ENGLISH FOOTBALL BETTING
Written by: Nigel Ridgway (14-12-2005)

IT'S THE CHELSEA LATE SHOW…
Sunday December 18th, 4.00 ko, live on Sky Sports 1… Arsenal will have their backers based on their 100 percent home record, but that has to be seen in the context of their previous opponents, none of whom were from the current top seven in the table. Successive away defeats (without scoring) against Bolton and Newcastle don't exactly inspire confidence either, so does that mean we should be lumping on Chelsea at 6/4. They're certainly going to be hard to beat. Their only defeat of the season came at Man United on November 6th, since when they've not even conceded a goal, let alone dropped a point.

If you are going to back them, it might be worth backing the Draw / Chelsea double result instead at 9/2. This combination has already come up trumps nine times in the Premiership, while Chelsea have yet to concede in the second half this season. However, the best bet looks to be 'under' goals at 8/11. Mourinho's main priority will be to deny Arsenal any chance to grab the points and cut into the massive Chelsea lead, which means scoring opportunities could be at a premium. Once the game goes live, don't forget to check out our 14 exciting live 'In-Play' markets.

Bet365 latest match prices … Arsenal 15/8, Draw 21/10, Chelsea 6/4, others on BET 365 website.

Arsenal v Chelsea Picks:
Draw / Chelsea @ 9/2
Under 2.5 Goals @ 8/11

TOFFEES TO NICK THE POINTS AT 2.10…
There won't be many goals in the Everton vs Bolton game either (currently 4/6 'under'). Nine of Bolton's last 11 games have been 'under', while Everton's home games average 1.33 goals, and a single goal for the home side could well be enough to nick the points. They've already beaten Bolton this season, and are playing much better now with three wins - plus a draw with Chelsea – from their last five games. They go into our Premiership acca this weekend along with Wigan, who are fancied to get back to winning ways against Charlton.

Charlton broke a losing run of their own last weekend, but that was against Sunderland and their defence still can't be trusted. Prior to last Saturday, the Addicks hadn't kept a clean sheet in 13 games, and the likes of Jason Roberts and Henri Camara should have no trouble finding a way through. Wigan certainly haven't been disgraced in their recent defeats, and this looks a great opportunity to get back to winning ways. Roberts is 11/2 to score first in the game, and that doesn't look bad value considering we'll give your money back if he scores the last goal in the game instead.

Fulham are not obvious acca material based on their lowly position in the table, but a glance at their home performances tells a different story. Chris Coleman's side have already accounted for Liverpool, Man City and Bolton at Craven Cottage this season, and Saturday's opponents, Blackburn, are no bigger threats than those teams. Besides, Blackburn's away form is one of the least impressive in the Premiership, which makes the case for including Fulham even stronger.

Remarkably, there are only two odds-on chances on the coupon this weekend. Man City (4/5) should batter a poor Birmingham side, but Man United (8/11) can't be trusted right now, and are potential 'banana skins' away at Aston Villa. Instead, we'll stick to Everton, Wigan, Fulham and Man City, safe in the knowledge that we're nicking a bit of extra value with our Premiership Accumulator Bonus (up to 60% extra every weekend). In fact, I wouldn't put anyone off backing Villa, getting a half-goal start on our Asian Handicap (currently 2.10). This form of betting consistently throws up some excellent value, particularly as we bet to just 102%.

Weekend Best Bets:
Everton to beat Bolton @ 11/10
Wigan to beat Charlton @ 5/4
Fulham to beat Blackburn @ 13/10
Aston Villa @ 2.10 (+1/2, Asian Handicap)
5-fold: Everton, Wigan, Fulham, Man City - pays out $513.49 ($25 stake),
which includes a bet365 bonus of 5% at BET 365