talkSPORT tips – Best football bets and expert advice on Wednesday 18 February

It’s another busy week of fixtures and Wednesday sees action in the Champions League and Premier League, while there is also a Serie A match taking place and Football League clashes in Leagues One and Two.

Newcastle travel to Baku in Azerbaijan to take on Qarabag in the Champions League play-offs, while Premier League leaders Arsenal travel to bottom club Wolves.

Elsewhere, Grimsby Town host Walsall in League Two and over in Italy AC Milan take on Como in Serie A.

Below we have picked out the best bets from Wednesday’s packed schedule across England and the continent.

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Wednesday football tips

Bet of the day

Bet of the day: Newcastle to beat Qarabag and both teams to score @ 2/1

Newcastle finished 12th in the Champions League league phase standings, missing out on an automatic last-16 place by two points.

The Magpies did progress to the play-offs though and now come up against Azerbaijani champions Qarabag in a two-legged tie with the first clash taking place in Baku.

Eddie Howe’s men have struggled for consistency this season but fly out having won their last two matches including an impressive 3-1 victory over Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Sunday.

Newcastle should have enough quality to beat Qarabag though it won’t be a walk in the park.

Gurban Gurbanov’s men may have lost 6-0 on Matchday 8 against Liverpool at Anfield, but they did beat Benfica and Eintracht Frankfurt, while also drawing with Chelsea, on the way to progressing.

What’s important to note is that Qarabag scored 13 goals in the league phase, finding the net in six of their matches and so backing both teams to score when they face Newcastle could prove a smart choice.

Special of the day: Acca – Arsenal to beat Wolves, Grimsby to beat Walsall and Milan to beat Como @ 437/100

Arsenal travel to Molineux to face bottom club Wolves on Wednesday in a rearranged fixture that has been brought forward after the Gunners reached next month’s Carabao Cup final.

At the top of the Premier League and hunting a first title since 2004, the Gunners will be determined to add another three points to their tally against a Wolves side who have won just one league game this campaign.

In League Two, Grimsby narrowly lost to Wolves in the FA Cup on Sunday, but had gone 10 games unbeaten before that and now take on a Walsall team who have won just once in 2026, picking up only three points in their last five matches.

With home advantage, the Mariners should be capable of another victory at Blundell Park.

Over in Italy, AC Milan have the chance to close the gap on Serie A leaders Inter and strengthen their grip on second place when they host Como at the San Siro.

Massimiliano Allegri’s side are unbeaten in nine games. Winning six of those matches, the run included a 3-1 away victory against Cesc Fabregas’ side in January.

Despite sitting seventh and holding their own in Italy’s top division, Como head into the match having lost at home to Fiorentina on Saturday.

Long shot of the day: Bodo/Glimt to beat Inter Milan 2-1 @ 12/1

On paper, Inter Milan facing Bodo/Glimt looks like a victory for the Italian giants but that’s far from a certainty this season.

The Norwegian side finished 23rd in the Champions League standings, having won twice and drawn three to progress with nine points from eight games. 

Holding Tottenham and Borussia Dortmund, Bodo/Glimt then beat Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at home before claiming an incredible 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid in the Spanish capital.

While Inter are favourites to progress over two legs, Bodo/Glimt certainly have what it takes to give the Serie A leaders a real challenge and claim a victory in the first leg.

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