Best Football Bets and Expert Advice for 8 February
It’s a relatively quiet day of football on Thursday with no action in England or Scotland, but there are plenty of cup fixtures being played across Europe. For today’s tips, we’re heading to the knockout action in France, Portugal, and the Netherlands as teams across the continent chase trophies.
Bet of the day: Monaco -2 on 3-way handicap v Rouen – 19/10
The final game of the round of 16 in the Coupe de France, or French Cup, sees Ligue 1 Monaco heading to Rouen, who play in National 1, the third tier of French football. The home fans will be eyeing up another upset after Rouen eliminated top-flight team Toulouse after a penalty shootout in the previous round, but they should find that mighty Monaco is too strong for them.
In contrast, Monaco is shaping up well enough in Ligue 1 and is in fifth place despite being held to draws by Marseille and Le Havre in their last two league games. They are the second-highest scorers in the division with 37 goals in 20 matches, behind only leaders PSG, and should have the firepower to pull clear of their hosts for a wide-margin win.
Monaco won 3-1 at Ligue 2 side Rodez in the previous round thanks to a hat-trick from Wissam Ben Yedder and should be able to do even better against a team from the division below that. Monaco -2 on the handicap, which means the bet wins if they win by three goals or more, looks an attractive wager at 19/10.
Special of the day: Bet Builder – Benfica to Win, Over 3.5 goals v FC Vizela – 19/10
The Taca de Portugal, or Portuguese Cup, is at a more advanced stage and the later of Thursday’s two quarter-finals features the teams at the top and bottom of the Primeira Liga, Benfica, and FC Vizela. Vizela finished in their highest-ever position in the Portuguese top flight last season, coming 11th of the 18 teams, but this year they are rock-bottom with only two wins in 20 league games.
Their last league success was in early November, and they have lost their last four Primeira Liga outings, conceding 15 goals in those games. Benfica, in contrast, is top of the table and locked in a title battle with Sporting, having lost only once in their 20 league games. The Eagles have won 10 of their last 11 games in all competitions. The exception was a defeat on penalties against Estoril in the League Cup after a 1-1 draw, so they will be motivated to avoid another upset.
Benfica has scored 19 goals in their last six league games and should record a victory in a game with over 3.5 goals given their firepower and the home side’s shaky defense.
Long shot of the day: Groningen to beat Fortuna Sittard 2-0 – 12/1
Groningen takes on Fortuna Sittard in the last quarter-final of the Dutch Cup, or KNVB Beker, on Thursday, and the home team is in the kind of form to cause an upset. The hosts play in the Dutch second tier, the Eerste Divisie, and have been in fine form, with the 1-0 loss to promotion rivals Dordrecht in their most recent game being their first competitive defeat for 14 matches.
They have won five straight home games, scoring at least two goals in each match, and they will be looking to take advantage of the Eredivisie team’s poor record on the road. Fortuna Sittard is a solid-enough 10th in the top flight, but only one of their six league wins has been secured away from home. That 1-0 success at struggling Volendam was just the fifth goal they had scored in 10 league away games.
If their issues in front of goal continue, then a bet on the home team winning 2-0 at 12/1 could provide some value.
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