talkSPORT tips – Best football bets and expert advice for Wednesday 21 January

The Champions League takes centre stage on Wednesday evening, with several key matches on Game Week Seven.

There are also three Championship fixtures and a number of National League matches to look forward to on January 21.

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Wednesday’s football betting tips

Bet of the day

Three-Way Handicap: Atalanta -1 @ 9/4

Atalanta have been one of the surprise packages in this season’s Champions League, with the Italian side currently sat fifth in the standings.

Under Raffaele Palladino the Bergamo outfit are really establishing themselves at the top level, both domestically and in Europe.

Atalanta are unbeaten in their last five European matches – four wins and a draw – and can take a big step towards a last-16 place with a win over Athletic Bilbao.

The Spaniards have struggled at Europe’s top table, with just five points from their opening six games leaving them in 28th.

Athletic have scored just three goals across their last four domestic matches and have failed to score in their last three European ties.

Bet Builder of the day

Chelsea to win/Anytime Goalscorer – Cole Palmer/Over 2.5 Cards @ 4/1

A home match with Pafos looks like a must-win for Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea, as they set their sights on finishing in the top-third of the table.

Last month’s defeat at Atalanta left the Blues in 13th, but they now return to Stamford Bridge, where they have won their previous three Champions League games – against Benfica, Ajax and Barcelona.

Cole Palmer has endured a frustrating season to date, mainly due to injury issues, but the England man was on the scoresheet for the first time since mid-December in last Saturday’s win over Brentford.

It’s also worth noting that Chelsea find themselves fifth in the Champions League disciplinary stats, with 14 yellow cards and one red card in their opening six games.

The visitors are also inside the top-15 in the card figures, having collected 11 yellows and two reds to date.

Acca of the day

Barcelona to win/Marseille v Liverpool – Draw/Watford to win @ 7/1

Barcelona head to the Czech Republic in need of a victory, with the Catalan giants currently down in 15th in the Champions League standings.

Hansi Flick’s men suffered a La Liga defeat to Real Sociedad at the weekend and will be determined to bounce back, against a Slavia Prague team that have yet to win in this season’s competition.

Liverpool go to the south of France off the back of four straight Premier League draws and Arne Slot will feel a share of the spoils at Marseille will be a good result.

With Qarabag at home still to come, the Reds will feel four points could be enough to secure them a top-eight finish.

Defeat to Millwall on Saturday dented Watford’s promotion hopes, but they are still just two points outside the Championship top six and have a game on hand on a number of their rivals.

The Hornets are back at Vicarage Road on Wednesday when they host a Portsmouth team who have won just one of their last 10 on the road and that victory was a slender 1-0 success at bottom club Sheffield Wednesday.

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