Form Lab Black

Festive Footy Betting Strategies To Tackle

Posted on by Mike

The festive football calendar is a tough slog for British teams with the packed fixture list offering a season within a season. It can make or break a campaign for the best and worst teams in the league.

This period can also bring a bumper crop of betting profits for those in the know. Indeed, many pro punters can make their season’s profits during this busy period as the result of some closely guarded insider knowledge.

To help unearth the secrets of the festive season, football expert and SBC contributor Greg Gordon has been picking the brains of the football analysts from Form Lab Black to reveal some of the best festive betting trends. Continue reading →

Are Man United more dangerous after a shock defeat?

Posted on by Dan

In this article, the analysts from the excellent Form Lab software analyse over performing teams in major European leagues.

Manchester United didn’t just lose against Man City, they were demolished. They suffered their worst home defeat last weekend since the formation of the Premier League, and in the process drifted out to 2/1 second-favourites to be lifting the trophy in May.

A popular theory is that this makes United more dangerous to their opponents in their next game because they are looking to avenge their loss.

But is this true?

We have examined the data across Europe’s Big 5 leagues to find out if there are any trends that might point to an instant return to form for United this weekend against Everton. Continue reading →

Football Bulletin: Why Goals Might Be Scarce In The Capital This Weekend

Posted on by Mike

By utilising the excellent Form Lab Black software, the team at the Smart Betting Club have cast their eye over some of the weekend’s feature games in search for any angles of betting interest.

This weekend, we highlight two London based games where goals might be in short supply and neither match likely to feature prominently on Match of The Day. We also have some interesting stats on the Manchester Derby as well as suggested bet trends in Italy, France and Spain.

English Premier League

Arsenal vs. Stoke Under 2.5 match goals @ 2.11 SBO Bet.

Much has been written about Arsenal’s poor form this season, but they have won three out of four at home so far. Unlike their away games, they’ve also kept things very tight at the Emirates conceding just three goals and scoring just six. Furthermore, 11 of the last 20 Arsenal home games have had under 2.5 goals, while stoke have been -2.5 in 12/20. Arsenal are also ranked first for going under 2.5 goals against top half teams when at home. Continue reading →

How to spot when teams are over-performing

Posted on by Dan

In this article, the analysts from the excellent Form Lab software analyse over performing teams in major European leagues.

A look at the Big Five European leagues shows that teams that are over-performing in comparison to the previous season tend to fall back during the season and by spotting these sides we have the basis for a successful strategy.

Using a sample that includes almost all Premier League matches since the start of the 1998/99 season we have a total of 920 games where a team has been 4-7 positions higher in the table than they finished the previous season. Had you backed their opponents every time you would have achieved a 5% profit on turnover.  Backing the over-performing side would have yielded a 23% loss and the draw would have been a 15% loss. This is based on average odds, taking the top odds could yield better results.

Narrowing this sample to matches where the teams in question were playing away and were not playing an opponent who also fit the profile we are left with 456 matches and a profit of 13% from backing their opponents (37% loss backing the highlighted teams and 11% loss on the draw). Continue reading →

Football Bulletin: Expect A Tevez-Less City To Block Out Villa

Posted on by Mike

By utilising the excellent Form Lab Black software, the team at the Smart Betting Club have cast their eye over some of the weekend’s feature games in search for any angles of betting interest.

This weekend, we start off with Man City, where despite the loss of Carlos Tevez, the stats suggest a fruitless time for their opponents Aston Villa.

English Premier League

Man City vs. Villa: Man City Win to Nil. 2.50 Blue Square/888.

Man City’s home form has been superb. They are unbeaten in twelve of the last thirteen games, winning ‘to nil’ in each of their last five. City have also managed to keep clean sheets in all of their last seven home games against top half teams. Villa on the other hand are yet to win away this season and have lost in 10/15 trips to top three finishers since 2006/2007. Aston Villa have the lowest number of shots on goal this season away with just 22 in total and only 8 of these have been on target. Continue reading →

Football Bulletin: Expect cards-a-plenty at Goodison, but goals might be missing

Posted on by Mike

By utilising the excellent Form Lab Black software, the team at the Smart Betting Club have cast their eye over some of the weekend’s feature games in search for any angles of betting interest.

So far the suggested bets have made a small profit of £1.80 from £50 stakes.

This weekend, we start off with the big clash of the weekend at Goodison Park as Kenny Dalglish takes a Liverpool team back to Anfield for the first time in 20 years. Continue reading →

Should You Bet On Cards For A Dirty Derby?

Posted on by Dan

In this article, the analysts from the excellent Form Lab Black software help us preview the big Derby games this weekend.

Many supporters see derby matches as the biggest games of the season, which are often wrought with competitiveness and intensity. Unsurprisingly, spread betting firms and bookmakers will raise their usual buy-sell prices by anything up to 20 points, but should they?

The Premier League has the lowest number of bookings per game than any of the other top divisions in Europe. Over the past eight seasons the average game has seen 3.10 yellow cards and 0.16 red cards (or 35.1 booking points). In contrast La Liga games have averaged a whopping 61.0 booking points since the start of the 2003/04 season, with 5.2 yellow and 0.35 red cards per game. Continue reading →

Football Bulletin: A Second Coming For King Kenny or More of The Same on Merseyside?

Posted on by Mike

Kenny Dalglish’s return to Anfield has been heralded in certain quarters as a cross between the Second Coming and The Greatest Show on Earth but can the, all to human, Scot really justify the hype?

Now thanks to our exclusive statistical breakdown of the curent Liverpool squad and their results over the last five seasons, SBC can finally cast some light on the facts and the fictions surrounding King Kenny. As SBC editor Greg Gordon explains, in this exclusive extended report, the numbers certainly suggest that all is not quite what it seems at Anfield… Continue reading →

Football Bulletin: Are Arsenal Just First Half Wonders?

Posted on by Mike

By utilising the excellent Form Lab Black software, the team at the Smart Betting Club have cast their eye over some of the weekend’s feature games in search for any angles of betting interest.

Last week at £10 stakes, our suggested bets would have made a £10.80 profit from just £30 risked.

This weekend, we start off with two teams woefully out of form in the league in Arsenal and Bolton who meet at the Emirates.

Arsenal vs Bolton

Arsenal have picked up just four points from the first five games, conceding an incredible 14 goals so far – That’s one more than their opponents Bolton. Can they bounce back? History says they can. Arsenal have won 15/20 home matches following a loss in their previous league fixture, with 12 W/W doubles. Continue reading →

Football Bulletin: The Shocking Stats That Prove Blackburn Are The Least Of Arsenal’s Problems

Posted on by Mike

It is been another sore week for Arsenal thanks to Saturday’s  shattering defeat at Blackburn. Now thanks to our exclusive statistical breakdown of the Arsenal squad of today compared to that of last season, SBC can finally cast some light on where it’s going wrong (and right) for The Gunners. As SBC editor Greg Gordon explains the numbers simply don’t add up for Arsene Wenger…

Let’s spare a thought for Josh Surtees, Sabotage Times’ Arsenal correspondent. A man driven to such distraction by the travails of the club he loves that his biog page shows him pictured resplendent in some unnamed, leafy location wearing nothing bar his beachwear and the rictus smile of a man who has clearly flown too close to the sun.

But are things really so bad in balmy N5 Josh?

At SBC we take our care in the community responsibilities seriously and in order to make Josh feel better, we’ve crunched a few numbers, courtesy of the soccer boffins at Form Lab Black, in order to evaluate Arsene Wenger’s likely side this season. Continue reading →