Tag: EPL

Tottenham v Everton Preview: Hedge Your Bets on this One

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

“We’ve had good results against really good teams and that gives everyone the confidence to get a good result on Sunday.” That’s what Everton manager Ronald Koeman recently told the club’s official website when asked about their impending clash with second-place Tottenham.

Reviewing the Toffees’ season-to-date, a season that’s seen them beat Manchester City, Arsenal and pick up a point against Manchester United, Koeman is confident his players have the skills to win on March 5. However, as buoyed by these results as Koeman may be, Mark Lawrenson can’t see Everton maintaining their current streak of nine games unbeaten.

Despite acknowledging the quality of the side, Tottenham’s defensive abilities and their desire to bounce back from a disappointing Europa League exit will be enough to tip the balance according to Lawro.

“Generally Spurs are very good defensively and, at the other end, they just ripped the Potters apart last week – Harry Kane’s hat-trick was top drawer. I know Everton are nine games unbeaten in the league, but going to White Hart Lane and continuing that run is a huge ask,” Lawrenson told BBC sport.

The Battle Between the Physical and the Mental

Ahead of the match, it seems as though one of two factors could decide this game. On the one hand, those in favour of Tottenham can look towards the team’s superior physical skills. With Harry Kane currently banging in goals for fun and leading the Premier League’s top scorer race, there’s no doubt Everton will be under pressure from the off. In fact, when you factor in the loss of defensive midfielder Muhamed Besic due to an injury, Everton may be forced into their shell in a bid to stop Kane from running riot.

On the other hand, Everton supporters could feasibly claim that their players will have the psychological edge heading into the match. As Koeman has pointed out, big results from big games this season bodes well for the upcoming fixture. Add to that the fact Everton picked up a point against Spurs the last time they met on top of a nine-run win streak and supporters have every right to be confident. There’s no doubt the absence of Besic and Yannick Bolasie will hurt, but maybe the team’s mindset can overcome this hurdle.

Indeed, with Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Danny Rose and Erik Lamela all looking unlikely, the time may be right for Everton to do a bit better than a point. If the boys in blue can ride this wave of confidence, 9/2 on a win with Sun Bets looks to be a strong price. On the flip side, those with the confidence that physical skills will overcome mental agility can find odds of 4/6 on Tottenham at Coral.

Double Your Bets for a Chance to Win Twice

For those looking to sniff out a bargain, Paddy Power’s weekend “2 Up” offer may be worth taking. If Spurs can bag a couple of quick goals, you’ll be paid out instantly at 8/13 regardless of the end result. Given that we could easily see Everton fight back and earn a point as they did last time out, this could be a great way to hedge your bets. By combining Paddy Power’s offer with Coral’s 3/1 on the draw you to pick up two wins on what looks to be a highly likely outcome.

With both teams playing well and positives on both sides, Tottenham v Everton looks set to be an entertaining but close game. Current league standings would suggest the home side will just edge it. However, if you’re willing to double your bets and use some online offers, the draw could be the wisest move you’ll make this weekend.

Sunderland Simply Must Start Winning

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

David Moyes is a man under pressure. Sunderland is rooted to the bottom of the Premier League with only thirteen games to go. The arrival of Moyes at the Stadium of Light was seen as a move that would bring solidity to Sunderland. The reality has been much different. A procession of near misses in recent seasons with regards to relegation has taken its toll.

Whether the blame is with Moyes or with the Sunderland board is unclear. It has been slightly surprising to see Moyes still in a job in February. The demand to stay in the Premier League has never been higher. A creditable goalless draw with Tottenham and a 4-0 thumping of Crystal Palace were deceiving.

Is Sunderland Good Enough?

This is a big question? They were humiliated at home to Southampton with most of their crowd leaving early. With several relegation candidates picking up points recently, Sunderland is clearly under pressure. If they don’t begin to pick up points soon, it is tough to see David Moyes surviving until the end of the season.

Sunderland travels to Everton in what appears to be a really challenging encounter. Everton is clearly the best team in the Premier League outside of the top six. Ronald Koeman has done a fantastic job of pulling them together. They work to a really solid system that suits them. What Sunderland need is a couple of easier fixtures. Goodison Park certainly isn’t on that list.

Can we Back Sunderland to win?

Sunderland is a best priced 13/2 with SkyBET but even at those odds, it is difficult to see them winning. Sunderland just looks so poor at the moment. Everton is currently 2/5 with William Hill and that is almost like buying money.

The Black Cats are still in the hunt for survival and are only two points adrift of the safety zone. It is this that has kept David Moyes in a job. If that gap increases to five points or more then we can expect the board to take action. Bet365 are a best priced 17/4 for the draw and that is a good bet too.

So the decision is whether to bet on the draw or the home win? The better option is the home win. Sunderland simply doesn’t appear to be capable of getting a result against a top seven side away from home. Their 0-0 draw with Tottenham was misleading. The look of despair on Moyes’ face during their display against Southampton said it all. That was the look of a man who knew his team are in trouble.

A Must Win Game For Tottenham

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

IT’S a must win game for Tottenham in the Premier League this weekend when they host Stoke at White Hart Lane and anything other than three points can see their title challenge over.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side has been struggling of late in the Premier League with just one win in their last four and this is going to be a lot tougher than the layers are predicting.

Spurs did bounce back to winning ways with a Harry Kane hat-trick in the 3-0 FA Cup win at Championship Fulham last weekend, but in the Premier League they’ve been struggling for goals with just one scored in their last four matches and the first bets I like in this one are going against goals again.

Both teams have now failed to score in the last FIVE Tottenham matches and with under 2.5 goals, a winning bet in six of the last seven Stoke matches. both of those markets look the best wagers in Sunday’s match-up.

Under 2.5 goals is surprisingly as big as 2.30 with BetVictor and despite this fixture having a long history of goals that looks a good bet and the “no” in the BTTS market is certainly one for the weekend coupons as well at 1.92 with BetVictor again.

Can Tottenham be Trusted?

Spurs has let odds-on favourites down twice in the last couple of weeks at Sunderland and Gent, but at home, they usually get the job done and arrive in this one on the back of TEN straight home successes.

I couldn’t back them though at the 1.40 on offer generally, as Stoke has been their bogey team in recent years with just one home win in the last five meetings.

Mark Huges’ side are a stand-out 10.00 with BetVictor to get a famous win in north London, but I think the game-plan will be to frustrate and try to get a point, but eventually Tottenham will break through and instead of taking the heavy odds-on for a home win I will be having a small wager on a 1-0 home win at 8.00 with BetVictor yet again.

I also strongly believe that it might take the home side a little time to break down the red and white bus that is going to be facing them and for that reason another small wager on the draw at half-time and a Tottenham win at the final whistle is suggested at a very nice looking 4.33 with, yes you’ve guessed it BetVictor again.

City to Keep Winning in a Goal Fest

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

ME and odds-on favourites away from home in the Premier League don’t usually go hand in hand but there is a lot to like about Manchester City this week when they make the long journey down to the south coast to face struggling Bournemouth.

It’s a Premier League coupon that’s littered with heavy odds-on pokes but the 1.50 that is available with Stan James on City for this one looks one of the better of the short prices.

It’s very rare that I would suggest a play on any side that is odds-on away from home in still the most competitive league in the world, but I am expecting totally different ends to the season for this two and it’s hard not to get involved.

Last weekend City left it late to beat Swansea 2-1 at the Etihad with two goals from wonder kid Gabriel Jesus, and despite what’s been a disappointing Premier League campaign, they still remain in third position in the table and arrive on the south coast with three successive wins under their belt.

In recent weeks, manager Pep Guardiola has let his star-studded side off the shackles and City games for the remainder of the season will be good ones to watch.

In their last three wins City has scored an impressive nine goals and getting with goals certainly looks the way to profit at the Vitality.

Nine of City’s last ten matches have seen over 2.5 goals feature and at 1.57 with Stan James again that looks the banker in the match for me as it’s also been a winner in 11 of Bournemouth’s last 13.

Bournemouth is 7.00 with William Hill to win this game, and despite a win at home to Liverpool and an impressive home draw with Arsenal, that is not a price that I would go anywhere near with their current form.

The Cherries are in real danger of being dragged into a relegation battle. With no wins in their last six matches and a staggering 19 goals conceded in those matches, this is certainly worrying times for Eddie Howe.

At the weekend Bournemouth defended like school kids in the 6-3 defeat against Everton, and another freaky result looks on the cards but with the majority of goals for the visitors, so I also like City -1.5 goals on the Asian handicap at 2.20 with Bet365.

City have to go all out and win every remaining game now in Premier League, something that they are more than capable of doing since the arrival of new Jesus; he could be the answer to their prayers and Bournemouth need to stop the rot or they will be in the Championship, something I am not sure they can do.

Swansea v Leicester: Basement Battle of the Two Cities

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

It is widely lauded by all and sundry as being the greatest league in the world. But while at the top end of the table Chelsea Football Club looks to be cantering towards a sixth title, it is at the foot of the Premier League table where all the real drama and excitement seems to be currently being generated.

And at 1600 hours GMT on Sunday afternoon, the drama doesn’t get much more tense as reigning Premier League champions Leicester City travel to South Wales to face fellow relegation-threatened Swansea City in a hugely significant match for both teams. It promises to be a real nail-biter for both sets of supporters with the clubs equal on 21 points and sitting uncomfortably just a single point clear of the dreaded drop zone.

Swans searching for home comforts

New Swansea boss Paul Clement, who has spent much of his coaching career to date looking down on the rest of the league table as Carlo Ancelotti’s assistant at Chelsea, PSG, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, has taken to management at the wrong end of the table like a duck to water.

Three wins from four league matches in January including a thrilling first ever away victory over Liverpool at Anfield has breathed new life into a Swansea team who had looked doomed to relegation under Clement’s predecessors Francesco Guidolin and Bob Bradley. And the Swans were desperately unlucky not to emerge from last Sunday’s visit to Manchester City with a potentially precious point, Gabriel Jesus’ injury time winner cruelly denying them at the last.

Before Clement’s arrival, Swansea’s home form had made for uneasy reading with just eight points taken at the Liberty Stadium, a poor return given their record of just five home defeats the previous season. The in-form club is now 6/4 with Coral for the drop while Sunday’s opponents Leicester are slightly longer odds at 2/1 with William Hill to complete a rapid fall from grace and finish in the bottom three just 12 months after topping the pile so thrillingly.

Foxes in desperate need of first away win

The last time Leicester won a Premier League match away from home, against Sunderland last April, the club was motoring towards a first ever top division title win. Now just 10 months on, the deposed champions have yet to register a league win on their travels all season, after boasting a record of just two losses on the road in 2015-16.

To say it has been a disappointing defence of their trophy would be bordering on the understatement of the millennium. And despite Foxes boss Claudio Ranieri getting the dreaded vote of confidence earlier this week, he remains the favourite ahead of Middlesbrough’s Aitor Karanka to be the next top-flight manager to lose his job, registering as short as 6/4 with BetVictor.

On current form, Swansea should go into his match as overwhelming favourites for victory given their recent promising results and Leicester’s continuing awful form. Yet, Bet365 are still offering tasty odds of 6/4 for a home win while Leicester is 21/10 with BetVictor to finally register a first away win of the campaign.

And talking of decent odds, how about this for a potential money maker? With Leicester having lost four matches in succession on the road with no goals scored and 10 conceded, serious consideration should be given to having a small flutter on Swansea keeping a clean sheet on Sunday, with odds of 9/4 on offer from Bet365.

With some difficult matches lying in wait for both clubs, a defeat for either would significantly deepen relegation worries. It promises to be a close but nervy encounter.

The Pressure is on Arsene Wenger

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Being out of the Premier League title race by the beginning of February wasn’t something that the Arsenal fans expected or hoped for. The harsh reality is that it has happened. Whatever pressure there was on Arsene Wenger has now been heaped back onto his shoulders. Arsenal winning back to back FA Cups in 2014 and 2015 relieved some of that pressure. Last season was Arsenals big chance in the league. They blew it in spectacular fashion.

The 3-1 defeat to neighbours and title rivals Chelsea last weekend was the final nail in the coffin for Arsene Wenger. Once again they look too weak for the Champions League latter stages. This leaves the FA Cup as their only realistic target. There is an even bigger problem on the horizon. If Arsenal fails to qualify for the Champions League next season then the pressure will be intense on Arsene Wenger.

The Manchester are Teams Coming Good

With just fourteen games to go in the league, Arsenal is now a mere one point in front of Manchester City and only two in front of United. The current form tables suggest that Arsenal and Liverpool are in serious danger of missing out on the Champions League places. Both City and United are improving while Arsenal seems to be misfiring. They only just scraped past Burnley recently with a late stoppage time penalty.

The home loss against Watford last week was hardly a big shock. Arsenal faces Hull City this weekend in what is a must-win game for the Gunners. The title may have gone after their loss to Chelsea, but they are now in a serious dogfight for the top four places. The problem for Arsenal is that Hull now has a new manager and have been impressive in recent weeks.

A Much Tougher Fixture

Hull have taken four points from Manchester United and Liverpool in their previous two matches and have clearly turned a corner with regards to their form. The new Hull City manager Marco Silva has got the team performing again. They need to because their league position is perilous. The betting firms see Arsenal as firm favourites and rightly so. Bet365 have Arsenal at 1-4 and it’s difficult to see value in that price.

Arsenal is likely to win this game but that doesn’t mean that we can back them at any price. The odds of 19-4 on the draw also by Bet365 may appeal better. The superior bet may be the even money odds offered by PaddyPower on both teams to score.

The fact of the matter is that Hull City are not too far behind teams like Burnley and Watford in terms of consistency. Burnley came within seconds of getting a point at Arsenal while Watford beat them. Arsenal is a fragile team given the strength of their squad and that will remain the case until the end of this season.