Sports - Football
English Premier League Best Bets - Round 32
With the title and the relegations spots all but decided, interest over the final six weeks lies in the qualification spots for the 25/26 European seasons. Four of the five vying for the last three Champions League spots play at home and start favourites this weekend in must-win games.
All but one home team start favourites this weekend, six of them in the red.
Liverpool and Arsenal have the top two Champions League positions for 25/26 sewn up. The five teams from Forest in third to Villa in seventh are separated by six points. These sides have the most to play for from here and much of the betting focus this round shifts that way.
MANCHESTER CITY v CRYSTAL PALACE
History: It is interesting that City has only won two of the last six league fixtures against Palace at the Etihad. Last season the visitors came from two down to snatch a draw in late December, one of the last hiccups before City's relentless surge to a fourth straight title. Earlier this season, another 2-2 draw was played out at Selhurst, but this time City came from behind twice.
Outlook: City come to this game after a dour 0-0 Manchester derby at Old Trafford, an exhibition of two sides dozens of lengths off their best form. At home, City is still tough to crack. Only Liverpool in the league and Real Madrid in the Champions League have succeeded since Xmas.
Palace is playing an exciting brand of football and managed to find the net at their last sixteen games. They travel north after an exciting 2-1 win over arch nemesis Brighton at home last weekend. Europa Conference League qualification is still a feint hope.
Prediction: With fourteen goals in the last three games between these sides, expect some action. City must win and should, but Palace will give them a torrid afternoon.
Suggested wager: Manchester City to win and both teams to score - 2 units at $2.90.
LIVERPOOL v WEST HAM
History: Pretty much one-way traffic to Liverpool, particularly at Anfield. West Ham won there during one of Liverpool's dark seasons; 2015/16. Before that, their last win on Merseyside was in 1963, two months before JFK's assassination. The Reds have won nine in a row at home against the Hammers in all competitions by an aggregate of 28-7.
Outlook: Liverpool might have suffered from complacency, but some credit must go to Fulham for pulling off a surprise 3-2 at Craven Cottage last weekend. Fortunately for Liverpool the Gunners only picked up a point so little damage was done to their title chances. However, you can bet that was a huge wake-up call that the job isn't done yet. West Ham might feel the brunt of the inevitable rebound effect.
The Hammers led but ended up drawing 2-2 with Bournemouth at home last time around. They are now four without a win and in that strange place of being clear of relegation and having no hope of European qualification. Getting up for matches this deep in to the campaign will be hard.
Prediction: Expect Liverpool to throw the kitchen sink at West Ham and inflict another defeat against their bunnies. Although the Hammers' defence has tightened under Potter, it won't withstand this onslaught.
Suggested wager: Liverpool to win and over 3.5 match goals - 2 units at $2.80.
NEWCASTLE v MANCHESTER UTD
History: Newcastle has held the advantage in recent times, winning four of the last five in all competitions. The Magpies have won this fixture at St James' Park in the past two seasons without conceding.
Outlook: Newcastle has reinvigorated its Champions League aspirations with three straight wins in the league. Add to that a Cup win over Liverpool and is has been good times on Tyneside recently. The dreadful run of injuries is largely behind them, and the push towards a top-five finish is gaining momentum.
Man U on the other hand just want this EPL season to finish. Europa League glory is their only hope of gaining something from an otherwise wretched campaign that sees them languishing in 13th. The 0-0 draw last weekend with Man City, while a good result, hardly raised the pulse. A trip to a cauldron, facing an energetic and hungry opponent, looks scary for Amorim's side who back up from a trip to France on Thursday evening where they face Lyon in a Europa QF.
Prediction: Newcastle has scored twelve of their last fifteen goals in the first half. They will come out all guns blazing again against a side perhaps jaded after a big European engagement midweek.
Suggested wager: Newcastle to lead at halftime and fulltime - 4 units at $2.75.
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