It’s a bit early to talk about the 128th FA Cup Final between Everton and Chelsea, but there is no better time to find a value bet.

I’m not referring the the FA Cup Winner market, which is unattractive from a betting point of view. If you had a wager before Manchester United were knocked out, then hats off.

Everton were 33/1 shots at the beginning of the year to crash the Big Four party, but are now generally available at 7/4 to lift the trophy on 30 May.

Toffees supporters would probably get a better run for their money with 4/1 in the 90 minutes betting, but 17/2 for Everton/Everton in the HT/FT market is a good trade if Everton open the scoring – a 7/4 chance.

Chelsea are a stand-out 10/11 to win in 90 minutes with Sky Bet, but the treble could be a better value bet at 66/1 with William Hill. 

At this early stage, the betting value lies with the 0-0 scoreline. The bore draw is 17/2 with Victor Chandler, which simply must be backed.

The last two Wembley finals have finished 1-0, but the surface has been criticised for being ‘spongy and dead’. The surface and the pressure of the occasion make the 0-0 quite a likely result.

Sir Alex Ferguson wants the FA to improve the surface, but thankfully we won’t have to put up with his ranting before the Final. In the week preceding the FA Cup Final there are three Play-Off Finals.

We recommended the bore draw in the Carling Cup Final at 10/1, as it tends to be under-bet.

I’d still consider the scoreline if the best price available was 5/1, but when you compare odds online, the punter can find better value.

Following Man U’s exit from the competition, they are now 5/2 to win a quadruple.

bookies.com is the best place to go to compare FA Cup odds:

FA Cup Winner 2009 Betting

FA Cup Final 2009: Chelsea v Everton Match Betting

FA Cup Final 2009: Chelsea v Everton Over/Under Betting

FA Cup Final 2009: Chelsea v Everton HT/FT Betting

FA Cup Final 2009: Chelsea v Everton Correct Score Betting

Liverpool v Chelsea. Champions League. Again. 

Should be an easy one betting-wise; they met in the semis last year and both play in the Premier League.

A handful of bookies are undecided as to who’ll progress through this tie, offering 5/6 about both teams.

Corals report that they’ve seen equal amounts of money for both sides, although Chelsea are odds-against to qualify on Betfair.

Backing a team at 5/6 isn’t going to make you rich, and Wednesday’s match betting doesn’t look particularly rewarding. Liverpool are best priced at 11/8 with Paddy Power to beat Chelsea at Anfield, the draw is available at 11/5 and an away victory at 11/4.

Liverpool are 11/4 with Skybet to make the final and 11/5 to get knocked out in the semis like last year.

The sides last met at the same venue in February, with Liverpool winning in the last few minutes thanks to a Torres double. Florent Malouda thinks Chelsea are better, but the same correct score can be backed at 9/1. 

Torres is 10/1 with Paddy Power to score 2 goals or more.

In such a tight encounter, my preference is with the 0-0 scoreline, which usually offers cracking value. Boylesports are the only firm going 7/1 about No Goalscorer, which gives you room for the own goal nightmare.

Remember that Riise scored one in the 94th minute last year. He is no longer with the Reds.

I fancy under 2.5 goals, but 8/15 is a shocking price. Liverpool have scored in each of their last 18 CL matches, so preference would be for the 1-0 home win at 6/1 with Blue Square.

Another juicy price is 4/1 for the draw/draw outcome in the half-time/full-time market.

bookies.com conveniently compares all football odds in one place – so make sure you always get the best available price!

Liverpool v Chelsea Match Betting 

Liverpool v Chelsea Asian Handicap Betting

Liverpool v Chelsea Correct Score Betting

Liverpool v Chelsea First Goalscorer Betting

Liverpool v Chelsea Half-time/Full-time Betting

12/5 Manchester United take on 6/4 Inter Milan at the San Siro tonight, in just one of the mouth watering ties on offer this week (ITV1).

Man U finally conceded a goal at home to Blackburn this weekend, but still drew clear of their title rivals. They are now 1/10 shots for the Premier League and 16/1 with Stan James for the quadruple.

Inter Milan are in a similar domestic position, 1/5 with Bet Chronicle and 9 points clear of Juventus.

Both Fergie and José Mourinho are tactically astute, so punters can expect a tight game. The draw is 21/10 with Sky Bet and under 2.5 goals can be backed at 4/7 with the same firm.

If either of those prices appeals to you, you’d be better off in the correct score market. Man U are missing defenders, but 0-0 is always a good result to keep on your side at 7/1.

But let’s not get too pessimistic now. Adriano (13/2 to score first) and Ibrahimovic (6/1) will create havoc for a United defense missing Evans, Vidic, Brown and Neville.

Inter’s Serie A form is questionable though – in the Champions League Group Stage they lost matches to both Bremen and Panathinaikos, and drew to outsiders Anorthosis 3-3. They failed to score more than 1 goal in any of their home ties against weak opposition.

Man U will be a much tougher test, and are the 4/6 pick to qualify from the tie.

Ladbrokes have a market on the total number of team goals, but 4/11 is too short to back under 1.5 Inter Milan goals.

bookies.com conveniently compares all football odds in one place – so make sure you always get the best available price!

Inter v Man U Match Betting

Arsenal v Roma Match Betting

Lyon v Barca Match Betting

Manchester United could go 5 points clear tonight if they beat Fulham, and should do just that at 1/4. Fulham are 19/1 and looked jaded in their 1-1 draw at Swansea. Man U are 8/15 to keep another clean sheet in a match that is difficult to find a bet.

Aston Villa are in UEFA Cup action tonight – they are 21/20 to beat 2005 Winners CSKA Moscow at home. Kick off is at 7pm, but coverage starts half an hour earlier on five. The Russian side are weak in the betting at 16/5, probably because Zico‘s men aren’t in their season yet. They’ll also be fielding 17 year old Georgi Schennikov at left back.

The draw has been supported into 12/5 from 5/2 and the draw/draw HT/FT result is 9/2 with William Hill.

5/4 PSG have been in good form in the French League, but 13/5 Wolfsburg are a different proposition. They have recruited well in recent years, but will miss Grafite tonight. Even though Paris will have Hoarau and Luyindula up front, I think they could be a lay. I’d rather bet on over 2.5 goals at 1/1 with bet365.

Werder Bremen v AC Milan is the glamour tie with David Beckham 16/1 to score first in the match for the 17/10 visitors.

Standard Liège are clear in the Jupiler League and I’d expect them to win at Braga (21/10) tonight. They have won their last 7 and I was so impressed with them in 2008 that I backed them outright in the competition at 33s. They have won thier last 4 to nil, which is a 7/2 chance with Paddy Power tonight.

Recommendation:

2pts @ 21/10 Standard Liège to beat Braga

1pt @ 7/2 Standard Liège to Win to Nil

bookies.com compares all the odds for tonight’s UEFA Cup matches to find you the best value.

Man U host Chelsea on Sunday, in a match which could have a massive impact on the title race. The Red Devils are the favourites to win the Premier League at this stage, generally available at 11/8. Having traded at odds-on in November, Chelsea have drifted out to 9/4. I’m not interested in any of those prices, because of the low return and time period. Liverpool are 13/5, from a massive 8/1 before the season started.

Will it finally be Liverpool’s year? I expect them to win at Stoke (4/9) today, probably by a comfortable margin. If Chelsea lose at Old Trafford, the betting will get turned on its head. Liverpool ought to then be the 2nd favourites, whilst Man U could well go odds-on.

I reckon that Sunday’s clash will be a close encounter, which is supported by the prices. Both teams are odds-against, but the draw looks short at 9/4. The draw is a strong possibility, but I’d prefer taking 8/1 on a 0-0 scoreline, or 11/2 for the 1-1 which we successfully backed in the reverse fixture.

Man U have made a habit of winning regularly, despite not reaching top gear. 13/10 looks a bit short in a match that could go either way, but they do have the best current home form – 6 wins on the trot. Worryingly, they haven’t beaten another member of the Big 4 this season, although all of those fixtures have been away from home.

They scored a goal in all 3 of those matches, but 27/25 looks short in the Over 2.5 goals market. Chelsea must surely be the value bet in this match at 13/5, as they are unbeaten away from home. It would be fantastic if Phil Scolari started both Drogba and Anelka up front, who are both 8/1 to open the scoring.

However I’d like the draw on my side as well, which is why I’m recommending a small lay of Man U on Betfair. They are trading at 2.30 (5/4), so a Man U victory won’t break the bank.

Recommendation:

LAY Man U vs Chelsea @ 2.3 to win 3pts (Risk losing 3.9pts)

bookies.com is fantastic for comparing football odds between the UK bookmakers:

Man U v Chelsea Match Betting

Man U v Chelsea Over/Under 2.5 Goals Betting

Man U v Chelsea Asian Handicap Betting

Man U v Chelsea First Goalscorer Betting

Man U v Chelsea Correct Score Betting

Even though Man U are 10 points adrift of leaders Liverpool, they are now the 6/4 favourites to win the league after Chelsea slipped up at Fulham, where they were 8/13 in the match betting. The title race looks incredibly tight at the moment, with the bookies able to see past Liverpool, still offering 11/4.

Chelsea have been pushed out to 2/1 by several firms, and Arsenal shouldn’t be dismissed at 33/1. The relegation battle looks even closer, with bigger prices available. Betfred go 4/1 about Portsmouth, which is a bigger price than Betfair. Pompey are set to lose several players in the January transfer window, and Tony Adams is Skybet’s 9/4 favourite in the next manager to go market.

Other prices that interest me are 4/1 for Bolton and 7/1 for Newcastle United, although I should’ve taken Ladbrokes’ 8/1 quote yesterday. West Brom have been eased out to 7/20 after a solid win against 10 man Spurs yesterday, who are 14/1 to go down themselves.

Tonight’s match is Manchester United against Middlesbrough, which is televised on Setanta. The home side are hot is the betting at 2/9, with Middlesbrough available at a huge 19/1. Gareth Southgate has recently been cut from 16/1 into 14s to be the next manager to go, as his side are winless in 8.

Since beating Aston Villa, Middlesbrough have lost to the likes of Bolton, Hull, Fulham and Everton. Unfortunately for them, Man U have won their last 6 at Old Trafford and are unbeaten in their last 12 home games. The away win looks highly unlikely tonight, but there may be some value in other markets.

Boro have scored in their last 3 visits to Old Trafford, and you can lay the Man U clean sheet at 1.71 on Betfair. They lost 4-1 in this fixture last year, with Aliadière scoring for the away side, who is 6/1 to net anytime tonight, or 20/1 to score first with Blue Square.

bookies.com is your best bet for comparing football odds between the top UK bookmakers:

2009 Premier League Winner Betting

Relegation Betting

Next Manager to Go Betting

Man U v Middlesbrough Match Betting

Man U v Middlesbrough Clean Sheet Betting

Man U v Middlesbrough Anytime Goalscorer Betting

Today’s Premier League action looks difficult from a punting point of view, as I think several matches could end up as draws. Punters are happy to smash into 4/5 Liverpool at Newcastle, because the home team have a number of injury problems. Beye, Viduka and Bassong will all be missing but the 9/2 home side have been on a good run of form recently. Newcastle are now out to 8/1 to be relegated, but won’t appreciate the returns of Mascherano and Torres.

Manchester City are looking to bid for Michael Owen, who is rated as £4-6 million even though his contract is running out at the end of the season. The 29 year old recently said that he wouldn’t leave this January, meaning that punters who took Hill’s generous 13/8 about him still being at Newcastle in February should be chuffed. Owen is best priced at 15/2 to open the scoring against his former club today with Sportingbet.

Other ‘bankers’ today are 2/5 Arsenal against Pompey and 8/13 Chelsea to continue their good away form at Fulham. Elsewhere, 11/10 Villa have been supported for their trip to Hull, and they are 66/1 to win the Premiership.

From a betting point of view, I’d be looking to avoid the clash between 13/8 Blackburn and 15/8 Manchester City. With question marks over both sides, the draw at 12/5 is probably the best bet. Everton v Sunderland also looks difficult, but 4/1 for Ricky Sbragia‘s side looks generous.

bookies.com is your best bet for comparing football odds between the top UK bookmakers:

Newcastle v Liverpool Match Betting

Newcastle v Liverpool First Goalscorer Betting

Arsenal v Portsmouth Match Betting

Fulham v Chelsea Match Betting

Blackburn v Man City Match Betting

Everton v Sunderland Match Betting

Next Manager to go Betting

Premier League Winner Betting

Here are just some of the highlights from this weekend in terms of betting opportunities or just simply unmissable TV:

Saturday 13th December

Racing:

14:30 Boylesports Gold Cup

2/1 Imperial Commander could be a superstar in the making whilst 5/1 Silverburn will be popular with Ruby Walsh supporters. 15/1 Three Mirrors or 28/1 Abragante could be each way alternatives. Wait to see what the weather does tomorrow.

15.05 Boylesports International Hurdle

7/4 is way too short for Binocular who may not stay, perhaps Katchit is the value at 5/1 with a great course record.

Football:

12.45 Middlesbrough v Arsenal

Boro have a knack for conceeding late goals, whilst Arsenal tend to score them. Paddy Power offer 5/6 that the last goal is scored past the 75th minute.

17.30 Tottenham v Man U

Berbatov is doubtful, and I’d be keen to take on Man U. Spurs are unbeaten against the ‘Big 4′ this season, and Harry Redknapp had a great record against Man U with Pompey. Lay Man U at 1.93 on Betfair.

21.00 Barcelona v Real Madrid

Juande Ramos’ new side 11/2 to keep his 100% record.

TV:

19.10 X Factor Final

Bookies.com Betting Preview

Fingers crossed for 3/1 JLS!

20.55 Strictly Come Dancing

Lisa Snowdon will need an amazing performance to stay in the competition – 4/6 to be evicted.

Sunday 14th December

Football:

16.00 Chelsea v West Ham

1/4 Chelsea will be in plenty of punters’ accies this weekend.

19.30 Juvenuts v Milan

Both sides are 6 points adrift of Inter, so this one is absolutely crucial for the title race.

20.00 Lyon v Marseille

7/2 Marseille are more than capable of winning this, but it should be a close game.

TV:

19.00 BBC Sports Personality of the Year

Bookies.com Betting Preview

Rebecca Adlington now odds-on!