**Chelsea vs. Newcastle United** Both Chelsea and Newcastle put an end to their recent losing streaks with weekend victories, setting the stage for their upcoming quarter-final clash. Chelsea faced questions following losses to Manchester United and Everton, but a 2-0 Cole-Palmer-inspired-win against Sheffield United marked their first consecutive home league victories in over a year. Newcastle, having experienced three consecutive losses - which included a midweek loss to Milan in the Champions League - rebounded with a 3-0 victory over 10-man Fulham, taking them back to 6th in the EPL standings. When these two sides met late last month, a Newcastle side plagued by injuries, notably featuring three teenagers and three goalkeepers on the bench, were 4-1 victors in a game that featured a rather bizarre second-half performance by Chelsea. The first half ended 1-1, with Raheem Sterling’s perfectly struck free-kick cancelling Alexander Isak’s opening goal. However, the second half witnessed a sudden burst of action as Jamaal Lascelles and Joelinton scored in quick succession, establishing a 3-1 lead for Newcastle. Chelsea’s captain, Reece James, received his marching orders because of a rather avoidable second bookable offense, and Anthony Gordon sealed the victory with Newcastle’s fourth goal of the day. Since that encounter, little has changed for both teams. The Blues continue to grapple with a lack of consistency, while Newcastle’s ongoing injury challenges pose a threat to what they expected to be a promising season. Despite being the away side, Eddie Howe holds a slight advantage in this matchup. Having already eliminated both Manchester teams in earlier rounds, they clearly have ambitions of going one step further than they did in this competition last season. For Chelsea, a positive development is the potential debut of their star signing, Christopher Nkunku. The French attacker, sidelined by a three-month injury sustained during pre-season, was an unused substitute in the win over Sheffield United and might feature in this game. However, Newcastle boasts a strong defensive discipline, and with Kieran Trippier returning to the starting lineup after serving a one-game suspension, the challenge for the hosts could become even tougher. Our bet of the day is for an upset win for Newcastle and the high odds on BetKing presents an excellent value for money our online sports betting community. Betting Tips:
**Urawa Red Diamonds vs. Manchester City** Manchester City start their quest for world champion status when they face Urawa Red Diamonds this Tuesday, yet many questions loom before that match. Their 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace at home on Saturday adds to a series of disappointing results in the Premier League, and their grasp on the league trophy is gradually slipping. Pep Guardiola’s side was cruising to all 3 points, thanks to a 2-0 lead, courtesy of goals from Jack Grealish and Rico Lewis. However, the late game collapse that has characterized their worrying form reared its ugly head as Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta and Michael Olise scored in the final 15 mins to rescue a point for the Eagles. This marked the eighth consecutive game across all competitions in which the reigning English champions failed to keep a clean sheet, and the fourth time in six games they have conceded at least twice. With just one win in six league games, Manchester City enters the semi-final against Urawa Red Diamonds, hoping a change of scenery could revive their season. Asian Champions, Urawa Red Diamonds defeated Mexican side Leon 1-0 to get to the semi-finals of FIFA Club World Cup and are two wins away from being crowned world champions. This match might mark the end of an era for manager Maciej Skorza, whose end-of-season departure has already been announced by the club. Skorza was brought in to instil more defensive discipline and enhance the team’s attack, and he succeeded in the former but not the latter. The Red Diamonds boasted the best defensive record in the J1 League, conceding only 27 goals. However, their offensive performance was less stellar, with a joint-7th position in the league for goals scored (42). Despite clinching the Asian Champions League title in May of 2022, 2023 ended in a triple disappointment — a loss in the J.League YBC Levian Cup final, a fourth-place finish in the J1, and elimination from the 2023-24 ACL group stage. Many attribute this downturn to their subpar offensive output. Ahead of this game, the biggest news is that Erling Haaland could remain unavailable for Manchester City. The Norwegian striker has been battling an injury for weeks and has missed three games in a row. He will make the trip to Saudi Arabia, but there is little chance they will risk him for this tie. In his absence, we expect Julián Álvarez to lead the line. The Argentine World Cup winner has 15 goal contributions this season and has proven to be a dependable deputy for the towering Norwegian. Betting Tips:
**Paris Saint-Germain vs. Metz** PSG experienced a heart-wrenching draw against Lille on Sunday, conceding a 94th-minute equalizer to Jonathan David. The Parisians had taken the lead through Kylian Mbappé’s 66th-minute penalty, marking his 180th Ligue 1 goal. With Monaco and Nice both suffering defeats over the weekend, this match was an opportunity for PSG to extend their lead to 7 points. Now, they will host Metz in the nation’s capital, aiming to finish 2023 with a victory. Metz are on a 3-game losing streak and it’ll be understandable to pencil this in as an easy PSG win. Their 15 league goals scored in 16 games means they’ve out-scored just 2 teams all season; Toulouse and Clermont Foot, both of whom are relegation candidates. This offensive struggle is key to their poor season and a loss this Wednesday could see them drop into the relegation zone. On the flip side, PSG boasts a league-leading tally of 39 goals, with Kylian Mbappé contributing significantly with 16 goals. His opening goal against Lille not only marked his 50th goal for club and country in 2023 but also established him as the first French player to score 50 goals in three consecutive years. In what is anticipated to be a straightforward victory for the league leaders, we expect Mbappé will once again get on the scoresheet. Betting Tips:
**Liverpool vs. West Ham United** Liverpool failed to win a league game at Anfield for the first time this season as they drew with fierce rivals, Manchester United. The Reds, who had won the exact fixture 7-0 last season, went into that game expecting to dominate which they did. They had 34 shots, 69% of the possession and 12 corners. Still, there was no breaking through a surprisingly resolute Manchester United defense. Having suffered a puzzling 5-0 loss to Fulham last Sunday, West Ham has now bounced back with consecutive home wins. First a 2-0 win over Freiburg in the Europa League, then a 3-0 win over Wolves in the league. The victory over Wolves featured a Mohammed Kudus brace and a hat-trick of assists for Lucas Paquetá. Having already knocked out Arsenal in the last round, West Ham won’t be too fazed by the idea of drawing Liverpool in this round. However, Anfield still a very intimidating ground. The 2-5 loss to Real Madrid back in February marks Liverpool’s sole loss at Anfield in 2023. This year, they’ve won 18 and drawn 5 games. In their 12 home games this season, they’ve kept 7 clean sheets and scored 35 goals, an average of 2.91 goals per game. Calling Anfield a fortress would understate it. With a few players expected to be rested seeing as Liverpool face Arsenal and West Ham face Manchester United this weekend, we could have a tight game. However, the distinctive atmosphere of Anfield should prove to be the decisive factor in this encounter. Betting Tips:
**Deportivo Alavés vs. Real Madrid** Real Madrid secured a 4-1 victory over Villarreal over the weekend, but the triumph came at a considerable cost. The three points were overshadowed by the unfortunate news of a torn ACL for Austrian defender, David Alaba, ruling him out for the rest of the season and potentially the EUROs. Alaba now joins a growing list of injured Real Madrid players, including Thibaut Courtois and Éder Militão. The match itself featured another goal from Pichichi award frontrunner, Jude Bellingham, bringing his impressive tally to 17 goals and 5 assists in just 20 games for Los Blancos. Additional contributors to the scoresheet were Brahim Diaz, Luka Modric, and Rodrygo who now has 8 goals and 5 assists in his last 8 games. Deportivo Alavés is a struggling attacking side, evidenced by their joint-worst goal tally of 14 in the league. However, it must be noted that 10 of these goals were scored at home. As they prepare to face Girona on Monday night before the Thursday clash with Real Madrid, the pressure of confronting two of the league’s top teams may prove challenging for their defense. Considering Real Madrid’s prolific attacking capabilities, we expect Los Blancos to ultimately grab all three points. Betting Tips:
**Wolfsburg vs. Bayern Munich** Bayern Munich are coming off a commanding 3-0 over Stuttgart which featured a Harry Kane brace. The England captain took his league tally to 20 goals as his closest rival for the Golden Boot, Serhou Guirassy had a quiet evening for the visitors. Kim Min-jae scored Bayern’s third in the 63rd minute to put the game beyond doubt, and the 3 points ensured the gap between them and Bayer Leverkusen remained 4 points. Now, Thomas Tuchel and his side travel to Wolfsburg for their last game of 2023. Wolfsburg are also coming off a win of their own, but unlike Bayern Munich, theirs was far from comfortable. An early red card to Maxence Lacroix in the 27th minute meant they played with a man down for well over an hour against Darmstadt. Impressively, though, they got a goal midway through the second-half through Lovro Majer and held on for the win. A significant gap in class between these two teams is clear in their contrasting attacking performances. Bayern Munich stands out with a remarkable shot differential of +223 overall and +15.9 per match, leading the league. In contrast, Wolfsburg’s shot differential is +105 (+7.0 per match), ranking them eighth. Bayern Munich boasts the highest goal tally in the league, scoring 47 goals in 14 games at an impressive rate of 3.36 goals per game. Wolfsburg has netted only 19 goals in 15 games, averaging 1.27 goals per game. The hosts have struggled recently, scoring just 4 goals in their last 6 games, blanking in 3 of those. With these in mind, our bet prediction leans not only towards a victory for Bayern Munich but a comfortable one, and we have the best odds for this compared to other betting sites. Betting Tips:
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