All the action from today's fixtures in the PL. 13.15 - Norwich v Ipswich - Prediction 3.2- Best Bet - BTTS @5/6, BTTS and over 2.5 goals @7/5
A huge clash to get things going today as Ipswich visiIt Norwich for another East Anglian derby with a place in the play-off finals at Wembley the prize for the winners. With the scores tied at 1.1 from the first leg, everything is there to play for here for both sides and I expect a helter skelter encounter at Carrow road today. Norwich are strong at home with only 1 defeat in their last 12 matches in the Championship and come into the game as favourites to qualify at just 2/5 odds on with Ipswich as big as 7/4 but there doesn't seem to be much value in backing the home side. I'm more confident that we will see goals today and you can get 5/6 on BTTS which looks very tasty to me based on the type of the match we are likely to see. I expect the home support to push Norwich on to the victory but Ipswich are a good side who are quite capable of troubling Norwich and should not be underestimated here. 4 of the last 6 meetings between the 2 sides have seen BTTS while 5 of Ipswich's last 6 on the road and 10 out of 13 over the longer period have followed this pattern and I have a feeling we might see a bit of a classic encounter here with so much riding on the outcome and the derby atmosphere sure to spurn on both sides who will be absolutely desperate to win. This is the game of the season for both sides and I expect both to be at the top of their game. I'm going with BTTS as my solid bet here and over 2.5 goals has a good chance as well with Norwich scoring 2 or more in 9 of their last 13 home matches. EPL 13.45 - Southampton vs Aston Villa - Prediction 1.1- Best Bet - No bet Another lunch time kick-off sees Southampton, still in the hunt for Europa League football welcome an almost safe Aston Vill to St Mary's. I'm going to give this one a miss with too many factors pulling me in different directions. I don't expect Villa to lose and going by current form they could even win here at big odds of 17/4, but they may have just taken psychologically their foot off the gas this week with league football almost secured and a cup final on the horizon. Saints will still want to win and qualify for the Europa League so it's not like this is a case of Villa wanting it more and with 38 points already achieved, Villa look to be secure in the division for another season. I can't split them today and I fancy a draw when all is said and done. Villa are 21/20 not to lose but I'm not counting on it. No bet. 16:00 West Ham vs Everton - Prediction 1.1- Best Bet - No bet I think we will see a decent game here between 2 mid-table sides with little to play for but with it being that kind of end of season match that I don't like betting on, it will be avoided. No bet for me but BTTS @4/6 is probably your safest option if you are a compulsive gambler who absolutely has to have a bet. Yes I will be on BTTS in one of my pocket change coupons :) 16:00 Tottenham vs Hull - Prediction - Best Bet - Hull not to lose @ 21/20 Tottenham are stumbling towards the end of the season, with the squad's focus now seemingly on their summer vacations and wiith the possibility of a return to Europa League football I have a feeling that Spurs won't turn up for this one today. Well not literally. Do the hosts really want to be playing on a Thursday night again? The manager might but you do have to wonder about their poor end of season form and whether the players would be quite happy to miss out and really dedicate themselves to the PL next season Hull are now in big trouble, in the relegation zone and sit two points from safety. They need a result here and to hope results go their way this weekend if they are to give themselves a real chance of survival and I expect them to do so with their motivation surely higher than Spurs. Hull have taken a point or better in 3 of their last 5 visits to the Lane while Spurs have lost their last 2 at home and while they might not lose here, I feel Hull have a more than decent chance of getting a result despite their poor form. 16:00 Queens Park Rangers vs Newcastle United - Prediction - Best Bet - QPR to win @2/1 The hosts are relegated while the visitors are a shambles and it's not a particularly tempting fixture from a betting perspective but I believe QPR can get the win at big odds. Newcastle may still require some points to secure their position in the division for next season but QPR will want a big improvement on last weeks drubbing at the hands of Man City and I expect a response in front of their own support even if they are already condemned to life in the Championship next season. Newcastle have lost each of their last 5 on the road and while they might need a result, that's not the same as getting one and you just cannot ignore the 2/1 on offer for a home win when you consider just how poor this Newcastle side really is. It won't be for big stakes but I'm on QPR to win @2/1 against a side in deep trouble, especially if Hull can do something at Spurs. 16:00 Burnley vs Stoke - Prediction 0.1- Best Bet - No bet Burnley are relegated while Stoke are comfortably mid-table. No bet for Bo. 16:00 Sunderland vs Leicester - Prediction 1.1- Best Bet - BTTS @4/5 In what is a crucial game in the battle against relegation, a win for either side could all but secure their Premier League status, with Sunderland certainly in more desperate need of the points here. Leicester are all but safe following their remarkable sequence of wins and you would expect them to want to finish the job off here against an improving but still vulnerable Sunderland outfit who have won 3 of their last 5 and losing just once. I like the looks of BTTS with Sunderland in decent form at home and Leicester prolific in this market with 8 of their last 10 away games finishing with BTTS. While the stats are not so compelling for Sunderland in the market, they have seen their last 2 at home finish with BTTS and I fancy a repeat today at 4/5 based on the form of both sides and I expect a competitive fixture that could end up with the spoils shared. 18:30 Liverpool vs Crystal Palace - Prediction 2.1- Best Bet - Steven Gerrard to score anytime @8/5 Steven Gerrard will bid farewell to Anfield tonight as Liverpool welcome Crystal Palace to Anfield in a match where both sides now have little to play for with relegation and European issues not a factor here. I'm not a fan of betting on these kind of end of season fixtures but with Gerrard playing his final game at Anfield, he is sure to score isn't he? I imagine his team-mates will do everything they can to give him a big send-off and I expect Liverpool to win, Gerrard to score and tears to be shed. Truly a legend of the domestic game in England, and in big games in Europe, the one club man (soon to be 2) Gerrard will be hugely missed, not just by fans of Liverpool but by anyone who witnessed his amazing goals in some big games,but following quite a lot of truly painful moments in his final year for the club, it would be fitting if he bowed out with a goal and I expect the Gerrard narrative to deliver one more time before he goes stateside with LA Galaxy. Gerrard is 8/5 to score anytime while Liverpool are a bit short at 9/20 and not really worth backing at those odds against a Palace side that might be out of form but are decent on the road. Back Gerrard to score. I'd like to see the odds on a set piece goal as well as it wouldn't surprise me if we even got a charity penalty for the captain or a glorious free-kick to sail off into the sunset for a truly Great British player. Bo's Best Bets Norwich v Ipswich - BTTS @5/6 Sunderland v Leicester - BTTS @4/5 Norwich v Ipswich - BTTS and over 2.5 @7/5 Hull not to lose @21/20 Steven Gerrard to score anytime @8/5 QPR to win @2/1 Comments are closed.
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