The Premier League is really getting almost too exciting now and whilst the title race may be turning into something of a Liverpool procession, there is still time for that to change. The battles for survival from the drop and Champions League qualification continue to be as tight as ever and we’ve got some great betting tips for this weekend’s biggest games.
Saturday 26 April 2014
Southampton v Everton (12:45) – Everton to win to nil (4/1 with Sky Bet)
The weekend starts with this mouth-watering clash between eighth placed Southampton and fifth placed Everton, the latter of whom are just a point behind Arsenal in the race to finish fourth. The Toffees stumbled recently, losing 3-2 at home to Crystal Palace as they looked for an eighth consecutive win but bounced back in fine style beating Man United 2-0 last time out. They will be desperate for the win here and that should give them the edge over Southampton who have little, if anything, to play for.
For all the plaudits they have earned, the Saints are closer to relegation than they are to Everton, just 19 points above the drop zone and 20 behind the Toffees. Moreover, they are without the injured Jay Rodriguez and have scored just one goal in their last three games. Given Everton have the second best defence in the top flight we fancy an away win to nil here at very nice odds indeed.
Fulham v Hull (15:00) – Fulham to win (13/10 with Sky Bet)
Fulham lost last time out against Spurs, going down 3-1 but they played reasonably well and will look for a third win in four here against a Hull side that was well beaten by Arsenal last time out. Hull are not yet safe and whilst they will battle here we suspect their FA Cup final may be a slight distraction and backing the home win looks a very good bet at 13/10.
Manchester United v Norwich (17:30) – Manchester United to win 2-0 (7/1 with Bet365)
United have sacked David Moyes and Ryan Giggs will be in charge here. We expect there to be a strange atmosphere at Old Trafford, a combination of relief, injustice and hope with many contrasting feelings about the departure of David Moyes. The crowd will get right behind their side here though and we fancy United to win easily enough, despite the valiant efforts of the Canaries last time out against Liverpool when they lost 3-2. United have won 2-0 three times on home soil this term, all against sides who have been struggling, and we fancy backing another such result here is a fine bet.
Sunday 27th April 2014
Sunderland v Cardiff (12:00) – Both teams to score and Sunderland to win (13/4 with Ladbrokes)
This is a genuine relegation six-pointer between sides at the foot of the table, Sunderland rock bottom and Cardiff a point but two places better off, though having played a game more. The Black Cats looked dead and buried but have resurrected their hopes by beating Chelsea last time out and drawing with Man City, the fact that both games were away from home making those results even more staggering. A win here and they will have a real chance of surviving and we think they will have too much for Cardiff.
The Welsh side have often been very poor and have occasionally got more than they deserved from games, such as their 1-0 win at Southampton recently when the Saints dominated. In contrast Sunderland have often been unlucky but luck can’t last forever and we think momentum and home advantage will get Gus Poyet’s men home, although with just five clean sheets all season we expect Cardiff to grab at least one goal in a nervy, action-packed thriller of a game.
Liverpool v Chelsea (14:0) – Liverpool/Liverpool in the half time/full time betting (2/1 with BetVictor)
Liverpool have been hugely helped by Sunderland in their bid for a first ever Premier League title and if they can win here they will surely go on to end their long wait for the league title. Given they have won 11 league matches in a row and 14 out of 16, as well as 15 out of 17 at home, odds of almost evens for them to win here look superb value.
Not only are Chelsea without their best player – Eden Hazard – they also face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi finals either side of this clash, giving the Reds a huge advantage. The home side could well win this quite easily and given how often they come flying out of the traps at Anfield backing them in the half time/full time betting market makes brilliant sense at fantastic odds of 2/1 here.