Deck The Halls...

Last weekend made it four from four profitable weekends in a row now for everyone, and has hopefully left you all with a nice bit extra for the Xmas break. This is the last weekend for a while where all the leagues we cover are running as most barring England have a winter break before returning in the new year. Due to it being the festive period there will be a possibility that I do not have time to complete another full column so keep an eye on @TopTopTips on the Twitter for all your betting needs!

Week 18

Liverpool v Aston Villa - Win 2.58 points.

Norwich v Wigan - Win 2.6 points.

Mallorca v Athletic Bilbao - Lose 2 points.

Chievo v Roma - Win 1.94 points.

Wolfsburg v Eintracht Frankfurt - Win 1.98 points.

Werder Bremen v Nurnberg - Lose 2 points.

Eskisehirspor v Bursaspor - Lose 2 points.

Galatasaray v Fenerbahce - Win 2.1 points.

Total - Win 5.2 points.

Running Total - Up 12.65 points.

As it's the season, we'll listen to The Ramones with Merry Christmas (I don't want to fight tonight).

West Bromwich Albion v Norwich City, Saturday 1500

I was following West Brom after their brilliant start to the season and have since actually moved towards their opponents when betting. Steve Clarke has done an excellent job after taking over as manager at The Hawthorns in the summer, but of late the goals have dried up and his side are struggling a bit. They are not getting blown away by sides, Clarke's reputation as a master defensive coach will not be for nothing, but with all their strikers out of form they are not getting any results. They do have a small squad by Premier League standards and the fatigue that may set in as most of their players were regulars all of last season too could be the issue. They have only conceded six in eight home matches, but whilst they look so poor in front of goal it is hard to see their odds as representative.

Norwich had an awful start to the season, but are now on the longest unbeaten run in Europe's top divisions except for the might of Barcelona. Whereas Steve Clarke looked a shoe-in for manager of the season a month ago with West Brom hovering around the Champions League spots, Norwich would actually overtake their hosts in the table with a victory. Norwich's turnaround is not exactly rocket science, they have settled new players into the side and improved in every area. A leaky defence due to both centre halves being new has now turned into one of the most solid looking in the league. The midfield has looked solid with Alexander Tettey an added physical presence, Wes Hoolahan providing flair and incisiveness and Anthony Pilkington looking a danger every match from wide. Grant Holt also discovering his form of the past few seasons, if not as prolific, has also aided their recover no end.

Lay West Bromwich Albion at 2.02 on Betfair. 2 points.

Southampton v Sunderland, Saturday 1500

This match is not that different to the first pick for me, with one side's form receding as the others picks up. Neither of these sides has hit the heights of form that West Brom or Norwich have, but they have changed nevertheless. Southampton started the season looking every a inch a promoted side well out of their depth. The defence in particular looked absolutely dreadful and it was tough to see how they could avoid relegation. To the manager Nigel Adkins credit they have turned it round to the extent that they now have a fighting chance of escaping. With a truly horrendous away record this is almost exclusively down to a home record that has seen them win three and draw three of nine. This being said I still think that with the exception of Gaston Ramirez and possibly Adam Lallana they are still a side that belongs in the second tier and look very short for the win to me.

Sunderland are slowly picking up again after a terrible run once the initial effect of Martin O'Neill's appointment wore off last season. The Northern Irishman is known as a master motivator and it seemed that just his being around was getting hugely increased performances out of his players. Unfortunately my opinion is that he is tactically behind the times and limited as well as having a very closed minded approach to new signings. He plays a very defensive style of football which does help them become tough to beat, but at home it leaves the fans feeling short changed and this feeds into the players. The only major signing was Steven Fletcher in the summer and whilst he has impressed even when other have not, O'Neill's seeming refusal to scout further afield than Scotland leaves me with the impression he's missing out. All this being said, against a Southampton side that look a bit green O'Neill should fancy his sides chances of escaping with at least a point and I would agree.

Lay Southampton at 2.05 on Betfair. 2 points.

Malaga v Real Madrid, Saturday 1900

I've not layed Real Madrid often enough this season I don't think. Regular watchers have reported a severe drop off in performance levels in the league in general and particularly away from home. Mourinho all but admitted he could not guide his side to the league title this season last weekend to much disgust in the ever important local press. I would imagine the three year curse is in again and would expect him to leave as soon as Real leave the Champions League and definitely at seasons end even if they triumph. Away from home they have a record of won four, drawn one and lost three.

Malaga have surprised many observers after selling Santi Cazorla and seeing the Dubai funds dry up by staying in the hunt for Champions League qualification again as well as qualifying top of their Champions League group ahead of AC Milan and the highly fancied Zenit St Petersburg. This is to experienced manager Manuel Pellegrini's credit as he has promoted youngster Isco to the side and has seen the talented attacking midfielder repay him with numerous match winning performances. They have a home record of won five, drawn one and lost only two. They look a shade overpriced when looking at the teams respective performances.

Lay Real Madrid at 1.62 on Betfair. 2 points.

Atalanta v Udinese, Saturday 1400

This is another pick basically due to home and away form of the sides. Atalanta have been excellent at home this year and a record of won five and lost three so far. They have only scored ten goals in those matches and conceded eleven, but if you remove the strange thrashing they took by Torino at home in a 5-1 defeat then the record looks much better. They rely upon a strong defence and midfield that works very hard to help out and then an attack which takes a good percentage of the few chances created. This might not work in many other leagues, but in the notoriously defensive Serie A it is good enough for a solid mid-table finish.

Udinese look like they may finally be suffering for selling off their best players every summer and relying on the goals of ageing hitman Antonion Di Natale. They do have a brilliant scouting network in South America and Africa which will no doubt turn out some more gems, but at present they are not as strong as they have been. They are nowhere near relegation, but the last two seasons title pushes look a long way off now. They've drawn eight matches so far this season of seventeen, with an even spread between home and away. They've only won two away however comma and have also conceded fourteen in only nine matches. I couldn't back them in this one.

Back Atalanta at 2.25 with Boylesports. 2 points.

German Bundesliga all done until January 2013.

Kasimpasa v Istanbul BB, Saturday 1300

Kasimpasa started off the season in the Super Lig brilliantly after promotion over the summer. This has now inevitably tailed off though and the more experienced sides have settled in above them. Kasimpasa went for a transfer approach which saw them buying up numerous players with top level experience in Turkey rather than trusting in the players that brought them up and you would have to say it has been a success with them comfortably in the top half of the table. Their home matches have also produced a lot of goals by the countries standards with fourteen four and ten against. They give and take on the tactics front and a record with four draws, three wins and a sole defeat doesn't quite do that justice. It just shows that their approach of scoring more than the opposition has worked, but I think they've been fortunate so far too.

Istanbul BB have upset the tactical cart in Turkey along with Mersin Idman Yurdu by having the temerity to play for wins away from home. This has only previously been the reserve of the big Istanbul clubs and has not been taken into account in some of the odds as I see it. They've not conceded as many as some away from home, but have had a tendency to let them in when sides come at them as Kasimpasa are likely too. I think they'll either be good for a goal at least themselves or have an off day and take a thrashing so I think goals is the bet here.

Back Over 2.5 Goals at 2.05 with William Hill. 2 points.

Trabzonspor v Galatasaray, Sunday 1700

It's two weekends in a row now that Galatasaray have huge matches. This weekend sees them travelling to a Trabzonspor side who are having a mixed season in the absence of key man Burak Yilmaz. Yilmaz departed for Gala over the summer and with him responsible for over half of the sides goals last season they have had to change tactics considerably to replace his goals. They have scored the least goals of any side in the top half of the Super Lig table to show that they have not quite worked it out yet. They do have a decent record at home so far with four wins, two draws and two defeats, but it's not enough for them to push for a European spot. The two home matches I would class as tough they have faced so far against Eskisehirspor and Bursaspor have both seen them defeated too.

Galatasaray emerged from last weeks Istanbul derby with Fenerbahce with a 2-1 win and will go into the month long winter break at the top of the Super Lig and well on course to retain their title. They have not always fared well in the derby matches either so will take great confidence from that win and would probably not have welcomed the break with a chance to push on and pull further clear. They have an away record of won four, drawn three and only lost once. There has been the odd strange result for them so far, but these should be discarded as anomolies for me, they're by far the best side in Turkey. They have every chance of beating a Trabzon side who look poorer than at any time in a number of years.

Back Galatasaray at 2.3 with BetVictor. 2 points.