Tag: Football Tips

Chelsea vs. Arsenal: Can Chelsea Keep Another Clean Sheet?

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Some believe it’s already too late for Arsenal to mount a serious challenge for the Premier League title, but if the Gunners are going to do it then February 4th’s clash with Chelsea is a good place to start. Heading into the game, Chelsea appears to have an unbreakable hold over the league.

With 23 games played, 18 wins and 56 points on the board, it looks as though the title is Antonio Conte’s to lose. However, Arsenal and Tottenham haven’t exactly been slouches this season. Although the London clubs are nine points behind Chelsea, a win for the former on February 4 could put the pressure on. Of course, there’s a huge difference between thinking and doing and Arsenal will have to be on top form if they want to get a result at Stamford Bridge.

Experts Don’t Have Confidence in Arsenal

Now, if you listen to Jamie Carragher, Arsenal will be lucky to get a draw on Saturday. With Chelsea drawing at Liverpool and Arsenal ending a disappointing performance against Watford as 2-1 losers, Carragher believes Arsene Wenger’s men will struggle.

“You always feel with Arsenal in the big games they’ll be found out or just come up a little bit short. I don’t see it being any different at Stamford Bridge,” the former Liverpool player told Sky Sports.

Whether or not Carragher is right, the bookmakers seem to agree. The current outright betting line at Sun Bets has the home side as the even-money favourites with the visitors out at 11/4. Things don’t get much better for the Gunners over at Paddy Power with the odds showing 13/5 for the win and 9/4 on the draw.

Arsenal Can Score, but Will They?

For Arsenal fans, it’s not all doom and gloom in the stats department. When it comes to goals scored, Arsenal is leading Chelsea at a difference of 51 to 48. Unfortunately, it’s goals against that seems to be letting Arsenal down. As they showed in the Watford game, they’re more than capable of scoring. However, they’re also prone to letting goals slip. With 25 conceded (Chelsea 16 against), it’s hard to see how Chelsea won’t score at least one on February 4.

If Chelsea does score, recent results suggest that Arsenal probably won’t. Even though a strike rate of 51 goals in 23 games shows they’re more than capable of finding the net, Arsenal’s last nine matches against Chelsea have seen only one team score.

History Suggests a Shutout is Likely

Going all the way back to December 2013, Chelsea has won five games without conceding, while Arsenal has done the same on two occasions. Even the two draws were goalless affairs, which suggests that once one of these teams starts to dominate, they tend to completely shut out the other.

Looking back at the odds, 0-0 is currently 9:1 at 888sport, while 1-0 in favour of the home side is 7:1. For the adventurous, 11:1 is the price for the classic 1 nil to Arsenal but for our money 2-0 Chelsea at 9:1 looks to be the bet of the day. With Arsenal coming into the game on a downer and Chelsea looking strong against Liverpool, it looks as though all three points will stay at Stamford Bridge this time around. If that does prove to be the case, look for Chelsea to come away with a clean sheet and at least a goal or two.

Can Stoke Tame the Toffees?

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

There are some matches in the Premier League that are tough to call. Stoke City versus Everton is one of them. The Stoke manager Mark Hughes must be one of the most underrated managers in the top division. For several seasons he has guided Stoke well clear of the drop zone and into mid-table safety. That kind of record doesn’t get talked about, but keeping a club at that level in what is the most competitive league in world football is no mean feat.

His Stoke team host Everton and both teams are going into this match on the back of impressive results. Stoke was seconds away from beating Manchester United before Wayne Rooney scored a spectacular stoppage time equaliser. Stoke City have 28pts from 22 games and are currently 16pts clear of the drop zone. So once again, they are well clear of any potential relegation threat.

Koeman has Transformed Everton

Everton will prove to be very tough opposition for Stoke despite having home advantage at the Bet365 Stadium. Since the beginning of December, Everton has lost twice in the league. They were unlucky to lose 3-2 at Watford and the Merseyside derby at home to Liverpool. They gained a creditable draw against Manchester United but have recorded some positive wins since then.

This includes beating Arsenal and Leicester away in December while also beating Southampton and Crystal Palace in January. The “jewel in the crown” with regards to their recent results was their 4-0 hammering of Manchester City. This has left Everton in seventh place just five points behind Manchester United.

Backing Stoke is Clear Value

There is very little to choose between these two teams. Everton clearly has a slight edge but with Stoke having home advantage then value should be easy to find. Once again it is worth repeating that Stoke was seconds away from beating Manchester United. The gap between Stoke and Everton is a mere eight points. You can get almost 2-1 on a Stoke City victory as Betfred quote odds of 15-8.

You can also get odds of 12-5 on the draw with BetVictor who also quote 8-5 on an Everton victory. Both of these teams lack a top class proven finisher. So the odds of 6-5 from BetVictor that both teams will not score may be of interest. If you expect either team to win by the odd goal then PaddyPower quote 17-2 for a 1-0 win for Everton while Bet365 quote odds of 9-1 for a 1-0 win for Stoke.

West Ham v Man City: Hammers out for revenge

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Just three weeks ago West Ham United endured the worst night of their season to date when Manchester City rolled into town and clobbered them 5-0.

The destruction they faced at the London Stadium that night resulted in an early and embarrassing exit from the FA Cup for Slaven Bilic’s men at the third round stage of the competition. However, they haven’t had to wait too long for their opportunity to exact revenge.

Revenge the order of the day

This coming Tuesday evening, Pep Guardiola’s stuttering City return once again to East London looking for another decisive victory to give a semblance of still being title challengers in the wake of their recent patchy form. The Hammers, on the other hand, will be hoping to make amends for that painful five-goal mauling in early January by putting a major dent in City’s fading title aspirations.

In the continued absence of want-away French star Dimitri Payet, who has been upsetting the applecart with his desire to move back to former club Marseille, Bilic will be hoping that the fit and rejuvenated Andy Carroll can continue his recent impressive form and fire West Ham to a third league victory in succession.

City favourites but Hammers better value for money

Guardiola’s men will enter the match on Tuesday as the overriding favourites with the bookmakers for another victory, Bet365 quoting them as low as 4/7 to prevail. However, if you’re looking for value for money when contemplating your next betting fix, it’s difficult to look past a wager on a home win, with massive odds of 21/4 still available at BetVictor. Given City’s recent iffy away form, with away defeats at Leicester, Liverpool and a 4-0 drubbing at Everton fresh in the mind, coupled with West Ham’s improving results of late, a small flutter on a home win has to be worth some serious consideration.

Carroll to continue recent hot streak?

Many punters will undoubtedly look at the first goalscorer market as a source of potential winnings as always. And while it’s difficult at 5/2 with Paddy Power to look past City’s top goalscorer Sergio Aguero to bring home the bacon, serious thought should be afforded to the big man Carroll, who has notched three goals in his last two outings and is great value at 8/1 also with Paddy Power. Aside from the big guns, a significant alternative in the first goalscorer stakes could be West Ham’s man of the season so far, Michail Antonio, who has top-scored with eight goals and is a huge 11/1 with everybody’s favourite Irish bookmaker.

Lightning to strike twice?

City will be reticent to drop any further points with the club already an intimidating 12 points behind league leaders Chelsea. Anything less than a win would surely signal the end of any realistic title-winning hopes. And for anybody with a few quid burning a hole in their pocket and looking for a long odds special, how about a wager on another 5-0 whitewash in City’s favour? Aha, but lightning doesn’t strike twice you say. Well, although unlikely, think Liverpool 4 Newcastle 3 at Anfield two seasons on the bounce in the nineties. Impossible is nothing. Sky Bet will give odds of 50/1 for City to repeat the trick. I might just have a fiver on that myself.

Elsewhere, for any Hammers fans looking for more than just retribution on the pitch and instead some reprisal in the shape of cold hard cash in the pocket, how about a tempting 6/1 with Bet365 for the Hammers to go five better than last time and completely shut out City’s attack? It should be an interesting contest.

Liverpool To Breathe New Life Into The Title Race

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WHAT a match to welcome back the Premier League this midweek when Liverpool host table toppers Chelsea at Anfield.

It’s been a contrasting few weeks for both of these footballing giants with Liverpool struggling for any form after just one win in their last six matches, and Chelsea pulling NINE points clear at the top of the Premier League table after 13 wins from their last 14 matches.

This is a mini crisis for Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and his side have to win this to stand any chance of winning their first English title in 25 years; and although their form is shocking at present, their record against the top teams is very good and they can’t be overlooked.

The Reds’ have no problem when they are up against the best, it’s the lower sides that they can’t find a way past as they’ve let odds-on punters down FIVE times now in their last six matches.

Liverpool isn’t odds-on to win this one, which means they stand a good chance; you can get 2.50 on them for the win and in a game where it arguably means more to them than the visitors, that looks a decent bet.

Earlier on in the season Liverpool went to Stamford Bridge and came away with three points in a 2-1 win, and despite Chelsea’s excellent form, the 3.00 on the Blues’ isn’t a price that I would want to take against a side that they’ve had problems beating recently,

Recent History not Good for the Favourites

In the last six meetings between these two rivals, Chelsea has just one win and it will be interesting to see the tactics that Antonio Conte goes with at Anfield, as a point is a good result for the Londoners’ and Liverpool have struggled this season when teams have come to Merseyside to defend.

In six of the last seven meetings, both teams have scored and that will be a popular bet with punters at 1.66, but in a game that means so much for both sides, I am expecting this one to be tight. I would rather swim against the tide and play “no” at 2.25 with BetVictor, and also get involved in the under 2.5 goal market which is 2.00 with William Hill, which has been a regular winner in Liverpool’s recent matches.

I always like to take Liverpool when they are not expected to perform and on big nights like this under the Anfield lights, the “Kop” can inspire them to a slender 1-0 win, which is a general 9.50, to get their title hopes back on track and a result that will be cheered on by all the other title contenders.

Arsenal vs. Burnley: Will Wenger’s Men Prove Too Strong?

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If you’re a Burnley fan, or just a canny punter looking for a bargain bet, you may be prepping yourself for a tough match on Sunday. Heading to Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium is never fun for any team, so when you’re a relatively small club like Burnley, this sort of fixture is always going to be tough.

However, just before you hold your hands up in despair, it’s worth noting that Burnley’s record against the Gunners isn’t that bad. In fact, since the two clubs first locked horns in 1896, Burnley has won 38 games, drawn 21 and lost 48. The optimistic among you will have already spotted that these stats mean Burnley have come away with at least a point on more occasions than they haven’t.

Recent Results Mean More than History as a Whole

Now, it’s fair to say that most of the positive results were recorded a few years ago (quite a few in some cases) and in recent times the Clarets haven’t fared as well. In fact, the last five meetings between the two clubs have all gone Arsenal’s way. With this being the case, the question for all betting bods then becomes: can Burnley roll back the clock and produce a vintage performance on January 22, or will Arsenal reconfirm their modern superiority?

Before we answer that question, let’s take a quick look at the outright betting markets. As it stands, Arsenal will start the game as favourites according to Sun Bets. With the home side a commanding 2/11 and the visitors way out of town at 12/1, the odds would suggest this match is only going to go one way. However, despite the betting markets not favouring the northern side, Sean Dyche’s men are far from pushovers.

Burnley Have Pushed the Top Dogs on Numerous Occasions

Yes, Turf Moor has been something of a fortress and provided the majority of Burnley’s best performances this season, but the club’s away form hasn’t been terrible. In fact, over the last five games, Burnley has only lost twice to Tottenham away (2-1) and Manchester City away (2-1). Narrow losses to two of the top sides in the country on their home patches are nothing to be ashamed of.

Of course, prior form against top competition on the road doesn’t necessarily mean Dyche and his men can do the same against Arsenal. But, if we’re going to put our necks on the line, at least one goal for Burnley isn’t out of the question. Now, stopping the likes of Ozil and Giroud from scoring two or more won’t be easy, but the least we can expect is Burnley to bring the pressure.

Odds Favour Arsenal but there’s Value in Burnley

From a betting perspective, Paddy Power’s 4/9 on over 2.5 goals isn’t a bad shout, but Joey Barton to score anytime at 13/2 with Coral looks to be the value bet of the day. With a goal against Southampton in the side’s last Premier League outing, Barton proved that he’s not quite done with top flight football just yet.

Yes, there was a deflection on the free-kick, but his effort in the middle of the park throughout the game was impressive (especially at 34-years-old) and that could earn him an opportunity at the Emirates. However, if we accept Barton to score anytime as a punt with some value, then a “banker” bet for this match looks something like Arsenal to win 2-1. Sun Bets currently has that result priced at 17/2, while the similar (and possibly more likely) 2-0 is 11/2.

Overall, it’s hard to see passed Arsenal in this one. With a 4-0 win last time out against Swansea, Arsene Wenger’s men are certainly fighting hard for second place this season. This sort of form, combined with previous results and a clear gap in quality, should see Arsenal secure a comfortable win. The question, on this occasion, is by how many goals.

Watford vs. Tottenham: New Year, New Spurs

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While half of the UK will be waking up on January 1 feeling as though they’ve just taken a wayward Harry Kane penalty to the side of the head, Tottenham’s finest will be heading to Watford’s Vicarage Road.

Forming part of a New Year’s Day double-header, Watford vs. Tottenham looks as though it will gift the latter with a positive start to 2017. With the post-Christmas festivities being kind to Spurs, the bookies are all in agreement that an away win is where the odds will lay heading into this one.

Tottenham Finding their Form

Thanks to a 4-1 drubbing of Southampton, Mauricio Pochettino’s men will be on a high and the odds makers at Sun Bets have responded in kind by setting their win line at 4/6. Although Watford is far from sitting ducks at 4/1, the fact you can get a better price on a draw (14/5) than a home win would suggest The Hornets have it all to do on Sunday.

In fact, to make matters worse for Walter Mazzarri and the Hertfordshire side, Boxing Day’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace was a disappointing result. Despite Watford’s relative success so far this season (10th after 18 games), the performance against Palace left a lot to be desired. Maybe Palace was buoyed by the appointment of new manager Sam Allardyce, maybe they were full of cheer, but after 30 minutes they certainly didn’t look like a side that has only managed four wins this season.

Although Palace began to fade as the match wore on, Watford wasn’t able to assert much dominance and it was only by the grace of a penalty that they managed to sneak a draw. Now, to completely discount the performance by Palace would be harsh, but the reality is that Watford made them look good and if that happens when Tottenham come calling it could be a long 90 minutes.

Spurs’ Strike Rate on the Up

Spurs haven’t been a goal machine this season, but they proved they’ve got the firepower to score by putting four past Southampton. Has something clicked up front? Quite possibly, and if it has then the league leaders should be worried. As it stands, the London club has only conceded 13 this season and if they can combine this with more goals, they’ll become a very tough side to beat.

Unfortunately for Watford, they may be taking on Tottenham at the worst time possible. With a glut of goals distinctly possible, William Hill’s “Tottenham to win by 2 or more goals” bet at 9/4 could be good value. Although punters have been reluctant to speculate on goal bets when it comes to Tottenham this season, the Southampton win has certainly changed the tide and opened up the market.

There Will be Goals, But Don’t Go Crazy

Indeed, if you really fancy the likes of Kane and Dele Alli to hit the target on January 1, you can currently get 28/1 with Coral that Tottenham will clinch another 4-1 away win. Now, the chances of a repeat score line are probably quite low, so the smart money in this instance would probably be over 2.5 goals. Coral will give you 19/20 on this while Sun Bets’ team has pitched it at 10/11.

Although it would be unwise to completely write off Watford in this game, a draw would seem to be the only likely alternative outcome. If we accept that as a reality, it then becomes a matter of how many goals will Spurs win by? Given their current strike rate (just under two goals per game) and goals conceded, 2-0 (7/1 at William Hill) would be a strong bet for this New Year’s Day showdown.