Tag Archives: top 5 premier league tips

Premier League Betting Preview: The First Top 5 Bets of 2013

  By O-Posts Team | January 1, 2013 - 15:50 | , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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And a happy new year to you, too.

Weary and bleary-eyed (and that’s just the players) we stumble into the fourth full Premier League matchday in the space of just ten days, and the first of 2013. Three points will be crucial in the eyes of many managers seeing as the Prem ratrace gets put to the back-burner after tomorrow till the middle of the month as the FA Cup and transfer window comes to the fore.

First off, Manchester United look the ideal bet to carry on their winning assault on the title at the DW Stadium today, and with Nemanja Vidic inching towards full fitness and instrumental in orchestrating a rare clean sheet for the league leaders against West Brom on Saturday, it may well be a profitable strategy to fall on the side of the Red Devils scoring unanswered in the second half of the season a lot more often than they did in the first half.

Wigan equipped themselves superbly in their dismantling of Aston Villa at the weekend, a result not foreseen by yours truly, but the Latics have struggled to score against the top teams at home this season whilst shipping them in at the other end, and today may be a similar story. Arsenal have rediscovered the joy of scoring as of recent, but look a tad short in the win market away to Southampton in the evening fixture.

A better option would be to stick with Theo Walcott to score anytime against the club where it all began for him. The England man has revelled in his new centre-forward of late, rounding off 2012 with a hat-trick against Newcastle, and may inflict further misery on his former employers who may get jaded late on following their gargantuan efforts at the Britannia Stadium last Saturday.

With Arsenal being just one of several odds-on shots in this midweek matchday, it is difficult to find value bets so a better strategy may well to be stick with the tried and tested. They don’t come more tried and tested than backing both teams to score in an Everton match, as anyone who reads this column regularly knows, and with the opponents being vulnerable Newcastle albeit at what will be a vociferous St. James’ Park, expect the bet to oblige yet again.

That match is the live televised fixture tomorrow evening, and simultaneously there will be another meeting of Mersey and North-East minds when Sunderland visit Liverpool. The Mackems are slowly and surely beginning to click into gear under the wile and guile of Martin O’Neill, and can at the very least avoid a heavy defeat at Anfield.

Manchester City got off the blocks quicker than Usain Bolt with a Visa credit card against Norwich on Saturday, with Edin Dzeko firing his side to a 2-0 lead inside less than five minutes. That scenario has been more anomaly than norm over the course of the season, and with a disciplined Stoke City side arriving at the Etihad this afternoon boosted by the return of key defenders Ryan Shawcross and Geoff Cameron from suspensions, City may well have to play their usual waiting game followed by a possible late show.

 

TOP FIVE BETS

1) Manchester United to beat Wigan to nil 12/5 CORAL
2) Southampton vs. Arsenal Theo Walcott to score anytime 11/8 BETVICTOR
3) Newcastle vs. Everton Both teams to score 4/6 LADBROKES
4) Sunderland +1.5 Handicap to beat Liverpool 5/6 PINNACLEBET
5) Man City vs. Stoke 2nd Half Highest Scoring Half 6/5 WILLIAM HILL

 

Elsewhere, crisis club Aston Villa face a tough task in arresting the slide in the shape of a trip to the Liberty Stadium to play in-form Swansea today, while in the early fixture West Brom and Fulham fans can bask in the enjoyment of watching their respective clubs face each other whilst nursing a new year’s hangover.

A Bale-less Tottenham should still be good enough for three points when entertaining Reading today, and across the capital West Ham will be eager for the same amount from their battle with Norwich in order to ease the anxious looks over their shoulder towards the relegation zone of the table.

Lastly, there is a good old-fashioned West London derby tomorrow evening when Harry Redknapp takes his beleaguered Hoops to Stamford Bridge. It will be interesting to see whether Chelsea or QPR, two clubs expected to be very busy in the transfer market this month, have any new faces in tow in time for their clash. We shall see.

 

Written by Emelie Okeke

Follow him on Twitter @Emelie_Okeke

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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

Follow him on Twitter @Emelie_Okeke

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