Tag: Crystal Palace

Big Sam Aiming to Topple Title Contenders Arsenal

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Crystal Palace will make the short trip across London to face Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on New Year’s Day. And new manager Sam Allardyce will be looking to dent the Gunners title ambitions with his Palace charges aiming to move away from the relegation places.

Allardyce aiming for upset

Allardyce, who sensationally left his dream job as England manager in September after just 67 days and one match in charge, will be looking to build on the 1-1 draw his Palace team achieved in his first match in charge against Watford before the Christmas break.

However, it will be a tough ask against Arsene Wenger’s men who have lost only once at home this season, back in August against Liverpool in their season-opener. Six wins and two draws since that defeat for the Gunners will do little to encourage Palace supporters that their team can topple their hosts after five matches without a win on the road.

Yet, encouraging signs were visible against Watford at Vicarage Road in Big Sam’s first match after replacing Alan Pardew at the helm. And the former Bolton, Newcastle and Sunderland boss will concentrate primarily on addressing Palace’s leaky defence which has already conceded 20 goals in just nine away games this season.

Arsenal overwhelming favourites for victory

With Arsenal trailing league leaders Chelsea by nine points already and with fierce rivals Spurs breathing down their necks just a point behind in the table, Wenger will send his team out looking for a convincing win to maintain their challenge for a first title since 2004. There looks to be little value for money in backing Arsenal for the win, however, with odds of just 1/3 on offer across a host of bookmakers. A better return looks to be available from backing an Arsenal win coupled with both teams to score, 9/5 with Coral amongst others.

Alternatively for Palace fans may be unwilling to bet against their team, enticing odds of 19/20 are on offer from bet365 for both to teams to score, a particularly interesting set of odds for punters aware that Arsenal, despite their strong home record, have conceded on average a goal a game thus far at the Emirates this season.

For the overly optimistic, betvictor are offering huge odds of 10/1 for a Palace victory, as unlikely as that may be, while a more realistic proposition comes from bet365, who price Palace in the Double Chance market to win or claim a draw at a very tempting 11/4.

With his record of never having been relegated from the top flight of English football and an injection of fresh enthusiasm sure to have Palace fighting for the cause, a winning bet on Allardyce’s Eagles could mean a very happy and lucrative start to the new year for punters across the country. Big Sam will have to be at his motivational best, however, if Arsenal is to begin 2017 in losing fashion.

Man United To Ease To A Win At The Palace

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

PREMIER League strugglers Crystal Palace host in-form Manchester United at Selhurst Park on Wednesday in what will be a repeat of last years Wembley FA Cup final.

On that occasion, United edged a close one 2-1 on a summer’s day last May, and this time around, I really can’t see Palace manager Alan Pardew celebrating with any more infamous dance moves. The visitors look decent value for another win at 1.72 with Betfred.

Palace are struggling big time and they produced yet another awful defensive performance in the 3-3 draw at Hull at the weekend and there really is very little to like about their chances in this one even at the general price of 4/1 on offer with most.

In their last match at Selhurst Park they did produce their best performance of what has been a bitterly disappointing season after a 3-0 win against Southampton, but that was The Eagles only victory in their last NINE and they really could struggle against their more illustrious opponents in this one.

United played very well at the weekend to edge past a good Tottenham side. In recent weeks their performances haven’t been getting the results that they should’ve, and they are set to really give a side a could beating very, very soon and it could be Palace in this one.

Jose Mourinho’s side are now unbeaten in their last eight matches, and despite the loss through injury of recent star man Henrikh Mkhitaryan, they should be far too strong for the home side.

Will Wayne Rooney Return?

With Armenian international Mkhitaryan missing, this could see Mourinho turn to England captain Wayne Rooney who is 6.50 with Bet365 to open the goalscoring, and whoever the “special one” decides to start in South London they are a very confident selection to win and win well.

United will be encouraged that they’ve now kept successive clean sheets for the first time since October, and against a Palace side that is struggling for goals, a United win to nil at 3.00 with BetVictor looks another attractive wager.

Palace is in a middle of a defensive crisis with 21 goals conceded in their last seven matches and a side that can let in FIVE against Swansea and THREE against both Hull and Burnley look certain to really struggle against an in-form United.

I genuinely believe that this could get very, very messy for the home side and I like United to ease to a 3-0 win and really put them in great spirits going into the New Year of making a Champions League push which is available at 15.0 with Bet365.

It looks just a matter of time before Pardew is handed his P45 at Selhurst Park, and when he is relieved of his duties the rumours that I am hearing is that former England manager Roy Hodgson is the number one target; he could be in the hot-seat by the weekend.

Can Middlesbrough Earn a Place in Football History?

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When Middlesbrough Football Club’s men take to the pitch this weekend it won’t just be a potential three points on the line. Despite being relative minnows in the context of the Premier League, the Riverside team have enjoyed a fruitful start to the 2016/2017 football season and now they have a chance to go down in history.

For Boro, promotion from the Championship last season was a defining moment in the club’s history and Aitor Karanka’s side has a chance to add some more sparkle to their résumé with a victory over Crystal Palace.

With a win and two draws already under their belt, Middlesbrough are placed sixth in the Premier League’s three games. That sort of form means that Middlesbrough are already the most successful newly promoted side of the football season, but a win against Palace could take things a step further.

The Stats Favour Boro

According to the stats, a win on September 10 would make Middlesbrough the third most successful newly promoted Premier League side in history. What does that mean in reality? Well, in short, it means Middlesbrough are playing way beyond expectations so far this football season.

Of course, three points is clearly more important than a place in the history books, but there’s certainly nothing wrong with a little added incentive. In fact, a look through the current matrix of odds seems to suggest that Boro being on the cusp of something special has swayed the market. Bet365 and Unibet both have Boro as the 6/5 favourites, while BetVictor has as slightly better price at 13/10.

For those that like to rely on something more concrete than fate when they’re anteing up, it’s worth noting that Palace have only managed two League wins in 24 matches against Middlesbrough. Compounding that dismal record is the fact that Alan Pardew’s men have lost their opening trio of Premier League matches this season.

A Palace Win Could Raise a Few Smiles

Of course, we all know that football is a funny old game and you could be laughing all the way to the bank if Palace pull off an upset. Odds of 5/2 at Paddy Power and 13/5 at Betfred show some signs of value, while a slightly less lucrative 2/1 on a draw with William Hill appears to be something of a happy medium.

While the stats would suggest that Boro will clinch another three points on Saturday, there’s very little chance it will be a walkover. The pressure of a positive start can often hamper a newly promoted side and if this manifests itself over the weekend then Boro could quickly crumble. A single goal either way could easily determine the outcome of this game which makes Sky Bet’s markets an attractive proposition.

A Win Won’t Come Easy

8/11 on under 2.5 goals won’t pique the interests of many serious bettors, but 9/2 on a 1-0 Middlesbrough victory is certainly nothing to sniff at. Moreover, if you fancy the other side of the equation, a successful bet on a 1-0 victory for Palace will get a 13/2 return on your money, which by all accounts, appears to be one of the game’s best bets.

History might not be on Palace’s side, but a place in the history books could cause Boro to falter. Pressure can often turn strong sides into quivering wrecks, and if that happens on Saturday then Karanka’s men could find themselves in all sorts of trouble. However, if Middlesbrough’s players can block this fact out of their minds, another three points is certainly well within reach.

For more Middlesbrough vs. Crystal Palace betting odds, make sure you check out our top partner sites, including Sun Bets, today.

 

Premiership Preview – Saturday 16th May

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Saturday’s Premiership action revolves around the relegation struggle with Hull City currently facing the drop. They travel to Tottenham and, with a game against Manchester United to come, only a win would revive their flagging hopes of survival.

They were very poor against Burnley last weekend and even a below par Tottenham should have too many guns for them. Harry Kane has gone off the boil in recent weeks but Hull cannot afford to sit back and hope for a draw. Spurs are still in a good position to qualify for the Europa League, even if that competition is regarded as something of a booby prize these days.

Newcastle’s miserable run of defeats finally ended with a point against West Brom last weekend. They are away at QPR who said goodbye to the Premier League with a thumping 6-0 defeat at Man City. I cannot believe that QPR can perform so badly again here and a draw might be the way to go. Sunderland and Leicester will also be looking anxiously over their shoulders while they clash at the Stadium of Light.

If Hull are beaten at Tottenham, Leicester will need only a point at Sunderland to guarantee safety. That would be celebrated like a Cup final win after looking doomed for much of the season. An incredible run of six wins in seven has put them on the brink of safety. That half-time score from White Hart Lane will definitely have a bearing on this match and I fancy another draw here.

Aston Villa look virtually certain to survive the drop but Tim Sherwood won’t be taking any chances. They travel to Southampton who have gone right off the boil in recent weeks. The Saints could even miss out on a European place and it would not be a surprise to see Villa take three points here. Christian Benteke has outscored everyone else in the Premier League since Sherwood arrived and he is worth a bet to open the scoring.

The late kick-off looks more like a Steven Gerrard Testimonial match than a Premier League game as Liverpool face Crystal Palace at Anfield. Gerrard will naturally want to make it a memorable occasion so the 7-1 about him opening the scoring may be worth a bet. Palace have no real incentive here and Alan Pardew may well introduce some youngsters.

Aston Villa to win @17-4 Bet365

Christian Benteke to score first @13-2 Paddy Power

Benteke to score and Villa win @8-1 Paddy Power

QPR v Newcastle DRAW @5-2 Bet365

QPR 1 Newcastle 1 @13-2 BetVictor

Sunderland v Leicester DRAW @23-10 Bet365

Sunderland 1 Leicester 1 @6-1 William Hill

Harry Kane to score first @4-1 Coral

Harry Kane to score and Spurs win @19-10 Ladbrokes

Spurs 3 Hull 1 @14-1 Ladbrokes

Steven Gerrard to score first @7-1 Ladbrokes

Liverpool 2 Crystal Palace 0 @7-1 Ladbrokes

Chelsea set to seal Premiership title

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There are two Premiership fixtures on Sunday and Chelsea have the chance to seal the title in the early kick-off at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues had to come back from a goal down to beat Leicester in midweek but they did so in some style. Goals from Drogba, Terry and Ramires put them on the verge of winning the title for the first time since 2010. A win over London rivals Crystal Palace will be enough to wrestle the prize away from Manchester City who have been left trailing since drawing level on points on New Year’s Day.

Chelsea have led the Premier League since the start of the season and have only been beaten twice. Defeats at Newcastle and Tottenham have been the only blips on an otherwise dominant campaign. They have come in for criticism in recent weeks for being boring but the league table does not lie and a thirteen point lead illustrates their superiority.

Jose Mourinho has been keen to keep his players focussed on the job in hand and he will not take the visitors lightly. A one-goal victory would be perfectly satisfactory, even if it does leave their supporters biting their nails for the closing minutes. The superb Hazard is likely to have Loic Remy ahead of him in attack but I am taking a punt on Nemanja Matic to score the winner. His capture was a masterstroke by Mourinho and he would be a very appropriate player to strike the championship winning goal.

If Chelsea have secured the title, there could be something of a cloud over Manchester City for the late kick-off at Tottenham. It will be a surprise if Manuel Pellegrini is still at the helm next season after a moderate campaign with no silverware. A top four spot looks virtually assured after Liverpool dropped further points at Hull so there isn’t any real pressure on City here.

Tottenham have a miserable record against City, most particularly Sergio Aguero who scored four goals in the reverse fixture. That game included four penalty awards but the result flattered City. This game should be entertaining and the sides can share the points at 2-2.

Tips

Chelsea 1 Crystal Palace 0 @6-1 Paddy Power

Nemanja Matic to score first @25-1 Paddy Power

Tottenham v Man City DRAW @11-4 Bet365

Tottenham 2 Man City 2 @13-1 BetVictor

Premiership Preview April 18th – 19th

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The big match this weekend is the clash between leaders Chelsea and third-placed Manchester United in Saturday’s evening kick-off.

The Blues are edging ever-closer to the Premiership title but still have United, Arsenal and Liverpool to play. A defeat at home to a resurgent United could still cause a few jitters with the winning post in sight. Had Chelsea gone into this match with a fully-fit Diego Costa, it would be very difficult to see them slipping up. As it is, not only is Costa out but there is also a doubt about the fitness of Loic Remy.

United are in buoyant mood after beating champions and neighbours City 4-2 last weekend. That game could signal the end of the brief reign of Manuel Pellegrini while Louis van Gaal looks set to achieve his goal of restoring Champions League football to Old Trafford. The return to form of former Chelsea star Juan Mata has had a great impact in recent matches and he could be worth a bet to silence the home fans on Saturday.

The Blues still have Eden Hazard and he is the kind of player to rise to the big occasion. Jose Mourinho will be calling on him once more and I’m sure that he would settle for a draw, just as he did when City visited.

West Brom are really struggling for form and face a tricky visit to Crystal Palace. Alan Pardew’s side have put up some brilliant displays recently and another defeat for Tony Pulis’s side could have them looking anxiously over their shoulders in the league table. Among those scrapping for survival are Leicester City who are at home to Swansea. They dug out an unlikely 3-2 win at West Brom last week and will fancy their chances of following up here.

Southampton’s season was in danger of falling away but Ronald Koeman’s side beat Hull decisively last week. They travel to Stoke who have little left to play for. A draw seems highly likely but Pelle’s first goal in months will have boosted his confidence and the Saints could come away with all three points.

Sunday’s games are Man City at home to West Ham and Newcastle facing Spurs. The two home teams are among the worst performing sides in the league at present so it is a brave man that takes 2-7 about City. They may struggle to a win but 11-2 for a draw looks tempting while Spurs should see off a lack-lustre Magpies outfit.

Crystal Palace to beat West Brom @20-21 Paddy Power

Leicester to beat Swansea @6-5 Ladbrokes

Southampton to beat Stoke @11-8 Ladbrokes

Chelsea v Man United DRAW @5-2 Totesport

Man City v West Ham DRAW @11-2 Bet365

Spurs to beat Newcastle @11-8 William Hill