UEFA Cup Betting: Hughes eyes glory and security

It's time to get your remote control finger clicking on Channel Five and ITV4 - and it's not just to compare Shane Ritchie's woeful new version of Minder with the brilliance of the original.

Yes, it's UEFA Cup time again, with Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City all in action this week.

Tottenham travel to play Shakhtar Donetsk. The long trip to the Ukraine will not be what Harry Redknapp wanted prior to a vital Premier League match next Monday, when Spurs face another journey to a freezing, barren wasteland, as they visit Hull.

With a cup final appearance already booked against Manchester United, it is Redknapp who is least likely to be interested in a long UEFA Cup run, of the three British managers involved.

Changes to his normal starting eleven will be somewhat enforced, with Corluka and Pavlyuchenko both cup-tied. Robbie Keane was signed on the Monday after the Sunday deadline for changes to the UEFA Cup squad, while Jermain Defoe is injured and also cup-tied.

This leaves Tottenham with just Darren Bent and Fraizer Campbell to choose from up-front, though the new signings Carlo Cudicini, Pascal Chimbonda and Wilson Palacios are all available. You would expect then for Tottenham to start with just Darren Bent in attack and employ a five-man midfield.

Shakhtar Donetsk are the defending Ukranian league champions and have dropped down to this competition from the Champions League. They are struggling this season, as they are 12 points behind the league leaders in fifth position, with just 13 league games remaining. To make matters worse, their top scorer Brandao was sold to Marseille in January.

They still have a decent side though which, like CSKA Moscow, is peppered with Brazilians. Watch out for the attacking talents of Darijo Srna and Razvan Rat from the full back positions, both of whom impressed in Euro 2008.

Shakhtar are the [2.14] favourites, with the draw [3.65] and Tottenham [3.7]. I fancy a low scoring draw, with 0-0 at [11] and 1-1 at [7.8]. With both sides struggling for goals, under 2.5 goals is available at [1.81].

Manchester City are one side that will be taking this competition seriously, having been knocked out of both domestic cups and with little chance of a European spot next season through their league placing.

Of the English sides involved, City appear to have the easiest of games, as they travel to FC Copenhagen. However, Mark Hughes' side aren't finding any of their away matches easy at the moment and have gone six games without a win on the road.

Mark Hughes has attacked his own players for failing to comply with his tactics in the 2-0 defeat to Portsmouth at the weekend. But I don't expect him to make big changes, as City have tended to field a strong team in the competition this season.

Both Robinho and Micah Richards are doubts, but should be fit. Shaun Wright-Phillips and Richard Dunne return after domestic suspensions, though Nigel de Jong misses out, after Craig Bellamy, Wayne Bridge and Shay Given were selected as the permitted changes in Hughes' UEFA squad.

FC Copenhagen are another side currently on a winter break, with their season set to resume on 28th February. Their last competitive tie was a 1-0 win over FC Bruges in the UEFA Cup, back in December. They are currently second in the Danish Superliga, with Denmark international Morten Nordstrand their top scorer.

FC Copenhagen are [3.1], with the draw [3.35] and Manchester City [2.52]. This is not a bad price with City desperate for an away win and Copenhagen short of match practice. 1-0 City is [9], with the draw/Manchester City at [6.2]. With City struggling to score on their travels, under 2.5 goals looks value at [1.79].