Odds from Bet365 as Betfair markets illiquid earlier in the week when I begin research. Italian Seria A is frustratingly at 19:30 and not its mid-afternoon slot of last season. That would certainly help the live chat start of 13:30.

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

13:30 – Cardiff v Arsenal –  1.61 Arsenal

• Arsenal were entitled to beat West Ham on form. It was an encounter they did well at historically. But Cardiff? An element of the unknown means this match is not a good candidate for research. Inplay stats with a natural bent towards the Arsenal.

16:00 – Burnley v Manchester Utd – 1.61 Man Utd

• these 2 surely are candidates for ‘first sacked manager of the season’?
• Burnley have conceded 0-3-4 goals and are conceding readily in the Europa League.
• A win and 2 defeats for United conceding 1-3-3- goals.
• A horror show. I would not be buying any tickets for this one.
• 7th v 2nd from last season. 0.89 goals conceded on average at home last season for Burnley.A third of matches last season saw clean sheets.
• I have seen better 1.61 shots than Man Utd, that’s for sure. A no play for me given the poor form for both sides. I must recount for United at home to Spurs that they were the dominant attacking force stats wise so the 0-3 defeat was a shock to me.

16:00 – Watford v Tottenham – 1.61 Tottenham

• a London derby of sorts.
• Watford are the surprise package so far, and that is shown in the quite generous quite for Tottenham.
• Both sides are 3/3 wins . Both sides are scoring 2+ goals.
• This will be a fascinating match. Watford are yet to meet the big guns so this is the first test of their credentials .

ENGLISH CHAMPIONSHIP

12:00 – Ipswich v Norwich – 2.4 Norwich

• No win yet for Ipswich.3 losses in 4 matches. No clean sheet.2 score draws at home.
• 3 losses in 4 for Norwich.2-4-2-0-3 goals conceded.  2 goals conceded in each of their away matches.
• Add in the local derby aspect here and this is as tough to call as the market suggests. Norwich’s concession rate is a concern. 2 score draws for Ipswich – lay Norwich if Norwich score first?
• Inplay stats will reveal all.

13:30 – Bristol City v Blackburn – 2.25 Bristol City

• Only 1 loss for Bristol City in 5 matches. 2 consecutive clean sheets for Bristol City.
• Draw and a loss in their 2 at home needs obvious improvement.
• Blackburn are unbeaten.3 clean sheets in 4 matches.  Blackburn failed to score in only 1 match.
• 11th last season v newly promoted. Blackburn an element of the unknown but look to have a plan – a defensive plan.

FRENCH LIGUE 1

14:00 – St Etienne v Amiens – 1.57 St Etienne

• St Etienne wins to nil in last 2 head to heads. The market expects more of the same today
• Win and 2 draws for St Etienne.2 losses and a win Amiens
• Inplay stats to determine St Etienne’s strength

16:00 – Rennes v Bordeaux – 2.05 Rennes

• Loss, Win , Draw Rennes so far this season. 2 losses and a win for Bordeaux.
• 2 peripheral sides in a league I do not prioritise. Inplay stats.

20:00 – Monaco v Marseille – 2.6 Marseille

• in this league I do not prioritise, I like Monaco, Lyon and PSG. So let’s take a look at this match.
• First thing to note is that it is a Cote D’azur derby so we might get a match which does not follow any form lines.
• 6-1 Monaco and 2-2 in the last 2 head to heads.
• Win, Loss, Draw for both sides this season so really yet to get going. Both teams have seen both teams score twice this season.
• As a derby this is worth monitoring via the inplay stats. I do expect goals, as I would with any side with Falcao in the team!

GERMAN BUNDESLIGA

14:30 – Leipzig v Fortuna Dusseldorf – 1.4 Leipzig

• Newly promoted Dusselsorf started well v Augsburg but lost 1-2. Leipzig have been sharpening their act in European competition since their loss to Dortmund.
• I would expect Leipzig to dominate today. They had an air of solidity last season, and scored 2+ goals.

17:00 – Schalke v Hertha  – 1.8 Schalke

• 12th v 8th from last season.
• 2-1 loss v Wolfsburg and 1-0 win v Nurnberg for these 2 in their openers.
• 2nd v 10th from last season.
• Only 2 home losses last season for Schalke.
• Schalke scored in their last 28 matches last season which is quite something.
• Hertha failed to score in 3/4 away v the top 4.
• Expectation for Schalke to perform well at home this season. And remember their goalscoring exploits if they are at 0-0 or 0-1 at some point in this match,

ITALIAN SERIA A

17:00 – Fiorentina v Udinese – 1.57 Fiorentina

• 6-1 Fiorentina in their opener v Chievo. 2-2 v Parma and 1-0 win v Samp for Udinese who seem to have arrested that 2 goal conceding record they had back end of last season.
• 8th v 13th from last season. All bar 1 win for Fiorentina came v teams below them in the league last season.
• 2-1 win v Udinese.
• All defeats bar 1 away for Udinese last season v the top 10.

19:30 – Atalanta v Cagliari – 1.45 Atalanta

• 7 goals scored in 2 matches for Atalanta. 6 different goal scorers. A real threat therefore.
• Cagliari have conceded 2 goals in their 2 matches. One was a 2-2.
• Atalanta look like they have tweaked things up front and I expect 2+ goals from them today. A simple angle.
• Logic suggests we lay the 0-0 in the halftime score market where we have a home side scoring 7 goals in 2 matches.,

19:30 – Chievo v Empoli – 2.3 Chievo

• March 2017 was the last head to head.
• 2 losses for Chievo v Juventus and Fiorentina.
• Win and loss for Empoli
• Chievo could be competitive at home . Watching brief

19:30 – Lazio v Frosinone – 1.2 Lazio

• a really tough opener for Lazio with Napoli and Juventus and 2 losses. Now newly promoted Frosinone should give Lazio the win to get their season up and running.
• Frosinone of course are an unknown quantity in this better league. 4-0 loss and 0-0. yet to score.

19:30 – Sampdoria v Napoli – 1.5 Napoli

• This is Sampdoria’s 2nd match only of the season, a 1-0 loss v Udinese.
• Napoli have a 1-2 and 3-2 win v Lazio and AC Milan. That is good form. Their win v Milan saw them 0-2 down so stick Napoli in your notebook as a reliable trading side if falling behind.

19:30 – Sassuolo v Genoa – 2.05 Sassuolo

• Win and draw for Sassuolo to date. Only 1 match Genoa, a 2-1 win. For me, last season, Genoa had the feel of a very adept defensive unit. Let’s see if last year’s stats back up my hunch.
• This was 11th v 12th from last season.
• 1.37 goal average away last season. The problem with Genoa last season was an inability to score.  They failed to score in 9 matches v the top 13 away.
• 0-0 v Sassuolo last season.
• V the top 16 at home last season, Sassuolo failed to score in 9 matches. In the rest they scored just a single goal. If that pattern continues, lay Sassuolo , indeed, lay the first team to score? If they cannot conjure up a 2nd goal, then  logic dictates the opponent is the likelier next scorer ( if there is to be a goal).

19:30 – Torino v SPAL – 1.61 Torino

• 0-1 loss v Roma and 2-2 v Inter Milan for Torino. SPAL continue their reputation for being a defensive unit with 2 perfectly defensive 1-0 wins v Bologna and Parma,
• 7th v 17th from last season. Are SPAL expecting a relegation battle this season?
• Torino lost only one match home and away v teams below them in the league last season. 2-1 win and 2-2 away draw v SPAL last season.
• SPAL did not beat any top 16 side away last season. They conceded 2+ goals on 6 occasions away v the top 10 which suggests that defence will be stretched by the better sides. SPAL may keep it tight but eventually capitulate.
• I expect a positive Torino result based on last season. A 0-0 for a while would not shock, particularly if SPAL have improved upon that defence over the off-season.

DUTCH EREDIVISIE

11:15 – Groningen v PEC Zwolle – 2.05 Groningen

• 2 losses and a win plays 3 defeats this season.
• Groningen have not had a 0-0 at halftime. Groningen have not scored a 2nd goal in a match this season.
• 2 goals conceded in each match for Zwolle.
• 2-0-1 goals scored by Zwolle this season.

13:30 – Heracles v AZ – 1.57 AZ

• AZ fell flat last weekend but they were priced up to struggle v Vitesse. Back to odds on favouritism and we should see goals from a side exploding into the season with 9 goals in 2 matches.
• Prior to the Vitesse stalemate we saw 3-0 and 1-3 before halftime in AZ matches.
• Heracles started well with a 1-1 v Ajax, 3-0 win v ADO and then 5-0 loss v Willem II.
• I would look to AZ to resume goal scoring duty today so any Heracles lead will be threatened.
• You might want to lay the 0-0 in the halftime score market if you equate odds on to goals  where AZ is concerned.

13:30 – Vitesse v Ajax – 1.7 Ajax

• Vitesse kept a free-scoring AZ to 0-0 last match and could be a thorn in a faltering Ajax’s side today.
• After a horrific 1-1 at home v Heracles, Ajax have 2 consecutive wins to nil now.
• A win and 2 draws for Vitesse, so unless the match is a draw, one of these 2 will lose their unbeaten record.
• Vitesse did the double over Ajax last season , with both teams scoring so watch out for a labouring Ajax today.

15:45 – Feyenoord v NAC Breda – 1.16 Feyenoord

• 1.16 suggests 3/4 goals from Feyenoord today.
• Breda won the head to heads last season but the market is emphatic that this will end. Value seekers may argue Breda are a bogey side and lay Feyenoord at 1.16?
• After a disasterous first match loss, Feyenoord have now scored 3 and 5 goals, albeit they conceded 3 goals last match.
• 2 defeats and a win for NAC, conceding 2+ in defeats.
• We expect Feyenoord to continue their 3+ goal haul. As I say, value seekers will lay Feyenoord at 1.16 in the hope Breda make it 3/3 in head to heads recently.

SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE

12:00 – Celtic v Rangers – 1.61 Celtic

• Stevie G’s first Old Firm Derby. He has impressed as Rangers manager
• Rangers are unbeaten in 17 now and unbeaten under Gerrard.
• 2 consecutive score draws.
• Celtic have been emphatic in recent head to heads, and on that basis could be the team to end this Rangers unbeaten run.
• 3-1 and 1-0 at home for Celtic who have scored 0-1 in their last 2 matches.  2 score draws away for Rangers. In both of those matches, Rangers had wins turn into draws with 90th minute concessions.
• I expect Rangers to be on par with Celtic today, far more than the market does. Celtic’s 1.61 quote is far too short. I will lay Celtic if Celtic lead here at even shorter odds. Look at Rangers scoring recently and away.

SPANISH LA LIGA

11:00 – Levante v Valencia – 2.1 Valencia

• 1-1 and 3-1 Valencia last 2 head to heads.
• Win and loss Levante and Draw, Loss Valencia.
• Yet to reveal their hands. Both teams to score as per head to heads?

15:15 – Alaves v Espanyol – 2.62 Espanyol

• Alaves are yet to score in 2 matches. Draw and a win for Espanyol
• The market cannot split these 2. let inplay stats do that!

17:30 – Barcelona v Huesca – 1.08 Barcelona

• 1-2 and 2-2 Huesca unbeaten. Barcelona 2/2. Yet to concede.
• Market expects a rout. Value is in laying Barca at 1.08 with that Huesca ‘unknown’ element. Look at Parma v Juve last night. All sorts of huffing and puffing from Juventus v a newly promoted side .

19:45 – Betis v Sevilla – 2.3 Sevilla

AUSTRIAN BUNDESLIGA

16:00 – Salzburg v Admira – 1.14 Salzburg

16:00 – Sturm Graz v Rapid Vienna – 2.4 Sturm Graz

16:00 – LASK v Wolfsberger – 1.57 LASK

BELGIAN JULIPER LEAGUE

13:30 – Anderlecht v Antwerp – 1.61 Anderlecht

17:00 – Cercle Brugge v Gent – 2.15 Gent

19:00 – Kortrijk v Genk – 1.75 Genk

NORWEGIAN ELITESERIEN

17:00 – Bodo/Glimt v Sarpsborg – 2.00 Bodo

17:00 – Odd v Molde – 2.5 Odd

17:00 – Rosenborg v Haugesund – 1.36 Rosenborg

17:00 – Brann v Ranheim – 1.4 Brann

17:00 – Kristiansund v Start – 1.85 Kristiansund

19:00 – Lillestrom v Valerenga – 2.15 Lillestrom

PORTUGEUSE PRIMEIRA LIGA

Both sides must react to Sporting’s very luck late late 1-0 win v Feirense last night.

18:30 – Nacional v Benfica – 1.36 Benfica

• Benfica score 3 or 4 goals when they meet Nacional .
• Nacional have scored and conceded in 2 defeats and a win.
• Benfica have 2 wins and a 1-1 v Sporting.
• With Nacional conceding 4 goals v Braga, this should serve as a gauge for what Benfica, at their best, can achieve.

20:30 – Porto v Moreirense – 1.14 Porto

• The market expects 3/4 goals from Porto today.
• 5-3-2 goals scored this season by Porto in 2 wins and a loss.
• Loss, Win, Draw for Moreirense.Both teams scored.
• No 0-0 at halftime for Porto. Certainly expect 2 goals minimum from Porto. Both teams could score. I would like to lay Moreirense if Moreirense score first.

SWEDISH ALLSVENSKAN

14:00 – Hammarby v Djurgarden –

14:00 – Bromma v Malmo –

14:00 – Dalkurd v IFK Goteborg –

16:30 – GIF Sundsvall v Sirius –

16:30 – Elfsborg v Kalmar –

TURKISH SUPER LIG

17:15 – Erzurumspor v Basaksehir – 1.77 Basaksehir

19:45 – Bursaspor v Besiktas – 1.79 Besiktas