With just seven fixtures left this season for Premiership teams, we’ve turned our attention towards some of the clubs looking to beat the drop. Spread betting firm Sporting Index are offering all new clients a free football bet** that can be used on any live/televised Premiership or Championship match, so you could be sitting pretty come Sunday evening if you open an account* with them. To help you get started, we asked Sporting’s Senior Premiership Market Maker for his thoughts on some of the key fixtures:
Blackburn v Southampton
Both sides are showing reasonable form with very contrasting styles. Although Blackburn find it difficult to score, their mean defence should be able to keep Crouch and Camara under control at Ewood Park. We’ve priced Rovers up to win by a margin of 0.2 to 0.4 goals; the Saints aren’t particularly strong at the back, particularly away from home, so one goal should settle this one.
Norwich v Man Utd
United should be fired up as second place is very much up for grabs. After the draw with Blackburn, Ferguson is poised to make changes but introducing the likes of Smith or Saha obviously won’t give Norwich any encouragement. We’ve made United favourites by a margin of 1.4 to 1.6 goals, but I’d be tempted to bet ëhigh’. The Canaries are fast becoming the Premiership’s whipping boys.
Aston Villa v WBA
It’s a local derby, so I’d expect a few bookings. There were four yellow cards in the reverse fixture at the Hawthorns in August, but with Albion fighting for survival, and local pride all that Villa have left to play for, I think referee Rob Styles will be kept busy. Although the visitors have won three out of their last four games, Villa are favourites to win by 0.6 to 0.8 goals. With Angel, McCann and Solano fully fit they should have too much quality for their struggling neighbours.
Spurs v Newcastle
Probably the most exciting fixture of the weekend for neutrals, but there is not much at stake here. Newcastle should be preoccupied with their UEFA Cup exploits and the loss of Bowyer and Dyer through suspension is a big blow. So, although Spurs have little to play for and continue to be inconsistent, we’ve made them favourites to win by 0.3 to 0.5 goals. It’s difficult to predict who will start up front for Spurs these days, but even so I’d expect to see a high scoring game which is reflected in our spread of 2.5 to 2.7 goals in the match.
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