Crystal Palace 3.90 v Man Utd 2.14; The Draw 3.60
I've opposed Manchester United twice this season, at Southampton and Everton where they ran out impressive victors. Those two results should tell me that they ought to beat a Crystal Palace side that can just about be classed as on a poor run of form.
The Eagles sit seventh in the table but they've just lost back-to-back league games and were thrashed in the Capital One Cup at Man City in midweek, meaning they've now lost five of their last eight outings.
I want to oppose United again at Selhurst Park but they have such a fantastic record against Palace that I have to back them. From their 12 Premier League meetings United have won 10 and never lost to the Eagles. And it might just be that this current United side are a better team on the road. Those wins at Southampton and Everton certainly suggest so.
Recommended Bet
Back Man Utd to Win @ 2.14
Man City 1.27 v Norwich 14.50; The Draw 6.60
Norwich could hardly be going to the Etihad Stadium at a worse time. Man City are scoring for fun on home soil, the Canaries are on a losing run and can't keep a clean sheet, and David Silva could return to Manuel Pellegrini's side. What could go wrong?
Following Wednesday night's 5-1 win over Crystal Palace the Citizens have now won four on the bounce in front of their own fans and scored a ridiculously high 18 goals in the process. With the possibility of Silva back in the side you have to fear for Alex Neil's men here.
Norwich are the only side in the Premier League yet to record a clean sheet this season and they've now lost three league games on the spin including that 6-2 thrashing at Newcastle in their last away game.
It really is impossible to recommend anything other than a comfortable home win. In the Correct Score market you can back Any Other Home Win at 3.60, which means Man City need to prevail by scoring at least four goals, a feat they've achieved at home to Newcastle, Bournemouth, and Palace in recent weeks.
Recommended Bet
Back Any Other Home Win @ 3.60 (best bet)
Newcastke 2.56 v Stoke 3.10; The Draw 3.40
After scoring six past Norwich in their last home game Newcastle were brought crashing back down to earth at Sunderland last Sunday where they lost for the sixth consecutive time against their fierce north east rivals.
Steve McClaren's men performed well up until the moment Fabricio Colocinni was dismissed however and should go into the game against Stoke in confident mood following those half a dozen goals against the Canaries.
But Stoke are no Norwich at present. Mark Hughes' men won four games on the spin in all competitions before a shock home loss to Watford last weekend. But they bounced back in terrific fashion by knocking Chelsea out of the Capital One Cup in midweek and it appears the Potters are better suited to playing away from home under their current tactics.
Stoke have won three on the spin away from home, all without conceding, and their only defeat this season on their travels was at Arsenal so no shame there. Hughes has a lot of flair players at his disposal so his side's impressive away form comes as no surprise, and that makes the Potters a strong selection to heap more misery on Newcastle on Saturday.
Recommended Bet
Back Stoke to Win @ 3.10
Swansea 5.20 v Arsenal 1.78; The Draw 4.00
Arsenal picked up a few injuries in their surprise loss to Sheffield Wednesday in midweek but the Gunners' form has been so good in recent weeks that they have to be the selection to win at Swansea.
Arsene Wenger fielded a much weakened side at Hillsborough and then lost two of his more senior players - Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott - within 15 minutes or so, so given the side that was left on the pitch I don't think the 3-0 defeat was anything to worry about at all.
The likes of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, and Santi Cazorla - who have all been in terrific form of late - will return for the game at the Liberty Stadium, and following recent wins over Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and Everton the Gunners should be extremely confident of securing all three points.
Garry Monk's men have been in poor form of late, going six league and cup games without a win before finally getting back on track against hapless Aston Villa last weekend.
But in-form Arsenal - who have won four of five league away games this season - represent a hugely different challenge and they will do extremely well to avoid their fifth defeat in just eight outings.
Recommended Bet
Back Arsenal to Win @ 1.78
Watford 2.60 v West Ham 3.00; The Draw 3.50
West Ham not being favourites to win this game is slightly surprising given their away form this season, but I can just about see the logic in the current prices.
Slaven Bilic's men have been absolutely brilliant this term both away from home and/or against sides that they were expected to struggle against. Matches against the likes of Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea they sat back with the intention of hitting their opponents on the break, and those tactics worked an absolute treat.
There will be more emphasis on the Hammers taking this game to Watford, just like there was when they failed to beat Bournemouth, Leicester, and Norwich, and that is perhaps where the layers are coming from in not making Bilic's men favourites.
But the fact is West Ham won all four of those games against Arsenal, City, Liverpool, and Chelsea, and regardless of the tactics used and how the games panned out you have to be a very good side to achieve those results. And we saw last week when the Hammers were pegged back what they can do when they changed their approach and went for the winning goal.
So while Watford have to be respected you have to believe that West Ham's quality will win the day here, and that makes them the bet at 3.00.
Consider also that Watford themselves have been better away from home and that at Vicarage Road they have scored just a solitary goal in five matches this season, losing four of those games. In fact, given Watford's home form and West Ham's away form I'm starting to wonder just why the Hammers aren't favourites to win here.
Recommended Bet
Back West Ham to Win @ 3.00
West Brom 2.96 v Leicester 2.62; The Draw 3.50
It never ceases to amaze me how fast the markets are to react to a few results, and/or general perception.
Up until last weekend games involving Leicester were considered Over 2.5 Goals bankers after their first 11 league and cup outings of the season had witnessed a total of 44 goals, at an average of exactly four per match.
But fast forward a week, and after two low-scoring games featuring the Foxes, we can now back 'overs' at odds against with Saturday's opposition being a side managed by Tony Pulis.
Games involving West Brom aren't generally high scoring but you could say the same about many of the sides that Leicester have faced this term yet they've witnessed many goals. My thinking is that Claudio Ranieri's men are so attack minded that games featuring them will always open up and offer a chance of a high-scoring affair.
And that's the angle I'm using for this match.
Last season's match between these two at the Hawthorns finished 2-3, and given how Leicester have performed this season I really wouldn't be surprised if we see something similar this time around.
Recommended Bet
Back Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.10
I've opposed Manchester United twice this season, at Southampton and Everton where they ran out impressive victors. Those two results should tell me that they ought to beat a Crystal Palace side that can just about be classed as on a poor run of form.
The Eagles sit seventh in the table but they've just lost back-to-back league games and were thrashed in the Capital One Cup at Man City in midweek, meaning they've now lost five of their last eight outings.
Palace's problem appears to be in front of goal. From their opening five fixtures Alan Pardew's
men scored in each game, and netted a total of 12 times. In their
recent run of poor form they failed to score in three of their six
league matches and found the back of the net just four times.
I'm still far from convinced about Louis van Gaal's
United side however. Those wins I alluded to earlier obviously suggest
they can be great on their day but they've since failed to score in
successive home games including when being knocked out of the League Cup
by Middlesbrough on Wednesday night.I want to oppose United again at Selhurst Park but they have such a fantastic record against Palace that I have to back them. From their 12 Premier League meetings United have won 10 and never lost to the Eagles. And it might just be that this current United side are a better team on the road. Those wins at Southampton and Everton certainly suggest so.
Recommended Bet
Back Man Utd to Win @ 2.14
Man City 1.27 v Norwich 14.50; The Draw 6.60
Norwich could hardly be going to the Etihad Stadium at a worse time. Man City are scoring for fun on home soil, the Canaries are on a losing run and can't keep a clean sheet, and David Silva could return to Manuel Pellegrini's side. What could go wrong?
Following Wednesday night's 5-1 win over Crystal Palace the Citizens have now won four on the bounce in front of their own fans and scored a ridiculously high 18 goals in the process. With the possibility of Silva back in the side you have to fear for Alex Neil's men here.
Norwich are the only side in the Premier League yet to record a clean sheet this season and they've now lost three league games on the spin including that 6-2 thrashing at Newcastle in their last away game.
It really is impossible to recommend anything other than a comfortable home win. In the Correct Score market you can back Any Other Home Win at 3.60, which means Man City need to prevail by scoring at least four goals, a feat they've achieved at home to Newcastle, Bournemouth, and Palace in recent weeks.
Recommended Bet
Back Any Other Home Win @ 3.60 (best bet)
Newcastke 2.56 v Stoke 3.10; The Draw 3.40
After scoring six past Norwich in their last home game Newcastle were brought crashing back down to earth at Sunderland last Sunday where they lost for the sixth consecutive time against their fierce north east rivals.
Steve McClaren's men performed well up until the moment Fabricio Colocinni was dismissed however and should go into the game against Stoke in confident mood following those half a dozen goals against the Canaries.
But Stoke are no Norwich at present. Mark Hughes' men won four games on the spin in all competitions before a shock home loss to Watford last weekend. But they bounced back in terrific fashion by knocking Chelsea out of the Capital One Cup in midweek and it appears the Potters are better suited to playing away from home under their current tactics.
Stoke have won three on the spin away from home, all without conceding, and their only defeat this season on their travels was at Arsenal so no shame there. Hughes has a lot of flair players at his disposal so his side's impressive away form comes as no surprise, and that makes the Potters a strong selection to heap more misery on Newcastle on Saturday.
Recommended Bet
Back Stoke to Win @ 3.10
Swansea 5.20 v Arsenal 1.78; The Draw 4.00
Arsenal picked up a few injuries in their surprise loss to Sheffield Wednesday in midweek but the Gunners' form has been so good in recent weeks that they have to be the selection to win at Swansea.
Arsene Wenger fielded a much weakened side at Hillsborough and then lost two of his more senior players - Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott - within 15 minutes or so, so given the side that was left on the pitch I don't think the 3-0 defeat was anything to worry about at all.
The likes of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, and Santi Cazorla - who have all been in terrific form of late - will return for the game at the Liberty Stadium, and following recent wins over Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and Everton the Gunners should be extremely confident of securing all three points.
Garry Monk's men have been in poor form of late, going six league and cup games without a win before finally getting back on track against hapless Aston Villa last weekend.
But in-form Arsenal - who have won four of five league away games this season - represent a hugely different challenge and they will do extremely well to avoid their fifth defeat in just eight outings.
Recommended Bet
Back Arsenal to Win @ 1.78
Watford 2.60 v West Ham 3.00; The Draw 3.50
West Ham not being favourites to win this game is slightly surprising given their away form this season, but I can just about see the logic in the current prices.
Slaven Bilic's men have been absolutely brilliant this term both away from home and/or against sides that they were expected to struggle against. Matches against the likes of Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea they sat back with the intention of hitting their opponents on the break, and those tactics worked an absolute treat.
There will be more emphasis on the Hammers taking this game to Watford, just like there was when they failed to beat Bournemouth, Leicester, and Norwich, and that is perhaps where the layers are coming from in not making Bilic's men favourites.
But the fact is West Ham won all four of those games against Arsenal, City, Liverpool, and Chelsea, and regardless of the tactics used and how the games panned out you have to be a very good side to achieve those results. And we saw last week when the Hammers were pegged back what they can do when they changed their approach and went for the winning goal.
So while Watford have to be respected you have to believe that West Ham's quality will win the day here, and that makes them the bet at 3.00.
Consider also that Watford themselves have been better away from home and that at Vicarage Road they have scored just a solitary goal in five matches this season, losing four of those games. In fact, given Watford's home form and West Ham's away form I'm starting to wonder just why the Hammers aren't favourites to win here.
Recommended Bet
Back West Ham to Win @ 3.00
West Brom 2.96 v Leicester 2.62; The Draw 3.50
It never ceases to amaze me how fast the markets are to react to a few results, and/or general perception.
Up until last weekend games involving Leicester were considered Over 2.5 Goals bankers after their first 11 league and cup outings of the season had witnessed a total of 44 goals, at an average of exactly four per match.
But fast forward a week, and after two low-scoring games featuring the Foxes, we can now back 'overs' at odds against with Saturday's opposition being a side managed by Tony Pulis.
Games involving West Brom aren't generally high scoring but you could say the same about many of the sides that Leicester have faced this term yet they've witnessed many goals. My thinking is that Claudio Ranieri's men are so attack minded that games featuring them will always open up and offer a chance of a high-scoring affair.
And that's the angle I'm using for this match.
Last season's match between these two at the Hawthorns finished 2-3, and given how Leicester have performed this season I really wouldn't be surprised if we see something similar this time around.
Recommended Bet
Back Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.10
