With football’s focus shifting momentarily to Europe this week, checking out prices through the betting exchanges may help you find some value. Midweek football in both the Champions League and the Europa League almost always results in mis-matches in the early days. This week Villa are away to Rapid Vienna and while most away games favour the home side, bookmakers have Villa as clear favourites to win this game.
If you’re looking for value, the betting exchanges are the way to go. Villa are as short as 11/10 through traditional online bookmakers yet through the betting exchanges you can get as much as 15/10. For Rapid Vienna, the price available through an exchange is 13/5 while traditional bookmakers have them as short as 2/1.
Villa are not the only English side in action this week. Liverpool are at home to Trabzonspor with the home side as short as 2/7 and the visitors 10/1. Through the exchanges you can get slightly better odds with Liverpool at 2/5 and Trabzonspor at 15/1.
Manchester City are 4/6 despite being away to Poli Timisoara (5/1) – if City were playing at home you could expect odds of around 1/5 for this mismatch. Even the exchanges like City and this is one contest where the price differential can measure in pennies. However, if you’re betting in large units, those small fractions soon add up and you have to have a philosophy of grabbing every advantage possible, even if it is marginal, it’s still better off in your pocket than the bookies.
Spurs are the only side in action in the Champions League this week as they travel to take on Young Boys. Spurs are 3/4 in general betting although you can find 9/10 on the betting exchanges. Young Boys are 4/1 with a little 9/2 available through the exchanges.
The English sides should have little difficulty winning their games this week so it makes sense to find better value odds before placing a bet. Betting exchanges offer the best odds in the long run when it comes to short priced favourites. The only other way you can get a good return is by backing them in an all up coupon – of course, if one selection slips up, you will lose the lot then – but that is the risk you take.