Champions League Betting - FC Zurich vs. Marseille
by Nila Amerova
FC Zurich are currently second in Group C on three points after shocking AC Milan on match day two in Champions League group action. They will be looking to beat Marseille to keep their qualifying hopes alive. The French side, meanwhile, are at the bottom of the table after coming up blank in two cycles of group action. They need to break the losing trend if they hope to gain anything from their European campaign.
Soccer Betting Line:
FC Zurich +½ +115 +365 2½ O -125 U +105 1 O -105 U -115 Draw +245
Marseille -½ -135 -135 2½ O -125 U +105 1½ O -110 U -110 Draw +245
Match Time: 02:45 P.M. Eastern Time Wednesday October 21, 2009
Venue: Letzigrund - Zurich - Switzerland
Soccer Betting Verdict: The underdogs FC Zurich in Group C would move six points ahead of Marseille if they beat the visiting French outfit at Letzigrund on Wednesday.
Zurich recorded the first big upset of the tournament when they shocked AC Milan 1:0 on the away. They are still considered minnows in the group despite opening a good account in the tournament so far and the market tips the Swiss outfit at discouraging +365 odds to win outright.
The Swiss are unfazed by this and with home edge, they will play for maximum points. Zurich enter this match with a lot of confidence. They are after an impressive performance in Swiss Cup action at the weekend, beating Locarno 7:0. Locarno is a lesser division side though. Overall, they are fifth in the Swiss Super League table after 12 cycles going 4-3-5.
Marseille’s European campaign has gotten off to an abysmal start. They lost their opening fixture to AC Milan 2:1 And followed up with a disheartening 3:0 loss to Real Madrid. Marseille will be looking to get its first points against a rejuvenated Swiss outfit.
On paper, they appear to be the better side and the market gives them the favourite nod, listing them at favourable odds of -135. However, their results do not correspond. Not only have they been a flop in Europe but also they have been somewhat disappointing in Ligue 1 action; currently, they are fifth in the table and on a negative trend after going 5-2-2 in nine cycles. They ended a three-match losing streak at the weekend when they beat Nancy 3:0.
Soccer Free Picks: Swiss beat Milan last round but we are yet to see whether it counts. The market clearly is not convinced it does as it tips them as the underdogs. Might they prove the market wrong? Perhaps sprinkling some money on their tempting odds would be a good idea.
The market is leaning towards Marseille picking up pace and given their potential and depth it really is about time they turned things around in the group. Marseille should win this match but the tipping question: are they confident enough to do so after two setbacks already. The recommended pick is to bet on the combined team totals and bet on the Over 2.5 goals at -125.
