Corner Picks: Best bets, odds, predictions for Celtic vs. Rangers Old Firm derby, Man City vs. Liverpool, more

Fri, Apr 15, 2022
Soccer News (AP)

Is this a safe space? Are we in the Trust Tree? Because I have a controversial opinion I'd like to share, and I worry about the ramifications. It's not a widely shared opinion or appreciated, but I need to live my truth.

I like Atletico Madrid. A lot. I like everything about it. I like Diego Simeone's all-black suits. I like how they make no apologies for their conservative approach (it must be the Italian blood in my veins). I more than like their cheap and often dirty tactics at the end of matches too! It's fun!

Simeone and Atletico Madrid have figured out how to play the role of underdog and villain simultaneously, and it's incredible theater. The melee that broke out between Atleti and Manchester City at the end of their Champions League clash was more entertaining than most options on your favorite streaming service (well, not Paramount+), and it gave us something we'll never forget.

I don't mind a little meatballery with my sports. Human beings are aggressive creatures, and they will show that aggressiveness somewhere. A soccer pitch, football field, or basketball court are much better options than most others. I also think the following picks are better options than many others, and all odds are via Caesars Sportsbook.

Manchester City vs. Liverpool

Date: Saturday, April 16 | Time: 10:30 a.m. ET | Watch: ESPN+

It feels like it was only a week ago that I wrote about these teams playing and told you to take the over. And that's because it was! While I don't typically include picks for competitions like the FA Cup, I couldn't pass it up, considering it's Manchester City and Liverpool. Plus, as I went over last week, there's a trend we have to exploit every time these teams meet.

They score goals and a lot of them! Last week's match finished 2-2, so now we've seen an average of 3.11 goals scored in the last nine meetings. Seven of those nine have finished with at least three goals scored, while the two that didn't were a scoreless draw in 2018 and a 1-1 final in the meaningless Community Shield. You might fear that this game could be more like the Community Shield seeing as how it's not a league match or a Champions League battle, but the FA Cup is important to both clubs, as is winning every trophy you can get your hands on. This late in the competition, neither one of these teams will take it easy. Especially against the other. Pick: Over 2.5 (-135)

Newcastle vs. Leicester City

Date: Sunday, April 17 | Time: 9:15 a.m. ET | Watch: USA

Newcastle United vs. Leicester City Spread Moneyline Total NEW -0.5 +115 BET NOW +119 BET NOW o2.5 -105 BET NOW LEI +0.5 -145 BET NOW +250 BET NOW u2.5 -125 BET NOW DRAW +225 BET NOW

Things change quickly in the Premier League. It wasn't long ago Newcastle was a team fighting for survival, and Leicester looked like it would struggle to finish near the top-10, let alone in it. Now Newcastle is 10 points clear of the drop, and Leicester have moved up to ninth, with a three-point gap and two matches in hand against everybody below them. It's incredible what can happen when you get an infusion of billions of dollars into your club or just get your injured players back to full health. Both teams can afford to let loose a bit in this match, and that's precisely what I believe will happen.

While Newcastle's overall improvement can be credited on the defensive end (and, again, the billions), they've become much more efficient in attack, particularly at home. They'll need to be against a Leicester team firing on all cylinders at the moment. The Foxes are averaging 1.64 goals per match over their last 14 and have scored at least twice in eight of them.Pick: Over 2.5 (-105)

Celtic vs. Rangers

Date: Sunday, April 17 | Time: 9 a.m. ET | Watch: ESPN+

That's right, I started you off with the FA Cup, and now I'm bringing you Scottish football! And it's not even league play; it's the William Hill Scottish Cup! But it's also the Old Firm derby, Celtic and Rangers, the two dominant forces in Scottish football, and it's a line we can exploit. First of all, while Rangers won the first meeting of the season 1-0 back in August, Celtic dominated the last two matches, outscoring Rangers 5-1. It's a team that has improved tactically and talent-wise as the season has progressed, and Rangers haven't been quite the same since Steven Gerrard left to take the Aston Villa job.

Second, Rangers are probably exhausted. Like West Ham, Rangers played in the Europa League Thursday night. Unlike West Ham, Rangers needed 30 minutes of extra time against Braga to move on. That means this will be Rangers' fifth match in 17 days, and while these two might be the giants of Scotland, they don't have the same squad depth the top teams in other leagues have. Meanwhile, Celtic will have had a whole week's worth of rest. Pick: Celtic (+110)

Weekend Parlay

It's a simple three-leg parlay this week, but the payout is still nice at +115.

Manchester United (-430)
Fiorentina (-270)
Hoffenheim (-370)

	Record	Units
League Play	49-46	+6.09
Champions League	9-15	-6.93
Overall	58-61	-0.84