The home stretch is now here in the English Premier League though it seems as though there’s little any of the chasing pack can do to reign in Chelsea’s comfortable 10 point lead at the top of the table. For Chelsea to lose from here would certainly be an upset and right now looks very unlikely. The fight for top 4 places at least looks a lot more interesting with 9 points separating 2nd to 6th. At the other end of the table, the fight for survival is heating up even more and for the likes of Sunderland and Middlesbrough it looks like it’s going to be a tough slog to the finish line this season as right now they look too far off the pace to survive. Things can change this weekend though with a few good results so it’s best not to look too far ahead just yet!
Week 30 Best Bet: Leicester to beat Stoke at $2 or Swansea to beat Middlesbrough at $1.91
Head to Head Multi Bet: Leicester win ($2), Swansea win ($1.91), Hull Win $2.4, Chelsea win ($1.3) = $11.92
**Odds from Sportsbet as at 1st April
Liverpool vs Everton
Inconsistent at best this season, Liverpool will be up towards their best this week with a home derby against Everton. They’ve only lost once in their last 5 which has elevated them up to 4th place at the moment but they are ahead a game or two on those around them on the table. The tricky thing for Liverpool is that Everton too will be up for this and have been playing perhaps more consistent football this season even though they are 6 points behind Liverpool. One thing for sure in this one is that there will be goals. Liverpool have an inconsistent defence and with an in form Lukaku that only make for one thing to happen. Liverpool are damaging up front themselves and at home it’s difficult to see them not scoring.
Predicted score: Draw 2-2
Best Bet: Both teams to score – Yes at $1.67 (85%)
Next Best: Half-time Draw at $2.25
Manchester United vs West Brom
The Baggies have been a pretty solid side this season, but away to Manchester United looks like it might just be too much of a stretch. United have only lost once at home this season and though they picked up their seventh home draw last time out against Bournemouth, they’ll be out to win this. With 2 games in hand on the current top 4 and just 4 points behind Liverpool who sit in 4th, United are effectively in the top 4 already if they can win their two games in hand. For this weekend’s match though, they should win but it may not be a convincing one. They’ll still be without Pogba, Jones and Smalling to injury whilst Herrera and Ibrahimovic serve out suspensions. That’s a fair bit of talent there that won’t be turning out for United but West Brom too have their own injury concerns with Rondon and Chadli under clouds.
Predicted score: Manchester United 1-0
Best Bet: Under 2.5 goals at $1.93 (80%)
Next Best: Half-time Draw at $2.3
Burnley vs Tottenham
This is going to be a very interesting test for Tottenham away at Burnley with the home side losing just the 3 times at home this season. On the road is where Tottenham haven’t had as much success this season with just 4 wins from 13 games and although they sit 10 points of top placed Chelsea, they’ll still very much be keen to try and close that gap in their remaining games. The continued injury absence of Kane for Tottenham means they may be less predictable in their approaches to goal and although Burnley have been very good defensively at home, Tottenham might be able to just manage a sneaky goal late on here. To keep the influence down from the likes of Eriksen, Alli, Son and even Walker/Davies flying in from either flank for a full 90 minutes will be quite a task. There probably won’t be a lot of goals in this one so expect a pretty tight contest.
Predicted score: Tottenham 1-0
Best Bet: Both teams to score – No at $1.83 (80%)
Next Best: Tottenham to win to Nil at $2.63
Chelsea vs Crystal Palace
To even think about Chelsea losing the title now let alone losing a home match to Crystal Palace seems just too farfetched right now. If Chelsea are going to drop points in their remaining 10 matches, it doesn’t look likely to start here. Palace of course have found some form before the International break winning 3 straight but to make that 4 straight and against the top side would be some sort of upset.
Predicted score: Chelsea 3-0
Best Bet: Chelsea to win to Nil at $1.83 (85%)
Next Best: Chelsea to win both halves at $2.88
Hull vs West Ham
The Tigers are just 3 points off safety and whilst there’s a little way yet to go this season, each and every match now is crucial to their survival. A home match against West Ham is winnable too especially given how much West Ham have struggled for form at times this season. Hull are undefeated in their last 5 home matches and it’s at home where they will get the results that will either see them survive or relegated. Form for this one won’t mean much as for Hull they’ll be difficult to beat purely because they are going to fight hard for survival so we should see a pretty determined outfit here. West Ham on the other hand are not in the same predicament and really have little to play for now this season.
Predicted score: Hull 1-0
Best Bet: Under 2.5 goals at $1.95 (80%)
Next Best: Hull to win at $2.4
Leicester vs Stoke
Things are looking up for Leicester at the moment having made it through to the Champions League quarter finals and also winning their last 3 league matches ahead of their meeting with Stoke this weekend. They won’t be without a good shot at making it 4 wins straight either with Stoke mostly inconsistent in recent matches with 2 wins and 2 losses in their last 5. They sit in 9th at the moment but there is a sense about them that they have little left to play for apart from maybe pushing to remain in the top 10. The feel good factor that’s back at Leicester now though should see them through to another win and embarking on a positive finish to the season.
Predicted score: Leicester 2-1
Best Bet: Leicester to win at $2 (90%)
Next Best: Over 2.5 goals at $1.95
Watford vs Sunderland
One side looks relatively safe from relegation at this stage, whilst for the other they seem pretty much destined for it. Sunderland have just 20 points this season and are currently 7 points off safety where Swansea currently sit. Away from home, Sunderland have struggled for just 2 wins and 1 draw this season from 13 matches. They really need more from their away games for the remainder of the season if they are to survive and whilst they’ll push hard no doubt, it does look like a stretch at the moment. It will largely depend on how Sunderland start this match. They have been positive early on in recent matches but without scoring they tend to just fall away with their mentality not strong enough to keep on fighting. An early goal can change that but right now that seems like hope more than anything.
Predicted score: Watford 2-1
Best Bet: Both teams to score – yes at $1.91 (85%)
Next Best: Over 2.5 goals at $2.04
Southampton vs Bournemouth
Bournemouth were on a good run before the International break with a draw away at Manchester United before wins over West Ham and Swansea. A road trip to Southampton is tricky though especially with the International break slowing down their momentum. For Southampton, it was a chance to reset after a 2-1 away loss to Tottenham where although being outplayed had their chances. They did lose a player to injury who had been having a great first few games in Gabbiadini and his goal scoring ability will be missed and looks unlikely to return this week. That opens things up for Bournemouth again here and they a real chance of getting something from this to rebuild the momentum they had before the break.
Predicted score: Draw 1-1
Best Bet: Half-Time Draw at $2.3 (75%)
Next Best: Under 2.5 goals at $2.08
Swansea vs Middlesbrough
This is a big game for both sides. A win for Swansea gives them further breathing space on the relegation zone whilst an upset result for Middlesbrough gives them a chance of climbing out of the relegation zone. Problem for Middlesbrough though is that Swansea have been very good at home lately having won their last 3. Middlesbrough’s away form isn’t particularly encouraging either with just one win on the road this season and just 1 point taken from their last 6 away trips. Swansea have the confidence right now to see this one through to another 3 points.
Predicted score: Swansea 2-0
Best Bet: Swansea to win at $1.91 (90%)
Next Best: Swansea Half-Time/Full-Time at $3.1
Arsenal vs Manchester City
A big one to finish of the weekend’s fixtures and one in particular for Arsenal that they need to win. They’ve managed just one win in their last 5 matches where their defence has been very poor conceding 11 times. They’ve seen themselves drop out of the top 5 and although they have a game in hand on the top 3 sides, they’re well off the pace of regaining a top 4 spot at the moment. Manchester City have dropped some points in their recent matches also but nowhere near the extent of Arsenal. The one game that they really should have won was their 0-0 draw with Stoke at home. A win here continues the pressure on 2nd placed Tottenham but it’ll be interesting to see how this one goes and particularly how Arsenal perform here. The attention will once again be on Wenger and perhaps that’s partly why the poor performances have crept in with soo much uncertainty on his future and subsequently the poor results that have come with it. At least for the neutral, this should present plenty of opportunities as neither side is particularly trustworthy in defence.
Predicted score: Manchester City 2-1
Best Bet: Manchester City Draw No Bet at $1.6 (85%)
Next Best: Manchester City to win at $2.3
