Premier League Predictions for this Weekend

With the title already decided after Spurs failed to hold on to their 2-goal lead at Stamford Bridge on Monday, the focus as far as the remaining fixtures are concerned will be on the Champions League places at the top of the table and the relegation battle at the bottom. This weekend, there are several interesting games that offer the chance of a value bet for those in search of football tips.

Tottenham vs. Southampton – Sunday May 8th, 13.30

Southampton are available at 3/1 for the win and there are several reasons why I think this price may be too big. The Saints have won 3 of their last 5 games, including a comprehensive 4-2 win over 4th placed Manchester City last Sunday. Their only loss was to the putative Premier League Champions, Leicester City, by a single goal at the King Power Stadium on April 3rd. Added to this decent run of form is the fact they are still keen to show former manager Mauricio Pochettino he was wrong to walk away 2 seasons ago, and the question mark hanging over Tottenham’s team spirit after conceding the title race on Monday night.

Although most pundits may consider it unlikely, there is still a mathematical possibility that Southampton could finish in 5th place, thereby qualifying for the Europa League next season, which is another reason they should be well up for it on Sunday. If West Ham were to slip up while entertaining Swansea on Saturday and Man United were to fail to overcome Norwich City at Carrow Road, this would give the Saints even more encouragement to give it their all at White Hart Lane, in the hopes of playing European football next season.

Spurs have won just 2 of their last 5 games, only managing a draw at Liverpool on April 2nd, finishing on level terms when hosting West Bromwich Albion on April 25th, and of course drawing at Stamford Bridge on Monday night. They will still be without their young star Dele Alli, who received a three-match suspension after punching West Brom’s Claudio Yacob in the stomach, and possibly without midfield ace Mousa Dembele too, who is facing disciplinary action after appearing to poke Chelsea’s Diego Costa in the eye during Monday’s game.

Taking all of the above into account, I see 3/1 as a value price for Southampton to come out on top at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Man City vs. Arsenal – Sunday May 8th, 16.00

This is a hard game to call, with neither of the teams in top form at the moment. 13/10 for City to triumph is not appealing to me, especially when you consider the fact they were soundly beaten by 7th-placed Southampton last Sunday. Some may put this poor result down to the fact that City played a midweek game against Real Madrid, and it is also true that they have won 3 of their last 5 Premier league fixtures. However, they only managed a draw against Newcastle in their previous Premier League fixture and had to fight to beat West Brom 2-1 on April 9th. In between these two games, they pulled off a convincing victory at Stamford Bridge, beating the hosts by 3 goals to nil, but given Chelsea’s unimpressive form this season, I wouldn’t place too much importance on this result.

Arsenal have only managed to win 2 of their last 5 Premier League games: victories against Norwich City and West Brom. With all due respect to these two teams, that’s not the kind of form that would encourage me to place a bet on the Gunners to win at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. Having drawn the other 3 games – at home to Crystal Palace and away to Sunderland and West Ham – I think that a single point against City will be a more likely result for the north Londoners.

At 13/5, a small bet on a draw is definitely worth considering.

Sunderland vs. Chelsea – Saturday May 7th, 15.00

Sunderland have managed 3 draws, a win, and a loss in their last 5 games, with the loss being to champions in waiting, Leicester City. A convincing 3-0 win away to Norwich and a hard-fought draw at home to Arsenal – a game in which they were unlucky not to have claimed all 3 points – preceded last Saturday’s game away to Stoke, in which they managed to equalise with a penalty in stoppage time. The Black Cats improved form, together with the fact that their Premier League survival is still in their own hands (they are just 1 point behind 17th-placed Newcastle with a game in hand) makes odds of 2/1 for the home side to win quite tempting.

Chelsea did well to come back from 2 goals down against Tottenham on Monday and won 4-1 when travelling to Bournemouth on April 23rd but the two games before that – a 3-0 loss when hosting Man City and a 1-0 loss away to 13th-placed Swansea, illustrate their inconsistent form this season.

At 2/1, a bet on the home side to triumph appeals. However 45/17 for the draw is also worth considering, given that Sunderland have drawn 3 of their last 5 games.

The Best of the Rest

Norwich are battling relegation but Man Utd’s recent form makes them hard to bet against in Saturday’s fixture. However, at 10/11 I’m not tempted to get involved in the fixture. Aston Villa have lost 11 games on the trot and will be playing Championship football next year. Still, 11/17 for the Magpies to win is not a particularly generous price given their league position so I’d steer clear of this game too. Bournemouth have only won 1 of their last 5 outings, and that was against Aston Villa, which makes a price of 19/20 for them to win at home on Saturday rather unappealing. West Brom have only managed a draw and 4 losses in their last 5 games, not exactly inspiring form either so I’ll give this game a miss as well.

Of the remaining fixtures this weekend, it might be worth having a small bet on Everton to win at the King Power Stadium at 3/1, as the hosts may be distracted by the fans’ celebrations. None of the other 3 matches offer much in the way of value.

Article by Chris Herbert

Chris is a freelance writer who writes pieces for SBAT.com.