Football Multi Bet: $12.44 Tip for Friday

Two Europa League semi-final first legs fall on Friday morning NZT, and I’ve doubled up on one of them for this football multi bet. Forest vs Villa has draw written all over it for me, so I’m taking two angles on that tie before tacking on a Braga leg from the other. Combined odds on NZ betting sites are a tick over $12, which I’ll take for a 7am alarm.

Friday May 1, 7:00am NZT, City Ground

These sides drew 1-1 at this same ground earlier this month in the Premier League. Villa had 59% possession that day and got a Murillo own goal for their trouble, before Neco Williams drilled a low shot from outside the box past Marco Bizot just before the break. I can see another tight one.

Forest are unbeaten in their last eight across all competitions. Their 5-0 win at Sunderland on Friday was their biggest top-flight away result since 1995, and Morgan Gibbs-White is in the form of his career with five goals in his last three Forest appearances. Villa are the better squad on paper but lost 1-0 at Fulham on Saturday and now look short defensively with Boubacar Kamara out long-term and Amadou Onana doubtful.

Forest are also patched up at the back though. Murillo misses the first leg with a hamstring injury, while Callum Hudson-Odoi is out injured. Jair Cunha is also a serious doubt after going off against Sunderland. 

Both teams have scored in the last five meetings between these clubs, and that’s why BTTS pairs so neatly with a draw on football betting sites for this fixture.

Friday May 1, 7:00am NZT, Estadio Municipal de Braga

A first-ever meeting between these two, and Braga’s home form is what swings me onto them. They drew 1-1 with Real Betis in Portugal in the quarter-final first leg, then went 2-0 down at La Cartuja before pulling off a 4-2 win to advance 5-3 on aggregate. That’s exactly the resilience I want backing on home soil.

Freiburg are in their first European semi-final ever. They arrive after a 4-0 hammering at Dortmund and an extra-time DFB Cup semi-final loss to Stuttgart last week. Vincenzo Grifo will create chances, but Ricardo Horta has 158 career goals for Braga, a club record, and I think his quality at home proves the difference.

Braga at $2.40 is the value play to round out this multi on the best legal betting sites.