talkSPORT tips – Best football bets and expert advice for Wednesday 19 August

Celtic are in European action on Wednesday evening as they host LASK Linz in the first leg of their Champions League play-off round, one of four ties taking place across the evening.

The staggered start to the new La Liga season also continues, with Atletico Madrid hosting newly promoted Malaga.

As usual, we’ve compiled our best bet of the day, bet builder special and best value acca too!

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Bet of the Day 

LASK Linz or draw double chance vs Celtic @ 13/10 

Celtic face a tough clash when they welcome LASK Linz to Parkhead for the first leg of this Champions League play-off round tie.

The Bhoys lost in this stage of the competition last season, knocked out by Kairat Almaty, and they will not want to suffer the same fate this time around.

Martin O’Neill’s side have made a solid start to the new campaign, beating Dundee and Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership before overcoming Dundee United in the Scottish League Cup on Saturday.

However, the visit of LASK will be a step up and the Austrian Bundesliga champions will fancy their chances of taking a positive result into the return leg.

LASK have won all four matches this season, scoring 16 goals and conceding just one, while they are unbeaten in their last six games away from home.

A trip to Glasgow will be no easy task, but the visitors are in strong form and look capable of getting something from this clash.

Bet Builder

Atletico Madrid to beat Malaga and both teams to score @ 23/10 

Atletico Madrid start their La Liga campaign with a clash against Malaga at the Metropolitano Stadium and this promises to be a high-scoring encounter.

Both teams scored in seven of Atleti’s last 10 La Liga matches in the 2025-26 campaign, while Malaga netted at least once in 13 of their last 14 games as they were promoted from the Segunda Division.

Goals should be no problem when these two lock horns, but Atletico have the greater strength in depth and that should be enough to see them start off with a victory.

Diego Simeone’s side won 15 of their 19 home La Liga matches last season, with their tally of 46 points bettered by Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Longshot acca of the day

Slovan Bratislava to beat NK Celje, Bodo/Glimt to beat NEC Nijmegen & over 2.5 goals in Hapoel Beer Sheva vs Sabah FC treble @ 29/4

Slovan Bratislava are unbeaten in their seven matches this season, winning the last four.  And they can claim the spoils at home in the first leg of their Champions League play-off round tie against Celje, who lost 5-0 the last time they played Slovan in 2024.

Bodo/Glimt were excellent when beating a strong Union Saint-Gilloise side in the previous round of Champions League qualifying, putting up expected goals numbers of 3.71 in their 3-2 second-leg extra-time success.

The Norwegians travel to NEC Nijmegen in the first leg of the play-off round and they look overpriced to come away with the win, especially as the hosts have won just one of their last six home matches in normal time.

Another play-off round first leg will see Sabah travel to Hapoel Be’er Sheva, and this contest should be full of goals.

There have been over 2.5 goals in two of Sabah’s last three matches and in three of Hapoel’s six games this season.

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Odds correct at time of publish and subject to change.

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