This is a 10* on LIVERPOOL

What an early season showdown we’ve got here in the Premier League as current table leaders Everton take on last year’s standard-bearer Liverpool. Not being entirely sold on Everton, we’re backing Liverpool in a serious way on Saturday in the 288th edition of the Merseyside Derby. When these sides take the pitch on Saturday, it will have been 10 years to the date since Everton last beat the Reds. It will also be the 5-year anniversary of Jurgen Klopp taking over the reigns of Liverpool. That the Reds are coming off their worst Premier League loss ever, 7-2 at the hands of Aston Villa two weeks ago, only adds to the drama here. Liverpool has never dropped two straight EPL fixtures under Klopp and coming off the International Break will certainly be ready for this one. Everton is the only EPL side to have taken all the possible points from their first four matches and there is no doubt that the Toffees are feeling good entering this one. But history is not on their side here. Not only has it been a decade since they defeated their rivals, they have not started a Premier League campaign with five straight victories since 1938-39. Though they did defeat Tottenham Hotspur a few weeks back, that remains Everton’s lone win over a “Top Six” team since Ancelotti took over. Too much pressure on Everton here. Play on LIVERPOOL

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This is a 10* on Inter Miami

Our weekly foray into MLS takes us to this clash between Inter Miami CF and the Atlanta United. While both clubs reside near the bottom of the table, Inter Miami has got all the momentum right now as for the first time in franchise history they’ve won back to back games. Since the restart, some signings have really provided a jolt to the team and they are flashing far better form than Atlanta right now. They’ve also had the United’s number this season, winning twice and playing to draw in the three previous head to head meetings. A win here would allow Inter Miami to leapfrog Atlanta in the table. The United are nowhere near as good as they were last season and have been unable to string together many victories. They’ve been kept clean in three of the previous four matches including the last two, which have seen them lose to NYRB and draw with Orlando. Inter Miami has the edge in this one. Play on INTER MIAMI CF

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This is a 10* on PHILADELPHIA 

The Philadelphia Union, currently 4th in the MLS Standings, will look to strengthen their position in what looks to be an easy one against bottom feeder Cincinnati FC. The goal difference between these two clubs is pretty wide. Philly has scored 25 times while conceding only 13 and Cincinnati FC has scored only 8 goals (a league low) while conceding 23. These teams did play to a 0-0 draw two weeks ago at Nippert Stadium. But with the Union now as the home side, look for a much different result. The Union’s recent form has been quite good as they’d been unbeaten over five matches before running into Toronto FC Saturday night. Toronto FC is a top tier team, however, and there’s no shame in that 2-1 loss (that saw Philly score first). Meanwhile, Cincinnati FC has been kept clean in three straight games, one of which was the draw with the Union and the other two being losses. This is a side that has failed to score at all in eight of its last 10 games. The other two saw them score just a goal apiece. An easy fade Wednesday. Play on PHILADELPHIA

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This is a 10* on LEICESTER CITY

Leicester City is flying high so far having claimed all nine possible points from their three matches. While the club has NEVER opened with four straight wins in Premier League play, they are quite likely to change that in 2020 with an ideal matchup early Sunday at King Power Stadium against West Ham. WHU picked up its first win of the season last week and did so in shocking fashion, beating the Wolves 4-0. It was just the third clean sheet in the calendar year for the Hammers, the fewest of any Premier League club involved in both seasons. Fresh off that stunning upset, West Ham is ripe for a letdown this week as they face a side that has scored more times than any other club so far in this EPL season. They haven’t kept back to back clean sheets since September of 2019. Leicester won 5-2 last week against Man City, scoring on three penalties. They’ve now tallied 12 goals in the three games thus far. That’s three more than the next highest scoring team, Liverpool, who has nine goals. Can’t see West Ham slowing the Foxes down here. Play on LEICESTER CITY

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This is a 10* on UNDER

It’s a matchup of 1-0-1 sides in North London Saturday. Tottenham lost their Premier League opener, 1-0 to Everton. But with Everton now sitting at the top of the table, that loss no longer looks bad. The Hotspurs’ form since that loss has been stellar. They are 3-0 across all competitions including a 5-2 win last week over Southampton. Newcastle has gone about their results in a different manner. They started with a 2-0 victory over West Ham on the opening weekend of the campaign. But then the Magpies suffered a much different fate last weekend when they were beaten 3-0 by Brighton & Hove Albion. For those “keeping score,” that’s three clean sheets (either way) in EPL play between these two sides. Both have been kept clean once. Gareth Bale is still a few weeks away from making his Tottenham debut. So don’t go expecting another five goal effort from the Spurs this weekend. Meanwhile, Newcastle just scored 7 goals at Morecambe in Carabao Cup action earlier this week. That’s not going to happen again either. With Newcastle having kept three clean sheets in their last four across all competitions (and being held scoreless themselves in the other), Under is the call here. Play on UNDER

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This is a 10* on COLORADO

These sides played to a 1-1 draw the last time they met. But Colorado has to be “licking its chops” heading into this rematch. That’s because San Jose finds itself in a terrible way, winless in eight straight matches, and they just took a 6-1 thrashing at the hands of the Portland Timbers. Colorado should look at tonight’s game as a must-win. The Rapids are 6th in the Western Conference table and coming off a clean sheet victory over the LA Galaxy, 2-0. While San Jose has a decent showing in the MLS is Back Tournament, they’ve been putrid since the regular season returned. The Earthquakes have conceded 23 goals while scoring only seven of their own. They haven’t won any regular season game and recently have taken three terrible losses where they were outscored 18-3 by LAFC, Seattle & Portland. Coach Matias Almeyda admitted there is a huge gap between the Quakes and the top teams in this league. After going on the road for three straight games, Colorado will be glad to be back home and should win convincingly tonight. Play on COLORADO

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This is a 10* on Leicester

While ending up only fifth last season may have been disappointing in retrospect (poor finish), Leicester City had to be happy with the way they opened the 2020-21 campaign. The Foxes recorded an easy 3-0 victory over West Brom last week and now look to make it back to back EPL wins for the first time since New Year’s Day. History is on their side as they’ve lost a home opener just once in the last 13 seasons. Their opponent, Burnley, have yet to hit the Premier League pitch as last week’s game vs. Man U got postponed. The Clarets had a much different finish than Leicester last season. They were beaten only twice in the last 16 games, which was quite an achievement and allowed them to finish mid-table. But they’ll come into their opener down some key players and they haven’t won here since 1968! While the Premier League opener was postponed, Burnley did just play Thursday vs. Sheffield United in EFL Cup action (where they progressed via penalty shootout). We think that’s a disadvantage. Play on LEICESTER CITY

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This is a 10* on CHELSEA

Chelsea went on a spending spree during the offseason, in the hopes they can overtake Liverpool and Man City at the top of the Premier League table. Despite all the new talent, the Blues still have aways to go after last season’s fourth place finish with a +15 goal differential. But they should open with an easy win here against Brighton, a side whose mid-table finish last campaign pretty much represents their “ceiling.” While not winning the FA Cup may have been a disappointment for Chelsea, reaching the final showed enough positives that we’re confident they get the job done in the 2020-21 opener. In our opinion, Brighton is getting a BIT too much respect here. Maybe that’s due to playing Chelsea to a 1-1 draw in preseason or the fact Christian Pulisic is likely absent from the pitch Monday. But having brought in so many world-class players, anything less than a win here for Chelsea will be viewed as a massive failure. An early-season cheap price is something that should be taken advantage of, without question. Play on CHELSEA

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This is a 10* on the OVER

If it feels like the 2019-20 Premier League season just ended, well, that’s because it did on July 26th. The incredibly quick turnaround between campaigns is obviously due to COVID-19, but you can bet all the clubs are eager to return to the pitch, starting Saturday. Liverpool is off a historic season where it set a number of EPL records, including earliest title win (with seven matches to spare). They also won 18 in a row (before being defeated by Watford on Feb 29), 25 straight at home and at one point had a 25-point lead in the table. Being that it was their first domestic title in 30 years, Liverpool is far from assured of finishing first again. They made almost no offseason additions. The same cannot be said for Leeds United, who added Rodrigo to its ranks via a record setting deal. Of course, Leeds has a long way to go to catching the likes of Liverpool as they were just promoted (after a 16-year Premier League absence) due to winning last season’s Championship. What we think you can expect here is a relatively high-scoring affair, or at least one that goes Over the total. Liverpool has kept just one clean sheet in its last nine affairs, which includes the preseason. Play on OVER

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This is a 10* on INTER

Though they’ve never fared particularly well against Spanish competition, Internazionale has to be considered the favorite here in this final Round of 16 matchup in the Europa League. Had this match taken place five months ago as originally intended (COVID-19), then certainly we would give Getafe a fighting chance. But the respective forms of the two sides since lockdown ended couldn’t be more different. Inter have lost just one of 14 matches since returning to the pitch and a strong finish (three straight wins) domestically landed them just one point back of nine-time Serie A champ Juventus. Inter actually sported a superior goal differential compared to Juventus and should feel very confident here facing an opponent that is winless in its last six competitions (4L 2D). Getafe wound up finishing in the middle of the La Liga table (8th) and what’s most worrisome about the recent form is they haven’t scored a single goal in five of those previous six matches! Should be an easy one for the favorite Wednesday. Play on INTERNAZIONALE

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This is a 10* on SAN JOSE

Group stage is complete in the MLS is Back Tournament leaving 16 teams in a traditional tournament-style play to determine the 2020 Cup Champion. San Jose won Group B thanks to two wins and a draw. They kept two clean sheets in the Group Stage, one of them a scoreless draw against last year’s champ Seattle in the opener. Since then the Earthquakes have found the back of the net a total of six times, an impressive number for sure. In all three Group stage matches, the Quakes had more scoring opportunities than their opponents and they did an excellent job at dictating the play. Real Salt Lake is a “Wild Card” qualifier out of Group D, meaning they finished third. They were 1-1-1 and scored only two goals the entire Group stage. On the bright side, they only allowed two goals. But the loss of Albert Rusnak has clearly hurt them in terms of creating scoring opportunities. We’re a little shocked at this line and are backing SJ all the way! 10* on SAN JOSE

10* on LAFC

The MLS season was just two weeks old when lockdown happened. Now the league is back with an interesting format that is similar to the World Cup. The 25-team league has been broken down into six four-team groups (FC Dallas not competing) with the top two from each (as well as the next four highest ranked teams) advancing to the knockout stage in what is being called the “MLS is Back” Tournament.The entire event takes place in Orlando. It’s round robin play within each group and here we’ve got a Group F matchup between LAFC and the Houston Dynamo. LAFC had a win and a draw to its credit prior to the lockdown while Houston had a draw and a loss. LAFC is considered the favorite to win this entire tournament even with star Carlos Vela staying home to be with his pregnant wife. They are coming off a record-setting 2019 in which they won the MLS’ “Supporters Shield” with 72 points. Now it's about redemption after last year’s playoff failure. We like them to open group play with a ‘W’ as Houston simply lacks the talent to compete with the top teams in MLS. The Dynamo have missed the playoffs in six of the last seven MLS seasons and are simply overmatched in this one. While it was four months ago, a 4-0 loss to Sporting KC in their last match was an ugly sign. 10* on LAFC.

This is a 10* on WATFORD

Watford is still looking to avoid relegation. Right now they’re only three points clear of Bournemouth, who played to a scoreless draw (thus getting a point) with Tottenham earlier in the week. It was Tuesday that a spectacular bicycle kick from the foot of Danny Welbeck lifted Watford to a 2-1 decision over Norwich City. Now they go for two in a row, something they have not done since January 1st. Tuesday’s win was actually their first since the return from lockdown. But we like their odds against a Newcastle side whose general interest can certainly be called into question right night after taking an ugly 5-0 loss against Man City earlier this week. That was the second time being held scoreless in the last four matches and they’ve got just one win during that same span. With this being the easiest of Watford’s remaining fixtures, they badly need a win in order to avoid falling into the bottom three of the table. 10* on WATFORD

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This is a 10* on Inter Milan

The top four in the Serie A table are pretty well set. Internazionale is fortunate enough to say they are included in that group as they currently stand third but they’ll be looking for a little redemption on the pitch here after losing 2-1 to Bologna last Sunday. Luckily for Inter Milan, the top two teams in the league also just both suffered surprise upsets. The hopes of catching Juventus for the top spot seem dim, however, the four point gap that exists between Inter Milan and Lazio is certainly attainable. Gaining the maximum number of points here, at the expense of Verona, doesn’t exactly seem like a tall order either. After all, Verona has won just once in its previous four matches. Results for them have been rather pedestrian throughout the campaign and they’ve been held without a goal twice in those last four while also routinely fading in the back half down the stretch. Last week’s 2-0 loss to Brescia may have been the breaking point. On the other hand, off their own loss last week, Internazionale should come out inspired on Thursday. 10* on Internazionale 

This is an 8* on TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Despite keeping a clean sheet for the second time in three matches, Tottenham’s form since the lockdown ended just hasn’t been good enough to make any ground up in the chase for Champions League qualifying. They currently sit 8th in the table, meaning they’d need to make up an 11 point difference and pass four clubs. It’s obviously not looking good in that regard but Thursday’s tussle against Bournemouth certainly looks promising. Bournemouth is inching dangerously close to relegation as they are tied with Aston Villa for second to last in the table. A win is something they desperately need right now, but even with one they wouldn’t be safe. Victory is something this side has tasted only seven times this entire campaign and the last one came all the way back on Feb 1st. Since that time, it’s been seven defeats and one draw. They’re 0 for 4 since lockdown ended, having been kept scoreless in the first two and then giving up nine goals in the last two. Bournemouth is clearly a side you want to be fading whenever you get the chance. This is a really cheap price on Hotspur! 8* on TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

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This is a 10* on BARCELONA

Barca played to yet another draw (2-2 against Atletico Madrid) on Monday. That was the third draw in six matches since returning from the lockdown. "It's a real shame and the league title is looking much harder for us with each game," said Barca coach Quique Setien. That said, Barcelona is still only one point behind Real Madrid, though the table leaders do have a match that’ll take prior to this one, that being Thursday vs. Getafe. It was quite the strange draw for the Catalans Monday as there were three goals converted from the penalty spot while there was also an own goal. This came on the heels of Barca twice throwing away the lead in a 2-2 finish vs. Celta Vigo last week. Our expectation is that the side will come into this one very focused and ready to roll. Villareal has not lost since La Liga resumed (4W 1D), but has been beaten 11 times during the campaign. Two of the clean sheet victories came against teams at the bottom of the table. We love Barcelona in this one. 10* BARCELONA

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This is a 10* on the OVER

Realistically, Man City was not going to catch Liverpool for the top spot in the Premier League. But last Thursday’s 2-1 loss to Chelsea (where we hit the Over 2.5) ensured this Thursday’s matchup would be rendered rather meaningless. Liverpool has now clinched its first outright title in 30 years. Man City is going to finish second. As we said in our analysis for the battle with Chelsea, Man City was bound to concede a goal or two after keeping FOUR consecutive clean sheets against lesser foes. Not surprising is that these are - by far - the two highest scoring teams in the EPL. Expecting a good number of goals here seems like a formality. In City’s last 15 competitions, they’ve scored in all but three. Liverpool has notched a goal in 11 of its last 15 matches including four times the last time out. Similar to what happened to Man City last week, Liverpool's streak of two straight clean sheets since the return from lockdown is due to end. These sides have a history of going Over including a 3-1 result the last time they met. 10* on the OVER.

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This is an 8* on CHELSEA

Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over Man City (where we cashed the Over) last Thursday had a “ripple effect” throughout the Premier League. The result not only gave Liverpool its first EPL title in three decades, it also ensured that the Blues would preserve a top four spot in the table. Chelsea is unbeaten since returning from lockdown (2-0) and flashing some fine form with five consecutive wins across all competitions. While still only two points clear of fifth place Wolverhampton, Chelsea could find itself third in the table with a win today. We like their chances against a side at the opposite end of the table. West Ham is in serious danger of relegation as they’ve won just one time in the last six matches. The Hammers are currently in a three-way tie for second-to-last in the table and it’s pretty difficult seeing them coming out on top here. Since returning, they’ve been kept scoreless in two matches and you would have to go back to February to find the last time this side found the back of the net. 8* on CHELSEA

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This is a 10* on Wolverhampton

Having delivered a pair of clean sheets (2-0 over West Ham and 1-0 over Bournemouth) since lockdown ended, the Wolvers are currently 6th in the table (technically tied for 5th) with 49 points on the campaign. If Chelsea fails to gain any points from Thursday’s match with Man City (result incomplete as of press time), which is a definite possibility, then the Wolves will find themselves having a chance to leap all the way up to 4th by the end of the day. Being on the cusp of qualification certainly should have them properly motivated for what looks to be another easy matchup. Incredibly, this will be the third consecutive matchup where the Wolves face a club in danger of relegation. Aston Villa is currently tied with the Wolves’ two previous opponents (each at 27 points), only ahead of Norwich. Since returning to the pitch two weeks ago, Aston Villa has authored two draws and a loss to Chelsea. But this is a side that’s tasted victory only seven times in the current campaign, the last coming back on Jan 21st. They’ve scored just twice in three matches played since lockdown ended with one of those coming late against Newcastle to earn the draw. This should be an EASY one for the favorites. 10* Wolverhampton

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This is a 10* on OVER Man City-Chelsea

This top four battle Thursday night at Stamford Bridge features a pair of sides that have been flawless since the lockdown ended. Host Chelsea was victorious over Aston Villa 2-1 on Sunday as they are now without a loss in four straight Premier League matches. They are 4th in the table (51 pts), but just two points clear of 6th. So it is imperative they continue the recent trend of winning. Unfortunately Man City is paying a visit and the Reds are not only 2nd in the table (63 pts) but coming off a commanding 5-0 effort Monday against Burnley. Though they have zero chance of catching Liverpool for the top spot, Man City’s two showings since EPL play resumed showed they aren’t about to “phone it in” here. In addition to the clean sheet Monday, they also beat Arsenal 3-0 last Wednesday. Now 20-3-7 on the campaign, they’ve kept FOUR consecutive clean sheets going back to pre-lockdown. But don’t be surprised if they concede a goal Thursday. Chelsea has scored at least two goals in four straight EPL matches. At the same time, Man City is the highest scoring away team in the league. 10* OVER

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This is a 10* on Real Madrid

Real Madrid kept alive its hopes for finishing atop the La Liga standings with a convincing 3-0 win over Valencia Thursday night. As of press time, Barcelona’s fixture with Sevilla FC is not complete, but when this Sunday match kicks off, Madrid is guaranteed to be no more than five points back of 1st place. It was a strong second half showing at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium Thursday night as all three goals were scored after halftime. The quick turnaround Los Blancos are facing here doesn’t bother us in the slightest as they are in fine form plus you have their opponents facing the same turnaround. Real Sociedad is off a 2-0 loss to Alaves, a somewhat crushing blow to their hopes of finishing in the top four. Real Madrid has put together the best away record in the league this year, picking up 25 points in 14 total matches while netting 22 goals, which is the most of any club. They’ve won both matches since La Liga play resumed. Real Sociedad coming off a draw and a loss doesn’t inspire much confidence in their side.  10* REAL MADRID

This is an 8* on VFL Wolfsburg

Wolfsburg currently sits 6th in the table. However, their push to even qualify for the Europa League remains very much in doubt due to some recent poor form (WLWLWDL). As you can see, they’ve won only one time in the past four matches. They are off a “bad” draw vs. SC Freiburg followed by a somewhat miserable showing vs Borussia Monchengladbach where they were soundly beaten by a score of 3-0. Sloppy play doomed them in that poor mid-week effort, but it’s not as if Wolfsburg didn’t have their own scoring opportunities. It’s just that they ended up flying either wide or high over the crossbar. With no chance of finishing in the top five of the table, a win on Saturday is a MUST for Wolfsburg to preserve their chances of Europa League qualifying. Fortunately they are drawing FC Schalke, whose chances of qualifying are long gone and their recent form has been ever poorer. Schalke has not tasted victory inside of 90 minutes going back to January 17th! Their last six matches have produced four losses and two draws. Their nine total winsis tied for the 4th fewest in the entire Bundesliga and the club could finish 14th for a second straight campaign. A “must” win here for Wolfsburg and we think they get the job done. 8* VFL Wolfsburg

This is an 8* SUPER-BLOWOUT on England.

Many pundits would say that these two teams had the “easier” route here, and while that may be true, they can only play the teams that are put in front of them. Both teams have gone further than expected, but we ultimately believe that ENGLAND’s aggressive offense, led by Harry Kane, will prove to be too much for Croatia to handle. It was a much more difficult victory over Russia than expected for the Croatians and we simply can’t see them matching pace with this deep English side. Great value, play on ENGLAND.

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This is a 10* GAME OF THE MONTH on Uruguay +0.5 goals -109.

We don't subscribe to any single handicapping methodology, but instead feel that being flexible with ones approach is the best way to secure profits over the longterm. Sometimes we keep it simple, while other times we'll take into account numerous different factors, like motivation, scheduling and significant injuries. Recognizing classic "spot bets" is something we always do as well, IE: the "look ahead" spot, the "let down" spot and the "trap" game. One set of criteria which we always use when making our decisions are Against The Spread (ATS) statistics.

This particular play however is based primarily on “common sense.” With the recent news that Uruguay star Edinson Cavini is likely going to miss this game with an injury (or if he does play, he clearly won’t be at 100% form), normally stingy Uruguay will have to become even more so against this opportunistic French side. With its offensive star likely sidelined, Uruguay will be forced to sit back and wait patiently for an opening, while going to penalties wouldn’t be a bad strategy either. We’re playing URUGUAY +0.5 goal.

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This is an 8* SUPER BLOWOUT on the DRAW between England and Colombia.

We don't subscribe to any single handicapping methodology, but instead feel that being flexible with ones approach is the best way to secure profits over the longterm. Sometimes we keep it simple, while other times we'll take into account numerous different factors, like motivation, scheduling and significant injuries. Recognizing classic "spot bets" is something we always do as well, IE: the "look ahead" spot, the "let down" spot and the "trap" game. One set of criteria which we always use when making our decisions are Against The Spread (ATS) statistics.

This particular play is based on a few different factors:

AAA Sports will have their full analysis for this selection posted shortly. No later than 6 hours before game time.

This is a 5* MEMBER ONLY PLAY on Belgium to beat Japan.

There have been a lot of upsets so far in the 2018 World Cup. We don’t think this will turn out to be another one though. Belgium could easily be a much bigger fav in our estimation. Belgium comes in having claimed all nine points in the group round, beating Panama 3-0, then getting the better of Tunisia 5-2, before then handling England 1-0 with a goal from Adnan Januzaj. Japan upset a ten-man Colombia in its first match, before then drawing with Senegal 2-2. Poland though beat Japan 1-0 in the third game. Belgium proved it can slow down a top notch offense last time out, stymying the Three Lions high-octane attack. We have a hard time seeing the Japanese mustering much of an offensive attack in this one. Lay the price with confidence, play on BELGIUM.

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This is an 8* TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER on the UNDER between Russia/Spain.

Russia smashed Saudi Arabia and Egypt, but then came back down to Earth in its 3-0 loss to Uruguay in its final match. Spain comes in on a 23 match unbeaten streak and it’s never lost to Russia ever. The Spanish have depth across the board and while they’ve let in some goals in this tournament, we think they’re going to be able to slow down the host nation in this one. Spain can sit back and wait for the panicked Russians to make the first mistake. We like the Spaniards to control the pace of this one and we look for this total to fall UNDER once it’s all said and done.

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This is an 8* SUPER BLOWOUT on Argentina.

In the 2016 Euros we released a play on Iceland to beat England outright and that prediction would pay off at +795. This underdog prediction isn’t nearly as large, but considering the recent form of each team, we think that Argentina has a fantastic shot at scoring the outright upset. Certainly the Argentinian’s have nothing to lose, as they’ll be throwing everything they have to score an upset here after a lacklustre Group Stage effort was salvaged somewhat in its 2-1 victory in its final contest, including a great goal by Lionel Messi. France grabbed six points over its first two games, but it’s look far from dominant so far in this tournament. Loaded with talent, but lacking cohesion and heart, we think the French are ripe for the picking on Saturday morning. The shockers continue in the 2018 World Cup, play on ARGENTINA.

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This is a 10* ART OF WAR on Colombia.

We had a play on Colombia in its 3-0 win over Poland. The Colombian’s were forced to play 87 minutes and stoppage with just ten men due to a red flag hand ball penalty early in their opening round loss to Japan, but at full strength they’d then hit their stride in Game 2. Senegal comes in off a 2-2 draw with Japan last time out, after defeating Poland outright in its opener. There are many scenarios on who will move on and who will be left behind still to be decided in this group, but Colombia will advance with the outright victory. We don’t think it’ll be leaving anything to chance today. Colombia’s more convincing win over Poland is the difference maker for us in this pick. Great price on the suddenly hot COLOMBIANS.

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This is a 10* ASSASSIN on France -158 on the 3-Way Line (lose if draw), offered at BookMaker.

Denmark has four points, beating Peru 1-0, and then drawing with Australia 1-1. France has earned a full six points, but it hasn’t really lived up to the lofty expectations that are on it. Still, we think that France is the correct call here. The French are loaded with talent and we are expecting a big performance here. Keep your eyes on Antoine Griezmann for the French. Denmark has been decent defensively, but we think it’ll get overwhelmed here by a France side which will be looking to push the pace from the outset. No draws here, as we predict a decisive victory in regulation and penalty time. Play on FRANCE.

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This is a 10* RED DRAGON on Egypt -135 on the 3-Way line (lose if draw) offered at BookMaker.

Both teams have already been eliminated. Saudi Arabia wasn’t expected to do much, but clearly it’s a big letdown for Egypt. They’ll be playing for pride today though and we expect the “better” team to find a way to get the job done at the end of the afternoon. Egypt lost a late one to Uruguay in its opening game and then it fell flat against host Russia. But with a chance to redeem a little bit of its pride against Arab rival and lightweight Saudi Arabia, we expect Egypt to finally step up here. The Saudi’s have gotten poor goaltending, as Mohammed Al-Owais (in for Abdullah Al-Mayouf against Uruguay) was at fault for the goal they conceded last time out. Fahad Al-Muwallad is the only Saudi player to have at least ten international goals on the current squad. Egypt though will be looking to take advantage, as Saudi Arabia has now lost five straight matches, allowing 13 goals and scoring just two in that span. Whether Mo Salah plays or not, we think that Egypt’s depth will prove to be too much for the Saudi’s to match at both ends of the pitch. Great value, play on EGYPT.

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This is a 10* GAME OF THE MONTH on Colombia.

We had a big play on Colombia in its surprising 2-1 loss to Japan in its opening game of the group stage. However, when taking into account that the Colombian’s played 87 minutes down a man because of a red card (plus stoppage time), then the upset isn’t nearly as big. In fact, it makes sense as Japan would go on to pretty much play mistake free, while also take advantage of the circumstance it found itself in. Poland gave up two goals to Senegal in its opening match, and it will claim “bad luck.” But Senegal took advantage of what was presented to it as well and for the most part, it deserved the win by controlling the flow of the game. We think that Colombia will bounce back big here after its heroic attempt came up short, while Poland’s attack has now clearly stalled. Play on COLOMBIA.

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This is an 8* SUPER BLOWOUT on Iceland on the 3-Way Line (lose if draw), offered at +163 at Pinnacle.

We had a play on Iceland at +795 in its upset win over England in the 2016 Euros. Since then Iceland has gone on to convincingly punch its ticket to the 2018 World Cup for the first time in its history, which was then followed by a convincing 1-1 draw with powerhouse Argentina. Nigeria will be desperate here after falling 2-0 to Croatia, but the Super Eagles’ offensive attack looked impotent. Iceland’s style of play does not lead much hope for Nigeria either. Iceland makes the most of its opportunities, sitting back and waiting for its opponent to make the first mistake. We like ICELAND to continue its improbable run and to dominate Nigeria from start to finish.

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This is an 8* SITUATIONAL BLOWOUT on Argentina on the 3-Way Line (lose if draw) offered at Pinnacle.

These two teams represent the cream of the crop in Group D, but Argentina is favored to win this match and this group for a reason. Argentina went to a 1-1 draw with Iceland to begin, which puts added emphasis onto this game. Croatia though beat Nigeria 2-0, so it’s going to b feeling pretty good about itself. Croatia is no doubt loaded with talent, with the likes of: Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic, Ivan Perisic and Mario Mandzukic. But Argentina still has the upper hand on the field and it comes in ultra-hungry overall. When you add it all up, we definitely believe that this line could/should in fact be a lot larger. Play on ARGENTINA.

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This is a 10* ART OF WAR on Denmark on the 3-Way Line (lose if draw), offered at -118 at Bet365.

This is the second game of the Opening Round of 3 for both sides. Barring a major injury, we think the Danes will find a way to get the job done here no matter what. Denmark has a favorable matchup against Peru in the opener and with a victory here, it’ll all but assure itself a trip to the Round of 16. Denmark is the deeper/more skilled side which would dismantle Ireland in the qualifying. Australia though is likely going to come in a bit discontented here with a tough opening matchup against France. The Socceroos had a difficult qualifier and then they lost their manager as well just before the tournament. Australia enters the tournament with more questions than answers, while the Danes come in focused. Denmark has world class talent in Christian Eriksen and Pione Sisto and we believe they’ll be the difference here. Play on DENMARK.

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This is an 8* SITUATIONAL DESTRUCTION on Portugal -163 on the 3-Way Line (lose if draw) offered at Bet365.

This will be each team’s second “Group B Fixture,” and if any major injuries occur after their first, we’ll slightly adjust the analysis here. But barring Christiano Ronaldo breaking his leg, not matter what happens we’re going to like the Euro heavyweights in this matchup. Morocco won’t be going down without a fight, but the team simply lacks the talent and skill to compete with Portugal in any seriousness. Portugal opened its qualifying with a surprising loss to Switzerland, but then rattled off nine straight victories, including a convincing 2-0 win over the Swiss in their finale. Ronaldo had 15 goals himself. Morocco finished the top of its group in the final round of qualifying, starting slowly as well and then finishing with a 2-0 win over Ivory Coast to lock in its spot. As we outlined above, unless Ronaldo gets injured in the first game, we believe that PORTUGAL is absolutely the correct call/best value in this spot. 

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This is a 10* BIG TIGER on Colombia on the 3-Way Line (lose if draw) -122 offered at Pinnacle.

Colombia had a big run in the 2014 World Cup behind the brilliant play of James Rodriguez and we think it’ll find a way to get the job done against a Japan side which we believe is searching for an identity still. The Japanese do have talent though, with the likes of Honda and Kagawa, but the Colombian’s overall depth/talent will prove to be too much in our opinion. Japan has the ability to score, but Colombia’s attacking third has the big advantage in this matchup. To go along with James, keep your eyes on Carlos Bacca and Juan Cuadrado. For all the reasons listed above, play on COLOMBIA.

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This is an 8* TOP OPENING RND. DOG PLAY on Sweden +124 on the 3-Way Line (lose if draw), offered at Pinnacle.

It’s Sweden vs. South Korea in the Opening round and in our opinion, all signs point to a slight upset on Monday. The Swedes come in having eliminated Italy in the World Cup playoffs and they’ll be looking to parlay that success into another victory here. South Korea has an amazing player in Son Heung-Min, but we believe the Tottenham Hotspur phenom can’t possible do everything himself here, which does indeed swing the value onto the Nordic side in our opinion. Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not be suiting up for the Yellow-Blues this tournament, but the Swedes boast a ton of talent still, both up front and in the back. Son Heung-Min is an awesome talent, but we believe the Swedes balance/depth proves to be the difference in the end here. Play on SWEDEN.

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This is a 6* BLOWOUT on Germany -194 on the 3-way line (lose if draw) offered at SportsInteraction.

Two of the top teams in the World collide in this one, but as good as Mexico is, we’d be shocked if the South American country pulled off an upset so early here. Germany actually set a new record during qualifying this year with a goal difference of +39. It wasn’t perfect, but Germany would close qualification with a 3-1 win over Northern Island and it would post 43 goals over ten total matches. El Tri rolled through the CONCACAF group, but note that Mexico has exited the in the second round in six straight World Cups. Mexico also has a few questions concerning availability of players including Diego Reyes and Andres Guardado. And if recent history is any precedence, then German fans should be feeling pretty confident here, as when these teams met in the 2017 Confederations Cup, Germany would emerge with a convincing 4-1 victory. Mexico likes to sit back and control the pace and let the other team make the first mistake, but against Germany that game-plan simply won’t work. The Germans have the best goaltender in the World and they’re an offensive juggernaut. Note that Germany conceded just four goals during their 2014 World Cup run and kept a clean sheet in the final. Basically we feel that the Germans could/should in fact be much larger favorites. Great value, play on GERMANY.

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This is an 8* SUPER BLOWOUT on Uruguay -135 on the 3-Way Line (lose if draw) Pinnacle.

We think Uruguay will go 3-0 in the group stage. This is Egypt’s first World Cup since Italia 90 and while it should be a “lock” to come in second (ahead of host Russia and long-shot Saudi Arabia.) During the qualifying stage the Pharaohs lost just once and while they do have arguably the best player on the planet in Mohamed Salah, they lack the depth of the experience of Uruguay. Edinson Cavini had more goals than Neymar and Coutinho combined in the qualification round with ten for Uruguay. As good as Uruguay is up front, is as solid is it is in the back as well. Honestly, we feel that this line could/should in fact be a lot larger as we expect URUGUAY to step up and send an early message to its Group and to the rest of the teams in the 2018 World Cup. 

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This is an 8* TOTAL ASSASSIN on the UNDER between Stoke and Leicester City.

Leicester City has dealt with its fare share of issues already this season, but it is in fact position well heading into the backend of the campaign. Leicester still has a legitimate shot at qualifying for Europe through the league. Stoke though has earned just five poitns in four games under Paul Lambert’s guidance and it’s going to need to try and find a way to string some victories together if it has any hope this year. Note that Leicester has won four of its last five home games to nil, so it’s been very solid of late. And we think that stingy play gets carried over here. All signs point to a lower-scoring UNDER.

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This is an 8* BLOWOUT on Manchester City at -1.5 -118.

We think that Everton will once again have a hard-time scoring this week and we look for the home side to take advantage and pad its lead late. Manchester City had to work harder than expected in its opening win over Brighton, but Sergio Aguero would break the tie in the 70th minute, en route to the eventual 2-0 decision. Everton managed a narrow 1-0 victory against Stoke City off the foot of newcomer Wayne Rooney. City will be extra motivated here as well after Everton remained unbeaten in two matchups last year, winning 4-0 at home and then drawing 1-1 at the Etihad (Manchester City missed two penalties in that one.) Note though that Everton hasn’t won at Etihad since 2010, losing four and drawing three in that span. City lost at home only once last year, but averaged under two goals per game. Look for Pep Guardiola’s team to start the 2017 home campaign off with a much better all around effort. Lay the 1.5 goals for the near pick-em price.

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This is a 5* TOP WORLD CUP QUALIFIER PICK on Croatia PICK -224 from 5 Dimes.

We had a play on Iceland at +795 in its historic outright victory over England in the Euros last summer. Iceland drew its opening World Cup qualifier to Ukraine, before beating Finland and Turkey at home. It then lost away at Croatia. Iceland is extremely tough at home, but this Croatia team is just too deep in our estimation. The visiting side sits atop its World Cup qualifying group as Croatia has won four of its five World Cup qualifiers. Croatia has Iceland’s number, winning four of the last five in the series. All signs point to another lop-sided destruction, play on CROATIA.

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This is 10* TOP PLAY on the UNDER 2.5 goals -141 at 5 Dimes between Juventus and Real Madrid.

Real Madrid looks to defend its UEFA Champions League title against Juventus on Saturday at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Real Madrid eliminated Atletic Madrid, while Juventus bested Monaco to advance. Juventus won 4-1 on aggregate, while Real won 4-2 in aggregrate. With so much on the line though, we’re expecting a much more conservative style from each team today. Both teams tough defenses are always overshadowed by their dynamic offenses. Clearly Juventus will be out to slow down Christiano Ronaldo, who leads Zinedine Zidane’s team with ten goals in only 12 Champions League games. But both of these teams are loaded with talent and each is chasing a double crown. Real is the class of Europe in which all other teams are compared to, but Juve has the quality and depth to slow it down. Play the UNDER.

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This is an 8* SUPER TOTAL on the OVER Arsenal and Everton.

Arsenal has to win this game and get some outside help to qualify for the Champions League, but Everton looks like the perfect opponent to hold up its end of the bargain as it hopes to carry momentum over into the FA Cup Final. Arsenal has won four in a row since its last defeat at Tottenham at the end of April, posting ten total goals in the process. Keep your eyes on Alexis Sanchez, who has been involved in 47 of Arsenals goals this year, scoring 28 of those and assisting on a further 19. Everton won’t be advancing, but it does come in off a 1-0 win at home to Watford last Friday. Injuries played a major role in the Toffees drop off to close the season, but Morgon Schneiderlin returned for the victory last week and he’s expected to keep his place ahead of Gareth Barry. And note that Everton already took the reverse fixture on December 13th this season by a score of 2-1. We look for these teams to combine for enough offense to push this one OVER as it comes down the stretch.

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This is an 8* TOTAL ASSASSIN on the UNDER between Swansea City and Sunderland.

Sunderland broke its ten match winless slide with a 2-0 win on the road against Hull last week. Sunderland would go on to collect more points in that one victory than in its previous ten games combined. The Black Cats though are 11 points out of the safety mark with just nine points left to go. Swansea also comes in off a victory at home over Everton last weekend. The victory put it a point clear of the bottom three teams with two games left to play. Swansea City has been poor on the road, having won three away games all season. Sunderland though is winless in its last nine home games. We’re expecting these bottom feeders to battle to a classic lower-scoring affair, play the UNDER.

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This is a 10* SIDE OF THE MONTH on Leicester City.

Leicester City won the championship last season, but two months ago it was in dire straights. The Foxes have sorted themselves out since then and only Tottenham and Liverpool have posted more points then their total of 19 since Craig Shakespeare took over the head coaching duties. It’s an interesting matchup, as both teams sit on the “safety benchmark” of 40 points. However listen to the way that Shakespeare is approaching this one: "With Watford being near us, we have to try and beat them on Saturday. I'm a big believer in momentum. We've got three home games left at King Power Stadium. We'd like to finish on a high and that will be the message." Also note that Watford’s only win at Leicester in its last nine attempts came in the Championship four years ago. Keep your eyes on Jamie Vardy, who has nine goals in 13 games for the Foxes. The Hornets have lost four straight away matches without scoring and their only away win in 12 attempts came at Arsenal in January. Watford has struggled with offense of late, tallying only four markers in its last seven fixtures. In our opinion, this line should be A LOT higher, making LEICESTER CITY our May Premier League GAME OF THE MONTH.

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This is an 8* ASSASSIN on Liverpool.

Liverpool is looking to string a couple of wins together as Premier League action for this week will end after the Reds and Foxes battle tonight. Liverpool comes in off a 2-0 victory over Tottenham, which helps after a poor January. The Reds’ dynamic threesome of Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane are once again firing on all cylinders and at 100% health for the first time all season. Mane had two goals in the win over the Spurs last time out. Leicester City is struggling in all facets and has been leaking goals at an alarming rate. We think the REDS’ rejuvinated attack proves to be too much for the Foxes to keep up with. Lay the price for the regulation victory.

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This is an 8* SITUATIONAL DESTRUCTION on the DRAW between Germany and France.

We released one other “draw” so far in the tournament and came out on the correct side of the +285 wager between Portugal and Austria in the qualifying round. The winner of this game will surely be favored in the final. Germany wasted an early lead and needed the shootout to get past the Italians in the quarter finals. It was a tightly contested affair which was tied 1-1 after the 120 minutes. France would lay the hammer down on Iceland 5-2 in its quarter final matchup. Up till then though, France had looked pretty lacklustre, but the host side wasn’t about to be ambushed by the underdog after Iceland upset the English in the knock-out round. It will be a bit of a “feel out” for both sides as it marks the first time these countries have met in a UEFA European competition. And the last time they met in a competitive match was in the quarter finals of the 2014 World Cup, where Germany outlasted France 1-0. We’re expecting a similarily tough fought affair on Thursday night and look for this one to be decided in extra time.

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This is an 8* DESTRUCTION on Wales +0.5 goal.

We’ve played on Wales twice so far in this tournament and won each time. We think the underdog has another legitimate shot today and while we wouldn’t be shocked by the outright upset, we’re going to suggest grabbing the +0.5 goal. Portugal has completely underwhelmed so far in this tournament, yet to even win a game in regular time, needing a late goal and then the shootout to advance past Poland on Thursday. Wales on the other hand continues to get little respect, both from its opponents, but also from the bookmakers as it’s lost only once in the first five games of the tournament, a very unfortunate 2-1 defeat at the hands of England, a contest in which it had a 1-0 lead with just a few minutes left in regulation. Portugal is playing with significant absences as well today as William Cavarlho was booked in quarter-final clash with Poland, while fullback Raphael Guerreiro and midfielder Andre Gomes are still sidelined with their respective injuries. Wales has nothing to lose here and we think will take underachieving Portugal down to the wire. Play on WALES +0.5 goal.

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This is a 5* BLOWOUT on France.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, of course you’ve heard about our now history making +795 winner on Iceland over England in the round of 16. The fact that Iceland beat the overrated English is no fluke. But France is a major step up in competition than England and suffice it to say, we’re expecting the fairy tale to end for Iceland this afternoon. France has been superb in the tournament, having gone unbeaten in four games played so far with three victories and a draw. After going down a goal at half time to the Irish in the round of 16, the French would show great form and patience to bounce back with the decisive 2-1 victory in regulation. Iceland is obviously playing with “house money” to this point, it’s advanced further than it ever has in the Euro. In our professional opinion though, this does indeed set up as a classic “letdown” spot for Iceland after all of the media attention it garnered after its legendary victory. Conversely, anything but a decisive victory for the French will be considered a major disappointment for the host team. We’d be utterly shocked if Iceland pulled off back-to-back titanic upsets. It’s not happening. Play on FRANCE in regulation.

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This is an 8* BEATDOWN on Germany.

Both teams enter the quarter-finals on top form. The Germans have yet to concede a goal and will now look to flex their offensive muscles vs. the stingy Italians and punch their ticket to the semi-finals. Germany is solid up and down and looked very organized in its 3-0 beatdown victory over Slovakia in the round of 16. Italy managed a 2-0 win over Spain in its last game, despite getting outshot. The Azzuri haven’t been unbeatable though as they’d have an unexpected defeat against Ireland in their final group game. Germany enters the quarter-finals with a fully fit squad for Joachim Low and he’s expected to field the same line-up that started in the win over Slovakia. The news isn’t as good for Italy, as Thiago Motta is suspended for this game after picking up his second yellow card of the tournament vs. Spain, while Antonio Candreva is yet to recover from an injury he suffered in the group stage vs. Sweden (also note that Andrea Barzagli, Mattia De Sciglio Leonardo Bonucci, Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini, Daniele De Rossi, Eder, Lorenzo Insigne, Salvatore Sirigu, Simone Zaza and Graziano Pelle are one booking away from missing the next match). Germany actually has a poor record vs. Italy historically, but the last time these teams met was in a friendly on March 29th, 2016 and the Germans would go on to win 4-1. The Germans will also be out to avenge the 2-1 semi-finals loss to Italy in Euro 2012. We’re expecting a lop-sided decision in regulation, play on GERMANY.

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This is an 8* BEATDOWN on Belgium.

We’ve bet on Wales twice in this tournament and have come out on the winning side in both occassions. It’s been quite a run for Wales to this point, but we think it will finally succumb to the much deeper Belgian side today. Belgium comes in off a 4-0 win vs. Hungary. After a loss to Italy in the opening group stage, Belgium has gotten progressively better, followed up with a 3-0 win over Ireland a 1-0 win over Sweden previous to the 4-0 destruction of Hungary. Wales topped Group B over England and Slovakia but looked shaky in its round of 16 victory over Northern Ireland, needing an own goal from Gareth McAuley to book its ticket to the quarter finals. There is injury concern for Wales as well, as captain Ashley Williams collided awkwardly with team  mate Jonahtan Williams in the closing stages of the win over Northern Ireland. Belgium enters the quarter finals “firing on all cylinders,” it has conceded just two goals so far in the tournmanet and has three consecutive clean sheets and eight goals scored from the last three matches. Gareth Bale is Wales only chance, but we can expect Belgium to key in on the polarizing player. All things considered, we think this is a very fair price on BELGIUM in regulation.

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This is a 5* ASSASSIN on Poland.

Portugal has completely underwhelmed to this point, drawing on all of their games at 90 minutes. Poland loves playing a “war of attrition,” a defense first minded club which we think will once again slow down the impotent Portugal attack. The Poles have posted six clean sheets in their last eight games, but only one at the tournament so far. The last time these teams met competitively was all the way back in Euro 2008 qualifying and Poland would take four points from the two games. Portugal has also been stifiling on the defensive end, but offensive star Cristiano Ronaldo has been non-existent to this point of the Euro. Poland has shown a better and more organized offensive push throughout the tournament and in what could be another low-scoring affair, we expect it to pot an early goal and then use its trademark suffocating defensive play to push it through to the semi-finals in regulation.

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This is an 8* SHOCKER OF THE MONTH on Iceland.

So far it’s been an extremely underwhelming tournament for England, while Iceland will once again try to take advantage of an opponent that’s going to take it for granted. England would draw 1-1 vs. Russia, somehow managed a 2-1 victory over Wales, before then drawing against Slovakia. England has been great defensively, but lacks any sort of offensive push. The last time these team’s played, England won 6-1. That however was 12 years ago, Iceland comes into the Knock Out Round with nothing to lose, its 2-1 victory over Austria earned it second place in Group F action. Iceland entered the Euros on a high following a 4-0 rout of Liechtenstein in its final pre-tournament match. Iceland employs an effective defensive strategy which has stymied opponents, holding them to just one goal per game during the group stage. This will be the difference vs. the offensively inept Three Lions. You can’t underestimate the heart of an underdog. Obviously this is a long-shot, but everything does appear to be in place for an upset. Play on ICELAND.

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This is an 8* ASSASSIN on Spain.

It was a tough draw for Italy to face Spain in the knock-out round after securing top spot in Groupe E. Italy is injured up front, most notably to the midfield duo of Marco Verratti and Claudio Marchisio. The Italians though get the job done with stout defensive play, led by legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. These teams played a friendly in March and the result was a 1-1 draw. Spain though would point to the team’s last competitive match in the final of the European Championship when it blew Italy away 4-0 to seal back-to-back titles. As much upheavel as Spain has gone through since its World Cup disaster in Brazil and despite its 2-1 defeat to Croatia in the qualifications, for the most part it’s largely impressed in this tournament. Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta has been brilliant and is a legitimate contendor to be Euro 2016’s outstanding player. We think SPAIN solves the Italian’s tough defensive front and finds a way to get the job done once it’s all said and done.

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This is a 5* ASSASSIN on Germany.

While we’re not expecting a “cake walk” for the reigning World Cup champions in this one, we feel that Germany’s depth and experience will prove to be just too much for Slovakia to overcome in regulation today. Germany has looked especially tough on the defensive end in the qualifications, not conceding a single goal in the three-round group stage. While the Germans won all three games outright, Slovakia would struggle to advance out of its Group with Wales and England leading the way. For added incentive for the high-powered German team today will be the fact that Slovakia beat it in a friendly match just before the Euro. Lay the price with confidence on GERMANY.

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This is a 10* GAME OF THE WEEK on Wales.

Wales comes into this favorable matchup with a ton of momentum after winning Group B. Northern Ireland limps in as the third-place finisher from Group C. The Welsh dominated the Russians 3-0 in their group finale. Northern Ireland earned a 2-0 win over Ukraine, but lost both games outright to Poland and Germany. The bottom line is though is that Wales is the more experienced squad and we think that will prove to be the difference maker today. Northern Ireland’s offense is pretty much non-existent and if the desperate and vastly superior Russians weren’t able to find the back of the net, then we have a hard time seeing it producing much of an attack today either. All signs point to a decisive victory, play on WALES.

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This is a 5* SUPER-BLOWOUT on Poland.

Switzerland made it to the knockout round by finishing second behind France in Group A. Its win against Albania on the opening day was followed by consecutive draws vs. Romania and France. Poland rolls into the knock out phase on fire, a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland was followed with a 0-0 stalemate with German and then a 1-0 victory over Ukraine. If history is any precedence, then Poland has to be loving its chances today, having won nine of the last ten in the series outright. Switzerland was weak in the qualifying round, its two wins in its last seven matches came against minnows Albania and Moldova and it has more than one goal only once during that period. Poland’s midfield is industrious and we think it’ll prove to be the difference today, don’t be surprised to see a lop-sided outcome. Play on POLAND.

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This is a 10* SUPER-BLOWOUT on Belgium.

Sweden and World No. 2 Belgium meet in the third and final round of Group E completions. Sweden’s team captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic has failed to score in the first two rounds of matches, so not surprisingly his team is winless. Sweden is most recently coming off a heart-breaking 1-0 loss to Italy last Friday, holding it scoreless until the 88th minute. Belgium received a wake up call in its 2-0 opening loss to Italy, before then bouncing back with a more focused 3-0 trouncing of the Republic of Ireland in the second round. Belgium has world-class footballers in Eden Hazard of Chelsea, Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City, Yannick Carrasco of Atletico Madrid, and Radja Nainggolan of Roma, to name a few in its lineup. BELGIUM is expected to challenge for the Euro Crown, so we’re not expecting the team to take the foot off the gas until that happens. All signs point to a lop-sided decision and in our professional opinion, this is indeed the very definition of “great line value.”

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This is a 5* SUPER BLOWOUT on Argentina.

The US will be hopeful, but the home side is definitely out-classed today. We think Argentina makes an example of the host nation and punches its ticket to the Final with a resounding effort this evening. The US is already playing with “house money” as its guaranteed to at least tie its best-ever finish in the Copa America tournament. Argentina is led by the best “footballer” on the planet in Lionel Messi and he’ll be out to atone for last year’s setback to the Chileans in the Copa America title game. The teams were deadlocked at 0-0 following extra time and the Chileans would go on to win 4-1 in the shootout. Messi has made his presence been felt already in this tournament, he’d start for the first time in the quarterfinals vs. Venezuela and would post one goal and two assists in the 4-1 victory. The Americans have looked stout defensively over a three-game win stretch, including the 2-1 effort over Ecuador last Thursday, but we have a hard time seeing the US matching the high-flying Argentinians, who have outscored their competition 14-2 so far. Lay the price with confidence.

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This is an 8* SUPER-BLOWOUT on Wales.

Russia has been a major disappointment, while Wales was just two minutes away from leading Group B. Wales though is in second place and will look to continue its brilliant play and take advantage of this disinterested Russian side. Russia had a draw in its opening match vs. England and then lost to Slovakia in its second game. Despite that, the Russians will advance to the Knock Out Round with a win today, but if Wales beats Russia and England settles for a draw vs. Slovakia, the former will finish on top of Group B. We think WALES continues its improbable run and finds a way to get the job done at the end of the afternoon, fantastic value on a very “hungry” team. 

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This is a 10* SUPER-BLOWOUT on France.

This is a battle for top spot in Group A in the final round of the group stages. France is already guaranteed a spot in the knock-out round. So to are the Swiss, who will most likely advance even if with a loss this afternoon. The French are expected to make a couple chnages to their lineup, but the goal of the team is to secure top spot still. Switzerland too is also expected to make changes as many of its key players are one booking away from suspension. When these teams met last in the 2014 World Cup, France would easily come out on top 5-2. All signs point to a similar result. The French will have opportunities in what should be a pretty wide open affair. Lay the very fair price for FRANCE to win this one convincingly.

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This is a 5* TOTAL BLOWOUT on the UNDER between Portugal and Austria.

This is a very important game for both teams and as such, we’re expecting a very cautious approach from each country. Portugal comes in off an underwhelming 1-1 draw against Iceland, while Austria suffered a major setback in a 2-0 loss to Hungary. Both teams need a victory, but an outright loss would be devastating for each as well. Christiano Ronaldo did not make the dramatic introduction to the Euro’s as we he was hoping for for Portugal. The bottom line though is, a draw would not be the end of the world for Portugal, it would be good enough to punch its ticket to the knock-out round. Austria has its back against the wall, the setback to Hungary was a big blow to its hopes in having a good qualification campaign. Despite Portugal’s issues in being able to beat Iceland, we have a hard time seeing Austria mounting much of an attack again today. In this highly contested game, we’re expecting a lower-scoring outcome. Play on the UNDER.

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This is a 5* MONEY-MAKER on the Portugal/Austria DRAW.

This is a very important game for both teams and as such, we’re expecting a very cautious approach from each country. Portugal comes in off an underwhelming 1-1 draw against Iceland, while Austria suffered a major setback in a 2-0 loss to Hungary. Both teams need a victory, but an outright loss would be devastating for each as well. Christiano Ronaldo did not make the dramatic introduction to the Euro’s as we he was hoping for for Portugal. The bottom line though is, a draw would not be the end of the world for Portugal, it would be good enough to punch its ticket to the knock-out round. Austria has its back against the wall, the setback to Hungary was a big blow to its hopes in having a good qualification campaign. Despite Portugal’s issues in being able to beat Iceland, we have a hard time seeing Austria mounting much of an attack again today. In this highly contested game, we think the value is on the “draw.” 

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This is a 6* SUPER BLOWOUT on Colombia.

Peru stands in the way to the semi finals for Colombia. For a nation that hasn’t reached a World Cup since 1982, Peru’s results in the Copa America have certainly caught the eye. As well as making it out of the group stage for eight successive tournaments, the Incas have also finished in third place in the last two events. Peru though is primed for a letdown here after its first win over Brazil in 31 years. Colombia is hungry and out to atone for a 3-2 loss to Costa Rica last Saturday. Note though that in the loss to Costa Rica, almost all of Colombia’s stars were rested. That’s not going to happen today obviously, we can expect James Rodríguez, Juan Cuadrado, Carlos Bacca, Edwin Cardona and David Ospina all on the pitch today. Ultimately we think that Colombia has the greater quality in the final third and expect this to be the difference. We’re laying the price and expecting a decisive victory with COLOMBIA.

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This is an 8* SUPER BLOWOUT on England.

This is the most anticipated match in Britain since the day of the draws. For England, anything but a decision today will be viewed a massive disappoinment. Wales qualified for an international tournament for the first time in 58 years and opened the event with a win over Slovakia. England on the other hand is in second place in Group B after a 1-1 draw with Russia in its opener. There’s bad blood between the coachs and players of the two host teams and while this will surely be a spirited match, we feel that the Three Lions’ depth and overall skill will prove to be just too much for Wales to handle once it’s all said and done. It’s essentially do-or-die for England, we’re laying the price.

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This is a 7* SUPER-BLOWOUT is on Portugal.

All eyes wil be on Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, he’ll look to hit the ground running and once again prove himself on the international stage. This won’t be a cakewalk, Iceland wasn’t expected to even qualify for the tournament and it’s certainly not going to just roll over. While Ronaldo will deservedly be the focal point of this game, you’ll want to also track Iceland’s Gylfi Sigurdsson, who will be Portugal’s main worry. But as good as Iceland has played to this point, clearly Portugal is a major step up in overall quality, it’s massive depth and skill will be just too much for Iceland to handle. And to say Portugal comes in focused to this game (and tournament) would be an understatement: “The players can't wait to get started. It goes without saying that we want to have a good Euros and, in order to achieve that, our aim is still the same. We go into every match to win,” said Portugal coach Fernando Santos. This line should be a lot higher in our opinion, play on PORTUGAL.

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This is a 6* SITUATIONAL BEATDOWN on Uruguay.

It’s been a disappointing tournament for Uruguay (0-2-0, 0 points) which has already been eliminated from the knockout round. The World No. 9 national squad will look to salvage some pride vs. the World No. 46 Jamaican’s in Santa Clara tonight though. Uruguay is without top striker Luis Suarez, but was still expected to be a lot more competitive than it has to this point. Jamaica can empathize, it lost its second straight game in a row in dropping an 0-2 decision to Mexico at the Rose Bowl on Thursday. Despite being without Suarez, Uruguay is by far the superior team and we’re expecting its depth to be just too much for the “Reggae Boyz” to handle this evening. In what should be a lop-sided, wire-to-wire rout, we’re going to recommend laying the price on URUGUAY.

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This is an 8* SUPER BLOWOUT on Sweden.

This will be the Republic of Ireland’s third appearance at the Euro Finals after 1988 and 2012 and it’s yet to make it past the group stages. Ireland is going to have its hands full with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is clearly the best player on the pitch today. Clearly it won’t be a cakewalk though, Ireland has found the back of the net in 11 consecutive matches. These teams are actually very evenly matched, except when you take into account Ibrahimovic. He is the reason we’re backing SWEDEN today and in our opinion, we are indeed getting great line value in this one. Play on SWEDEN.

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This is an 8* SUPER BLOWOUT on Brazil.

If history is any precedence, then Brazil has to be loving its chances today as it’s won 16 straight in this series. Brazil would end in a scoreless tie with Ecuador in its opener last Saturday, meaning that it needs at least a tie to win Group B. Suffice it to say, we’re expecting the Brazilians to avoid any drama today and to find a way to win this one outright convincingly. Peru also drew to a 2-2 tie with Ecuador, so it also has the same opportunity today, but we simply can’t see Brazil leaving anything to chance. The Brazilians would follow up their lacklustre opener with a 7-1 beatdown of Haiti on Wednesday. Peru managed to edge Haiti 1-0 in its Copa America opener last Saturday. Peru was “lucky” to earn the split with Ecuador, which outshot it 18-9. Everything points to a lop-sided destruction, making this a price in which we have no issues at all in laying. Play on BRAZIL.

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This is a 10* COPA AMERICA TOTAL OF THE MONTH on the UNDER between Colombia and Costa Rica.

With the knowledge that it’s already secured its spot in the next round, we look for surging Colombia to go up early and then control this one until the final whistle. In our opinion, all signs do indeed point to the UNDER as the savvy move in this contest. Colombia is already 2-0-0, 6 points, while Costa Rica is 0-1-1, 1 point. Costa Rica on the other hand was humiliated in an 0-4 setback to the United State at Soldier Field in Chicago and will be out to atone for that horrendous outing. Los Ticos concentrate on the defensive side of the ball, if the team is going to lose to Colombia, they won’t want it to be by such a lop-sided amount. It’s a great situational play, as Colombia is contented with its position and will be looking to limit the damage today, while Costa Rica comes in with a chip on its shoulder, determined not to get embarrased on the national stage again. Play on the UNDER.

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This is an 8* RED DRAGON on England.

It’s the Opening match in Group B between England and Russia. The English played well during the qualifications, managing to finish as the best team with ten victories out of ten matches. England would also concede just three goals during the qualifications. Russia comes into the tournament with slightly lowered expectations with two key midfielders in Igor Denisov and Alan Dzagoev both injured. England will be blanketing Artem Dzyuba, who scored eight goals during qualifications. Russia will be playing for a draw and is extremely tough defensively, but ultimately we feel that the skilled players on England will prove to be just too much in the end. The English have never won the opening round in the Euros, so will be especially motivated to get that monkey off their back. THE THREE LIONS take advantage of the wounded Russians and find a way to secure the outright victroy. 

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This is an 8* SUPER-BLOWOUT on Mexico (-1.5 goals -110).

The Jamaican’s are no joke, but Mexico is on a mission and when the smoke clears at the end of this one, we’re expecting El Tri to have won convincingly. With a victory over Jamaica, Mexico will clinch a spot in the quarterfinals. Coach Juan Carlos Osorio has a perfect record in eight matche since taking charge after El Tri took out Uruguay 3-1 in the opening game. Mexico has a big advantage, as all three of its opening round games are in large southern American cities which have giant latino populations (this one is being played in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California). If history is any precedence, then El Tri has to be feeling confident, they’ve won eight and lost just once in the last ten vs. the Reggae Boyz. These teams last met in the Gold Cup Final last year and Mexico won 3-1 and since then Jamaica has taken a step back, amassing just four points from its first four games in penultimate round of the Concacaf World Cup qualifying. We look for Osorio to continue his mastery of putting together effective line-ups and for El Tri to domiante from start to finish. Play on MEXICO -1.5 goals.

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This is an 8* SUPER TOTAL on the UNDER between Columbia and Paraguay.

Columbia comes in off a 2-0 win over USA in the opening match of the 2016 Copa America, scoring both goals in the first half (one on a penalty kick). Columbia has a lot to prove after a terrible showing in last year’s tournament and faces a Paraguay side which has just one win its last five and two in its last ten. A defeat for Paraguay could see it struggle to qualify for the quarter-final with one match to go, so expect it to clamp down on the defensive end. We’re expecting a hard-fought affair, but if Columbia had a difficult time scoring against the US, we believe it’ll have much more trouble in finding the back of the next vs. the hungry Paraguay team. Play on the UNDER.

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This is a 5* STRAIGHT UP WINNER on Mexico.

Mexico will have plenty of supporters as it plays its three Group C matches in Arizona, California and Texas. Uruguay comes into the tournament without star striker Luis Suarez and we think its ripe for a letdown in its opener in the Copa America. Mexico enters the tournament on a 19-game unbeaten streak and hasn’t allowed a goal in eight straight outings. Uruguary is obviously a huge step up in recent competition for “La Tri,” but without Suarez, Mexico has a clear advantage. Mexico hasn’t posted a win at this competition since 2007 so will be especially motivated to prove that it belongs in the same league as the high-powered South American clubs. Uruguay didn’t have Suarez in the line-up in last year’s Copa America and the team managed just two goals in four matches. That’s not going to cut it today vs. Mexico’s red hot defensive play. All things considered, this is a great price on what should be a rocking-chair victory. Play on MEXICO.

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5* play on Brazil.

We feel that Brazil will be out for blood in this tournament after it’s disappointing showing in front of the home town crowd in the World Cup in 2014. If history is any precedence, then the Group B fav has to be feeling pretty confident today as it’s won six straight vs. Ecuador. Ecuador has struggled in international matches this year, dropping decisions to Columbia and the USA, while settling for draws against Paraguay and the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS. La Tri will also be without striker Felipe Caicedo because of a hamstring injury. Brazil is a big group favorite and was fortunate to get such a fortuitous draw with tourney long shots Peru and Haiti in the mix. BRAZIL isn’t the power-house it once was, but it has more than enough to take out inconsistent Ecuador.

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5* play on Peru.

Peru has won the Copa American twice. This will be Haiti’s first game ever in the Copa America competition. Suffice it to say, we expect Peru to come in focused and to take care of business in this favorable opening night matchup. Haiti earned a spot in the tournament after a 1-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in the final play-offs. This is the first time the teams have met since a friendly back in 2003. Haiti will be looking to make a statement today, but Peru has the experience and we think that’ll prove to be the difference in the end. Lay the price on PERU, which could easily be a much bigger fav in our opinion.

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5* play on UNDER Costa Rica/Paraguay (2.5 -130).

Costa Rica comes into this one without top keeper Keylor Navanas, who has an Achilles heel injury. Navas led Costa Rica in 2014 to the World Cup quarterfinals before losing to Netherlands in the penalty shootout. Without its number 1 goaltender, expect Costa Rica to play even more defensively this evening. The Paraguayans are no slouches either, they actually made it to the final four in the 2015 Copa America behind a stingy defense. All signs point to goals being at a premium between these two conservative sides. Play on the UNDER.

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This is a 5* ART OF WAR on the OVER between the USA and Columbia.

When the smoke clears at the end of this one, we’re expecting this total to sail over the posted number. These clubs have met numerous times over the years, but perhaps the most famous meeting was in the 1994 World Cup, a 2-1 victory for the USA. But Columbia holds the upper-hand in major competitions with two wins, one draw and one defeat. Columbia is out for redemption after a horrible showing in last summer’s competition, scoring just one goal in four games. Keep your eyes on James Rodriguez, who will be out to prove himself after a tough year. The US is led by coach Jurgen Klinsman, who has made some progress in his tenure, but whose job is likely on the chopping block if the team has another poor showing in this tournament. It’s a perfect situation to take advantage of as each side will be pushing the pace from the outset, leading to what we believe will be a comfortable OVER.

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This is a 10* ASSASSIN on Manchester City.

This one sets up as a mental letdown spot in our opinion for the Spurs, who come in off a 1-0 win over Watford at White Hart Lane last weekend. Maurice Pochettino’s club is now second in the table and five points behind leaders Leicester City, but we feel the visitors will have their hands full with this hungry/determined City side. After falling last week, Man City needs this victory to keep pace with Leicester. While Tottenham is a decent side and also in the title race, we think that home advantage can not be overlooked today. The clincher for us is what we feel to be this extremely fair price. Play on MANCHESTER CITY.

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This is an 8* SUPER-BLOWOUT on Liverpool.

Both sides come into this one struggling, but we expect Liverpool to finally break the slide and to find a way to get the job done vs. league-worst Aston Villa. Aston Villa is 3-15-7 overall with 16 points, while Liverpool is 9-8-8 with 35 points. Aston Villas is coming off an extremely satisfying 2-0 win over newly promoted team Norwich City last time out, it had previously lost five straight matches. Liverpool is winless in five of its last six matches, it would most recently play to a 2-2 draw with bottom-feeder Sunderland AFC at the Anfield last Tuesday. We’re simply not convinced of Aston Villa though and are definitely not reading too much at all into its win over Norwich. LIVERPOOL is the better team, expect a bounce back performance here and there’s no question that the price is right as well.

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This is an 8* SITUATIONAL DESTRUCTION on the DRAW between Leicester City and Arsenal.

We think it’s a great time to pull the trigger on a “draw” in this matchup. The Leicester City Foxes just shocked Manchester City with a 3-1 victory on Saturday to go five points clear in top spot. Arsenal comes in off a 2-0 win over Bounermouth to draw even on points with second-place Tottenham. A win today for either side would be huge obviously and we expect this enormous sense of competition to result in a very even outcome. The leaders have not feared any rival they’ve faced on the road this year so after upsetting City last week, if the visitors can escape with a point on the draw they’ll obviously be completely satisfied. Arsenal has been tough at home, but the value is simply too great to turn down in the end. We’re recommending a play on the DRAW in this one.

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This is an 8* ASSASSIN on Manchester City.

We don't subscribe to any one single handicapping methodology, but instead feel that being flexible with ones approach is the best way to secure profits over the longterm. Sometimes we keep it simple, while other times we'll take into account a bunch of different factors, like motivation, scheduling and significant injuries. Recognizing classic "spot bets" is something we always do as well, IE: the "look ahead" spot, the "let down" spot and the "trap" game. The actual contestants on the field of play rarely enter into our equation when making selections, unless it's a Top 3 player like a LeBron James or Aaron Rodgers etc. One set of criteria which we almost always use when making our decisions, are Against The Spread (ATS) statistics. Sometimes these stats can be overrated and other times they help foreshadow the outcome of a contest. 

This particular play is based on a few different factors:

If history is any precedence: Manchester City has to be liking its chances today, it’s unbeaten in nine straight vs. Leicester in all competitions (W5, D4). The Foxes have in fact failed to even score in the last three league meetings.

Home field advantage: Manchester City has won seven of its last eight league and cup matches at the Etihad Stadium, drawing the other. It’s won a league-high 28 points in front of the home town crowd. 

Big run, BUT …: Leicester City has lost only one of its last 17 league matches(W11, D5) and just one of its last 15 away games, buoyed by a great defensive scheme. But that said, we simply can’t see the Foxes matching pace with the incredible depth of City today. Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri is also aware of this fact: "Man City have too many dangerous players. You can play a perfect match but they'll win because they have magicians.”

The bottom line: MANCHESTER CITY’s depth and home pitch advantage proves to be too much, we look for it to find a way to get the job done at the end of the afternoon.

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This is a 10* play on Germany in REGULATION.

I think Germany is the much better overall team and that it has gotten significantly better as the tournament has progressed, I like it to take the World Cup in regulation. The Germans are the deeper and more skilled team. Argentina lacks the offensive punch that Germany does. We can expect the Germans to drape themselves over star player Lionel Messi. Argentina was supposed to be one of the most prolific scoring teams heading into the tournament, but that’s not been the case as it’s defense has stepped up and delivered the squad into the Finals; simply put, like Brazil, the Argentinian’s are going to run into a buzzsaw today, I simply can’t see them being able to keep pace with the precision that the German’s bring to the table. Germany really came together in the quarterfinal against France, while it was just a 1-0 win, the team controlled the game from the outset. And of course no soccer fan alive today will forget the German’s 7-1 destruction of Brazil in the semifinals. Argentina would need to win a shootout to advance over Netherlands. I believe German coach Joachim Loew has found the correct formula to maximize the talent on his team and I look for them to deliver the goods. Play on GERMANY in regulation.

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This is a 10* “SEMIFINAL BLOCKBUSTER” on GERMANY TO ADVANCE (this is a “PROP” wager, being offered at -115 at most books).

I think the loss of Neymar is a significant one and look for the talented Germans to take advantage and to find a way to get the job done at the end of the day. Brazil is a deep team as well, but it’s centered around the play of Neymar, who would break his back in his team’s 2-1 win over Colombia. Replacing Neymar is impossible, he’s scored four goals and provided the corner in which Brazil went in front in the quarterfinals. Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari called the setback a “catastrophe.” Brazil has a ton of expectations on its shoulders obviously, in its last two games its taken to playing a much more physical style than what we’ve been accustomed to seeing from it in the past. Constantly fouling an opponents best player has become the norm for Brazil, but I think it will have its hands full in stopping the precision and overall depth that the German’s bring to the table. Also note that Brazil will be without the services of defenseman Thiago Silva, which is a big setback as well. There is an equal amount of pressure on the Germans, who have now made it to four straight semi-finals. Joachim Low’s team comes in with plenty of momentum and confidence though after hammering Portugal 4-0 and a convincing 1-0 win over France, an outcome that was never in doubt if you watched the game. The German midfield is built to stop the Brazilians play, and as mentioned off the top, it catches a huge break in not having to contend with Neymar. I think the Germans also have the better talent moving forward. Too many hurdles for Brazil today, look for GERMANY TO ADVANCE.

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This is a 5* “DESTRUCTION” on Netherlands.

I don’t anticipate an upset here, Netherlands has aspirations of winning the World Cup, while Costa Rica has far exceeded any of its expectations coming into the tournament. Granted, Costa Rica’s run has been an impressive one and if you’re not up to date on that, here is a quick run down: it came from behind to beat Uruguay and followed it up with a 1-0 win over Italy and then would shutout England in a meaningless match to end the Group stage. Suffice it to say, I believe this sets up as a classic letdown spot for Costa Rica. Netherlands is on a mission and will benefit in not having to face two key players from Costa Rica as Oscar Duarte has been ruled out, and his likely replacement, Roy Miller has also been ruled out due to injury. The Dutch have been the most adept in handling adveristy throughout the tournament, seemlessly switching between their famed 4-3-3 system and also a very un-Dutch like 5-3-2. Coach Louis van Gaal’s mastery of the game was apparent when the Dutch came back to beat Mexico after being down 1-0 with just 10 minutes to play in the Round of 16. Ultimately though, I feel that the Costa Rican defense will not be able to recover from the absence of Duarte and look for Robben and company to break it down eventually. NETHERLANDS keeps on finding ways to advance.

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This is a 10* “WORLD CUP QUARTER-FINAL GAME OF THE YEAR” on Colombia.

Purely from a “value” standpoint, this is an opportunity I am unable to ignore. Colombia, in my opinion, has been the best team in the tournament so far. Brazil on the other hand has looked unbelievably unpsectacular, and has looked beatable in every game it’s played. Conversely, Colombia has dominated each of its matches, set the tone early and never looked back. With a chance to shock the World, I like the Colombian’s to take it to the host Brazilian’s today. Brazil would barely make it out of the Round of 16 vs. Chile, as it was saved by the cross bar twice in the dying moments of regulation in that contest. The expectations are immense on the Brazilian players and I think they’ll have a letdown here; they clearly faded against Chile, their lack of control in the midfield will come back to haunt them vs. this unrelenting Colombian side. Brazil’s best player Neymar has been a lone bright spot, but the slight 22-year old is being asked to do too much in my opinion and the pressure is clearly wearing on him. The entire Brazilian team is on edge, they’re unbelieavably emotional and I think this sets up as a classic letdown spot. Colombia on the other hand can smell the blood; Jose Pekerman’s attacking side has set the tone with pace and skill, led by Juan Cuadrado and James Rodriguez. The biggest concern for Colombia is clearly its backline, it features two young full-backs and 38-year old captain Mario Yepes; however, while many will point out this one defeciency, I’m not entirely buying it, there’s no way that Colombia advances this far if there isn’t talent and skill back there. And speaking of defense, Brazil suffers a major blow here with the suspension of Luiz Gustavo, look for Rodriguez and Cuadrado to once again be pivotal in the outcome of this contest. In my opinion, Colombia is the better overall team and the line value is simply too great. Play on COLOMBIA.

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This is a 5* “DESTRUCTION” on France.

A couple of really good teams collide early on Monday, but I think that France’s depth and speed down the flanks will ultimately prove to be too much for the Nigerian’s and look for it to win this one in regulation. Sometimes a favorite is a favorite for a reason and in this case, France should likely be even a larger favorite here. France would outscore its opposition 8-2 in Group E. One player to keep your eyes on today is Frenchman Karim Benzema, who has three goals and two assists thus far. Nigeria is loaded with talent, but without much international experience, as the Super Eagles have never advanced very deep in the tournament; Nigeria is led by 100-cap defender Joseph Yobo and leading-scorer Peter Odemwingie. Yobo and his younger backline compatriots will have their hands full today though as they’ll have to contend with the likes of Real Madrid’s Benzema, Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud and Juventus’s Pogba, a trio that has totaled 35 international scores. While the Nigerian’s have one of the best netminders in the World in Vincent Enyeama, France captain Hugo Lloris is also an elite player following a spectacular campaign with Tottenham. Expect a consistent, methodical attack from FRANCE for the regulation win.

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This is a 10* “WORLD CUP GOAL” on the Netherlands.

Both teams have been really impressive to this point, but I think the overall skill and depth that Netherlands possesses will be just too much for Mexico to overcome. Charasmatic Mexican coach Miguel Herrera led his team to four points and second place in a tough group which contained Brazil, Cameroon and Croatia. Herrera has taken the leash off his strikers, the midfield three of Andres Guardadao, Jose Juan Vazquez and Hector Herrerra have been superb on both ends of the field. You’ll also want to keep your eyes on 35-year old captain Rafa Marquez who has already contributed significantly, it was his header that brought the crucial opening goal in the deciding group stage vs. Croatia. Dutch coach Louis van Gaal has his team firing on all cylinders, Netherlands has clearly been the best squad so far in the tournament. Van Gaal utilizes a proactive 4-3-3 formation and a 3-5-2 formation, which have resulted in a 5-1 destruction of Spain, en route to full points in the grouop stage. It’s important to note here that the Mexicans will be without the services of Juan Vazquez to suspension, which is a major blow for the team. While the conditions should likely favor Mexico, the Dutch attack down the flanks will ultimately prove to be the deciding factor in my opinion as it will wear down the aging legs of the El Tri backline. Great value on the best team in the World; play on NETHERLANDS.

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This is a 10* “KNOCKOUT STAGE GAME OF THE YEAR” on Colombia.

A great spot, a great price on a great team. Uruguay won’t got down without a fight, but the Colombian’s are just too fast, too deep and too talented, and without their star player in the line-up, I’m actually expecting a wire-to-wire rout in this one. In my opinion, Colombia has been the most impressive team so far in the Tournament, it earned maximum points from the group stage and had to overcome adversity before the Tournament even started. Star player Radamel Falcao was lost before the tournament even began, which forced coach Jose Pekerman to switch to just a single-striker formation and moved in James Rodriguez from the left side. Rodriguez has been the most dynamic player in the World Cup, he’s scored in every game so far and has been key in setting up his teammates. The pace down the flanks has been incredible, and I simply can’t see Uruguary being able to handle the speed. The Colombian’s have been so impressive on the offensive end that it’s easy to overlook how well they’ve played defensively. They’re for real, the full package. Uruguay has lost the services of top player and scorer Luis Suarez who is banned from soccer for a while after biting an opponent in the team’s last match. While the team is still loaded with talent, it now lacks its most potent offensive weapon and I simply can’t see Uruguary mounting much of an offensive attack today. Colombia has the talent to advance deep, look for it to take full advantage today.

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This is a 10* “TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER” on the UNDER between USA and Germany.

There are many storylines to this game, but the bottom line is, I expect these two hungry sides to play to a tight, lower-scoring “chess-match” style of game and expect this total to sneak below the posted number at the end of the match. USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann will face his home country in this one. It’s definitely important to note that if these teams draw today, they both secure a spot in the Round of 16. With a win, the USA will win the Group, but one point also does the trick to move onto the knockout stage. The US had a shot at a 2-1 win over Portugal but would allow a goal in the final moments, earning one point instead of three. Germany looked great in its 4-0 win over England to start, but was rather lacklustre in earning a draw vs. Ghana in its second match. There are many implications for both teams, however there is one scenario which ensures that they both advance despite what any of the other teams in their group do, and that’s to play to a draw. With a single point each, both teams advance. This definitely plays to our advantage. Both teams will be trying for the win early, but if there is just 30 minutes left to play and it’s still scoreless, we can expect each side to take its foot off the gas the rest of the way. While both teams have played to some pretty high-scoring games so far, I think this one sets up as a lower-scoring battle; play on the UNDER.

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This is a 5* “SUPER-BLOWOUT” on Argentina.

What’s up with Argentina? This was a team expected to dominate its group stage, but so far it’s been an absolute grind for it. It would claw out a 2-1 win over Bosnia Herzogovina in its opening match, only to then need extra time to secure a 1-0 win over Iran! Lionel Messi though has been superb, he’s scored the winning goal in each contest and coach Alejandro Sabella will now switch to a 4-3-3 system to give Messi the support he needs down the middle. And that’s going to be bad news for Nigeria in my opinion. The Nigerian’s are a capable club, but they lack an offensive punch, drawing 0-0 with Iran in their opening match and managing a 1-0 win over Bosnia to keep their hopes alive. Nigeria can’t sit back today though, it’s going to have to press and this I think is going to be its downfall against a hungry Argentina side which will be able to open up the pace and get behind it on the counterattack. Really this line should be a lot higher. Play on ARGENTINA.

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This is an 8* “BLOCKBUSTER” on Columbia.

Japan has looked pretty inept in the World Cup, it lost 2-1 to the Ivory Coast, allowing The Elephants to score two goals in the final ten minutes of its opening match. It would then draw 0-0 with a 10-man Greece side. Suffice it to say, I am not expecting any offensvie fireworks today. Columbia can secure top spot in the group with just a single point, however I look for it to keep the foot on the gas and to bury the Japanese early. Many players have stepped up for the younger Columbian team like James Rodriguez who has scored a goal in each game so far; also keep your eyes on Juan Cuadrado, who has shown impressive skill to this point. Japan will need to press the issue from the start, which is going to leave it vulnerable to Columbia’s potent counterattack. Greece had some opportunities against the Japanese, we can expect this deep and talented Columbian team to take full advantage. I’m expecting a rout; play on COLUMBIA.

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This is a 10* “TOTAL BLOCKBUSTER” on the OVER between Netherlands and Chile.

While both teams are assured a trip to the round-of-16 after dominating their opening matches, there is still a lot on the line as they get ready to battle it out for top spot in the group. Neither side is going to be taking its foot off the gas, securing the top spot in Group B means avoiding the winners from Group A (Brazil). So far Netherlands has the advantage because of its 5-1 win over Spain. A draw and Netherlands wins the group, but Chile will need to win outright to secure it. Netherlands will be without the services of star Robin van Persie, but his replacement is just as competent, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who has 34 goals in 62 international appearances. Look for coach Louis van Gaal to stick to a 4-3-3 shape, which was so effective vs. Australia in the second half of Netherlands second match. Chile wasn’t able to put up five goals vs. Spain, but it’s 2-0 win was equally as impressive. Chile managed the game vs. Spain, showing a great deal of control which it had lacked over the last couple of years. This is a big game for both sides. Chile is going to be pressing throughout though, which will leave it vulnerable on its back end. This will be a back and forth battle and I don’t expect goals to be at a premium whatsoever between these two World class competitors; play on the OVER.

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This is an 8* “BLOCKBUSTER” on the “draw” between USA and Portugal.

Obviously a very important game for both teams. The USA would avenge back to back World Cup defeats by beating Ghana 2-1, scoring in the first 30 seconds of the match and then again in extra time to seal the deal. The Stars and Stripes suffered injuries to three key players, but if you’re a fan of the US team, don’t fret, defender Matt Besler is expected to return today. Captain Clint Dempsey suffered a broken nose after his early goal, but is also expected to be back in the lineup. However, forward Jozy Altidore will likely miss this game due to a strained left hamstring. The US abaondoned its attack first style vs. Ghana as the dimaond midfield flattened out to become a narrow line of four in front of the defense. Portugal is already against the ropes after an embarrasing 4-0 loss to Germany. To add insult to injury, star player Christiano Ronaldo has been seen wearing an icepack at practive this week. Also note that star player Pepe received a red card in the loss to the Germans, meaning he won’t be available for this game; other noteable absentees include left-back Fabio Coentrao and striker Huge Almeida due to injuries. The US should have an easier time in trying to shut down Ronaldo with these players sidelined. Portugal is a counterattacking team, but will need to force the issue today, a situation that it’s struggled with in the past. The US unfortunately is injured on the front end and won’t be able to properly take advantage of this situation, which means as the game wears on, look for the Stars and Stripes to sit back. Expect Portugal to fade under the punishing weather conditions as this contest ends in a DRAW.

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This is an 8* “TOTAL ART OF THE GAME” on the “under” between Iran and Argentina.

Argentina started its opening match slowly, but would make adjustments on the fly and secure the 2-1 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina. Iran would play to a 0-0 draw in its opening match vs. Nigeria. With a win Argentina will punch its ticket to the Elimination Round. A draw would represent the Iranian’s greatest ever “victory” in the countries history. Let’s not kid ourselves, Argentina has the personnel to win the entire Tournament, Iran has to be happy with what it’s already accomplished. Iran won’t be playing for a win today, it will be playing for a draw, a classic war of attrition. Iran will once again have its men behind the ball throughout this game as it looks to slow down and frustrate the powerful Argentinian attack. I think Iran’s 4-5-1 formation will confound Argentina just enough to produce a lower-scoring game. Final precdiction: Argentina 2, Iran 0. Play on the “under”.

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This is an 8* “BEATDOWN” on Ecuador.

These are two pretty evenly matched sides, but I think Ecuador has a few key advantages and look for them to be the difference in the outcome of this contest. When these teams squared off in November, they’d draw 2-2. Both sides are also looking to bounce back from opening match losses, Honduras was destoryed 3-0 to France, while Ecuador would lose 2-1 to Switzerland in extra time. Ecuador though looked much better in defeat than Honduras as it held a one-goal advantage throughout the first half, only to conceded two goals in the final 34 minutes. Honduras comes into this game without the services of Palacio who received dual yellow cards in the loss to France, it will be tough for it to slow down a confident Ecuador attack. Great line value here; play on Ecuador.

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