The Betfair Football £10 Bet of the Day
Day 155: We're laying Serbia at home to Northern Ireland at [1.62]
After two days of football famine, there's a feast tonight with six Euro 2012 qualifiers and six Football League One matches on the menu. We've chosen to concentrate on the most interesting international from a British perspective and are laying Serbia at [1.62] to beat Northern Ireland.
The Group C encounter is live on Sky Sports 1 at 7.30pm and while Serbia almost undeniably have the better team of the two - they were one of just two nations to defeat Germany at the World Cup alongside winners Spain, after all - there are a fair few reasons to fancy an upset.
The first of those is that Nigel Worthington's overachievers are actually above Serbia in the table, despite having played a game fewer, as a result of Serbia's shock home loss to Estonia earlier in the campaign. Northern Ireland haven't lost any of their three ties, winning in Slovenia and holding Italy.
Another factor that could have a major impact on the outcome is that there will only be 240 fans in the Red Star Stadium, and all one of them will be supporting the visitors. Serbia supporters have been banned after the shameful scenes in Italy in October that forced that fixture to be halted.
Serbia hadn't won any of their last three matches there in front of their at times intimidating support, so will struggle even more without any presence in the stands, especially as Northern Ireland have gone five competitive away internationals without losing.
Adding to the sense that the hosts will be left disappointed is the absence through injury of Nemanja Vidic, while Northern Ireland will have highly-rated Nottingham Forest shot-stopper Lee Camp (pictured) in goal for the first time, eager to make an instant impression.
Our bet: We're laying Serbia at home to Northern Ireland at [1.62], meaning that - before factoring in commission - we stand to win £16.13. Sign up for a new account now and have your first bet of up to £25 refunded if it loses.
Published: 25 Mar 2011
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