talkSPORT betting tips – Best football bets and expert advice on Thursday 7 May

Places in European finals are at stake on the small but select Thursday football programme, which features the semi-final second legs of the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League.

Three Premier League teams are in action, but a maximum of two can advance as Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest face each other at Villa Park, with Forest aiming to defend a one-goal lead.

Here are our Bet of the Day, Special and Longshot suggestions for Thursday’s matches.

GET UP TO £40 IN FREE BETS WHEN YOU BET ON THE FOOTBALL WITH talkSPORT BET

Thursday football betting tips

Bet of the day – Both teams to score in Crystal Palace vs Shakhtar Donetsk @ 5/6

Crystal Palace put themselves in a great position to reach the UEFA Conference League final with their impressive 3-1 first-leg victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in Poland last week and they are just 1/2 to confirm their place in the final at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig on May 27 with another win at home.

A better return on the match could be secured by backing both teams to score again. Shakhtar know they need at least two goals to have any chance of progressing, so they are unlikely to be holding back, and that should leave them vulnerable to counter-attacks from the Eagles.

The Ukrainian side are used to playing in end-to-end games, with their last four matches all featuring goals by both sides and their last two Conference League away trips have produced a 3-1 win at Lech Poznan and a 2-2 draw with AZ Alkmaar.

Special of the day – Bet Builder – Braga or Draw double chance & over 2.5 goals vs Freiburg @ 17/4

Braga scored a late goal to edge out Freiburg in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final in Portugal and they are worth backing to end the challenge of the German side by avoiding defeat in the second match.

The Bundesliga team have hit a rough patch of form with no wins in their last four matches, while Braga, who are fourth in the Primeira Liga, have lost only one of their last nine games.

They are worth backing to win or draw in the double-chance market, and it’s worth adding over 2.5 goals to the bet. Both teams have scored in five of Braga’s last six matches while five of Freiburg’s last six games have produced at least three goals.

Acca – Freiburg to beat Rayo Vallecano, Crystal Palace to beat Shakhtar Donetsk, Strasbourg to beat Rayo Vallecano and Mirrassol to beat LDU Quito @ 6/1

Home sides could be worth getting behind on Thursday, with Freiburg backed to get a result in 90 minutes against Braga in the Europa League.

Julian Schuster’s side trail 2-1 from last week’s opening game in Portugal, but they have won all six of their European games in front of their fans, most recently beating Celta Vigo 3-0 last month.

Crystal Palace have a healthy 3-1 advantage over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Conference League and should secure a repeat victory at Selhurst Park, where they are unbeaten in seven.

A talented Strasbourg team could also make home advantage count in the Conference League. Racing are 1-0 down to Rayo Vallecano, but while their domestic form has dropped off, they are unbeaten at the Stade de la Meinau in this competition.

Finally, to the Copa Libertadores, with Brazil’s Mirrasol favoured against Ecuador’s LDU Quito.

Last week, Rafael Guanaes’ hosts beat Bolivia’s Always Ready, while Los Reyes went down 1-0 in Argentina to Lanus.

Mirassol have since beaten Corinthians 2-1 and can make it three home wins in a row.

GET UP TO £40 IN FREE BETS WHEN YOU BET ON THE FOOTBALL WITH talkSPORT BET

Odds correct at time of publish and subject to change*

*18+ New customers only. Opt in and bet up to £40 (min. £20) via mobile or app on any football (odds 1/1+) within 7 days of registration. Get up to £40 in free bets on selected markets, which expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• GamCare – www.gamcare.org.uk
• Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org