talkSPORT tips – Best football bets and expert advice on Friday 13 March

Mar 13, 2026 - 08:00

Friday 13th was not particularly unlucky for football punters in February as most of the favourites did the business on this date last month.

Wrexham were one of the few to upset the odds with their FA Cup win over Ipswich and the Red Dragons are in action again this week as they entertain Swansea in an all‑Welsh showdown with Championship play-off implications.

Elsewhere, a La Liga side fighting to halt a winless run and a Marseille team rediscovering their domestic rhythm provide the backdrop to the other standout bets for Friday’s action.

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Friday football tips

Bet of the Day – Alaves Double Chance (Win or Draw) v Villarreal @ 13/20

Alaves may be winless in six, but last Sunday’s performance against Valencia at the Mestalla under new boss Quique Sánchez Flores was far more encouraging than the 3‑2 scoreline suggested.

They led 2‑1 until the 90th minute before a late collapse and now return home, where they have collected 19 of their 27 points.

Villarreal’s away form, meanwhile, remains too hit and miss for them to be trusted at a shade above evens in the match betting.

The Yellow Submarine have won only two of their last nine matches on the road in regulation time and have failed to win any of their last four visits to Mendizorroza, being sunk in three.

Given Alaves’ improved structure under Sanchez Flores and the prospect of a new coach bounce at home, alongside Villarreal’s inconsistency on the road, a Double Chance bet of Alaves or Draw looks the value play.

Special of the Day – Wrexham to win and Both Teams to Score @ 18/5 BOOSTED to 19/5

This all‑Welsh clash arrives at a pivotal moment for both clubs and should be a cracker.

Wrexham’s heroic FA Cup effort against Chelsea came at a cost, with Phil Parkinson’s side forced into another high‑intensity match just three days later.

Their subsequent 2‑1 home defeat to Hull exposed the fatigue and defensive looseness that has crept into their form and they have now lost three of their last six Championship fixtures at the Racecourse.

Swansea, meanwhile, have surged back into play-off contention under Vitor Matos, who has overseen 11 wins in 22 matches.

The Swans have collected the same number of points as Wrexham since the Portuguese tactician’s appointment, with successive victories over Stoke and Portsmouth closing the gap to the Red Dragons to just five points.

Both teams have scored in five of Wrexham’s last six games and the hosts will have to overcome the key absences of the injured Kieffer Moore and suspended George Dobson, but they have enough depth to pull out a much-needed win in a game with goals at both ends.

Longshot of the Day – Igor Paixao Last Goalscorer @ 6/1

Marseille can move three points clear of Lyon in the race for a top-three Ligue 1 finish when they face relegation-threatened Auxerre at the Velodrome.

Habib Beye has overseen a return to winning form with victories against Lyon and Toulouse either side of a cup defeat on penalties.

Igor Paixao has played a prominent role in Marseille’s recovery with two goals and two assists across those three fixtures.

The Brazilian seems to be back in favour now after being regularly benched by Beye’s predecessor, Roberto De Zerbi, not missing a single minute of action since coming off the bench against Lyon.

And, while striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and top scorer Mason Greenwood were both substituted in the second half of last week’s 1-0 win over Toulouse, Paixao finished the full 90 minutes.

He is a value pick to score the last goal in Friday’s clash with Auxerre, who have conceded more goals in the last 15 minutes than any other Ligue 1 club this season.

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