Don’t rush home from work, England take a while to get going

Our friends at chickendinner have been looking at ways for you to make money on tonight’s England match and believe that betting on the second-half containing more goals than the first is a sound bet. Here’s why:

» In each of England’s last five competitive games there have been more goals scored in the second half than there have in the opening forty-five.

» The margin by which the second-half has outscored the first has increased as the run has gone on:

World Cup Qualifier, 7.30pm, Setanta Sports 1, £10 Free Bet

Rather than just telling you why Wayne Rooney might score in Minsk, our friends at chickendinner have examined all ten likely outfield starters for England tonight and assessed each individual’s chances of scoring the opening goal:

Wayne Bridge - The left-back hasn’t scored in 21 months and his one international goal, against Iceland in 2004, was the sixth in that match.

Matthew Upson - He’s the only likely outfield starter without an international goal but his only goal in the last 22 months was an important one: West Ham’s winner against Manchester United last December.

Rio Ferdinand - Has only once managed to score in consecutive games in his career and even then only one was a first goal.

Wes Brown - Scored his first England goal at home to the Czech Republic

World Cup Qualifier, 5.15pm, ITV 1, £10 Free Bet

If England can score four goals in Croatia against a team that had never previously lost a home qualifier then surely they we can expect forty against a country that most people have only heard of because of Borat. But alas no. Lampard and Gerrard will celebrate their reunion by tripping over one another and the impatient home support will get angry when England fail to score in the first five minutes. Here’s why England will only win 2-0 or 3-0, according to our friends at chickendinner:

Why England will only score two or three

» England have score exactly two goals in each of Fabio Capello’s three games at Wembley, as well as in the last home game before his arrival, the 2-3 loss to Croatia.

» The Three Lions scored three goals in each of the three home games prior to that, which means that in the last seven England internationals at Wembley - England have always scored between two and three goals.

» From 2005 onwards, Kazakhstan’s heaviest margin of defeat in away qualifiers has been 3-0 losses to Denmark, Portugal and Croatia.

Click here for more invaluable betting advice including why Kazakhstan won’t score and why England will have to wait a while before breaking the deadlock.

Special Spoiler offer: Claim a £10 free bet with Paddy Power 

Victor Chandler slash Keegan’s odds to evens

Kevin Keegan is now evens in Victor Chandler’s Next Newcastle Manager market to succeed himself as the full-time boss at St James’ Park and start his fourth spell at the club he spent two seasons at as a player and two separate periods as manager.

Paddy Power still offer 6/5 on King Kev taking charge, which appears generous considering the reports that he is favoured choice of most of the potential owners, and you can take advantage of that price by clicking here for a free £10 bet.

Champions League, 7.45pm, Sky Sports Xtra, Free £10 bet

Luiz Felipe Scolari admitted that it wouldn’t be a surprise if Chelsea were to lose in Romania tonight but, considering the start they have made to the season, not many people believe him. However, our pals at chickendinner believe that even if the Blues avoid their first defeat of the season against CFR Cluj, there’s no way they’ll leave with three points. Here’s why:

1. Chelsea have won their first four away games this season but in the last twenty years Chelsea have only once - 2003-04 - got through their first five on the road without dropping a point.

2. The Blues dropped points against all three of their group stage opponents last season - Valencia, Werder Bremen and Rosenberg - and against two out of three in each of the three seasons prior to that.

3. CFR Cluj have lost just three of their last forty home games in both the Romanian League and Europe.

Champions League, 7.45pm, ITV1, Free £10 bet 

Our brothers and sisters over at chickendinner are not just content with predicting an Arsenal victory tonight, they have gone one further and fixed their eyes on the Emirates’ scoreboard, foreseeing a 3-1 victory. Here’s why Hull’s bitches will bounce back:

1. While Porto have never lost at home to a British team in the Champions League, they have drawn one and lost nine of their ten away games there.

2. And that includes their meeting trip to North London two years ago when Arsenal saw them off 2-0 with goals from Barcelona Henry and Hleb.

3. Arsenal won all three home group games last season, scoring twelve goals.

4. Arsene Wenger’s side have only lost no more than one home game in three of the last four seasons.

Winless Spurs prepare for more misery in the North East

A year ago, Newcastle caretaker Chris Hughton was assistant manager of a Tottenham team that had achieved consecutive fifth-placed finishes before being sacked with Martin Jol. Tonight his former club visit St. James’ Park in the Carling Cup with the two worst teams in the Premier League in 2008 both desperate for a win. Our friends at Chickendinner have compiled seven reasons why Hughton will be having the last laugh tonight:

1. Newcastle have won the last five clashes between the two sides both home and away.

2. Spurs have won on just two of their last seventeen visits to St. James’ Park.

3. The last three times that the two clubs have collided in cup competitions, the Magpies have been the team that have progressed.

Premier League, Sat, 5.30pm, Setanta Sports 1, Free £10 bet

There might not be a Sky Sport’s super-duper Grand Slam Sunday this season but this pretty enormous Saturday is probably the closest thing to it. In the morning, Liverpool face Manchester United and then, at half five, the two richest clubs in the Premier League - Robinho’s new club and the team Robinho actually wanted to join - go head-to-head. Here’s why chickendinner believe the original success buyers are going to come out on top:

1. Chelsea are the only team in the country that haven’t lost a league game in 2008.

2. The Blues have won their last four league away games and comfortably had the best away record in the league last season - winning thirteen of their nineteen games.

3. Manchester City have beaten Chelsea in just one of their previous eleven home games against them in the Premier League - although that win was the first loss of Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea career.

Make money from a busy weekend of football

With the help of our friends at chickendinner, The Spoiler has compiled a list of some good bets to make this weekend. Accompanying each bet are some eye-catching odds, a link to a free bet with that bookmaker and a reason why you should back it:

1) Burnley to win away to Charlton - 15/8 with Ladbrokes
Charlton have lost three of their last four home games and face a Burnley side who did the double over them last season and have one their last five league clashes with the Addicks. Should Charlton lose again, expect to hear this in Alan Pardew’s post-match press conference.

2) Blackburn to beat Middlesbrough - 11/10 with Paddy Power
Paul Ince hasn’t had much luck against his former clubs in his managerial career but that looks like changing against a side who Blackburn are unbeaten in seven against, winning six. Click here for more information.

3) Under 2.5 goals in Chelsea/Liverpool - 1.68 with Betfair
None of the ten meetings between the two sides at Stamford Bridge since Roman Abramovich’s takeover has featured over 2.5 goals in ninety minutes and the average of goals per game has been one. Click here for more information.

Might be worth a pound…
While red cards in the Tyne-Wear derby are surprisingly infrequent, Paddy Power are offering 80/1 on any Sunderland player being sent off for a foul on Joey Barton. Click here to view Paddy Power’s full selection of Barton specials.