It's the last weekend of Premier League matches for 2017 and we've got all the action covered with our bumper preview for Saturday's 7 fixtures. Liverpool welcome Leicester to Anfield in a potentially tasty encounter while Man Utd host Southampton in the late kick-off and those are just two of the matches covered today @bobreaksbookies. Details below 15:00 Huddersfield vs Burnley - Prediction 1.1 Current Form
Past Meetings
Final Verdict - Tight contest expeted I expect a really tight match in Huddersfield on Saturday and a draw looks the likeliest outcome with the hosts tough to beat on their own patch and Burnley having the season of their lives and only losing 4 of their last 18 league matches. While BTTS is odds against, it is a decent possibility with Burnley maintaining a strong scoring record on the road with 2 goals in their most recent away game at Man Utd while Huddersfield are in decent form themselves, scoring in their last 5 league games and with 8 points collected during that run, they will be confident of getting at least a draw against their local rivals in what should prove to be a low scoring and closely fought contest. It was 0.0 in the first meeting between these two sides in September and you certainly wouldn’t rule out a similar outcome here and with both sides facing their 3rd game in a week, a draw might not be the worst result for either side and that’s my best bet for this contest. BTTS is 6/5 but Burnley have only seen that outcome in 5 out of 10 away PL matches this season so we can’t make that selection with a great degree of confidence but both sides are in decent form and I expect this one to finish level at 0.0 or 1.1. Best Bets - Draw @11/5 – 1.5 stars 15:00 Liverpool vs Leicester – Prediction 3.1 Current Form
Past Meetings
Final Verdict – No stopping Liverpool A rampant Liverpool welcome Leicester to Anfield this Saturday afternoon in what should be a high scoring contest with recent meetings between these two sides proving to be entertaining affairs in the last few seasons. Liverpool can’t stop scoring at the moment, averaging 3.3 goals per game over their last 16 matches and while they have been held at home in recent weeks by both Everton and WBA, they returned to winning ways with a 5.0 Boxing day beating of Swansea and they will be confident of continuing the form against a Leicester side that have not won any of their last 4 matches in all competitions. Still, the visitors have been in good form in away matches this season, with their Boxing day loss at Watford their first reverse in 8 away PL matches and they should be able to cause Liverpool some problems defensively with the former champions scoring in 13 of their last 16 away PL contests and in 4 of their last 5 visits to Anfield. With Leicester having the arguably tougher fixtures over Christmas, they may perhaps suffer with fatigue issues here so I do expect some rotation from Claude Puel and with that, you would expect Liverpool’s superior quality in depth to deliver the goods and I can’t say no to Liverpool scoring 3 or more @5/6 with the Reds so scintillating in their recent performances. BTTS and over 2.5 goals is priced at even money and based on past meetings alone has a decent chance although it must be noted that Liverpool have improved defensively in recent matches, particularly at Anfield and for that reason, I cannot make this one of my best selections of the weekend although I do like that recent history between the two teams and Leicester's decent performances in away matches this season and with Jamie Vardy scoring 6 goals in his last 4 appearances against Liverpool, Leicester will certainly carry a threat with their pace on the counter-attack against the high defensive line of Liverpool and for that reason, i do quite fancy the Foxes to score. With new Liverpool signing Virgil Van Dyke waiting in the wings, Liverpool's defence will want to put on a strong showing once more but Leicester do have enough quality to bring up the BTTS and over 2.5 goals outcome that has occurred in each of their last 4 meetings with Liverpool but I will be checking the team news before finalising my selections here but the preference is for Klopp’s men to continue their scoring ways with 3 goals or more @5/6 odds. Best Bets – Liverpool to score 3 or more @5/6 – 3 stars BTTS and over 2.5 goals @20/21 – 2.5 stars 15:00 Chelsea vs Stoke – Prediction 2.1 Current Form
Past meetings
Final Verdict – Home win but can Stoke score? Chelsea will expect another 3 points when they welcome Stoke and Mark Hughes, a one-time Blues legend, to Stamford Bridge in a fixture that has proved frutiful for the Londoners in past seasons. A home win is the expected outcome at just 2/11, but Stoke will feel they can cause Chelsea some problems having scored on their last 3 visits to North London although they have only gone home with a point on just one of their last 10 away trips to take on the current PL champions so anyone expecting an upset here will probably be disappointed. Still, Stoke have done well in those recent games at Chelsea and will be feeling more confident following their succesful Christmas period. I can’t really make a big case for BTTS with Chelsea keeping clean sheets in 4 of their last 5 at home but Stoke do have a decent record of scoring on the road and they have managed a goal or more on their last 3 trips to Chelsea. BTTS is huge @11/8 with Chelsea boasting that solid defensive record at home but If you believe in destiny, these two sides met exactly 1 year ago with Chelsea winning 4.2 at the Bridge in a game that Stoke twice managed to draw level in. Perhaps, it is merely a coincidence but @bobreaksbookies likes these little turns of fate and for that reason I’ll have a small stake on Chelsea to win with BTTS @9/4. We might not see the same quality as 12 months earlier, but Stoke will travel with confidence having picked up 4 points this week and could make this contest a little trickier than the bookies expect with Chelsea priced at just 2/11 to claim the 3 points. They should get them. Best Bets – Chelsea to win and BTTS @7/4 – 1 Star 15:00 Newcastle United vs Brighton – Prediction 1.0 Current Form
Past Meetings
Final Verdict – Goals at a premium in Newcastle I don’t expect many goals here and while I have never highlighted a BTTS no selection, this one does look to have a good chance with Newcastle seeing BTTS in only 30% of their home matches this season and Brighton in only 10% of their away matches. It’s pretty hard to pick a winner in this match with Newcastle losing 5 in a row at home, and Brighton losing 6 of their last 8 on the road including the last 4 and with both sides really struggling in front of goal, this one has all the makings of a low scoring affair. With home advantage, the Geordies may just have enough to claim the spoils but I prefer to take the under 2.5 goals selection @8/15 odds in a match that both sides will be desperate not to lose given their recent struggles. Best Bets – Under 2.5 goals @8/15, 3.5 stars, Under 2.5 goals and BTTS NO @10/11 – 3 stars 15:00 Watford vs Swansea – Prediction 2.1 Current Form
Past Meetings
Final Verdict – Home win on the cards Swansea are really struggling as they head to Watford on the back of a 5.0 hammering at Liverpool on Boxing day and they may well be in for more suffering on Saturday with the hosts Watford fresh from a morale boosting win over Leicester this past Tuesday. The Hornets have scored 2 or more in 60% of their league matches this season and will fancy their chances of improving those numbers against a Swansea side that have lost 7 in a row on their travels, conceding 16 goals in the process and 2 or more in 5 of those 7 losses. A 5.0 defeat at Liverpool will have done little to freshen the legs or minds of a Swansea side that made the surprise decision on Thursday to hand the managerial reigns to former Sheffield Wednesday boss, Carlos Carvalhal. The sacking of Paul Clement was inevitable given the Swans predicament but the former boss was clearly undone by some fairly dreadful decisions taken by his board in the transfer market over the summer and one now wonders if the new man will be given sufficient funds to give his side even a chance of survival. Carvalhal did a decent job at Wednesday but this is an altogether different assignment and his appointment was certainly met with a fair degree of shock amongst the Swans faithful and it remains to be seen if the man who failed to get Wednesday promoted in the past 2 seasons has the tools to save the struggling Swans from the dreaded drop. Doubtful. I don't expect an immediate response from Carvalhal's new side and with their energy sapped from a Liverpool chasing on Tuesday, I expect the home side to capitalise and I’m confident they can pick up the points @8/11 and score 2 or more @5/6 in a match that could well produce a few goals with Watford seeing BTTS in each of their last 4 at home. However, my best bets in this contest are for the home side to get the job done against a team that is starting to look like the weakest in the league and while Watford have struggled for form lately, they have scored plenty of goals this season and will take renewed confidence from their comeback win over Leicester on Boxing day so it is my expectation that they should have too much for a Swansea side that have lost 7 on the spin on their Premier League travels. Best Bets Watford to score 2 or more @5/6 – 3 Stars Watford to win @8/11 – 2.5 stars Watford to win and BTTS @9/4 – 1 star 15:00 Bournemouth vs Everton – Prediction 1.1 No bets 17:30 Manchester United vs Southampton – Prediction 3.1 Current Form
Final Verdict – United to return to form I just have a little hunch that Man Utd will return to form this Saturday with the Saints really struggling defensively in recent weeks having conceded 5 at Spurs and 4 at home to Leicester in 2 of their last 4 matches. United have disposed of the league’s poorest defences In some style this season and while that kind of form has been absent of late, the visit of Southampton should give United the chance to get back to the kind of form that saw them score 21 goals in their first 7 league games. Best Bets – United -1 to win @21/20 – 2 stars, United to score 3 or more @6/4 – 1 star Comments are closed.
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