* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Here we go then, it’s the highlight of the week. Yes, I am talking about 8pm on a Thursday night. It’s another bumper edition as the Europa League and the Europa Conference League get into the swing of this knockout thing. We’ve got two British clubs in action in the late games, Celtic who host Bodo Glimt and Leicester who play Randers. They’re both in the Conference League after both of the teams you’ve heard of finished 3rd in their Europa League groups.
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In the (relative) big league we’ve got some hefty clashes where Porto tackle Lazio and RB Leipzig face Real Sociedad. To help get you up for the fight I’ve been rummaging around Paddy’s markets to find some winning value for your Thursday 8pm four-fold acca. Let’s take a look.
The latest football odds are on PaddyPower.com right now*An acca with these best bets pays at approximately 29/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
Celtic v Bodo Glimt – Celtic (-1)
TV: BT Sport 2
Celtic should make short work of their Norwegian opponents, Bodo Glimt, on Thursday night. They’re in red-hot form and they’ve lost just one of their last 27 games in all competitions and that was away at Bayer Leverkusen.
If the job wasn’t hard enough for the Norwegian champions, they haven’t played a competitive game since they wrapped up the Eliteserien title on the 12th December 2021. They have been playing some friendlies but obviously that’s nothing compared to Celtic’s preparations of flattening everyone they’ve faced, failing to win on just one occasion since that Leverkusen defeat.
Celtic are rightly big favourites but where can we eke out some value in what should be a one-sided affair? I think we’re getting a really good price on Celtic (-1) in the handicap market.
Their form and match fitness makes them impossible to avoid and I think we can side with them racking up a few as well. In their last four games they’ve scored three twice and four twice so they’re firing on all cylinders at the top of the pitch. I think they’ll shoot the lights out against Glimt.
Leicester v Randers – Both Teams To Score
TV: BT Sport 3 and BT Sport Ultimate
It’s a similar story in our other Europa Conference clash where the battle-hardened Leicester face Danish outfit Randers who have, like Bodo Glimt, not kicked a ball in competitive action since December 12th. The big difference here, though, is that Leicester are in terrible form.
There’s also the big question over what kind of team the increasingly under pressure Brendan Rodgers will put out. Will he go strong to find some form and confidence or is he going to rest and rotate?
Well, he went strong in their Carabao Cup and FA Cup exits but had been treating the Europa League as the ugly stepsister. That approach has only gone and landed him in the Conference League which I suspect he needs like a hole in the head.
I think he’ll rotate again but the golden rule when looking at Leicester games is always go with Both Teams to Score. It’s clicked in 12 of their last 15 games. I know Randers are going to be achingly-short of match practice but Leicester let almost everyone score against them. Boring and predictable? Maybe, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
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Porto v Lazio – Both Teams to Score & Over 2.5 goals
TV: BT Sport ESPN
Off to the Europa League now and a mouthwatering meeting between Porto and Lazio. The Portuguese giants are in phenomenal form and are yet to lose a league match this season. Lazio have been a little more up and down and they’re 6th in Serie A with seven losses already.
The Italians arrive here courtesy of a 2nd-placed finish in Europa League Group E while Porto were edged out of their Champions League group by Atletico Madrid, finishing 3rd. This is a really tough game to call but Porto are Paddy’s favourites.
One thing we should be sure of is goals. There’s been Over 2.5 Goals in nine of Lazio’s last 11 matches in all competitions. For Porto it’s clicked in nine of their last 10. Both have pretty leaky defences and the hosts have seen both teams scoring in seven of their last eight.
It hasn’t clicked for the Italians in any of their last six, but they’ve scored in nine of their last 11 and Porto have scored in each of their last 15 with Liverpool being the last team to keep them out back on November 24. Despite that Lazio stat, I think there’s a good chance we see Both Teams to Score and Over 2.5 Goals.
RB Leipzig v Real Sociedad – Leipzig to Win to Nil
TV: BT Sport Extra 2
We finish in Germany with RB Leipzig v Real Sociedad. It’s a clash of two teams who are well positioned in their respective leagues with both having realistic hopes of qualifying for the Champions League next season.
RB are 4th in the Bundesliga and head a list of four teams tied on 34 points while Sociedad’s early title hopes are a distant memory as they sit 6th, one point off Barcelona in 4th.
The Spanish side are in pretty poor form, especially when the raft of Copa del Rey games are taken out of their results. In the league they’ve won just two of their last 10 games, drawing four and losing four. Leipzig, on the other hand, have won five of their last six with just Bayern Munich defeating them 3-2 over that time.
I think it’s fair to say the home side should be winning here and we can capitalise on their usually-sturdy defence and Sociedad’s faltering attack. Sociedad have scored just five goals in their last 10 La Liga matches. Leipzig have kept three clean sheets in their last five, conceding four with Bayern bagging three of those. It’s a bit of a price but I think Leipzig to Win to Nil has a good chance.
Thursday football acca
Celtic v Bodo Glimt – Celtic (-1)
Leicester v Randers – Both Teams To Score
Porto v Lazio – Both Teams to Score & Over 2.5 goals
RB Leipzig v Real Sociedad – Leipzig to Win to Nil
*An acca with these best bets pays at approximately 29/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
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