English Premiership: Weekend Betting Preview and Picks
By Shawn Young
SATURDAY
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS (-0.5, +115) vs. PORTSMOUTH
Wolves lost 5-2 away to Sunderland on Sunday; Portsmouth lost 1-0 at home to Everton on Saturday.
We gave you Sunderland over Wolves last Sunday and said some nasty things about Wolves in the process. Sunderland won 5-2. OK, now forget that. If you saw the match, the final score really flattered Sunderland and Wolves were not that bad.
Portsmouth, on the other hand, are extremely bad. Wolves look like they’ve found a way to score goals. Portsmouth have opened the season 0-7 and found the net only three times. Portsmouth are absolutely awful and we’re going to oppose them anytime we get anything close to even money between now and the opening of the transfer window. Wolves need to win games like this if they hope to stay up. They’ll win here.
Wolves’ midfielder Dave Jones has undergone knee surgery and is out for two months. Segundo Castillo (hamstring) will be replaced by Michael Kightly. Portsmouth’s Own All Hamstring Injury Update: Steve Finnan should play but Papa Bouba Diop and Herman Hreidarsson are not yet fit.
Prediction: Wolves 2, Portsmouth 0.
SUNDAY
CHELSEA (-0.5 +115) vs. LIVERPOOL
Chelsea beat APOEL 1-0 away on Wednesday; Liverpool lost 2-0 away to Fiorentina on Tuesday.
Well, I won’t be welcome in Liverpool (in the red bits anyway) because I think it’s time to go against them again. Liverpool humbled us last weekend by whipping Hull with six goals but Liverpool are too inconsistent. They looked poor away to Fiorentina and have already lost a game in London to Spurs this season. In another trip to the capital they were stretched by a weak West Ham team. They lost at home to Aston Villa.
Chelsea will be the best team they’ve seen so far and Chelsea are remarkably consistent. The exception was last weekend’s 3-1 loss away to Wigan. That game saw a questionable penalty and sending off of Cech at 1-1 early in the second half. The Wigan loss and a 2-2 Charity Shield draw with Man United are the only blemishes on Chelsea’s perfect season.
These teams know each other well. Aside from the EPL, they’ve played each other in European Cup action in each of the last three years. Right now, we need to bet Chelsea in this spot because at least we know what we’re going to get out of them. Liverpool are way too unpredictable.
Michael Ballack (calf strain) and John Mikel Obi (ankle) are question marks for Chelsea after not flying out for the game in Cyprus. Didier Drogba was suspended mid week but starts here. Deco and the Coles are good to go. Daniel Agger (back) is still a ways away for Liverpool but played an hour in a Reserves match Tuesday. Mascherano (hamstring) is out as well.
Prediction: Chelsea 2, Liverpool 0.