Premier League Weekend Betting Preview – Week 13
For all the fans uninspired by international football – the wait is over. The Premier League returns this weekend as we enter the final two months of the 2017-18 season. Whilst Manchester City are just games away from wrapping up the title, there’s still plenty left to play for in England’s elite competition.
The highlight of this weekend’s fixtures is the massive London derby between Chelsea and Tottenham. Both of the sides are still in with a shot of taking one of the four Champions League places up for grabs, although the men in white are in the driving seat, having established a five-point gap from their rivals.
This fixture thus constitutes a fantastic opportunity for both sides – for Spurs to consolidate their place in the top four, and for the Blues to make some ground on their rivals. The importance of the match means that it’s likely to be a highly-charged affair – something which isn’t unusual between these two sides.
Who can forget the 2016 ‘Battle of the Bridge’ when there were 12 yellow cards – the away side breaking the Premier League record for most yellow cards in a single match (9). Last year’s league fixtures saw eight in total, but neither match carried the importance of the 2016 clash – or the one that awaits on Sunday. Given the circumstances of the match, the cards market is very tempting – you can back a red card at 27/10 with 188Bet.
Looking towards the result, Spurs have never won a Premier League match at Stamford Bridge. Their last win there was 28 years ago, when the Premier League hadn’t been invented. It’s a stranglehold which the Lilywhites can’t seem to escape from – they were 2-0 up in 2016, before conceding two second-half goals.
They are in good form currently – they’ve won their last four league matches, conceding just one goal in the process. The Blues meanwhile have only won two of their last six outings in the league, but have have won nine of their last 11 home matches.
Harry Kane’s injury hasn’t particularly affected Spurs’ form, although there has been the international break in the meantime. Nevertheless, he’s still a big loss to Mauricio Pochettino’s side – his presence strikes fear in oppositions, and his hold-up play is a massive asset, especially away from home against the top teams where they struggle to play with the same swagger.
For that reason, Spurs seem likely to fall short of a historic win once again, although we don’t expect them to come away from the match empty-handed. Backing a draw is the most sensible option, and at 12/5 with Unibet, it’s not badly priced.
Something else to bear in mind is the great form of Brazillian baller Willian – he’s scored four times in his last three games at the Bridge, and always seems to enjoy playing against Spurs. He should definitely be considered as an anytime scorer at 5/2 with Betfred.
Another important match at both ends of the table is Liverpool’s clash with Crystal Palace. The Reds are one of the favourites for the top four, and they’re probably even eyeing up second place. Palace meanwhile are one of about eight sides still in danger of relegation, and sit two points clear of the bottom three.
Just before the international break, Jurgen Klopp’s side thumped Watford 5-0 in one of their most comfortable matches all season. They’re undefeated in 20 of their last 22 matches, with Mohamed Salah’s scintillating form certainly helping matters. In the same gameweek, The Eagles ended a run of four straight league defeats with a win away to relegation rivals Huddersfield.
This hasn’t been an easy fixture for the Reds in recent years, but they’ve still won on their last three trips to Selhurst Park. Given their current form, it doesn’t make sense to back anything other than an away win, which can be found at 4/9 with William Hill.
There isn’t much value there, so it’s worth looking into other patterns. There have been over 2.5 goals scored in nine of Liverpool‘s last 11 away games – back an away win and over 2.5 goals for better value at 21/20 with Ladbrokes. Klopp’s side have also been winning at both half time and full time in five of their last seven league matches – you can back the fast starters to do so again at 21/10 with William Hill.
They may be mere points from the title, but it’s still worth taking a look at Manchester City’s game against Everton. The Toffees are the only team to have taken something from the Etihad this season, so they’ll have confidence from that result. Pep Guardiola could also rest some of his stars given that they have a Champions League quarter-final clash and the Manchester derby coming up.
We can’t envisage him resting too many players though – the Sky Blues know that a win against the Merseyside club would set up a title showdown at home against their huge rivals in red next weekend. The Spanish coach played down the importance of such a scenario, but Vincent Kompany’s recent comments suggested that the players don’t feel the same. For that reason, back a motivated City side to come good at Goodison Park – back them to win to nil at 5/4 with BoyleSports.
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