Betting.Betfair.com
·19 December 2024
Betting.Betfair.com
·19 December 2024
Sebastian Hoeness will be hoping to guide Stuttgart to another Bundesliga win
Stuttgart are starting to recapture the kind of form that powered them to a second-place finish in the Bundesliga last season and Die Schwaben's cosy 3-1 win at Heidenheim last weekend was their fourth successive victory in all competitions.
In the league, Sebastian Hoeneß's side have claimed 10 points from the last 12 on offer and with their performance levels spiking, Stuttgart look like top value at 1.40 to see off struggling St Pauli in their last fixture before the German winter break.
St Pauli sit just 1 place above the relegation playoff position following a return of 4 defeats from 5 assignments and their tally of just 11 goals since their promotion in the summer makes them the joint-lowest-scoring outfit in the Bundesliga alongside Bochum.
Stuttgart meanwhile, have been averaging 2.57 goals per home fixture since August, while only Bayern Munich (31.3) and Eintracht Frankfurt (26.9) have outperformed them for total expected goals (26.2).
Hoeneß's Stuttgart plundered 14 goals combined in their last 4 games alone and their superior firepower should make the difference when toothless St Pauli visit the MHPArena.
A run of 3 wins from 5 games in League One has catapulted Wigan away from danger and into a safer midtable position and more points could be on offer for the improving Latics against the division's worst team, Shrewsbury, on Saturday.
Shrewsbury lost for the 7th time in 8 matches and for the 14th time in 19 League One fixtures overall when they were dismantled 4-1 at home by Wycombe Wanderers last weekend and bettors shouldn't expect a Shrews revival at The Brick Community Stadium.
Town have been conceding 3.00 goals per game since the appointment of new boss Gareth Ainsworth in November and reeling from successive 4-1 defeats to Wycombe and Cambridge, they are easy to oppose again here.
Wigan should be buoyant following last week's impressive 2-0 win at Lancashire rivals and playoff chasers Bolton, so back Shaun Maloney's side to showcase their growing confidence against League One's prime relegation candidates.
Table-topping Walsall have lost just once in 14 games in League Two and with a 4-point lead to protect at the summit to the table, the Saddlers should be motivated to maintain their excellent form at Harrogate's expense.
Walsall have dropped only 2 of the last 15 points on offer in League Two and a run of 6 games unbeaten on the road (4W, 2D) was accompanied by a healthy 4 clean sheets.
In fact, Mathew Saddler's watertight defensive unit has conceded just 5 goals in 9 away assignments this season, and a robust Walsall can keep Harrogate at arm's length at the Exercise Stadium on Saturday.
Harrogate meanwhile, were beaten in each of their last 3 assignments, while 6 of their last 8 matches in League Two ended in defeat overall.
With goals in short supply, Town failed to score in 4 of those 6 defeats - a record that suggests the Sulphurites might toil against Walsall's robust rearguard. The visitors are keenly priced at 1.67 to win and offer excellent value here.
Go Ahead Eagles came within a whisker of upsetting the odds at second-placed Utrecht last weekend, before conceding a 97th-minute equalizer in a pulsating 3-3 draw, however, the smart money backs them to go one better on Saturday.
Go Ahead have been making promising strides under up-and-coming 39-year-old coach Paul Simonis and their last 4 matches in the Eredivisie returned 7 points and a notable 13 goals.
Their last 2 tests at De Adelaarshorst were passed convincingly thanks to 3-0 and 5-0 wins over Almere City and NEC respectively with Go Ahead racking up a massive 38 shots on goal across both games combined.
NAC Breda, who have already lost 5 times in 8 Eredivisie away games this season, have been doing some substandard defensive work and their sizable price of 4.50 to win in the match result market ahead of Saturday's game speaks volumes.
NAC been conceding 14.29 shots per 90 minutes in the Dutch top tier this season, which is the third-worst worst figure in the division, and they could be picked apart by a purring Go Ahead Eagles frontline here.
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