We’re headed into a massive week as far as the Premier League is concerned. With only a few games to go, we’re getting a full round of games plus sides playing catch up in midweek. The matches below are followed by many teams playing their games in hand, so the table should become a lot clearer over the next week or so.
Focusing on the weekend ahead, there are plenty of live games which could play a huge part in the run in. Both Leicester and Tottenham have tough matches in store, as they look to be the only two sides capable of winning the title. On top of that, Manchester City are looking to keep their grip on fourth, while there’s a massive clash at the other end of the table in the fight for survival. Here we’re looking ahead to the weekend, previewing all the live games and offering up a tip on each.
Saturday 16th April 2016
Norwich v Sunderland (12:45) – Norwich to win (11/8 with Betfair)
This game is the very definition of a relegation six-pointer. Norwich’s win at the Stadium of Light earlier in the season looks massive now, with the Canaries four points above the Mackems, who are 18th in the table. With things looking bleak for Newcastle and Aston Villa, these are the two sides above them, battling each other to make it to safety. It’s seems almost certain that it will be one of these two sides who head into the Championship next season, but which one will it be?
Right now, everything seems to be going well enough for Norwich. They’ve just hit form, and now they’re playing like they were at the start of the season. With two sides almost gone, Norwich will be hoping to deliver a huge blow to Sunderland and move further clear of danger. A win here could put the Canaries seven points clear of the drop, with just four games left for them to play. They go into this game with momentum, and we think that will carry them through to survival. We’re backing a win for Norwich here, as Alex Neill’s men give Sunderland an almost fatal blow.
Chelsea v Manchester City (17:30) – Draw (12/5 with Sky Bet)
This is last season’s top two going head to head. This game sees two of England’s most expensively assembled sides take to the field, but we’re really struggling to get interested. Chelsea’s season is over, and their players don’t seem to care too much about impressing their new manager. They seem happy to wait for preseason training, judging by their game at Swansea last week. The Chelsea revival was ended at the Liberty Stadium last Saturday, leaving the Blues with nothing to play for.
That should mean City will win easily here, but they’re in Champions League action in midweek. That will take its toll on this City side, a group who didn’t do too well against West Brom after their last Champions League match. With all City eyes on PSG, this game will fall behind as a priority. Last weekend they got some breathing room in the fight for the top four, so they won’t be under as much pressure here with both West Ham and Man United dropping points. With their focus elsewhere this week, we see City coming here a little short of their best after the PSG clash. A draw is our bet for this one, which is how six of Chelsea’s seven home league games under Hiddink have finished.
Sunday 17th April 2016
Leicester v West Ham (13:30) – Leicester to win (evens with Bet365)
Leicester v West Ham is the biggest game of the weekend, ahead of Chelsea v City. That’s not something we would have expected back when the reverse of these fixtures were played in August. Back then, City v Chelsea was a title scrap, whereas now it’s any game Leicester are involved in that matters most at the top of the table. The Foxes are three wins from the title, and now only Spurs stand in their way of making history. Can the Foxes get even closer this weekend?
West Ham stand in their way, and they are a side who have ambitions of their own. They are chasing down Man City in fourth, but their Champions League hopes are fading. A defeat here could end their chances completely, but they’ve been below par lately. As they head to Leicester, we think the Foxes will just edge this contest. They’ve been grinding out plenty of results lately, and we see them doing something similar when the Hammers come to town. Getting the league leaders at odds of evens on home soil when they’re three wins away from the title is certainly value. Our tip on this game is to simply follow that value.
Monday 18th April 2016
Stoke v Tottenham (20:00) – Over 1.5 Tottenham goals (19/20 with Betfair)
Should Leicester see off West Ham, their fans and players will be eagerly watching this game on Monday night. The Foxes would be two wins from the title, but only three points away if Spurs lost. That’s a lot of pressure for this young Spurs side to take into a game, but this isn’t the same Tottenham side who have struggled with expectation over the years. This unit are hungry and fearless, and right now they’ve nothing to lose, and everything to gain should Leicester slip up.
This isn’t the same Stoke outfit from years gone by, either. While they have a good record against top sides this season, they’re not quite as tough to play against as they have been in the past. They’re still doing well, but their 2-2 draw at home to Swansea recently shows how they’ve changed. They’ve conceded nine in their last four games, they they’re playing the highest scoring side in the league this term. After Tottenham put three past Manchester United last week, we expect them to score a few at the Britannia Stadium and we’re going with over 1.5 away goals here., priced at 19/20 with Betfair.
See also:
- BTTS Tips (16th to 18th April)
- Acca Tips (16th to 18th April)