Oldham v Liverpool – FA Cup Round 4 – Sunday 27 January 4pm Live on ITV

FA Cup fever has reached Oldham Athletic’s Boundary Park. League One Latics host Premier League Liverpool searching for a giant-killing in front of the TV cameras, but is a shock result likely?

The two sides faced each other in the 3rd round last season, the difference being that fixture was played at Anfield. The Reds triumphed 5-1 on that occasion.

Boundary Park is a very different stadium to Anfield. One side is missing and it is the coldest football ground in the country! The League One club will be hoping that their opposition has failed to packed their thermals and they not fancy the freezing conditions.

Oldham have not been in great form in the league. They have lost their last three matches since beating Nottingham Forest in the third round and they have lost each of their last four matches at home. Those signs don’t give too much hope of an upset, but FA Cup ties have a tendancy of throwing out the form book.

They have some talented players, including former Everton forward Jose Baxter who will be looking to put one over on his former club’s big rivals. He has 10 goals to his name so far this season and has the skill which will worry the Liverpool defenders. He’ll be their biggest threat and is 4/1 (Blue Sq, Coral) to score anytime.

Liverpool come into the game on a high after thrashing Norwich 5-0 last time out. They should have more than enough to get through this tie without any scare, but that was also the case in Round 3 and they struggled to get past non-league Mansfield Town, sneaking to a 2-1 victory.

New signing Daniel Sturridge has got off to a good start in a red shirt with three goals in three games for his new club. He’s 10/3 (Bet365) to open the scoring.

The Reds are short favourites at 2/7 (Paddy Power, William Hill) and they should win through to Round 5.

Real Zaragoza v Espanyol

Live on Sky Sports 1. Kick off: Saturday 7pm

Real Zaragoza have lost six of their nine home matches this season and manager Manuel Jimenez has demanded better from his players this Saturday when they host a resurgent Espanyol side that only Barcelona have defeated since Javier Aguirre took charge seven games ago.

“We have to go all together, players and fans, and get that La Romareda roar,” Jimenez said. “We have played well in home games, but our fans deserve better.”

Games in general have gone badly for Zaragoza of late and they have failed to score in their last four matches – the latest blank coming in their 4-0 thumping by Sevilla midweek which ended their Copa Del Rey campaign.

Espanyol had the week off having exited the competition at an earlier stage and having won three of their last four games, we would much rather be on the 13/5 (BetVictor) against an away win than the 13/10 (Paddy Power) for the home side to suddenly come good.

Outside of Barcelona, however, Espanyol have won only once this season, hardly form which gives much faith that they can be relied on to get the win. Much has changed under Aguirre though. When the Mexican replaced Pochettino, the club were rock bottom – they now sit thirteenth and can leapfrog Zaragoza with a victory on Saturday.

Away from home, it has been a tough start for Aguirre, coming up against both Real Madrid and Barcelona in his first three road trips. The meeting with Barca was always going to be a write off but the 2-2 draw with Madrid should give confidence they can get a long awaited win in Zaragoza – Espanyol have lost the last five meetings between the teams and haven’t won at the Romareda since 2004. They have a real opportunity to end that drought on Saturday though with confidence levels high under Aguirre in contrast to Zaragoza’s slump.

20^th place Deportivo welcome 7^th place Valencia on this Saturday evening, where the home side at sitting on just three wins all season. The visitors have clocked up nine and will aim to make it ten.

Best match odds

• Deportivo – 85/40 BetVictor
• Draw – 23/10 Ladbrokes
• Valencia – 7/5 Sportingbet

Facts supplied by Opta:

• Deportivo are winless in 13 league games against Valencia (D5 L8).
• The last meeting between the sides at the Riazor ended in a 2-0 win for Valencia and resulted in relegation for Depor after 20 successive seasons in the top-flight.
• Since 2004/05, Valencia have won more times at the Riazor than any other La Liga side (five).
• Deportivo have the opportunity to win successive home games in the Primera for the first time since April 2011.
• Valverde’s side have won their last two away league games; 2-1 in Granada and 1-0 in Osasuna.
• Between them, Riki (four) and Pizzi (three) have scored 64% of Deportivo’s home league goals this season.
• Roberto Soldado has scored three of the last four league goals scored by Valencia against Deportivo.
• Deportivo have conceded a league-high 10 headed goals this season, while Valencia have scored a joint-high eight in this way.
• Only Real Madrid (20) and Barcelona (15) have hit the woodwork more often than Deportivo (11) this season.

Valencia will aim to make it 10 wins this term, by beating a Deportivo side, who have struggled to win matches, but have clocked up seven draws. The home side have leaked a tad over two goals a game, with the away side scoring just below 1.5 goals a game.

There is no reason why Valencia cannot win this game and can be backed with the money back insurance at 8/11 with Boylesports.

Some games have been wiped out by the snow again so check the fixture list before placing your bet again today. Here’s the top tips from all the best (and worst) newspaper tipsters from the Daily Record, The Sun, The Daily Mirror, Daily Star and Racing Post.

So that means tips from Mr Fixit, Jim Delahunt, Andy Townsend, Alan Alger, Rich Evison, Tony Cascarino, Mark Langdon, Ian Wilkerson, Dan Childs, Kevin Pullein, Derek McGovern and the Mirror’s Betting Boys.

Don’t forget to leave your tips in the comments section below. Good luck!

Mr Fixit Tips (Daily Record)

HOMES

• Charlton
• Shrewsbury
• Inverness
• Morton
• Partick Th
• Perm any 4 and all 5 (6 bets)

TOP TREBLE

• Bournemouth
• Charlton
• Partick Thistle

SUPER SINGLE

• Ross County

BONKERS BET

• Dumbarton 2, Hamilton 2

DRAWS

• Bolton v Everton
• Fleetwood v Oxford
• Orient v Notts County
• Dumbarton v Hamilton
• Perm any 3 and all 4 (5 bets)

AWAYS

• Leicester
• Watford
• Walsall
• Ross County

Sam Spread Tips (Daily Record)

• Buy Inverness supremacy at 0.1
• Sell Hamiltons supremacy at 0.5

Jim Delahunt Tips (The Scottish Sun)

ACCUMULATOR

• Leeds Utd
• Brighton
• Reading
• Morton
• Inverness

Andy Totham (The Sun)

TOT’S TIPS

AWAYS

• Everton
• Wigan
• Arsenal
• Ipswich
• Watford

BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE

Swansea
• Brighton
• Derby
• Forest
• Wolves
• Orient
• Bristol C

DRAWS

• Stoke
• Burton
• Carlisle

LONGSHOT

• Derby
• Burnley
• Watford
• Coventry
• Plymouth

SIX-UP

• Derby
• M’boro
• B’mouth
• Watford
• Arsenal
• Spurs

FOUR-PLAY

• B’mouth
• Celtic
• Everton
• Arsenal

Andy Townsend Tips (Daily Star)

STAR BETS

• Stoke v Man City – Draw
• Stoke 1 Man City 1
• Walters to score first
• Tevez to score
• Liverpool
• Sturridge to score first
• Suarez to score

Dale Tempest Tips (Daily Star)

DALE’S DOUBLE

• Everton
• Reading

Rich Evison Tips (Daily Star)

RICH RETURNS

• Burnley
• Carlisle

Alan Alger Tips (Daily Star)

BET OF THE WEEKEND

• Both teams to score in Brighton v Arsenal

PEARSON’S PICKS

• Goals Galore at Derby, Reading, Charlton & Tranmere

Tony Cascarino Tips (Racing Post)

TONY’S TIPS

• Arsenal
• Everton & Spurs Double
• Luton +1.75 on Asian Handicap

Kevin Pullein Tips (Racing Post)

RECOMMENDATION

• Genoa +5.5 on Asian Handicap Corners

Dan Childs Tips (Racing Post)

BANKER

• Arsenal

BLOWOUT

• QPR

DOUBLE

• Arsenal
• Reading

BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE

• At QPR
• Derby
• Bristol City
• Rotherham

HOTSHOT

• S Jackson (Norwich) 9/2 BetVictor

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Reading
• Watford
• Wolves
• Coventry

EUROPE

• Schalke
• Eintracht Frankfurt
• Espanyol

NON-LEAGUE

• Grimsby
• Forest Green

Ian Wilkerson (Racing Post)

SCOTTISH TIPS

• Livingston
• Annan

AFRICAN NATIONS CUP

• Y Toure First scorer
• Algeria

Derek McGovern Tips (Daily Mirror)

BET OF THE DAY

• Bolton

MACCA’S ACCA

• Sheff Utd
• Liverpool
• Man City
• Norwich

Betting Boys Tips (Daily Mirror)

SIX HOMES

• Burnley
• Bournemouth
• Shrewsbury
• Burton
• Plymouth
• Alloa

FOUR AWAYS

• Arsenal
• Wigan
• Watford
• Coventry

THREE DRAWS

• Derby v Blackburn
• Wolves v Blackpool
• Dagenham v Morecambe

ACCA

• Arsenal
• Burnley
• Coventry
• Watford

13^th play 15^th in an all mid-table affair on Saturday with Zaragoza picking up just four points from a possible last eighteen, and Espanyol picking up eleven points, only losing to Barcelona in the last six

Juventus v Genoa – Serie A – Saturday 26 January 7:45pm Live on ESPN

The fixture at the Juventus Stadium is an important one at both ends of the Serie A table. Juventus are looking for points to maintain a healthy lead at the top of the table whilst visitors Genoa are in desperate need of points in their bid to avoid the drop into Serie B.

After a shaky start to 2013 with a draw and a defeat in their opening games of the new year, Juve put in a good performance last weekend to destroy Udinese 4-0. Former Manchester United youngster Paul Pogba got two goals, including a stunning 30 yard effort which is worth a YouTube search if you haven’t seen it. He’s a massive 11/1 (bwin) to open the scoring again in this one.

They continue to miss key players Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Pirlo, so they won’t be at full strength. But they may not need to be at their best to take the three points.

Genoa are not in great form, as their league position would suggest.They have a new man in charge and Davide Ballardini couldn’t have asked for a more difficult fixture to open his new reign.

They have won just once in their last seven matches in the league and come into the fixture on the back of a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Catania last weekend. If they are to cause the Juventus rearguard any problems, Marco Borriello will have to be on his game. The striker has done the rounds in Serie A and now finds himself spearheading the Genoa attack and is the most likely of their squad to get on the scoresheet. He’s available at 14/1 (Bet365) to open the scoring and 4/1 (888 Sport) to score anytime.

Despite a few key injuries, you have to expect that The Old Lady of Italian football will overcome Genoa with ease.

Australian Open Men’s Singles Final: Novak Djokovic v Andy Murray – Sunday 27 January 8:30am Live on BBC One

Andy Murray broke his Grand Slam duck last September in winning the US Open at Flushing Meadows, and now he looks to make it two in a row as he faces world number one Novak Djokovic in the final of the Australian Open in Melbourne.

The Scot defeated the Serb in New York, and with the monkey now firmly off his back, he appears to be a much more confident player. In beating Roger Federer in the semi-final, Murray looked to be dictating the points and being the aggresser, where in the past he has been a little passive and waited for opponents to make mistakes rather than going for the winning shots.

Until the meeting with Federer, Murray had breezed through the tournament, winning comfortably in straight sets in the five rounds prior. The fact that Djokovic has had an extra recovery day having played his semi-final 24 hours earlier than Murray should not come into play.

Both players have played some fantastic tennis during this fortnight and, with the enforced absence of Rafa Nadal with injury, are undoubtedly the best two players on the men’s circuit at the moment. It should make for a cracking final.

The final at the US Open went all the way to five sets, and because they are so evenly matched, I would expect this match to also go the distance. The match to go to 5 sets is available to back at 5/2 (SkyBet, William Hill).

But who will come out on top? Djokovic is the world number one for good reason. He’s a fantastic player and has been superb for the last 24 months. Murray has great momentum going into the match. He won the last Grand Slam tournament, beating the same opponent. He won the Adelaide tournament going into this. It will be very close, but I can see Andy doing the double and lifting more silverware.

A Murray victory can be backed at 6/4 (Bet365, Blue Sq, StanJames).

A 4/1 double winner last week failed to reach the pages of Selectabet, as the powers that be were too busy dining on the fine wine being served at a Scottish football ground. Luckily the selections reached Twitterland, and some managed to get on, as Dumbarton and Partick Thistle returned some much needed profit.

This week, the weather has already caused the postponement of three SFL fixtures, so check for pitch inspection results before sticking a line on. www.scottishfootballleague.com is regularly updated with match information.

Annan Athletic v Peterhead

New manager syndrome is a favourite of punters, as many teams seem to receive a boost when a new man takes over. Annan appointed Jim Chapman in early January, but have yet to take to the field due to postponements. Their home form of six wins from ten games is among the division’s best, so they should be confident of the win today. A five hour bus journey awaits for the Blue Toon, who have scored the fewest away goals in the division, so hopefully the return journey is a long and painful one. Back the home win at 8/5 with William Hill, BetVictor and Boylesports.

Berwick Rangers v Stirling Albion

The away side have an unwanted tag; the only side in Scotland without a victory on the road. Indeed, with just two away points from a possible thirty, it’s clear to see why they are bottom of the pile in SFL3. Berwick are in the mix for a play off spot, should the play offs go ahead, and will be looking to make ground on fourth spot today. Conceding just nine home goals shows that the Wee Rangers are solid defensively, and they’ll be looking to avenge their 6-3 reverse at Forthbank earlier in the season. Take the 5/6 on offer from Coral, Paddy Power and Boylesports.

Alloa Athletic v Stranraer

Paul Hartley’s Wasps are the best of the rest in SFL2, quite an achievement after promotion last term, and they will be looking to cement that with a home win today. Strong at the Recreation Ground, Alloa should have enough in their locker to defeat struggling Stranraer today, a side that have scored just eight goals in ten away matches. Add in Alloa at a backable 1/2 with Paddy Power, Coral and William Hill.

Massive day of racing today with excellent cards at both Leopardstown and Cheltenham. Hopefully we’ll have a better idea of who the contenders for the Cheltenham festival are by the end of tomorrows racing.

LEOPARDSTOWN

2:45 – CANALY – won his last 2 outings over 2m3f and 2m6f both on heavy ground so 2m5f on testing ground is no concern. Canaly is going well and although this is his first start in a handicap over fences, he has a grade 1 entry in the book and from what I’ve seen he’s up to that level. At 12/1 (1/4 odds on first 4) he’s overpriced.

3:20 – LEAH CLAIRE – finished very impressively here in December to run into third when to be honest she was given far too much to do. Hopefully she is ridden a little more prominently today which will give her the opportunity to kick while still in contention. At 16/1 (1/4 odds on first 5) she also looks overpriced.

CHELTENHAM

12:40 – JOHNS SPIRIT – looks like he’s still progressing and he took another step forward himself at Sandown last time. He runs off the same mark today and it might be the last day to cash in before the handicapper catches up with him. The booking of AP McCoy adds further confidence. 5/1 (1/4 odds on first 3)

1:15 – BOLD SIR BRIAN – absolutely demolished the opposition at Sandown last time out over 3m1f on soft ground so the drop back to 2m5f on the same ground should suit. He’s unbeaten this term and is definitely on the up. 11/2 (1/4 odds on first 4)

Last week’s first attempt at this challenge was a complete disaster. PSV hadn’t lost at home to Zwolle for 30 years. Cue a 3-1 defeat in a game that they just never turned up for.

The only way is up eh?

I’m starting this week with a decent priced bet that could get the challenge off to a flier. In the Italian Serie bwin top of the table Sassuolo are way to 17th placed Crotone and should land their 17th win of the season.

Sassuolo are top scores in the division with 46 in 22 and have scored 17 in their last 6. Crotone have lost 8 in their last 2 domestic games.

I’m tempted by Sassuolo to win the game at a decent-looking 23/20 (BetVictor) but I like my 2+ goals market and I’m taking Sassuolo to score over 1.5 goals. Coral are going 6/4 and I’m taking some of that.