Euro Qualifiers midweek preview by pinnaclesports (Monday, June 04, 2007)

The second instalment of a Euro 2008 double-bill takes place on Wednesday night, with crucial games right across Europe. None could be more significant than Group E game in Tallinn, where England face Estonia desperately needing a win. Of course there is no room for sentiment in gambling, so bettors should be wary of the emotive headlines surrounding the game and instead focus on getting the best odds, usually found at PinnacleSports.com - offering up to 60% better Euro 2008 odds. Will Becks Come to McLaren's Rescue? One of the first decisions Steve McLaren took when installed as England manager was a bold one. Having earned 94 caps, he dropped the Three Lions captain, David Beckham, by phone, following a poor showing at the World Cup. The media saw this as a bold statement of intent, and the country looked forward to a fresh new era for the national side, with a smooth Euro 2008 qualification campaign anticipated. Things haven't quite gone to plan for McLaren. England are currently fourth in Group E after a bitterly disappointing sequence of results including goalless draws at home to Macedonia and away to Israel, and defeat to Croatia in Zagreb. The new England manager's stock has plummeted and he recently performed a humiliating U-turn over Beckham, welcoming him back into the England fold, hoping Becks might save his skin in Tallinn on Wednesday night. Worst still for McLaren, he is without Wayne Rooney through suspension, and cannot call on striker, Andy Johnson or winger Aaron Lennon, part of a growing number of other key absentees. Owen Hargreaves - one of the only players to come away from the 2006 World Cup with any credit - misses out with a knee injury. Hargreaves' new team-mates, Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand are also crocked, part of a defensive crisis which accounts for Ashley Cole, Micah Richards and Jonathan Woodgate. PinnacleSports.com price England 2.06 (-2) with Estonia 1.87 (+2) suggesting the Three Lions should prevail against a side devoid of recognisable talent, yet to score in this campaign. The visitors will however face a difficult playing surface, and a side with nothing to lose who only lost to group leaders Croatia by a single goal on Saturday. Croatia Defending Lengthy Unbeaten Run in Zagreb The stakes will be high when the two remaining unbeaten sides in Euro 2008 Group E meet in Zagreb on Wednesday night. Victory for either Croatia or Russia would take them within touching distance of next year's finals in Austria and Switzerland. Though the sides are well matched, PinnacleSports.com make the Croats slight favourites 2.09 (-0.5) against Russia 1.84 (+0.5) on the strength of a 31 game unbeaten run at the Maksimir Stadium. It was at the same venue that early group favourites England were comprehensively beaten 2-0 by Slaven Bilic's improving side. Both teams recorded victories on Saturday, with Russia enjoying a comfortable 4-0 win over Andorra, three goals coming from Sevilla striker, Aleksandr Kerzhakov who will carry the greatest Russian threat. Croatia laboured to a 1-0 win away to Estonia, where Brazilian born, Eduardo, scored his six goal in qualification, keeping his adopted country on top of the group. Get the Best Euro 2008 Odds at PinnacleSports.com! 1.96/1.96 style pricing (c.102%) on the major European events gives gamblers up to 60% better Euro 2008 odds. PinnacleSports.com offers commission-free fixed odds betting with exchange style pricing, as well as the web's highest guaranteed liquidity and fastest payouts. Get a 10% sign-up bonus, 7% cash back on US horse bets and the best odds on all major sports. Find a Smarter Way To Bet at PinnacleSports.com Labels: Betting, Euro, Pinnacle Sports, Qualifiers Posted by soccerbetting.info @ 11:06 PM

Euro Qualifiers weekend preview by Gerry McDonnell (Friday, June 01, 2007)

Should Have Gone To Becks, Save Us The domestic football season is now the equivalent of Princess Di; it was a great ride for a while, but it's time to let go. Luckily, we now have the 'Camilla', the ugly nine-pinter that is the European Championship qualifiers. England's participation is hanging by a thread and fingers are pointing at the manager. Danny Mills, Massimo Maccarone, Fleet Street journalists and fans of attractive football have all been quick to put the boot in; but for once, the grinning buffoon deserves a little credit. It takes a big man to admit when he's made a mistake, I know I've made two of the little buggers. McClaren has finally realised that the decision to dump Beckham like a Scottish girlfriend was extremely short-sighted. Goldenballs remains an archetypal, if extremely camp, match-winner in the big game scenario. I can't accept the argument that selecting Beckham is a step backwards as he's taking the place of a youngster with a long-term future. The less experienced players won't learn much from watching the finals on television. McClaren's groundbreaking policy of selecting his best players is possibly the first correct decision of a woeful tenure. One swallow does not make a summer though, but it does practically guarantee an enjoyable evening. England will leave Estonia with the win on Wednesday night at a pleasant 2/9. Ryan Giggs has shocked Welsh football by deciding to hang up his boots. His team-mates will undoubtedly miss his presence in one out of every five Internationals. The Czech Republic are the pick of the weekend punts at 8/11 against a moribund Welsh side. The Danes and the Swedes once landed a betting coup so great; Harry Redknapp could only look on in earnest admiration. Another draw wouldn't be the end of the world for either team; the 9/4 looks a reasonable shout. There's a widespread belief that Spain hack up in the qualifiers before collapsing like Lindsay Lohan in the finals. The Spanish are currently four points shy of Northern Ireland this time around, so that theory has fewer legs than Heather Mills. Only a win in Latvia will do for our siesta-sneaking brothers, I'll be on at 4/11. The French are lovers, not fighters; I'm not particularly skilled at either. I can spot a value punt when I see one though, France are overpriced at a colossal 8/13 against Ukraine. Greece are still in a state of shock from the most unlikely result in European football history; they somehow managed to survive the Scouse invasion. The Greeks can practically guarantee qualification by seeing off Hungary at a tragic 8/15. Last week's accumulator couldn't have gone in any quicker without being assisted by Henri Paul. This week's acc is also in the bag; France, Spain, Czech Republic, Greece and a Denmark draw will all oblige at an explosive 16/1. Labels: 2008, Betting, Euro, Football, Qualifiers, Soccer Posted by soccerbetting.info @ 3:11 PM