The 2nd Test match between England and Pakistan gives the visitors the chance to quickly bounce back from the humiliation at Trent Bridge. A chance that is, on paper. In reality, England’s well balanced side will continue to compound Pakistan’s misery.

Edgbaston has been a bit of a fortress for England in recent years, with the hosts losing there just once in the last 7 test matches. Confidence seems to be very high within the England side, epitomised by the magnificent catching displayed in the 1st Test. Pakistan, in contrast, put in the kind of performance that has been all to frequent with this mercurial side over recent years. While their fast bowling was at times exceptional, all other departments of their game was woeful. Kamran Akmal’s performance behind the stumps was beyond laughable, instead being almost embarrassing to watch. At times I wanted to look away or change the channel, for I genuinely felt sorry for a man who appeared out of his depth at Test level. While the odds on an England victory are not eye catching (around 4/7), they are still worth taking, as I can’t see anything other than a victory for the hosts, probably within four days.

For those who like to bet on England’s highest run scorer in the 1st innings, I would avoid both openers. Pakistan did look dangerous with the new ball, and I think there is little value in the favourite Andrew Strauss or the out-of-form Alistair Cook. Personally, I’m backing Kevin Pietersen to end his dip in form at a widely available 7/2. There were signs in the 2nd innings of the 1st Test that he was starting to feel comfortable, and batting at number 4 he should avoid the new ball.

For more of an outside bet, James Anderson is 8/1 to be named man of the match. Given the Pakistanis’ inability to play quality swing bowling, and the superb form of the Lancastrian, this seems a decent bet to me.

Top Tips:
• England to beat Pakistan in the 2nd Test Match – 4/7
• Kevin Pietersen to be England’s highest run scorer in the 1st innings – 7/2
• James Andersen to be named Man of the Match in the 2nd Test Match – 8/1

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After two successive whitewashes in my last two columns, I need something a bit special to catch up with the big boys. It was just the eight pints for me last night so I do apologise if there is more incoherent rambling than normal in this week’s offerings.

Genoa v Bari, Sunday 2pm

Draw, £10 at 11-10 (Blue Square)

It’s the end of the season in Italy and neither of these teams have anything to play for. With the draw this short, you know something is going on and if it doesn’t involve brown envelopes, shady characters and horses’ heads then I’ll eat my hat. This game is as bent as a nine bob note.

Spurs v Bolton, Saturday 3pm

Kevin Davies to score first, £4 at 14-1 (bet365)

He bloody loves a goal against the Spurs boys does old Kevin. He’s got two in three against them this season and four in his last four. You can almost guarantee that the match will not be plain sailing for the bottlers from White Hart Lane so backing this gives Spurs the inevitable wobble without backing a full on capsizing of the Spurs boat.

Manchester City v Aston Villa, Saturday 3pm

Aston Villa HT/FT, £4 at 15-2 (Coral)

Villa’s record at Man City is not great with six defeats in their last seven visits but this belies the two clubs’ recent home and away form. Ignoring the 7-1 tubbing  at Chelsea, Villa have been fantastic away from home with four wins in their last five and the rare feat of having won at Old Trafford earlier this season. In contrast, City have only won two of their last six home games and Tevez has been throwing his toys out of the pram about too much training. I’m surprised the papers haven’t labelled it a crisis. Of Villa’s 18 away games, six have been won while leading at half time. I think Villa are massively over priced here.

THE ACCA – All Sunday

Watford v Coventry, over 2.5 goals

Derby v Cardiff, Cardiff to win

Ipswich v Sheffield United, 1-1

Reading v Preston, over 2.5 goals

£2 at 67.59-1 (bet365)

There is method to the madness here, but it is my typical brand of crude, perhaps illogical logic. None of these games have anything riding on them so the best form guide is history and past meetings between the sides (I say the best, I doubt it is but we’ll see). The last eight meetings between Watford and Coventry have had over 2.5, Cardiff have Derby’s number after tonking them 6-1 and 4-1 in recent history, one all has been the score the last three times that Sheffield United have been to Portman Road and 17 of the last 19 games involving Reading and Preston have had three or more goals in. All nonsense I would imagine but stranger things have happened.

As April comes to a close, it’s time to squeeze in some final tips. I take a healthy lead into the final round but Dom isn’t too far behind and Sned might actually get round to making some predictions so these bets are as important as ever. As footballing seasons come to a close, European football supplies the quantity and I’ll try to supply the quality.

Barcelona v Inter Milan, Wednesday 7.45pm

Barcelona to qualify, £5 @ 141/100 (Betfair)

Sending-off in match, £3 @ 3/1 (Bodog)

This game is ultimately Barcelona’s superb Nou Camp form versus Mourinho’s tactical nous. All but one of Barcelona’s home Champions League matches have resulted in wins by two goals or more and Messi & Co. have already shown their ability to beat Inter Milan 2-0, a result which would see them qualify. If Inter Milan do manage to restrict Barca’s natural flair and goal-scoring ability I think it may be at the expense of a booking or five and don’t be too surprised when you see a Inter player prematurely trudging off. I’d bet he won’t look Mourinho in the eye as he does if I could find a willing bookie.

Liverpool v Atletico Madrid, Thursday 8.05pm

Gerrard 1^st Goalscorer, £3 @ 5/1 (widely available)

Gerrard’s form has kept his team in the race for fourth place and without the influential Fernando Torres, the red side of Liverpool will be hoping their in-form midfielder can propel them into a European final as Benitez tries to salvage something from a season which promised so much. A court order is preventing me from telling you a lot of things about Mr. Gerrard but I can confirm he will be the first goalscorer.

Fulham v Hamburg, Thursday 8.05pm

Under 2.5 goals, £4 @ 9/11 (Betfair)

Half of Fulham’s home European games have seen fewer than 3 goals and after the goalless draw in Germany this game will be tighter than ever. The Craven Cottage crowd will happily see another drought if it means Fulham qualify and Hodgson’s men will be extremely wary of conceding that all-important away goal so should be looking to keep it tight. Hamburg sacked their manager after a midweek hammering so let’s hope there off-field turmoil transforms itself into a Fulham victory, a last-minute 1-0 win would be lovely.

Europa League Semi-Finals, Thursday 8.05pm

Liverpool and Hamburg to qualify, £5 @ 16/5 (Sportingbet)

I’m covering myself slightly with this bet. I think Liverpool will fly through, which may in itself may be my downfall, and if there are over three goals in the Fulham game I expect that to mean Hamburg have enjoyed their night rather than Roy’s boys. There’s some decent odds on offer too so it’s definitely worth some of your paycheque.

The cynics out there will be concentrating on my goal-fest prediction at Luton turning into a 0-0 bore draw, but despite this setback I still continued my April streak and managed a profitable week. That 80p reward looks like a fortune when compared to Sned and Dom’s ‘returns’ and long may that continue. I’ll apologise now for the briefness of these tips but if it’s alright with you, I’ll blame that dam volcano and we’ll say no more about it.

Burnley v Liverpool, Sunday 3pm

Draw/Liverpool HT/FT, £4 @ 7/2 (Ladbrokes)

Liverpool are firm favourites for this due to Burnley’s current form and predicament rather than the red’s own qualities. There’s value to be had in Liverpool not taking, and maintaining, the lead until the second half as the boys from Anfield take their time to dominate all-but relegated Burnley.

Everton v Fulham, Sunday 3pm

Everton to win by 2 goals or more, £4 @ 21/20 (Bet365)

Woy will no doubt name a weakened team and Everton will almost certainly take all three points from this game as they continue their fine form in a quest for European football next season. With Cahill and Arteta finding form from midfield, the Toffees should win, and win well.

Chelsea v Stoke, Sunday 4pm

Under 2.5 goals, £5 @ 13/8 (widely available)

It was a struggle to find value in this game thanks to Chelsea’s impressive home form but Stoke will use everything in their locker to slow this game down and to frustrate a Chelsea side who have struggled of late to score. They managed a win over Bolton recently, but only just and I think today’s game will be a similar story.

Crystal Palace v West Brom, Monday 8pm

Over 2.5 goals, £7 @ 19/17 (Betfair)

Palace are still fighting for safety and with a final day showdown against fellow relegation candidates Sheffield Wednesday to come, they could really do with picking up some points in this fixture. W.B.A. won’t make it easy and their impressive goal-scoring feats (40 goals in 22 away games) should mean that Palace will have to out-score Bob di Matteo’s boys rather than rely on keeping it tight at the back.

Bolton v Portsmouth

£8 on Bolton to win to nil @ 11/8 with Bet 365.

Before the visits of Man United and Aston Villa Coyle’s Bolton had only conceded once in 6 games, and that was against Spurs. So they’re a tough nut to crack at home, and with Portsmouth’s woes continuing I can see Bolton winning this without Pompey having anything to cheer about, other than making history by being the first Premier League team to enter administration. Coyle has secured Bolton’s Premier League status and will look to continue their fine home form by thumping Pompey.

Hull v Sunderland

£5 on under 1.5 goals @ 13/5 with WBX.

I won’t be going out of my way to watch this one. Hull should do everyone a favour and hurry up and go down, and Sunderland’s away form has been so poor it’s a wonder that they’re not more involved in the relegation battle. Sunderland are the same goalscoring threat on the road as they are at home, and Hull aren’t a goalscoring threat at all. So under 1.5 goals is money for old rope here.

Wolves v Blackburn

£5 on under 1.5 goals @ 2/1 with William Hill.

£2 on 0-0 @ 8/1 with Sky Bet.

Wolves have somehow managed to stay in the Premier League without scoring goals, apparently Mick McCarthy doesn’t rate goals. Neither do I, so that’s why under 1.5 goals and 0-0 is my boring, yet ominous selection for this one. Neither side enjoys scoring so they’ll probably play out a 0-0 to keep everyone happy, the sad thing is both sets of fans would probably take that…

Last month’s victory (which may I add has not been rewarded yet by Misters O’Shea and Salmon) has gone straight to my head and I have rather arrogantly given the boys a £20 head start this month. At uni I was famed for playing a different variety of catch-up so hopefully I can carry on my success in a betting sense.

Premier League

Sunderland v Burnley, Saturday 3pm

Darren Bent to score first, £6 at 3-1 (Widely available)

“And Bent opens the scoring” is a catchphrase often heard, but not nearly as often as “And Bent is caught offside”. In 17 home league games this term, DBTheTruth has notched first nine times which, for all the mathematicians out there, is over half. 3-1 is a bit shorter than normal, but Burnley are a lot worse than the 17 sides who have visited the Stadium of Light. Last week was probably a blip in their horrendous form so I wouldn’t be predicting the great escape, but I would be backing a celebratory tweet from Bent after this one.

Man City v Man Utd, Saturday 12:45pm

Tevez to score first and Man City to win, £4 at 17-2 (William Hill)

You don’t need me to tell you that this is a huge game, Sky Sports have already told you that by making the game available in 3D. Is it really the future? There was a stage in the 90s when 3D was the future of viewing, a decade later and it is still the future. The success of 3D films like Avatar and Alice in Wonderland have been taking the viewer to a magical new world where things that could never happen in the real world occur. Football happens in real life so if you want to watch it in 3D, get yourself to a ground!

One person I would not fancy seeing in 3D, 2D, real-life and especially not in HD is Carlos Tevez. What he lacks in looks though, he makes up for in goals, and he loves a goal against his old employers. Three in three against the Reds this season coupled with five City victories in eight derbies at home makes this bet more free money than 3D.

Blackburn v Everton, Saturday 3pm

Draw, £5 at 23-10 (Widely available)

0-0   draw, £5 at 9-1 (Sporting bet)

I’ll hit you with the stats and the trends. Four of the last five meetings between these teams at Ewood Park have been drawn with three being 0-0. Everton have drawn three of their last four away games. Blackburn have drawn two of their last three home games and have drawn their last two games 0-0. Drawn any conclusions from that?

Ignoring Sned (something I highly recommend), it wasn’t a bad start to April for the comparebookies tipsters, but as it is a month closely associated with showers, it’s time for me to rain down some successful tips.

Huddersfield v Millwall, Friday 7.45pm

Home win, £5 @ 8/5 (Betfair)

Huddersfield Town’s home record is one of the best in the league, with only one defeat to their name and whilst this game will undoubtedly challenge that record, some generous odds are too good to pass up. Whilst three points for Lee Clark’s boys would mean money in the bank it would also severely damage my beloved Colchester United’s playoff chances so I’m covering my bases with this bet.  

Luton v Altrincham, Saturday 3pm

Over 5.5 goals, £1 @ 10/1 (Victor Chandler)

7 goals or more, £1 @ 20/1 (Victor Chandler)

Craddock to score, £5 @ 4/5 (Bet365)

The demise of Luton Town was pretty rapid, but there rise could be just as quick if they continue in their current form. Five wins in their last six games only tells half the story. Included in that fine run, was an 8-0 win, a 4-0 win, a 6-0 win and a 6-3 win. Their top goalscorer, Tom Craddock scored in every single one of those emphatic wins and he and his teammates will be looking to keep the pressure on table-toppers Stevenage this Saturday. Basically, the Hatters like goals. Tom Craddock likes goals. And I like making money.

Birmingham v Hull, Saturday 3pm

Home win, £4 @ 4/5 (widely available)

Whilst my GCSE ‘B’ in Maths might not be the most impressive, I still feel I’ve got a good grasp of figures and a win for Birmingham should prove it. Hull have zero away wins to their name and only four draws and Birmingham’s season-long home form, which includes only two league defeats, has been the foundation for their over-achieving this season. The major bookies seem to think such stats go out the window as Hull have something to fight for (survival) and Birmingham do not but I’m happy to make some money proving them wrong.

West Brom v Middlesbrough, Saturday 5.15pm

Home win, £4 @ 20/21 (Betfred)

West Brom boinged back into the Premier League in their last match but such is their style of play that I believe their form will only improve now promotion is in the bank. The Baggies have passed and moved their way back into England’s top league and with the pressure off, I think the goals will flow. They will want to celebrate their promotion with their home fans and what better way to do this than with three points?

April is off to a sluggish start with the three resident tipsters reluctant to share their expert knowledge, but the articles will come thick and fast now as we pursue profit. Sned already has ground to make up and Salmon has had a sprightly start to the month, but there’s still plenty to bet for.

Birmingham v Hull

£7.50 on Birmingham to win @ 4/5 with Stan James.

Birmingham’s over-achieving season is pittering out a bit but their home form remains little short of unbelievable. Unbeaten since September last year, very few teams have left St Andrews happy. And Hull will be lucky to come away with a point. Birmingham may have only drawn their last 3, but against Everton, Arsenal and Liverpool that’s no disgrace. Iain Dowie’s football consultancy looks to be struggling, perhaps next Hull will hire a football relegation assessment specialist, or some other tosh like that, just call him the manager!

Blackburn v Everton

£2 on under 1.5 goals @ 9/4 with Sporting Bet.

Everton have taken some goalscoring form on the road with them in recent weeks, but Blackburn have made Ewood Park tighter than Sned, so I expect them to keep Everton relatively quiet. At the back the Toffees are difficult to break down, having only conceded twice in their last 3 away games. Under 2.5 goals is available at 4/5 but I fancy that this one will only have the solitary goal, so I’ve plumped for uner 1.5 goals at 5/2.

Fulham v Wolves

£4 on draw/Fulham for half-time/full-time result @ 9/2 with William Hill.

Wolves have made themselves a resilient outfit over the course of the season and are all but safe from the drop now. They may not have the most exciting approach but they’re effective at what they do. Fulham will struggle to break them down, but have enough quality to beat Wolves, but I expect it won’t be til late on that they do see them off. 9/2 is good value, so I’m on it.

Stoke v Bolton

£6.50 on Stoke to win to nil @ 2/1 with bwin.

I had hoped for better value than 2/1 for this, but I’m confident that this one will come off. Bolton have scored in only one of their last 9 away games, and Stoke isn’t the easiest place to go and get goals. It’s unlikely to be a pretty affair, but Stoke should see off Bolton without any concessions, meaning a tidy £13 profit!

I can only apologise for the slow start this month so be prepared for an avalanche of betting tips in the next two weeks. Where better to start April’s betting tips than April 14^th eh.

Premier League

Spurs v Arsenal, Wednesday 8pm

Draw, £5 at 12-5 (Tote)

Both teams need a win so I can see two campaigns hopes come to a premature end tonight. Spurs have not beaten Arsenal in the league this Millennium and were humbled by Pompey on Sunday, so this would surely point towards an Arsenal win? My logic says no, as although the Gunners have not lost in the league at The Lane in nine visits, they have only won two and drawn seven.

Spurs are unbeaten at home in 2010, winning their last five while Arsenal have conceded in their last six away matches, so surely this would point to a Spurs win? My logic says no. Though this is from the man who thought writing his number in big black marker on his body and showing it to girls would result in a flurry of texts. No texts, but the logic was sound enough.

Wigan v Portsmouth, Wednesday 7:45pm

Wigan to win to nil, £4 at 6-4 (Widely available)

After The Lord Mayor’s Show anyone? The Pompey boys probably haven’t stopped celebrating since beating Spurs so while some people will be telling you that the pressure is off and Pompey will be playing with freedom, I’m telling you that the only thing Pompey will be playing with is a hangover. Pompey have lost five of their last seven on the road to nil, while six of the last eight games at Wigan have seen both or one team fail to score.

Aston Villa v Everton, Wednesday 7:45pm

John Carew to score anytime, £5 at 2-1 (Expekt.com)

“What were you doing in the strip club John?” asks Martin O’Neill  to John Carew at the start of the season. “My friend said he was taking me to see some baps and pussy and you know how much I love rolls and cats” is how he should have replied. Since Bapgate, Carew has been in fine form, scoring nine times in his last ten games. As well as his lust for rolls and cats, Carew also loves a bit of toffee (not totty) as he has notched four in his last six against the Scousers.

Blue Square Premier

Altrincham v Stevenage, Wednesday 7:45pm

Stevenage to win both halves, £6 at 10-3 (Skybet)

I take you to the wonderful world of non-league where a big spending owner can win you the league, many clubs are financially woeful and one club has recently fought a (losing) battle to stay in existence. Sounds a bit like the Premier League…….

The boys who are top of the league in non-league (confusing?) are Stevenage who can extend their lead tonight. Altrincham are no mugs but have little to play for and it could definitely be a case of their players already being on the beach, or caravan holiday to Cornwall for non-league lads. Stevenage have been rampant on their travels recently, winning their last six with two 3-0 wins, a 5-1 demolition and a 6-0 tonking. Another big score should see them winning each half you would hope.