Sunderland v Southampton 12:45
The Saints are 29/20 favourites here but they’ve had a rough few days, and Sunderland will be buoyed by their demolition job on Fulham last weekend. The draw at 9/4 looks best to me but if I had to pick a winner it’d be the home side. Adam Johnson got a hat-trick at Craven Cottage so is probably worth a go in the anytime market here at 7/2. For the first goal, Jay Rodriguez (as always) at 6/1.
Prediction: 1-1 (11/2)

Arsenal v Fulham
Fulham have never won at Arsenal apparently, and that’s not likely to change here. 2/9 for the home win, so we’re better off looking at how many really. The Gunners with a -3 handicap at 18/5 might seem a bit stingy, but wait til you hear how a 6-0 final score is only 35/1! Goals are likely, and more than 4.5 of them in the match at 11/5 might be worth a look too. Wilshere’s scoring again, 11/4 anytime?
Prediction: 4-0 (10/1)

Crystal Palace v Stoke
I can see a few thousand travelling Stoke fans being shown which side their bread’s buttered here. Palace are 13/10 favourites and that’s probably about right given their form since Tony Pulis took over. Goals could be at a premium though so less than 1.5 in the match at 3/2 might be worth considering. Saying that, the Potters put 3 past Liverpool last weekend (and conceded 5) so 3.5+ at 10/3 could be on as well. Who knows?
Prediction: 1-0 (11/2)

Man City v Cardiff
Like the game at the Emirates, it’s a case of how many. City look more than capable of overcoming a -3 handicap (11/5) and 5.5+ match goals (15/4) isn’t unrealistic either. Though if you fancy Cardiff to nick a goal, how about the City win with BTTS at 17/10? It’s a given that Aguero and Negredo will score so you’re better off backing them to get 2 or more. The Argentinian’s 11/4 and the Spaniard 9/4.
Prediction: 5-1 (22/1)

Norwich v Hull
There’s a reason Chris Hughton’s still in a job after seemingly being under pressure all season. Basically, when the shit looks like finally hitting the fan, Norwich pull off a result. They’re 7/5 for the win here and I fancy them to get it. Can’t see it being pretty though, less than 1.5 goals is yours at 3/2.
Prediction: 1-0 (6/1)

West Ham v Newcastle
The Hammers finally won last weekend and Newcastle’s winning streak is receding in to the distance. I’m not about to call a win for Alladyce and co though so it’ll have to be the draw at 12/5. Andy Carroll to make a glorious goal scoring return against his former club? 15/8 if you fancy it, and the hat-trick is 75/1… Ha!
Prediction: 1-1 (11/2)

Liverpool v Aston Villa 17:30
Suarez is going to enjoy this one, isn’t he? Not much fun backing him these days though, just 7/2 for the hat-trick! Sturridge is fit again though, so how about him to score 2 or more at 13/5? No, that’s shit as well. I’ve spent most of this week thinking about how hilarious it is that Villa have signed Grant Holt, so he’ll probably score. 6/1 anytime, that’s better! Otherwise, 4.5+ match goals (11/5) and the Liverpool win, obviously.
Prediction: 4-1 (14/1)

Accumulator: Danger treble! £5 on wins for Norwich and Palace, and a draw between Newcastle and West Ham could return nearly £94!

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45 mins til the early kick-off. Betting tips...

Sunderland v Southampton 12:45
The Saints are 29/20 favourites here but they’ve had a rough few days, and Sunderland will be buoyed by their demolition job on Fulham last weekend. The draw at 9/4 looks best to me but if I had to pick a winner it’d be the home side. Adam Johnson got a hat-trick at Craven Cottage so is probably worth a go in the anytime market here at 7/2. For the first goal, Jay Rodriguez (as always) at 6/1.
Prediction: 1-1 (11/2)

And team news:
Sunderland: Mannone, Bardsley, Alonso, Ki, Brown, O'Shea, Cattermole, Larsson, Johnson, Borini, Altidore. Subs: Gardner, Fletcher, Celustka, Pickford, Colback, Giaccherini, Roberge.
Southampton: Boruc, Chambers, Fonte, Lovren, Shaw, Cork, Schneiderlin, S. Davis, Lallana , Rodriguez, Lambert. Subs: K. Davis, Clyne, Yoshida, Ramirez, Ward-Prowse, Guly, Hooiveld.

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I reckon Coventry will stay up.

Perfect start for Southampton and a perfect start for me. I had him to score first at 6/1 and Jay Rodriguez does just that with a cracking shot from 25 yards!

Sunderland have barely touched the ball so far, 9/5 if you fancy Southampton to go on and score 3 or more...

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(18/01/2014, 14:01)ScottyRampant Wrote: 9/5 if you fancy Southampton to go on and score 3 or more...

2/1 now. Do it, Sunderland are stinking the place out. Still 1-0.

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And then I backed Southampton to score next at evens, and they have. Dejan Lovren steering home a corner.

But Sunderland go straight up the other end and pull one back through Fabio Borini.

2-1 Southampton.

12/5 on both teams to score in the second half look decent.

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Sunderland thought they were level, but Fabio Borini's effort is disallowed, offisde.

Still 2-1 to Southampton but the visitors should be out of sight by now.

Neither have so far, but BTTS in the second half is 4/1. Just over 20 mins left.

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Great goal from Adam Johnson, firing it past Boruc's near post. The keeper should have done better but it's 2-2.

Sunderland 4/1 to go on and win it now.

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Finally finished at the Stadium of Light. Lovren and Ramirez both had to be stretchered off so there was 7 minutes added time. 2-2 the result.

On to the 3pm kick-offs, and betting tips:

Arsenal v Fulham
Fulham have never won at Arsenal apparently, and that’s not likely to change here. 2/9 for the home win, so we’re better off looking at how many really. The Gunners with a -3 handicap at 18/5 might seem a bit stingy, but wait til you hear how a 6-0 final score is only 35/1! Goals are likely, and more than 4.5 of them in the match at 11/5 might be worth a look too. Wilshere’s scoring again, 11/4 anytime?
Prediction: 4-0 (10/1)

Crystal Palace v Stoke
I can see a few thousand travelling Stoke fans being shown which side their bread’s buttered here. Palace are 13/10 favourites and that’s probably about right given their form since Tony Pulis took over. Goals could be at a premium though so less than 1.5 in the match at 3/2 might be worth considering. Saying that, the Potters put 3 past Liverpool last weekend (and conceded 5) so 3.5+ at 10/3 could be on as well. Who knows?
Prediction: 1-0 (11/2)

Man City v Cardiff
Like the game at the Emirates, it’s a case of how many. City look more than capable of overcoming a -3 handicap (11/5) and 5.5+ match goals (15/4) isn’t unrealistic either. Though if you fancy Cardiff to nick a goal, how about the City win with BTTS at 17/10? It’s a given that Aguero and Negredo will score so you’re better off backing them to get 2 or more. The Argentinian’s 11/4 and the Spaniard 9/4.
Prediction: 5-1 (22/1)

Norwich v Hull
There’s a reason Chris Hughton’s still in a job after seemingly being under pressure all season. Basically, when the shit looks like finally hitting the fan, Norwich pull off a result. They’re 7/5 for the win here and I fancy them to get it. Can’t see it being pretty though, less than 1.5 goals is yours at 3/2.
Prediction: 1-0 (6/1)

West Ham v Newcastle
The Hammers finally won last weekend and Newcastle’s winning streak is receding in to the distance. I’m not about to call a win for Alladyce and co though so it’ll have to be the draw at 12/5. Andy Carroll to make a glorious goal scoring return against his former club? 15/8 if you fancy it, and the hat-trick is 75/1… Ha!
Prediction: 1-1 (11/2)

And team news:

Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Flamini, Wilshere, Cazorla, Gnabry, Ozil, Giroud
Fulham: Stekelenburg; Riether, Burn, Hangeland, Richardson; Dejagah, Sidwell, Parker, Kacaniklic; Dempsey, Berbatov.

Palace: Speroni, Mariappa, Gabbidon, Delaney, Parr, Bolasie, Ward, Jedinak, Puncheon, Guedioura, Chamakh
Stoke: Butland, Cameron, Shawcross, Wilson, Pieters, Whelan, Nzonzi, Adam, Walters, Assaidi, Crouch.

Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Demichelis, Kolarov, Navas, Yaya Toure, Javi Garcia, Silva, Negredo, Dzeko
Cardiff: Marshall, Théophile-Catherine, McNaughton, Medel, Caulker, Turner, Noone, Gunnarsson, Campbell, Mutch, Whittingham

Norwich: Ruddy; Martin, R Bennett, Bassong, Olsson; Snodgrass, Fer, Johnson, Gutierrez; van Wolfswinkel, Hooper.
Hull: McGregor, Rosenior, Bruce, Chester, Davies, Huddlestone, Koren, Livermore, Jelavic, Sagbo, Elmohamady

West Ham: Adrian, Jarvis, Rat, Collison, Taylor, Noble, Collins, Diame, Downing, C.Cole, Johnson
Newcastle: Krul; Santon, Williamson, S.Taylor, Yanga-Mbiwa; Tiote, Anita, Cabaye; Sissoko, Remy, Gouffran

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Sounds like you need a lie down Scotty after being so frenetic in the first match of the day... The lads did it for me too as I put them in an acca as a BTTS so need Liverpool/Villa to do the same and Norwich/Hull to go under 2.5 and I'll have something to rejoice too.