WORLD CUP PREVIEW by Nigel Ridgway (Thursday, October 06, 2005)

ENGLAND vs AUSTRIA Saturday 8 October 4:00 pm ko (BBC) With England at prohibitive odds of 2/9 for a game that they should (must) win, the correct play could be in the goals markets. In the hope that we won?t see Sven experimenting this time, we can expect a few goals from the anticipated Crouch / Owen combo up front (1/2 that they play up front together), which brought Owen a hat-trick against Colombia in the summer. The Austrians are in disarray, with only Azerbaijan and Wales having failed to score against them in qualifying, while even Scotland managed to breach their defence in a recent friendly, so a bet on over 2.5 goals looks best here. At the same time, Michael Owen looks a fair bet at 7/2 to open the scoring, especially considering we?ll give you your money back if he scores the last goals in the game instead. NORTHERN IRELAND vs WALES Saturday 8 October 8 3:00 pm ko (BBC1 ? NI/ BBC2 ? Wales) Wales are winless in 14 competitive games and will be desperate to get something out of their World Cup campaign. However, they may have to have to wait until their final game against Azerbaijan to restore some Welsh pride, as the Irish look well up to the task. Their recent 1-0 win over England was no fluke, while they deserved their draw in Cardiff too, and this well organised side should be backed at 8/5 to follow up. Live betting available. SCOTLAND vs BELARUS Saturday 8 October 3:00 pm ko (SS1) With four teams scrapping it out for second spot in the group, this is a must win game for both teams. It?s three points or out, so we?re unlikelyto see a repeat of the stalemate between the sides back in June. On their recent form, Scotland are more than entitled to win this but, from a punting perspective, the odds of 8/15 are not great. Instead, we?ll back the value option by playing the correct score market. Scotland?s four home games so far have produced five goals, so we'll split stakes on a 1-0 or 2-0 win, at 5/1 and 11/2 respectively. Weekend International Picks: England vs Austria ? Over 2.5 goals @ 6/5 (Bet 365 - FREE £100) Michael Owen to score first @ 7/2 (Bet 365 - FREE £100) Northern Ireland to beat Wales @ 8/5 (Bet 365 - FREE £100) Scotland to beat Belarus 1-0 @ 5/1 (Bet 365 - FREE £100) Scotland to beat Belarus 2-0 @ 11/2 (Bet 365 - FREE £100) Posted by SoccerBetting.info @ 2:13 PM << Home