Monthly Archives: January 2011

Saturday Championship preview

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Bet on the ChampionshipQueens Park Rangers are not in action until Sunday but there is still plenty of action in the Championship on Saturday so we will have a look at the top games and pick out any potential betting opportunities.

Cardiff v Watford

Cardiff’s form has been indifferent over their past five fixtures – with two wins, two defeats and a draw – and they are due to face a Hornets side who have won their last six Championship games, including a 3-1 victory at league-leading QPR.

A win for the Hertfordshire side would take them above the Welshmen and would equal their club record of seven consecutive wins. But Cardiff may have Craig Bellamy and Jay Bothroyd back, which will boost their goal-scoring potential and it could be that this one ends in a stalemate, with a low-scoring draw possibly on the cards.

Odds: Draw 12/5

Value bet: 1-1 draw 11/2

Barnsley v Swansea

The Swans have taken nine out of a possible 15 points in their last five outings but remain in second place in the Championship table. They have been strengthened by the return of midfielder Leon Britton and should have enough ammunition to take all three points from a Tykes side who have won just once in their last five games.

With QPR not playing until Sunday, the Welsh side can join them on 49 points and continue their march towards the Premier League.

The Yorkshiremen can take heart from the fact that Saturday’s opponents are vulnerable away from home and have already lost seven times on their travels this term.

Odds: Swansea Evens to win

Value bet: Both teams to score 3/4

Portsmouth v Leeds

Leeds were dumped out of the FA Cup by Arsenal in a replay this week but they now return to the business of winning back their Premier League status.

The Elland Road outfit have taken just six points from their last five games, with only one victory in that time, but will face a Pompey side who have not won any of their past five fixtures. They have endured three defeats and two draws, one of which was a 3-3 affair with Saturday’s opponents back in late December.

The Yorkshire outfit are the Championship’s joint-top scorers and so the home side’s dodgy defence will have its work cut out to contain them, and an away win is predicted here.

Odds: Leeds 6/4 to win

Value bet: Leeds to win to nil 16/5

Reading v Hull

The Royals’ form has been mixed of late with two wins, two draws and a defeat but they are just one place and two points outside the play-off zone.

Hull have managed 10 points from a possible 15 and will pose a significant threat to their hosts on Saturday as they have not been beaten on the road for eight games.

Whether or not they can take all three points is open to question and these sides may have to settle for a point each after 90 minutes at the Madejski Stadium.

Odds: Draw 5/2

Value bet: 2-2 draw 12/1

Nottingham Forest v Derby County

Forest are on a great run at present with 13 points from 15, including a 5-2 victory over Saturday’s opponents in December, while Derby have won just once in five.

Local derbies can always throw up strange results but the Rams’ FA Cup defeat to Crawley Town will have dented their fragile confidence even further and Forest will surely be too good for Nigel Clough’s beleaguered side.

Derby are in free-fall at present and the Forest fans would love their heroes to aid the Rams’ downward spiral.

Odds: Forest win 6/4

Value bet: Forest to lead at half time and full time 7/2

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Rangers to cope without Miller

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It is another action-packed weekend across Scotland and things are closing up at the top and the bottom of the SPL. Lets take a closer look at the games and see who will be celebrating on Saturday night.

Hearts v Rangers

Rangers will be looking to jump ahead of Celtic at the top of the table, even if it is just for a few hours, when they travel to Tynecastle to take on a Hearts side, who are enjoying a great run. Walter Smith’s side have won three games on the bounce to ensure they sit only two points behind their Old Firm rivals having played two matches less.

The Gers will be without Kenny Miller, who has completed a move to Turkish champions Bursaspor, but even without their 21-goal striker you would expect Rangers to field a strong forward line.

Hearts are in a good run of form and have won nine of their last 10 SPL matches, and it is a run which should give Jim Jeffries and the Jambos reason to be confident.

Prediction: Rangers have not lost on the road all season in the league and that should continue with an away win priced at 5/6.

Celtic v Aberdeen

Celtic demolished Aberdeen 9-0 the last time these two teams met and Swedish star Freddie Ljundberg seems set to make his home debut in the game. That hammering back in November started the end of Mark McGhee’s time in charge but Craig Brown has steadied the ship since he arrived and they are now unbeaten in four games.

Neil Lennon will know his side cannot afford to slip-up and let Rangers get ahead of them in the title race and this is the first of three games between Celtic and Aberdeen to take place over the next 11 days.

Prediction: A win for Celtic at 2/9, but don’t expect another 9-0 at 125/1.

Inverness CT v Hamilton

Inverness continue to ride in the top half of the SPL but have a poor home record and that could give rock-bottom Hamilton some reason to feel confident of adding to their two wins so far this season.

However, the visitors cannot seem to stop conceding on the road so far this term and they face a side that were unlucky not to take points off Rangers in their last game. Terry Butcher has spoken this week of feeling like Inverness were “not wanted” in the SPL, but that could change if they keep on impressing this season.

Prediction: Inverness have only won 2 of 10 games in front of their home fans but Hamilton won’t stop them getting a result here at 4/5.

Kilmarnock v Dundee Utd

Kilmarnock have been struggling to find some form in recent games but are still holding onto their fourth-placed spot. Dundee United beat Motherwell in their last game and boast the dangerous David Goodwillie up front.

Prediction: Both sides are capable of winning, but a draw at 23/10 is a likely outcome.

Motherwell v Hibernian

Motherwell have signed Mike Grella and Steve Jones on loan until the end of the season and both players could make their debuts at Fir Park. Both of these teams are struggling, with Hibernian in particular under-performing this season. It is likely to be a tight match between the two but Motherwell should be buoyed by the fact Hibs are on a run of nine games without a win.

Prediction: Motherwell will edge it, priced at 10/11.

St Johnstone v St Mirren

Both teams are struggling for form and points and look destined for a long and painful relegation battle between now and the end of the season.

Prediction: All signs point to a bore draw at 5/2.

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Hornets have a sting in the tail

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There are several big games at the top and the bottom of the Championship this weekend and the highlight is a mouth-watering clash in the Welsh capital between Cardiff and Watford. Here’s some suggestions for your Championship match betting.

Cardiff City v Watford (Sat 3pm)

It’s 3rd v 6th at the Cardiff City Stadium and it’s the visitors who look like the team on an upward curve, as they set their sights on a top-two place. Malky Mackay’s men have surprised many so far this term and wins at QPR, Norwich and Sheffield United have shown there are serious promotion contenders.

The Hornets hammered Cardiff 4-1 at Vicarage Road last month and with 15-goal striker Danny Graham in hot form, can extend their unbeaten run to ten games this weekend.

Match Bet: Graham to score anytime @ 7/4

Derby v Nottingham Forest (Sat 1pm)

The East Midlands rivals meet for the second time in a month, with Forest looking to do the double over the Rams after a crushing 5-2 win at the City Ground.

Billy Davies’ men look to have found their stride and should prove too strong for a Derby team that has won just one of their last nine matches.

Match Bet: Forest to win @ 6/4

Reading v Hull City (Sat 3pm)

Two of the most improved teams in the division meet at the Madejski Stadium – Reading have lost just one of their last 12, while Hull have suffered just one loss in 11 league games.

The two teams, both serious promotion contenders, played out a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture on December 28 and there is likely to be nothing to split them again this time.

Match Bet: 1-1 Correct Score @ 11/2

Barnsley v Swansea (Sat 3pm)

Second-placed Swansea have been another of the surprise packages this season, having forced their way into the top two. The Swans have built their success on strong form at the Liberty Stadium with the most home wins of any team (nine), but their away form also stands up to scrutiny.

Brendan Rodgers’ men look too powerful for a Barnsley team slipping down the table and that have lost their key man Adam Hammill to Wolves this week.

Match Bet: HT-Draw FT-Swansea @ 7/2

Portsmouth v Leeds (Sat 3pm)

Pompey have lost their last four games since these two teams drew 3-3 at Elland Road, with their home form a concern following just four wins in 11 games.

Leeds may have gone out of the FA Cup to Arsenal in midweek but their display is only likely to further boost confidence. Simon Grayson will be aware that a win at Fratton Park and other results going their way could see Leeds move up to second.

Match Bet: Leeds to win @ 6/4

QPR v Coventry (Sun 1.15pm)

The league leaders have further strengthened their squad this week, including the loan capture of Newcastle’s Wayne Routledge, which will be a concern for their rivals.

Coventry’s winter flirtation with the play-offs now seems a distant memory and with no wins in their last seven league games, the Sky Blues look unlikely to become only the second team to beat the R’s at Loftus Road this season.

Match Bet: A Goal in Both Halves @ 8/13

Ipswich v Doncaster (Sat 3pm)

Paul Jewell takes charge of his first home game as Ipswich manager and it looks on paper like it might be a winning beginning at Portman Road. The Tractor Boys may have slipped to defeat at Millwall last week, but there have been signs of improvement in recent weeks.

Doncaster, meanwhile, have lost their last two games 5-0 and 3-0 and have struggled on their travels – with just three wins away from the Keepmoat.

Match Bet: Ipswich to win @ 6/5

Middlesbrough v Preston (Sat 3pm)

These two teams looked doomed when they met at Deepdale last month, but a 3-1 win for Boro that day helped them on the way to pulling four points clear of the drop zone.

North End are still rooted to the bottom of the table though, with new boss Phil Brown looking to inspire. If fit, Nathan Ellington looks a decent addition to the Preston ranks.

Match Bet: Draw @ 13/5

Crystal Palace v Bristol City (Sat 3pm)

Both of these teams look set for a battle to stay in the division between now and May, having been very inconsistent to date.

Despite being in the bottom three, Palace’s home form is decent and with City beaten 0-4 by Middlesbrough and 0-3 by League One Sheffield Wednesday in their last two games, the points look to be there for the taking for the Eagles.

Match Bet: Palace to win @ Evens

Sheffield United v Norwich (Sat 3pm)

The Blades are in real danger of slipping into the English football’s third tier, but there does seem to be a chink of light at the end of the very long tunnel. Two draws, against Doncaster and Coventry, indicate Micky Adams is slowly turning the tide.

Norwich may be 17 points ahead of their Yorkshire opponents, but they haven’t won in their last three games, which includes a cup shock against Leyton Orient.

Match Bet: HT-Draw FT-Sheff Utd @ 9/2

Leicester v Millwall (Sat 3pm)

The Foxes have made further additions to their squad in the last week as they look to make a concerted attempt to reach the play-offs.

Who would have thought Millwall would have been four places and three points above Leicester at this stage? But under Sven Goran Eriksson, the Foxes have been hard to beat at home and have lost just twice at the Walkers Stadium all season.

Match Bet: Both Teams to Score @ 8/11

Scunthorpe v Burnley (Sat 5.20pm)

New manager syndrome looks like being a major factor at Glanford Park, as Eddie Howe takes charge of Burnley for the first time. Brian Laws lost his job with the Clarets still in touch with those in the play-off places and Howe will want to hit the ground running.

Where better to start that at Scunthorpe, who have won just once at home all season, although their last three points came at Burnley in the reverse fixture.

Match Bet: Burnley to win @ 21/20

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Deals hot up as clubs chase the dream

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The transfer window closes in 12 days’ time and with several big moves already sealed but plenty more expected – including the eagerly-awaited next destination of Robbie Keane – we assess how January’s dealings may help – or hinder – Premier League teams in the second half of the season.

The shock move of the month so far was completed on Tuesday when Darren Bent joined Aston Villa in a record £18million switch from Sunderland as Gerard Houllier attempts to put the brakes on his side’s slide into a relegation battle.

No doubt Bent will find the goals Villa have been missing and, although he is possibly a tad over-priced, it seems like good business by Randy Lerner.

Villa’s aim will not only be to avoid the drop but to also push on and look for European qualification now that Bent is on board. They are a much better side than their current position of 17th suggests and don’t bet against them securing a top-six finish (16/1) if the likes of Marc Albrighton, Stewart Downing, Ashley Young and Gabby Agbonlahor all gel in what’s left of the campaign.

Man City’s huge £27m purchase of Edin Dzeko should again ensure the Eastlands outfit are the biggest spenders of the month. No surprise there, then.

But what may come as a surprise to some is just how well-placed Roberto Mancini’s side are in the title race heading into February. City are level on points with local rivals United at the top – albeit after playing two games more – but may just have the squad now to go on and win the Premier League (6/1), with a fearsome collection of attacking talent that includes David Silva, Mario Balotelli, Dzeko, James Milner, Adam Johnson and Carlos Tevez.

Spurs fans will be looking forward to the rest of the season, too, following the capture of Steven Pienaar from Everton – an astute £3million purchase by Harry Redknapp as he looks to keep his squad ticking over into the final months of the season.

A second-successive top-four finish looks nigh-on nailed on (13/8) for the north Londoners now, with the possibility of a few more quality arrivals, knowing Harry, in the days that remain this month that would surely only add to their chances of sneaking into the title race.

Liverpool interim boss Kenny Dalglish has identified targets to bolster his underperforming squad this month but time appears to be running out at Anfield as the Reds seem no closer to tying up any deals of note this month.

A serious injection of top-class talent is required at Anfield and, if Kenny can lure striker Luis Suarez from Ajax, a decent winger and a couple of defenders, then maybe Liverpool can push for a Euro berth as well (Top 6 Finish – 2/1). If not, a top-ten finish  is about the best Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and co can hope for.

Elsewhere, there have been some minor, if no less astute, deals done by clubs hoping to preserve their top-flight status in 2011. Birmingham are no strangers to splashing the cash and expect Alex McLeish to bring in at least one major signing to add to the loan capture of David Bentley from Spurs, while Stoke and Newcastle have tied up permanent deals for impressive on-loan pair Jermain Pennant and Hatem Ben Arfa respectively.

Blackburn have money to spend as their ambitious owners want to lure more big names, to follow Roque Santa Cruz, over to Ewood Park while Fulham boss Mark Hughes believes winger Shaun Wright-Phillips is the man to get the Cottagers moving up the table.

The speculation rumour mill is gearing itself up for overdrive in the next fortnight so expect more deals, some shocks and some wholly predicted transfers to keep you ‘entertained’ throughout the rest of the month as teams look for that added bit of spark or quality to give them a chance to dream of fourth – or maybe just 17th – in the Premier League. Just don’t expect too much from Keane, wherever he goes!

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Can Kenny revive Liverpool?

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The Return of the King – as it was billed – hasn’t exactly gone to plan three games in. So here we take a look at what impact Kenny Dalglish is having on Liverpool (2/1 – Top 6 PL Finish) and assess whether he really is the man to restore the club to their former glories.

To Liverpool fans, Dalglish was the ONLY man who should have been given the chance to make the Reds great again. Many, after learning he wanted the job as Rafael Benitez’s successor in the summer, could not understand why the Scot was overlooked by the club in favour of Roy Hodgson.

Hence, as soon as results went wrong for Roy (which was pretty much from the word go) and rumblings of player discontent at Anfield and Melwood grew louder, there was such a clamour for him to be sacked and Kenny installed as new manager.

The hordes on The Kop got their way in the aftermath of another sorry display from Hodgson’s side – the 3-1 reverse at Blackburn earlier this month – and, suddenly, everything seemed brighter on the Red half of Merseyside.

No-one was expecting Dalglish to wave a magic wand and watch immediately as the hugely-underperforming squad began to swat teams aside like Dalglish’s best-ever side of 1987-88 used to, but the former Newcastle and Celtic chief was expected to rejuvenate the squad, unite a bickering staff and, generally, get the club back on track after three years of rocky mismanagement, poor results and under-investment.

Cynics will say the only way Liverpool can compete again with the top four is if they spend money on new players like Manchester United, City and Chelsea have done in the past few years as, remember, the current squad at Anfield is the product of months of skimping and saving, selling top players (Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso most notably) and shopping in the bargain basement sections for free transfers (the names Milan Jovanovic and Sotirios Kyrgiakos come to mind here).

Yes, some of the £60million or so acquired from the sales of Alonso and Mascherano were ploughed back into the club to finance deals for the likes of the hugely-disappointing Glen Johnson (£18million), the promising Raul Meireles (£11.5m) and, the somewhat baffling, Christian Poulsen (£4.5m) but major investment in new, young players has been lacking.

Finally, talk of big-money swoops for Ajax’s Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, Villa pair Ashley Young and Stewart Downing and astute raids for experienced performers like Mark van Bommel and ex-Red Stephen Warnock are taking up the column inches, and it seems Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, understand the need for new players – and fast – if a scrape with relegation is to be avoided.

But it is with Dalglish who the fans are pinning their hopes on most. This is the man voted as the club’s greatest-ever player by the official website recently, the man who was handed the player-manager’s job in 1985 – a surprise at the time – but then duly went on to win the double in his first season in charge and went about assembling that team of 1987-88, regarded by many Liverpool fans as the best attacking side ever, as he gathered more titles and another FA Cup before stepping down in 1991.

That came in the aftermath of Hillsborough – something which severely dented Dalglish’s love for football at the time. He appears to have recovered, however, and currently looks like a child in the pic ‘n’ mix section, having to pinch himself that he is once again in charge of the club he adores.

One of Dalglish’s immediate jobs is to restore confidence and, even though two defeats and a draw do not particularly reflect a change in the club’s fortunes under the 59-year-old so far, there does appear to be a renewed sense of optimism with everyone seemingly pulling in the right direction ahead of Saturday’s trip to Wolves (Liverpool 5/4, Wolves 21/10, draw 11/5 – match betting).

It remains to be seen whether Dalglish’s second coming will, in time, be viewed as a masterstroke or fan-led folly, but one thing is certain, one of the biggest characters in the game is back – and he will give everything he has to get Liverpool fighting among the big-boys once again as soon as possible.

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Leeds upbeat on Gunners task

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Andy O’Brien and Simon Grayson have joined forces to insist Leeds United can pull off another FA Cup shock against Arsenal at Elland Road on Wednesday (Leeds 21/5 draw 3/1 Arsenal 8/13 – FA Cup match betting).

Players and fans alike could be forgiven for keeping an eye firmly fixed on the principal aim of returning to the Premier League, but seasoned Leeds followers will know the famous old domestic cup competition evokes fond memories (10/3 Leeds – npower Championship Promotion 2010/11).

The Whites took the prize scalp of cross-Pennines rivals Manchester United last season and held Tottenham to a 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane before finally bowing out at the hands of the north Londoners.

This time around they have the chance to send Tottenham’s capital rivals out of the FA Cup in front of what is again expected to be a white-hot atmosphere in West Yorkshire.

Arsene Wenger’s Premier League title-chasers needed a dramatic late penalty from captain and talisman Cesc Fabregas to spare their blushes at Emirates Stadium and O’Brien has warned the Gunners they can expect more of the same.

O’Brien said: “I don’t think we have missed our chance. To a certain extent, the Cup games take care of themselves. We were the underdogs but now we are playing at home with a massive support behind us.”

The winners tomorrow will be at home to in-form League One promotion-hopefuls Huddersfield Town in the fourth round, and O’Brien added: “I don’t think an FA Cup run is a hindrance. As a professional footballer, you want to stay in as many competitions as possible for as long as possible and if we’ve got a lot of games it means we are doing something right.”

Grayson added: “We have got to be underdogs because Arsenal have some fantastic players. We will look to try and get through and we will go out with the attitude that we can win it and give them a tough night, but we have to be aware of what Arsenal can do because they are a fantastic team.”

Leeds won their most important FA meeting with Arsenal in 1972 when a diving header by Allan Clarke from a Mick Jones cross was the only goal of the centenary final at Wembley.

However, Arsene Wenger has never experienced third-round defeat during his Arsenal managerial career and it is difficult to ancticipate the Gunners flopping (6/1 Arsenal – FA Cup outright).

Defender Sebastien Squillaci (hamstring), midfielder Abou Diaby (calf), goalkeeper Manuel Almunia (ankle) and centre-back Thomas Vermaelen (Achilles) remain on the sidelines, so Wenger will have to shuffle his pack.

Leeds are unbeaten in seven games in all competitions at Elland Road so the advice here is to take the 4/6 on both teams to score and cover yourself with the 2-1 (7/1) and 3-1 (10/1) Arsenal win correct scores.

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FA Cup Replays

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Leeds and Leicester managed to secure FA Cup draws with Arsenal (6/1 to win the FA Cup) and Manchester City respectively in the third round, but will either side be able to go one better and secure a spot in the fourth round after the midweek replays?

Leeds, who dumped out Manchester United and took Spurs to a replay in the Cup last season, came agonisingly close to knocking Arsenal out of the competition at the first hurdle, only for Gunners talisman Cesc Fabregas to step up and level the score at 1-1 with a last-minute penalty. Arsenal hammered Leeds for an hour at the Emirates but the Yorkshire side took a surprise lead through Robert Snodgrass early in the second half and nearly held out.

However, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger left a number of his key men out of the line-up for Leeds’ visit and the Frenchman could well name a stronger starting XI for the trip to Elland Road.

Samir Nasri and Robin van Persie could be involved on Wednesday after missing out at the Emirates while Theo Walcott and Fabregas were both introduced as second-half substitutes, but Wenger could be tempted to hand them a starting spot in a bid to ensure they progress.

The Leeds fans will get right behind their team and if the Whites can keep Arsenal quiet in the early stages they could well cause an upset, but if Wenger names his strongest line-up Arsenal should be just too strong for the high-flying Championship outfit and a Gunners victory, within 90 minutes, could well be worth some consideration (Match Betting – Leeds 21/5, draw 3/1, Arsenal 8/13).

On Tuesday Leicester City travel to Manchester City after securing an impressive 2-2 draw with the big-spending Eastlands side at the Walkers Stadium.

The Foxes have since added Yakubu to their ranks on loan for the rest of the season and the Nigerian striker scored against Preston on his debut for the Championship outfit, although he is not eligible. The tie also sees former City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson return to Eastlands and the ex-England boss will be desperate to knock out his old club, but City are a strong side on home soil and should be able to see off the Foxes on Tuesday (Match Betting – Manchester City 2/7, draw 9/2, Leciester 17/2).

The other two replays also see Premier League sides pitted against Championship opposition.

Cardiff have a great chance to knock out Stoke after drawing at the Britannia Stadium. The Bluesbirds have a formidable record at Cardiff City Stadium, with just two losses from their 12 league games so far, and the fans will be right behind their team for the Potters’ visit.

Cardiff have the considerable talents of Craig Bellamy, Peter Whittingham and Michael Chopra to callon and if you’re looking for a midweek FA Cup upset this could well be the fixture that provides it. Cardiff are 8/5 to get the better of Stoke within 90 minutes or 5/6 to qualify for the fourth round (Match Betting – Cardiff 8/5, draw 11/5, Stoke 8/5).

Wolves may sit second bottom of the Premier League table but they’ve beaten both Chelsea and Liverpool this season and Mick McCarthy’s side can be a very well organised unit who are difficult to break down.

However, the Molineux side have been guilty of some erratic form over the course of the campaign and Doncaster’s visit on Tuesday night could prove to be a potential banana skin for Wanderers. Wolves were reduced to 10 at the Keepmoat and they did well to hold on against Doncaster, but Rovers play some exciting, attacking football and the South Yorkshire outfit will not be daunted by visiting Molineux on Tuesday.
This is perhaps the hardest fixture to call and Doncaster certainly have the ability to get a result at Wolves. McCarthy will be keen to ensure his side stay in the Premier League and with relegation a very real possibility for Wolves, the boss may choose to rest a few of his stars ahead of the game with Liverpool at the weekend and Doncaster (2/1 to qualify for the fourth round) could well surprise a few people and see-off Wolves at Molinuex (Match Betting – Wolves 8/11, draw 13/5, Doncaster 7/2).

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Five things we’ve learned…

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It’s been another frenetic weekend of football and it’s given us more clues as who will be winning trophies, who will be going down and who is not good enough. Here’s our take on proceedings…..

1 Tottenham need new faces

Spurs may have continued their impressive home record with a goalless draw with Man Utd, but the stalemate highlighted that Harry Redknapp needs to bring in more players to mount a serious title challenge.
Tottenham (33/1 to win the Premier League) have lost just once at White Hart Lane this season and although Rafael van der Vaart looks the real deal, they still lack something in the attacking third. A stellar signing is needed this month……and not David Beckham!

2 Bolton are running out of steam

Owen Coyle has worked wonders with Wanderers this season, but their potential European bid looks to be running out of steam. Bolton (11/2 Top Six Finish) were very much second best in their 2-0 defeat at Stoke and face a tough run of fixtures in the next month, with games against Chelsea, Spurs and Everton in three of their next four league games. The Whites’ small squad looks to be feeling the pace now and the Bolton board may be reluctant to spend any major sums during the current window.

3 Beware if your team begins with a ‘W’

The bottom three in the Premier League consists of West Ham, Wolves and Wigan and don’t be surprised if it stays that way until May! ‘W’ looks to be the danger letter in the top flight, with a lack of consistency affecting all three teams. West Brom (3/1 to be relegated) may have beaten Blackpool on Saturday but their recent run, one win in seven games, suggests they should also be looking over their shoulders.

4 Any one of 15 teams can be promoted

The Championship is always a crazy, unpredictable division, but even more so this season! The battle for the three Premier League places is wide open and no fewer than 15 teams will still harbour hopes of reaching the promised land this season. QPR are the most consistent team in the league and should go up, whilst the 14 teams below them are very evenly matched. Watch out for the likes of Watford, Leicester and Hull (14/1 to win promotion) – the in-form teams in the division.

5 Walsall are doomed

It looks like Saddlers fans can start planning their trips around the League Two (Chesterfield 2/5f to go up) grounds next season, with things going from bad to worse for the Midlands outfit. Walsall were 2-0 up at home to Huddersfield on Saturday and eventually lost 4-2! That result leaves them seven points adrift of safety and still without a manager following Chris Hutchings’ recent departure. Harry Houdini would be hard pushed to escape from that position!

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Who will survive?

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When the season started many so called experts were predicting West Brom and Blackpool would be taking up 19th and 20th in the Premier League come the end of the season. However, both sides have proven the pundits wrong and given themselves real hope of staying in the top flight. We examine which side has the best chance of beating the drop after Saturday’s meeting between the two.

- Blackpool

Who’d have thought that at the midway point in the Premier League Blackpool (10/3 to be relegated) would be looking good to secure a top ten finish. The Seasiders were a stupidly short price to go straight back to the Championship before a ball was kicked this season and perhaps with good reason given their build-up to the campaign. Before the arrival of a boatload of new players the Seasiders couldn’t beg, borrow or steal someone to add to their squad.

However, as it turns out, other than DJ Campbell, Ian Holloway had the players he would need already at the club. The likes of Charlie Adam, David Vaughan and Ian Evatt have made the step up to the Premier League with consummate ease. Holloway’s not found himself out of his depth either and his attacking brand of football, while high risk, has been a unanimous success. Who would have thought that Blackpool would do the double over Liverpool or win away at places like Stoke, Sunderland and Newcastle.

While fans at Bloomfield Road have got a little carried away, with talk of Europe emanating from some quarters, they will start to believe that another season in the Premier League is possible. The bookies have also got behind the Tangerines to beat the drop, with Totesport pricing them at 1/5 to avoid a return to the Championship.

Comparisons between West Brom and Blackpool are easy to make, their attractive styles of play are easy on the eye and neither know how to play defensively. However, while Blackpool have had ten different goalscorers this season the Baggies have become increasingly reliant on top scorer Peter Odemwingie. That was in evidence in Saturday’s 3-2 win for the Baggies over Blackpool, the Nigeria international grabbing a brace to secure their first win in six league matches.

However, nothing seems to get Blackpool down and due to the wintery weather which engulfed Bloomfield Road they have as many as two games in hand on some of their fellow strugglers. The Seasiders have the advantage at the moment but with 17 games still to come there is still hope for everyone down at the bottom, a point which brings us nicely on to West Brom.

- West Brom

West Brom (3/1 to be relegated) have been the epitome of a yo-yo side in the last decade. Four times they have been promoted to the Premier League and on two of those occasions they have gone straight back down. The other season saw them pull off the great escape, in no small part thanks to Kevin Campbell (remember him?) and Kieran Richardson. However, their joy only lasted a season and they were unceremoniously sent back down to the Championship the following year.

No matter what they have tried they haven’t managed to establish themselves in the top flight and this season could be no different. The Baggies have arguably achieved as many impressive results as Blackpool this season, the highlight of which was a 3-2 win at Arsenal. However, while Blackpool have managed to maintain their positive start to the season things have gone rapidly downhill for the Baggies.

While Saturday’s win over Blackpool will have lifted some of the gloom at the Hawthorns the coming months will easily be the biggest challenge of Roberto Di Matteo’s short managerial career. West Brom’s cause hasn’t been helped by owner Jeremy Peace deciding to keep a firm grasp on his money belt rather than back Di Matteo this month.

The transfer window could be the deciding factor as to who avoids the drop out of these two sides. While Blackpool have taken the scatter gun approach to the market and should bring in at least two players the arrivals door at the Hawthorns is likely to be gathering dust.

While there are plenty of other clubs who have just as many problems as West Brom the Baggies are starting to slightly resemble a sinking ship. You can never say never but if you had to answer to question of who is the more likely to stay up you’d have to say the Premier League is more likely to be enjoying a day at the seaside rather than in the Black Country this time next year.

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Top games in Europe on Sunday

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While there is a massive day of action in the English Premier League on Sunday, it is worth noting that several fixtures across Europe could also have a huge bearing on the outcome of their respective league’s title races.

Here are the top five games taking place on the continent that are worth checking out.

Almeria v Real Madrid (6pm)

Jose Mourinho’s side sit two points behind rivals Barcelona in the race for the Primera Liga crown (Real 6/4 Outright) after 18 matches and they will be fully expected to leap-frog Pep Guardiola’s side for a short time on Sunday when they travel to face lowly Almeria.

Real have won six on their travels so far, while second-bottom Almeria have no wins on home soil from their opening eight matches to date so it appears that an away-day banker is on the cards.

Prediction: Cristiano Ronaldo 1st Goal & Real To Win 3-0 Scorecast @ 14/1

Barcelona v Malaga (8pm)

The reigning champions (1/2 Outright) are not expected to be off top spot for too long on Sunday as their home game against lowly Malaga kicks off shortly after Real’s game against Almeria concludes.

Barca have been in good form of late with a 4-0 win at Deportivo La Coruna last weekend consolidating their two point lead at the top of the table.

They should have far too much for Malaga, but it might not be as clear-cut as you would think as the opposition go into the match having won their last away game 2-1 at Sporting Gijon, while Barca struggled to see of Levante 2-1 in their last outing at the Nou Camp.

Prediction: Barca To Win 3-1 @ 11/1

Marseille v Bordeaux (8pm)

We will take a giant leap across The Pyrenees and into the south of France for our next game as the only match on Sunday sees a clash between two sides firmly embroiled in what is becoming a very congested battle for the French Ligue 1 crown.

Marseille (21/10 French Ligue 1 Outright) sit in fifth position but are only three points off Lille in top spot ahead of this weekend’s action which brings an end to the winter break.

Marseille went into the break having drawn two on the bounce, while seventh-placed Bordeaux did the same so it is set to be a close encounter at the Stade Velodrome.

Bordeaux could jump above Marseille in the table with a win so it is all to play for.

Prediction: Draw 1-1 @ 5/1

Lecce v AC Milan (7.45pm)

Into Italy’s Serie A now and all eyes will be on lowly Lecce as they look to try and slow down the Rossoneri’s march towards the title (10/11 Serie A Outright) on Sunday evening.

Milan are four points clear of the chasing pack but returned from the winter break last weekend looking out-of-sorts as they were forced to fight back from 3-1 down to eventually snatch an injury-time 4-4 draw against Udinese at the San Siro.

Meanwhile, Lecce may sit third-bottom in the table but they stunned third-placed Lazio with a 2-1 win at the Stadio Olimpico to boost their survival fight.

It is set to be closer than you would think but Milan should just about nick it.

Prediction: Milan To Win 2-1 @ 7/1

Eintracht Frankfurt v Hannover (2.30pm)

Moving up to Germany’s Bundesliga and, with Borussia Dortmund 13 points clear at the top, it does not look like there will be much of a title race in the second half of the campaign.

However, there is still an interesting battle for the Champions League and Europa League places going on beneath them and these two sides are firmly in the mix.

Eintracht Frankfurt are in seventh spot – but only seven points off second position – while Hannover are sitting pretty in fourth on 31 points.

Frankfurt inflicted Dortmund’s first away defeat of the season after eight successive wins just before the winter break in December so will return to action brimming with confidence after that 1-0 success.

Hannover have won four and lost four with no draws on their travels to date, but lost 3-1 at Nuremberg last time out on December 18.

Everything points to a home win, but I feel the visitors are long overdue an away-day draw.

Prediction: Draw @ 23/10

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