There are number of games affecting both the top and bottom of the Premier League this Saturday – but is there any value for the punter? Here are the top picks for Saturday’s six Premier League encounters.
Bolton v QPR
With just two points separating the bottom five clubs any match involving two of those sides will prove decisive come the end of the season.
One of those encounters comes at the Reebok on Saturday where 16th placed QPR take on 19th placed Bolton. To say these teams are out of form is an understatement – Bolton have lost their last four while Rangers have only won one in 15.
Wanderers also have the worst home record in the division, winning eight points from their 13 games at the Reebok this campaign. That poor form, plus the fear of defeat, means this game has draw written all over it. With QPR going 18 straight games without a clean sheet the 1-1 draw is worth backing at 11/2.
Aston Villa v Fulham
Villa boss Alex McLeish will be desperate for a victory to try and ease the pressure that has been placed upon him in recent weeks. The Midlands club have taken just three points from a possible 15 to slip worryingly close to the bottom five and the fans have been quick to voice their displeasure at the Scot’s management of the club.
Fulham meanwhile are bang in form, winning their last three games to rise up to eighth in the table. They thumped Wolves 5-0 last time out with new boy Pavel Pogrebnyak grabbing a hat-trick – his fifth goal in just three appearances. Will he score again? Well he is a handy 6/1 to notch first and a Pogrebnyak/2-1 Fulham scorecast is a very tasty 45/1.
Chelsea v Stoke
The post-AVB era continues for Chelsea with a tough looking clash with Stoke at Stamford Bridge. Caretaker manager Roberto Di Matteo led the Blues to victory in the FA Cup in midweek but he knows his priority has to be ensuring the club qualify for next season’s Champions League. They currently sit in fifth place, three points behind Arsenal, and know they cannot afford any slip-ups between now and the end of the season.
Stoke go into the game in-form after consecutive wins over Swansea and Norwich but four wins from 23 Premier League away games suggests this will be another tough trip on the road for the Potters. Chelsea haven’t failed to score at home since February 2011, so go for a convincing Blues victory, with 3-0 Chelsea priced at 7/1.
Sunderland v Liverpool
Sunderland will be hoping to close the gap on Liverpool to just two points with a win at the Stadium of Light – a sign of the progress the club has made since Martin O’Neill took over last December. They are, however, counting the cost of last weekend’s feisty derby with Newcastle with captain Lee Cattermole and Stephane Sessegnon suspended following their red cards.
Liverpool have a fine record against Sunderland, with their only defeat in the last 11 games coming thanks to a Darren Bent goal deflected off a beach ball two years ago. You can expect that run to continue with Luis Suarez – who has scored in his two appearances against the Black Cats – to be on the mark again. Suarez is 11/2 to score first, with a Suarez 2-0 scorecast priced at 33/1.
Wolves v Blackburn
Part two of the day’s relegation six-pointer double header sees 18th placed Wolves take on 17th placed Blackburn. Rovers are only out of the bottom three courtesy of goal difference and head to a ground where they won on the final day of last season to ensure their Premier League survival.
Wolves boss Terry Connor will take charge of Wanderers for the first time at home and will be looking for a response after their 5-0 mauling at Fulham last time out. The goals market is the one to back in this one – Wolves have not kept a clean sheet in 12 home games while Rovers haven’t shut the opposition out in 32 away games. 2-3 goals is priced at 10/11, with our score prediction being an entertaining 2-2 draw priced at 14/1.
Everton v Tottenham
After consecutive defeats against Arsenal and Manchester United effectively ended their title charge, Spurs will be keen to kick start their season again in order to avoid dropping out of the top four.
History suggests they could well do so at Goodison Park. Spurs have only lost three of 19 Premier League visits to the home of the Toffees. However, they have not won any of their last four and are taking on an Everton side embarking on yet another post-Christmas surge.
Chelsea and Man City have been beaten in successive home games, so the visit of the Londoners will pose no fears for David Moyes’ men. This is another game where there should be goals, with the over 2.5 goals market priced at 5/6, with our scorecast a 2-2 draw at 14/1.
Louis Saha has scored in the last two games between these two sides at Goodison Park but is now wearing a Spurs shirt. The last time he lined up in the opposition against the Toffees at Goodison he scored twice. As such he may be worth a punt at 3/2 to score at anytime on Saturday.
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