Sir Alex has gone from upbeat to downcast in the space of a week but that doesn’t mean he’s giving up, says Ralph Ellis. Meanwhile, why Liverpool could yet make good Rafa’s fourth place promise and why Wigan are the relegation value… “So is that it then? Is it time to load on to Carlo Ancelotti’s side at 1.66 and make some easy money
Everton are one of the league’s form teams, West Ham haven’t won in six.
Champions League chasing Manchester City play host to relegation threatened Wigan on Monday night and Dan ‘The Betting Man’ Fitch is backing the home side to get back to winning ways: Best Bet: Back a Manchester City clean sheet @ 1.94 .
Ralph Ellis tells us why desite every Premier League match having three points on offer, some results mean more than others. Following on from that, this is what we can read into some of this weekend’s results….
FA Cup and International Football is behind us for the time being so “Mystical” Mike Norman is back with a preview of Saturday’s Premier League action. Best Bet: Back Villa HT/Villa FT @ 4.2 in Stoke v Aston Villa. Best Bet: Back Villa HT/Villa FT @ 4.2 in Stoke v Aston Villa Also: Back The Draw @ 3.4 in Birmingham v Everton; Back Bolton @ 2.24 to beat Wigan; Back Draw HT/Wolves FT @ 8.2 and Wolves HT/Wolves FT @ 6.4 in Burnley v Wolves; Back Any Unquoted Score @ 4.5 in Chelsea v West Ham Birmingham 3.2 v Everton 2.48 ; The Draw 3.4 It’s amazing to think that a win for Birmingham will take them just two points behind Liverpool – the side that have been favourites to finish fourth in the Premier League for most of the season. Brum have been brilliant under Alex McLeish , but so have Everton under David Moyes, and just because I don’t think either side deserve to lose I’m backing the draw today. It’s been nearly six months since Birmingham tasted defeat at St Andrews, and in that time they’ve conceded just five home goals so I’d have to favour a low-scoring game here. Under 2.5 Goals is available to back at 1.75 , whilst in the Correct Score market, the 0-0 and 1-1 scorelines can be backed at 10.0 and 7.2 respectively
Everton have had a few disappointing results lately, but their excellent form at Goodison Park should be too good for travel sick Hull says “Mystical” Mike Norman. Best Bet: Back Everton HT/Everton FT @ 2.06.
Best Bet: Back Everton/Everton @ 2.06 in Half Time/Full Time market
Also: Back Tim Cahill @ 6.6 in First Goalscorer market; Back 3-0 @ 11.0 and Any Unquoted @ 6.2 in Correct Score market; Back Over 2.5 Goals @ 1.9
I probably wasn’t the only person who, just a week or so ago, was thinking that the race to finish fourth in the Premier League wasn’t just about four teams. In fact, when Everton were 2-0 up against Sporting Lisbon a few weeks back I’d have forgiven anyone for thinking that David Moyes could easily guide his side to Europa League success, as well as make a decent fist of trying to finish above the likes of Aston Villa, Tottenham, Liverpool and Man City.
Spurs are out to 2.14 in the match odds with a resurgent Everton in town and despite losing in midweek the momentum is with the Toffees says Richard Walker “Best Bets: Back Everton @ 4.1 ; Lay Under 2.5 goals @ 1.96 ; Back Saha to score @ 3.2 .” Such is Everton ’s admirable resurgence this season that Spurs are as far out as 2.12 in the match odds market (The Draw is 3.45 and Everton 4.1 ). That Tottenham price alone is a singular reflection of what a job, in my eyes, perennial manager of the season David Moyes has once again fashioned on Merseyside. Funny enough, their good form extends right back to their come-from-behind 2-2 at Goodison Park back in December. Moyes’ cast-iron belief in his side never wavers, and it didn’t once again after a mediocre start to the campaign on the blue side of Stanley Park. The hosts would have been far shorter than 2.0 only a couple of months ago. It’s hard to think of this as anything other than a banana skin match for Spurs.
Tobias Gourlay has enjoyed watching Everton recently and fancies there will be more fun at the Estadio Jose Alvalade on Thursday evening.
Recommended Bet: Back Over 2.5 Goals at 2.3 in Sporting v Everton
Everton take a 2-1 lead with them to Lisbon for the second leg of their Europa League Last 32 tie with Sporting. But for Miguel Veloso’s 87th-minute penalty, the Toffees would have had a sweet result indeed. As it is, a 1-0 defeat for the English club would see their Portuguese hosts through to the next round at their expense.
A 1-0 defeat is exactly what David Moyes’s men managed in their last away match – the city derby at the beginning of the month – but, as you will be aware by now, their recent form has largely
Having started slowly this season, Everton are now in great shape and once again in contention for a Top Five finish. Feizal Rahman wonders whether the man once again turning things around at Goodison Park has been pencilled in for the hotseat at Old Trafford.
All today’s Premier League results and this afternoon’s betting on Betfair. Everton staged a remarkable comeback against Manchester United this lunchtime which saw the final 3-1 scoreline matched at 140.0 on Betfair. When most teams go one down against the Premier League champions they normally take nothing from the match but this side of David Moyes’ is more spirited than most and those who backed Everton in the match odds as high as 22.0 will be grateful
