About the beautiful game / James Eastham / 11 January 2009 / Leave a comment

James Eastham identifies the best football bets over the next few days.

Tuesday 13th January

Jose Mourinho is chasing Serie A and Champions League titles at Inter - and his assault on a third trophy begins when the Nerazzurri host Genoa in the Coppa Italia on Tuesday.

But the Italian champions' inability to keep a clean sheet cost them dearly again on Saturday night, when Zlatan Ibrahimovic's 77th-minute equaliser rescued a point against Cagliari (1-1 draw). Genoa - [9.0] to cause an upset - have lost just one of their last 13 Serie A games and will draw hope from the fact that Inter have kept just one clean sheet in seven matches.

The Coupe de la Ligue takes centre stage in France, with Nice v Le Havre the pick of two ties tonight. Le Havre have been stuck to the foot of the Ligue 1 table for a month and new manager Frederic Hantz (appointed in December) wouldn't be disappointed to see his team crash out of this competition so they can focus on top-flight survival. Nice will be fresh as their game at Nancy was called off on Saturday night - and they've lost just two of their last 14 matches.

Wednesday 14th January

Lionel Messi started 2009 in inimitably stunning fashion with a hat-trick in Barcelona's 3-1 victory over Atletico Madrid in their Copa del Rey last 16 first leg last week. The magical Argentinian has put his side in a commanding position for the return game at the Nou Camp - so, while the match outcome or tie winner have diminished interest, take a look at the goals betting markets instead. A tally of 32 from 54 games involving these two sides have had over 2.5 goals this season, and Atletico have no choice but to go for broke if they're to stand any chance of overhauling's Barca's two-goal advantage.

Ejido caused the competition's upset last week as they won 3-2 at home to Espanyol. That sets up a tantalising return leg at Espanyol's Montjuic Stadium - and a similarly tight match would be no surprise, since Espanyol are without a win in eight games. The reward for Segunda B side Ejido couldn't be bigger if they progress - they're likely to face Barcelona in the quarter-finals. The evening's other top clashes include Deportivo v Sevilla (1-2 from the first leg) and Valencia v Racing Santander (1-1).

Manchester United play the first of their Premier League games in hand when they face Wigan at Old Trafford - and it won't be lost on the United players that the Latics have an appalling record against Big Four opponents. Since promotion to English football's top-flight, Wigan have lost 24 of 27 such games, which goes some way towards justifying United's [1.24] price. Wigan [16.5], however, have taken more points from their last 10 league matches than any side.... other than United.

Back in France, PSG face Lens in a repeat of last season's Coupe de la Ligue final in the quarter-finals, while in Italy, Juventus host Catania in the Coppa Italia, a competition that may eventually prove La Vecchia Signora's best chance of silverware this season.

A couple of attractive FA Cup third-round replays to look out for - firstly, Newcastle United v Hull City, which appears likely to be a high-scoring encounter despite the 0-0 draw the sides played out at the KC Stadium last weekend. Seven of the Magpies' eight home games under Joe Kinnear and seven of Hull's 11 away games this season have had over 2.5 goals. Those stats suggest that prices of [1.9] or bigger would be worth considering.

Finally, is there any chance of an upset at Roots Hall? Southend host Chelsea in a replay earned by Peter Clarke's 90th-minute equaliser at Stamford Bridge on January 3rd. Cup games that pitch top-flight teams against lower-league opponents are rarely as one-way as the prices predict - Southend are [13.5] to win in 90 minutes, with Felipe Scolari's visitors [1.28]. Check out the hosts on the handicap.