A rare treat this week: a whole programme of Premier League fixtures across Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.
And these aren’t any old fixtures either: we’ll see Champions League places scrapped for and relegation battles resume, before the gameweek concludes with a mouth-watering clash between Chelsea and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.
So where are the best Premier League betting tips to be found?
Leicester City vs Sunderland (Tuesday, 7:45pm)
The post-Ranieri renaissance continues at the Premier League champions. Four wins on the spin, including a trio of victories all by a two-goal on home soil, has elevated Leicester clear of the dropzone and all but confirmed their top-flight status for another year. The reasoning for their immediate improvement is obvious, and while Ranieri’s exit leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of the neutral for the Foxes it is one of the smartest moves they have made.
The comfortable nature of their last three home wins – 3-1 over Liverpool and Hull and 2-0 over Stoke – suggests that, really, they should be beating Sunderland by an equally safe margin on Tuesday.
The Black Cats were abject in defeat at Watford, and as we have been saying all season if Jermain Defoe doesn’t score then neither do Sunderland. Hamstrung by a lack of quality in his squad, David Moyes must nevertheless take some of the blame given his conservative tactics.
We anticipate another straightforward victory for Leicester here.
Recommended Bet
Leicester -1.00 Asian Handicap (13/15 with BetVictor)
Burnley vs Stoke City (Tuesday, 7:45pm)
It is now more than 360 minutes of away day football since Stoke City found the net on their travels, and that is yet another odd anomaly in an inconsistent campaign full of them from Mark Hughes’ men.
There is just an outside chance of Burnley being sucked into the relegation battle; they are five points clear but the Clarets are seven games without a win now. They have only scored once in 270 minutes of football, and only one (or fewer) in five of their last six home games.
This will be a tight and low-scoring affair as a result.
Recommended Bet
Both Teams to Score – No (17/20 with Betfair)
Arsenal vs West Ham (Wednesday, 7:45pm)
The Gunners will take huge confidence from their 2-2 draw with Manchester City on Sunday, and they will be looking to get back to winning ways on Wednesday against a West Ham side that is falling hard.
The ongoing saga of Slavan Bilic’s new contract clearly hasn’t helped, and neither have injuries to the likes of Antonio, Reid, Ogbonna, Obiang and Noble. Both teams to score has landed in their last seven games but they have only won one of those, so Arsenal are ripe for a high-scoring victory here.
Recommended Bet
Arsenal to Win & Over 2.5 Goals (5/6 with Paddy Power)
Southampton vs Crystal Palace (Wednesday, 7:45pm)
Southampton, shorn of the attacking talents of Charlie Austin and Jay Rodriguez, were rather feeble going forward against Bournemouth on Saturday, and even home advantage here does little to whet the appetite for a sparkling performance in the final third.
That will play into Crystal Palace’s hands. They were outstanding in victory over Chelsea last time out, and while the three points themselves were important the manner of the win was perhaps more eye-catching: the Eagles fought like lions, and clearly are a team coming together well under Sam Allardyce. With the exceptional Wilfried Zaha on the wing, they possess a real goal-threat too.
This match could genuinely be any scoreline, although we’d be hugely surprised if Palace lost by more than one goal.
Recommended Bet
Crystal Palace +0.75 Asian Handicap (10/11 with BetVictor)
Chelsea vs Manchester City (Wednesday, 8pm)
There’s no rest for the wicked. After a tumultuous weekend of football for varying reasons, the country’s two outstanding teams must lock horns in a midweek shootout.
How will Chelsea respond to their defeat against Crystal Palace on Saturday? You would assume it would have a positive effect, but of course there is always that possibility that it could shake their confidence.
Manchester City, meanwhile, took the lead twice at Arsenal on Sunday and will be very disappointed not to cling on to victory. They are down to fourth now, with their Manchester rivals and the Gunners’ themselves both nipping at their heels for the fourth Champions League place. They need a positive result here.
Would both managers take the draw on Wednesday evening? You bet they would, and it is amazing in such circumstances how often that scenario plays out.
Recommended Bet
The Draw (12/5 with bet365)
