English Premiership: Weekend Betting Preview and Picks
By Shawn Young
Let’s hope the weather holds and the games are played this week.
SATURDAY
STOKE vs. LIVERPOOL (-0.5 -105)
Stoke beat Fulham 3-2 on January 5. Liverpool lost 2-1 at home to Reading in extra time Wednesday.
It’s all falling apart for Liverpool. It’s not too late to jump on the collapse. Not only did the club lose its Cup replay Wednesday, Reds lost Fernando Torres (knee cartilage, six weeks), Yossi Benayoun (rib, four weeks) and captain Steven Gerrard (torn hamstring, two weeks minimum) in the process. Eighties terracing tragedies aside, this was the worst actual on-the-pitch night for Liverpool in memory.
Liverpool had been playing poorly anyway. The replay was only scheduled because Reading drew them 1-1 in the original match. Stoke can get something out of this game. Taking a half goal is ideal. The club’s fans will have to get used to getting up early. This early kickoff will we followed by another one next week when Stoke hosts Arsenal in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Many people pegged Stoke to go down this year. Patient play will be rewarded again here. We wanted them against Chelsea last weekend but this is even better.
Further Liverpool ins and outs: Maxi Rodriguez makes his debut for Liverpool after transferring midweek and Javi Mascherano returns from a four-game suspension. Albert Riera might be fit (hamstring). Ryan Babel has been dropped (bad attitude). Jose Reina is a game-time decision for Liverpool between the sticks.
Pick: Stoke 1, Liverpool 1
SUNDAY
ASTON VILLA (-1 +115) vs. WEST HAM
Aston Villa won 1-0 at Blackburn Thursday; West Ham lost 2-1 at home to Arsenal on January 3.
While the Cleveland Browns sag, Aston Villa, the other team owned by Randy Lerner, is doing well. A comparison is a story for another day, but here’s the key: Villa looks like surviving another transfer period without losing any good young players. Good for Lerner and good for the fans - even if I’m a West Brom fan and am required to hate Villa by statute. The longer this team can stay together, the more it will accomplish. The Villains will start by beating West Ham here.
West Ham has no senior strikers available with Carlton Cole, Kieron Dyer and Luis Boa Morte nursing knee injuries. A West Ham nickname is “The Academy”, and they’ll depend on academy teenagers Frank Nouble and Freddie Serars for real Sunday.
Pricing is the key to this bet. The following prices are roughly equivalent, so strike your best deal: -0.5 (or three-way) at -165, -0.75 (the Asian price) at -115, or -1 +115. Get the best price you can against those benchmarks.
Several Villa players return after being rested for Thursday’s cup game. West Ham also misses Herita Ilunga and Danny Gabbidon, but Mark Noble returns to the side as one bit of good news.
Pick: Villa 2, West Ham 0