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JIMMY TO HASSLE BASEL
By Andy Schooler of Bettingzone.co.uk
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Mark Viduka look to be the men to follow in Thursday night's UEFA Cup tie between FC Basle and Middlesbrough.
The strike pair have hit a hot streak of late and will provide the biggest threat to a Basle defence which has been far from watertight in this season's competition.
After bagging two in the weekend win against Bolton, Hasselbaink now has eleven goals in fifteen games in 2006, including two in the UEFA Cup.
The Dutchman appears to have regained his appetite for the game - does the fact he's out of contract in the summer have something to do with it? - and is almost certain to start in Switzerland.
Boro have grabbed vital away goals in their last two ties and at 7/4, Hasselbaink looks a decent bet to find the target here.
However, with Basle doubtless looking to keep things tight, a better way to go looks to back him each-way in the first goalscorer market.
Paddy Power's terms are a third of the odds for the first three goals and JFB is on offer at 13/2. A third of that is just over 2/1.
Viduka is less likely to start - the out-of-sorts Yakubu has been first choice with Steve McClaren - but those prepared to wait for the teams should be interested in the 2/1 currently available on his scoring at any time.
The Australian is notoriously lazy, but he's cast that tag to one side in recent weeks and has shown some of the sublime skill which has seen him become the subject of big-money moves in the past.
That form has reaped four goals in his last six games and so 2/1 could be value if he's named in the starting XI. Again, withe more than three goals being unlikely, take Paddy Power's each-way quote.
Boro are 21/10 to win on the night and that will tempt some given their results in the UEFA Cup so far this season - they've won away to both Stuttgart and Basle's fellow Swiss side Grasshoppers already.
However, they arrive here without their preferred midfield partnership of George Boateng and Lee Cattermole, while Gareth Southgate's absence at the back must be of concern to potential backers.
Also, Basle, top of the Swiss League, are unbeaten in eleven games and have won both their previous knockout ties at the St Jakob Stadium, even though the opposition has been no better than average in French leaguers Monaco and Strasbourg.
At this stage the 4/9 on Boro reaching the semis also looks a bet to swerve and our advice is to stick with the scorers bets.
There also look plenty of betting opportunities in the other quarter-final first leg ties.
There should be quite an atmosphere in the Romanian captial of Bucharest where city rivals Rapid and Steaua face off.
The stats favour hosts Rapid who have a remarkable record at the Giulesti Stadium in this season's competition.
They've played eight home ties to reach this stage and have won them all, scoring 16 times and conceding not one.
Feyenoord, Hertha Berlin and Hamburg - the latter two both in the top five of the Bundesliga - are among their victims which makes the 7/5 available look tempting.
However, a city derby such as this is always likely to be closely contested and Steaua are actually six points better off in the Romanian League, but another fact in the hosts' favour is that Steaua have not beaten their rivals since April 2003.
A closer examination shows there have been four draws and a Rapid win since. The draw can be backed at 9/4.
In nearby Bulgaria, Levski Sofia entertain cup favourites Schalke and it may not be all plain sailing for the Germans.
Like Rapid, table-topping Levski have a 100 per cent home record in the UEFA Cup this season with the likes of Auxerre, Marseille and Udinese among their victims.
They have also lost just once in their last eight games - that in the domestic cup - and could be worth a play on the Asian handicaps.
With Schalke unbeaten at home this season in all competitions, the Germans would probably be happy with a draw if it were offered here, while Levski will know they really need to win this game.
In the last round Schalke lost away to mid-table Serie A side Palermo before recovering the tie in Gelsenkirchen.
We suggest you back the hosts at 4/5 (+0.25).
Finally Sevilla are fancied to see off Zenit St Petersburg, but again they are unlikely to have things all their own way.
The Spanish side may have one eye on the weekend's derby clash with Real Betis - one of Europe's fiercest - and they also have two players suspended and a lengthy injury list to contend with.
Zenit have lost only one of their 12 UEFA ties this term, that coming at Bolton's Reebok Stadium in what were very difficult weather conditions.
They still tried, and succeeded, in playing some good football in that match and it is a policy which has seen them win away games against both Rosenborg and Marseille in the knockout stages of this competition so far.
They are 9/2 to repeat the feat here, but again the handicaps look the way to go.
Zenit are 21/20 (+0.75) so a draw (or win) for them will pay out. A one-goal win for Sevilla will see half your stake returned.
It is worth noting the action gets under way at 1800BST, the game in Sofia being the first to kick off.
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