Tag: Football Tips

Premier League Betting: Can Chelsea Stake Their Claim

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Last season was an absolute disaster for Chelsea. They were responsible for what was the worst title defence in the last 20 years. On top of all that they had to part company with Jose Mourinho, a manager that had not only delivered them three league titles but had also become the most successful manager in their history. It seemed to be asking too much back in August to expect the blues to mount a serious title challenge this season.

Just too Many Problems

The so-called “experts” had the two Manchester clubs as clear favourites for the title. So did the bookies. Chelsea had just signed a new manager in Antonio Conte. Although he had been hugely successful with Juventus, the Premier League was a step into unknown territory for him. Add to that the disastrous previous season and Chelsea just had too many problems coming into the 2016-17 season to fight for the title…..or so we thought.

Except the “experts” were wrong. Not only are Chelsea now serious title contenders, but Conte has imposed his system and style very rapidly, and the players at Stamford Bridge are responding to it very well. Their 5-0 hammering of Everton before the international break was the most complete performance by any team in the league so far this season.

Down by the Riverside

Chelsea travels to meet Middlesbrough at the Riverside on Sunday. Middlesbrough has made a solid if unspectacular start to the season. They stand only a point above the relegation zone. However, they have had several good results of late. They have drawn away to Arsenal and Manchester City while defeating Bournemouth 2-0 at home. It will be interesting to see how they handle Chelsea so soon after their games against the Gunners and City. Will this give us any clues as to who the champions will be?

It is often said that defences win titles. If that is the case then you have to make a serious case for Chelsea to not only challenge for the title but to actually win it. They have the offensive capability to match teams like City, Liverpool and Arsenal. Where Chelsea has the edge is in defence, and in the fact that Conte has given the entire team an identity. It will be a hard game away to Middlesbrough, but Chelsea over ninety minutes will be tough to stop.

So Place Your Bets

William Hill quotes Chelsea at only 1-2 to come out on top while a home win for Boro is a tempting 6-1. They also quote the draw at 4/1. So it’s time to make a bet. Betting on a team playing away from home in the Premier League at 1-2 never seems an attractive proposition. The league is too tough and volatile as Manchester City have found out recently. If you fancy Chelsea to win but don’t like the short odds, then how about a punt on the correct score? William Hill quotes 6-1 for a 2-0 Chelsea win, while you could get 15/2 if Chelsea wins 2-1.

Premier League Betting: Can City Hang Tough at Selhurst Park

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Manchester City faces a real fight if they are to win the Premier League in Pep Guardiola’s’ first season. The bookies made City and neighbours United strong favourites in the football betting markets back in August. Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham have all made strong starts to the season. This has increased the pressure on Guardiola. Their recent 3-1 win against Barcelona will have done wonders for the teams’ morale.

City Need to Bounce Back

Only five points separate the top five teams. This season is shaping up to be the most exciting season for years. Six teams are in with a shout of taking the title. The dramatic win against Barcelona may have been a great result for City, but that didn’t prevent them from tumbling back down to earth several days later.

The 1-1 draw at home to Middlesbrough was yet another game where the Sky Blues have dropped valuable points this season. They now trail Liverpool by two points after leading the division by four points just a few weeks ago. Another defeat would not go down too well at the Etihad, especially when they face a tough trip next week to Germany in the Champions League.

Can Pardew hang with Pep

Alan Pardew is one of the longest serving Premier League managers. He has a history of beating the big teams on the big occasions. Selhurst Park is a tight little ground that no away team likes. Their supporters generate a terrific atmosphere, and very few teams come away from Palace with an easy win.

Palace is certainly a team that can rough up their opponents. Guardiola still seems to be having problems with the City defence. Players like John Stones seem to be caught between the two objectives of needing to be expansive and eliminating mistakes. City is as short as 1-2 with Bet365, while they also quote Palace at 5-1 for the home win.

The Value isn’t with City

The Premier League is a tough uncompromising division. Any team in the league can go on a run of negative results at any time. So the question is, are the bookies reading too much into the fact that Palace has lost their last four games, and only have one win in six? City recently went on a similar winless run, but then beat West Brom 4-0 away, and Barcelona 3-1 within a matter of days.

If you fancy City to be denied and be held to a draw yet again, then BetVictor offer an attractive 19/5. It’s difficult to be overly confident in any team that can beat Barcelona 3-1, and then be held 1-1 at home to Middlesbrough several days later.

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?

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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.

 

Southampton vs. Chelsea: Can the Saints Pull off a Miracle?

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

To say Southampton have over performed so far this season would be an understatement. The Saints are currently sitting eighth in the Premier League after nine matches with three wins and four draws. Add to that record just two losses and eight goals against, and Southampton are nipping at the heels of Manchester United.

However, with another tough match against Chelsea set to take place this Sunday, the question is: can Claude Puel’s men upset the odds?

Peruse the current betting markets for Southampton vs. Chelsea and you’ll see the odds are firmly in favour of the visitors. Heading into the game, Chelsea are priced at 11/8 for the win at Paddy Power and 7/5 with Sun Bets. Although not overwhelming odds, especially since you can find betting lines around the 19/10 mark, the current state of play would suggest that Chelsea are the betting favourites at the very least.

Chelsea Scoring Goals for Fun

Antonio Conte certainly hasn’t had it all his own way at Chelsea this season. Indeed, the Blues’ recent cup defeat to West Ham won’t exactly go down as a glittering moment in his career. However, with three straight wins in the Premier League, including a 4-0 drubbing of Manchester United, he certainly appears to be doing something right.

Perhaps the biggest threat Chelsea pose a lot of teams at the moment is their firepower. 19 goals for and just nine against in their first nine games is an impressive figure. Diego Costa has already bagged seven this season, and with his presence being felt on the training pitch this week, there’s every chance he’ll find the mark on October 30. According to Coral’s odds makers, Costa is 6/4 to score at anytime during the match and 4/1 to score in either half. Given his form so far this season, 4/1 for him to score in the first half looks a great bet.

However, if there’s one thing we know about Southampton this season, it’s that they know how to draw. Much like an artist knows how to draw a straight line, Southampton has managed to stifle teams with a strong defensive line. Cedric, Maya Yoshida and Jordy Clasie have all held strong at crucial times this season, and that’s allowed the Saints to pick up a point against Manchester City. Of course, holding a team to a draw isn’t quite the same as out-playing them and getting the win, but given the club’s relative size (metaphorically), a draw with the league leaders isn’t a bad result.

A Strong Saints Side Could Score a Draw

23/10 on the draw is the current price at Sun Bets, but if you want to take that a step further and start predicting the scoreline, 11/2 on a 1-1 draw is a fair price at Paddy Power. If you stick to this assumption that Southampton will be able to fend off Chelsea’s attacks long enough to secure a point, then 6/1 on the Blues to come from behind to draw is great value.

Southampton took the lead against Man City early but couldn’t stay strong long enough to get the win. The same could certainly happen again on Sunday. An early goal for the Saints would certainly settle the nerves, but there’s little chance it would be enough against a Chelsea side seemingly capable of scoring at will this season.

From an objective perspective, this game looks to have a Chelsea win written all over it. However, Southampton’s players have shown they’re more than capable of thwarting the ambitions of bigger clubs and there’s no reason they couldn’t do the same over the weekend. Indeed, while the majority of the money will be on an away win, the smart money is likely to be on a draw in all its forms.

Make sure you check out our betting partners for the latest Southampton vs. Chelsea betting odds.

Tottenham and Man City Need to Bounce Back

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The 2016/17 Premier League season may just turn out to be the most unpredictable league season on record. No fewer than six teams are in with a shout of winning the title, but which six you may ask?

In the past, perhaps two or three teams had a chance of taking home the big prize. This season is a different story. Would you bet against Liverpool, Man City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea or Man United winning the title next May?

Spurs Need to Exercise the Ghost

The ghost of last seasons’ poor finish to the season that handed Leicester City the title still haunts the fans at White Hart Lane. Tottenham always flatter to deceive but then crack when the pressure is on. They were held to a 0-0 draw at Bournemouth last weekend. So, getting all three points at home to Leicester on Saturday holds even more importance now.

The problem for Spurs is that the Foxes are coming into form. Leicester have been winning game after game in the Champions League. They also beat Crystal Palace 3-1 last weekend. Tottenham are firm favourites at 4/6 with William Hill, while Leicester City can be backed at 5/1 with Betfred.

The best price on the draw is 14/5 with Boyle Sports, and opposing Tottenham is probably where the value is. Tottenham are strong at home and have recently beaten Pep Guardiola’s Man City, but Leicester City are the champions and that shouldn’t be forgotten.

Man City Badly Need a Win

Man City were absolutely brilliant in all competitions until they recently went to Celtic Park in the Champions League. That 3-3 draw against Celtic was the start of a five game winless run. Pep Guardiola now needs a big result away to West Brom on Saturday. If City fail to win again, this could signal a crisis at the Etihad!

The number of individual errors that City players are making is growing in number. It is too early to suggest that City have a problem, but they certainly need a win against West Brom. Pep’s boys are 2/5 with Betfred, but those odds seem terribly short.

West Brom are strong at home and can be backed at 15/2 once again with Betfred. The best odds for the draw are 7/2 with Stan James. It seems that the short odds for City are based on their early season form.

Current Form is a More Accurate Indicator

If you want to find a good value bet current form reveals more clues than league position. Man City are still top of the league, but their form isn’t that of table toppers. The recent City performances seem to indicate that all is not well with Guardiola’s team of would be champions. City are deservedly favourites against West Brom, but a City victory is far from certain.