The Premier League midweek schedule concludes on Thursday as West Ham United welcome relegation-threatened Leicester City to the London Stadium.
There is also a Cumbrian derby in League Two, where Carlisle United will be aiming to boost their survival hopes when they travel from the north to the south of the county to take on Barrow.
Both of those matches feature in Thursday’s tips along with the sole Serie A offering between Bologna and AC Milan.
BET £10 GET £30 IN FREE BETS ON TALKSPORT BET
Thursday football tips
Bet of the Day
Bologna vs AC Milan – Draw @ 23/10
Bologna and AC Milan are locked together on 41 points in Serie A and there may be nothing to separate them when they meet at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara.
The hosts did see their 10-match unbeaten run across all competitions come to an end at Parma last time out, but they are still yet to lose at home this calendar year, while only Juventus (13) have drawn more Serie A games this season than the Rossoblu’s total of 11.
Milan were also beaten last time out, going down 2-1 at Torino, and they have won only one of their last five road fixtures.
Given the close proximity of these two sides in the standings and the fact three of their last five meetings have finished all-square, it would surely be no surprise if this midweek contest also ended in parity.
Special of the Day
Bet Builder: West Ham to win, both teams to score – no and Jarrod Bowen 1+ shots on target @ 13/5
Off the back of an impressive win at Arsenal last time out, West Ham should be able to see off a Leicester side that have lost 10 of their last 11 Premier League games.
The Foxes have also failed to score in five of their last six top-flight fixtures, including each of their previous three, and they may struggle to net against a Hammers side that showed plenty of resilience to see off the Gunners 1-0.
Jarrod Bowen was West Ham’s scorer at the Emirates and he has had a team-high 24 shots on target in the Premier League this season.
Three of those efforts came in December’s reverse meeting with Leicester and he is more than capable of adding to that tally against a Foxes backline that has conceded 10 goals across their last three league contests.
Longshot of the Day
Carlisle to beat Barrow 1-0 @ 8/1
Time is running out for Carlisle if they are to avoid a second-successive relegation, but League Two’s bottom club can earn a rare victory and a first under Mark Hughes when they visit near-neighbours Barrow.
It has been a miserable season for Carlisle, but there have been some signs of an improvement under Hughes, with his team earning back-to-back 0-0 draws against Colchester and Gillingham.
Scoring goals remains a huge issue for Carlisle – no team has netted fewer in the EFL – but they have become more defensively resilient of late.
Barrow are not completely assured of survival themselves after recent defeats to Cheltenham and Crewe, while they have yet to beat Carlisle in a league fixture since returning to the EFL in 2020.
Do not expect a classic at the SO Legal Stadium, but Carlisle, who have won the last two meetings between these sides 1-0, could repeat that trick to earn a vital three points.
BET £10 GET £30 IN FREE BETS WITH TALKSPORT BET
talkSPORT BET Offer
Sign Up Offer: Bet £10 and get £30 in free bets – CLAIM HERE
T&Cs: 18+ New customers only. Opt in via mobile or app & bet £10+ on any football market at 2.00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get 6x £5 Free Bets on selected markets. Free bets expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply, see below. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly
Odds correct at time of publish and subject to change*
18+ New customers only. Opt in via mobile or app & bet £10+ on any football market at 2.00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get 6x £5 Free Bets on selected markets. Free bets expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply, see below. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- GamCare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org
