talkSPORT betting tips – Best football bets and expert advice on Thursday 30 April 

It’s a feast of football on Thursday with the first legs of the Europa and Conference League semi-finals taking centre stage. 

We have a trio of selections which make up our best bets of the day.

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Thursday football tips

Bet of the Day

Nottingham Forest to beat Aston Villa @ 7/5 

Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa clash in an all-Premier League Europa League semi-final and the Tricky Trees can take an advantage from the first leg being at the City Ground.

The Premier League table would indicate that Villa, who are on course for a top-five finish, will beat relegation-threatened Forest, but those positions are a bit misleading.

Vítor Pereira’s men are unbeaten in their last eight matches, winning five of those games, and the Reds hammered Sunderland 5-0 at the Stadium of Light last weekend.

Pereira became Forest’s fourth manager of the campaign, following Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou and Sean Dyche, and those changes have been a big factor in Forest’s unsettled campaign.

Villa have won only two of their last seven away games, with Saturday’s 1-0 loss at Fulham the latest disappointing effort.

Unai Emery’s men have picked up many excellent results this season, but the expected goals numbers put Villa only marginally ahead of Forest and the good fortune of the Villans may not continue.

At 7/5, Forest are fancied to earn a first-leg advantage on home turf.

Special of the Day

Crystal Palace to win & under 2.5 goals v Shakhtar Donetsk @ 14/5 

There is no doubt that Oliver Glasner’s impending departure rattled Crystal Palace, but the Eagles are back on track after losing just two of their last 13 games and the south Londoners can beat Shakhtar Donetsk.

Palace are able to control games with a solid defence and Adam Wharton dictating in midfield.

In addition, the Eagles have the excellent Ismaila Sarr, alongside Jorgen Strand Larsen and Jean-Philippe Mateta in attack. Glasner has his players well-drilled which has seen them win both the FA Cup and Community Shield during his tenure.

Shakhtar have enjoyed a pretty kind run to the semi-finals, playing Lech Poznan and AZ in the knockout stages, but the Ukrainians only won two of those four contests and appear to  lack the quality and balance of Palace.

Glasner will set up his side to keep things tight in Krakow and Palace are fancied to win a low-scoring contest on neutral turf.

Longshot of the Day

Freiburg to beat Braga, Rayo Vallecano to beat Strasbourg double @ 5/1

Freiburg crushed a good Celta Vigo side 6-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals of the Europa League and the Breisgau Brazilians have won six of their last nine games.

Two of those previous fixtures have ended in defeats to Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, but Braga aren’t anywhere near the class of those Bundesliga giants and Julian Schuster’s side are backable here.

Complete a 5/1 double by playing Rayo Vallecano to beat Strasbourg. Rayo have lost only three of 23 games at fortress Campo de Futbol de Vallecas, with Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid have all failed to win there this term.

Strasbourg are a decent side, but they look to have been set at a tough task in this semi-final tie.

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