Tag: premier league odds

United Need to Find Another Gear

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Much has been said of Manchester United’s supposed recent good form. The reality is that they have been far from convincing. Despite reaching the last eight of the Europa League and winning the EFL Cup, they are still some way off reaching the top four in the Premier League. Their main problem has been in finding the net and a second striker that will deliver enough goals. They haven’t found anybody to partner Zlatan Ibrahimovic who can share the workload in terms of scoring.

United are a team that dominate possession in most games but don’t find the net often enough. This has been a repeating pattern all season. Wayne Rooney has fallen out of favour with manager Jose Mourinho. To make matters worse, Anthony Martial has been misfiring and still doesn’t appear to be true United quality.

No Top Class Striking Options

Too much has been asked of young Marcus Rashford. This young lad is still learning his trade and hasn’t really kicked on this season. Too much has rested on the broad shoulders of Ibrahimovic. His recent suspension has come at a bad time for United. It was no surprise on Saturday to see them labour to yet another draw at home to West Brom.

The pattern is all too obvious. United dominate the game in terms of possession but don’t score. They badly need to find a long term striking option for next season. At 35 years of age then it is clear that Ibrahimovic simply cannot go on for much longer. Even if United were to go on and lift the Europa League, that will still only paper over what is really needed at Old Trafford.

Will United beat the Blue half of Liverpool?

United face Everton on Wednesday in what is a vital game for them. They are in a serious fight to finish in the top four. This wasn’t something that the United fans expected when Mourinho took charge. Everton under Ronald Koeman has been a much tougher nut to crack this season.

They will surely want to bounce back after their 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield. The question is will they? This match represents an interesting betting proposition. Clearly United are struggling to score goals at the moment. Everton, on the other hand, is somewhat resolute in defence. So the draw at 16-5 with BetVictor appeals to us.

BetVictor also go 20-21 on their under 2.5 goals market. This is yet another bet that we feel may be value. Anything less than a win for United on Wednesday will really turn the pressure on them in terms of a top four finish this season.

Wenger To Have Another Tough Afternoon

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

IT’S tough times at the Emirates at the moment and it looks like it’s going to get a lot worse at the weekend when Arsenal host Man City.

The Arsene Wenger “out” brigade will be in full voice on Sunday and another defeat will see the pressure mount even more on the Premier League’s longest-serving boss, and the removable object that is Wenger looks set to be in for a very difficult afternoon both on and off the pitch.

Arsenal and, for the first time in his long tenure, Wenger looks to have finally lost the respect of the majority of the fans, and more importantly certain sections of the dressing room.

Star man Alexis Sanchez has already come out publicly with his plea to leave the club and play with a side of “winners” joining Mesut Ozil and Alex Oxlaide Chamberlin, who have also expressed their desire to leave at the end of the season; that is hardly the ideal preparation ahead of one of their biggest tests of the season.

The Gunners’ have won just three times in their last 10, but alarming they’ve had SEVEN defeats in that period. The way they performed last time out in the 3-1 defeat at West Brom, with a lack of desire, heart or team spirit, and how they are as short as 2.87 with William Hill for the win at the weekend has really got me scratching my head.

City has looked good since they were dumped out of the Champions League by Monaco at the last 16 stage, which was the worst performance in Pep Guardiola’s managerial career.

They played a very big part in an entertaining 1-1 draw with Liverpool last time out, which stretched their unbeaten domestic run to 11 matches and I can’t see anything other than a City win in this one, which is a very tempting 2.36 with Paddy Power.

Embarrassment Likely for the Gunners!

I fear, with the anti-Wenger chanting, that if the home side falls behind early on, this could be a long afternoon for the Frenchman. Unlike previous times, when the Arsenal manager has had his back against the wall, he won’t get out of jail this time around, and Man City -1 at 3.20 with most bookies looks tempting as well.

For goals punters, this certainly looks one that will feature a few and over 2.5 goals and both teams to score “yes” will probably be winning bets, but have been priced up accordingly by the layers; instead, I am going to have a small wager on City to heap my misery on the Gunners’ with a 3-1 win which is 18.00 at Paddy Power.

 

City To Run Riot At The Stadium Of Light

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

PREMIER League basement boys Sunderland faces a very tough test on Sunday when they host Man City at the Stadium of Light, and I don’t give the Black Cats much hope of moving off the bottom of the table in this one.

David Moye’s has a massive job on his hands to keep this Sunderland side in the top flight and with injuries piling up and other teams around them getting results I am not surprised that they are just 1.14 for the drop.

The home side is in free-fall after just one win in their last 11 matches, and there looks little to no chance that they can pull off an 11.00 surprise win with Bet365 against a City side that arrives here in rampant form.

Pep Guardiola’s side has finally hit their stride and is still going strong in three tournaments; last week’s 5-3 Champions League win over Monaco was the best match of the season so far, and with 11 wins from their last 15 matches, they will get the job done again at the weekend.

The bookies, however, are taking no chances and rate the visitors just 1.30 to close the gap on leaders Chelsea with a win, which might interest you if you are a big staking punter, but even though I do anticipate another City success, I will just be including them in my Premier League accumulator.

City has now scored at least two goals in their last EIGHT matches and against a Sunderland that have failed to score in FIVE of their last six games that bring a couple of alternative ways to get with City.

In two of the last three meetings in this fixture, City has won by a 4-1 margin and another easy afternoon is expected. I would take the visitors to cover the -1.5 on the Asian handicap which is 1.81 with BetVictor.

Also in SEVEN of the last eight clashes between the two, over 2.5 goals has been a winning bet, and with City more than capable of doing that on their own, that also looks appealing at the general quotes of 1.45 with most bookies.

Sergio Aguero has capitalised on regaining his place in the starting line-up due to the injury to Gabriel Jesus, and the Argentinian who scored twice in the win against Monaco and four in his last three starts against Sunderland looks an outstanding bet to open the goal scoring again in this latest meeting at 3.50 with BetVictor.

Liverpool v Arsenal: Fans Yearn for Return of Past Glories

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

It is a huge match historically with the two teams involved having contested some truly memorable games over the years, not least on the opening day of this season when Liverpool shocked the Gunners with a thrilling 4-3 victory at Emirates Stadium.

Who could forget Michael Thomas’ incredible last gasp winner for Arsenal at Anfield to clinch the title on goal difference from Liverpool back in 1989? Or Michael Owen’s late double to win the FA Cup for the Reds back in 2001? How about Andrey Arshavin’s stunning individual four goal salvo in a thrilling 4-4 draw at Anfield back in 2009?

The teams have certainly created some wonderful memories for the fans in recent times, but this coming Saturday’s clash isn’t a battle for the title as it was on that breathtaking night back in May 1989. It is instead a battle for a top four finish, and even that isn’t guaranteed with both clubs facing stern competition from Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester’s City and United, not to mention title shoe-ins, Chelsea. Arsenal is currently as short as 8/11 with BetVictor to finish in the Champions League qualifying places, while Liverpool is longer odds at 11/10 to secure that all-important lucrative top four finish.

Title Dreams Must Wait Another Year At Least

It’s now 27 long years since Liverpool were last crowned champions of England. Reds supporters have had to watch in anguish as Sir Alex Ferguson’s United overhauled their English record of 18 titles before his retirement in 2013. Arsenal too has been suffering something of a title drought of late. Just ask their increasingly disgruntled fans, whose patience with long-serving manager Arsène Wenger is starting to wear thin.

While Liverpool supporters have had to get used to no longer being the kings of England and Europe they once were in the 70s and 80s and are undoubtedly concerned with their club’s tepid start to 2017, they are willing to give manager Jürgen Klopp time to build a squad to implement his ideas and tactics.

Arsenal’s last title triumph came back in 2004, courtesy of The Invincibles vintage. It has been an agonising wait for another title for the club’s supporters and one which shows little sign of ending soon. They have become used to hearing lines about paying off the stadium as excuses for not spending the big bucks and have grown tired of being labelled as happy with a top four finish and Champions League qualification.

Top Four The Only Target

Arsenal currently lies fourth in the table, 14 points adrift of leaders Chelsea, while Liverpool is a further place and point behind following their capitulation to reigning champions Leicester on Monday evening. Having played a match more than their North London opponents too, Saturday evening’s clash at Anfield is a must win for Klopp’s men and Boyle Sports price them at 23/20 to do just that. Arsenal meanwhile, who are almost certainly out of the Champions League following their crushing 5-1 first leg defeat at Bayern Munich, have only the FA Cup and a top-four position to play for. Bet365 among others quote them as long as 13/5 to inflict only a second home league defeat upon their hosts.

In the last eight league meetings between the two teams, 30 goals have been plundered while this season alone they have conceded 61 goals between them whilst burying 109 goals at the right end of the park. With both defences looking leaky, to say the least with an emphasis seemingly more on a ‘we’ll score more goals than you‘ philosophy, goals look assured this weekend and you can get a tempting 2/1 on there being over 3.5 match goals with William Hill.

The first goalscorer markets as always provide great profit possibilities with Sadio Mané, top goalscorer for the Reds with 11 and his Arsenal counterpart Alexis Sánchez, who has 17 goals to his name thus far, both a massive 6/1 with bookmakers including Ladbrokes and Coral to notch that all-important first goal.

Saturday evening’s match should provide great entertainment based on previous encounters between the two teams. It will also give a strong indication as to which of the two giants of English football will achieve a Champions League qualifying berth next season.

Leicester Face Mané Troubles Ahead

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Just over a year ago, Jamie Vardy terrorised Liverpool and scored a true contender for goal of the season, in a 2-0 win for Leicester at the King Power Stadium. The incredible volleyed shot which flew past Simon Mignolet was just one of many manifestations of the miracle that was Leicester’s title-winning 2015/16 campaign.

Today, the situation could not be more different. Only a miracle of similar magnitude can now stop Leicester from becoming the first relegated champions since 1938. The odds of that particular event unfolding grow ever shorter, with 15/8 ( Paddy Power) now the best price.

Meanwhile, Liverpool Football Club is far from the meek outfit that finished eighth last term. For all their inexplicable inconsistencies, Jürgen Klopp’s men remain well on course for a top-four finish. They also boast what may be the most hell-raising attacking skills in the entire league – when in form.

A Foxic Mess

Eliminated from the F.A Cup by Millwall – and on current form, soon to be eliminated from the Champions League – the party has not only died but transmogrified into a wake. Even back in August, nobody expected much of Leicester, but the statistics are nothing short of appalling for Claudio Ranieri’s flailing Foxes.

In the last six league games, his Leicester charges have conceded no less than 12 goals. Worse yet, they have done so without once finding the back of the net in response. Where a standard 1X2 bet is concerned, the only worthwhile option for bettors is to delve into the handicap markets.

Given Leicester’s plight, all bookmakers have slashed the typical odds for a Liverpool handicap over bottom half opposition. Subsequently, Paddy Power is offering a market-best 9/2 on a Liverpool win, with a handicap of –2 against.

Sadio the Superstar to Enjoy Glut

Overall, this year has begun disastrously for the Reds by their own lofty standards. However, much of the recently-arrested winless run can be attributed to Sadio Mané’s international duties at AFCON 2017.

Liverpool’s most recent game, against fellow Champions League chasers Tottenham, is a case in hand. In his first Anfield start since returning from Gabon, Mané was in inspired form. Within the first eighteen minutes, he netted a double blast which demonstrated his lethal combination of pace and shooting prowess.

If Ranieri has conjured the courage to watch footage from that game, then many sleepless nights will have followed. On Monday, a red-hot Mané’s personal opponents are likely to be Marc Albrighton and Wilifred Ndidi. Bluntly put, the latter has proven to be a sorry excuse of a replacement for N’Golo Kante. However, Albrighton also bears much responsibility and remains badly out of form.

If backing Mané to be the first goalscorer on Monday night, bettors can enjoy odds of 5/1 across at most respected bookmakers. For those of a braver disposition, William Hill is also offering 8/1 on Mané to score two or more goals against a hapless Leicester side.

Riot running reds to begin strongly

Above all else, it was Liverpool’s transformed attitude from the first whistle, against Tottenham, which resonated most deeply in the last round of the Premier League.

If a usually well-drilled side like Tottenham can fold in such an alarming manner, then logic dictates that Leicester will do likewise. As such, Sky Bet’s specialist first-half market is currently offering tempting odds of 10/3 on Liverpool to score two or more goals in the opening 45 minutes.

Ultimately, it is only a question of how many the Reds will win by. The official Betcirca prediction for this match is Leicester 0-3 Liverpool, which is available at 12/1 with Bet 365.

Chelsea v Swansea: Clement Returns Home In Search Of Points

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Paul Clement will return to Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon for the first time as a manager since departing Chelsea unceremoniously back in 2011. The Englishman and former Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti were sacked by Chelsea’s ruthless owner Roman Abramovich despite the club winning the Premier League title in their first season in charge and finishing as runners-up to Manchester United in their second campaign in West London.

Clement, who spent four years at The Bridge between 2007 and 2011, two as first team coach and two as Ancelotti’s assistant, will travel down the M4 motorway with his Swansea team aiming to spring a huge surprise against the champions-in-waiting, and in the process boost their own hopes of Premier League survival.

Swans Reinvigorated by Clement’s Arrival

When he took over the reigns from the hapless Bob Bradley in early January, Swansea was languishing in the relegation zone and seemingly destined for the drop. However, an impressive sequence of results which has seen the team collect 12 points from Clement’s first six games in charge, earning him January’s Manager of the Month prize in the process, has garnered renewed optimism amongst the club’s loyal fan base that relegation can be avoided.

And the bookmakers clearly agree with the Swans now as far out as 7/2 with Paddy Power to end the season in the bottom three. However, Saturday could prove a match too far for Clement’s improving team when they face Antonio Conte’s high flyers who have lost just once at home this season and have recorded 11 wins, nine of them on the bounce.

Chelsea Out to Continue Unstoppable Home Form

There’s little profit to be had in backing Chelsea, who are eight points clear of nearest challengers Manchester City, with most bookmakers offering them as short as 1/4 for the win. But with seven clean sheets on home soil from 12 matches, better value can be sought from BetVictor who have priced a Chelsea win to zero at a tasty 21/20 which has to be worth a second glance.

Conte’s team are currently a massive 36 points ahead of Swansea in the league table. Yet the team from South Wales hasn’t lost to their hosts on Saturday since January 2015, gaining a respectable 2-2 draw at the Liberty Stadium back in September and a win and a draw with the Blues last campaign. BetVictor will offer any optimistic Swansea supporters or neutrals 11/2 for another draw on Saturday while William Hill goes even further by quoting an unlikely win for the visitors at 12/1 which may be worth a few quid after Swansea ended Liverpool’s own unbeaten record at Anfield back in January.

Costa the Smart Money to Net First

Despite his apparent flirtations with a mega-money move to China, Diego Costa tops the scoring charts for the Blues with 15 goals so far this term and is 4/1 with Betfred to beat the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Harry Kane to the Golden Shoe. Eight of those 15 goals have seen Chelsea open the scoring and William Hill will give any willing backers odds of 12/5 for the big Brazilian-cum-Spanish forward to repeat the trick on Saturday afternoon.

For anybody wanting something a bit different, though, how about Icelandic star Gylfi Sigurdsson, Swansea’s joint top goalscorer with eight and dead ball specialist to net at any time during the match? He’s scored in the last two meetings between the clubs and is available at a more than tempting 5/1 with Paddy Power to beat the Chelsea defence once again on Saturday.

It promises to be another entertaining clash whatever the result on Saturday. If Chelsea, as seems highly likely, emerge unscathed, they will take another big step towards a sixth league title while pushing Swansea closer to the trap door in the process. Yet if Swansea can achieve the unthinkable and ruin another great home record, the odds of them setting up a reunion with fierce local rivals Cardiff City next season in the Championship will widen even further.