SHAREIn our weekly feature, we will be pre-viewing all the Premier League games and picking out what we see to be good value odds. Including a brief narrative on why we’ve made these picks.
All prices by Bet365 our favourite Bookie.
Man United v Bournemouth
United will go into this game full of confidence on the back of their EFL Cup victory over Southampton. The 6 days rest between that game and this will have been welcomed as it’s the longest break they will have had in a while considering their hectic schedule. United won the EFL Cup with some moments of individual brilliance as they looked jaded for large parts of the game and Southampton definitely put in a more complete team performance.
Most importantly for Jose and United this could finally be the weekend that they get out of 6th, win on Saturday lunch time and they will move into 4th for a few hours at least. Liverpool face Arsenal in Saturday’s late kick off and if either team win United will drop to 5th with a draw resulting in them dropping back to 6th but level on points with both sides and with a game in hand on Liverpool.
As for Bournemouth it’s still no wins in 2017 and 23 goals conceded, they need to turn things around quickly or they will be heading for a relegation battle with the League’s worst defence which isn’t a great combination. To read what we think of Bournemouth’s manager Eddie Howe click here.
Over 3.5 goals 11/8
Leicester v Hull
Leicester were excellent for the first time in a long time last Monday night, playing Liverpool off the park and looking every bit the Leicester of old. No matter what your opinion on the Ranieri sacking, the players couldn’t really win going into the Liverpool game, perform well and be accused of not playing for Claudio or play badly and also get stick for getting their manager sacked as it’s obviously the players who are underperforming.
Although it’s obvious that the Foxes squad massively over achieved, if they continue with their back to basics approach and continue to play to their strengths as they did against Liverpool they should have enough quality to stay up.
Hull drew last time out at home to Burnley, which represented the first home game out of 5 that they have not won under new coach Marco Silva. The Tigers continue to look like a much improved side organisationally and defensively since the Portugese’s arrival. We expect this game to be tight as there is no way Silva will leave the kind of gaping holes that Liverpool left for Jamie Vardy to run into in this game.
Draw 13/5
Stoke City v Middlesborough
Stoke were annihilated by Spurs 4-0 for the second time this season last weekend, leaving manager Mark Hughes looking pretty foolish considering the comments he made, pre match, that the game would represent a yard stick to show his sides progression since their last 4-0 spanking at the hands of Mauricio Pochettino’s men.
Stoke have become so well established in the Premier League it’s almost boring at this stage, win a few in a row, lose a few in a row but never really move too far from mid table.
Middlesborough we’re afraid to say, may well be playing their football in the Championship next season. Their inability to score goals will ultimately cost them regardless of how good their defensive record is. They won’t be much of a loss to be honest as they have done literally nothing of note all season. Maybe beating Man City to reach the FA Cup semi final will kick start their season but on current form that remains unlikely.
Stoke to win to nil 15/8
Swansea v Burnley
Swansea looked doomed not so long ago but even in their recent defeat to Chelsea there were signs of the huge strides that the side from South Wales have made under Paul Clement. Even in the Bob Bradley days scoring goals was not their biggest problem, it was their awful defensive displays that were costing them. Clement deserves great credit for tightening things up at the back whilst not blunting their attacking play. In Sigurdsson and Llorente they have two potential match winners which always helps.
Burnley got their second away point of the season last weekend against Hull. With their home form more than likely enough to keep them up regardless of what they do away from Turf Moor there’s no reason why the Clarets can’t relax a bit in their next few away games and treat their upcoming away trips as free swings. We don’t think that will be enough here however with Clement’s Welsh revolution likely to continue.
Swansea evens
Watford v Southampton
Watford’s form has improved since their disappointing FA Cup exit to Millwall at the end of January, taking 7 points from their last 4 Premier League games. Manager Walter Mazzeri will be disappointed to have lost Mauro Karate to a cruciate ligament injury although the form of another January signing, M’Baye Niang, gives reason for plenty of optimism.
It will be interesting to see how the Saints react to their EFL Cup final defeat to Man United, a game which they were unlucky to lose considering they were the better team throughout. Watching the Saints earlier in the season they looked to be short of a Striker who could finish the chances their excellent midfield play deserved, in Manolo Gabbiadini they seem to have found their missing link with the Italian in fine form since his January arrival.
Looking at this game initially, it’s 12th against 13th, with both teams safe from relegation and too far off the Euro places, we would have said draw. However Watford are too big a price to turn down, especially with the Saints still fielding Jake Stephens and Maya Yoshida as their first choice centre back pairing.
Watford win 13/5
WBA v Crystal Palace
Tony Pulis was coming in for a lot of slack from Baggies fans earlier in the season, and the Welshman has made many of his critics look foolish. The Baggies sit in 8th with a 7 point gap between them and 9th placed West Ham. Meaning the Baggies remain safely on course to achieve both theirs and Pulis’ best ever Premier League finish.
Palace come in to this game off the back of a vital 1-0 home win against Middlesborough, only their 2nd win in 9 attempts since Big Sam’s arrival. Big Sam will be hoping of following up that victory with a result here at the Hawthorns in order to finally kick start their season, as things have not gone as well as expected since his arrival in December. They still remain in the relegation zone so things need to change fast for the Selhurst Park outfit.
A game between 2 of the leagues most renowned long ball specialists will more than likely be far from a classic.
Draw 23/10
Liverpool v Arsenal
The game of the weekend between two sides who’s coaches have been under severe pressure over the last couple of months. Liverpool were dire against Leicester on Monday, washing away any renewed optimism that their impressive victory over Spurs had generated. Playing Lucas at centre back and leaving themselves so open to counter attacks against Leicester showed either extreme naivety or stubbornness on the part of Klopp.
This will be Arsenals first outing against serious opposition since their 5-1 trashing away to Bayern in the Champions League and will be another test of Wenger’s woeful away record against top 6 sides.
Despite all the criticism of both coaches, you can rarely criticise either coach when it comes to their attacking play so this should be a thoroughly entertaining affair.
Man United playing first with the incentive to leap frog both sides into 4th will give some added spice and if either team loses it will be an uncomfortable interview afterwards for the losing manger.
Result 2-2 , 12/1
Spurs v Everton
Spurs recovered from their disappointing Europa League exit by smashing Stoke 4-0 at White Hart Lane last Sunday. Mauricio Pochettino’s men are still undefeated at the Lane this season and with Harry Kane on 3 hat tricks in 9 games they look on course to finish in the top four again. They will however be hoping that they actually perform once they get to Europe this time round.
Everton and their fans have not given up hope of reaching the European places themselves and are on a fantastic run having lost only once since their narrow Merseyside derby defeat to Liverpool in December. Koeman strengthened well in January and with talk of their own prolific frontman, Romelu Lukaku, signing a new contract, things look bright in Toffee land.
This will be an entertaining affair and we’re going for a Desmond!
Result 2-2, 16/1
Sunderland v Man City
It’s hard to see any way this season ends for David Moyes and Sunderland other than in relegation. The only real positive they have is Jermaine Defoe and as good as he is he can’t make up for the fact the vast majority of his teammates would struggle in the Championship let alone the Premier League.
Man City seem to be back in form ever since that 2-2 draw with Spurs when the pressure on Pep was at an all time high. Sure they still look defensively suspect but they have so much talent going forward they will simply outscore teams when in form, whether that type of strategy is enough to win a Premier League title however remains very doubtful. If he has any sense Pep will bring Cabillero back in for Bravo, as the Chilean’s midweek FA Cup performance was nothing more than another masterpiece in jumping out of the way of a football.
Man City and both teams to score 6/4
West Ham v Chelsea
The Payet fiasco seems to have galvanised the Hammers squad, they’re in decent form taking 11 points from the last 18 to leave them sitting comfortably in 9th place. A position you would have to imagine the Hammers would now take as their finishing position, as it’s been a turbulent season for the East London side.
The chasing pack will, more than likely, have made some ground on League leaders Chelsea by the time this match kicks off on Monday night, so Conte will be eager to get the 3 points and nip that in the bud. For us, Chelsea are just too good in defence, midfield and attack for Slaven Bilic’s men and we expect an away win.
Unfortunately bet365 aren’t offering odds on the amount of banning orders to be handed out with crowd trouble a real possibility at this one, the atmosphere in the stands can often spread onto the pitch so we’re expecting a bit of drama here.
Red Card to be shown 3/1
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