EPL Betting – Gunners, Leicester both Need Three

With Arsenal and Leicester tied at the top of the English Premier League standings, the 23rd fixture will get underway tomorrow.  Arsenal versus Chelsea will steal the spotlight on Sunday, but Saturday has eight games that could shake up the table.

Let’s take a look at the best betting action on tap this weekend:

Saturday:

Tottenham (+114) at Crystal Palace (+250), Draw (240)

Spurs are currently in a Champions League spot for next season, sitting in fourth place just five back of league-leading Arsenal. They have also been one of the best read teams in the league, going 4-5-1 on the year. Tottenham’s defense has keyed its road success, conceding just nine time in ten away matches.

Crystal Palace, on the contrary, has won only four of their last 11 games at home this season, and enter this game with three losses in the last three EPL fixtures. Spurs at +114 look like better value.

• Pick: Tottenham +114.

Stoke City (+275) at Leicester (+105), Draw (+240)

Leicester City are for real, whether pundits want to believe in them or not. They remain level with Arsenal at the top of the table (but sit second thanks to goal differential). At home, the Foxes have lost just one game while earning four wins and five draws.  But they are coming off two scoreless draws against Manchester City and Bournemouth; they can’t afford another one if they want to keep pace at the top of the table.

Stoke City are having a nice season, in their own right, and will give Leicester lots of headaches, but this is not the time to bet against one of the league leaders while playing at home.

• Pick: Leicester +105.

Southampton (+350) at Manchester United (-117), Draw (+250)

Manchester United have won two of their last three against Southampton, including a 3-2 away win earlier this season. The squad has struggled to find the net all year, averaging just 1.2 goals per game, but their latest win over Liverpool (1-0) at Anfield Road may give them a confidence boost.

Southampton are a dangerous team playing at home, but not so much on the road.  They have lost four in a row away from home; their last road win was back on November 7. With United seemingly turning a corner (they’re undefeated in their last five, all competitions), roll with the Red Devils.

• Pick: Manchester United -117.

Manchester City (-137) at West Ham (+450), Draw (+300)

Not many teams would be that huge of a favorite playing on the road, but Manchester City’s roster is so talented that they’re favored almost every time they take the field. But the team’s performance hasn’t matched the underlying talent this season, especially on the road. City have won just one of their last seven away games.

West Ham, on the other hand, has won two straight at home against decent squads (Southampton and Liverpool).  They have won two of their last three meetings against City, including a visit to Etihad in December (2-1). With the draw paying out a little extra (+300), it’s worth a wager.

• Pick: Draw +300.

Sunday:

Chelsea (+260) at Arsenal (+105), Draw (+250)

One of the biggest London derbies will feature the EPL-leading Arsenal hosting struggling Chelsea.

It’s hard to figure out how Chelsea got to this point.  They’re 14th in the table narrowly above the relegation zone with 25 points in 22 games (only four points up on 18th-place Newcastle). Despite their horrible record to date (6-7-9, -3 goal differential), the Blues were able to beat Arsenal in their first meeting in September.

However, Emirates Stadium has been close to impenetrable for Arsenal. The Gunners have won seven of ten at home with two draws and just one loss. They’ve also allowed a league-low six goals at home. Take the Gunners to send their fans home happy.

• Pick: Arsenal +105.

(Photo credit: Ronnie Macdonald [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.)