Soccer Betting » Serie A

Offshore Oscar’s picks May 2, 3 – Easy money will be ours

Offshore Oscar — Fri, 01 May 2009 17:42:35 +0000

Last weekend was tough with two frustrating draws on games that could easily have been wins, but that happens all the time so you’d think I’d be used to it. Fiorentina came through big though, so we only had a small loss.

If the swine flu doesn’t end up killing all the fans and players before the weekend begins, we’ve got some great plays on tap. The season is quickly winding down and we’d love to get over 2,000 units by the time we go on hiatus.

Original bankroll: 1,000 units
Last time’s bankroll: 1,535.7 units

Last time:
1 – 50 units on Fiorentina to win at 2.37 – Final 4-1 – WIN
2 – 50 units on Borussia Monchengladbach to win at 1.83 – Final 1-1 – LOSS
3 – 50 units on Newcastle to win at 2.00 – Final 0-0 LOSS

Profit/loss = (-32.5 units)
New bankroll: 1,503.2 units

This week’s Offshore Oscar plays:

1 – The Gunners travel to the South coast this weekend to face struggling Pompey. They didn’t play that bad in the Champions League vs ManU on Wednesday and while they might have one eye on the return leg at the Emirates, they still should come away with all three points.

50 units on Arsenal at win at 2.15 (so a victory gets us back 107.5 units)

2 – All eyes in Europe will be on the Santiago Bernabeu Saturday night when second place Real Madrid hosts first place Barcelona, with both teams in top form. With 5 matches to go, the Catalonians hold a four point lead and it will be “game on” in La Liga if Real wins, but we don’t think that will happen. Pep Guardiola seemed to be frustrated will the lock down defense that Chelsea played last Tuesday, Real’s back four are not as strong as the Blues, so look for the Barca strikers and midfielders to come out firing.

50 units on Barcelona to win at 2.70 (so a win gets us 135 units)

3 – Milan chalk “easy” money parlay (famous last words) – Inter and AC Milan sit one-two in Serie A and should have no trouble with their matches this weekend. Inter hosts out of form Lazio, while AC Milan travel to Sicily to face a seemingly safe from relegation Catania.

50-unit win parlay on Inter Milan at 1.44 into AC Milan at 1.57 (so if both win we get back 50 x 1.44 x 1.57 = 113 units)

Odds from willhill.com

Offshore Oscar’s picks April 25, 26 – Newcastle celebrates a future WAG

Offshore Oscar — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:33:27 +0000

We proved once again last week that it’s better to be lucky than good, and had another smashing weekend at the windows. Chris Hamburg helpfully pointed out in the comments that Berlin’s striker Voronin had been suspended for 3 games for kicking a ball at another guy, which got past us before we locked in the bet. Fortunately, the rest of them managed a Cinderella comeback win in spite of his absence, so we’ll take it. Cha-ching!

We split the other two bets, and are on cruise control again with a bulging account full of units. This weekend I couldn’t find anything worthwhile in the early matches, so I’ll have to amuse myself with scratch-off lottery tickets until the late games start. Ooh, this ticket has a Price is Right theme!

Let’s celebrate with this photo of Maxim covergirl and Newcastle supporter and future WAG Francoise Boufhal.

Original bankroll: 1,000 units
Last time’s bankroll: 1,468.2 units

Last time:
1 – 50 units on Sunderland to win at 1.85 – Final 1-0 – WIN
2 – 50-unit win parlay on Aston Villa at 1.67 into Birmingham City at 1.95 – Final 1-1 into 1-0 – LOSS
3 – 50 units Hertha Berlin to win at 2.50 – Final 2-1 WIN

Profit/loss = +67.5 units
New bankroll: 1,535.7 units

This week’s Offshore Oscar plays:

1 – In what should be a cracker of a match with possible Europe implications, Fiorentina host AS Roma. The Violets are only two points behind Genoa and could put all the pressure on them with a win. Genoa travels to relegation-threatened Bologna on Sunday. Roma, on the other hand, are three points behind Fiorentina and will look to complete the double versus them, winning 1-0 at Stadio Olympico in Rome. It’s Gilardino against Totti, and were looking for Alberto to come out on top.

50 units on Fiorentina to win at 2.37 (so a win gets us back 118.5 units)

2 – An interesting relegation match is on tap at Borussia Park on Sunday when Borussia Monchengladbach host Arminia Bielefeld. Borussia is in the relegation zone, one point behind the visitors. Look for BM to come out gunning with American Micheal Bradley and get into safety for at least one more week.

50 units on Borussia Monchengladbach to win at 1.83 (so a win gets us back 91.5 units)

3 – With a trip to Anfield looming next week, Newcastle United MUST secure all three points this Monday when they host Portsmouth. Newcastle in the Coca Cola Championship, does that sound right to you? Pompey are not out of the woods yet, with three teams separating them from relegation, so they will probably be defensive minded and go for the tie. Look for the hosts to be on the attack from the outset and get a much needed win.

50 units on Newcastle to win at 2.00 (so this win gets us back an even 100 units)

Odds from willhill.com

Offshore Oscar’s picks – April 10,11 Norf London parlay time

Offshore Oscar — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 02:32:07 +0000

I’m back from Mexico, and I can’t tell you how thrilling it was to meet so many people who follow my picks while on holiday! I totally agree with most of you that the jail cell was way too small for all of us, but looking back it’s hard to hold a grudge, even though that judge did have it coming.

Our midweek plays paid off nicely and ironically it was the Mexico loss that kept us from a sweep. We are easing back into action with just two picks, as this should help my tequila hangover settle a bit more.

Original bankroll: 1,000 units
Last time’s bankroll: 1,385.2 units

Last time:
1 – 40 units Northern Ireland to win at 2.25 – Final 3-2 – WIN
2 – 40 units Bosnia-Herzegovina to win at 2.10 – Final 2-1 – WIN
3 – 40 units Honduras-Mexico tie at 3.10 – Final 3-1 – LOSS
Profit/loss = +54 units
New bankroll: 1,439.2 units

This week’s Offshore Oscar plays:

1 – North London parlay – The Gunners are flying high with a four match win streak in the EPL and a key away-goal at Villareal in the Champions League. Wigan don’t really have much to play for with Europe out of their reach and they are safe from relegation. Spurs entertain Hammers in a mid-table match and should prevail in a close one.

40-unit win parlay Arsenal at 1.70 into Tottenham at 1.75 (so if both win we get back 40 x 1.70 x 1.75 = 119 units)

2 – Napoli has not won in 5 Serie A matches while Atlanta has only won once in their last five. Napoli lost last fall at Atlanta and they should return the favor at home and overtake Atalanta in the standings.

50 units on Napoli to win at 1.91 (so a win gets us back 95.5 units)

Odds from willhill.com

Offshore Oscar’s picks Mar-21, 22 – Roma/Juventus too close to call

Offshore Oscar — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:10:05 +0000

Another great weekend as we hit two of three propositions, and now our total is heading back toward its peak from a month ago. Those who said that my picks sounded like they were coming from someone in the Special Olympics of Gambling really hurt my feelings, so it’s nice to prove once again that just participating isn’t enough. It’s all about winning.

Original bankroll: 1,000 units
Last time’s bankroll: 1,491.2 units

Last time:
1 – 40 units on Sunderland to win at 2.20 – Final 1-2 – LOSS
2 – 40 units Real Madrid to win at 2.00 – Final 2-5 – WIN
3 – 40 units Hibernian to win at 2.50 – Final 1-0 – WIN
Profit/loss = +60 units
New bankroll: 1,551.2 units

This week’s Offshore Oscar plays:

1 – Everton seem to have righted the ship after a bad spell, they cleaned Stoke City’s clock last Saturday and they travel south this Saturday to face Pompey in the lunchtime match. Portsmouth drew at a weak Boro side and will have their hands full with Everton’s in form strikers.

40 units Everton to win at 2.62 (so a win gets us back 104.8 units)

2 – Wolves and Birmingham City have been good to us before in the Coca-Cola Championship and we hope to keep rolling with them this weekend. They both still need to keep winning for an automatic promotion to the EPL and face weak opposition on Saturday. Wolves travel to Nottingham Forest while the Blues host Norwich City.

40-unit win parlay Wolverhampton at 2.15 into Birmingham City at 1.70 (so if both win we get back 40 x 2.15 x 1.70 = 146.2 units)

3 – The big match up of the weekend in Serie A is at Olympic Stadium in Rome where 6th place Roma host second place Juventus. Juventus looks to have secured a spot in Europe, while Roma is still fighting for 4th place. Juventus won 2-0 at home in November, but this match should be more closely contested.

40 units on the Roma-Juventus draw at 2.90 (so a draw gets us back 116 units)

Odds from willhill.com

Offshore Oscar’s picks Feb-28, Mar-1 – It’s payback time, dammit!

Offshore Oscar — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 04:43:19 +0000

As Radiohead famously sang, ‘Gravity always wins’ and it seems to apply to football betting as well, with our crazy lucky streak turning around in an instant. Our bankroll is still way in the black, but I barely remember what it feels like to win a bet. We are back to the fundamentals again, whatever that means, with solid plays all over Europe.

Original bankroll: 1,000 units
Last time’s bankroll: 1,500.9 units

Last time:
1 – 40 units Inter to win at 2.37 – Final 0-0 – LOSS
2 – 40-unit win parlay on Chelsea at 1.67 into Villareal at 1.53 – Final 1-0 into 1-1 – LOSS

Profit/loss = (-80 units)
New bankroll: 1,420.9 units

This week’s Offshore Oscar plays:

1 – East London is bracing for a nice lunchtime match on Sunday when Manchester City visits Upton Park to face West Ham. Both have had tough last two matches in the EPL. Man City had a nice home win on Thursday in the UEFA Cup, with Welshman Craig Bellamy scoring a brace, maybe they will be a little tired and Gianfranco Zola can motivate the Hammers to a victory.

40 units on West Ham to win at 2.40 (so a win gets us back 96 units)

2 – Hamburg are flying high after their wins against Leverkusen and NEC Nijmegen and they want to stay on top of the Bundesliga. Wolfsburg are also playing well, so this should be an excellent match, with Hamburg prevailing by a goal.

40 units Hamburg to win at 1.80 (so a win gets us back 72 units)

3 – Both Sampdoria and AC Milan were ousted from the UEFA cup on Thursday, so they can take their frustrations out on each other on Sunday at Stadio Luigi Ferraris. If the Rossoneri don’t win, Carlo Ancelotti could be out of a job, so expect them to be focused.

40 units AC Milan to win at 2.10 (so a victory gets us back 84 units)

Odds from willhill.com

Offshore Oscars picks Feb-21, 22 – Stoked about this Serie A draw

Offshore Oscar — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 03:40:36 +0000

Last week was a bloodbath for us, betting-wise, and watching all those scoreless draws was probably not a lot of fun even for the nutters who had nothing riding on the games. Things got so bad in Milan that 7 people were arrested after the Derby, and even though I don’t have the details, I can only assume they followed my advice to play for the draw, and that ‘Hand of God’ first goal was too much to take. Who could blame them for trashing the place?

We’ll make that money back this week, I’m assuming.

Original bankroll: 1,000 units
Last time’s bankroll: 1,700.9 units

Last time:
1 – 50 units Deportivo La Coruna to win at 2.00 – Final 0-0 – LOSS
2 – 40-unit win parlay FC Koln at 1.80 into Borussia Dortmund at 1.44 – Final 0-0 and 1-1 – LOSS
3 – 30 units on the draw in the Milan Derby at 2.87 – Final 2-1 – LOSS

Profit/loss = (-120 units)
New bankroll: 1,580.9 units

This weekend’s Offshore Oscar plays:

1 – Stoke City are sitting just one point above the relegation zone and only have one win in their last five matches. They return to the Britannia Stadium this Saturday after a few weeks rest and Tony Pulis should have them ready against Portsmouth.

40 units on Stoke to win at 2.50 (so a win gets us back 100 units)

2 – With a trip to Stamford Bridge coming up on Wednesday to face Chelsea in the Champions League, Claudio Ranieri might choose to rest some of his players Saturday in Palermo. The Serie A title looks out of reach for his Juventus squad, but a top 4 place seems in the bag. Palermo should be able to get a point out of this one.

40 units on a Palermo-Juventus draw at 2.90 (so a win gets us back 116 units)

Odds from willhill.com

Offshore Oscar’s picks Feb-14 and 15 – Italian and French WAGs special

Offshore Oscar — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 02:30:49 +0000

That USA win during the week seemed so easy that it’s amazing we more than doubled our money on that bet, but that was offset by my big bet that satellites would collide in orbit last week instead of this week. Where the hell were you when I needed you, disused Russian satellite Cosmos 2251?

And fans of WAGs photos (AKA straight men whose own W or G isn’t hovering over their shoulder) will be happy to “read” about Hot Italian women attached to footballers part two, and Hot French WAGs as well. Who wins the WAGs showdown?

Original bankroll: 1,000 units
Last time’s bankroll: 1,658.9 units

Last time:
1 – 40 units on USA to win at 2.05 – Final 2-0 – WIN

Profit/loss = +42 units
New bankroll: 1,700.9 units

This weekend’s Offshore Oscar plays:

1 – Deportivo had a long trip to Mallorca last week and were able to get a hard fought point. They should be able to get all three points at home against visiting Osasuna on Saturday.

50 units Deportivo La Coruna to win at 2.00 (so a win gets us back an even 100 units)

2 – Bundesliga North Rhine-Westphalia parlay. FC Koln are doing better than expected this year, sitting mid-table and have played well at home. Borussia Dortmund were blasted by Bayern last Sunday and they should find Energie Cottbus a lot easier.

40-unit win parlay FC Koln at 1.80 into Borussia Dortmund at 1.44 (so if both win we get back 40 x 1.80 x 1.44 = 103.6 units)

3 – Does Carlo Ancelotti believe that his AC Milan squad can pick up ANY points this Sunday after their dismal 1-1 draw against last place Reggina last week? First place Inter will be difficult to catch, regardless of this Sunday’s outcome. Milan defender Alessandro Nesta might return, they need him to go up against the two, big physical Inter strikers, Adriano and Ibrahimovic. Kaka is also questionable. Inter might have one eye on their upcoming Champions League match versus Manchester United on February 24, therefore allowing the Rossoneri to split the points with them.

30 units on the draw in the Milan Derby at 2.87 (so a draw gets us back 86.1 units)

Odds from willhill.com

Offshore Oscar’s picks Feb-7,8 – Spurs overmatched and it’s burger time

Offshore Oscar — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 03:39:15 +0000

This thing has gotten so easy that I keep waiting for Ashton Kutcher to burst through the doors and say that he’s secretly had all these teams all play according to my picks just to catch me congratulating myself too much. Whatever, Ashton, now go back to making unwatchable movies.

It was yet another weekend that went almost exactly according to plan, and now doubling my original bankroll seems realistic, if not imminent.

Original bankroll: 1,000 units
Last time’s bankroll: 1,564.45 units

Last time:
1 – 50 units on Fulham to win at 1.95 – Final 3-1 – WIN
2 – 40 units on Schalke to win at 2.30 – Final 1-0 – LOSS
3 – 30-unit win parlay Bilbao at 1.91 into Deportivo at 2.40 – Final 3-2 and 3-0 – WIN

Profit/loss = +115 units
New bankroll: 1,679.45 units

This weekend’s Offshore Oscar plays:

1 – Hamburg SV are sitting second in the Bundesliga standings with an eye on the top. They are flying high after their 1-0 victory over Bayern last week. Martin Jol should have his squad well prepared for the trip to Karlsruhe on Saturday.

50 units Hamburg to win at 1.91 (so a win gets us back 95.5 units)

2 – Arsene Wenger and the Gunners still have nightmares about their last meeting with Spurs, allowing two very late goals for a 4-4 draw. Now the action switches to White Hart Lane Sunday afternoon and North London will be buzzing. Robbie Keane is back with Spurs, and Arsenal welcome attacking midfielder Andrei Arshavin. If he plays, Arshavin should make a difference and help Arsenal get three points.

40 units Arsenal to win at 2.37 (so a win gets us back 94.8 units)

3 – It’s Italy parlay time on an action packed Sunday in Serie A. Roma seem to have everyone in sync and should take care of Genoa at Olympic Stadium. Palermo gave up a late goal last week and hopefully put in some practice time for the Sunday night match versus Napoli.

30-unit win parlay, Roma at 1.70 into Palermo at 1.95 (so if both win we get back 30 x 1.70 x 1.95 = 99.45 units)

Odds from willhill.com

Offshore Oscars picks Jan-28 – Midweek upset specials!

Offshore Oscar — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:45:54 +0000

Another great weekend leaves us with so many units that we can barely find a place to keep them. I’m now detailing my results from last time on my picks posts, which I hope and assume will make it easier for when Hollywood starts researching me for a movie or tell-all book of some kind.

My normally steady style of picking based on mascots and jersey colors has left us with so much money that it’s time to roll the dice on some longshots. I’m going to be a home-dog millionaire if this goes well.

Original bankroll: 1,000 units
Last time’s bankroll: 1,381.2 units

Last time:
1 – 30 units on a Sunderland-Blackburn draw at 3.30 – Final 0-0 – WIN
2 – 30 units on a Napoli-Roma draw at 2.90 – Final 0-3 – LOSS
3 – 30 units on a Malaga-Althletico Madrid draw at 3.10 – Final 1-1 WIN

Profit/loss = +102 units
New bankroll: 1,483.2 units

Midweek Offshore Oscar plays:

1 – Without an FA Cup match this past weekend, Wigan Athletic should be well rested for the visiting Reds. Their last two league matches were both one goal away losses, so they should be happy to be home. Liverpool has had two grueling 1-1 draws with archrivals Everton, so they might be a little banged up and winded.

25 units Wigan to win at 4.60 (so a Wigan win gets us back 115 units)

2 – Picking a team to win that is 20 points behind their opponents usually is not the smart thing to do, but the planets might be aligned properly Wednesday for a shocker in Northeast Italy. Out of form Udinese have not won in their last five matches, while Juventus are flying high. With some good 1-2 teamwork from Fabio Quagliarella and Antonio DiNatale, the “little Zebras” might be able to pull off the upset at Stadio Friuli.

25 units Udinese to win at 5.25 (so a win here gets us back 131.25 units)

Odds from willhill.com

Offshore Oscar’s picks for January 24 and 25, 2009

Offshore Oscar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:20:04 +0000

Aston Villa and Genoa each came through exactly as hoped, which more than made up for the Madrid parlay debacle. We are now so solidly into positive territory that FIFA is probably looking into the situation. At this rate it shouldn’t be long before football handicappers have their own WAGs who are featured in tabloid stories around the globe. Until then, I’ll have to keep making due with this stack of Penthouses that I picked up at a garage sale a few years back.

Original bankroll: 1,000 units
Current bankroll: 1,381.2 units

This weekend’s Offshore Oscar plays:

Betting on draws can be heartbreaking and also make matches hard to watch, so let’s string 3 of them together to see what happens.

1 – England is back to FA Cup action this weekend with two Premiership strugglers meeting in the Northeast. Sunderland-Blackburn should be a ho-hum match with both teams thinking more about how to stay out of the relegation zone.

30 units on a Sunderland-Blackburn draw at 3.30 (so a draw will get us back 99 units)

2 – Looks like the most competitive match in Serie A this weekend is in Naples, where the red-hot Blues host AS Roma. It should be a tight match and it could be a 1-1 tie, with Roma scoring early and Napoli getting a late equalizer.

30 units on a Napoli-Roma draw at 2.90 (so a draw gets us back 87 units)

3 – On to Spain and La Liga where Malaga hosts Althletico Madrid. Malaga absolutely crushed Espanyol, while Althletico drew at Almeria. Althletico coach Javier Aguirre is not a happy man so far in 2009 and he should have his team prepared for this match.

30 units on a Malaga-Althletico Madrid draw at 3.10 (so a draw gets us back 93 units)

Odds from willhill.com