*All odds courtesy of
William Hill and Sporting Bet*
Saturday, August 18 (Kick Off 3PM)
West Ham v Aston
Villa
This one has got draw written all over it, hasn’t it? Two
sides who will huff and puff yet ultimately be unable to break the other down. West Ham under Big Sam will be
especially cagey at home, and Villa -
in our opinion - lack that bit of creativity to unlock the door.
The Verdict: When
Darren Bent is playing there is always the chance of a goal or two, but this
looks like a low scoring bore draw to us. This is why the 11/5 on
offer from William Hill for the draw
really appeals. As does Sporting Bet’s
‘Draw – Under 3.5 Goals’ at 100/300,
which is basically a really easy way to treble your money. Lump on.
Saturday, August 18 (Kick Off 5:30PM)
Newcastle v Tottenham
This is a cracking fixture to begin ESPN’s televised Premier
League season. Newcastle will be
looking to build on their fantastic last campaign, and will be looking to their
African duo Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse to bother scoreboards across the country if
they are to replicate that.
Spurs on the
other hand have a new commander in Andres Villas-Boas, who will be determined
to put his Chelsea nightmare behind him. His biggest headache will be a lack of
striking options, although you can expect one or indeed both of Rafa Van Der
Vaart and Gylfi Sigurdsson to cause mischief between the Magpies’ rigid defence
and midfield.
The Verdict: Without
wanting to get too technical, here at
Route One we can see AVB’s favoured
4-2-3-1 formation causing havoc with Alan Pardew’s traditional 4-4-2 set-up.
Expect RVDV to slide a pass through to Jermain Defoe at some point for the pint
sized marksman to slot home (12/5, SB).
Sunday, August 19 (Kick Off 1:30PM)
Wigan v Chelsea
The Latics enjoyed
a cracking run towards the tail-end of last season, and they wouldn’t have
wanted the season to end. That will count for nothing against Roberto Di Matteo’s
‘Champions of Europe’ however.
To their credit, Roberto Martinez’s men will try and play
their football, but that will play right into Chelsea’s hands. Buoyed by the
marquee signings of Eden Hazard and Oscar, and the rejuvenated figure of
Fernando Torres, the Blues look a dangerous outfit.
The Verdict: Torres is 4/1 with William Hill to score two or more,
which we like very much, and Chelsea are 11/5 to win both halves
with Sporting Bet. Both are very
appealing.
Sunday, August 19 (Kick Off 4PM)
Man City v
Southampton
Following their dramatic, last gasp crowning as champions last
campaign, we expect the blue half of
Manchester to continue to go from strength to strength. A full season of
Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez playing together – with Super Mario waiting in the
wings – is a mouth watering prospect.
Much will depend on how Rickie Lambert takes to life in the
Premiership as to how Southampton will
perform. If he’s more Grant Holt than Connor Sammon, then they’ve got an
outside chance of survival. But come what may, Nigel Adkins’ men will be well
organised, compact and difficult to beat. But as opening day assignments go,
they don’t come much trickier.
The Verdict: Don’t
touch any goals coupons here – this could be close or an absolute rout. Either
way, Citeh will win – so let’s hedge our bets and make it 2-0 (6/1, WH).
Monday, August 20th (Kick Off 8PM)
Everton v Man Utd
Perhaps the most eagerly awaited fixture of the opening
weekend this. Robin Van Persie’s signing
has captured the headlines, but keep an eye on Shinji Kagawa’s performance if
he starts. This lad comes bearing rave reviews. How Sir Alex incorporates RVP,
Wayne Rooney and possibly Danny Welbeck into the same front-line will also come
under scrutiny too.
David Moyes’ men
may have lost Jack Rodwell and Tim Cahill, but they are made of stern stuff and
have a decent record against the Red Devils by all accounts – remember the 4-4
draw at Old Trafford last season?
The Verdict: A
bit of a bloodthirsty one we reckon, we can anticipate Everton taking the lead in
this one – especially with Man Utd’s
defensive frailties. Expect their dominance to eventually overcome the Toffees
though. William Hill’s ‘First Goal
Wincast’ of Nikica Jelavic to score first
but United to win weighs in at 19/2, and that is our
best value find.
The Route One Home Banker Treble
We are backing Fulham
(Norwich), Fleetwood (Torquay) and Plymouth (Aldershot). A £10
stake returns £85.
The Route One Away Day Treble
We are backing
Chelsea (at Wigan), Middlesborough (at
Barnsley) and Coventry (at Yeovil). A £10 stake returns £90.
Good luck! And let us know how your weekend lays go.
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