League One preview: Climb aboard the Sky Blues
Betting advice from Michael Holden of Best of the Bets
Michael Holden
Michael Holden is one of the UK's leading football betting tipsters. A former casino croupier with a deep-rooted curiosity in statistics and probabilities, his passion for betting on the beautiful game stretches back more than two decades. Since graduating as a journalist from the University of Central Lancashire in 2005, he has delivered consistent profits for his legion of followers on Sportinglife.com and produced many groundbreaking feature articles on the application of social science in a football betting context. He is now the editor of Bestofthebets.com having orchestrated the design, build and launch of the new sports betting website for Gaming Media Group during the summer of 2011.
Friday 21 December 2012
Related articles
Preston booked their place in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy northern area semi-final with penalty shoot-out success at Bury in midweek but reality could bite in stark fashion when they come up against the next team standing in their path on the road to Wembley.
North End travel to Coventry
in League One on Saturday and it's a sizeable task made no easier by how much
they channelled into the game at Gigg Lane on Tuesday. The Sky Blues are
motoring along just nicely, winning eight of their last 11 matches, and they
look a solid bet to take the spoils at odds of 5/4.
Mark Robins' men were outstanding at Doncaster last weekend, dominating from
start to finish as they put four goals past the team who started the day in
second spot. Ordinarily, we'd be wary of what comes next after such a stellar
performance but it was hardly a flash in the pan.
The Midlanders have been building up a head of steam for several weeks and what
strikes most is the refusal of several players to get carried away when
interviewed by local reporters. Nobody is waxing lyrical about what's happened
and there are no wild predictions about the future, everyone is just enjoying
their football.
It's an attitude that probably stems from the fact that many of the key
performers have been acquired on loan deals and January promises to be an
interesting month as Robins looks to tie-down the likes of David McGoldrick,
Franck Moussa, James Bailey and Blair Adams to longer deals.
McGoldrick is the real sensation, though, with 15 goals in 18 league starts
since on a temporary move from Nottingham Forest and the Sky Blues are bound to
be facing fierce competition for his signature when the window reopens on
January 2. McGoldrick is noncommittal but his new colleagues are working hard
behind the scenes in persuading him to stay.
We would have had a few reservations about Coventry's home record, which has
been dodgy ever since they moved into the sparsely-populated Ricoh Arena, but
those fears have been eased somewhat by an emphatic 5-1 win over Walsall that
came at our expense a fortnight ago.
Slowly but surely, Robins is pulling down the psychological barriers that have
held back all previous signs of progress and though the starting XI might look
rather different in the New Year, it's fair to assume Coventry are now
officially a club on the mend.
You could argue Graham Westley has made even greater progress at Preston given
the lack of co-operation he was granted by the players he inherited from three
different regimes when walking through the door last January. He has done the
bulk of his long-term rebuilding work already but short-term league form is a
problem.
With Keith Keane and Scott Laird both sidelined by long-term injuries in the
last month, you get the impression this is now turning into a season of
consolidation for the Lancashire club even though they only trail their hosts
by a point.
All of which means the knockout competitions now take on added significance and
we have a sneaking suspicion that, privately, Westley might be treating this
game as a dress rehearsal ahead of next month's JPT return when respective
transfer business means he might be better equipped to emerge triumphant.
Betting advice...
2pts Coventry to beat
Preston at 5/4 (Bet365, Bet Victor)
Sky Blues can continue blistering league form against a North End team
sidetracked by cup exploits.
For more betting advice, visit Best of the Bets by clicking here.
Latest in Sport
Sport blogs
iBet: Back Spain to shut out Tahiti
The spread betting firms are very slow about pricing up this game and you can understand why. All th...
by Gareth Purnell
20 June 2013 02:01 AM
iBet: Look To The Lady In The Prince Of Wales
The Prince of Wales Stakes today is regarded by many as the No1 race of the Royal Ascot meeting and ...
by Gareth Purnell
19 June 2013 02:01 AM
iBet: Favourites have a good record in the Coventry stakes
Today’s St James Palace looks a cracker and there has been sustained money for Dawn Approach since t...
by Gareth Purnell
18 June 2013 02:01 AM
-
Jamie Carragher can see why Luis Suarez wants move to Real Madrid
-
ACT Brumbies v British and Irish Lions - player ratings
-
Mike Ashley wants blood after last season's trauma at Newcastle - and it won't stop with Derek Llambias
-
Exclusive: Newcastle's star talent-spotter on brink as Joe Kinnear sparks walkout
-
Exclusive: Cristiano Ronaldo advised to stay at Real Madrid for further 18 months before making possible switch to Manchester United
- 1 Bankers could face jail after report urges the Government to introduce new criminal offence for reckless management
- 2 Breaking the Silence: In the reality of occupation, there are no Palestinian civilians – only potential terrorists
- 3 Richard Nieuwenhuizen death: Six teenagers and 50-year-old father convicted of manslaughter in shocking case of referee killed over a game of football
- 4 Exclusive: Newcastle's star talent-spotter on brink as Joe Kinnear sparks walkout
- 5 Vast methane 'plumes' seen in Arctic ocean as sea ice retreats
How will you make today delicious?
Tell us how you plan to make today delicious and you could win a £50 M&S gift card.
Win a Nook® Simple Touch eReader
Find out how Nook® is supporting the Evening Standard's Get Reading campaign - and your chance to win one.
Free reading festival for families
Follow The Standard's campaign to get London's children reading - and experience this unique event at Trafalgar Square on 13 July.
Enter the latest Independent competitions
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.
Business videos from commercial thought leaders
Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.
Career Services
Day In a Page
Babies behind bars
Sonic youth: The high-pitched sound alarm
The art of living in small spaces
'Teaching bright children isn't rocket science'
Can technology lure us back to the high street?




Comments