Friday, November 25, 2016

EPL 2016/17 - Week 14

Burnley v/s Man City - Away win
Hull v/s WBA - Draw
Leicester v/s Middlesbrough - Home win
Liverpool v/s Sunderland - Home win
Swansea v/s Crystal Palace - Home win
Chelsea v/s Tottenham - Home win
Watford v/s Stoke - Home win
Arsenal v/s Bournemouth - Home win
Man Utd v/s West Ham - Home win
Southampton v/s Everton - Draw

I see lots of home wins this week. Liverpool should blow out Sunderland. I cannot think of a better 'banker' win. Sunderland will do well to keep this a low score but I don't think they will. Arsenal should overcome Bournemouth although I don't think it will be a thrashing as with the Reds. The Gunners are puffing of late and a tough mid-week match against PSG is bound to leave stamina questions for this match. Still, I think Wenger will just sneak through with the all-important 3 points.

I expect Man Utd to confirm their renewal of form by beating the struggling Hammers. The Red Devils were oh-so rampant against Arsenal in their last league match but failed to win but they confirmed their good disposition by thrashing Feyenood in mid-week. Something seems to have clicked nicely during the Arsenal match and Mourinho's men could be on a roll now. Another home win.

It might be worth chancing with Swansea to give manager Bradley his first EPL win. Visiting Crystal Palace are a team capable of the best and worst; in other words, they are not a reliable team to have any confidence at all. At current odds, going with a Swansea win or Double chance (win or draw) could be rewarding.

Win: Liverpool, Arsenal, Man Utd, Swansea
Win or draw: Swansea

Friday, November 18, 2016

EPL 2016/17 - Week 13

Man Utd v/s Arsenal - Home win
Crystal Palace v/s Man City - Away win
Everton v/s Swansea - Home win
Southampton v/s Liverpool - Home win
Stoke v/s Bournemouth - Home win
Sunderland v/s Hull - Draw
Watford v/s Leicester - Draw
Tottenham v/s West Ham - Draw
Middlesbrough v/s Chelsea - Away win
WBA v/s Burnley - Home win

The big match this week-end, without doubt, is at Old Trafford for yet another Mourinho - Wenger showdown. The Portuguese near-flawless record against his nemesis is well documented and I see the pattern staying unchanged after this match. It's true that the Gunners have been flying of late, but a view of their recent outings suggests that their good streak is about to end sooner than later. Mourinho will be pumped up not to lose against a despised rival and will resort to whatever means, including parking the bus, to stutter the potent of the Gunners attack. Another piece of bad news for the Gunners is the potential absence of Alexis Sanchez. I cannot see the Red Devils losing this one; they either will win or draw.

I also see Liverpool dropping points as they visit Southampton. I mentioned a couple of weeks back that it would be difficult for them to maintain the form and tempo they have been enthralling the league since the start. The St Mary's is a tough place to go to and the Kops can expect a serious fight until the final whistle. I like the home team's odds here for an outright win but a draw-no-bet looks reasonable as well.

Win or draw-no-bet: Man Utd, Southampton

Friday, November 4, 2016

EPL 2016/17 - Week 12

Bournemouth v/s Sunderland - Home win
Burnley v/s Crystal Palace - Home win
Man City v/s Middlesbrough - Home win
West Ham v/s Stoke - Home win
Chelsea v/s Everton - Home win
Arsenal v/s Tottenham - Away win
Hull v/s Southampton - Draw
Liverpool v/s Watford - Home win
Swansea v/s Man Utd - Away win
Leicester v/s West Brom - Home win

Chelsea are on a roll and Everton could be having a long afternoon at Stamford Bridge. The Blues boasts a stellar home record against leading teams this season including 3-0 and 4-0 thrashings of Leicester and Man Utd respectively. Hazard, Pedro and Costa just seem to find an extra step in front of their supporters, which is not always the case on their travels. After a very strong start, Everton have gone back in the ranks lately but will rely on ex-Chelsea striker Lukaku to do damage at the front end, although it won't be easy against Courtois. It is possible The Toffees can snatch a draw in this one but it might be worth going for the outright home win here, given the market odds.

The match of the week-end will be at the Emirates for the London Derby between the Gunners and Spurs. Both teams had different fortunes in their midweek UCL encounters. Arsenal struggled to go beat minnows Ludogorets while Pochettino's men lost at Wembley to Bayer Leverkusen. The Gunners are on a good streak but I think they can be vulnerable against their resilient rivals here. Spurs have proven to be a tough team to beat even without their main striker Kane. While the England striker might make his comeback after injury, the visitors' strength relies on the coherence of their defensive and midfield corps. If Tottenham can withstand the attacks of Sanchez and Ozil, a deciding goal at the other end is definitely within their reach. Spurs as a Double Chance (Draw or Away) or Draw-no-bet look to be great value plays.

Win: Chelsea
Draw-no-bet or Double-Chance: Tottenham

EPL 2016/17 - Week 11

Bournemouth v/s Sunderland - Home win
Burnley v/s Crystal Palace - Home win
Man City v/s Middlesbrough - Home win
West Ham v/s Stoke - Home win
Chelsea v/s Everton - Home win
Arsenal v/s Tottenham - Away win
Hull v/s Southampton - Draw
Liverpool v/s Watford - Home win
Swansea v/s Man Utd - Away win
Leicester v/s West Brom - Home win

Chelsea are on a roll and Everton could be having a long afternoon at Stamford Bridge. The Blues boasts a stellar home record against leading teams this season including 3-0 and 4-0 thrashings of Leicester and Man Utd respectively. Hazard, Pedro and Costa just seem to find an extra step in front of their supporters, which is not always the case on their travels. After a very strong start, Everton have gone back in the ranks lately but will rely on ex-Chelsea striker Lukaku to do damage at the front end, although it won't be easy against Courtois. It is possible The Toffees can snatch a draw in this one but it might be worth going for the outright home win here, given the market odds.

The match of the week-end will be at the Emirates for the London Derby between the Gunners and Spurs. Both teams had different fortunes in their midweek UCL encounters. Arsenal struggled to go beat minnows Ludogorets while Pochettino's men lost at Wembley to Bayer Leverkusen. The Gunners are on a good streak but I think they can be vulnerable against their resilient rivals here. Spurs have proven to be a tough team to beat even without their main striker Kane. While the England striker might make his comeback after injury, the visitors' strength relies on the coherence of their defensive and midfield corps. If Tottenham can withstand the attacks of Sanchez and Ozil, a deciding goal at the other end is definitely within their reach. Spurs as a Double Chance (Draw or Away) or Draw-no-bet look to be great value plays.

Win: Chelsea
Draw-no-bet or Double-Chance: Tottenham

EPL 2016/17 - Week 11

Bournemouth v/s Sunderland - Home win
Burnley v/s Crystal Palace - Home win
Man City v/s Middlesbrough - Home win
West Ham v/s Stoke - Home win
Chelsea v/s Everton - Home win
Arsenal v/s Tottenham - Away win
Hull v/s Southampton - Draw
Liverpool v/s Watford - Home win
Swansea v/s Man Utd - Away win
Leicester v/s West Brom - Home win

Chelsea are on a roll and Everton could be having a long afternoon at Stamford Bridge. The Blues boasts a stellar home record against leading teams this season including 3-0 and 4-0 thrashings of Leicester and Man Utd respectively. Hazard, Pedro and Costa just seem to find an extra step in front of their supporters, which is not always the case on their travels. After a very strong start, Everton have gone back in the ranks lately but will rely on ex-Chelsea striker Lukaku to do damage at the front end, although it won't be easy against Courtois. It is possible The Toffees can snatch a draw in this one but it might be worth going for the outright home win here, given the market odds.

The match of the week-end will be at the Emirates for the London Derby between the Gunners and Spurs. Both teams had different fortunes in their midweek UCL encounters. Arsenal struggled to go beat minnows Ludogorets while Pochettino's men lost at Wembley to Bayer Leverkusen. The Gunners are on a good streak but I think they can be vulnerable against their resilient rivals here. Spurs have proven to be a tough team to beat even without their main striker Kane. While the England striker might make his comeback after injury, the visitors' strength relies on the coherence of their defensive and midfield corps. If Tottenham can withstand the attacks of Sanchez and Ozil, a deciding goal at the other end is definitely within their reach. Spurs as a Double Chance (Draw or Away) or Draw-no-bet look to be great value plays.

Win: Chelsea
Draw-no-bet or Double-Chance: Tottenham