A full list of domestic fixtures return this weekend, including the Premier League where Chelsea will be looking to protect their lead at the top away at Aston Villa.
The Blues dominated this corresponding fixture during the 90s but have a shaky record at Villa Park since 2000, winning just once in 10 visits. Five of those matches ended in a draw and Sportingbet offer a generous 12/5 about a repeat on Saturday lunchtime.
Later that afternoon, Arsenal will again 'bully' another smaller side at home. This week, it's Birmingham. But the visitors have only lost by a maximum of one goal in the Premier League this term, including at Manchester United and Spurs. With that in mind, respective odds of 9/1 and 6/1 about Arsenal winning just 1-0 and 2-0 appeal most.
One team struggling for goals are Wolves who face a toughie away at Everton. Odds of 21/20 about Wolves not scoring seem fair, but if they do draw a blank, then bigger prices about a correct score tempt me. Therefore, I'll go for 3-0, 4-0 and 5-0 to The Toffees at odds of 9/1, 18/1 and 40/1.
Sunday sees the action take place in the north-west where Wigan (15/4) host Manchester City (13/20), while Burnley (16/5) travel to Blackburn (3/4).
Burnley have been predictable in the league so far this season with four wins at home and four defeats on the road, so everything points to a Blackburn victory at Ewood Park right? However, with Burnley only having to make a short trip here, they might just fancy this one with a big support to boot. They may not win, but 6/1 about a 1-1 draw is realistic.
There is also the final round of World Cup qualifiers on Wednesday, although many of the group-leaders are through, including England, who will be looking to hit back at home against Belarus following a sloppy defeat away to Ukraine at the weekend.
Fabio Capello will want a bold show here to silence any critics, which could interest those looking to lump on a goal fest. Belarus can score goals, though, so scores of 3-1 and 4-1 to England at 10/1 and 14/1 respectively could be rewarded.
Two other fixtures that catch the eye on Wednesday night are Spain (evens) and Serbia's (11/10) away trips to Bosnia and Lithuania respectively. Both Spain and Serbia have walked their groups but they are surprisingly odds against so a win double looks the best bet.
There is a world outside of football this week, however, where tennis's ATP Shanghai Masters got underway on Monday, featuring the likes of Novak Djokovic (4/1), who arrives in top form following a tour victory in China last week, Rafael Nadal (9/2) and Juan Marin Del Potro (5/1), who stormed to US Open glory. Andy Roddick (10/1) is another name to be feared, and each player will be available for in-play betting.
Horse racing punters have it good on Saturday with Cheltenham staging a cracking card over the jumps, while Champions' Day takes place on the Flat at Newmarket.
One of the main races of the day will be the Cesarewitch, which forms the second leg of the Autumn Double. The first leg was the Cambridgeshire a few weeks ago where the draw – starting stalls – played a significant role with those drawn high at a big advantage. The same could happen on Saturday in a race where the winner has come from the following stalls since 1998: 11, 23, 29, 28, 18, 36, 36, 32, 18, 17 & 19. Two horses that are sure to go close if allocated a high number are Darley Sun (11/2) and Bahrain Storm (12/1). The latter has won three of his last four races over in Ireland and looks to have been laid out for this trip to Newmarket.
Sunday also stages the Brazilian Grand Prix where things are reaching a crescendo in the Drivers' Championship, so make sure to check Sportingbet's odds following qualifying on Saturday.
