Tag: football betting odds

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.

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

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

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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Can Liverpool March on Under Jurgen Klopp?

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Jurgen Klopp has only been in charge at Liverpool for just over a year. The turnaround in their form since Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers has been amazing. Despite this success, numerous football pundits have rubbished Liverpool’s title chances this season, but are they correct to do so?

One important fact needs to be remembered. Leicester City did remarkable things last season simply because their players bonded with their manager Claudio Ranieri, and they were prepared to “sweat blood” for him.

It is very difficult to win a league title without having a lot of spirit within the team. Whenever Liverpool have played this season, the team spirit has shone through. If you throw into the mix a talented bunch of players and a top class manager, then what you have at Liverpool are the key ingredients for a title winning side.

Can Watford Stop The Red Surge

Liverpool are certainly on the march. The question is can Watford stop the juggernaut? The bookies don’t seem to think so. Stan James are a best priced 3/10 for a Liverpool victory at Anfield. BetVictor and PaddyPower go as high as 11/1 on a Watford away victory.

It is hard to see Watford leaving Anfield with any points. However, one thing that we have learned about Premier League betting is that we cannot take anything for granted. Most of the leading so-called “title contenders” have dropped points in recent weeks. Watford have started the season very well, and are currently in 7th place in the table.

Will The Hornets Sting The Reds?

Watford have enough scoring potential to create an upset at Anfield. They have recorded recent league wins against Middlesbrough and Hull, and they haven’t conceded a Premier League goal in their previous three matches. The Hornets will go to Anfield full of confidence and that is the main ingredient for an upset. BetVictor and PaddyPower are both priced at 5/1 for the draw if you think The Hornets will deny Klopp’s army.

Despite the fact that Liverpool have been regularly winning matches, they still seem to concede goals. So Watford will feel that they are in with a chance against what could be a suspect defence. The first twenty minutes will be vital for Watford. If Liverpool score during this period, they could win by three or four goals. If Liverpool really do want to be considered as true title contenders, these are the types of matches they must win.