United To Burn The Gas In Oxford

English League Two leader Oxford is the best of a number of attractive football bets on Saturday 2 November 2013 as the fourth-tier frontrunner is available at odds of 1.80 with BetVictor to beat Bristol Rovers.

Ever since thrashing pre-season English League Two favourite Portsmouth 4-1 at Fratton Park on the opening day of the season Oxford has been on the radar of punters and, up against a Bristol Rovers team that has drawn four and lost six of its last 10 matches across all competitions, it is remarkable that United is trading at odds of 1.80.

Oxford has won two and drawn two of its last four English League Two games, keeping Accrington, Exeter, Northampton and Wimbledon scoreless in those matches. That is pretty sound form and streets ahead of what Bristol Rovers brings to the Kassam Stadium. Bristol Rovers is one point off the foot of the fourth-tier ladder and, across both this term and last, the Gas have gone 11 away games without a win, losing seven of those matches. Bristol Rovers lost 1-2 at Accrington a week and a half ago, thereby becoming the first side to lose to Stanley since the new season kicked off.

Staying in English League Two, Burton is generously priced at odds of 2.00 to defeat Morecambe. Burton has got its act together after an ordinary start to its campaign, winning four of its last five games, keeping a clean sheet in its most recent three matches. Morecambe has slid down the fourth-tier ladder, accruing only one point from its last three games and, most embarrassingly, losing 1-2 at home to Accrington last week. Burton won last term’s corresponding fixture 3-2 but the final score flattered Morecambe as the Brewers were leading 3-0 with fewer than 10 minutes to go.

Wigan has performed well below expectations in the English Championship so far this season but the raw results of the Latics are not all that bad and they appeal at odds of 1.91 with Betfred to defeat Huddersfield.

The English FA Cup champion won only one of its next seven matches across all competitions after thrashing Barnsley 4-1 on the road to kick off its English Championship campaign but the Latics have had a very tough run of games – for example, their six away matches have included trips to Blackpool, Leicester and Watford – and they are in a very misleading position on the ladder. Wigan is unbeaten at home in both the English Championship and the UEFA Europa League, winning four of its last five games at the DW Stadium.

Wigan will be licking its lips at the prospect of welcoming Huddersfield to its home ground. Huddersfield has won only one of its last seven matches across all competitions and the Terriers have won only once on the road this term and that was when Millwall could not buy a decent result.

Betting on both teams to score in a game is a popular exotic and a couple of Saturday 2 November 2013 matches stand out – Arsenal versus Liverpool in the English Premier League and Sochaux against Saint-Etienne in French Ligue Un.

Arsenal had rustled the onion bag in nine straight Emirates Stadium games before the Gunners drew a blank versus Chelsea in the English Capital One Cup. One can ignore that match as both Arsenal and Chelsea fielded second-string sides. Home clean sheets have been few and far between for Arsenal, with the likes of Aston Villa, Norwich and Stoke hitting the back of the net at the Emirates Stadium. Liverpool is much like Arsenal in that its attack is superior to its defence so odds of 1.57 with Bet365, about both the Gunners and the Reds scoring in the blockbuster clash is attractive.

Sochaux and Saint-Etienne are friends of punters who bet on both teams to score. Both teams have scored in five of Sochaux’s last six games, while both teams have scored in each of Saint-Etienne’s last eight matches. Boylesports is out of line in offering odds of 2.00 about Sochaux and Saint-Etienne scoring at least one goal apiece.