Storyline: The over 2.5 goals market is a lucrative option for wagering fans. For blogs and info go to Bet Advisor. Written by Craig Simpkin, London.
Jamie Vardy (courtesy, express.co.uk)
It’s one of the most popular markets out there. With a bit of insight and knowhow the Over 2.5 Goals option can pay out nice profits. So which are the teams to look out for in Europe’s top leagues?
Here are my picks.
England
Leicester City
Clean Sheet = 10%, Failed to Score = 0%
Having scored 20 goals and conceded 17 in just 10 matches it’s fair to say that the scoreboard operator gets a good workout when Leicester City is playing. It’s also fair to say that they can’t defend very well, and instead they try to outscore their opponents. In Jamie Vardy they boast the league’s current top goalscorer.
Norwich City
Clean Sheet = 0%, Failed to Score = 20%
Norwich’s main problems stem from their generous defence; they have conceded 21 goals in their past 10 outings. That must be a source of frustration for them as they’re more than adequate at the other end of the pitch: they’ve only failed to score twice all season–and only once in their last six.
Germany
Bayern Munich
Clean Sheet = 60%, Failed to Score = 0%
That’s a high clean sheet ratio, but it’s at the other end of the pitch where we are most interested. With 33 goals in 10 games Bayern tend to be successful in the Over 2.5 Goals market–and through their own ability to put the ball in the net alone!
Stuttgart
Clean Sheet = 10%, Failed to Score = 10%
Stuttgart is the gift that keeps giving. The team is close to achieving our Holy Grail of 0% for both Clean Sheets and Failure to Score. They’ve gone Over 2.5 in four of their last six outings.
Spain
Barcelona
Clean Sheet = 22%, Failed to Score = 0%
We know that the Catalan giants have no problem with scoring goals – a front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar sees to that–but at the other end they’re less secure this season than ever before. With a clean sheet in just one out of four games on average (and none in their last six matches), this shows a vulnerable side to the all-conquering La Liga and Champions League winners.
Austria
Salzburg
Clean Sheet = 15%, Failed to Score = 0%
They may top the Austrian Premier League, but Salzburg still has improving to do from a defensive perspective–after conceding 18 goals in 13 matches. At the other end of the pitch they average three goals per game (39 in 13), so there are no concerns there.
Belgium
Standard Liege
Clean Sheet = 8%, Failed to Score = 8%
It is rare for a team at the bottom of the league to be so handy in front of goal, but Standard Liege certainly knows where the net is: that’s 15 goal in 12 games following their 3-2 win over Charleroi. But, defensively, they concede more than two goals per game (27 in 12) and that’s where our interest lies.
Czech Republic
Mlada Boleslav
Clean Sheet = 18%, Failed to Score = 0%
Mlada Boleslav is currently blasting their way through the Czech top flight, notching 29 goals in just 11 games. They’re particularly potent on home soil, where they have scored 12 goals in their last three outings. They’re a team to keep an eye, that’s for sure.
