be able to beat French teams, but at the moment there seems to be a lack of belief. I will go with correct scores of 2-0 (6/1, bet365) and 2-1 (15/2, SportingBet) in favour of Rennes.

In some other 6pm ties, Larnaca could upset the odds against a Schalke side who know they are almost guaranteed to go through and the Cypriot side could give them a bloody nose at 9/2 with bet365. Maccabi Haifa can win at home to Steaua Bucharest in the same group at 6/5 with bet365.

Malmo have lost both games so far, but put Rangers out of the Champions League earlier this season and they can win at home to Metalist at 16/5 with bet365.

Finally in the early games, Fulham will be happy with a point at Wisla Krakow and that is a 12/5 shot with bet365. Scores of 0- 0 (8/1, general) and 1-1 (11/2, bet365) are worth backing.

In the evening games Stoke can continue their fine campaign with a win at home to Maccabi Tel Aviv and scores of 2-0 (21/4, Unibet) and 3-0 (33/4, Unibet) will give you a good run for your money. Also in Group B, Besiktas are no forlorn hope at 5/1 with bet365 to win at Dynamo Kiev.

FC Zurich and Lazio looks a good bet for a draw and that is a tasty 12/5 with bet365 and Unibet.

Tottenham have a home game with Rubin Kazan and I think a draw is also a good bet in this one, given Harry Redknapp’s policy of squad rotation. The draw is 13/5 with SportingBet.

Finally Shamrock Rovers will hope to get on the board when they visit PAOK Salonika. I think a little bit on Rovers at evens with a +2 start can succeed with bet365. Rovers have all-but won the league title and can give these last six games of a long season everything. I expect the Greek side to win, but Rovers will surely see plenty of the ball and the 5/4 with bet365 about both teams scoring looks good.

Europa League Tips:

Club Brugge v Birmingham: Birmingham @ 15/4 (Unibet)

Larnaca v Schalke: Larnaca @ 9/2 (bet365)

Maccabi Haifa v Steaua Bucharest: Maccabi Haifa @ 6/5 (bet365)

Malmo v Metalist: Malmo @ 16/5 (bet365)

Wisla Krakow v Fulham: Fulham @ 12/5 (bet365)

FC Zurich v Lazio: Draw @ 12/5 (bet365)

Tottenham v Rubin Kazan: Draw @ 13/5 (SportingBet)

PAOK v Shamrock Rovers: Rovers (+2) @ evens (bet365)

Manchester United have not won yet in the Champions League and Alex Ferguson would have been hoping to give Michael Owen and his other reserves a run in Romania. However, the draws with Benfica and Basel mean that the Red Devils must take their two games with Otelul Galati seriously to make sure there are no slip-ups in qualifying.

Wayne Rooney, Nemanja Vidic and the rest of the big guns will be involved as United play a team that Ferguson admitted he’d never heard of. And Fergie has a big advantage for the ‘home’ side will only have about 10 per cent of the crowd made up of their own fans as the match has been moved to Bucharest as their own ground is not up to standard. United are a best of 1/5 to win this one and I think that is right, even if players and fans have one eye on the upcoming Manchester derby.

I am going to go with United wins of 3-0 (13/2, Unibet) and 3-1 (10/1, general) and have a little bit on Danny Welbeck to score at anytime for which he is 6/5 with Unibet.

United’s rivals City have had an even worse start to their campaign, having got just a single point from their first two games. And a home win over Villarreal is no gimme either. City will be desperate to get their first win on the board and that need to win may count against them. The Spanish side are no mugs and though they are not riding high in La Liga, they have only really been beaten heavily by Barcelona and that can be forgiven.

They are yet to get their first point in the group but I think they can nick one here and the draw is a general 4/1. A 1-1 draw is 9/1 with SportingBet, while 0-0 is 16/1 with Unibet.

In United’s group a draw is taken between Basel and Benfica at 27/11 with Unibet. Napoli should be taken to win at home to Bayern Munich at 10/3 with bet365 in City’s group.

Elsewhere, in-form Lyon are too big at 11/2 with bet365 and SportingBet to get a draw at Real Madrid, while another French side Lille can win at home to Inter Milan at a widely available 11/10.

There is also an important night of action in the English Championship.

I make it a policy to back away sides at decent prices (4/1 or better) in the midweek games and three sides fit the bill. Derby are way too big at 4/1 with bet365 for a game in Reading where they should do well. bet365 also go 9/2 about a Coventry side who go to Leeds boosted by a win over rivals Nottingham Forest. Dean Saunders’s Doncaster are also worth a few shekels for their trip to inconsistent Blackpool and Donny are 4/1 with bet365.

Another away team to back are West Ham, who I still expect to walk promotion. Sam Allardyce’s team are 12/5 to win at high flyers Southampton and I back them to do so.

---

Champions League Tips

Otelul Galati v Man United

Correct Score: Man United to win 3-0 @ 13/2, 3-1 @ 10/1
Anytime Goalscorer: Danny Welbeck @ 6/5

Man City v Villarreal

Draw @ 4/1
Correct Score: 1-1 @ 9/1, 0-0 @ 16/1

Basel v Benfica

Draw @ 27/11 (Unibet)

Napoli v Bayern Munich

Napoli @ 10/3 (bet365)

Real Madrid v Lyon

Draw @ 11/2

Lille v Inter Milan

Lille @ 11/10

---

Championship Tips

Reading v Derby

Derby @ 4/1

Leeds v Coventry

Coventry @ 9/2

Blackpool v Doncaster

Doncaster @ 4/1

Southampton v West Ham

West Ham @ 12/5

With Birmingham in Europa League action, there are 11 Championship games on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the overworked players will be in no doubt that their summer holidays are long gone.

West Ham may have suffered an early reverse against Cardiff but they look a really classy outfit for the division and they can show it at Watford on Tuesday night.

Sam Allardyce’s Hammers should be right up at the top when 2011 becomes 2012 and they can get further up the table with a win at Vicarage Road and they are 5-4 with Victor Chandler and William Hill.

Barnsley have made some astute signings over the summer, boss Keith Hill just one of them. They can shock Middlesbrough at Oakwell, with the Tykes 9-4 with Chandlers.

Things haven’t started particularly smoothly for new Nottingham Forest boss Steve McClaren, but I think they can win at Doncaster and at a widely available 5-4 I make them good value.

I can’t separate Ipswich and Southampton or Leeds and Hull but I think Portsmouth can overcome ridiculous odds of 2-1 to beat Reading at Fratton Park.

Victor Chandler is the firm to seek out for that price about a team that has so much talent in their line-up – Liam Lawrence, Aaron Mokoena, Tal Ben-Haim etc etc.

On Wednesday, Cardiff can continue their good start to the season with victory over Brighton at 11-10 with Coral.

Derby can overcome odds of 17-5 (Victor Chandler) and claim victory at Bloomfield Road against Blackpool.

Finally, with Leicester failing to convince in front of their own fans, Bristol City could nick a shock win at a general 6-1.

Suddenly things seem to be coming up nicely for Roberto Mancini. There are still huge question marks to ask about his tactics and whether Carlos Tevez will stay, but they are in the Champions League and the FA Cup is in the trophy cabinet. Now they can sneak into third spot in the table and earn a direct passage through to the group stages of the Champions League.

Surely they will be up for a home game against Stoke, the side they beat in the FA Cup decider at Wembley. Stoke have little to play for and may well be demoralised, so I am going with a win for Mancini’s men here at odds of 1-2 with Bluesq, 888sport and Coral. Go with home wins of 2-0 (23-4, bwin.com) and 3-0 (9-1, Paddy Power, Stan James, totesport) in the correct score markets.

Cardiff host Reading in the Championship play-offs and the Royals appear to hold all the aces, with Craig Bellamy limping off in the first leg at the Madejski. The Bluebirds did manage to take a 0-0 draw from a game in which they were largely outplayed, but I still give my vote to Reading and they are 11-5 with Betfred.

It is pretty impressive that all the Premier League games have something riding on them. Only Bolton and Sunderland are not really involved in any matters that affect the title, Europe or relegation, but Steve Bruce’s future at the Black Cats is definitely on the line.

Back to that later though; the chase for the Champions League is not yet done and on Tuesday there is a massive game between Manchester City and Tottenham at Eastlands.

Both sides have Saturday games that will go a long way to shaping the destiny of their European participation next season.

Spurs are at Blackpool and they know that they are not even guaranteed to be in Europe at all next term, which would be such a shame after their exploits this time around.

However, I cannot see Blackpool raising their game enough to take anything from this encounter and I fully expect a Spurs win at 1-3 with Paddy Power.

Other bets that interest me in this one are Over 3.5 goals at a general evens and Spurs at -2 on the handicap at 21-10 with Powers.

Manchester City face a really tough test and Spurs will hope that Everton can do them a favour at Goodison Park as they keep their slim Champions League hopes alive.

The Toffees won at Eastlands earlier in the season and I can see them doing the same thing again, as only three sides have taken the three points away from the blue half of Liverpool.

Everton are 15-8 with bet365, Victor Chandler and Coral and they can get the job done in this one, while Tim Cahill at 12-5 with Stan James and Paddy Power is a likely anytime scorer.

Five of the bottom six are in action on Saturday and bottom-placed West Ham know they must get a win at home to Blackburn.

Rovers got their own vital win at home to Bolton last week, but their away record is appalling and I take Avram Grant’s side to suddenly kick into gear in this one.

The Hammers are widely available at evens to win and I take them at the price, despite their dreadful recent form.

If you offered Wigan a point from their trip to Aston Villa before kick-off I am sure they would take it and I can see it happening at 13-5 with several firms.

Scores of 0-0 (12-1, Skybet, sportingbet) and 1-1 (13-2, Skybet, Coral, William Hill) are most likely if it is a stalemate.

Birmingham are the other members of the bottom six in action on Saturday and they must go to Newcastle.

Alex McLeish’s men will want to secure their place in the Premier League next season, but Newcastle are a handy team at home and I can see them winning at evens with Coral, Betfred and Skybet.

Peter Lovenkrands is worth a go in the anytime market at 13-8 with Skybet and Boyles.

Finally, Bolton can inflict more pain on Brucie’s Black Cats by beating them at the Reebok at odds of 17-20 with Victor Chandler.

In fact Powers’ offer of 23-10 about Bolton winning at -1 on the handicap is well worth taking on.

Elsewhere in England it is the final day of the Football League, but there is not too much to sort out.

In the Championship, Crystal Palace look a little big at 16-5 with Boylesports to beat a Nottingham Forest side basically assured of their play-off place.

Other sides worth backing are Scunthorpe, who are 2-1 with Chandlers to beat Portsmouth and Norwich, who are 18-5 with Boylesports to celebrate their promotion by beating Coventry at -2 on the handicap.

In League One take a punt on a treble of Carlisle, Huddersfield and Brighton at just over 9-1 with Paddy Power.

Sides to follow in League Two are Port Vale (5-2, Betfred, Victor Chandler), Bradford (11-8. Betfred, Skybet) and Chesterfield (6-5, Coral).

Suddenly the season is unravelling for Wolves. Kevin Doyle injured, Stephen Hunt out too and thrashed at Newcastle in their last game (Newcastle?!) Mick McCarthy’s valiant efforts to keep his side in the Premier League could be coming to nothing, which would be a shame given their performances against the top sides. They must be looking to make the most of their home games now and they play in the Saturday lunchtime game against Everton. However, I think they may get a shock here and I can see Everton winning this one at 2-1 with Victor Chandler.

At the top Manchester United will expect to get past Fulham but I can see Mark Hughes’s side pulling off an upset of their own by bagging a draw at Old Trafford. Alex Ferguson is usually pretty ruthless against is former players, but the Reds will have more than an eye on Tuesday’s return with Chelsea.

Fulham are a general 15-2 to get the draw and I’ll have a bit of that.

I think there could be plenty of goals at Stamford Bridge where Chelsea have a decent chance of steamrolling bottom side Wigan. Chelsea don’t concede too many at home and there should be no doubt that at 2-9 they will win the game. I think they are a solid bet at 13-8 with Paddy Power to win at -2 on the handicap.

Spurs also have a good chance of winning at -2 on the handicap at home to Stoke as I think there will be a backlash from the Real Madrid calamity. Tottenham though are great value just to win the game at a widely available 8-11. As for the handicap they are a whopping 9-2 with Boyles to win at -2. As for correct scores, try 3-0 at a general 12-1, but cover it with 3-1 at around 14-1.

Going quickly through the other games, I can see Blackburn (21-20, Powers) beating Birmingham, a draw at 12-5 between Bolton and West Ham and a Sunderland win over West Brom at a big looking 13-10 with Victor Chandler.

In the Championship, QPR have one foot in the Premier League, but I think that Scunthorpe could stun them at Glanford Park and the Iron are 11-2 with many firms.
Ipswich have largely done well since Paul Jewell took over from Roy Keane and they should beat Crystal Palace at 5-6 with Powers.

Other Championship tips are Barnsley (6-4, Chandlers, Hills), Leicester (10-11, general) and Swansea (6-5, totesport, Boyles) who can close to within a point of second-placed Norwich by beating the Canaries at the Liberty Stadium.

In League One, Colchester and Southampton look good to win at 13-10 and 23-20 respectively.
Three relegation strugglers, Hereford (13-5, Hills, Chandlers, Stan James), Northampton (2-1, Chandlers) and Stockport (4-1, Skybet) can score in League Two.

• 1With question marks hanging over both these sides (Chelsea - John......
• 2The odds are so skinny on Ireland it may be wise......
• 3Plenty to keep the Winter chill at bay. Our Monty (10/1......
• 4Newcastle's Senegalese starlets Demba Ba and Papis Demba Cisse are back......
• 5With a busy day already done Laurence McCormack examines the Man......

• Twitter
• RSS
• You Tube