Football Betting Previews

Premiership Preview by Matthew Chapple (2-3 May 2009) (Thursday, April 30, 2009)

Premiership Previews 2nd/3rd May Middlesborough V Manchester United - Saturday 12:45 Sky Sports It's back to the gravy train for Sir Alex Ferguson now as he prepares his Manchester United side for their short away day out to Middlesborough. United haven't been brilliant in recent weeks but they have been getting the job done and in this cut-throat business, that's all that matters. Another efficient performance is expected from United but for some strange reason, i can see Middlesborough getting something from this game. With just four games to go, Middlesborough's season could depend on what result they get at home to Manchester United. Not only would defeat see their task of surviving greatly increase but the confidence of the players will also take a hammering so earning some sort of result is a must and it's up to Gareth Southgate to get his players in tip-top shape ahead of this extremely tough home fixture with league leaders United. Borough's form heading into game could be a lot better. Just two wins from their previous eight matches in the league has left them in a precarious position, league wise. However, although their overall form is poor, their form at home is actually half decent. They are unbeaten in seven at The Riverside but just two of those were wins. Middlesborough have always been a tough side to overcome at home but Borough really need three points and they will need to pull something special out of the hat if they plan on springing a surprise against United. The Premiership is undoubtedly 'Fergies' number one priority this season but with four games left to play, the title does appear to be well and truly there's. It would take a minor miracle and a United capitulation to see the title go anywhere but back to Old Trafford, but some of United's recent performances in the league have been far from convincing and i can see United dropping a few points before the season is out. Although we have bemoaned some of United displays in recent games, they were by far the better side in midweek. For the first time in a long while, United actually sprinted out of the blocks and attacked a side right from the off. Rooney was a constant problem for Arsenal and United they will need their wonder-kid to work his magic once more as Middlesborough will be a tough side to beat despite their poor form. The 'Red Devils' are the in form side though with four consecutive wins behind them and the do look good for the win but my gut-instinct is telling me otherwise. Match Odds - Middlesborough 15/2 BlueSquare Draw 10/3 BlueSquare Manchester United ½ Centrebet Prediction - Draw Chelsea V Fulham - Saturday 15:00 It's back to everyday life now for Chelsea after they make the return trip back from Spain to face Fulham in yet another London derby. The blue side of London had to settle for a draw when the pair met at Craven Cottage earlier in the season. Fulham put in stubborn performance then and with Fulham the fresher of the two sides, a draw isn't out of the question. Still, Chelsea wouldn't be where they are today were it not for their uncanny knack of getting the right results. Not only did Chelsea get the result they set out for on Tuesday, but they also came out of the game without any major injury problems and even managed to give Frank Lampard a worthy rest. The English international was substituted midway through the second half and it's clear that Hiddink is still keeping one eye on the Premier league despite the likelihood of United winning it. With the Champions League now to one side, their attention now returns to the Premiership as Chelsea look to close the gap on both United and Liverpool, although they could find themselves nine points adrift of the leaders with United playing at noon. Liverpool though don't play until Sunday so this is a great opportunity for Chelsea to pile the pressure on Liverpool as they aim to overtake 'The Reds' in the long run into second place. Six wins in their last eight league games would indicate that Chelsea have every chance of doing just that but Fulham have already frustrated Chelsea once this season and it would be foolish to start counting their chickens just yet. Fulham may not be in the race for the title but a place in next season Europe league is high on Roy Hodgeson's priority list with Fulham currently occupying the final European berth. Unfortunately for them, they do have several contenders for the spot and they will have to fend off the likes of Man City and Tottenham Hotspur if they want to make a rare return to European action. Were Fulham to even pick up a point in this fixture then it would be a massive result and a huge boost in confidence for the players. They should be high on that already though after winning in two of their last three outings in the league. A comprehensive away win at Man City and a scrappy 1-0 home over Stoke City has seen Fulham go two points clear of their nearest pursuer in seventh and a point at Stamford Bridge would see them end the weekend in that final Europe spot. Chelsea's hunger for the league title may lead them to another home win but Fulham have been starving for European action for some time now and this looks their best chance to play against some of the best for some time. Match Odds - Chelsea ½ Ladbrokes Draw 10/3 Boylesports Fulham 15/2 Centrebet Prediction - Chelsea Manchester City V Blackburn Rovers - Saturday 15:00 After a huge win over Wigan at the weekend, Blackburn now go in search of back-to-back wins when they travel to Manchester to take on Mark Hughes and his City team. Sam Allardyce has targeted one more victory before the season is out to ensure Blackburn remain in the Premiership but City have been pretty formidable at home this season and Sam will need another master plan if he is to steal all three points away from Mark Hughes. Most players will have one eye on the Summer holidays as the season draws to a close but that's far from the case at Man City. The blank cheque book will undoubtedly be giving to Mark Hughes over the summer to spend on who he pleases so each player is now playing for their shirt and the new luxurious wages the new owners are willing to roll out. I can name only a few players within the City squad that are safe from the chop but Stephen Ireland can go away knowing that his position is well and truly his own as he was the stand out player for City this season. He was desperately unlucky in our opinion not to have won the PFA Young Player of the Year award and certainly looks a player for the future. Back to on pitch matters and the bad news for Rovers and their fans is that City have bounced back from their disappointing home defeat by Fulham three weeks ago. They have since gone on to win their next two league fixtures with victories over West Brom at home and a smashing 2-1 victory away at Everton. That was just their second away win this term and that should stand the players in good stead as they prepare for the arrival of Blackburn as City look to record three successive wins. Were they to do so, it would be the first time they have reached such a feat this season so the incentive is certainly there for Man City. Although City have hit a mini vein of form in the league, the omens do favour the away side. The previous eleven meetings between the two pair in the Premiership has seen Blackburn lose just once with that sole defeat coming way back in August 2003. That doesn't mean Blackburn have dominated the head-to-head though. Far from it. This has always been a hard game to call and Saturday should be no different. The last two games between the two have finished in 2-2 draws and with both sides scoring two goals at the weekend, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to think that this fixture may end in a similar score. Everyone understands that 'Big Sam' has had a tough season or half-a-season in charge of Blackburn Rovers. He took over from Paul Ince who left them club in disarray and has now guided them into safe water. The relegation zone is now six points away from Rovers and Sam will be eager to at least maintain that healthy gap, if not extend it. With Blackburn's squad looking depleted i really can't see them winning in Manchester but the draw isn't out of the question and i can imagine Sam will be of the same opinion. However, Blackburn have some heavy away defeats behind them so i would be more confident backing a home win rather then Rovers getting some sort of result. Match Odds - Manchester City Evens Bet365 Draw 5/2 888sport Blackburn Rovers 10/3 SkyBet Prediction - Manchester City Portsmouth V Arsenal - Saturday 15:00 After a disappointing week in the Champions League, Arsenal now return to league action where they face relegation threatened Portsmouth at Fratton park. The Gunners won't be jet lagged but they may well be slightly fatigued and Pompey will see this game with former Champions Arsenal as one they may be able to win despite the bookies thinking otherwise. It will be a tough game nevertheless but we rate Portsmouth chances against Arsenal this coming Saturday. Life down South is hardly a bed of roses but Portsmouth do look a lot safer then some we could mention. They got a gritty 0-0 draw away at Newcastle on Monday night and although it was only a point, Pompey manager Paul Hart will see that result as a point gained. They have now notched up 38 points for the season and although their has been a huge decline compared to last seasons point tally, at least Portsmouth stand a good chance of playing in next season premiership where they can start planning for a better campaign. It's been no secret that Portsmouth have been strapped for cash this season. They have had to let go of several first team players in order to raise some cash to pay their ever increasing bills and hat unfortunately has lead to the club struggling for results and I'm sure the message from the board will be to attain as higher position possible as it will lead to extra funds in the summer. For now, they will need to use what they have at their disposal and manager Paul hart will be hoping Peter Crouch can make an impact, with the former Liverpool forward scoring a hat-trick against Arsenal last season. There's only one small thing that favours Portsmouth heading into this game and that's the fact that Arsenal have pretty much nailed down a fourth place finish and now having nothing but the Champions League and some added prize money to play for. With that said, Wenger will still want to achieve the highest position possible as whoever finishes fourth has to qualify for the Champions League whereas the top three automatically go through to the group stages. Arsenal are a fair few points behind the leading pack and it does appear as though Arsenal will have to settle for a fourth place finish at best. As far as their form goes, Arsenal aren't doing too bad. Yeh, they did lose in midweek at Old Trafford and yes, that was probably their worst performance for some time but let's not forget who they were facing. The 1-0 scoreline wasn't actually too bad as United could have scored several more. Andrei Arshavin is set to return to the fold for Portsmouth andArsenal have solid claims for the victory if they overcome their midweek disappointments. It's worth noting though that Arsenal will be without William Gallas once more for this fixture and he has been sorely missed in recent weeks. His absence is a big boost for Pompey's chances, especially as Peter Crouch has no tall defenders to compete with. Match Odds - Portsmouth 11/4 Boylesports Draw 12/5 BlueSquare Arsenal 6/5 Bet365 Prediction - Portsmouth Stoke City V West Ham - Saturday 15:00 With West Ham home a dry and Stoke on the verge, both turn their attention to the prize money as with every league position brings added wealth. Stoke have already outdone themselves to get into 12th position but a couple more wins from their four remaining games would see them end the season in the upper half of the table. On the other hand, West Ham are still in the hunt for a European finish but they need to fend off several challengers so a win is must for them this weekend. Should be a tight game and this does appear to have draw all over it. The fact that Stoke find themselves in 12th position and seven points clear of safety is largely down to their sublime form at home this season. Nine of their ten victories in the league have come at The Brittania Stadium in what has now turned into a fortress for Stoke. It was eight home matches ago when Stoke lost 1-0 to league leaders Man Utd and Tony Pulis has since seen his side go seven games without defeat at The Brittania. A stunning feat for a club who has thoroughly enjoyed it's first ever season in the Premiership. With all the sentiments to one side, Stoke probably do need one more win before they can fully start celebrating, but they do look home and hosed with just four games left to play. Even a draw against West Ham would see them hit that magic 40 point marker and although Tony Pulis won't be getting carried away just yet, we can safely say that Stoke won't be going down this season. They are playing much better then those currently in the bottom three and it would take a miracle for Stoke to see the drop. However, the celebrations will be in full swing were they to win this fixture in front of their home fans and it's not out of the equation. The simple fact that Gianfranco Zola and Steve Clarke have been offered new deals this week after just six months at the post speaks volumes for West Ham's season. When the pair took over at the helm, West Ham were flirting with the relegation zone but with just four games to go, West Ham are now a whisker away from securing European football, yet again. They were massively disappointing in their last stint in Europe but were they to make it again, we would fancy them to give a much better account of themselves judging by some of their performances this season. For now, Zola and his team will need to concentrate on what looks a very tough fixture for West Ham. Stoke have been an extremely tough side to beat at home, losing just three games at The Brittania all season so 'The Hammers' certainly have their work cut out. They will also need to gather their squad and aid them in their recovery from a weekend defeat at home to Chelsea. Were it not for a missed Mark Noble penalty then West ham may have nicked a point but that wasn't to be and this look to be another tough fixture and one they may drop more points in. Match Odds - Stoke City 7/5 Bet365 Draw 9/4 Coral West Ham 11/5 SkyBet Prediction - Draw Tottenham Hotspur V West Brom - Saturday 15:00 Two sides with big ambitions go head-to-head this Saturday as relegated elect West Brom travel to London to take on Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. Despite the apparent gulf in class between the two squads, it's West Brom who go into this game with an impressive victory behind them and they will be fully aware that a win in London would complete an historic league double over Spurs after they beat Tottenham 2-0 back at The Hawthorns earlier in the season. A game of two half's was the story at Old Trafford last Saturday. Tottenham were sensational in the first half. They were in United's faces, their passing was crisp and they got the goals their first half performance thoroughly deserved with Darren Bent and Luka Modric scoring within 5 minutes to give Spurs a healthy and potentially match winning half-time lead. The celebrations were premature though as a second half capitulation seen Spurs fall to an embarrassing 5-2 defeat although United were assisted by a dreadful refereeing decision by Howard Webb. A decision which not only left Harry in a huff but Jermaine Jenas as well and his rant after the game at Webb could leave him with a hefty suspension. It's hard to tell what the defeat could do to the Spurs players. It will hurt even more so as they were on a fantastic run of form, winning five of their previous seven league games before succumbing to defeat at Old Trafford. What's more worrying is the fact that Spurs were actually looking like a side that could possibly challenge the top four next season. They appear to have gelled as a team and were starting to play some decent football. We hope they continue in the same vein but i can't help but think that defeat could have a negative effect on team morale. A solid performance at the weekend against Sunderland has given West Brom a glimmer of hope in pulling off what would be another remarkable great escape. Despite manager Tony Mowbray feeling optimistic about his sides chances of going close to surviving, we are of the opposite opinion as we can't see West Brom turning the impossible into the possible, especially when you take a look at their remaining fixtures. After this game with Tottenham they play host to title chasing Liverpool so there run up isn't ideal. Still, even though West Brom do appear to relegated already, they are still playing for their pride and their comprehensive 3-0 victory at home to Sunderland at the weekend just emphasised the fantastic team spirit Tony Mowbray has installed into his players. They out played and more importantly, out battled Sunderland at The Hawthorns and their fine performance certainly won us over, even if it was for a few minutes as we still fancy Tottenham to come good and see off a resilient 'Baggies' side. Match Odds - Tottenham Hostpur 9/17 PaddyPower Draw 10/3 CanBet West Brom 13/2 Coral Prediction - Tottenham Hotspur Wigan Athletic V Bolton Wanderers - Saturday 15:00 With Wigan's safety in the bag, Bolton will be looking to claim the same as a win over Wigan at The JJB Stadium would see them match Wigan's tally of 41 points and in all probability, see Bolton remain in the Premiership for another season. However, although Wigan's season does appear to be drowning out, they still feel they have a chance of nicking a European spot and will do all they can to notch up some more points this weekend. The target has been set for the Wigan players but even if they were to win their remaining four fixtures, they would still be waiting and hoping on others dropping a tonne of points. Fulham currently occupy that final Europa league position but are seven points above 'The Latics' in 12th and their dreams of playing in Europe appear to be rapidly diminishing with every defeat. Their 2-0 defeat away at Blackburn seen them make no ground up on Fulham and it now leaves Wigan with a mountain to climb. The defeat at Ewood Park last Sunday was Wigan's third successive defeat in the league after conceding four in each of their previous two matches against Arsenal and Everton. That now means that Wigan have conceded ten goals in just three games and are shipping a scary amount of goals. Their more experienced defenders in Scharner and Bramble need to step up to the mark and lead by example else Bolton could enjoy themselves in front of goal. Theoretically, Bolton do look to be safe and dry but mathematically, they are not. Until it's physically impossible for Bolton to be relegated, Gary Megson won't let his players take their foot of the pedal for a second but even he will be concerned with some of Bolton's recent results. Defeats against Chelsea and Portsmouth and a 1-1 draw at home to Aston Villa has seen Bolton take just one point from three games and some may say they are stumbling just before the finish line. I can't see them going down but were they lose a few more games, anything can happen. Another negative for all you Bolton fans is their poor away form this term. Just four of their seventeen away games have been converted into wins and their last away victory was all the way back in November, last year. They have since gone nine away games without a win and despite Wigan's dip in form, i can't or won't put a single pound of my money on Bolton ending their away duct this Saturday. Match Odds - Wigan Athletic 6/5 VCBet Draw 23/10 Bet365 Bolton Wanderers 11/4 Ladbrokes Prediction - Wigan Athletic Liverpool V Newcastle United - Sunday 13:30 Sky Sports With the Champions League now dead in the water, Liverpool now turn their full attention towards the league where they will be looking to secure second place and still put some amount of pressure on league leaders United with a win over a hapless Newcastle United team. There will be a small contingent of 'Toon' fans travelling to Anfield but i can only see their relatively short trip being a disappointing one with Liverpool looking a strong bet for all three points. When you look at Liverpool's run up to the end of the season, you will notice that they do have some fairly easy fixtures, with this being one of them. Liverpool will be facing a Newcastle side that rarely achieves draws let alone actually wins games. In our honest opinion, this really should be a rout and with captain Steven Gerrard likely to make his long awaited return to face the 'Magpies', Newcastle fans and manager Alan Shearer will know this is a game they might not get a lot out of. With that said, I'm certain Shearer will tell his players that a result is there if they pull out of their best performance of the season. It really would need a colossal team effort though from Newcastle, were they to even pick up a point at Anfield and despite us being huge fans of Shearer in his hay day, we just can't see his side getting anything out of this match. I mean, Newcastle have won just twice away from home all season and there win less run has now stretched to nine matches so how they will manage to win in Liverpool is anyone's guess. Liverpool on the other hand will now be gunning for their seventh win in eight games and if they want to keep their slim title hopes alive, they must ensure that this game is converted into a victory. A small concern for us was their below par performance last Saturday at relegation struggling Hull City. The eventual 1-3 scoreline was a bit flattering for Liverpool as it was one of their poorest performances for some time. Their passing was poor and the whole team looked sluggish. Fatigue maybe playing an issue and were 'The Reds' to play in a similar manner this Sunday, Newcastle may have a glimmer of hope. Newcastle themselves were also extremely disappointing in their latest outing in the league. Their match with Portsmouth at St. James Park was being built up as a game that could change Newcastle's dire season right around but another toothless performance seen Newcastle make survival and even bigger task. That draw now leaves Newcastle three points off safety and with just four games to go, I'm starting to doubt whether Shearer actually has what it takes to lead his beloved Newcastle side to safety. Match Odds - Liverpool 3/10 Coral Draw 9/2 SkyBet Newcastle United 14/1 Boylesports Prediction - Liverpool Sunderland V Everton - Sunday 16:00 Sky Sports A club craving Premiership football takes on an Everton side almost certain of a place in next seasons Europa league, so you would feel that Sunderland are and should be the hungrier of the two sides going into this fixture. With that said, fifth does provide around £1million more then sixth so we expect Everton to field a very strong side capable of overturning Sunderland at The Stadium of Light. Sunderland's 3-0 defeat away at West Brom last weekend has now seen them fall right back into the relegation equation. The 'Black Cats' are now just four points above their bitter rivals Newcastle who occupy the closest relegation spot in eighteenth. Were they to lose yet another game they could find themselves just one point above the drop zone with just three games left to play. It would also mean that a Tyneside club is almost guaranteed to join the The Championship next term but which side will it be? Or possibly all three? It's not looking good for those faithful fans on Tyneside. After their 1-0 home victory against Hull City, Sunderland were expected to go on from that huge win and secure a victory over bottom placed West Brom which would have greatly enhanced their chances of survival. That was far from the case though at The Hawthorns and Sunderland were thumped 3-0 to leave their bid for Premiership survival in the balance. However, a win over FA Cup finalist Everton would change all that and manager Ricky Sbragia will need to focus on the positives and drum it into the players that a victory this Sunday in front of the Sky cameras would leave his side on the verge of confirming another season in the top flight. It's tricky to weigh up how much David Moyes will want to win this game. Let's be honest, Everton are guaranteed a place in Europe next season and with their dreams of playing in the Champions league in tatters, you can't help but feel that Moyes and the players will have one eye on that FA Cup final at the end of May. What's more is that David Moyes can ill-afford to lose any more key players and with Phil Jagielka set to miss the final after picking up a bizarre injury in last weeks game with Man City, is it really worth risking any more players when you have very little to play for in the league? If i was the Everton manager, i would wrap the likes of Tim Cahill and Joleen Lescott up in cotton wool as an injury to one of those two would see their chances of winning some silverware greatly decrease. Everton do also possess several talented youngsters who can come in a do a efficient job instead. Dan Gosling has already shown us that he has what it takes to compete at this level while the same can be said for Jack Rodwell, so do the right thing Moyes and rest your best! Match Odds - Sunderland 44/27 SportingBet Draw 2/1 Coral Everton 7/4 Bwin Prediction - Draw Labels: premier league betting, premier league preview, premiership betting, premiership preview Posted by soccerbetting.info @ 11:38 AM << Home