| 888sport Blog

Newcastle United vs Manchester City: 13/2 For Dominant Away Win

Not many teams can be feeling better than Manchester City as they tuck into whatever footballers have for their Christmas meal. One such team might just be Newcastle United - the two will go up against each other on Wednesday evening.

The Magpies had one point in nine league matches when they went to the London Stadium to face an in-form West Ham. Rafael Benitez’s side collected an improbable three points with a blend of fortune and improvement.

The attack was unleashed, and their direct game found holes in the Hammers’ back line. The victory pulled the northeast club away from the peril of the bottom three, though they could be back there by the time they kick-off on December 27^th.

Such joy on the 23^rd will have been wiped out when the Magpies took a peek at their fixture list, mind.

Manchester City arrive at St James’ Park on a record-breaking 17-match winning streak. Pep Guardiola’s side have dropped just two points all season, and are playing football better than we have ever seen in this country. Even when the Spaniard has rotated, City look otherworldly. It’s like they are playing a different game, and no team has yet found a formula to frustrate the champions elect.

Perhaps most remarkable of all has been City’s defence. It is not fortune that they have concede just 12 this season. It begins with a high press, and ends with the superb Ederson sweeping and leaping to smother any danger.

Their expected goals against are a smidgen under 12, which is four goals superior to the next best team. Even with the Magpies’ offensive success against West Ham, the 23/25 price on Newcastle to fail to score is a good one.

It’s at this point that I would usually turn to the goal scoring markets. The trouble with City is, they could come from almost anywhere. Guardiola’s rotation makes it even more perilous, especially during this frankly insane schedule. The one that might be worth a shot is Leroy Sane to score anytime at 13/10, but that’s still quite a risk given their options.

As with my piece on Liverpool vs Swansea, it would be great to see some festive cheer for the underdogs. Newcastle, though, like Swansea, stand almost no chance in my mind. It would take a red card and a freaky catalogue of events for the visitors to leave with anything other than three points.

Other records could yet tumble on this extraordinary streak. Away from those, City to score over 2.5 goals at 5/6 is what should be getting all your attention. Despite victory at the London Stadium, Benitez’s side were vulnerable at the back. Any vulnerability will be brutally exposed by David Silva and Kevin de Bruyne.

Newcastle’s relegation will not be decided in matches like this, and the title is as good as in Guardiola’s hands. Weirdly, there’s not too much riding on their clash at St James’. Still, I’m sure you’ll all be tuning in just for the show that is Manchester City.

TIP: Manchester City to win 3-0 @ 13/2

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

December 27, 2017

Football

By Sam Cox

https://twitter.com/SamRCox_">

https://www.tiktok.com/@srcsport?_r=1&_t=ZN-91fAo7Hr7CA">

Body

Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.

He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.

Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.

Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.

Sam Cox

Manchester United vs Southampton: 8/1 For Another Red Devils Score Draw?

Manchester United are in a bad spell, whatever Jose Mourinho claims. The self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ is in a particularly spiky mood lately.

Southampton, though, are in a rut of their own. Their thrashing at Wembley on Boxing Day was a lowest point of their season, and Mauricio Pellegrino is under severe pressure to turn things around. As of December 27^th, Saints are just two points above the bottom three. Since a three-match unbeaten run in October, they have won one match.

This pre-New-Year’s-Eve clash is terribly timed for the visitors. Well, it should be. Manchester United are traditionally a dangerous wounded animal, as is Mourinho. The trouble is, there are inklings of meltdown at Old Trafford. From calling his players ‘childish’ to hilariously bemoaning his lack of funds, Mourinho is in dangerous territory.

The superiority of Manchester City is hurting Mourinho. Their last three matches have seen them sandwich a defeat to Bristol City with draws to Leicester and Burnley. By kick-off with Southampton, United could be 15 points off Manchester City, and more importantly, will be six ahead of fifth-place Tottenham. The title is out of reach, falling out of the top four remains a realistic prospect.

Aside from his increasingly comical rants to the press, Mourinho is left with dilemmas ahead of this one. He fielded Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku from the start against Burnley. It did not go well. Does he try it again? Does he change system? Is it time to give Lukaku a rest?

I cannot answer those for you, unfortunately. What we do know, though, is that Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jesse Lingard were excellent when they came on. Lingard is arguably United’s most important player at the moment, such is the unselfish work he does off-the-ball. The 6/1 on the England international to open the scoring is value.

United were good in the second half to come back from two down to Burnley. This was not some great brave tactic, however. There was no choice other than all-out attack. It would be a mistake to expect such front-foot, attacking football in this clash from the off. For that reason, I really like 11/10 on under 2.5 goals.

Backing that does rely on Southampton returning to defensive form of sorts. Their expected goals against are eighth best in the league, but they were a disaster at the back against Spurs. Southampton are a better side than form suggests, and they should be comfortably safe this season. This could be the match that ends their extended blip.

There’s a surprising amount on the line in this one. Another performance like the first hour against Spurs, and Pellegrino will be close to departing. Failure to win – and possibly falling to third – might just see Mourinho combust in his post-match media duties.

I saw enough in Southampton’s performance after the substitutions against Spurs to believe they can extend this torrid run for United. Mourinho claims they deserved to score more in their last few games, but their defence is vulnerable again, and the attack is dysfunctional. The 19/5 price on a draw is a very good one.

TIP: Match to be drawn 1-1 @ 8/1

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

December 27, 2017

Football

By Sam Cox

https://twitter.com/SamRCox_">

https://www.tiktok.com/@srcsport?_r=1&_t=ZN-91fAo7Hr7CA">

Body

Sam Cox

Horse Racing Betting: Spotlight On The 2017 Long Walk Hurdle

The Long Walk Hurdle was first run in 1965 and it was initially a handicap race. It became a conditions race in 1971, and it was given Grade One status in 1990. Prior to the redevelopment of Ascot Racecourse (2004-2006) the race was run over 3 miles and 1½ furlongs.

Four winners of the Long Walk Hurdle have gone on to win the World Hurdle in the same season. Derring Rose (1980–81), Baracouda (2001–02), My Way de Solzen (2005–06) and Big Buck’s (2009–10, 2010-11 and 2011-12).

Trends (source: The Stats Don’t Lie)

Age – 9 of the last 12 winners were aged between 6 and 8-y-o.
Price – 7 of the last 12 favourites have won, 9/12 winners were in the top three in the betting.
Last Run – 6 of the last 12 winners won on their last run before the Long Walk Hurdle, 11/12 winners ran within the last 38 days.
Previous Course Form – 6/12 winners had at least one previous run at Ascot, 3/12 winners had at least one previous win at Ascot.
Previous Distance Form – 10/12 winners had at least three previous runs over 24-26 furlongs, 9/12 had at least one previous win over 24-26 furlongs.
Previous Hurdle Form – 9/12 winners had at least 10 runs over hurdles, 12/12 winners had at least three wins over hurdles, 9/12 winners had at least four wins over hurdles.
Rating – 9/12 winners were rated 151 or higher.
Grade 1 Wins – 8/12 winners had at least one previous win in a Grade 1 race.
Season Form – 12/12 winners had at least one run that season, 8/12 winners had at least one win that season.

Here is a runner-by-runner guide to Saturday’s big race:

Agrapart

The Nick Williams trained Agrapart scored at Cheltenham last New Year’s Day, beating L’ami Serge in the process but the six-year-old has failed to find his spark since.

Connections, including his jockey Lizzie Kelly, are adamant that he needs the going to be as heavy as possible to be seen at his best on Saturday.

Saying that, conditions at Auteuil for his last two runs ranged from soft to heavy but he could only finish seventh on both occasions.

L’Ami Serge

The winner of the Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil back in June, L’Ami Serge is likely to benefit from the return to 3 miles, and is entitled to be thereabouts on all known form.

His subsequent return in the 2m 3f Coral Hurdle was a fine effort given he was conceding race fitness to Lil Rockerfeller and he ought to have come on for that run.

Lil Rockerfeller

Neil King’s gutsy chestnut gelding finished runner-up in this race twelve months ago behind Unowhatimeanharry prior to finishing ahead of the same rival at Cheltenham in the Stayers’ Hurdle.

After a decent return to action in testing conditions at Wetherby he went on to beat L’ami Serge in the Coral Hurdle at Ascot.

Finishing in second place behind Nichols Canyon in the Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham was no mean feat and the six-year-old should be on the premises again in this contest.

Sam Spinner

Sam Spinner galloped his rivals into submission when making all in a competitive handicap at Haydock last time out and he appears to be on an upward curve.

Jedd O’Keefe’s runner will find it much tougher to fend of seasoned Grade One performers off level weights from the front but those will be probably be the tactics that will be adopted again.

The predicted soft ground will suit the five-year-old however and this young horse could easily take the step up in class here in his stride.

Taquin Du Seuil

Taquin Du Seuil finished third in the Coral Hurdle, running on well in the closing stages but all too late given that the bird had already flown.

Jonjo O’Neill’s ten-year-old last scored over hurdles in the 2012 Challow Hurdle, after being largely campaigned over fences with some success, namely the BetVictor Gold Cup in 2016.

The gelding will probably run another solid race but you can only envisage him placing at best.

The Worlds End

The six-year-old was well fancied on his seasonal return at Haydock in the race won by Sam Spinner but he failed to get competitive that day and was beaten a good thirty lengths.

The Worlds End will be bidding for a second top-level success in this feature race after scoring last season at Aintree in the Sefton Hurdle.

With ground conditions not expected to be quite as tacky as they were at Haydock, Tom George’s gelding could well put that last run behind him.

Thomas Campbell

The Nicky Henderson trained Thomas Campbell has already registered two comfortable victories in 3m handicaps at Cheltenham this term, the second of which he managed to defy a 10lb rise in the weights.

Considered a 16/1 contender for the Stayers Hurdle next March, the five-year-old may not have finished his meteoric rise through the ratings just yet, with Saturday being the acid test.

Ubak

Winner of a Grade Three race at Aintree back in 2016, Gary Moore’s runner has been off the track for just over twelve months.

He came fourth in this race twelve months ago but he is clearly a fragile horse. He will probably need the run and would be a shock winner on this occasion.

Unowhatimeanharry

Harry Fry's nine-year-old won the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury, the Long Walk and the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham last season before finishing third in the Stayers' Hurdle at the Festival in March and bids to retain his crown at Ascot.

He was successful on his reappearance at Aintree last month, but was surprisingly beaten by Beer Goggles when bidding for back-to-back victories in the Long Distance Hurdle three weeks ago.

The JP McManus owned gelding looks sure to be involved in the finish once again this term.

Summary

Lil Rockerfeller looks a better horse than ever this season and if there was a prize for steely resolve, grit and determination to be given out then this horse should have it.

He never goes down without a fight and that could just be the key to success on Saturday afternoon at Ascot.

888sport suggests: Lil Rockerfeller (win).

December 22, 2017

Horse Racing

By Steve Mullington

https://twitter.com/mulldog">

Body

Steven is a sports and horse racing enthusiast and is a member of the Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) in the United Kingdom.

He is a regular visitor to Paris Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and a lifelong fan of the Aintree Grand National, a subject he writes about 52 weeks of the year. Last year he reached the impressive milestone of attending the last 30 renewals of the Grand National.

Steven graduated from the University Of Lancaster in 1996 with a B.A (Hons) in Urban Policy & Race Relations (major) with Contemporary Religions & Belief Systems (minor) and still wonders if any of these help him find the winners?

He writes for a number of websites and online publications and you can sometimes hear him at the weekend discussing racing on a number of local radio stations.

Steve Mullington

factcheck

Off

hidemainimage

show

Fullwidth Page

Off

News Article

Off

Real Madrid Vs Barcelona: Visitors 3/4 To Avoid Bernabeu Defeat

Football fans from all over the world, it is that time of year again – El Clasico is here. Real Madrid will host Barcelona on Saturday but this time with a twist; a 12pm kick-off for UK viewers awaits.

Will an early start contribute to a light-hearted contest between two great clubs? I highly doubt that. There will still be plenty of energy, enthusiasm and endeavour on show from the first minute to the last…

There isn’t much value in backing both teams to score at 1/3 but fans will be expecting the two sides to create plenty of chances in attack.

With that in mind, the 23/4 on offer for both teams to score in both halves carries more appeal. I looked at a few of the biggest betting markets ahead of Saturday’s contest...

Real Must Be Ruthless To Keep Pace In Title Race

Zinedine Zidane’s side find themselves trailing Barcelona by 11 points and only a win will do for Real here.

Los Blancos are favourites at 27/25 to secure a crucial victory on Saturday and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Real pull out all the stops. Punters expecting the hosts to play well can back Madrid at 11/25 to score over 1.5 goals.

Cristiano Ronaldo has struggled to inspire confidence in La Liga so far, scoring just four goals in 11 games. The Portugal international has bagged eight goals in his last seven appearances in all competitions though and is valued at 5/6 to get his name on the scoresheet.

Meanwhile, 888sport are offering a SPECIAL – 1/5 for Ronaldo or Lionel Messi to score, 3/1 for neither to score. Make of that one what you will…

Do Barcelona Stick With A Draw Or Twist For The Win?

The visitors will have a game plan and it all depends on Ernesto Valverde’s way of thinking ahead of this contest.

Would a draw be a good result? In the grand scheme of things, yes but Real’s struggles may tempt the Barcelona boss to go all out for the win. Barcelona are a general 43/20 chance to secure a win over their oldest and fiercest rivals.

via GIPHY

An open and expansive encounter is expected but Barca may surprise us by standing tall at the back and keeping things tight.

The draw at half-time is priced at 6/4 in our La Liga odds and plenty of punters will be keen to support La Blaugrana before Saturday. Trying to guess how Barcelona will play could be tricky…

Prediction

Over 6.5 cards is always a decent bet for El Clasico and punters can get 22/25 for this to land here. Barcelona will be quietly confident of avoiding defeat and that makes 3/4 for an away win OR draw an exceptional price.

Barcelona are by far and away the strongest club in Spain right now and another positive result will see Valverde’s men move one step closer to the La Liga title.

REAL MADRID 2-2 BARCELONA (Priced at 9/1 with 888sport)

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

December 19, 2017

Football

By Alex McMahon

Body

Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.

He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.

As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible.

Alex McMahon

factcheck

Off

hidemainimage

show

Fullwidth Page

Off

News Article

Off

Tottenham Hotspur vs Southampton: 7/10 For A Goal-Laden Affair

If you are reading this whilst stuffing your face with turkey, Merry Christmas. If you are reading this without the turkey, Merry Christmas to you too. If you aren’t reading this, bah humbug.

Tottenham host Southampton in Boxing Day’s early kick-off and plenty of punters will be hoping for an entertaining affair – and they might just get their wish.

Over 2.5 goals has landed in four of the last five fixtures involving both clubs and the 7/10 on offer in 888sport’s Premier League betting markets should NOT be sniffed at.

Spurs are renowned for their defensive capabilities but with star defender Toby Alderweireld out until February, Tottenham are there for the taking, as shown in Saturday’s trip to Burnley.

Spurs Licking Their Wounds After City Thrashing

Tottenham were disappointing against Manchester City, conceding four goals in what was a very un-Tottenham-like performance.

Mauricio Pochettino is a top manager and he can take Spurs to the next level; although the club will need to invest heavily to compete at the top of the Premier League table. That 3-0 win away at high flying Burnley should silence the doubters…

via GIPHY

Spurs are currently available at 4/11 to win here – a short price to say the least. For all of Southampton’s struggles, the Boxing Day calendar is unpredictable and you never know who is going to turn up.

Saturday’s hat-trick hero Harry Kane to open the scoring carries more appeal at 21/10 but there is a general lack of value about for any Spurs players here.

Struggling Southampton In Need Of A Confidence Boost

Mauricio Pellegrino is in a spot of bother down on the south coast. Southampton have failed to inspire confidence so far this season and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Spurs tear their opponents to shreds.

Saints have won just once in their last nine league games but the 21/10 available for the visitors to win OR draw at Wembley is worth considering.

All Charlie Austin does is score goals, right? 888sport are going 16/5 for the Saints striker to add another goal to his Premier League tally for the campaign.

With five goals in his last seven outings, Austin could be primed to make a positive impact on Boxing Day.

Prediction

Looking past Spurs in the betting would be foolish here – virtually all of the signs point to a home win.

The omens look good for Tottenham to push on and close the gap to the top four over Christmas and Pochettino will have his troops fired up for this contest.

Saints will give a decent account of themselves but class should tell in this one. Both teams to score is currently priced at EVS and that does carry some appeal; although a little risky on Southampton’s part.

Back over 2.5 goals at 7/10 rather than a home win for that additional value…

TOTTENHAM 2-1 SOUTHAMPTON (Priced at 7/1 with 888sport)

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

December 24, 2017

Football

By Alex McMahon

Body

Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.

He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.

As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible.

Alex McMahon

Watford Lead Massive 286/1 Premier League Accumulator

This festive schedule seems to be particularly bonkers. Ahead of the traditional matches after Christmas, the Premier League sides have a full set of Saturday fixtures.

Matches are being played at midday, 5:30 and 7:45. It’s a feast of football, including six 3 o’clock kick-offs. So, without further ado, let’s take a wander through those matches…

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Watford

Watford’s flying start has hit a rather unpleasant dip. One point from five league games has seen the Hornets drop to tenth in the table, as their flowing attacking play has stopped producing goals at such a rate.

Brighton have failed to score in five of their last six. Their own attacking decline is of little surprise, but it is a growing concern. The Seagulls are now only three points above the relegation zone and Chris Hughton’s side are in need of upturn in form, particularly at home. They have drawn five of their last six at the Amex.

TIP: Watford to win @ 39/20

Manchester City vs Bournemouth

Bournemouth rotated for their midweek Carabao Cup clash with Chelsea, as they suffered a heart-breaking late defeat. That will unlikely have much of an impact on their date with Manchester City, however.

Eddie Howe’s side had a brief revival earlier in the year, but have gone winless in six league matches. Not exactly ideal form for a trip to the Etihad Stadium.

City’s brilliance shows little sign of halting. It’s now 16 straight in the Premier League, and it would be the shock of the season if that did not become 17.

TIP: Manchester City to be winning at half-time and full-time @ 7/20

Southampton vs Huddersfield Town

Huddersfield’s stunning 4-1 win at Watford last weekend put them three points above Southampton in the table. The teams sit in 11^th and 12^th, but it’s the hosts under more pressure this weekend.

Mauricio Pellegrino’s side have not won in five. After the decision to sack Claude Puel, Pellegrino’s beginnings have been thoroughly underwhelming. Saints are not a team considered to be at threat of relegation, but that could soon change.

Two wins in three for the Terries make them decent value for a win, but I am sitting firmly on the fence.

TIP: Match to be drawn @ 29/10

Stoke City vs West Bromwich Albion

The Darren Fletcher and Tony Pulis derby could have seismic implications for Stoke City. There are murmurings that Mark Hughes will be sacked should the Potters fall to another home defeat.

Alan Pardew, meanwhile, is desperate for his first win, having seen his team score just one goal since he took over four matches ago. The Baggies still only have two league wins all season, and could go 20^th if Swansea win at home to Crystal Palace.

Stoke were a mess against West Ham last weekend, and I fancy Pardew’s side to just edge it here.

TIP: West Brom to win @ 13/5

Swansea City vs Crystal Palace

Paul Clement was unfortunate to lose his job in midweek. Swansea’s problems centre around the squad rather than his managerial decisions, but it was sadly inevitable.

Perhaps removing Clement was motivated by the success Crystal Palace have had since changing managers. Roy Hodgson has turned the Eagles into a comfortable mid-table team, who look far superior to many in the bottom-half.

The Swans are in dire need of the typical bounce associated with changing manager, but I think the visitors will pull off another impressive win.

TIP: Crystal Palace to win @ 13/10

West Ham United vs Newcastle United

Speaking of new managers working wonders, David Moyes has done a brilliant job at West Ham. Having taken four points from a run of Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea, the Irons dispatched Stoke last weekend to pull up to 15^th.

Newcastle are disarray right now, and replaced West Ham in the bottom three. Eight of their last nine league matches have ended in defeat. Rafael Benitez remains the right man for the club, but they are in need of significant January investment if they are going to turn this around.

Even without the suspended Manuel Lanzini, the Hammers should win this.

TIP: West Ham to win @ 23/20

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

December 22, 2017

Football

By Sam Cox

https://twitter.com/SamRCox_">

https://www.tiktok.com/@srcsport?_r=1&_t=ZN-91fAo7Hr7CA">

Body

Sam Cox

Leicester City vs Manchester United: 7/1 For Comfortable Away Win

Manchester United travel to Leicester City on Saturday evening knowing that they could be 14 points behind Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City before they even kick-off. The Red Devils are currently second in the Premier League table and only a win against Leicester will suffice but the Foxes will have other ideas.

Claude Puel’s side have been much better in recent weeks but a 3-0 loss to Crystal Palace in their last top-flight fixture may have halted their momentum. It would be foolish to read too much into their Carabao Cup clash with City as both clubs opted to rest key players and the hosts will be quietly confident of putting United to the sword – although the Red Devils are unbeaten in their last seven games against Leicester.

Puel’s Decision To Rest Players Could Backfire

Defeat here would leave Foxes fans scratching their heads. Leicester crashed out of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night after losing to a much-changed City side on penalties and supporters were bitterly disappointed to see the Foxes team sheet on that day. Anything less than a positive result here and the Leicester faithful may further raise their views on their cup exit, and rightly so…

At the time of writing, 888sport customers can back the Foxes to win or draw at 27/25 in our Premier League betting odds. Leicester fans should take that price, it represents solid value for the home side. By the same token, the 17/10 on offer for Puel’s side to win at least one half on Saturday evening is also appealing. This United side are there for the taking if Leicester get their tactics right.

United Can Feel Hard Done By – City Have Been THAT Good

Any other year and Manchester United would be top, or at least within three points, of the Premier League table. Guardiola’s side have been on another level this season, we are witnessing one of the greatest club performances ever to exist in English football. But for United, there’s no point crying over spilt milk and their immediate focus will be on beating Leicester on Saturday evening – 10/13 is a decent price for an away win.

via GIPHY

Paul Pogba has returned from suspension and United fans will be expecting another huge performance from the Frenchman here. When Pogba plays well, United play well and he will be determined to make an instant impact following his three-match ban. 17/20 is available for United to score over 1.5 goals whilst the 39/20 for an away win and a clean sheet also carries plenty of appeal.

Prediction

United will be determined to keep pace in the title race just in case City collapse over the busy festive period. Victory over Leicester is an absolute must here, especially as the Foxes were well beaten by Palace last time out.

Mourinho’s side are hanging onto City’s coattails and I’m expecting the Red Devils to control proceedings on Saturday evening. It might not be a classic but United should be strong and stable enough to win - the 7/1 available for a 1-0 win may be worth backing.

LEICESTER CITY 0-2 MANCHESTER UNITED (Priced at 7/1 with 888sport)

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

December 20, 2017

Football

By Alex McMahon

Body

Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.

He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.

As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible.

Alex McMahon

Burnley vs Tottenham Hotspur: Stalemate Looks Likely At Turf Moor

This fixture signals the halfway point of the Premier League season. Burnley host Spurs – who were runners-up last season – as they look down on the Lilywhites from sixth. Quite remarkable, really, that Sean Dyche’s Clarets have kept pace with the top six all the way to Christmas, and the next chapter in this stellar season could be written at Turf Moor on Saturday evening.

Spurs’ minor underachievement has contributed to this surprising standing, but the onus is on the heroics performed by Burnley. Averaging less than a goal scored per match, the Lancashire club have won half of their matches. It’s quite silly.

Dyche’s recognition is coming. Should be cause another upset this Saturday, though, that recognition could be accelerated. Their drop off is expected, but each week they keep in touch with Spurs, Arsenal and Liverpool, the more realistic the prospect of Dyche managing in Europe in 2018 becomes.

This is a great time to play Spurs, too. A blend of fatigue and poor form has swept across the squad, and the absence of Toby Alderweireld is haunting them defensively. Burnley are at 8/5 to win or draw. I think that’s a brilliant price for a team with their record this season, and facing a wounded Spurs after their 4-1 decimation at Manchester City.

The return of Davinson Sanchez should reinforce that Spurs back line, however.

Spurs’ downfall in recent weeks has seen them slip off the top four pace somewhat. This is, in part, down to a five match winless road streak in the Premier League. The run must really sap the confidence out of potential Spurs backers for this one, particularly against a Burnley team that are so secure defensively.

Dele Alli and Harry Kane have hit relative dips of late, too. Kane only has his brace against Stoke in his last four, while Alli has not scored since November 1^st. Indicative of their recent struggles, perhaps, but equally indicative of just how good Heung-min Son has been. The former Bayer Leverkusen man is at 17/4 to score first.

Burnley’s low-scoring has been enabled by a defence that has kept six clean sheets in their last six. While I think Spurs will find the net at Turf Moor, the price of EVENS for the visitors to score under 1.5 is a good one.

Kane has not been quite himself of late, and this Burnley side have looked even better at the back than last season. The losses of Tom Heaton and Michael Keane have clearly not made much difference thanks to Nick Pope and James Tarkowski.

Despite how impressive Burnley are, I find it very hard to split the two sides this weekend. The Clarets are defying plenty of logic thus far – and they may well continue to do so – but I think they will have to score twice to win this weekend, which I cannot see happening with the return of Sanchez for Spurs.

Failure to win is not as harmful for Spurs as it might be at other times. Liverpool and Arsenal facing each other gives the Lilywhites a lifeline.

TIP: Match to finish 1-1 @ 13/2

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

December 20, 2017

Football

By Sam Cox

https://twitter.com/SamRCox_">

https://www.tiktok.com/@srcsport?_r=1&_t=ZN-91fAo7Hr7CA">

Body

Sam Cox

test e

December 27, 2017

Football

By Moshe

Moshe Samuel

Everton vs Swansea City: 6/1 For Comfortable Toffees Win

The humiliating crisis of David Unsworth’s latter days have drifted out of footballing consciousness. Before a ball was kicked this weekend, the Toffees were level on points with Watford. Sam Allardyce’s appointment has played its part, but the team’s improvement has been as much down to individual upturn as coaching.

Mid-table was the bare minimum at the start of the season. Everton are there now, and the prospect of relegation is as faint as a top four finish. The board would not have taken this on opening day, but they certainly would have done a month ago. Some would say it was foreseeable, though.

Their visitors on Monday night are in a distinctly less relaxed situation. Swansea are at the foot of the Premier League table, coming into this match after a thrashing at the hands of Manchester City. A vital win over West Bromwich Albion last weekend probably saved Paul Clement’s job, but that could only be a short-term fix.

Swansea have, in part, been unlucky. Their league-worst goal scoring record is not a direct reflection of their chance creation. Finishing has been as much an issue as midfield imbalance. The burden on Tammy Abraham has been vast in the final third, with a lack of pace leaving the side short of penetration. Abraham is a 7/1 shot to open the scoring on Monday.

Clement could really do with Wilfried Bony hitting form sooner rather than later. The Ivorian has scored just once this season.

The league’s lowest scorers visiting a team who have conceded one in four league matches is enough to get people watching Coronation Street. The back line that was riddled with error and disorganisation is suddenly a more coherent unit, with Jonjoe Kenny and Mason Holgate impressing.

Unfortunately, Swansea’s offensive record is so poor there is little value in backing an Everton clean sheet at 49/50. The Toffees’ solidity of late might make it tempting even at those short odds, but errors in that defence put me off the price.

Cards are a market worth looking at for this one. Only three teams have been shown more cards than Everton this season, and they could find themselves having to halt Swansea counter-attacks. Over 1.5 cards for the hosts at 17/20 looks a real steal.

The resurgence of Wayne Rooney makes him a worthwhile bet at 33/20 to score within the 90 minutes. Thriving off of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the former Manchester United man was the match-winner in midweek and could be again.

I expect a low-scoring affair at Goodison Park on a bracing Monday night. The match might not get much more exciting than the inevitable Christmas puns on the Sky Sports commentary. Swansea are in dire need of a result, but their trip to Merseyside comes a few weeks too late for Clement. Their focus will be on their clash with Crystal Palace on the 23^rd.

Everton could yet finish in the top eight. I think they will take another important step towards that under the lights. Their superiority in the final third should prove the difference.

TIP: EVERTON 2-0 SWANSEA CITY (Priced at 6/1 with 888sport)

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

December 17, 2017

Football

By Sam Cox

https://twitter.com/SamRCox_">

https://www.tiktok.com/@srcsport?_r=1&_t=ZN-91fAo7Hr7CA">

Body

Sam Cox