Expert Jury: Conte a great appointment for Spurs

We asked our top team of writers and a leading odds-compiler for their thoughts on this week's big talking points and this is how they answered...

What is your best football bet this weekend?

Racing Post's James Milton: The evens about both teams scoring in Crystal Palace's home game against Wolves is a tempting bet given the confidence levels in both camps.

Palace won 2-0 at Manchester City last weekend, after a run of five score draws in their previous seven games, and Wolves have hit their straps under Bruno Lage with five victories in their last seven outings.

Racing Post's Liam Flin: Borussia Dortmund look overpriced at around 14-5 to defeat Leipzig this weekend.

Leipzig have won only two of their last six games in all competitions - and those victories were against Greuther Furth and Babelsburg - while Dortmund look serious Bundesliga title contenders with eight wins from ten matches.

Racing Post's Steve Davies: I'm all over Swindon at Crewe in the FA Cup. Yes, there's notionally a division between these two but there really isn't. The Robins are flying at the top of League Two and are unbeaten on the road.

Crewe have won only one of their last ten and that was a Football League Trophy game. They were really poor in a 1-1 with Doncaster on Tuesday and have several injuries.

bet365's odds-compiler Steve Freeth: Even when Birmingham were struggling for points and goals you sensed that a winning run was just around the corner and the Small Heath side can continue their fine form by making it four on the bounce against an out-of-sorts Reading side who look in trouble.

Who are the most vulnerable favourites?

James Milton: Bournemouth's unbeaten start to the Championship season came to an end on Wednesday as they lost 2-1 at home to Preston and the Cherries may struggle to take maximum points off Swansea.

The Swans have won four of their last five matches, beating highflying West Brom and Coventry during that run and thumping Welsh rivals Cardiff 3-0.

Liam Flin: It is always a bold move to say Bayern Munich are vulnerable favourites when playing at home in the Bundesliga but they must be wary of Freiburg this weekend.

Only last week Bayern were battered 5-0 by Gladbach in the DFB Pokal and Freiburg, who are the only unbeaten team in this season's Bundesliga, will also be tricky opponents.

Steve Davies: Morecambe are short enough at home to Newport in another game where League Two can eclipse League One. The Shrimps' winless run was extended to seven matches on Tuesday when they lost 2-0 at home to Cambridge and after a promising start they are right in the relegation mix.

County, meanwhile, have been reborn under new boss James Rowberry and can continue their good form with a win.

Steve Freeth: West Brom may have the best home record in the Championship but I’m happy to swerve them when Neil Warnock comes to the Hawthorns. His Middlesbrough side have only been behind once at the break this season and they could profit from frustrating both the Baggies and the fans, who are yet to be convinced by the new manager.

Where is the value in the Manchester derby?

James Milton: Manchester United needed yet another comeback to salvage a 2-2 draw at Atalanta in the Champions League on Tuesday and their habit of starting games slowly means the City-City double result is a big runner.

United have conceded the first goal in five of their last six home matches and Raphael Varane's injury is a big blow to their chances of frustrating the champions.

Liam Flin: Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals looks a decent bet at a shade of odds-on.

Man City have netted at least four goals in three of their last five games while Man United have seen over 2.5 goals in each of their last five games.

Steve Davies: Over 2.5 goals. I just don't see United defensively being competent enough, able enough or well enough organised to be able to repel City.

Equally, with City effectively the home team because they'll be bossing the ball, I can see United enjoying a fair few free hits of their own on the counter, just as Crystal Palace did successfully against Pep's troops last weekend.

Steve Freeth: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a decent record against Pep and as we wait for injury news, the United manager could revert to a more defensive setup with the pressure on against Manchester City.

With that in mind, under 2.5 goals, which has copped in the last five Manchester derbies, appeals at odds-against.

What do you make of Antonio Conte's appointment at Spurs?

James Milton: Tottenham appear to have pulled a rabbit out of the hat when you consider the grim mood at the club after last weekend's defeat to Manchester United.

Conte is clearly a top-class coach but one major concern is that this will be his ninth managerial job in 14 years and turning around Spurs's fortunes looks like a long-term project given the quality at the top of the Premier League.

Liam Flin: Expectations will be higher now Conte is in the dugout and he is an excellent appointment by Spurs for now.

That said, someone like Erik ten Haag, if he were available, may have made more sense if the club are after longevity, as Conte doesn't tend to stick around at a club for more than a few seasons.

Steve Davies: I think we have to assume Daniel Levy has promised Antonio Conte a war chest to spend in the summer as long as he sheds a few of the current misfits at the Lane. Surely Conte wouldn't have gone otherwise.

In that case, Conte has until the summer to find his feet with a squad who look held next to their major rivals. So don't expect miracles. But if Spurs aren't in the Champions League next season, will Conte stay interested? It's a curious one.

Steve Freeth: An upgrade. As good as a job as Nuno did at Wolves, especially in the first two seasons, it seemed a strange fit with his style of football for a bigger club for a whole host of reasons, especially after the Mourinho experiment. Conte is a winner and that could be bad news for my Arsenal match bet!

Can Eddie Howe keep Newcastle up?

James Milton: It's no certainty as Newcastle have just four points from ten games and face a brutal run of fixtures before the January transfer window.

Even if they do bolster the squad in the new year, Howe was obviously not their first choice as manager and his record at Bournemouth suggests he will struggle to improve a defence conceding 2.3 goals per game.

Liam Flin: The mood around St James' Park has been one of the biggest factors in Newcastle's struggles and with Howe in the dugout, that should improve.

With Allan Saint-Maximin, Callum Wilson and Joe Willock in their ranks, they have a good enough squad to stay afloat but narrow survival could be as good as it gets in the short term.

Steve Davies: He's not quite the box-office signing Toon fans would have had in mind though he will change the way they play. Of course he can keep them up because the bottom half of the Premier League is saturated with average teams, several of whom could perish this season.

However, he's got a job on because this is a porous side, short of quality in key areas and seemingly reliant on Callum Wilson's goals. It'll go to the wire is my best guess.

Steve Freeth: Yes. He’ll need to hit the ground running though in the forthcoming home games against Brentford, Norwich and Burnley or he could have another relegation on his CV with a tricky-looking set of fixtures around Christmas before he can go shopping.

I can’t blame him for taking the job because you’re soon forgotten in this game and all in all he did a decent job at Bournemouth. He’ll certainly be under more scrutiny on Tyneside.

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