Football Bet of the Day: Back Sarpsborg to stop the Viking invasion

Roy Hodgson's old club Viking are having a tough time

After an agonising defeat yesterday, Kevin Hatchard's hoping a nostalgic trip to Norway will help him lick his wounds and return to winning ways.

Viking v Sarpsborg
Sunday November 02, 17:00

Last night we experienced the highs and lows of betting in the space of a couple of minutes. We opposed Manta, who hadn't won a game in the Ecuadorean Primera A all season, and we were overjoyed when the visitors Deportivo Cuenca grabbed an 89th-minute equaliser to make it 1-1. That joy turned to ashes in our mouths when Manta scored a stoppage-time penalty to win 2-1. When it comes to being a cruel mistress, football betting puts Miss Whiplash to shame sometimes.

Right then, three winners and three losers this week, so let's try to end on a high before I hand you back to Tobias Gourlay. We finish the week in Norway, a country I am very fond of, even though I did once pay the equivalent of thirteen pounds for a portion of chips. Admittedly I wasn't entirely sober at the time, so my memory may be a touch fuzzy.

Viking (one of England manager Roy Hodgson's old haunts) are 11th in the Eliteserien, and they are on a wretched run of form. The Dark Blues haven't won any of their last eight league matches, and they've only collected one victory in their last 12 outings. They are failing to impress at their Viking Stadion, having lost their last four league games on home turf.

In their current form (they have had several mergers and changes) Sarpsborg have never finished higher than 14th in the Norwegian top flight, so it's somewhat remarkable that they are a heady seventh in the standings. Former Sheffield United and Leeds striker Brian Deane is doing a fine job in the managerial dugout, and Sarpsborg have lost just two of their last eight games. Indeed, Sarpsborg have been tough to beat all campaign, having lost just nine of their 28 league games.

Sarpsborg don't have too much to fear from the sides' recent meetings in the league. They drew 1-1 at home with Viking last time out, and on their last trip to Stavanger, they led 1-0 going into stoppage time before losing 2-1. Although the defeat was a blow, it shows Sarpsborg can compete with Viking, and the two sides have had big swings in form since then.

It seems Viking's price of 1.738/11 is based on history and reputation rather than current form, and it's a price I'm more than happy to take on.

Recommended Bet

Lay Viking at 1.738/11

2014 P/L (1 pt per bet)

Points Staked: 48

Points Returned: 46.5

P/L: -1.5 points