Tag: premier league betting

Can Arsenal Stay in Title Contention?

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Arsenal are just about in the title race….just! They trail leaders Chelsea by eight points. Whilst that lead is far from insurmountable, it does look increasingly likely that Arsenal will drop more points than Chelsea between now and the climax of the season. Arsenal almost blew it at home to Burnley in their previous home fixture. It took a penalty seven minutes into stoppage time from Alexis Sanchez to rescue all three points for the Gunners.

This story has a familiar ring to it from previous seasons. Arsenal is simply too error-prone when it comes to dropping points in games where they shouldn’t.

Arsenal Can Close the Gap

On Tuesday, Arsenal entertains Watford on the same evening that leaders Chelsea travel to Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp has seen his Liverpool side suffer a dip in form since the start of the year but they are still tough to beat at home. This is a great chance for Arsenal to show their fans that they have what it takes to win the title.

The pundits and experts don’t rate Arsenal’s chances when it comes to winning the league. They let a huge opportunity slip last season when Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea all had mediocre seasons by their standards. Yet Arsenal still couldn’t land the title, which is proving to be more and more elusive season by season. While the Gunners have been picking up points of late, their Achilles Heel is in defence.

Papering Over the Cracks

Arsenal came from three goals down to draw 3-3 away at Bournemouth which was a great fight back and showed tremendous spirit and grit. The main problem was that they were three goals down in the first place. Arsene Wenger will be serving a touchline ban after being punished for his outburst at the fourth official during their home game with Burnley.

That shouldn’t prevent Arsenal from taking the game to Watford who are resilient but nothing special. Arsenal can be backed at 1-4 with Stan James but there appears to be little value in those odds. Watford is a best-priced 14-1 with BetVictor while you can get 6-1 for the draw also with BetVictor.

Given that Arsenal is likely to score at home coupled with how dodgy they are in defence, the odds for both teams to score may prove better value. You can get even money with Stan James for both Arsenal and Watford to find the net. Having a bet on the correct score may also be a good choice. BetVictor offer odds of 9-1 on a 2-1 Arsenal victory and that bet may be worth a flutter as is the 13-1 on offer for a 1-1 draw.

The Bookies Have Got it Wrong at the Etihad

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IT’S a huge match at the Etihad this weekend involving faltering giants Manchester City and fast improving Tottenham Hotspur.

This is as big as it gets for both sides as defeat for the home side would virtually see them unthinkably out of the title race in January, and a win for Spurs will see them as major title contenders if they aren’t already.

On the evidence of what we’ve seen in recent weeks, I am staggered by the prices on offer with the bookies.

City was dreadful in last weeks 4-0 hammering at Goodison Park at the hands of Everton, a defeat which was the biggest ever handed to manager Pep Guardiola, and I just can’t fathom why they are just 2.20 to bounce back with a win at the weekend.

Questionable Guardiola Moves vs. Pochettino’s Young Guns

Guardiola, despite his glowing CV, really hasn’t got to grips with the Premier League at all and his decision to dump England goalkeeper Joe Hart out of the Etihad in favour of Claudio Bravo looks more and more bizarre each and every week.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager looks a shadow of the suave and confident coach that rocked into Manchester in the summer, and I believe he’s got big problems making the Champions League, yet alone win the title.

Mauricio Pochettino is for me the best coach in the Premier League and his young Tottenham side are getting better and better each week and why they are 3.60 to win this match with Bet365 is anyone’s guess.

The Londoners are in superb form and scoring goals for fun having won their last SEVEN matches and scoring 21 goals in the process; with them also boasting a rock-solid defence, they are crying out to be backed at the prices on offer to add more misery to Pep.

Previous Form

When the two met in October the Spurs came out comfortable winners 2-0, which was only the second time in the last 11 matches between the two where over 2.5 goals wasn’t a winner. With so much at stake, especially for the home side, over 2.5 goals and both teams to score look good at 1.75 and 1.62 respectively.

It’s no surprise that Tottenham’s form has been on the up since the return of England international Harry Kane from injury, and after a hat-trick last week the Hurri-Kane is a good bet at 6.00 with Paddy Power to upstage Sergio Aguero in the goal scoring race with the opener in a match that promises 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.

Man Utd vs Tottenham: What Next for Jose Mourinho?

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It is only a few short months ago that Jose Mourinho was being hailed as the “saviour” at Old Trafford. The United fans believed that Mourinho would quickly return the Red Devils to their glory days. Boosted by the arrival of Ibrahimovic, Bailly, Mkhitaryan and world record signing Paul Pogba, surely they would now be top four material once again. The stodgy dreary football played under Louis van Gaal would now be well and truly in the past.

The fact of the matter is that United are certainly playing more attractive football under Mourinho. The problem is in getting the results. United are currently sixth in the table, a massive 9pts behind the top four places.

They also trail leaders Chelsea by a colossal 13pts, and surely their title chances have disappeared. United are going to struggle to even qualify for the Champions League, but how much of this is the fault of the previous manager?

Big Players Haven’t Performed

The fact of the matter is that Mourinho has spent a lot of money this season. His excuses for blaming Louis van Gaal and his much talked about “football philosophy” are wearing a little bit thin. If we factor in pre-season, Mourinho has now had five months with most of these players.

They are doing well in the possession stats but their quality in front of goal has been lacking. They face a Tottenham side that has been buoyed by yet another solid season.

It is how United compare against the top sides in the league that will define their season. So far they have failed to beat a top-six team after four attempts. They have drawn against Liverpool and Arsenal, but have been beaten at home to rivals City and then thrashed at Chelsea.

Tottenham will pose a Lot of Problems

Tottenham will pose yet another big test for Mourinho and his team of misfiring stars. United can be backed with Bet365 at odds of 5-4. William Hill quotes 5-2 for the draw and this looks like a much better bet than United at 5-4, seeing as they have yet to beat a top six side this season.

Tottenham is playing well. They thrashed Swansea City 5-0 and then finished their Champions League group with a 3-1 win against CSKA Moscow. You can get odds of 12-5 for a Tottenham victory at Old Trafford.

If we then add the late strikes against West Ham where they won 3-2, Harry Kane and company are clearly scoring goals again. That will be enough to cause Mourinho a big headache. The last thing he needs is another home defeat. If that happens on Sunday then expect the home fans to be booing at the final whistle. The United faithful didn’t expect another season outside of the Champions League, certainly not when they signed one of the most successful managers in world football.

Leicester City v Middlesbrough: A Day For Defences

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While Leicester City continued to buck the odds by topping Group G of the UEFA Champions League after a relatively comfortable 2-1 victory over Club Brugge on Tuesday, it’s fair to say that the Foxes have had to face something of a reality check in the Premier League this season.

Claudio Ranieri’s men have struggled to replicate their phenomenal title-winning form from the 2015/2016 campaign and currently sit just two points above the relegation zone in 14th place. A 2-1 defeat to Watford last time out did little to improve morale as Leicester became only the third reigning champions after Leeds United in 1992 and Blackburn Rovers in 1995 to start a season without a win in their first six away games.

Fortunately, the Foxes will be able to fall back on home comforts on Saturday as they face a Middlesbrough side who are one point and one place behind them in the Premier League table, but their erratic domestic form means a straightforward afternoon is far from guaranteed. In truth, there is little to separate the two sides in terms of results, with Boro edging it with five points from their last four games to Leicester’s four.

Foxes Failing To Fire

The worry for Leicester will be that while the two teams’ recent returns are comparable, the way in which those points have been accrued most certainly isn’t. Aitor Karanka’s men have shown incredible defensive resilience to secure hard-earned points at Arsenal and Manchester City while also derailing an in-form AFC Bournemouth at the Riverside, whereas Leicester lost their last Premier League home clash to West Brom.

Despite this fact, the bookmakers still have the reigning champions as favourites for the win against newly-promoted Middlesbrough, with Betfred and Betway both offering a best price of 10/11 on a home victory. The visitors, meanwhile, are out at 15/4 with Bet Victor and the draw is also available at 13/5 with Bet365; with both of these outcomes undoubtedly offering better value than the odds-on price on a Leicester win.

The main problem for the home side here is that while Boro has been busy making a name for themselves thanks to their dogged defending in recent weeks, Leicester is badly struggling for goals. Having been one of the driving forces behind their title push last season with 24 goals, Jamie Vardy has found the net twice so far and has now fallen behind slight injury doubt Islam Slimani in Coral’s first goalscorer market at 5/1.

Chances At A Premium

The Algerian, meanwhile, is rated at 9/2 with the same bookie and arguably represents more of a threat if he is passed fit; as does Leicester’s top scorer in all competitions this season, Riyad Mahrez, who comes in at 6/1 with Bet365 and also has penalty duties in his locker. Picking a marksman for the visitors is similarly problematic, with Middlesbrough being the league’s joint-lowest scorers alongside Hull City with 10 goals.

All this adds up to a game where defences are likely to be on top, and you can get a tasty-looking 7/2 on Boro keeping their fourth clean sheet of the season with Sky Bet. Similarly, Betfred is offering 12/5 on the match featuring fewer than 1.5 goals and – despite being odds-on at 4/5 – under 2.5 goals looks about as close to a certainty as you’re ever likely to find in the Premier League with the same online bookmaker.

Those wishing to take this defensive mindset a step further can find a generous 9/1 on the game finishing 0-0 with Sky Bet, while if you do fancy Leicester to snap their recent losing streak in the Premier League, your best bet is certainly to back the Foxes to win to nil with Bet Victor at vastly improved odds of 21/10.

Premier League Betting: Can Chelsea Stake Their Claim

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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.