IT’S tight at the top with six teams still a mathematical possibility of winning the English Premier League, but Leicester City is now the out and out red hot favourite at $1.60 with WilliamHill.com.au
The Foxes enjoy a five point lead at the top, ahead of nearest challenger Tottenham Hotspur, which is second favourite at $3.75 with our friends over at Hills.
Mighty Arsenal has coughed and sputtered its way into third and is still a $6 chance to take the title.
The three outsiders are Manchester City at $81, Manchester United at $126 and West Ham, a whopping $401, but they should be $1 billion to one, needing those other five sides to basically fall over and lose every game from here.
It’s a tantalising last eight weeks of the season, with The Foxes and Spurs having played one more game than the other four sides.
It feels like they haven’t played for months, but in reality it’s only been a weekend, with international friendlies and Euro qualifiers taking precedence over the league stuff.
But they will be back with a bang on the weekend, with Aston Villa welcoming Chelsea in the early game on Saturday night, April 2, at 10.45pm AEDT.
A bevy of six games then kicks off at 1am, with the Gooners welcoming surprise packet Watford, Bournemouth headed to Manchester City, a battle between relegation pair Norwich and Newcastle, Stoke up against Swansea and West Ham at home to Crystal Palace. If you can keep your eyes open, the big one is Liverpool versus Tottenham at 2.30am.
Sunday night features top side Leicester continue its unlikely quest for Premier League glory against Southampton at 10.30pm, before Manchester United and Everton close out the match week at 1am on Monday morning.
It’s a full slate of games after a week off and with that comes an opportunity to whack a multi together and win some cash.
We have run the ruler over the games and picked out our favourites to hopefully parlay into a match winning formula.
Good luck.
Suggested multi:
Chelsea to beat Aston Villa ($1.51)
Arsenal to beat Watford ($1.32)
Bournemouth to draw with Manchester City ($3.55)
West Ham United to beat Crystal Palace ($1.96)
Multi bet pays $13.96 with CrownBet.com.au
Aston Villa vs. Chelsea
Our tip: Chelsea to win ($1.52)
The reigning champions’ fall from grace has been well documented, left behind by a Premier League competition that is younger, faster and better. But Aston Villa’s season is completely and utterly shot, the once proud club all but guaranteed to be relegated. Since they beat fellow relegation struggler Norwich City, 2-0 on February 7, the Villains are on a six game losing streak, conceding 18 goals in that time, while scoring just twice. It makes for some seriously ugly viewing and you have to feel a bit for their supporter base and manager Remi Garde, who is really on a hiding to nothing. Chelsea’s new manager Guus Hiddink has enjoyed rather different fortunes, turning around the side’s season after taking over from the Special One Jose Mourinho. There were rumbles that Chelsea could actually make the drop at one point, but The Pensioners hit their straps after the managerial change and are now set to finish mid table. Look out for a rejuvenated Cesc Fabregas to run riot after his double against West Ham last week. The Blues should do this one comfortably.
Arsenal vs. Watford
Our tip: Arsenal to win ($1.32)
Does Arsenal have the ticker to win the title? It’s hard to say after a mediocre month that has produced two losses and a draw, before a 2-0 away win over Everton last time out steadied the ship. The Gooners actually have two carrots to play for on the season, the obvious one of winning the title, but also the traditional one of finishing above their most hated rival, Tottenham, in 2016. Top of at the table at the turn of the season, Arsenal finds itself 11 points adrift of Leicester City. The Gunners simply need to win games and, while injuries have absolutely ravaged them, with the likes of Petr Cech, Mathieu Debuchy, Mathieu Flamini, Santi Cazorla, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Tomas Rosicky all on the rack with injury. It’s a mighty list and it’s a wonder they haven’t fallen further. Many tipped Watford to make the drop in 2016, but they have proved the pundits wrong, putting together a solid season, built on a strong defence and a pair of attackers in Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney who have taken every opportunity they have been given. Make no mistake, this one won’t be a walk in the park for Arsenal, but, if the Gunners really want to bolster their title credentials, they must win and we think that will be the result, considering Watford has lost its past three.
Bournemouth vs. Manchester City
Our tip: Match ends in a draw ($3.55)
No, we’re not crazy. This one would normally be a walk in the park for Manchester City, but it is a whole new world in 2016. The Sky Blues are no longer invincible and any thing can happen in the Premier League. Plus, we needed a banker and there is a very real possibility that the in form Bournemouth can take a share of the points (or even win) on its home deck. City is a whopping 14 points adrift of Leicester City and, while internally they will be saying they can win the title, it’s clear that they are on a hiding to nothing. Like Watford, Bournemouth has surprised and impressed this season after making the jump from the Championship. Most thought the club would be in a relegation battle, but, instead, it has managed double figure wins in its first season in the top flight. While it has struggled to negate teams’ scoring, it has been one of the most prolific lower table offensive teams in the Premier League, with 38 goals. Bournemouth had won three in a row before it was slapped by Tottenham at White Hart Lane, but we think the home form holds up and it can break some Sky Blue hearts with a stalemate in this one.
West Ham United vs. Crystal Palace
Our tip: West Ham United to win ($1.96)
No, we are not infatuated with the Hammers, but they really are hard not to like. Remarkably, they are still a mathematical chance of winning the title, enjoying a marvellous season where they have garnished 13 wins and 11 draws and sit 16 points behind the Foxes. It’s a long way away, but where there is hope, there is fire, and they should have more than enough fire to handle a Crystal Palace side that looks like it will only just avoid relegation this season. They have a couple of wizards in the midfield in Dimitri Payet and Victo Moses, a solid defence and the likes of Diafra Sakho, Andy Carroll and Enner Valencia up front causing havoc. This is how bad Palace is going – the club has not won a Premier League game in 2016. Three draws and nine losses has absolutely destroyed the clubs season, after it started brightly. They need to do something about it to avoid relegation, with a few more points needed to guarantee it, but we can’t see them coming on the road at West Ham here.
