Bundesliga - La Liga - Series A Weekend Betting Preview

Bundesliga PreviewSchalke's win over Bayern last week has given them a three point lead at the top and it seems unlikely that the three point gap will change over this weekend. Both have relatively easy games on paper against lowly opposition. It's back to the nitty gritty for Schalke, who will have to travel to Mainz and take the points off a team lying just above the relegation places. Mainz have a reasonable home record though and will not be a pushover. Schalke are 5/6, The Draw is 12/5 and Mainz at 11/4. Bayern meanwhile are 1/5 to win at home against lowly Hansa Rostock (11/1). Their manager and part time miracle worker, Jorg Berger, surely can't dig Rostock out of the relegation zone, but he won't give up easily. Borussia Dortmund have had an eventful time of it lately. On the verge of bankruptcy, they have managed to secure a refinancing package that'll keep them off the accountant's slab. So with their future assured they'll be more upbeat about taking on a Hamburg side currently in 5th spot and looking to secure a place in Europe. They could just pull off a surprise result as Hamburg (4/6) have already lost four times at home this season. At 7/2 it's a decent bet. Third place Stuttgart are a banker at 2/9 at home to bottom club Freiburg. They are in the mire Freiberg and if they don't start winning it'll be game set and match and it's back to League 2 soon. At 9/1 you'll still need a strong stomach to back them. Werder Bremen (10/11) need to win to maintain an outside hope of retaining their title. It seems unlikely and they are away to a very dangerous team at the moment. Nurnberg are nothing sensational and are 6th from bottom, but they possess a mini scoring sensation in Mintel. He is currently top scorer in Bundesliga by a mile on 21 goals after a brace last week. He really is on fire. At 5/2 they could win this. Also in the relegation zone are Bochum (13/10) and they could capitalize by winning at home to mid table Wolfsburg (7/4). Lastly there are two mid table clashes between Hannover (6/5) and B.Monchengladbach (2/1) and then Hertha Berlin (1/2) at home to Bielefeld (5/1)Go to Stan James now for free bets on all these matches!La Liga Preview<?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O />It's an important week for Real Madrid. There's been some pretty choice things said about the Galacticos this week and Malaga could feel the brunt of it on Sunday. If they don't win they can expect another rocky ride from their fans and the media. It will virtually be the end of their title hopes and could jeopardise their second place Champions League spot. Having said that you suspect Real will bounce back with a convincing win, especially if Barcelona slip up on Saturday night. Real are 4/9 and Malaga are 11/2. Barcelona (11/8) have a tricky journey to Deportivo (13/8). The Galcians have been disappointing this year but are still not out of range of a European spot so will be out to re-assert against the league leaders. Deportivo are starting to string results together and this will be a tough test for Barca. At 13/8 Deportivo look a decent bet. With Villareal not playing this weekend it gives Espanyol and Real Betis the chance to leapfrog them into third place. Espanyol (4/5) have a decent chance of doing so against mid table Real Sociedad (3/1) and Real Betis (4/9) should despatch lowly Albacete (11/2). At the bottom Numancia (11/8) have a must win game against lowly Racing Santander (13/8). Time is running out for Numancia but a win here could kick start the revival. They have only won three home games all season, so it can't be a confident selection, but they are beginning to play better football and it's a relatively "easy" game for them. The other team in the relegation zone, Mallorca (6/4) have a testy game against high flying Sevilla (6/4), who will want to end the season well and get a deserved European berth. Mallorca have to start picking up points though so a draw (11/5) could be the better option. Getafe (6/1) are strutting around like the cat that got the cheese, after their inspiring 2-1 win over Real Madrid, but Valencia (2/5) will probably bring them down to earth on Sunday. Having said that Getafe's confidence will be sky high, so they could get a surprise result. Athletic Bilbao (8/13) have to fancy their chances against Levante (4/1) and they need it. They are becoming detached from the clubs clamouring for the lower European places. They must start putting a run of results together. Finally Zaragoza (6/5) take on Atletico Madrid (15/8) at home. They too have to start winning to get back to the business end of the league. But all eyes will be on Real Madrid this weekend. The vultures are circling and they have to show that they can still mix it with the best of them. Barcelona can only find it amusing and if the results swing their way this weekend it could be all over.Go to Stan James now for free bets on all these matches!Serie A Preview It's neck and neck at the top between AC Milan and Juventus still and both sides will fancy their chances of maintaining their positions this weekend. AC Milan (6/5) are on a run of seven consecutive wins and they travel to Roma (9/4) on Sunday. Roma have a new coach, Bruno Conti, after parting company with Del Neri after 3 successive defeats and this fact could either work for them or against them. However way you look at it, it's going to be a tall order for Roma, because confidence in the camp must be low and AC are looking very solid at the moment. Juventus (2/7) have a relatively easy task at home to Reggina (8/1) and the Bianconeri will want to avenge an unlucky 2-1 defeat by Reggina earlier in the season. The backlash could be brutal and it's a home banker. Also on Saturday, Siena(11/8) take on a Lazio (7/4) side that is beginning to get itself together. It's a difficult game to call because Siena, currently in the relegation zone, need the points badly. The draw at 2/1 could be a wise choice here. Inter and Sampdoria are currently joint third in Serie A but are still 16 points behind the two leaders. They will however want to consolidate their chances of a Champions League Qualifying place. Inter (4/9) have a strong chance at home to Fiorentina (11/2), and Sampdoria (4/9) also seem a home banker against Atalanta (11/2). In fact bet the top four teams to win in an accumulator and it pays just under 5/1. Udinese (8/13) will fancy their chances against Lecce (9/2), especially after their 5-1 win last week in Palermo, but they have to be wary of a Lecce side who are currently Serie A's top scorers. Parma (11/8) are still struggling near the relegation zone and injuries have hampered their progress lately. They need to string some results together soon if they are not going to be sucked into the mire. They take on a Palermo (15/8) side still reeling from that 5-1 home defeat last week, but with European ambitions, so it will be no surprise if Parma come unstuck again. Messina (6/5) have won their last two games and confidence will be high as they take on draw specialists Bologna (9/4). It's a mid table clash and difficult to call but Messina are at full strength and they could just have the edge. Cagliari (11/4) have only taken one point from their last seven away matches and take on a Livorno (Evs) team whose home record is pretty solid of late. Cagliari had a good win against Roma last week, but are without the influencial Gianfranco Zola and this could just make Livorno a bet at Even money. But a word of caution would be the fact that Livorno are missing a few key players with injuries as well.Finally Chievo (10/11) and Brescia (3/1) have a crucial relegation battle in Verona. You feel that Brescia have to get something out of this game or else the gap between them and their rivals will be a little worrying. There is a lot at stake here, but home advantage for Chievo might just give them the edge. Having said that though, both sides would be happy with a point and the draw at 2/1 could be the most sensible bet. Live Games - Inter v Fiorentina Sun 14.00pm on Eurosport & Roma v AC Milan Sun 19.30pm on Eurosport Go to Stan James now for free bets on all these matches!