In Play Teams to watch

Updated on 10:45am GMT 30 July 2015

With hundreds of games going on every day, it’s hard to know who are worth backing on a consistent basis. Here are our top 5 teams to watch when betting in play!

5) Chelsea – English Premier League

Chelsea walked the league last season. They led all the way and never looked like being caught by their rivals. Bar the 2 0-0 draws, Chelsea scored the first goal on 28 occasions however it’s the games they concede the first goal that offers the best value.

Chelsea conceded the first goal on 8 occasions. They ended up going on to win 5 of those 8. Depending on the team they conceded to, you would be looking between 6/5 and 3/1 for Chelsea to win when they have conceded the first goal. Even at a flat-rate 1/1, you would still be making a healthy profit backing them to win from 1-0 down with a flat-stake bet.

Another way to back Chelsea is through their defenders. If Chelsea are picking up plenty of free kicks it is worth backing John Terry to score anytime or to score “The Next Goal”. You will get good odds for this especially when backing in play as the further into the game you are, the less likely they are to score. Big John is always a threat from set pieces and has proven that with his goal scoring prowess over his career. He got 5 last season and i fully expect him to achieve the same amount this season if not more.

4) – Fenercvaros – Hungarian NB I

An unusual selection you may think but this team is the “new kids on the block” in terms of title contenders. They have improved year on year and finished runners up to Videoton last season.

They have started this season in flying form, winning their opening 2 games and scoring 5 goals in the process. Fenercvaros are usually fast starters and score the 1st goal the majority of the time. Unfortunately as they are one of the leagues best teams you will struggle to get a decent price on this.

My recommendation when betting in play is to back this team to score before the 20th minute. You should get odds of around 2/1 for this bet. The first 2 weeks Fenercvaros flew out of the blocks and landed this bet both games as they scored in the 5th minute against Diosgyor and the 10th minute against Szombathelyi on the opening day of the season.

3) Benfica + Porto – Portuguese Primeira Liga

These two teams are the powerhouses of Portuguese football and regularly compete in the Champion League against the European Elite, However it’s the teams’ home form which is reason they make it on this list.

Porto are simply incredible at home, the have only lost 2 games since October 2008 at home. If Porto ever get to a respectable price in play you HAVE to back them. Their record speaks for it self and is one of the most profitable teams to back in European football.

Benfica, also have an incredible record in this division. They have not lost in their last 51 league home games, winning 43 and drawing 8. If Benfica go behind at home, back them Double Chance and you’re onto a surefire winner. Away teams must ask themselves whether it’s worth turning up to the Estádio da Luz as a defeat is normally always the outcome.

2) Red Bull Salzburg – Austria Bundesliga

If there is one thing Salzburg games are known for it’s goals goals and more goals. In their 36 league games last season there was 141 goals, a rate of 3.91 goals per game.

First half goals, match goals, time of next Salzburg goal etc.. are all fantastic markets to back Salzburg on.

Bookmakers generally “write-off” Salzburg’s opponents however Salzburg only won 61% of their games last season. They conceded 42 goals which means they are defensively insecure. For this reason i would recommend backing their opponents to get on the score sheet in play. This will usually be good odds, especially when Salzburg are playing at home.

Another good way in is to back Jonathan Soriano on the “Anytime Goalscorer” market. He scored 31 goals last season which was an incredible feat. Usually odds on to score pre-match you can get him at good odds at Half time if he is yet to get on the score-sheet.

1) – Hibernian U20 – Scotland Development League

Another unusual selection to many, but not to those who follow our in play tips on a regular basis. We have not lost a bet that we have tipped on these and this is why.

Hibernian score goals for fun and also have a shocking defense. Not a team to back to win a game but the value is there is other markets.

Bookmakers underestimate the scoring prowess of Hibernian U20 for some reason and frequently can get a good price on them to score 2 goals in any given game. However its their combined goal scoring and conceding that provides us with the best way in.

Both teams to score is as close to a “Banker” as you are likely to get. The last 9 games of the season Both teams to score landed in EVERY game! You can back this at a decent price in play if there is a goal-less first 15 minutes.