Tag: EPL betting

An Entertaining London Derby Expected

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

IT’S a feisty London derby to look forward to on Saturday night when West Ham entertains Arsenal at The London Stadium, and it promises to be a decent watch.

After a fantastic first season in charge at West Ham for Slaven Bilic, this season has been a total shocker, and his side arrives at the crucial part of the season struggling for form with no wins from their last five matches.

The fixture list hasn’t been kind to the Hammers’ though with matches against Tottenham and Man United twice in that period, and despite the results, the performances have been encouraging, but it’s still very difficult to make a case for them in this one.

The bookies don’t give the home side much of a chance and neither do I, making Bilic’s side 4.80 for the win, and it’s hard to disagree as they’ve only managed to win twice at their new home in the Premier League all season.

Arsenal arrive in east London after a disappointing 2-0 cup defeat at home to Southampton, but not one player that featured on Wednesday night will be in the starting XI for this one, and that cup shock should be overlooked.

In the Premier League, it’s a very different story with Arsene Wenger’s side not losing since the opening day of the season; in the EPL betting markets, they are 1.80 with Betfred to keep up their good form, and I believe they will do just that.

WILL THERE BE GOALS?

Despite West Ham’s struggles they are still managing to score goals with five in their last four matches, and in every one of those games both teams have managed to find the back of the net.

It’s a very similar story at Arsenal with six of their last seven matches seeing both teams score, and I am expecting a few goals in what could be a very entertaining match-up.

Last season this fixture ended 3-3, and it’s always a clash that sees goals. I really like both teams to score at 1.66 with Bet365, and I will also be backing over 2.5 goals at the same price 1.66, plus I wouldn’t put anybody off backing over 3.5 goals at the more generous 2.62, again with Bet365.

West Ham’s Andy Carroll could feature in this one, and he caused the Arsenal defence all kinds of problems last year; but even if the England striker does feature, I believe Arsenal still have the extra firepower to edge a close one 3-2 at a massive 23.00 with Bet365 again.

Honours To Be Shared On Koeman’s Return

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

SOUTHAMPTON have got to improve massively on their midweek Europa League performance if they are to have any chance of a win when former manager Ronald Koeman returns to St Mary’s on Sunday with Everton.

The Saints were woeful in Prague on Thursday night in their 1-0 Europa League defeat against Sparta and if they perform anywhere like that again, it will be a long afternoon for the home side.

The bookies make Southampton a very short 2.20 favourite for the win which is available with most firms and although they are expected to make wholesale changes from the European defeat, that is still a price that does nothing for me.

After a decent little run of form Claude Puel’s side have now failed to win in their last four Premier League fixtures, and with them up against their former manager, I can’t see them winning this one either.

Acrimony surrounded Koeman’s departure in June and he did a magnificent job for Southampton – but could face a very hostile reception at the weekend.

After a bright start to life on Merseyside, the Dutchman has seen his team also struggle for consistency in recent weeks, and the Toffees’ have come unstuck recently after just one win in their last eight matches. That puts me off having a bet on them even at the tempting 3.75, despite them winning this fixture comfortably last season.

In three of their last six matches, Everton has been held to a draw, and draws have been popular on the south coast as with stalemates in four of their last 11.

We saw last week in the dire 0-0 with Liverpool when a lot of Saints’ old boys returned to St Mary’s, it’s very hard to raise your game at a former club, and the draw looks a decent bet in this one again at 3.50 with BoyleSports and Betfred.

All of those Everton draws have ended 1-1 at the final whistle. With both sides featuring strikers that are bang in form in Charlie Austin and Romelu Lukaku, I like both teams to score “yes” at 1.95 with Betfair Sportsbook in what looks likely to be another 1-1 draw, at 7.00 with William Hills, which was the scoreline when the two teams met last at Goodison Park in April.

Leicester City v Middlesbrough: A Day For Defences

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While Leicester City continued to buck the odds by topping Group G of the UEFA Champions League after a relatively comfortable 2-1 victory over Club Brugge on Tuesday, it’s fair to say that the Foxes have had to face something of a reality check in the Premier League this season.

Claudio Ranieri’s men have struggled to replicate their phenomenal title-winning form from the 2015/2016 campaign and currently sit just two points above the relegation zone in 14th place. A 2-1 defeat to Watford last time out did little to improve morale as Leicester became only the third reigning champions after Leeds United in 1992 and Blackburn Rovers in 1995 to start a season without a win in their first six away games.

Fortunately, the Foxes will be able to fall back on home comforts on Saturday as they face a Middlesbrough side who are one point and one place behind them in the Premier League table, but their erratic domestic form means a straightforward afternoon is far from guaranteed. In truth, there is little to separate the two sides in terms of results, with Boro edging it with five points from their last four games to Leicester’s four.

Foxes Failing To Fire

The worry for Leicester will be that while the two teams’ recent returns are comparable, the way in which those points have been accrued most certainly isn’t. Aitor Karanka’s men have shown incredible defensive resilience to secure hard-earned points at Arsenal and Manchester City while also derailing an in-form AFC Bournemouth at the Riverside, whereas Leicester lost their last Premier League home clash to West Brom.

Despite this fact, the bookmakers still have the reigning champions as favourites for the win against newly-promoted Middlesbrough, with Betfred and Betway both offering a best price of 10/11 on a home victory. The visitors, meanwhile, are out at 15/4 with Bet Victor and the draw is also available at 13/5 with Bet365; with both of these outcomes undoubtedly offering better value than the odds-on price on a Leicester win.

The main problem for the home side here is that while Boro has been busy making a name for themselves thanks to their dogged defending in recent weeks, Leicester is badly struggling for goals. Having been one of the driving forces behind their title push last season with 24 goals, Jamie Vardy has found the net twice so far and has now fallen behind slight injury doubt Islam Slimani in Coral’s first goalscorer market at 5/1.

Chances At A Premium

The Algerian, meanwhile, is rated at 9/2 with the same bookie and arguably represents more of a threat if he is passed fit; as does Leicester’s top scorer in all competitions this season, Riyad Mahrez, who comes in at 6/1 with Bet365 and also has penalty duties in his locker. Picking a marksman for the visitors is similarly problematic, with Middlesbrough being the league’s joint-lowest scorers alongside Hull City with 10 goals.

All this adds up to a game where defences are likely to be on top, and you can get a tasty-looking 7/2 on Boro keeping their fourth clean sheet of the season with Sky Bet. Similarly, Betfred is offering 12/5 on the match featuring fewer than 1.5 goals and – despite being odds-on at 4/5 – under 2.5 goals looks about as close to a certainty as you’re ever likely to find in the Premier League with the same online bookmaker.

Those wishing to take this defensive mindset a step further can find a generous 9/1 on the game finishing 0-0 with Sky Bet, while if you do fancy Leicester to snap their recent losing streak in the Premier League, your best bet is certainly to back the Foxes to win to nil with Bet Victor at vastly improved odds of 21/10.

Burnley vs Manchester City: Tough Turf for City

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Turf Moor has long been considered to be a graveyard for the top teams that play there. This tight little stadium with a small capacity almost looks out of place in the Premier League. Burnley have been defying the critics for some time. The fact of the matter is this. Everton and Liverpool have both lost at Turf Moor this season while Arsenal were lucky to scrape a 1-0 win.

Despite their recent away win at Crystal Palace, City still look like a team that is capable of conceding goals. They are still many peoples’ bet for the title. It is difficult to ponder the variables when it comes to predicting whether Guardiola will lift the title in his first season. City has the potential and they certainly have the manager with the right philosophy. The question is will that philosophy work in the Premier League? Then we might ask if it will work in time for City to be Champions this season?

Bookies Buy into the Guardiola Effect

The betting firms have certainly bought into the famous “Guardiola effect”. Manchester City are favourites again for the title but should they be? Chelsea have been champions more recently than City and they don’t have to worry about European football this season. Guardiola freely admits that he is still “learning” the nuances of the Premier League.

This means that the bookies will certainly have them too short when they face Burnley in the lunchtime kick-off on Saturday. William Hill has City at 2/7 to win. You can get odds of 5/1 with Stan James for the draw and 10/1 with BoyleSports for a Burnley win. The recent wins over Barcelona and the 4-0 win away to West Brom still haven’t convinced a lot of people that City have what it takes.

Buoyed by the Return of Toure

City have never really recovered since the loss of club captain Vincent Kompany. A succession of injuries is now looking to threaten his entire career. He went off injured again last weekend in the 2-1 win away to Crystal Palace. The plus side is the return of Yaya Toure. Guardiola claims he is back to full fitness and that is going to be a big boost for City. This is providing that Toure delivers and doesn’t drift in and out of games like he has done in recent seasons.

It is clear that City must start as favourites against Burnley but 2/7 favourites? Burnley have recorded consistent results this season. Their recent goalless draw at Old Trafford and the home win against Everton has left them with a respectable 14pts so far. The value bet seems to be the 5/1 for the draw. City are frail at the back and Turf Moor is a tough ground to visit….just ask Liverpool and Everton fans.

North London Derby: Arsenal To Pile More Misery On Spurs?

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Regardless of players or league position, the first North London derby of the season is always one of the most hotly-anticipated fixtures on the Premier League calendar – and this Sunday the stakes couldn’t be higher, as Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur go into the game in second and fifth in the table respectively.

While November has traditionally been something of a troublesome month for Arsene Wenger’s men, the Gunners took the first steps to banishing their winter blues with a 3-2 comeback victory against Bulgarian champions Ludogorets in the Champions League on Tuesday, despite being two-nil down after 15 minutes.

The same certainly could not be said for Tottenham the following evening as Mauricio Pochettino’s side continued to struggle to adapt to their temporary Wembley surroundings; turning in an insipid display in their 1-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen. The result came as part of a wider slump that has seen Spurs fail to win in their previous six games, making it far from the ideal time to travel to the home of their bitter rivals.

Arsenal, by contrast, have not lost since their opening day horror show against Liverpool and have only dropped points once in their last six games in all competitions – the 0-0 draw with Middlesbrough. It is perhaps for this reason that both Paddy Power and Bet Victor have home side as evens to get the win on Sunday, with Spurs coming in at a best price of 10/3 with Totesport.

Despite the bookies’ quotes, Arsenal will need to be wary of a fit again Harry Kane who – if given a start by Pochettino – has a fine goalscoring record against the Gunners. The England striker is priced at 7/1 with Ladbrokes to open the scoring at the Emirates, but such sentiment should be tempered by the fact that Mousa Dembele was withdrawn through injury in the last game, and Kane often struggles in his absence.

Similar doubts could be expressed over Arsenal’s top scorer Alexis Sanchez who, though imperious on his travels, has struggled to have the same impact at home. The Chilean is priced at 5/1 with Sky Bet to be the first player to find the net, but should Theo Walcott make his return, he represents better value at 13/2.

Wherever your allegiances lie on Sunday, one thing that seems certain is that the game should be a cagey affair. With Spurs yet to concede more than a single goal in any of their Premier League games so far, you can get 10/3 with Betfred on the game featuring less than 1.5 goals, with the classic “1-0 to the Arsenal” being the preferred scoreline at 17/2 and the visitors being 14/1 to win by the same margin (both Bet365).

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Best Bets Ahead of a Premier League Super Sunday

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WE’VE finally got a real “Super Sunday” in the Premier League this weekend and the first match sees title favourites Manchester City host in-form Southampton at the Etihad.

Manchester City vs. Southampton

Pep Guardiola had a homecoming to forget after his former side Barcelona inflicted a 4-0 Champions League midweek defeat on City; this was the Spaniard’s heaviest loss in management, and in the middle of a difficult time at present he faces a tough challenge again at the weekend.

After a perfect 10 match winning start to the new season, City are just clinging on to top spot after four matches without a success, and they offer little value to win at just 1.55 with Coral.

Southampton’s season is a polar opposite to City’s; The Saints’ failed to win in their opening four matches, but they arrive in the blue half of Manchester flying without a loss in their last seven.

Claude Puel’s side are 7.00 to continue their winning form, and even though that does look very tempting on paper, six successive loses in this fixture is putting me off having a small wager on them.

Sergio Aguero was amazingly rested at the Camp Nou. The Argentinian looks certain to lead the line and he will be up against another in-form striker in Southampton’s Charlie Austin. With those two in excellent goalscoring form, I like both teams to score at 1.80 with BoyleSports for the sixth time in the last seven years in this fixture.

Chelsea vs. Manchester United

ALL eyes will be on the “special one” Jose Mourinho when he returns to Stamford Bridge for the first time since being sacked last season, with his new Manchester United to take on Chelsea.

I was staggered when I looked at the prices for this and saw that Chelsea were just 2.10 for the win. Why?

The Blues’ did produce their best performance of the season last time out with a 3-0 win against Leicester. But the Foxes’ were dreadful, and prior to that win, Antonio Conte’s side had only won just once in their last five, and the Italian was backed into odds-on favourite to be the next Premier League manager to lose his job.

Mourinho produced a tactical masterclass to frustrate Liverpool at Anfield on Monday, and I can see him doing the same again, cranking up the mind games in the press conferences before Sunday.

United are in very good form arriving in West London unbeaten in their last five matches, and why they are 3.75 for the win with Betfred is staggering.

I can’t see Mourinho walking away as a loser and if you are not tempted by the price on United to win the match, then 2.50 on them on the draw no bet market also makes a lot of appeal.

Goals might be hard to come by if United’s tactics at Anfield are anything to go by, and in seven of the last eight matches between these two rivals, under 2.5 goals has been a winning bet. At 1.91 again with Betfred, throwing in the “Mourinho” factor as well, that looks an obvious play.