In amongst the gifts that Santa Claus is currently hawking around at inflated prices, he’s come up trumps with a timeless present that will get many punters through the occasionally treacherous yuletide period: a midweek Premier League set of fixtures!
Rejoice and hark all ye punters sing as ahead of Wednesday’s mouth-watering set of matches, we have two on Tuesday that offer exceptional betting value across the board.
So, here is the pick of Tuesday’s Premier League betting tips:
Bournemouth vs Leicester (7:45pm)
What a catalyst that could turn out to be. Having taken a hammering from the press and his own board for taking what was essentially a reserve side to Porto in midweek, the wisdom of Claudio Ranieri’s decision was vindicated as Leicester ran riot against Manchester City on Saturday; winning 4-2 and spurning chances to add extra gloss to the scoreline.
There are caveats, of course, with Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho missing for the Citizens and their defence being, well, terrible, but the Foxes’ performance harked back to their title-winning campaign of 2015/16. With a break from Champions League action, the omens are good for Ranieri’s side.
Bournemouth remain enigmatic. We predicted that they would lose to Burnley on Sunday and they duly obliged, but is the manner of their performances which suggests they can be sublime or ridiculous in any given match. They have netted in each of their last five outings and yet shipped eleven in the same, so as punters we don’t really now where we stand with the Cherries.
The good news is that they are fairly reliable at home (W4 D1 L2), and so we can at least expect them to put in a good showing.
But there was just something in Leicester’s display on Saturday that suggested the good times are back. There was a swagger about their attacking play, and with Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez seemingly back in form and linking up nicely with Islam Slimani we can suggest that the victory over Manchester City may just be the hypothetical start of their season proper. If they turn up in similar mood here, they may prove to be too hot to handle.
Recommended Bets
Leicester City to Win (2/1 with Betfair)
Over 2.5 Goals & Both Teams to Score (11/10 with Coral)
Everton vs Arsenal (7:45pm)
The current state of Everton’s game is a head-scratcher for anyone with a passing interest in the sport. Their form this season – W5 D5 L5 – tells its own tale of their inconsistency, but their run since the start of November (W0 D2 L3) is rather more instructive. Eleven goals conceded and just four scored confirms our suspicion that they have problems at both ends of the pitch at the moment.
In a 4-2-3-1 formation, that trio in attacking midfield needs to contribute goals in order to take the pressure off the lone frontman. Now, Romelu Lukaku is a pretty good option up top as his nine goals confirm, but the four players that have typically dovetailed behind him this term – Ross Barkly, Kevin Mirallas, Yannick Bolasie and Gerard Deulofeu – have contributed just five between them. And therein lies the problem.
So the Toffees aren’t finding the net with any prevalence, and defensively there are issues too. One clean sheet in eleven means that, obviously, Ronald Koeman’s side need to score twice to even have a chance of winning – please see the above paragraph on this.
The regression in Everton’s game will be of huge concern to all at the club….although Tuesday’s opponents Arsenal won’t give a monkeys.
The Gunners are marching on with gay abandon at present, unbeaten in six and with seventeen goals scored in just half-a-dozen outings. Once the rigmarole of qualifying from the Champions League group phase is complete, the big sides can kick on until the next stage of the competition kicks off in the new year, so now is an excellent time to be backing Arsene Wenger’s side.
The carefree nature of their attacking football is a joy to behold, and it is good to see that their away form (W5 D2 L0) is currently doing the business as well.
The key recipient of the Gunners’ enterprising nature is Alexis Sanchez, who since being pressed into a more central role has been a revelation. Anything approaching the Even money mark about him finding the net, especially against this hapless Everton backline, is excellent value.
Recommended Bets
Arsenal to Win (10/11 with Betfred)
Alexis Sanchez Anytime Goalscorer (21/20 with William Hill)
Arsenal to Score 2 or More (4/5 with Coral)
