Welcome to this week's Sharman 5, where we take a look at the top storylines -- and some fun wagers -- ahead of this weekend's action on the pitch.
Top soccer predictions & storylines
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Phonzy is back!
I wouldn’t call it a good time to return from a torn ACL. After all, there is absolutely nothing positive about such an injury.
But the fact that Alphonso Davies was able to return two weeks before the German Bundesliga shut down for its Christmas break meant that he has now had a mini pre-season to prepare ahead of this weekend's return to action.
Bayern Munich hosts Wolfsburg on Saturday, and with three substitute appearances under his belt, there might be a start in the cards for Davies.
-> Bet on Bayern Munich at NorthStar Bets!
-> Bet on Bayern Munich at NorthStar Bets!
As is the case most weeks, Bayern has another mismatch ahead of it, with Wolfsburg sitting down in the fourteenth spot.
The Champions are unbeaten this season and are setting records every week. A good way to put this weekend's encounter into perspective is to look at each club's goal differential:
- Wolfsburg: -5 GD
- Bayern Munich: +44 GD
Bayern is averaging 3.6 goals scored per game, so you can expect another rout this weekend in Munich. There is rarely value with Bayern Munich these days, so it is off to a Northstar Bets pre-pack for this one.
Best bet: Over 3.5 total goals, Bayern to win both halves, Harry Kane to score and record over 1.5 shots on target (+175)
Wrexham Notts to be dismissed
I always enjoy this time of year in English football. Following the madness of the festive period, which officially comes to a close on Thursday (in my mind anyway) with Arsenal and Liverpool wrapping up a full mid-week schedule, we get to sit back and enjoy the FA Cup third round.
This is the round where the Premier League teams enter the fray. Massive clubs travel to tiny clubs, and tiny clubs travel to massive clubs. There is nothing else like it in global sport.
Over the years, this round has delivered many an upset, the odd shocker, and every now and then, a fairytale giant-killing of unparalleled significance.
My mind is cast back to 1992 when Arsenal lost to Wrexham, 2-1. In the English football pyramid, there were ninety places between the two clubs, with Arsenal reigning as English champions and Wrexham mired in the fourth division.
-> Don't miss out — bet on Wrexham to upset Nottingham Forest here!
-> Don't miss out — bet on Wrexham to upset Nottingham Forest here!
Wrexham is a club on a mission these days, and incredibly, thanks to Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, they have become a global phenomenon.
Eye-balling the Premier League as early as next season, the Welsh side welcomes EPL opposition to the Racecourse Ground this weekend in the form of the struggling Nottingham Forest.
Best bet: Wrexham to win (+350)
Champs under the gun
Meanwhile, the greatest mismatch has defending FA Cup Champions Crystal Palace taking on sixth-tier non-league semi-pros Macclesfield Town.
For the record, sixth tier means National League North in Macclesfield’s case, currently fourteenth in the table, twenty-three points off the top, which is occupied by South Shields.
Get what I mean by "mismatch?"
Palace, of course, stunned Manchester City in last year's final. They are legit under Oliver Glasner, and occupied fourth in the table in early December.
But Palace have struggled since, slipping to thirteenth, and are on a winless run of eight matches in all competitions.
The Eagles will still, in all likelihood, have a convincing win versus the Silkmen. But this is the FA Cup, and I always enjoy at least one ill-advised wager in the third round, because strange things do tend to happen occasionally.
Best bet: Macclesfield win or tie (+310) OR (and why not) Macclesfield win (+1,200).
Premier League vs the Rest
As I have mentioned over and over, I really do enjoy the FA Cup.
“The magic” of the Cup really is that. And once upon a time, the FA Cup final was the biggest weekend of the sporting calendar in England. Those days are long gone, but it is still special and, in my opinion, warrants some fun (such as wagering on a Macclesfield result versus Crystal Palace).
-> Bet on the FA Cup now at NorthStar Bets!
-> See on the FA Cup now at NorthStar Bets!
Let us lose the romance for this one, and stay logical and rational with a juicy Premier League versus the rest parlay.
Yes, this is in great dispute with some earlier bets, but the FA Cup third-round weekend is all about sitting back, embracing the madness and covering your behind.
Parlay: Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Leeds United, West Ham and Liverpool to all win in full time (+2,218)
David comes good
We have been promising that Jonathan David would come good at Juventus; we just didn’t think it would take this long.
Earlier this week, against Sassuolo, David earned man of the match honours with a goal and an assist.
You could feel the pressure releasing from the ice man, not to mention his teammates and manager, all of whom tellingly ran out to embrace the Canadian star, enjoying his second straight start.
It was a great moment. Thirteenth-ranked Cremonese are the opponents this weekend, and fourth-placed Juve need to lean on the man who has a propensity for scoring streaks.
Best bet: Over 2.5 total goals, Juventus halftime/fulltime, David to score and record over 1.5 shots (+380)
