Football Betting Previews

Premiership Preview by Matthew Chapple (11-12 April 2009) (Wednesday, April 08, 2009)

Premiership Previews 11/12 April Liverpool V Blackburn Rovers - Saturday 12:45 SkySports A huge game in prospect for both sides here as Blackburn head up North to take on an inform Liverpool side at Anfield. A stadium where the reds have yet to taste in the league this season so Blackburn have it all to do if they are to take a result away with them. It's a must win match for both teams but just like the bookies, we will side with Liverpool as they look to keep the pressure on United who play a little later that day. A run of four straight victories in the league has seen Liverpool close the gap on leaders United to just a single point but it could have been so much better if only Villa had held on for a few more minutes against United last Sunday. That win was massive for United and it could cause a ripple affect across Merseyside as Liverpool will surely be hurting after coming so close to reducing the gap even further. Rafeal Benitez will be telling his players that the season is far from finished and he will need club captain Steven Gerrard, to rally the troops once more and lead the reds to a vital three points in front of a capacity crowd at Anfield. A stadium where Liverpool have been unconvincing this season, dropping points in no less than six of their fifteen home fixtures. That has cost them dearly and they can ill afford any more set backs with the season drawing to a close. Blackburn themselves have hit some form after winning their third game in six, so the spirit in the Rovers dressing room will certainly be raised. They still find themselves in a relegation dog fight though and with just seven game remaining, they need to accumulate as many points as possible. They would surely settle for a point if it was offered but we can't help but feel that they will once again come up short against Liverpool. Blackburn lost the reverse fixture between the two sides 3-1 back in December. That was one of Paul Ince's last games in charge and his replacement is doing a much better job, i have to say. They looked doomed a few weeks ago but a couple of wins has seen them jump right out of the drop zone and go five points clear of the relegation zone. This does however look an extremely tough game for Sam Allardyce's team and a home win does look a formality. Match Odds: Liverpool 1/3 Stanjames Draw 9/2 Centrebet Blackburn Rovers 12/1 Boylesports Prediction: Liverpool Chelsea V Bolton Wanderers - Saturday 15:00 A fixture which looks relatively straight forward for Chelsea as they entertain a Bolton side seeking a few more points to ensure their Premiership status for next season. Chelsea will feel they need the points a lot more though with them still in the chase for the title, mathematically anyway. Should be a decent game with a few goals but we can only see one winner. Guss Hiddink hasn't given hope of Chelsea securing yet another league title in as many years but United's last gasp win over Villa does now leave them with a mountain to climb with the 'Red Devils' now four points clear of Chelsea and they have a game in hand. They won't give up the chase though and they will look to form a winning run, starting with a victory over Bolton on Saturday. Playing at home should be a huge advantage for Chelsea who have now won five of their last seven games at Stamford Bridge. They will also be boosted by the return of Didier Drogba who should feature against Bolton this Saturday. He hasn't been fully fit in recent weeks and they have missed his aerial presence and none more so then against Tottenham a few weeks back. That was Chelsea's last defeat when they lost 1-0 at White Hart Lane and Hiddink will need to guide his side to a victory this weekend or their slim title hopes will diminish. After strolling to a comfortable 4-1 victory over struggling Middlesborough at the weekend, Bolton have now stretched the gap between them and drop to eight points and are just a couple of wins away from securing another year in the Premiership. It would come as a big shock were they to record a victory over Chelsea this weekend and Bolton may need to wait a while before they confirm survival. Bolton's victory over Middlesborough was a convincing one but their performances before that game have been far from satisfactory with Gary Megson's side losing two of the previous three games before their win over Borough. It has also been eight away games since Bolton last won on the road and that poor run looks ever likely to extend after their weekend trip to Stamford Bridge. Match Odds: Chelsea 3/10 CanBet Draw 9/2 Bet365 Bolton Wanderers 14/1 Bet365 Prediction: Chelsea Middlesborough V Hull City - Saturday 15:00 We talk about games being potential 'six pointers' a lot here on Soccerbetting but it is no exaggeration to say that this game is huge for both clubs and probably the biggest game of the season for the pair. Both are struggling at the summit of the Premiership table and a defeat for either could have catastrophic in terms of who will lose their fight for survival and succumb to a season back in The Championship. This could well be a defining game in Middlesborough and dare we say it, Gareth Southgate's managerial career. The English manager has had a tough season at The Riverside and the club now face a big drop down in class to The Championship if they don't bounce back to winnings ways, and fast. Middlesborough have now won just one of their last nineteen games in the league and are struggling to even draw games at the moment. Borough have picked up just a single point from their previous four fixtures and it comes as little surprise that the bookies are taking a lot of bets on Middlesborough to go down this season. This is certainly a winnable game for Southgate's side but their poor performances has put us off going anywhere near them. It's hard to believe that Hull were once as high as fourth in the table and touted by several to possibly sneak a European finish but two wins from their last twenty-two league games means they will be very lucky to even remain in the Premiership let alone compete against some of Europe finest. Something has seriously gone wrong at the club and it is left with Phil brown to find a solution before it's too late. Hull's form is dire and they have no momentum whatsoever going into this crucial fixture at The Riverside. A defeat would see them fall even further down the table and leave themselves with a lot of work to do. Their last victory in the league did come away from home when they narrowly edged out Fulham winning 1-0 at Craven Cottage. A similar result wouldn't go a miss for the Tigers this Saturday. Match Odds: Middlesborough 6/5 Boylesports Draw 12/5 888sport Hull City 57/20 Centrebet Prediction: Draw Portsmouth V West Brom - Saturday 15:00 Another bottom of the table clash sees a relegated elect West Brom side head down south in search of just their second away win of the season. Portsmouth on the other hand still have every chance of surviving the relegation battle and a win over a side at the very foot of the table would aid their chances significantly. It's been a topsy turvy time down in the lower half of the Premiership and Portsmouth have consistently flirted with the drop for some time now but a run of three games without defeat has seen them enforce a small gap on those in the bottom three and go four points clear. A win over West Brom could see them extend that gap and enhance their survival bid. It's been a tough season for Pompey what with all the outgoings in January but Brian Kidd has steadied the ship and Portsmouth are on course for another season in the top flight. Their home form will be immensely important though if they are to stay up and this is their easiest remaining fixture. Six of Pompey's eight league victories have come at Fratton park and we expect that figure to rise after their weekend clash with the Baggies. West Brom were always fancied to struggle this season and it has come as no surprise that the club find themselves in no mans land. The Baggies are currently sat at the very bottom of the table and are now eight points away from safe ground. If the job to stay up was tough at the start of the campaign, now it's just turned into mission impossible but West Brom have pulled off a miracle before. Despite this being an away fixture, this is one of West Brom's easiest remaining fixtures but it is still very hard to predict a Baggie win. They have a distinct lack of quality within their small squad and their form on the road has been nothing short of abysmal. Tony Mowbray has seen his side win just one of their fifteen away fixtures and that is a statistic which has heavily cost them this season. West Brom have failed to score in 270 minutes of football in away games and their goalscoring rut could go on after their trip down south. Match Odds: Portsmouth 4/5 WilliamHill Draw 5/2 Bet365 West Brom 9/2 SkyBet Prediction: Portsmouth Sunderland V Manchester United - Saturday 15:00 There aren't many games with little to play for this weekend but this could well be the biggest game of the day as Manchester United travel to 'The Stadium of Light' to take on Ricky Sbragia's Sunderland side. A defeat for Sunderland could see them drop back into the relegation zone while anything but a win for 'The Red Devils' would allow Liverpool to reduce the gap that United currently have at the top. All to play for it would seem. Me and many other Liverpool fans will have one eye on this fixture and will be fully behind 'The Black Cats' as they look to take points off the current league champions. It will take a colossal performance from Sunderland were they to take a share of the spoils but it is far from impossible as Sunderland found out in the reverse fixture when they held United to a 0-0 scoreline up until the 89th minute, only to see a late Nemanja Vidic winner. Their recent form won't help the atmosphere at Sunderland as they have now lost three consecutive league games and haven't won any of their previous six league encounters. Just two points from their last six games has left them in a precarious position but achieving some sort of result this Saturday would change all that. It will be hard, but it's certainly possible with United looking out-of-sorts. United's slump in the league did eventually come to an end on Sunday but not without more scares. Sir Alex Ferguson had to endure a five goal thriller at Old Trafford and see his side come from 2-1 down to win 3-2 in the dyeing minutes before they finally took all three points. Despite the win, United were still very poor and i wouldn't be confident enough to back them at such short odds against a side that desperately needs points. Man Utd will of course be firm favourites for this match and that is no surprise but they have shown signs of weakness in recent weeks, especially with their temperament. The likes of Rooney and Ronaldo are repeatedly getting frustrated in games and it would appear that the pressure of keeping Liverpool at bay is having a negative effect on certain players. United lost their previous away fixture 2-0 at Fulham and we think another slip up could be on the cards. Match Odds: Sunderland 15/2 888sport Draw 10/3 PaddyPower Manchester United 1/2 CanBet Prediction: Draw Tottenham Hotspur V West Ham United - Saturday 15:00 This is probably the one Premiership fixture where there will be very little pressure on the players to get the right result. Tottenham look to have escaped a relegation battle while West ham have settled into a mid-table position so both sides are playing for a prettier position although a win for West Ham could see them boost their chances of a European finish. Tottenham's impressive run of six games unbeaten came to an end at the weekend when they went down 2-1 losers away at Blackburn. They were in buoyant mood after winning four of their last six games in the league but that all came crashing to an end at Ewood Park where a bad referring decision was possibly to blame. Wilson Palacios was wrongly sent off in the second half and shortly after his exit, Blackburn levelled and then went on to score the winner. Harry Redknapp will feel hard done by but he will need to put that behind him and get his player in the right frame of mind going into a game that they have every chance of winning. They are undefeated in seven at home and do have the scalp of Chelsea at White Hart Lane so on their day, Tottenham can beat near enough anyone at home. Unlike their match day opponents, West Ham's decent run of form didn't come to an end at the weekend as they stretched their unbeaten run to four games with a 2-0 home victory over Sunderland. That was their eighth win at home this season but West Ham have failed to reproduce their performances at home into their away games, winning just four on the road this season. West ham have also failed to beat Spurs in their previous four encounters so the tasks look fairly big for Gianfranco Zola's team. The pair met at White Hart Lane last season and that ended in a comfortable 4-0 home win for Spurs. We can't see that happening again but we do like the odds for another Spurs victory despite West ham proving a very hard side to beat of late. Match Odds: Tottenham Hotspur 4/5 SkyBet Draw 5/2 Coral West Ham 9/2 Bet365 Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur Wigan Athletic V Arsenal - Saturday 15:00 Wigan go into battle with a side that has now gone 17 matches without defeat and they have the envious task of beating a rejuvenated Arsenal side. They will have the advantage of the home crowd ruing them on but we can't help but think that this match has draw written all over it. 'The Gunners' are favourites but it will be a tough match for Arsene Wenger's side as they look to nail down that fourth position. Steve Bruce has done a fantastic job at the helm of 'The Latics', leading his team to Premiership safety with several games to spare. Mathematically, Wigan could still go down but it looks very unlikely as Wigan have been playing a lot better then those stranded at the bottom. They have been a tough side to beat, even for the big four and they will certainly give Arsenal a run for their money this Saturday. Not only will Wigan have the fans support on Saturday but they will have the edge in the fitness department with Arsenal having played a tough Champions League game in midweek over in Spain. That match could have an effect, at least in the final 20 minutes of this game and if Wigan are still on level terms come the final quarter of the game, then they could knick a massive win and the scalp of The Gunners. Arsenal return back from Spain after achieving a respectable result against Villarreal on Tuesday. They drew 1-1 with an ever improving Villarreal and Arsene Wenger's side now hold all the aces going into the second leg. For the time being, they will need to put that competition to one side and concentrate on the league as they look to finalise a top four finish. 'The Gunners' have had an inconsistent season and that has led to them falling well off the pace of those at the top. They have shown signs of improving though in recent weeks with four straight victories in the league, two of those coming on the road. They will also be boosted by the return of fitness to Spanish maestro Cesc Fabregas, but are likely to be without former captain William Gallas and keeper Almunia. Those two are key players for Arsenal and they will be sorely missed. Match Odds: Wigan Athletic 19/4 VCBet Draw 11/4 888sport Arsenal 10/13 CanBet Prediction: Draw Stoke City V Newcastle United - Saturday 17:30 An inform Stoke City side plays host this weekend to an out-of-sorts Newcastle United side but the return of their idol in Alan Shearer should be the boost in confidence the players so desperately need. The two teams played out a lively 2-2 draw back at St.James Park earlier in the season and although that would be a decent result for Stoke this time around, it certainly won't for Newcastle as they need all three points. Tony Pulis has achieved the unachievable by keeping his side in with a fighting chance of surviving the relegation fight they are now in and two wins in succession has seen his side go six points clear of Newcastle who occupy the final relegation spot. A win over The magpies would greatly enhance their chances of avoiding the drop and they have every chance of doing so against a hapless Newcastle. Pulis won't underestimate his match day opponents but he will know full well that Newcastle are there for the taken this Saturday. Newcastle haven't won in six games and their 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Chelsea will leave the players very low on morale. Stoke have been very impressive at home with eight of their nine league victories coming at The Brittania stadium. Could very well be their ninth. Alan Shearer really does have a mountain to climb if he is to guide Newcastle to safety. Not only are Newcastle three points off safety but they have shown no signs of actually winning game let alone putting together the form required to avoid the drop. They look extremely vulnerable at the back and show very little when going forward. The perfect recipe for relegation unfortunately. Wins have come at a premium for Newcastle with just six wins under their belt for the entire season. It also doesn't bode well when just two of those have come away from their beloved St. James Park. Both victories were over sides in close proximity in Portsmouth and bottom of the league West Brom. We were a massive fan of Shearer in his hay day and we wish Alan all the luck in the world with his temporary role as manager, he may well need it. Match Odds: Stoke City 6/4 Bet365 Draw 12/5 PaddyPower Newcastle United 21/10 Stanjames Prediction: Draw Aston Villa V Everton - Sunday 14:00 SkySports If this match is similar to the game played at Goodison Park earlier in the season then we better brace ourselves as that fixture was a corker. It was Aston Villa who came out on top winning a 3-2 thriller thanks to late hit and run from arguably their best player this season, Ashley Young. Times have changed though since that game with Villa now struggling for wins and Everton flying high in the league and now catching Villa. The winner will take full control of fifth spot so there is all to play for at Villa Park. Martin O'Neill has constantly frustrated us this season, none more so then his bizarre tactics at Old Trafford last Sunday. His side showed their defensive frailties once more as they let a 2-1 lead slip and eventually succumbed to a miserable 3-2 defeat. A result which not only left the Villa fans asking questions but us here at Soccerbetting were left with a bitter taste in our mouths as United regained their position at the top of the pile. Despite losing 3-2, Villa did show a lot of resilience and looked a constant threat going forward. By far the best player on the park was the Norwegian forward John Carew who has had to settle for a place on the bench in recent games with O'Neill preferring Emile Heskey instead. He staked his claim for a regular starting place though with Villa's first goal and cutely set up Agbonlahor for Villa's second. It would be very surprising if O'Neill dropped him for this game with Everton after that impressive performance. Everton showed no signs of suffering a hangover after their 2-1 defeat away at Portsmouth before the International break. The bounced back in fine fashion when beating a decent Wigan Athletic side 4-0 at Goodison. That was their fourth win at home in succession but away from home has been a different story with Everton failing to win any of their previous five away fixtures. Despite their poor away form, Everton have notched up as many wins on the road as they have done at home so they are capable of pulling off a win if they recapture their earlier away form. You're only as good as your last game though and Everton's 2-1 defeat at Fratton Park saw Everton exposed at the back. Going forward, Everton look very dangerous but they do still look a tad weak at the back and Villa could expose those weak spots with the pace of Agbonlahor and the aerial prowess of John carew. Very tough match for David Moyes side. Match Odds: Aston Villa 5/4 Stanjames Draw 23/10 Ladbrokes Everton 5/2 Coral Prediction: Aston Villa Manchester City V Fulham - Sunday 16:10 SkySports The last of the weekends Premiership fixtures see Fulham travel up to Manchester to take on Mark Hughes Man City side at The City of Manchester stadium. Both sides have steered well clear of a relegation dog fight but there is now a European finish up for grabs and the winner would take a big step towards those three available Europa spots. Manchester City have been formidable at home this season and they are the justified favourites for this game. It has been seven games since City last lost at home and the sky blues have now won five successive home games including a win over fifth placed Aston Villa. Fulham are a tough side to break down but City really ought to make it six straight wins at home this Sunday afternoon. If it wasn't for City's superb record at home this season then Mark Hughes could find himself in a relegation predicament. Ten of their eleven victories in the league have come at The City of Manchester stadium but that doesn't mean City are untouchable at home. Tottenham and Everton are just two of the five side to have beaten City at home this season but the other three where so called big four sides. City have some classy players in their ranks and they should be too strong for Fulham this weekend. Roy Hodgeson has guided Fulham to their best season for some time and they are no on the verge of securing European football for next season. They have surprisingly been a very tough side to beat this season, even for the big four but the Cottager's still have that tag of being a poor travelling side. They have just the one away win to their name this season and their poor away record has let them down massively. Although they have struggled to win on the road, their sole away victory did come in their last attempt when they beat Bolton 3-1 at The Reebok stadium. It did take them 15 attempts before they finally broke their away duck and we don't expect them to make it back-to-back away wins. They were battered in their last league match at home to Liverpool and were fortunate to escape with a one goal defeat. City did have a UEFA cup tie on Thursday evening but it would take a big performance from Fulham to end City's good home run. Match Odds: Manchester City 10/11 Bet365 Draw 5/2 SkyBet Fulham 19/5 Centrebet Prediction: Manchester City Labels: premier league betting, premier league preview, premiership betting, premiership preview Posted by soccerbetting.info @ 11:47 AM << Home