The weekend's betting hints at safe bets in Serie A, some risk in France and the chance to dare for big money in Germany, while the Premier League stops for the FA Cup. The most intriguing match is Fiorentina vs Inter, where goals should be expected.
LIKELY BETS
Fiorentina vs Inter: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE @ 1.66
The Viola have been boosted by the achievement of reaching the Coppa Italia final and the fact that they have a chance to win their first trophy in 13 years, but they might be tired here and will also be missing the suspended Borja Valero. Inter, as usual, will struggle shut out their opponents, especially against Fiorentina's talented attack. Montella's side always play offensively, which also means leaving space for their opponents, and at least Inter haven't forgotten how to counter.
Juventus vs Chievo: JUVENTUS TO WIN (-1) @ 1.50
Antonio Conte went for the Alex Ferguson hairdryer approach last Monday: on their day off, the players were gathered at Juve's headquarters early in the morning, and after half an hour of the manager's ranting, they were sent back home. All of this, only for dropping 2 points at Verona, while will maintaining a 9 point lead at the top of the table. The backlash will be felt by their opponents this week, Chievo, destined to be hit by a stream of goals to add to their streak of 9 games without a win. It is no coincidence that the WhoScored match forecast predicts Juventus are very likely to 'score as a result of individual skill'.
Verona vs Torino: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE @ 1.72
Usually Torino set up to be compact away from home, but after losing at home to a very poor Bologna side they will go all out to win this match. Moreover, after the Coppa Italia semi finals we now know that the fight for the last Europa League spot will include 6th place, so Torino have all the more to fight for. So this is the kind of clash that Torino will play openly and they are up against an enthusiastic Verona who stopped Juventus last week. The WhoScored match forecast says it is very likely that Verona 'will make a comeback if they go behind'.
TEMPTING BETS
Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano: MOST GOALS IN 2ND HALF @ 1.90
Forget for a minute the notion that Barcelona destroy opponents at Camp Nou. It can happen, but it takes time as opponents are prepared to stifle the Catalan side from kick off, but can't maintain this level of discipline for the full 90. 8 of Barcelona's last 11 league games have seen more goals scored in the second half than the first.
Stade Reims vs Bordeaux: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE @ 1.90
Only 2 teams have a worse home defence than Reims in Ligue 1, while 7 of their 11 home games have seen both teams score, as have 7 of Bordeaux's 10 away matches. With the average number of goals per game low in Ligue 1, the odds favour both teams to net.
Evian vs Lille: AWAY WIN @ 2.10
Evian have failed to win each of their last 8 league games, while Lille recently won for the first time in 6, they're longest winless streak this season. Despite Evian having the second worst home defence and Lille boasting the best defence away from home, the odds for a Lille win are surprisingly high.
LONG SHOT BETS
Bayern Munich vs Freiburg: BAYERN FIRST HALF (-1) @ 2.20
There are incredibly good odds on Bayern to have at least a 2 goal lead in the first half. That much has only happened in 4 of their last 10 games, but when only considering the league, it's 3 of the last 4. And, you know, it's Freiburg…
Hoffenheim vs Stuttgart: OVER 3.5 GOALS @ 2.37
The average number of goals that have been scored in Hoffenheim's home games is 4.5 and no other team in the Bundesliga offering more entertainment when it comes to goals, with the Bundesliga actually averaging pretty high rates in general. Meanwhile Stuttgart, with an average of 4 goals scored in their away games, are the second on that particular list.
Atletico Madrid vs Valladolid: ATLETICO TO LEAD BY 1 AT HT @ 2.75
Guess how many times Atletcio, the almighty Atletico, have finished the first half with at least a two goal advantage in their last 5 home games? None. Valladolid will concede, but the odds on this bet are incredibly good considering how likely it is.
What are your top tips for the weekend's action around Europe? Let us know in the comments below
