Football betting tips: Three odds-against fancies for Thursday night
It's a huge night for teams all around Europe as the first legs of the Europa League and Europa Conference League play-off round ties take place.
With plenty of games to choose from, Odds Now's Matt Hill has honed in on three odds-against shots that have caught his eye.
Dutch Eredivisie side FC Utrecht are very strong favourites to overcome Bosnian champions Zrinjski Mostar but the first leg may not be the cakewalk oddsmakers are anticipating.
This pair actually met in a two-legged Europa League qualifier back in 2019-20, when Mostar prevailed 3-2 as huge underdogs after sealing a 2-1 home win before drawing 1-1 in the Netherlands – history which should give them a confidence boost coming into this one.
Though far from a European powerhouse, the Bosnian club do have a respectable record in continental football, particularly at home where they have avoided defeat in 25 of their 33 fixtures stretching back to 2009.
Getting a result in this first leg is imperative for their qualification prospects and quotes of 5/4 for them to avoid defeat via the double chance market look worth playing.
Utrecht's class may well tell over two games but they are likely to enter the second leg with some kind of work still to do.
Lincoln Red Imps are the undisputed kings of Gibraltar and defeating Armenian champions Noah in the previous round has to go down as one of their greatest ever achievements.
However, it's fair to say it was a bit of a smash and grab. The shot count read 40-15 in Noah's favour across the two legs, which ended in 1-1 and 0-0 draws before the Gibraltarians progressed on penalties.
This is the mother of all step-ups now, taking on one of Portugal's best sides in Braga who have began their campaign with two 3-0 wins in the league and impressive two-legged triumphs over established European sides in Levski Sofia and CFR Cluj.
Across all six of their outings this term, they have shipped just one goal and now play, on paper, their weakest opponents to date by a considerable distance – so everything points to them racking up the goals here.
For context, Azerbaijani side Qarabag beat the Red Imps 7-0 on aggregate in a similar tie two years ago. Backing Braga on a -2 handicap at 5/4 feels almost too good to be true.
After a dramatic summer waiting to see which European competition they would be plying their trade in this term, FA Cup winners Crystal Palace will hope to shake of the disappointment of demotion to the Europa Conference League by brushing aside Norwegian outfit Fredrikstad.
It's going to be a special occasion at Selhurst Park on Thursday evening, with Palace's previous European outings stretching as far as the ill-fated Anglo-Italian Cup in the early 1970s and an Intertoto Cup defeat to Turkish side Samunspor 27 years ago.
On paper, the Eagles should brush aside tonight's opponents, who offered little resistance in a 5-1 aggregate loss to FC Midtjylland earlier this month. Oliver Glasner's men have certainly impressed in their last two outings, beating Liverpool (Community Shield) and drawing with Chelsea (Premier League).
But such nights do come with an element of nerves and, given Fredrikstad will clearly acknowledge their slim chances of rocking up to London and outplaying Palace, the visitors' primary aim will surely be to stifle and frustrate.
You'd still expect Palace to have too much quality here but a drubbing is probably less likely than the market reflects. So backing the home win with under 3.5 match goals looks an attractive angle at 6/5.
1pt - Zrinjski Mostar double chance vs FC Utrecht - 5/4 (Boyle Sports)
2pts - Braga -2.5 handicap vs Lincoln Red Imps - 5/4 (William Hill)
1pt - Crystal Palace to beat Fredrikstad and under 3.5 goals - 6/5 (Sky Bet)
0.5pt treble - 9.16/1 (Sky Bet)
Total staked - 4.5pts
Matt Hill is Odds Now's Head of Content and leads our digital operation, while also offering his insight as a tipster across darts and football.
Having worked in the industry for the best part of a decade, including extended stints with Betfred and LiveScore, Matt joined the project in May 2024 with the sole aim of making Odds Now a key player in the betting content space.
He has also forged a reputation as a respected darts tipster, landing numerous three-figure outright winners over the years, while his love for lower league football also helps him pick out the odd obscure winner in that space.
When not at the editorial desk, Matt enjoys travelling the country supporting his beloved Carlisle United FC, chucking a few arrows and spending time with his young family.
Matt Hill is Odds Now's Head of Content and leads our digital operation, while also offering his insight as a tipster across darts and football.
Having worked in the industry for the best part of a decade, including extended stints with Betfred and LiveScore, Matt joined the project in May 2024 with the sole aim of making Odds Now a key player in the betting content space.
He has also forged a reputation as a respected darts tipster, landing numerous three-figure outright winners over the years, while his love for lower league football also helps him pick out the odd obscure winner in that space.
When not at the editorial desk, Matt enjoys travelling the country supporting his beloved Carlisle United FC, chucking a few arrows and spending time with his young family.
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