LIVERPOOL V MAN UTD

Best of enemies - Sir Alex and Kenny face off this Saturday

Liverpool vs Manchester United. There is not a fixture in English football that can match the drama when the country's two most successful clubs face each other and Saturday's clash will undoubtedly provide entertainment and controversy in equal measure. To honour this fixture Tactical Gamble is providing you with its pick of the odds for this fixture, from goals to red cards to own goals.


Liverpool to win 11/5 (Bet Fred, Ladbrokes, Totesport, William Hill)
Man Utd to win 6/4 (Ladbrokes, Unibet, Victor Chandler, William Hill)
Draw - 12/5 (888 Sport, Blue Square)


Goals


United have been in fine goal scoring form this season and will be confident of finding the net and silencing the Kop this Saturday. Liverpool's defence looks more assured than it has done in previous seasons and much of this is down to the signing of Jose Enrique, who seems to have solved the left sided problem that has plagued Liverpool for the past few years. 
However it is on the other flank where United will look to capitalise. Whether Liverpool start with Martin Kelly or the returning Glen Johnson, the champions will view this area as their opponents main weak area and with that in mind, as well as his fine goal scoring form for club and country recently, Ashley Young looks a decent bet at 9/1 for first goal with several bookmakers including Sky Bet.

Alternatively, for those who believe that dreams do come true, Ladbrokes are offering 7/2 for Michael Owen to score any time during the game. Could the former Anfield hero come off the bench and score against his old club for their bitter rivals? 



Liverpool, meanwhile, look set to welcome back Steven Gerrard from injury and is best priced at 12/1 with William Hill and Ladbrokes to open the scoring on his return to the starting XI. The Liverpool captain has scored 4 goals in this historical fixture and as a boyhood Kopite, he would love nothing more than to bag number 5 this Saturday, which would also be his 50th league goal at Anfield.

However, Tactical Gamble's pick of the bets this Saturday is Unibet's odds of 7/1 for Andy Carroll to score a header at any point in the game. United have conceded 3 goals from set pieces this season and will not look forward to dealing with Charlie Adam's deliveries, which Sir Alex Ferguson described  as being "worth £10 million in themselves" last season. At 6"3, Carroll will be the main target of Adam's set pieces and he will be confident of punishing United with his aerial presence, especially seen as he is now off the mark this season following his goal against Everton. Phil Jones and the returning Vidic may make life more difficult for Carroll but odds of 7/1 look generous for the long haired Geordie to profit from United's set piece weakness.


Best of the Rest


From the terraces to the dugouts to the pitch, this fixture always has a great passion and intensity to it, which has often meant that the busiest man on the pitch is the man in black. The last 5 Liverpool-United clashes at Anfield has seen 4 red cards and William Hill is offering odds of 12/5 that a red card will be shown at some point during the game. 
Following his dismissal for England, all eyes will be on the temperament of Wayne Rooney and Paddy Power is offering odds of 25/1 that the United talisman takes an early bath on Saturday. Alternatively, Paddy Power are also offering the same odds (25/1) that Nemanja Vidic earns a hat trick of Anfield red cards by getting his marching orders at the weekend.
Another unwanted hat trick which could occur on Saturday could go to Jamie Carragher. After scoring a brace of own goals for United in 1999, the Liverpool defender is only 1 goal away from scoring his third Manchester United goal - which would draw him level with Patrice Evra and put him above Eric Djemba-Djemba on United's goalscoring list. Paddy Power are offering 15/2 for somebody to score in the wrong net on Saturday.

WEEKEND TIPS - 1ST OCTOBER

If you're like Carlos Tevez, you have plenty of money lying around and aren't doing much this weekend - so what better way to invest your cash than by betting on this weekend's football action. Here are Tactical Gamble's tips for matches in the top four divisions in England this weekend:


Tottenham to beat Arsenal - 6/5 (Boylesports, Bet Fred, Paddy Power, William Hill)
Leeds to beat Portsmouth - 19/20 (William Hill)
Preston to beat Leyton Orient - 23/20 (Sporting Bet)
Burton Albion to beat Bradford - 21/20 (William Hill)


A £10 accumulator on these four outcomes with William Hill would pocket you £175.89!


Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal (Kick off Sunday 4pm)

Arsene Wenger in 1996

Arsene Wenger celebrates his 15^th anniversary as Arsenal boss with a trip to White Hart Lane this Sunday, as they face bitter rivals Tottenham in the first North London derby of the season. The fixture is traditionally one Wenger and his side have relished but results from previous seasons will mean nothing as his under-performing team face a rejuvenated Spurs side on Sunday.

Harry Redknapp’s side have put their poor start to the season behind them and have now won their last three league games without conceding a goal. The arrival of Scott Parker and the return to form of Luka Modric has Spurs purring again and having rested several key players during their midweek victory over Shamrock Rovers, the Spurs squad will be fresher than their opponents and confident of picking up all three points on Sunday.

Destined to score?

Clashes between these two teams have always produced goals and controversy and the presence of Emmanuel Adebayor provides an intriguing sub-plot to this iconic derby fixture. The Togo striker and is 19/1 with Unibet to repeat his infamous knee-sliding celebration from 2009 in front of the Arsenal fans this weekend. Or alternatively you can focus on the football and get odds of 5/1 that he’ll be the first goalscorer with Bet 365, Victor Chandler and Bwin.

Whilst Arsenal seemed to have steadied the ship somewhat with recent victories over Bolton and Olympiakos, Tactical Gamble can see them falling victim to a Spurs side whose ultra-attacking line up will be confident of getting goals against a leaky Arsenal defence who have conceded 12 goals on the road this season.

Leeds United v Portsmouth (Kick off Saturday 3pm)

Ross is Boss in the Championship

Portsmouth have struggled on the road this season, having only picked up 2 points in 4 games, and will be without several key players including Luke Varney, Dave Kitson and Aaron Mokoena. Meanwhile Leeds have continued their good form at Elland Road with 3 wins out of 4 and they have the Championships top scorer, Ross McCormack, in formidable form having scored 6 goals in his last 4 league games. With McCormack in a purple patch and a full strength squad playing in front of 30000 home fans, Simon Grayson’s side should be comfortable victors this Saturday and Portsmouth could be in for a grim time up north.

Leyton Orient v Preston North End (Kick off 3pm Saturday 3pm)

Mellor - 7 goals in League One

Last week, Leyton Orient stunned Huddersfield (and this site!) with a late comeback against Huddersfield to earn only their third point of the season. However Tactical Gamble predicts lightning won’t strike twice and think the O’s will struggle to pick up their first win of the season against high flying Preston on Saturday. Phil Brown’s side are enjoying their best start to a campaign since 1952 and have Neil Mellor banging in goals, so Preston will fancy their chances of picking up all 3 points against bottom side Orient - and adding more goals to the 10 they have already netted away from home this season.

Burton Albion v Bradford City (Kick off 3pm Saturday 3pm)

Paul Peschisolido’s Burton Albion play host to the struggling Bradford City this Saturday and will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing loss to Gillingham last weekend. The Brewers are unbeaten at home so far this season and their injury concerns at the back have been eased by the signing of experienced defender Kevin Amankwaah on a free transfer. Their opponents Bradford have had a dreadful start to the season and have lost their last three games in League Two and look certain to be embarrassed on Saturday – and not just because of their shocking pink away kit!

The weekend is upon us again and what better to spend your hard earned money on than by betting on the weekend fixtures in English football. Here are Tactical Gamble's pick of the games in the top four divisions:

QPR to beat Aston Villa - 11/8 (Bet 365, Bodog, Ladbrokes, Sky Bet, Victor Chandler)

Middlesbrough to beat Ipswich - 8/11 (Coral, Ladbrokes)

Huddersfield to beat Leyton Orient - 1/2 (Coral, Ladbrokes)

Crawley to beat Aldershot - 6/4 (Bet 365, Coral, Ladbrokes, Victor Chandler)

A £10 accumulator on these four games at Ladbrokes would win you £153.84!

QPR v Aston Villa (Kick Off, Sunday 4pm)

Barton and co have been the catalysts for QPR's recent form

QPR fans haven't seen a Premier League victory at Loftus Road since 1996, but hopes are high ahead of Sunday's clash with Villa. After a disastrous opening result against Bolton, QPR have picked up 7 points from their last 4 games and now lie in 9th place. Their squad looked inexperienced and threadbare after the first three games of the campaign but the signings of experienced players such as Joey Barton, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Anton Ferdinand have added much needed quality and experienced to the team and produced immediate results. An impressive display at home to Newcastle was followed by a resounding 3-0 win against Wolves and Neil Warnock's men seem to have been given a new lease of life thanks to their deadline day signings and look a decent bet to secure their first league win of the season.

Villa, meanwhile, are currently unbeaten in the league and Alex McLeish has enjoyed a steady if not spectacular start to his tenure at Villa Park. However they have not won in their last four outings and looked unimpressive as they slumped to a defeat in the Carling Cup against Bolton in midweek, so they look as though they could fall victim to a resurgent QPR on Sunday afternoon.

Middlesbrough v Ipswich Town (Kick off Saturday 3pm)

Thumbs up for Boro so far

Despite being knocked out of the League Cup in midweek, Middlesbrough are a team in great league form at the moment, having won 5 out of their last 7 games in the Championship. Boro had a disappointing campaign last year and fell well short of their promotion favourites tag but Tony Mowbray (left) seems to have instilled a new belief into the squad and has players like Marvin Emnes and Barry Robson playing at the top of their game to provide a potent attacking edge to the Teeside club.

This Saturday Boro take on an Ipswich side who have conceded 9 goals in 3 away games this season and who have yet to find any consistency this season. Speculation about the future of manager Paul Jewell is bound to have a negative effect on the Tractor Boys as they face one of the Championship's form teams and I expect Boro to run out convincing winners at the Riverside.

Huddersfield Town v Leyton Orient (Kick off Saturday 3pm)

Lee Clark's side have not lost in 34 league games and they will be confident they can extend that run against Leyton Orient this weekend. Huddersfield had a shaky start to the campaign but impressive displays against Sheffield United and MK Dons have shown that they are strong promotion candidates and their clinical attack of Novak, Lee and Arfield should ensure a comfortable victory against an Orient side jaded by their midweek exploits against Blackburn in the Carling Cup.

Aldershot Town v Crawley Town (Kick off Saturday 3pm)

Another team likely to be fatigued by their Carling Cup heroics are Aldershot, who qualified for the fourth round after an impressive victory over Rochdale on Tuesday. The Shots are unbeaten in 6 league games but their players will find it difficult to maintain their recent form against a Crawley side who have coped well with promotion, despite the odd hiding they have been given on their travels. Steve Evans's men will be fresh having not played in midweek and their odds of getting all 3 points against Aldershot are very generous indeed.

EURO TIPS - FRIDAY QUALIFIERS

Friday is the best day of the week, as Rebecca Black has made abundantly clear. This Friday though has been made even better by the fact there is wall-to-wall international football for your viewing pleasure, with some significant clashes happening in some of the Euro 2012 qualifying groups. Here are some of them:


Bulgaria v England, kick off 7.15pm GMT


England are currently neck and neck with Montenegro at the top of Group G and while they hope their rivals will slip up against the struggling Wales, Fabio Capello's men face a tough test in Sofia. Bulgaria have been disappointing in qualifying so far with only 5 points from 5 games and have struggled since the retirement of their long term talisman Dimitar Berbatov, but Lothar Matthaus's side will make life very difficult for England on Friday and the draw is best priced at 3/1 with Sky Bet, Totesport and Bet Fred. 

5 in 3 for Rooney so far this season

However England have looked most convincing when playing away from home in this qualifying campaign with resounding wins in Switzerland and Wales, so expect the Three Lions to walk away with three points in Bulgaria and with Wayne Rooney in imperious form for his club, he looks a decent bet for first goal scorer at 9/2 with Coral.




Ireland v Slovakia, kick off 7.45pm GMT


Probably the pick of Friday's matches is the top of the group clash between Ireland and Slovakia at the Aviva Stadium. Group B is currently as tight as Bill Kenwright's wallet with Ireland, Slovakia and Russia all on 13 points with 4 games to play which makes Friday's clash in Dublin of immense importance.


The Slovakian side are extremely defensive and will look to counter attack through their pacey wingers Vladimir Weiss and Miroslav Stoch, but goals have been scarce with the Slovaks so the 0-0 draw at 15/2 with Stan James is a real possibility.

Shane is no Long shot

However if there is one man who is more than capable of breaking the deadlock in this crucial game, its the in-form Shane Long. Giovanni Trappatoni has shown great faith in the West Brom forward by naming him in the starting XI ahead of usual regular Kevin Doyle and after scoring 2 out of 3 for his club so far this season, he looks a decent bet for first goal scorer at 11/2 with several bookmakers including Boylesports, Sporting Bet and Bodog.






Northern Ireland v Serbia, kick off 7.45pm GMT

The Windsor Wizard will need to produce some magic

His heroics in their last qualifier earned him the nickname 'The Derry Pele' and Pat McCourt can be found at 12/1 with Sky Bet to open the scoring at Windsor Park this Friday. This time, however, his Northern Ireland side will be up against considerably tougher opponents than the Faroe Islands as they take on Serbia, who will be without their captain and defensive leader Nemanja Vidic.


The atmosphere at Windsor Park will be electric as Nigel Worthington's side hope to secure 2nd place in Group C behind runaway leaders Italy and three points against group rivals Serbia would go some way to keep their Euro 2012 dream alive. However the Serbs have experienced players who will deal the atmosphere and last time around they defeated Northern Ireland 2-1, so they represent good value with Sky Bet, Boylesports and William Hill at 6/5 for the win this Friday.

BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND TIPS

The August Bank Holiday weekend is upon us and in this three day weekend there is plenty of football action to feast on with some huge fixtures in all four divisions. Here are Tactical Gamble's top tips for the weekend fixtures and where you can get the best odds:


Man Utd to beat Arsenal - 8/15 (Totesport and Bet Fred)
West Ham to beat Nottingham Forest - 13/8 (Victor Chandler)
Sheff Wed to beat Scunthorpe - 23/20 (William Hill)
Rotherham to beat Gillingham - 5/4 (Sky Bet, Totesport, Bet Fred, Victor Chandler, Paddy Power, Coral)


A £10 accumulator on these four outcomes at Bet Fred would return £188.37!


Manchester United v Arsenal (Kick off, Sunday 4pm)

Young, gifted and red - Welbeck and Young

Matches between these two great teams used to decide where the Premier League trophy would end up and whilst its very early in the season, a victory for either side would be a great boost as they push for silverware this year.
United will have been delighted with their demolition of Spurs on Monday but they were never really tested and there is a belief that Sunday's clash could be the true test of Fergie's new generation of youngsters. So far, they look like they have the skill, desire and ability to win United's 20th title - but will they cope with the pressure on Sunday?
An impressive second half display against Udinese was enough for Arsenal to qualify for the Champions League group stage but Wenger's side will be keen to silence their domestic critics with a result at Old Trafford this weekend. Their performances in the league so far have not been encouraging and having sold Samir Nasri this week, Arsenal have a long way to go to prove they can be genuine title contenders. However a victory against the Champions would go some way to silence some of the doubters.
United will be without Vidic and Ferdinand but Arsenal's problems are much worse, with the majority of the first choice midfield unavailable through suspension or injury. Cleverley and Anderson have impressed in midfield for United this season and they will relish taking on an Arsenal side with no Song, no Wilshere, no Gervinho and no Frimpong. Furthermore, Gunners full back Carl Jenkinson could be in for a tough game as he comes face-to-face with the in form Ashley Young on the flanks.
Arsene Wenger's side haven't won at Old Trafford since 2006 and thier tough match in Italy on Wednesday is not ideal preparation for this tough fixture. Add to that the number of first team players who are unavailable and you'd have to fancy the champions to take all 3 points on Sunday.


Nottingham Forest v West Ham (Kick off, Sunday 1.15pm)


Before the big Premier League clash on Sunday, the Championship will be hosting their own grand slam match between two promotion favourites. Forest were early season tips for promotion but have failed to impress so far this season, looking disjointed and almost impotent in front of goal. An improved performance against Leicester last weekend was encouraging but they will face a difficult game against West Ham's dominant midfield trio of Noble, Parker and Nolan. After their embarrassing League Cup defeat to Aldershot earlier this week, Big Sam said his players are scared of playing at home and will probably perform much better on the road. The Hammers will be keen to put their midweek display behind them and they have plenty of big game players in their squad to take all 3 points at the City Ground on Sunday.


Sheffield Wednesday v Scunthorpe (Kick off, Saturday 3pm)


League One this weekend features an all Yorkshire clash at Hillsborough. Alan Knill's side performed admirably against Newcastle on Thursday, pushing the Geordies all the way until Sam Ameobi's wonder strike in extra time, and they will no doubt be exhausted after their midweek heroics as they travel to Sheffield this weekend. The Owls will be looking to capitalise on this home fixture and launch their title challenge which has stuttered so far as a result of their away form. Expect Gary Megson's side to ditch their relegation form and leave Hillsborough victorious on Saturday.


Rotherham v Gillingham (Kick off, Saturday 3pm)

Adam Le Fondre - League Two top scorer ... so far

Staying in South Yorkshire, the Don Valley Stadium will play host to a top of the table clash in League Two on Saturday as Rotherham take on Gillingham. Before the season, TG tipped the Millers for promotion and they have started brightly, in part because of the form of Adam Le Fondre (pictured). Gillingham have also began the season in good form, with 10 points from 12, and they will certainly give Rotherham a good game on Saturday. However TG is sticking with their Promotion pick Rotherham to seal victory in front of their home fans this weekend.

WEEKEND ACCUMULATOR TIPS

Each week, Tactical Gamble will provide you with tips for the weekend matches in each division of English football. We'll tell you who we're tipping for victory in each league and where you can the best return on an accumulator on these fixtures. Here our this weeks picks:

Sunderland to beat Newcastle - 6/5

Middlesbrough to beat Birmingham - 6/5

Bury to beat Wycombe - 2/1

Swindon to beat Oxford - 6/5

A £10 accumulator on these four outcomes with Coral will return £319.44 if successful!

Sunderland v Newcastle (12pm Saturday kick off)

Cometh the hour, cometh the Gyan

This match always proves to be a feisty affair and Sunderland will be keen to earn the North-East bragging rights this year, after Newcastle took 4 points off the Mackems last season. Newcastle will have been pleased with their point against Arsenal, however Alan Pardew's men seemed to lack creativity and scoring goals could prove a problem this Saturday and for the rest of the season. Likewise, Sunderland will have been delighted to earn a point at Anfield but unlike their rivals, they produced an impressive display with new boys Wes Brown and Seb Larsson shining on their debut. Steve Bruce's new signings will be keen to replicate their opening day display in their first home game of the season and I predict they will take the derby day spoils on Saturday afternoon, as they have a stronger squad and better players in almost every department. Asamoah Gyan scored against Newcastle last year and often shines on the big occasion, so he could be a good bet for first goalscorer at 11/2 with Sky Bet and Unibet.

Middlesbrough v Birmingham (kick off 3pm, Sunday)

Birmingham will dread facing Emnes

Birmingham earned an admirable 0-0 draw against Portuguese side Nacional on Thursday but his side will be tired from their midweek efforts in Europe and could be in trouble as they travel to Middlesbrough on Sunday afternoon. Middlesbrough have taken 7 points from 9 this season and seem to playing with a confidence which was sorely lacking from their side last season. Frontman Marvin Emnes has epitomised this Riverside renaissance with 3 goals in 3 games and TG backs Tony Mowbray's side to continue this impressive early season form with a victory over the Blues this Sunday.

Wycombe v Bury (kick off 3pm, Saturday)

Bury have produced some extraordinary results so far this season in League One , none more so than their deserved midweek victory over Sheffield Wednesday. Richie Barker's side proved on the opening day against Huddersfield that they can compete away from home and he will be hoping his side can carry on their impressive early season form and take all 3 points this Saturday at Adams Park.

Swindon Town v Oxford United (kick off 1.30pm, Sunday)

Derby day delight for Di Canio?

This derby could be the pick off the fixtures in the football league this weekend. The two arch rivals haven't met in the league for over a decade and there is great anticipation down south ahead of this long awaited clash. Paolo Di Canio's side haven't enjoyed the start they'd hoped for this season but his side will be keen to claim a derby victory in front of their home supporters, while Oxford will want to build on their impressive midweek victory against Shrewsbury. Both sides are evenly matched but TG thinks home advantage could be key for The Robins and expect the home side to take all 3 points at the County Ground on Sunday.

EURO TIP

The Champions League is back - well, the qualifying rounds anyway - and Arsene Wenger finds himself in the unusual situation of having to qualify for the group stages. Tonight's match against Udinese couldn't have come at a worse time for Arsenal, following Saturday's controversial match at Newcastle and the departure of Cesc Fabregas yesterday but their opponents Udinese have not begun their league season yet and I think this lack of competitive match practice could harm the Italians as they travel to the Emirates. An Arsenal victory is best priced at 4/7 with Victor Chandler.

Mullet Header - Chamakh will be keen to impress

As for first goalscorer, Arsenal will be without Robin Van Persie through suspension so Marouane Chamakh looks likely to start as the lone striker for the North London side. The Moroccan endured a mixed debut season but he managed to score 3 goals in 6 European games last season and his best performances have come in the Champions League, so he is a decent bet to open the scoring. Chamakh is best priced at 6/1 with 888 Sport, Blue Sq, Unibet and Victor Chandler.

PREMIER LEAGUE TOP SCORER TIPS

Robin Van Persie

Best price: 10/1 (William Hill)

From January last year nobody scored more goals in the Premier League than Robin Van Persie, who finished on an excellent 18 goals in 25 games. The Dutchman has always had an impressive goal scoring record and is the main striker in a ultra-attacking Arsenal side which love carving open defences and scoring goals, so he won’t be short of goal scoring opportunities. In addition to this, Van Persie is also Arsenal’s free kick and penalty taker which will help boost his goal tally. The only thing which can stop him winning the golden boot will be the same problem which has plagued him throughout his career – injury. However providing he can stay off the physio’s table this season, RVP should be top of the charts at the end of May.

Darren Bent

Best Price: 12/1 (Various including Bet 365, Bet Fred and Paddy Power)

Many people were surprised when Aston Villa paid £24 million in January for Bent but he proved to be worth every penny as his 9 goals in 16 games helped keep the Villains in the Premier League. This season he won't be receiving the same service he enjoyed from Ashley Young and Stewart Downing but the England striker has one of the best strike rates in the Premier League and his position as Villa's penalty taker will fire him up the goal scoring charts. Bent has also previously thrived as the main attacking threat in an under-performing team, as seen with Charlton and Sunderland, so expect the majority of Villa's goals to come from this man.

Luis Suarez

Best price: 14/1 (Sporting Bet, Victor Chandler, Coral and William Hill)

Though Suarez only scored 4 goals for Liverpool after joining in January, his impact at Anfield was huge and their change of fortunes in the second half of the season was largely due to the performances of the Uruguayan. His heroics in the Copa America indicate there is plenty more to come from Suarez and as the talisman of a big club not distracted by Europa League football, his goal tally will dramatically increase this season. He won the Eredivisie Golden Boot in 2010 and if he is as influential this season as he was from January, don't bet against the former Ajax striker repeating this feat in England this season.

PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE ODDS

The Premier League season kicks off this Saturday and it promises to be one of the most exciting campaigns yet. Of course, everybody likes a flutter on who will be champions and here at Tactical Gamble we're providing you with our predictions and where you can get the best prices in the betting market. Good luck and enjoy!

Man Utd - 1st

Best title odds: 7/4 (William Hill, Paddy Power, Bwin)

The 19 times champions showed on Sunday they are keen to put their Champions League disappointment behind them and reaffirm their supremacy in England. Ashley Young seems to have settled in well at Old Trafford and the emergence of Welbeck and Cleverley will add youthful enthusiasm to United’s experienced title winning squad. Replacing Van Der Sar remains an issue and De Gea’s Community Shield performance did little to allay those fears, but so far they seem ahead of the rest. If Wesley Sneijder arrives, Sir Alex Ferguson could well be on his way to lifting United’s 20^th title.

Man City - 2nd

Best title odds: 9/2 (Coral)

City probably has the strongest squad in the Premier League and following their FA Cup victory in May, Roberto Mancini’s side have a new belief that they can finally launch a credible title challenge this season. The signing of Sergio Aguero gives Man City a new attacking dimension and if they can rid themselves of their inconsistency (or City-itis as Joe Royle dubbed it), then they could prove to be more than just United’s noisy neighbours.

Chelsea - 3rd

Best title odds: 3/1 (Bet Fred, Totesport, Victor Chandler, Coral)

New season, new manager, same Chelsea. Villas-Boas faces a big challenge in getting the most out of Fernando Torres, with the Spanish striker struggling with fitness, form or both, but the Blues have an experienced squad eager to put last season’s disappointments behind them and will once again be a formidable title challenger. Chelsea’s defence is one of the strongest in the league and providing their key midfielders Lampard and Essien can stay free from injury, there’s a good chance Abramovich may not be wielding his axe come May.

Liverpool - 4th

Best title odds: 14/1 (Totesport, Bet Fred, Coral) 

During this summer’s Copa America, Luis Suarez proved he can singlehandedly lead his team to glory and if he continues his form from last season then he could inspire Liverpool back into Champions League contention. They also have a quality wide player in Stewart Downing who will provide plenty of assists for Andy Carroll this season and the signings of Charlie Adam and Jordan Henderson mean Liverpool’s squad has plenty of depth and quality. There are still plenty of doubts surrounding the defence (Agger’s fitness, Johnson’s positioning, Carragher’s age) but with the fans united and no European football to distract them, Kenny Dalglish’s side could have a very successful season.

Arsenal - 5th

Best title odds: 11/1 (Totesport, Bet Fred, Victor Chandler, Coral) 

The fortune of Arsene Wenger’s side has followed an all too familiar path in recent seasons – a bright start, followed by great expectations before a disappointing final few months. The imminent departure of Cesc Fabregas would indicate things could only get worse for Arsenal, but perhaps his exit will rid the club of the uncertainty surrounding the club and allow committed talents like Wilshere and Ramsey to flourish. Arsenal’s title chances shouldn’t be written off, especially if they can bring in a commanding centre back and keep Van Persie fit, but this season looks to be one of the toughest yet for Wenger’s side.

LEAGUE ONE TIPS FOR THE SEASON

Promotion


The race for promotion this season promises to be one of the most hotly contested contests in the domestic football season. With clubs the stature of Sheffield United and Preston entering the division to compete with the likes of Charlton, Sheffield Wednesday and last year's unfortunate play off finalists Huddersfield, it promises to be an extremely close race and all 5 of those clubs will be under great pressure to achieve promotion this year.


Tactical Gamble's no.1 pick for automatic promotion in League One is Preston North End. Preston had a dreadful season last year in the Championship but there were signs of progression after Phil Brown took over in January and he has brought a distinguished coaching staff to Deepdale, including former Man City manager Brian Horton. The Lancashire club have also invested in experienced players such as Graham Alexander and Clarke Carlisle who experienced promotion with Burnley in 2009 and will bring great quality and leadership to the Preston backline. To add to that Preston are boosted by the return of Neil Mellor, who scored 13 goals in League One last year during his loan spell at Sheff Wed, and the potential strike partnership with Iain Hume will guarantee plenty of goals in their quest to return to the championship. Most bookies have Preston at 2/1 for promotion, which represents good value in the tight League One promotion odds, with William Hill offering the best price of 8/1 that they will finish top of the table.


Top Goalscorer


Naturally with so many big clubs competing for promotion, there are a number of valid contenders for the League One Golden Boot. Bradley Wright-Phillips has been installed as the favourite with most bookies and the aforementioned Neil Mellor will be near the top of the chart providing he can steer clear of injury. However Tactical Gamble is backing Huddersfield Town's Jordan Rhodes to be top scorer in League One, who can be found at a best price of 10/1 on Bet 365. Rhodes has looked impressive in pre-season, scoring 4 goals, and as the main attacking threat in a Huddersfield side who love nothing more than creating chances, he looks almost certain to build on the 16 goals he scored last campaign. His side are hoping to put last season's play off anguish behind them and Rhodes goal scoring prowess will give them every hope of going one better this year.

LEAGUE TWO BETTING TIPS

Promotion

The race for promotion in League Two will no doubt be an intriguing one, with several teams rightfully feeling they have a chance of gaining automatic promotion or even winning the division.

Crawley Town have been made favourites by most bookies and their spending power means they will certainly be contenders. However there is very little value in betting on Crawley, with Blue Square offering the best price of 8/11 for automatic promotion.

My tip for promotion in League Two is Rotherham United. The Millers narrowly missed out on a playoff position last season after a poor second half of the season, but experienced summer signings such as Danny Schofield and Lewis Grabban should help prevent a post-Christmas slide this campaign and striker Adam Le Fondre will provide plenty of goals, as he always has done at this level . Bwin offer the best promotion odds at 9/2 but I think they are worth a punt for outright winner, especially seen as manager Andy Scott won the division with Brentford in 2009. You can get 20/1 for Rotherham to be the outright winner of League Two at both William Hill and Bwin.

Top Goalscorer

Much like the race for promotion, there are numerous players who will feel they have a chance at winning the golden boot. Bet 365 are offering Adam Le Fondre at 12/1 and Southend's summer signing Neil Harris at 14/1 but my tip for the League Two Golden Boot is Shaun Miller (pictured, centre) at 18/1 with Blue Square and 888 sport. The Crewe Alexandra striker scored 18 goals last year and now that strike partner Ryan Donaldson has left the club, Miller will be the main man for Dario Gradi's side and I predict he'll score even more this season. 

Welcome

Welcome to Tactical Gamble, a new blog giving you top betting tips for all the football action across England and the rest of Europe.

Each week I'll provide you with the best bets for domestic and European football matches and tell you where you can get the best odds for these bets.

Thank you for visiting and I hope my tips can earn you some money!