talkSPORT tips – Best football bets and expert advice for Thursday 15 January

There’s some Copa del Rey action in Spain on Thursday, plus a couple of games in Italy’s Serie A and a solitary match in the German Bundesliga.

Barcelona and Valencia should progress past lower-league opposition in Spain while in Italy, Bologna are fancied to end their poor run of form by seeing off relegation-threatened Verona, and title contenders AC Milan are expected to also win on the road when they go to Como.

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Thursday football betting tips

Bologna to beat Verona @ 11/10

Bologna approach Thursday’s trip to Verona on a disappointing run of form as Vincenzo Italiano’s side have not won any of their last five games.

However, there are some mitigating circumstances as the Rossoblu have faced title rivals Napoli and Inter and top-six hopefuls Atalanta in that period.

Overall, Bologna are enjoying a decent season. They sit ninth in the table and were only edged out by Napoli in the Supercoppa Italiano final just before Christmas when losing 2-0.

They have already beaten the likes of Inter (in the cup) and Napoli in the league, while they are very much in contention for a place in the next phase of the Europa League as they are 13th in the standings having won three of their first six games. 

The visitors should have too much for struggling Verona, who are bottom of the table with just two wins all season.

Verona are increasingly looking like relegation candidates and have failed to win any of their last four games, losing three of them, while Bologna have also won three of the last four meetings between the two sides.

Bet builder

AC Milan to beat Como, Under 2.5 goals, Christian Pulisic 2+ shots on target and Rafael Leao 1+ shots on target @ 17/1

AC Milan are fancied to beat Como in Serie A and a win for the the Rossoneri, who are second and just three points behind leaders and local rivals Inter heading into the midweek games, forms leg one of our bet builder

However, it might be a nervy victory with limited goalmouth action in a cagey affair at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia. There have been two goals or less in four of Milan’s last five matches and in three of Como’s last five outings.

Christian Pulisic is fancied to have at least two shots on target for the visitors. The former Chelsea man is enjoying a good season with 10 goals so far and he has had a total of 33 shots, with 18 of those on target.

Finally, add in his teammate Rafael Leao to have one shot on target, something he’s managed 14 times over the course of the campaign.

Acca

AC Milan to beat Como, Barcelona to beat Racing Santander, Valencia to beat Burgos and Union Berlin to beat Augsburg @ 14/1.

We’re going for four away wins for Thursday’s acca as several favourites hit the road in various competitions across the continent.

Milan are expected to edge out Como as they look to stay firmly in Scudetto contention in Italy, while Spanish giants Barcelona, who are on a 10-game winning streak in all competitions, should have far too much quality for second-tier Racing Santander when they go to Estadio El Sardinero in the Copa del Rey last 16.

Staying in Spain, Valencia are also up against lower league opposition when they travel to Segunda Division side Burgos.

While they have had their problems in La Liga this term, Los Che have already triumphed away in the cup against lower league teams Maracena, Cartagena and Sporting Gijon and they can maintain that run.

In Germany, Union Berlin, ninth in the Bundesliga and on a three-game unbeaten run, can secure all three points at Augsburg, who sit six places and eight points worse off.

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Odds correct at time of publish and subject to change*

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