talkSPORT tips – Best football bets and expert advice on Thursday 9 April

It’s a huge night of European football with Europa and Conference taking place across the continent and we have a trio of wagers which make up our best bets of the day.

GET £40 IN FREE BETS WHEN YOU BET ON THE FOOTBALL WITH talkSPORT BET

Thursday football tips

Bet of the Day

Bologna to beat Aston Villa @ 19/10

Unai Emery deserves plenty of credit for his achievements at Aston Villa and his side are still on track for a place in next season’s Champions League via their Premier League position.

However, Villa’s results have been hugely outstripping their performances and Emery’s men are down in 13th place on the expected goal difference measure this season.

The Villans have regressed to win only four of their last 11 matches and, while two of those victories came against Lille in the previous round of the Europa League, Villa scored three goals from only four shots on target across the two games of that tie.

Bologna got past Serie A rivals Roma at the last-16 stage of this competition and the Red and Blues were the better side in each of the two legs of that tie.

Vincenzo Italiano’s men have lost just two of their previous 12 matches in all competitions and Bologna were only beaten 1-0 at Villa Park in the league phase of the Europa League earlier in the campaign, in a contest in which the Red and Blues won the shot count 17-12.

At 19/10 Bologna are fancied to secure a first-leg advantage at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara.

Special of the Day

Crystal Palace to win to nil @ 9/5

Fiorentina eased their Serie A relegation fears with a 1-0 victory over Verona on Saturday, but that was not a convincing performance.

La Viola lost the shot count 21-5 in that narrow 1-0 Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi success and it would be unwise to get carried away by La Viola’s recent uplift.

Crystal Palace’s season was derailed by the announcement that manager Oliver Glasner will be leaving at the end of the season, but the Eagles are now back on track.

The south Londoners have lost only one of their last eight games and the rock-solid Palace defence has conceded just five goals on that good run.

The Eagles look to have a real shot of Conference League glory this term and they are likely to be extremely tough to beat at Selhurst Park.

Longshot of the Day

Rayo Vallecano, FC Porto, Celta Vigo treble @ 21/2

Rayo Vallecano have lost only two of their last 10 games, a run which includes victory over Atletico Madrid and a 3-1 success against Samsunspor in the first-leg of their last-16 Conference League tie. The Red Sashes should see off AEK Athens.

FC Porto have been beaten just twice in their last 24 matches and Stuttgart were crushed 4-1 on aggregate in the previous round of the Europa League.

The Dragons should be too strong for Nottingham Forest, who have eyes on their Premier League relegation fight.

Freiburg were run hard in a 3-2 loss to Bayern Munich on Saturday and the German side could still be feeling that effects of that contest against Celta Vigo.

Celta have lost only four of their last 22 games in 90 minutes and the Sky Blues impressed when beating Valencia 3-2 at the weekend.

GET £40 IN FREE BETS WHEN YOU BET ON THE FOOTBALL WITH talkSPORT BET

Odds correct at time of publish and subject to change*

18+ New customers only. Opt in and bet £10 via mobile web on any football (odds 1/1+) within 7 days of registration. Get 4x£10 in Free Bets for set football markets, which expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• GamCare – www.gamcare.org.uk
• Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org