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Premier League Betting Preview: This Weekend’s Top 5 Bets

  By O-Posts Team | December 29, 2012 - 14:51 | , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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On Boxing Day, Stoke City produced one of the performances of not just that day, but in my opinion the entire Premier League season, in order to come back from going behind after the best part of 90 seconds to defeat Liverpool 3-1 at a raucous Britannia Stadium.

The Potters belied their somewhat harsh attribution as a primitive route one football team by beasting the Merseyside club with a skilful, physical, and technically adept performance, backed by a passionate crowd in a white-hot night atmosphere. Ignore the naysayers – Stoke can play football. Expect them to play some more winning football against Southampton today.

The Saints have only scored one goal from open play this month and will find it extra difficult to break down the Premier League’s meanest defence without talisman Adam Lallana. Stoke to win two-nil.

Both teams have scored in 16 of Everton’s 19 Premier League matches this season, and with Chelsea coming to Goodison on Sunday expect that particular bet to oblige again. Yes, the London Blues have kept clean sheets in their last two matches, but they were against relative goalscoring lightweights in Aston Villa and Norwich.

The Mersey Blues have notched in every game bar one in 2012/13, and can sufficiently trouble a defence that is missing their organiser-in-chief in John Terry, but is better for having David Luiz moved to midfield. By 5pm this evening, perhaps the only bunch of London-based professionals who would be thankful for the Boxing Day tube strike may well be the motley bunch at West Ham United.

Well-rested after the postponement of their London derby against Arsenal which was originally scheduled for what is known in my household as ‘cold turkey day’, the Hammers can overcome the Royals at the Madjeski today.

The other beneficiary of crucial unplanned rest during this hectic period of games may well be the Gunners, who take on Newcastle in the evening kick-off tonight. The Geordies have probably the toughest festive fixture line-up of any Premier League side, with long tough trips to Old Trafford and the Emirates whilst many clubs have either home fixtures or local derbies with little travelling time. They finish off against Everton on Wednesday.

What may be forgotten in the midst of the Sir Alex Ferguson refereeing controversy is that Newcastle ran Man United so close before succumbing at the last, and Alan Pardew’s depleted squad may well be feeling that expansive yet fruitless effort come late on at the Emirates. The fresh Gunners can make hay, especially Theo Walcott with his pace and his new centre forward position.

After heavy defeats to Chelsea and Tottenham, I see that a couple of bookmakers have made Wigan favourites to defeat Aston Villa at Villa Park today. Absolute nonsense. Yes, Paul Lambert’s young side got taught lessons by two of the Premier League best and in-form clubs, but you simply won’t face a rampant Bale or a Lampard and Luiz masterclass every week.

Wigan, who can be currently found in the relegation zone, are in no great form themselves having lost three on the trot and five out of the last six. Only West Ham have scored fewer away goals (although that may change by the time they’re done with Reading today) and let’s not forget, Villa’s three home defeats have come at the hands of top five sides in Man United, Spurs and Everton.

Against sides of Wigan’s quality, Benteke, Agbonlahor and the young guns can make hay and the Villains can be backed to return to form at a ridiculously generous price this afternoon.

TOP FIVE TIPS

1) Stoke to beat Southampton to nil 23/10 CORAL
2) Everton vs Chelsea Both teams to score 4/6 LADBROKES
3) West Ham 0 Asian Handicap 88/100 LADBROKES (Stakes returned if match is drawn)
4) Arsenal vs. Newcastle Walcott to score anytime 11/8 BETVICTOR
5) Aston Villa to beat Wigan 9/5 WILLIAM HILL

Elsewhere, in the early kick-off today the Gareth Bale rolls up at the Stadium of Light as a rejuvenated Sunderland entertain Spurs. I don’t think either side would turn their nose up at a point apiece from that encounter.

A Michu-less Swansea are hosted by Fulham later in the afternoon, and while one club are missing their lead scorer, the other club’s leading marksman is adamant that his team-mates should ‘keep calm and pass him the ball’. If they take that advice then Dimitar Berbatov may well be inspiring his team to a much-needed victory today.

The Manchester clubs continue their title chase ding-dong today, with United hosting West Brom and champions City going to Norwich. Roberto Mancini’s men go to Carrow Road knowing they cannot afford to lose and see their neighbours win as per the events of Boxing Day, otherwise the gap in points between the two will increase to double figures. Expect the top two sides to utilise their massive squads to good effect today.

Finally, bottom club QPR take on Liverpool at Loftus Road in the Sunday evening match, a match which Harry Redknapp must be targeting three points from. Liverpool need to show more fight than they did at the Britannia in order to deter Harry’s boys.

 

Written by Emelie Okeke

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Premier League Betting Preview: The Weekend’s Top 5 Tips

  By O-Posts Team | December 22, 2012 - 14:13 | , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Right, we all have shopping to do, the weather’s atrocious, and you’re probably still recovering from that excuse of a ‘work Christmas party’, so let’s make this short, snappy and concise. Kind of.

Congratulations to QPR for deciding last weekend to win a game the one week where I dont back them to win a game. Now that the Hoops’ highly-re-numerated players have remembered how good getting on a Saturday can feel, I reckon they can get a head of steam behind them, with Harry Redknapp as the ringleader and Adel Taarabt the fruitcake in this West London tea party.

However it only seems that they win matches when I don’t back them, so let’s all pretend we’re backing Newcastle (QPR on the handicap really, but keep it hush hush).

Three points for the Rangers last week pushed beleaguered Reading down to rock bottom in the Premier League table, a spot that was consolidated on Monday night when Arsenal did to them what turkeys up and down the country will experience early next week.

The Royals can expect another roasting when they travel to the Etihad to face a Manchester City side who appear to have been jolted back into life by their chastening derby day experience. The Citizens can follow up their impressive dismantling of Newcastle from last week by dominating Reading in both halves.

Thanks must be sent out to the Racing Post to alerting me to the statistic that both teams have scored in Everton’s last twelve Premier League matches. This means two things 1) They can score against pretty much anyone 2) They can concede against pretty much anyone. With their leading goalscorer and attacking focal point Marouane Fellaini suspended, one suspects that one side of this double-sided guarantee could be broken this weekend.

West Ham’s robust defence kept an honourable clean sheet at the Hawthorns last week, and they have the armoury to hurt an Everton side for whom Tim Howard is having probably his worst season in goal since joining the club.

In the Saturday night match, Fulham travel to Liverpool, and are simply too big a price to defeat a side who are only one place above them in the table and have only been victorious five times at Anfield in the league for the whole of 2012. Dimitar Berbatov has an excellent scoring record against the Reds and may well just be a thorn in the Merseyside yet again this evening.

Travelling back down South to complete the tips quintet, and Sunderland are simply too big a price to ignore away to the Saints. Yes, they are only one place above Southampton, and have only one once away this season, but in Adam Johnson, Stephane Sessegnon and – fitness permitting – Steven Fletcher, the Black Cats have the ability to really hurt lesser teams on the break.

With captain Adam Lallana out injured, and no momentum to speak of due to a fortnight without matches, it could well be a humbling day at St. Mary’s for the hosts.

 

Top Five Tips

1) Man City to win both halves against Reading 10/11 PADDY POWER

2) Liverpool vs. Fulham Dimitar Berbatov Anytime Goalscorer 3/1 BET365

3) Sunderland to beat Southampton 29/9 PINNACLEBET

4) West Ham to beat Everton to nil 4/1 LADBROKES

5) QPR +0.5 Asian Handicap 13/15 PINNACLEBET

 

Elsewhere in the Premier League this weekend, it should be a Successful Super Sunday for the big guns as Chelsea should enjoy three points against a young Aston Villa side that have performed admirably recently but for whom the matches may just be catching up, whilst Manchester United can outperform Swansea at the Liberty Stadium.

The Swans can’t seem to impose themselves against strong opposition, as exhibited at White Hart Lane last week, while the league leaders have the big Serbian back the shore up their defence. Allied with a free-scoring front line, that could be an irresistible partnership.

Tottenham, with Gareth Bale back in tow, are getting there with Andre Villas-Boas. Just where they are getting to remains to be seen. A victory against Stoke, whose defence is as mean as they come, would help towards clearing up that mystery.

At the Hawthorns, two over-achievers meet and West Brom may well prevail against a Norwich side that may be missing captain Grant Holt, who is an injury doubt.

Ali Al-Habsi has always been prone to the odd rick, but tends to come good with a number of awe-inspiring saves per game to help out the dodgy defence residing in front of him. The problem for his club Wigan right now is that while the saves are still prevalent, the ricks are increasing, and with Wigan slipping into the relegation quicksand the last thing that Al-Habsi would have wanted is a shot-happy Arsenal side coming to town.

Theo Walcott, relishing his new centre-forward role, must be licking his lips in anticipation.

 

Written by Emelie Okeke

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Premier League Betting Preview: This Week’s Top 5 Bets

  By O-Posts Team | December 15, 2012 - 13:36 | , , , , , , , , , , ,
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I have always maintained belief in my pre-season prediction of Manchester United to win the Premier League, and the Red Devils took a sizable step towards regaining the top-flight crown from their despised neighbours with a dramatic last-minute victory at the Etihad last weekend, courtesy of a sublime deflected Robin van Persie free-kick.

It was the third Premier League match in a row in which United’s winning goal was scored by the coveted Dutchman, and the former Arsenal forward must surely be a shoo-in to retain his PFA Player of the Season award if he carries on this rich vein of form into the business end of the campaign. It may well be worth be backing him to continue business as usual against Sunderland today.

Norwich are in no small part indebted to Paul Lambert for transforming the fortunes of the East Anglia club from League One sleeping giant to Premier League big boys in just three years. He may well deserve the freedom of the city, yet his Aston Villa side were granted the freedom of Carrow Road in their 4-1 Capital One Cup destruction of the Canaries on Tuesday. Disappointing as the defeat may be to Norwich supporters who were dreaming of Wembley, as well as putting one up on the former boss who left them to join the Villains, new broom Chris Hughton won’t be too downhearted and will relish being able to return to league affairs, where his side have been in excellent nick of late.

Nine matches unbeaten, and a sizable seven points away from the drop zone in which today’s opponents Wigan currently reside, the run should continue into the double figures today against a Latics side who remain depleted by key defensive absentees and are beginning to leak goals and lose games at a rate that will surely get Roberto Martinez more twitchy than a lawyer working for the British Comedy Awards’ scriptwriters.

Does Villa’s Carrow Road goal glut suggest a deluge of scoring is imminent for the Midlands club? In short, no. The four that Lambert’s side notched against his old one in 90 minutes on Tuesday is as many as they managed in their previous six Premier League matches put together. With Darren Bent injured, Villa are even more striker-light. They go to Liverpool who themselves have been fairly conservative in their goalscoring antics.

Discounting their uncharacteristic 3-2 victory over West Ham last weekend, the Reds had managed to broach their opponents goal more than once in only one game since the end of October, that being a 3-0 Anfield victory over an ailing Wigan. Villa are made of sterner stuff and even with Luis Suarez back from suspension, goals may be at a premium between these two goal-shy teams. West Brom have lost their last three matches, and have lost a few key players such as Yacob, Ridgewell and Foster to injury. West Ham don’t often lose more than one on the bounce, and Sam Allardyce will have his boys well-drilled for a point at the Hawthorns.

After the ignominy of being held to a draw and having to go through the agony of penalties against an under-performing side which has been in decline for years, Bradford City should be ashamed of their efforts against Arsenal. Jokes aside, the Gunners couldn’t have wished for better opponents than Reading, who have lost five league games in a row and are faced with their own internal issues, not least Danny Guthrie’s refusal to travel to Sunderland in midweek.

Anyone who watched Guthrie in his Newcastle days may well understand why he would be reluctant to go back to the North-East in a hurry. Arsenal should grab three points here despite their obvious problems, with their Tuesday travails not likely to be an advantage for a Royals since they themselves had a long and fruitless journey up North on the same night.

In fact the Capital One Cup match most likely to make a psychological difference is the two sides’ earlier meeting at the Madejeski, where the home team surrendered a four-goal lead and eventually lost 7-5 to Reading. Arsenal should win the second set too.

Incorporate the Gunners with Tottenham in a North London double. The Lilywhites are coming into gear now under the manager known as AVB by many a lazy blogger, and were on course for a fourth successive league victory until Everton did their best Man United impression at Goodison last Sunday. A switch to a cultured variant of 4-4-2 has helped the upturn in fortunes, and the triple threat of Lennon, Defoe and Adebayor may be too much for Swansea.

Even if Bale is not fit to play the side who hail from the land of his fathers, Clint Dempsey is experiencing a new lease of life on the left hand side of midfield. Despite the good form that the South Wales club are in at this moment, the games may well be catching up with them, as their lethargic defensive display against Norwich last weekend exhibited.

 

TOP FIVE BETS

1) Manchester United vs. Sunderland Robin van Persie Last Goalscorer 3/1 Coral
2) Norwich to beat Wigan 13/10 William Hill
3) Liverpool vs. Aston Villa Under 2.5 Goals 5/4 Bet Victor
4) Tottenham/Arsenal double 19/10 Bet Victor
5) West Brom vs. West Ham Draw 51/19 PinnacleBet

 

Elsewhere this weekend in the Premier League, the first match of today sees the Champions attempt to get their title attempt back on track against Newcastle at St. James Park. A tough game to call indeed, as neither side are exhibiting signs of top form, and the odds are not conducive for a strong bet.

Everton find themselves in the hallowed land of the top four following their late, late show on Sunday, and should be pumped for a trip to the Britannia. Hosts Stoke though do boast the meanest home defence in the land, and no quarter will be given in this fixture.

Finally QPR entertain Fulham in a London derby where they aim for the 17th time for their first League victory of the season. I’ve predicted they would acquire three points in my last three previews and each time they have let me down, so I am not going to do it this time. So expect QPR to win 5-0 then.

 

Written by Emelie Okeke

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Premier League Betting Preview: The Weekend’s Top 5 Bets

  By O-Posts Team | December 8, 2012 - 16:14 | , , , , , , , , , ,
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It’s finally here. The game we’ve all been waiting for since the production of this season’s Premier League fixtures in this hazy pre-Olympic summer days of June. A match that may very well alter the landscape of the most popular domestic football competition on Earth.

That’s right, this weekend the eyes of the world will be trained on none other than St Mary’s for the crucial relegation six-pointer between Southampton and Reading. There’s also a match going on in Manchester on Sunday as well, apparently.

Crude jokes aside, there are similarities to be had between both fixtures, not least that the two pairings of clubs ran each other close in separate divisions all last season, and it may well a new addition for each away side which may well make the difference this time around.

The second live TV offering after the top of the table encounter at the Etihad sees a Liverpool side, no doubt ecstatic from securing a continued sentence in this season’s Europa League, travel to West Ham with no recognised first-team strikers. Brendan Rodgers must be wishing at this point that he had a £35million forward available to him. Sam Allardyce does. The wily fox has done a canny job with the Hammers this season and may accelerate his side, fresh from eight days rest after a 3-1 mauling of Rafa Benitez’s Chelsea, further up the table with another home scalp at rather generous odds considering the two sides’ position of the league table, as well as availability of personnel.

Benitez must put try and curb his club’s eager anticipation to tackle that most coveted of trophies, the Europa League, in order to concentrate on the more pressing matter in hand of overcoming Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. The Black Cats, who have their own under-fire boss in Martin O’Neill, are suffering from that most troubling of football afflictions, ascoraphobia – the fear of putting the ball in the back of the net. Only five goals have been scored in six home games and that, coupled with the goals drying up away from home for Chelsea of late, point to a tense low-scoring game.

This preview has forecasted a win for QPR in each of Harry Redknapp’s first two games in charge of the rock-bottom club – and we’ve been sorely disappointed. Well, you know what they say, third time and charms and all that. A trip to the DW Stadium is no gimme, but Wigan may have to field Dave Whelan at full-back such is their defensive selection crisis, with Figueroa and Caldwell suspended and Alcaraz and Ramis injured.

Grit and determination was on show in Harry’s previous two outings, and we all know the quality is there. If they show it, the Hoops should take advantage of problems at Wigan, who could well be back in the relegation zone with QPR by the end of this weekend.

Its a case of aesthetics versus substance at the Emirates today, and there’s no doubt which method is garnering the requisite results at this moment in time. Currently Arsenal have to use West Brom as a point of reference in terms of their increasingly desperate scramble to finish in the European places. The unrest may well continue after 4.45pm this afternoon for the Gunners supporters.

The aforementioned contrast in styles may well be applied for the simultaneous meeting taking place at the Liberty Stadium when Norwich City rock up to meet Swansea. However the difference with this clash is that both sets of fans will start the day happy, Swansea safely ensconced in mid-table, unbeaten in six matches and boasting the league’s joint-top goalscorer. The Canaries meanwhile are unbeaten in a hugely impressive eight matches and look formidable nowadays at the back.

Both teams have winnable Capital One Cup Quarter-Finals to look forward to, and may well each add a point more to their league totals today. What’s the difference betweeen Peter Crouch and Darren Bent. Nothing, they’re both toothless attackers. They also havent been missed much by their clubs, as Villa have utilised the strength and all-round prowess of Christian Benteke , whilst Jon Walters and Kenwyne Jones (remember him?) have come to the fore for the Potters of recent.

The difference in this Midlands derby may well come from the back, where Stoke have excelled with Ryan Shawcross and keeper Asmir Begovic holding the highest number of clean sheets in the league. Villa’s young defence look like they have a mistake in them in every game, and that may prove telling today.

The AVB project is something that is starting to show teeth, with Spurs arriving in the top four off the back of three straight wins. With key players such as Parker, Assou-Ekotto, Kaboul and now Bale due to return from injury, the consensus seems to be that the North Londoners can only get stronger. Everton will be aiming to disrupt the momentum at the Goodison on Sunday but have become the Premier League’s draw kings of late with seven of their last ten fixtures ending in stalemate.

It may be a defeat rather than the usual draw for the Toffees on Sunday as Spurs may well show the attacking ruthlessness that the Blues have been slightly lacking of late.

The weekend ends on Monday (well not technically but you know what I mean) with Newcastle making the long-trip South from Tyneside to Thameside. Not an easy game to call this, with the Geordies returning to much-needed form having beaten Wigan comprehensively last Monday night, and Fulham losing their way somewhat of recent, their formcard reading no win in seven and three defeats in four.

However, big Brede Hangeland is back from suspension for the Cottagers and that will be a huge fillip for Martin Jol and his men. Newcastle too have their defensive talisman in Fabrizio Coloccini returning to their best, and that could point to a rather dour encounter.

No goalscorer here, methinks.

 

THE TOP FIVE BETS

1) QPR 87/35 PinnacleBet
2) Robin Van Persie First Goalscorer 6/1 Ladbrokes
3) Adam Le Fondre First Goalscorer 9/1 Paddy Power
4) Sunderland vs Chelsea Under 2.5 Goals 9/10 Stan James
5) West Ham 28/13 PinnacleBet

 

Written by Emelie Okeke

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