Premier League Weekend Betting Preview – Week 8
There will be a lot of hype this week around the final of the Carabao Cup on Sunday, with two Premier League heavyweights Arsenal and Manchester City doing battle at Wembley. Nevertheless, there are still some big matches taking place in the league at the weekend, none less than Manchester United versus Chelsea on the same day as the cup showdown.
Some have dubbed the encounter the Jose Mourinho derby, given that the Portuguese manager has been in charge of both clubs. The Blues edged the reverse tie back in November 1-0, so Mourinho will be looking for some revenge when his old side visit with under-pressure boss Antonio Conte.
Some of that pressure has been relieved after the London club’s impressive draw with Barcelona midweek. They might even have shut La Liga’s leaders out were it not for a defensive error that led to Leo Messi’s goal. Before then, the Premier League club had the better of the chances and didn’t look particularly threatened by their supposed superiors.
Nevertheless, they’ll still go into the match as slight underdogs due to United’s stats at Old Trafford. The Red Devils have lost just once there all season – to rivals City – winning 10 of their 13 home fixtures. Chelsea don’t have a poor record on the road themselves, although they did lose 4-1 to Watford in their most recent away league meeting- a low point in this year’s campaign.
Conte’s side have regrouped since then, beating West Brom and Hull emphatically at home and then drawing with Barcelona. They’ll go into the match with renewed confidence, whilst United will also be buoyed by their win over Huddersfield – moreover the performance of the previously lacklustre Romelu Lukaku.
It should be an even match therefore, one which seems to suggest a low-scoring draw is the most likely outcome. United have kept a clean sheet in 11 of their last 14 home matches, whilst Chelsea showed their notorious resilience against Barca. You can back a draw at 23/10 with Betfred, whilst a share of the spoils plus under 2.5 goals is at 3/1 with Boyle Sports.
If you fancy a tipple on the scorers then Lukaku’s re-emergence is a positive sign for the home fans, and the motivation of playing his old side is also a boost. Back him as an anytime scorer at 7/4 with Bet365. For the Blues, look no further than midweek scorer Willian – he looks so dangerous at the moment and has proven his willingness to have a shot on goal. He’s at 41/10 as an anytime scorer with Unibet.
There’s another fascinating Sunday clash with London rivals Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspurs facing off at Selhurst Park. This match has been a typically tight one in recent years – Spurs have won four of the last five Premier League games 1-0, so another close affair is on the cards.
Roy Hodgson will set his side up to play on the counter attack, just like they did to such effect in their 0-0 draw with City earlier this year. The Eagles have actually only conceded one goal at home in their last three league matches, and they really know how to compress the pitch when defending.
That won’t particularly bother this Spurs side however, who haven’t tended to rely on width that much this season. With Christian Eriksen drifting in from the flank, they favour intricate build up in central positions, although Ben Davies and Kieran Tripper do like to get forward.
A tight match should still ensue – Spurs are very much a second-half team away from Wembley in that three of their last four matches on the road have seen their opener come in the second-half. It’s definitely worth backing the second-half as the highest scoring half at 28/25 with Marathon Bet. Or you could back the first-half to end goalless at 23/10 with Betfair.
We don’t expect Palace to threaten Spurs as much as they did City – the main reason being Wilfried Zaha’s absence. Spurs academy product Andros Townsend will likely thrive, but we still expect the away side to nick a win. Correct score 0f 0-1 isn’t normally a bad bet in this fixture, and the circumstances suggest so again. It can be found at 7/1 with Bet365.
Saturday’s early live match sees Leicester take on Stoke, with neither side in particularly good form. The Foxes are on a three-game winless streak in the league, whilst the Potters have lost 6 of their last 7 away matches. Stoke have avoided defeat in three of Paul Lambert’s four matches in charge of the club, but with Mahrez back in the mix we think the home side could take the points. There’s no value in backing a home win however, so go for goals – Stoke have conceded at least 2 goals in their last 3 away matches. Back a Leicester win and over 2.5 goals at 17/10 with Betfred.
Find out how you can bet for free on the Premier League’s action by heading to our free betting page or view our list of the best new betting sites.
David handles all partnerships with the different bookies. If you want your bookie on Bettinglounge, David is the guy to contact.
