Thursday Football Tips: Cards value on offer in Budapest

• Two teams have collected 21 cards in 8 combined UEL games

• Referee has shown 4+ cards in 21 of 25 UEFA club appointments

• Back Bet Builder double at odds-against

Ferencvaros v Malmo
Thursday 28 November, 20:00
Live on discovery+

Second-guessing the team news in the 'lesser' UEFA competitions can be tough so focus is on team props, rather than player ones, on Thursday.

And, following a frankly miserable start to the week for this column, I'm going back to my roots and turning to the card markets.

Backing cards was how I got into props betting in the first place with a long-running theory being to match up a high-carding referee with two teams with proven track records for receiving them.

That happens in Hungary on Thursday.

Hosts Ferencvaros have already picked up 13 yellows in their four Europa League games to date - only five of the 36 teams in the competition have collected more - while they sit fourth in the list for fouls committed.

As for Malmo, the Swedes are averaging two cards per game having received eight so far.

The referee in charge is Azerbaijan's Aliyar Aghayev, who has now shown at least four cards in 21 of his last 25 UEFA club appointments, including 11 across his two in this season's Champions League.

Legs 1 & 2: Each team over 1.5 cards

Given all that, I'm a tad surprised to see odds-against on offer about each team receiving over 1.5 cards.

It should be competitive given the fact the two sides are separated by only three points. Certainly Malmo could do with a result given they currently sit a point outside the top 24, a position in which they will need to finish if they are stay in the competition after the league phase.

For those seeking something a bit bigger, consider adding the hosts to receive the most cards, a bet for which they are the outsiders. That treble pays north of 5/16.00.

Clearly they'd need at least three Ferencvaros cards for this to land but the Hungarians are certainly well ahead on that front - and the fouls count - in the head to head.

More UEL: Kevin Hatchard's Man Utd v Bodo-Glimt preview