A beautiful and rare midweek round of fixtures in the Premier League, and in amongst the humdrum there are some little gems of matches; not least the Liverpool vs Chelsea dust-up at Anfield.
As ever, there is stacks of betting value to be found if you look hard enough; and the good news is that we have done the hard work for you.
So here are some Premier League betting tips for Tuesday January 31 and Wednesday February 1.
Bournemouth vs Crystal Palace (Tuesday, 7:45pm)
It’s been an awful start to life for Sam Allardyce at Crystal Palace, and not content with overseeing four league defeats in five games he now has the indignity of an early FA Cup exit to deal with.
To add salt to the wounds, it appears as though key defender Scott Dann will miss this fixture through injury.
Bournemouth are a wildly unpredictable side and it is their goals columns when playing at Dean Court that get our juices flowing: 21 for, 17 against in just 11 starts.
Knowing that Palace are betting going forward than they are defensively, and that the Cherries are capable of excellence in the opposition box (nine scored in their last four) and mediocrity in their own (fourteen conceded in their last six), suggests that goals should flow here.
Recommended Bet
Over 2.5 Goals (37/40 with BetVictor)
Swansea vs Southampton (Tuesday, 7:45pm)
Life: it gives with one hand and takes with the other. Southampton booked their first major Wembley appearance in years last Wednesday by overcoming Liverpool in the EFL Cup, but they were brought crashing back to earth with a bang in a 0-5 home defeat to Arsenal in the FA Cup on Saturday.
You get the feeling that the Saints are teetering on the brink of a mid-season collapse, with a run of four straight league defeats only brought to a halt last week by the visit of woeful Leicester. With injuries to Virgil van Dijk, James Ward-Prowse, Charlie Austin, Jay Rodriguez and more, this is a good time to be playing them.
Which will be music to the ears of Swansea supporters, who have witnessed a huge improvement in their side in recent times. The appointment of Paul Clement is no coincidence to that, and with an extra week to work with his players we can expect another solid showing from the Welsh side here.
Recommended Bet
Swansea +0.25 Asian Handicap (13/14 with BetVictor)
Sunderland vs Tottenham (Tuesday, 7:45pm)
This match is as likely to be notable for the number of players missing as it is for the action on the pitch, with the hosts without Jordan Pickford, Papy Djilobodji, Victor Anichebe, Duncan Watmore and Jason Denayer, and Spurs potentially missing defensive quartet Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld, Danny Rose and Kieran Trippier.
The Black Cats have netted in five of their last six and 14/22 overall this term, including 9/11 at the Stadium of Light. If Spurs’ backline is depleted, don’t be afraid to get involved.
Recommended Bet
Both Teams to Score (11/10 with William Hill)
Liverpool vs Chelsea (Tuesday, 8pm)
Wow, what a game this is in the context of the season….and how poorly timed it is for Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp has chopped and changed his team to meet the needs of league and cup success, but the upshot is that his side have taken two points from a possible nine in the Premier League of late, were beaten home and away by Southampton in the EFL Cup, needed 180 minutes to get past Plymouth in the FA Cup third round and then suffered defeat to Wolves in the fourth.
Add into the mix injuries suffered by Adam Lallana – who is rated ‘50/50’, and Nathaniel Clyne, who is definitely out, and these are not good times around Anfield way.
Chelsea won’t give a hoot: they are in good heart, are well rested given that most of their strongest eleven had the weekend off, and have welcomed Diego Costa back into the camp with open arms following his spitting of the dummy.
There’s a chance the bookmakers have got their pricing wrong for this one, so make sure you get behind the Blues at an excellent price.
Recommended Bet
Chelsea Draw No Bet (11/10 with Betfair)
West Ham vs Manchester City (Wednesday, 7:45pm)
It’s amazing how much difference one player can make. For West Ham, they bade good riddance to Dimitri Payet at the weekend as he headed back to France. The Hammers have won back-to-back outings since his removal from the first team squad, and their players will be nice and rested after a weekend off.
As for Manchester City, they simply aren’t the same side when Sergio Aguero isn’t around. The Argentine picked up an injury in training last week and will definitely miss this trip to London.
Pep Guardiola has options in his absence, but none offer the attacking verve of their main man. Expect the Hammers to profit even without the bludgeoning firepower of Andy Carroll.
Recommended Bet
West Ham +1.25 Asian Handicap (7/10 with bet365)
Manchester United vs Hull City (Wednesday, 8pm)
Poor old Hull City, they lurch from one disaster to the next. A thin squad depleted by injuries, the sale of key men in Robert Snodgrass and Jake Livermore has all but ended the Tigers’ season. They are doomed and they know it; Sunday’s 1-4 defeat at Championship outfit Fulham a worrying sign of things to come.
Jose Mourinho is not known for his charity, and he will name a strong Manchester United side on Wednesday night. Fresh from a thrashing of Wigan in the FA Cup and on an unbeaten run at Old Trafford that dates back to September, this contest could get very messy.
Recommended Bet
Manchester United to Win & Over 3.5 Goals (13/8 with Paddy Power)
