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Today is a quiet day around the UK with regards to major sporting events, however there is one massive football match being played in Scotland – Celtic v Rangers at Celtic Park. Who will come out on top in the clash of the two biggest sides in Scottish football? BetRepublic.com previews the game and offers some excellent value bets here:

Celtic vs Rangers Soccer Betting Tip :

Despite the title race being over in Scotland, with Rangers being eleven points ahead of Celtic with two games to go, this match means a massive amount to both sides and both sets of fans. Celtic will want to end their underwhelming season on a high note against their arch rivals, while Rangers will want to assert their dominance over their city rivals by winning their fifty-third title and going the whole season undefeated against them.

Celtic have already lost both previous clashes against Rangers at Ibrox this season but managed to hold them to a 1-1 draw at Celtic Park when they met in January. However, they have been impressive in front of their own fans this season, winning thirteen and drawing four of their eighteen league matches.

Their downfall this season has been their away form, which has seen them lose six of their eighteen away league matches. As a result of this they are out of the title race already and it was their last away league loss – a 4-0 thumping by St. Mirren in March – that saw their manager, Tony Mowbray, dismissed from his position. Since his departure and replacement by Neil Lennon Celtic have gone six matches undefeated and have kept three clean sheets.

Two of those clean sheets have come in both of their away matches and all three matches where they have conceded goals have been at Celtic Park. Will Rangers be able to take advantage of this?
Rangers away form this season has seen them record eleven wins, five draws and two losses away from Ibrox. They have found the net in fourteen of those eighteen matches and have conceded in ten of their away games.

They will be highly confident of taking the three points from Celtic as they travel across the city, being the deserved champions. However, BetRepublic have made Celtic the favourites to win the match at odds of 23/20 with Rangers available at 9/5 and the draw at 23/10. I feel that neither side will claim the points and the game will finish in the manner of the previous match between these two sides at Celtic Park this season.

BetRepublic Recommends: Back the draw @ 23/10 with both sides to score @ 8/11

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Wednesday’s Champions League Betting : Sporting Braga vs Celtic

There are some big name sides in action this Wednesday evening in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. Who will take an advantage into the second leg?Online handicapping portal BetRepublic.com previews the three biggest games here.

Debreceni VSC v FC Basel @ Soccer Betting Tips :

This match sees the Hungarian champions take on the Swiss champions for a place in the playoff stage of the qualification section of the Champions League. Online sportsbook BetRepublic.com make Basel the favourites to win this first leg tie at evens ahead of Debrecen and the draw at odds of 11/5. Will the Swiss champions live up to their pre-match billing as favourites?

Basel had a reasonable season in Europe last season. They finished third in the same Europa League group as Roma and Fulham, only failing to progress on the final matchday as they lost 3-2 to eventual finalists Fulham.

However, they did secure an impressive 2-0 win over Roma before losing out to the more illustrious sides from Italy and England. They did secure the domestic double of league and cup in the 09/10 season in Switzerland as well and will be a major threat for Debrecen.

Last season Debrecen got a tough Champions League lesson as they lost all six matches as they were drawn against Lyon, Liverpool and Fiorentina in their group. They failed to score in four games, only finding the net against Fiorentina on five occasions in their two matches, but still losing both. They conceded nineteen goals in total in the six matches. Can they get one step closer to getting back to the group stage again by beating Basel?

I don’t see it, and feel that Basel are great value at evens for the win. I also see goals in this match as there have been eight in Basel’s first two league games of their new season and there were seven in Debrecen’s second round qualifying game, so my money will be on Basel to win @ evens and over 2.5 goals @ evens.

Ajax vs PAOK Saloniki:

This match sees the runners up in the Dutch and Greek leagues in the 2009/2010 season go head-to-head for a place in the Champions League qualification playoffs, but who will take victory in the first leg game in Amsterdam? Books make Ajax the 2/7 favourites, with PAOK available at 7/1 and the draw can be backed at 7/2.

Ajax are the more well known of these two sides after their Champions League exploits in the mid 1990′s that saw them claim the title in 1995 and lose the 1996 final on penalties. They are not the power that they once were – they have not won the Dutch league since 03/04 – but finished well in their domestic league last season but were beaten by former England manager Steve McClaren’s FC Twente by a point.

PAOK had an extraordinary season last year, but still managed to throw things away when they had the chance of a league and cup double, however they salvaged things by winning the end of season playoffs to book themselves a spot in the Champions League. They have had a poor pre-season and fired their management team, so they face a massive task to win this game.

I actually do not think they can do it and I fancy Ajax to lead at half time and win the game at odds of 10/11 and I see there being a few goals on top of this too, so I’m backing over 2.5 goals at odds of 8/11.

Sporting Braga vs Celtic:

Who will progress to the Champions League qualification playoffs in this matchup between the runners up in the Portuguese and Scottish leagues? Braga are the favourites for victory in the first leg tie in Portugal at odds of 19/20 with Celtic available at 23/10 and the draw can be backed at 9/4.

These sides had completely opposite seasons last time out with Braga gaining their best ever league finish, while Celtic were completely outplayed by Rangers throughout the season and finished six points behind their city rivals after they fired Tony Mowbray and replaced him with club legend Neil Lennon.

Lennon lacks experience and this match will be his toughest so far, can he get something from this game to ensure that the match is still alive when they come back to Celtic Park next week?

Neither side have played competitively since the end of their seasons in May, but I feel that Celtic should have enough not to lose this game. As a result I am backing the draw at odds of 9/4 with both sides to score at evens.

BetRepublic.com Recommends:

FC Basel to beat Debreceni VSC @ evens

Over 2.5 goals in the Basel v Debrecen game @ evens

Ajax/Ajax HT/FT v PAOK @ 10/11

Over 2.5 goals in the Ajax v PAOK game @ 8/11

Braga v Celtic to end as a draw @ 9/4

Both Braga and Celtic to score @ evens

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