Cumbrians to Enjoy Themselves Beside the Seaside

An English Premier League side five years ago, Blackpool is in England’s fourth tier now and one is betting that the Tangerines will have another bad day this weekend.

Blackpool fans are boycotting Tangerines matches but their request for Carlisle supporters not to attend Saturday’s English League Two game at Bloomfield Road is falling on deaf ears. Carlisle fans do not have the pleasure of many short trips to away matches and most supporters of English teams love visiting Blackpool because it is a seaside town. So there is likely to be many more Carlisle supporters at Bloomfield Road than those of Blackpool, turning the English League Two game into a home match for the Cumbrians.

Seven rounds into the English League Two season and Carlisle is ninth on the ladder, three points and six rungs ahead of Blackpool. Carlisle is English League Two’s only remaining unbeaten side and its results have included a 1-0 home win over pacesetting Plymouth and a 1-1 away draw against second-ranked championship favourite Portsmouth.

Blackpool finished last term’s English League One program in dismal fashion, losing four of its last five games. This season Blackpool kicked off its English League Two campaign with a 2-0 home defeat of Exeter but the Tangerines have gone 1-2-3 in their subsequent six divisional matches.

There are only bits of English League Two collateral form after seven rounds but there are enough to rate Carlisle higher than Blackpool. Both Carlisle and Blackpool have tackled Barnet and Plymouth in English League Two action – the Cumbrians won 1-0 at the Bees and beat the Pilgrims 1-0 at home, whereas the Tangerines drew 1-1 at the Bees and lost 0-1 to the Pilgrims at home. One’s English League Two collateral form analysis combined with the toxic Blackpool atmosphere means that one is keen to bet on Carlisle.

The purpose of this weekly column is to highlight decent wagers at decent odds so, instead of simply backing Carlisle to post an English League Two victory at Blackpool, one is supporting the Cumbrians to win to nil, an option that is available at the juicy odds of 4.75Bet €100 to win €47515/4Bet £100 to win £475+375Bet $100 to win $4753.75Bet HK$100 to win HK$4753.75Bet Rp100 to win Rp475-0.2667Bet RM100 to win RM475  with BoyleSports.

Keith Curle is doing a good job as Carlisle coach. Curle’s managerial record is better than it reads and he has lifted Carlisle off the canvas, transforming the Cumbrians into genuine English League Two promotion contenders. Carlisle has not lost consecutive English League Two games since February 2015, a statistic that is testament to Curle’s positive influence. Curle, who played for England in central defence in the 1990’s, has made Carlisle difficult to break down without blunting its attack – the Cumbrians have hit the back of the net in each of their last eight English League Two matches across the summer break in terms.

It is one thing to have empathy for Blackpool fans and the state of their beloved club that was, not all that long ago, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United. It is quite another to bet on Blackpool given its on- and off-field issues, especially when a team with Carlisle’s numbers rocks up with so many supporters.

Tips Summary

Carlisle to beat Blackpool to Nil
Saturday 17th September, 15:00 GMT
Odds: 4.75Bet €100 to win €47515/4Bet £100 to win £475+375Bet $100 to win $4753.75Bet HK$100 to win HK$4753.75Bet Rp100 to win Rp475-0.2667Bet RM100 to win RM475