Premier League Weekend Betting Preview
It’s the final weekend of Premier League action in 2017, and all teams are eager to end the year in style. There have been lots of goals in the recent festive games, with factors such as less preparation time and tired legs coming into play.
Southampton again grace our screens, this time facing off against Manchester United late on Saturday, and they’ll be hoping for a better result than last time they were on live. The Saints were thrashed against Tottenham Hotspurs on Boxing Day, offering very little going forward and being exposed with ease by the Spurs attack. They’ve really struggled to get results on the road this season, notching only one win away from home and scoring just seven goals.
Their opponents United almost suffered an embarrassing defeat in their most recent match at Old Trafford; Burnley went two goals up in the first half, but Jese Lingard’s 91st minute equaliser saved Jose Mourinho’s blushes. After the match, the Portuguese manager said that his side haven’t spent enough to match rivals Manchester City, and it was perhaps the first sign of him conceding the title to the Sky Blues.
A ten-point difference can obviously still be overturned, and that’s what he’ll be telling his players behind the scenes. For that reason, expect them to start more quickly on Saturday than during the Burnley match; in that one they conceded in the third minute. Back the Red Devils to be winning at half-time and then full-time at 21/20 with Bet365.
Title-favourites City are also on TV this weekend as they travel to London to face Crystal Palace on New Year’s Eve. Pep Guardiola’s side have been in incredible form throughout the season, and they’ve won every single away match. They’ll be obvious favourites again against Palace side which they mauled 5-0 at the Etihad in September. The sides met at a time when Palace were bottom of the table and still without a league win or goal.
The Londoners have much improved since then, and they’re actually seven on a seven-game unbeaten run at Selhurst Park which includes a victory over City’s title rivals Chelsea. For that reason, this isn’t likely to be as such an easy match for the leaders as the odds would suggest. Back City to win by one goal at 6/4 with Paddy Power.
The final match of 2017 sees West Brom take on Arsenal. The Baggies are in the relegation zone but within touching distance of safety, whilst the Gunners are in their own battle at the top of the table to make the top four. On paper, this should be a comfortable win for the London side; they won 2-o against the Baggies back in September at the Emirates Stadium. Nevertheless, the home side have only lost one of their last five head-to-heads at the Hawthorns, and have won in the past two seasons. Last term, they won 3-1 against the Gunners at a time when they were fighting for a top four place. A surprise could be on the cards, therefore, so try a double chance: West Brom to win or draw at 11/10 with Bet365.
Of the 3pm Saturday kickoffs, one of the highlights is Leicester City’s visit to Liverpool. The game normally produces goals; there have been 16 in the last four head-to-heads. Jamie Vardy is a player to watch our for too; he’s on a hot streak against the Reds. He’s scored on each of his last four appearances against Saturday’s opponents, netting six times in those four matches. For that reason, back the England man as an anytime scorer at 2/1 with BetBright.
One of the more obvious predictions that can be made is for Chelsea to win at home against Stoke City. The Blues haven’t lost against the Potters at Stamford Bridge since their 1995 English League Cup match. Mark Hughes’ side are struggling for form away from home; they’ve only won one of their matches away from the Bet365 Stadium all season, the league’s second worst record. You should feel confident in sticking Chelsea on an acca with any of our betting partners. Another team to stick on an acca is Watford. The Hornets ended their recent poor run with a win over Leicester last time out. Their last fixture of the year is at home against bottom club Swanswa who were thrashed 5-0 by Liverpool last weekend. The Swans have won just one league away win to their name all season.
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