Burnley v Stoke, Wednesday 7:45pm

Under 2.5 goals, £6 at 4-6 (Paddy Power)

Who would have picked this as a Premier League fixture three years ago? Not I, but now I can hardly imagine a world without Delap’s long throws.  In recent history, these two have slogged it out in the Championship and, including their duel earlier in the season, their last eight meetings have had under 2.5 goals in them. This does go back many years, but this season, eight of Stokes last nine away games have had less than three goals. This could be dreadful. Though definitely no chance of it being worse than Colchester v Brighton on Monday, Can i sincerely apologise on behalf of Colchester United to anyone who tuned in.

Reading v Derby, Wednesday 8pm

Over 2.5 goals, £5 at evens (Paddy Power/Sky Bet)

If the above game has the potential to bore your socks off,  this could be the thriller to balance up the footballing equilibrium. There must be a certain amount of excitement in the world of football at any one time, so drama will osmose (potatoes, water?) between grounds, leagues and countries. I can assure you that there was a 16-16 all draw with seven sending offs and a crowd riot in Columbia to make up for the Colchester game.

This one should have goals, with seven of Reading’s last eight games having three or more and four of Derby’s last six being equally goal filled.

Man Utd v AC Milan, Wednesday 7:45pm

Draw, £4 at 3-1 (Victor Chandler)

Milan have to score to have any chance of going through and they haven’t failed to find the net in their last five meetings with United, so why would they change that now. I can see Milan taking a lead, Scholes equalising then the game tailing off to a bore draw. I walked in the bookies today and told him to price that up but I was met with the blank look of a man asked to decipher a German secret code without the use of an enigma machine. I just asked for the draw instead.

Juventus v Fulham, Thursday 8:05pm

Both teams to score, £5 at 11-10 (Paddy Power)

The Old Lady of Italy meets the old man of England as Juventus clash with Roy Hodgeson’s Fulham. Buffon v Schwarzer, Cannavaro v Zamora, Del Piero v Hughes, Amauri v Baird, and Camoronesi v Murphy. It shouldn’t even be a match on paper but the old fella still has some moves to woo the ladies.

Juve have not kept a clean sheet for seven home league games while Fulham have scored in their previous four away European games this season. A win, or even a draw, may be beyond the Cottagers but back them to take something back to London for a grandstand second leg.

Arsenal v Burnley, Saturday 3pm

Over 3.5 goals, £4 @ 11/10 (Boylesports)

With this fixture, one of my rivals is likely to go for the Arsenal victory so I will steer clear of that and instead back the Gunners to go goal-crazy. Their free-flowing style is at its best against the lower teams as the lack of opposing quality allows them the time and space to cut teams apart. Bolton, Portsmouth and Wolves have all conceded four, and Hull only one less. This Saturday it will be Burnley’s turn. On average they have conceded over three goals a game away from home and I think Fabregas and Bendtner will have a field-day. If the Premier League allowed crutches on the field, I think Ramsey would even get on the scoresheet.

Charlton v Stockport, Saturday 3pm

Draw, £5 @ 7/2 (Bet 365)

Stockport are still propping up the rest of League One and their chances against 3^rd placed Charlton aren’t great but considering their slight upturn in recent form I think the odds offered make this a worthwhile bet. A gutsy two-goal comeback against mighty Colchester has been followed by wins against Exeter and Wycombe and confidence will be the highest it’s been all season in the Stockport camp. Conversely, Parkinson’s Charlton side have stuttered in their automatic promotion chase recently and have won only twice in their last eight matches. Current form should be a leveler, and if my word isn’t good enough, five whole pounds should be.

Reading v Aston Villa, Sunday 1.45pm

Over 2.5 goals, £5 @ Evens (widely available)

Reading manager Brian McDermott says his side will not be afraid to take the game to Aston Villa in their FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday and this is good news for goal fans. One of Villa’s main strengths is their attacking pace and if Reading are true to their manager’s words then a full Madejski stadium could witness some devastating counter-attacking football. Reading’s goal threat is also evident with eight goals in their last two games and chuck in neither team wanting a replay and we should see 90 minutes of end-to-end entertainment with goals guaranteed. Disclaimer: No goals guaranteed.

Everton v Hull, Sunday 4pm

Everton to win with clean sheet, £4 @ 6/5 (Boylesports)

Pienaar 1^st goalscorer, £2 @ 10/1 (Bet 365)

Toffee fans will be fully expecting an easy three points against struggling Hull and a clean sheet would be the icing on the cake (for me anyway). A solid defence last season was disrupted by Joleon Lescott’s departure but with Jagielka returning, and more importantly facing a poor Hull team, I don’t see Tim Howard having many saves to make, let alone having to pick the ball out of the back of the net. Goals will be on the minds of a few of the Everton players and I think Steven Pienaar’s under-rated qualities will see him nab the first.

Fulham v Tottenham

£5 on Fulham to win @ 2/1 with Bet Fred.

Fulham’s home form is amongst the best in West London, which is quite an achievement when they share those ends of London with the likes of Chelsea and Brentford. 5 wins on the bounce at home have made the Cottage a fortress, and Spurs may have bigger fish to fry than the FA Cup. 4th place is still a realistic target for Tottenham, while Fulham will be looking just for a top 10 finish, so I’m backing Woy’s boys to continue the fine form at home and secure a place in the semi-final of the greatest cup cometition in the world.

Arsenal v Burnley

£4 on Fabregas to score at any time @ 11/8 with Stan James.

Arsenal are such big favourites it’s difficult to find value in this game, they’re odds on for the half-time/full-time results, odds on to win both halves, even over 3.5 goals is only at evens. Fabregas has netted 4 in his last 6 home games, and with Arsenal showing considerable maturity in finishing off Stoke after Ramsey’s shocking injury, it’ll be Fabregas that leads the title charge. He’s the set-piece don at the Emirates and against a Burnely side that have leaked 13 goals in their last 5 games, oh and they’re dreadful on the road.

Golf: Honda Classic

£8 on Paul Casey to win 1st round 3 balls @ 5/4 with Bet365.

Paul Casey has risen to 6th in the world rankings and his fine run of form saw him through to the final of the world matchplay just a couple of weeks ago. Ian Poulter edged him out on that occasion, but I fully expect Casey to carry on that fine from in the Honda Classic. In his first round 3 balls he’s drawn with J.B. Holmes, who lingers at 62nd in the world rankings and the adventurous Argentinian Andres Romero, who although ranked 105th, is capable of carding competitive scores. But Casey should comfortably see both of these off and be the leader of the three after the 1st round, and at 5/4 he’s a snip.

Tranmere v Southampton

£3 on Southampton to win to nil @ 12/5 with Blue Square.

Pardew has taken the Saints on a heavenly run of form in recent weeks. They dispatched of high-flying Huddersfield in midweek, and go to a Tranmere side that have failed to score at home on 4 of the last 6 outings. Southampton are tough to beat on the road, but many of those have been draws. So it’s a bit of a punt on them taking the win, but at 12/5 they’re worth backing as they look to mount a late charge to ascend to the Championship.

After Dom’s accusations of my underhand tactics, all I can do is confirm that all allegations are true. I am the dirtiest player in the game. And if you want to be the man, you’ve got to beat the man (me, ie, reigning betting champion). The Colchester postponement leaves me with an extra £8 for the weekend and I’ve got £26 to make up on Dom.

Premier League

Chelsea v Man City, Saturday 12:45pm

Chelsea to win to nil, £8 at 6-4 (Sky bet)

Never has a clash between two woefully out of form players been hyped so much. It will be interesting, but as soon as the game kicks off the interest will have gone as we see whether they shake hands or not. They shouldn’t have much contact during the game as Bridge doesn’t go up for corners and if Bridge marks Terry for Chelsea corners then Mancini needs to resign as Terry would eat Bridge in the air. Sky bet are the only major firm offering a lot of novelty bets, but you’ve got to remember that Sky are showing the game so can show what they want. Terry and Bridge could have full sexual intercourse on the pitch and if Sky bet had taken money on it not happening, we wouldn’t see it on their coverage.

If you look past the handshake, Chelsea are clear favourites. They have won their last seven at home, won 18 of 20 and have a fantastic record against Man City at the Bridge. 1-0, 6-0, 3-0, 2-0, 0-0 and 5-0 are the last six meeting at Chelsea with City not winning there since 1993. Even this season, City’s away record is poor. They haven’t won away in the league this calendar year and their season’s away record makes interesting reading (in NFL form); 6-6-6. Even if they did have Satan in goal, Cantona has proved that he can’t shot stop for toffee.

Six Nations

England v Ireland, Saturday 4:00pm

England to win, £10 at 21-20 (Boylesports)

Baldy hooker Keith Wood came out earlier in the week and stated that Twickenham was no longer a fortress and that Ireland would win. By my calculations, England have won their last five Six Nations game there and eight of the last nine. Not bad for a non-fortress. Ireland have also been below par on the road in recent years, highlighted by their drab display in France two weeks ago in losing 33-10. They have lost three of their last six away from the Emerald Isle, including a 33-10 loss at Twickers.

ODI Series

Bangladesh v England, Sunday –Friday

Kevin Pietersen top run scorer, £5 at 3-1 (Widely available)

He needs to come good doesn’t he? KP has gone from being the best player in England to not even being the best South African in the England team. On two previous trips to the sub-continent, ignoring the low scoring ODI series in Sri Lanka, Pietersen has scored 516 at an average of about 57. Both of these series were against India, who are a bit better than Bangladesh. Though KP was a bit better then as well. I fancy KP. I also think he can be the top run scorer in Bangladesh.

Carling Cup

Aston Villa v Manchester Utd, Sunday 3:00pm

Gabby Agbonlahor to score first, £5 at 8-1 (Widely available)

I need one long shot to make up the deficit so here it is. Gabby has scored four in his last six, with two in his last two. Before this season, United had scored 17 in the last six v Villa but the Villian’s new defence has conceded just once in the two games v the champions this season. I don’t think there will be many goals, but if there is, Gabby will score the first.

Now that I’ve defended my corner, it’s time for the counter-attack. Sneddon conveniently gave a tip on the Colchester match, which he knew would be postponed, thus giving him an extra £8 to invest in the final weekend of February tipping. No doubt his next trick will be to post his article at 5.30pm on Saturday with a hatful of winning ‘tips’. As for Tom, his debut month has been one to forget, but having read his latest post I am worried that the 3 home wins tip could come off and he could yet assume Maverick status and make it a debut to remember.

So for the final time in February, my tips are…

Stoke City v Arsenal

£2 on Stoke City to win @ 9/2 with William Hill.

My eyes lit up when I saw Stoke at 9/2 at home against Arsenal. Wenger’s men, or boys as they are often known, have left the Britannia as losers on the last three occasions, and with Stoke hitting the home form that they pride themselves on, it’s possible Arsenal could leave empty handed yet again. Arsenal have struggled for away form in recent weeks and their injury list isn’t getting any shorter. The Stoke draw no bet is available at 3/1 and the Stoke-draw double chance is 6/5, but for the sake of irritating my colleagues any further I’ll go for Stoke on the nose.

Birmingham v Wigan

£8 on Birmingham to win @ evens (widely available).

Good old steady Birmingham, unbeaten at home since September, and not bad on the road either! Their draws at home have been against United, Chelsea, Spurs and City, but they’ve taken all 3 points against the lower clubs, so I expect the same when they take on Wigan on Saturday. Wigan’s away form is…well…dire. And that looks unlikely to change, unless Victor Moses can part the Blue’s defence (I wish Birmingham played in red) and earn Wigan valuable away points. Birmingham are regularly an even money shot at home and haven’t disappointed too often!

Carling Cup Final: Aston Villa v Manchester United

£2 on 1-1 correct score @ 6/1 with SkyBet.

£2 on Rooney 1st goalscorer @ 9/2 with Paddy Power.

The Carling Cup Final is hardly one of the seasons highlights, after all they do get it done and dusted and forgotten about before February is even over. But this year’s final should prove to be an exciting, tight affair, making it a tricky one for selections. United are entering that part of the season where they seem to always turn it on for the title push, and Villa are showing no signs of fading like they did last season as they remain unbeaten in 2010. 1-1 was the score the last time these two met, and with another close encounter expected I’m backing for history to repeat itself and 1-1 be the final score. You don’t need me to tell you that Rooney is in the form of his life, but he is. Surely Sir Alex won’t rest him?! If he starts, he’s not a bad price at 9/2 to score the opening goal of the final.

Bolton v Wolves

£6 on under 2.5 goals @ 4/5 with Stan James.

Owen Coyle is taking his time imposing his ways on Bolton, but slowly the tide seems to be turning. They’ve kept two clean sheets on the bounce in the league despite the loss of Gary Cahill and will be looking to keep the Wolves from the door, so to speak. The Reebok hasn’t seen the ripple of either net more than twice in a game since Coyle took over, and the visit of Wolves is unlikely to change that. Wolves have made a good habit of scoring goals on the road, but they are likely to be limited against Bolton on Saturday. Now I’ve said that there’s bound to be a 3-3 thriller on the cards.

Chelsea v Manchester City, Saturday 12.45pm

Didier Drogba to score a hatrick, £3 @ 21/1 (Widely Available)

The ‘Drog’ as he allows me to call him, has been in very good goal-scoring form whenever in a Chelsea shirt and I think he will rise to the occasion for this match which has taken on extra significance since John Terry offered his shoulder to cry on. Between you and me, it will be a perfect hatrick (right foot, left foot, header) but I don’t like to brag.

Birmingham v Wigan, Saturday 3pm

Bolton v Wolves, Saturday 3pm

Burnley v Portsmouth, Saturday 3pm

3 Home wins, £7 @ 17/2 (Bet Fred)

Three clubs at home who could do with three points to turn around their recent form against two teams who desperately need the points to stave of relegation…and Portsmouth. Poor old Pompey, I will continue to feel sorry for them only if they leave Turf Moor empty-handed. Home advantage should be the difference in these three fixtures which are bound to be tight right up until the final whistle.

Tottenham v Everton, Sunday 1pm

Sunderland v Fulham, Sunday 3pm

2 Home wins, £8 @ 9/2 (Stan James)

I’m no stranger to a hangover, and I’ve even had the odd European one. This is probably where my similarities to professional football players end but for those of you financially driven it is all important. Both Fulham and Everton competed in the Europa League on Thursday and whilst their respective outcomes were different, both teams will have found the 90mins energy-sapping, and this should tell come Sunday afternoon when they both face tricky away games.

Southend v Charlton, Friday 7.45pm

Huddersfield v Leeds, Saturday 3pm

Leyton Orient v Swindon, Saturday 3pm

Yeovil v MK Dons, Saturday 3pm

4 Draws, £2 @ 134/1 (Sky Bet)

As a Colchester fan to see Charlton, Huddersfield, Leeds, Swindon and MK Dons all dropping points would be rather nice. Sadly, it’s rather unlikely (hence the 134/1) but as we come to the part of the season where points are crucial, I think (I don’t really, but I’ve gotta go for it here…) that these four fixtures will see some teams settling with the point, rather than risking it for all three.

Well Dom has stormed into a lead this week on the back of his bold 1-2 tips and Tom has been left way behind with his long shots. Can steady Eddie here make up the deficit and retain his title as betting king?

Premier League

Man Utd v West Ham, Tuesday 8pm

Wayne Rooney 1^st goal, £4 at 11-4

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Whoever said that had clearly not met Wazza after a defeat.

Young Wayne has been in top form of late, especially at OT, scoring nine in his last seven at the Theatre of Dreams.  West Ham manager Zola will be dreaming of Rooney-less United but Fergie will not want to run the risk of a FA fine for fielding a weakened team. In terms of opening the scoring, Rooney has done so in three of the last six at home so in theory is better than an 11-4 shot. If my Economics degree has taught me anything though, it’s that theories are nigh on useless. In theory, I should be a successful journo, with a beautiful girlfriend and a healthy salary. In theory, this is one hell of a bet.

Champion’s League

Inter Milan v Chelsea, Wednesday 7:45pm

Draw, £4 at 7-4 (VC)

0-0, £4 at 15-2 (bet365)

What a tasty draw this one is. Jose v his old club. Carlo heading back to the stadium he graced for most of his professional life. The two don’t like each from previous Milan derbies. Inter have not got passed this round for three years. Jose has not lost a home game since the dawn of time. Chelsea are unbeaten in seven Champion’s League away games. I’ve just shoved all of this into a metaphorical blender and the result is, as previously described, tasty.

This is the first ever meeting between the two clubs in competitive action but Inter have not fared too well against the English recently. They have been knocked out in this round by Liverpool and Man Utd in the last two years, failing to even score a goal in either home leg. Coming back to the present, Inter have drawn their last three and two of those were 0-0. If you’ve got plans for Wednesday, don’t cancel them. This may not be a corker (queue 3-3 thriller).

Sned v Dom Grudge Match, return leg

Colchester v Brentford, Tuesday 7:45pm

Colchester to win to nil, £8 at 13-8

After the Bees somehow escaped Griffin Park with three points earlier in the season, Colchester will be looking for revenge. The U’s home season has been superb this year, if you take away the visits of the top two, then we have won every game but one which was drawn. On the flip side, Brentford have been woeful on the road, losing six of eight. Four of those have been to nil and with Colchester’s miserly defence (forget those 12 goals in two games at the start of the year) a Brentford shut out looks likely. The U’s go marching on.

Our new tipster is still feeling his way into proceedings but it would be unwise to rule him out of this month’s race just yet. Tom “The Fish” Salmon could yet ‘leap’ into the lead with a comeback of momentous ’scale’. Anyway, enough puns on Tom’s nickname, it’s time to ‘plaice’ a few bets…

West Ham v Hull

£5 on over 4.5 cards @ 10/11 with bet365.

West Ham and Hull are scrapping for their lives at the foot of the Premier League, and their clash this weekend is bound to be full throttle and lacking in quality. Martin Atkinson is the man in the middle for this tie, and he averages 4 cards per game this season so isn’t afraid of getting the book out. With tackles likely to be flying in left, right and centre, I’m backing Atkinson to reach for his pocket on more than 4 occasions on Saturday, and that doesn’t include him digging out change to follow my tips.

Blackburn v Bolton

£8 on Blackburn to win @ evens with BlueSq.

Sam Allardyce isn’t exactly turning Blackburn into a formidable force, but they’ve made a good habit of beating the teams around them at Ewood Park. Burnley, Wolves, Hull and Wigan have all been sent packing with nothing but sore necks after suffering Blackburn’s direct approach, and Bolton will do well to take anything more than that too. Bolton have only taken 3 points from a possible 30 on the road of late, and Blackburn are worth a squirt at evens to compound Bolton’s travel woes.

World Gold Matchplay Championship

£4 on Paul Casey to reach the final @ 15/8 with Paddy Power.

Tiger Woods’ presidential-like apology on Friday was widely criticised because of its timing in interfering with this tournament, yet none of the players were too worried about all the mistresses he’d been banging. Nevertheless it’s Paul Casey who has emerged the favourite to take the crown, but I’m not so sure it’s that cut and dry. Casey has the easier side of the draw as far as I’m concerned so I’m backing him to reach the final. He should get past Stewart Cink, who hasn’t exactly set the tournament alight, to get to the semi-finals where he’ll meet the winner of Retief Goosen and Camilo Villegas. On the other side of the draw are Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, a resurgent Luke Donald and rising star Thongchai Jaidee, making it difficult to pick a finalist from and even harder to pick an outright winner.

Wolves v Chelsea

£3 on Didier Drogba to score first @ 10/3 with SkyBet.

Ok it’s a pretty straight forward tip, but the man is in tip-top form. He’s scored 4 in 4 since his return from the African Cup of Nations, so it’s safe to assume he’s settled back in. Against Wolves it’s likely Chelsea will bag first, and with Lampard out with a virus, free-kick and penalty taking duties will surely be assumed by the Ivorian. 10/3 isn’t a bad price when considering all the above, so get that loose change on Didier to do the business.

Everton v Sporting Lisbon, Tuesday 5.45pm

Everton Win, £5 @ 8/11 (Totesport)

During a recent trip to Lisbon I went to watch Sporting play expecting to see some classy European football. Instead I enjoyed (a loose use of the word) a 0-0 bore draw where on-loan striker Felipe Caicedo, a Premier League flop, stood out as the best player. From what I witnessed, I struggle to believe Sporting Lisbon ever win football matches, they really were crepe! Combine this with Everton’s decent form, the shortening of their injury list, and home advantage and this bet is plain common sense.

Leeds v Walsall, Tuesday 7.45pm

Nottingham Forest v Sheffield United, Tuesday 7.45pm

Aberdeen v Raith Rovers, Tuesday 7.45pm

3 home wins, £8 @ 7/2 (Bet365)

Manager Mark McGhee has said Tuesday’s Scottish Cup fifth round replay with Raith Rovers is Aberdeen’s most important game of the season so far and it really is a game they should win. A home tie against a team mid-table in the league below should not create too big a problem. The advantage of playing at home is key for Leeds and Forest too, as it is their home form which has kept both teams challenging for their respective division titles. Expect (or hope and pray) that home comforts will results in success for my selected trio.

Cardiff v West Brom, Tuesday, 7.45pm

Lyon v Real Madrid, Tuesday, 7.45pm

Over 2.5 Goals, £6 @ 2/1 (Bet365)

Pancakes aren’t the only thing on the menu this Shrove Tuesday; the main course will be goals! These four teams play attacking football, the likes of which King Kev would admire. With a total of 38 goals in a combined ten games, Cardiff and West Brom fans are sure to see the ripple of that net at least three times. European football is generally tighter than that of domestic leagues but I think the individual flair of Lisandro, Ronaldo, and Kaka amongst others, will see the onion bag bulge enough to collect some much overdue winnings.

Yeovil v Colchester United, Tuesday, 7.45pm

Tierney 1^st goalscorer 50/1 (Widely Available)

Tierney will not score the 1^st goal. But if he does, you heard it here first.

Crystal Palace v Aston Villa

£5 on second half to have more goals @ 11/10 with Coral.

Palace have more than held their own in the Championship this season with a young side, and the administration problems have not unsettled them too much. They dispatched Wolves in the last round and, although I don’t expect them to progress, they should hold Villa out early on. Warnock will urge his side to keep things tight early on, but as the game progresses I expect Villa’s counter-attack and pace going forward to put the game beyond Palace. 11/10 strikes me as value here, so I’m going £5.

Fulham v Notts County

£10 on Fulham to win @ 1/2 with Blue Sq.

Forgive me for going on an odds on bet, I’m still reeling from my last foray into the odds on market, but this time I spy value. Fulham have only lost at home to Chelsea, Arsenal and Villa this season, so it’s hard to see Notts County joining that list, even if it is the FA Cup and anything could happen. Notts County are in all sorts of problems, and Sven will be happy to be out of that situation, particularly as I’m sure he has a busy Valentine’s weekend ahead in store…1/2 isn’t bad value at all when we consider that there are 42 league places between the two, so I’m 10s on Woy Hodgson’s men to wun wiot on Notts County.

Bolton v Tottenham

£5 on under 2.5 goals @ 10/11 with William Hill.

Bolton have only managed 3 goals in their last 4 home games, but they’ve only conceded 4 in the meantime, making the Reebok a very boring place to be of late. Spurs have their problems on the road and this is a tough one to call by means of the win market, so I’m going to go for under 2.5 goals. I delve into the goals market with caution, considering my last effort of under 7 goals across 2 games resulted in 16 goals between the two I’m entitled to feel somewhat stung from my last tip.

Sned might be spending Valentine’s day alone, but with 3 FA Cup matches and 6 nations rugby on in one day, who needs a lady?!