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This weekend sees another full set of vital & interesting fixtures take place in League 1 with loads of potential for some fantastic betting opportunities.
We have had a good look at the fixture list & here are the games that caught our punting eye & a range of value betting options we feel are worth consideration.

Huddersfield Town vs Leeds United – (Saturday 12.30pm)

This action looks set to be intense & competitive both on & off the pitch as these two local rivals go head to head in what is a massively important match for both Huddersfield Town & Leeds.

Huddersfield Town are intent on achieving at least a play-off place from this season so they will be going all out for the three points & Leeds United need to get back to winning ways to kick-start their title push again.

Huddersfield Town have got the best home record in League 1 with 10 wins & 6 draws from their 16 home league matches so far with an incredible 39 goals scored during those games.

That impressive home record gives Huddersfield Town a massive boost every time they play at home because they know they are so hard to beat & that gives them the confidence to go & play their positive attacking football to attempt to win the match.

Huddersfield Town also come into this match in excellent overall form & that will further boost their confidence levels so we are expecting a top performance from them here.

Leeds United were walking away with League 1 a few months back but all that has gone wrong since & they are really struggling to find consistent winning form again.

Leeds United know they cannot afford to drop any more ground in the title race & they know this is going to be a really tough fixture and that only adds to the extensive pressure they are already under.

The atmosphere is going to be electric for this one with both sets of fans primed & we are expecting Huddersfield Town & Leeds United to put on a cracking show here which will be tremendoulsy competitive but for the bet we are going with Huddersfield Town to win this & extend their excellent home form.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Huddersfield Town to win

Correct Score options: Huddersfield Town to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Rhodes/Kay/Roberts

Scorecast options: Rhodes/Kay/Roberts score 1st & Huddersfield Town win 2-0/2-1

Double Result: Huddersfield Town H/T & F/T

Leyton Orient vs Swindon Town – (Saturday 3.00pm)

Good football looks the order of the day here as both managers believe in playing positive football so Leyton Orient & Swindon look set to produce a good contest here.

Geraint Williams at Leyton Orient & Danny Wilson at Swindon, both believe in getting their teams to play a good, solid passing game & that positive style has certainly benefitted them both in recent months.

Leyton Orient are only 6 points above the relegation zone but they don’t play like a side with relegation fears & indeed their home for has been pretty good recently so they will believe they can get something from this.

Swindon Town come into this match on a great run of form, scoring goals & winning games in style as they push towards a certain play-off place & also holding claims for automatic promotion as well.

Swindon Town are full of confidence at present & they will believe they can win anywhere so we are expecting them to come & be very positive in this game with 3 points the only target for them.

This should be a good game because Leyton Orient will be determined to be positive & committed here while Swindon will come looking for the win so it is going to be competitive but in terms of a bet then we really do like the claims of Swindon given their excellent form & they do look a great value bet to get a vital away win.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Swindon Town to win

Correct Score options: Swindon Town to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Austin/Paynter

Double Result: Swindon H/T & F/T

Southampton vs Walsall – (Saturday 3.00pm)

12th place Southampton welcome 10th place Walsall for what should be a good, honest game of positive football between two well organised sides.

Southampton are 5 points behind Walsall coming into this match but they do have 2 games in hand & also would have 10 more points had they not started the season on minus 10 points.

Alan Pardew has done a fantastic job to breath new life into Southampton & he has got them playing a really positive, exciting brand of football which has got everybody excited at the club again & there is now a new sense of belief there.

That sense of belief is reflected in the Southampton squad & their determination to win games by playing positive, attacking football which was perfectly highlighted by their excellent performance in winning 2-0 away at League 1 leaders Norwich City last weekend.

Admittedly, Southampton did slip up in midweek with a 0-0 draw against lowly Wycombe but that was a blip & they will really fancy their chances back on home soil where they have only been beaten twice in the league so far this season.

Walsall are a good, solid, well organised side who play their football like that & particularly away so they will certainly not be easy for Southampton in this one.

Walsall will go into this game determined to get a positive result & they are capable but their weakness away from home is not being able to score enough goals & that does make it tough to win and particularly against teams as good as Southampton.

This should be a good game as both Southampton & Walsall will compete hard for everything which will please the fans & the home fans are likely to be pleased most because we really do like the look of Southampton to win this one & they are well worth a bet to get another home win here.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Southampton to win

Correct Score options: Southampton to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Lambert/Lallana/Barnard

Double Result: Southampton H/T & F/T

Recommendations for remaining League 1 fixtures:

Southend United vs Charlton DRAW – 1-1/2-2
- Bailey/Shelvey score 1st/anytime

BRENTFORD to beat Tranmere – 2-0/2-1
- Weston/Macdonald/Strevens score 1st/anytime

BRIGHTON to beat Exeter City – 2-0/2-1
- Murray/Bennett/Navaro score 1st/anytime

Bristol Rovers vs Colchester DRAW – 1-1/2-2
- Dickson/Platt/Howe score 1st/anytime

CARLISLE to beat Gillingham – 3-0/3-1
- Harte/Ansiyah/Dobie score 1st/anytime

MILLWALL to beat Hartlepool – 2-0/2-1
- Harris/Morrison/Schofield score 1st/anytime

NORWICH CITY to beat Oldham – 3-0/3-1
- Holt/Martin/Hoolahan score 1st/anytime

Stockport County v Wycombe DRAW – 1-1/2-2 – Ibere/Donnelly score 1st/anytime

This weekend sees another full set of vital & interesting fixtures take place in the Championship with loads of potential for some fantastic betting opportunities.
We have had a good look at the fixture list & here are the games that caught our punting eye & a range of value betting options we feel are worth consideration.

Ipswich Town vs Bristol City – (Saturday 3.00pm)

Such a competitive looking fixture between two sides matched as closely as Ipswich & Bristol City might seem a tough place to start but the fact it is set to be so competitive is what interests us.

Ipswich Town have only lost 2 league games at home all season but have had 9 home draws while Bristol City have only won 2 away but have had 6 away draws so both teams will definitely believe they can get something from this match.

Overall this season, Ipswich Town have had 16 draws in the league & Bristol City 14 draws and those statistics clearly indicate how both clubs are adept at fighting for & griding out results & that definitely looks set to produce a tight match here.

Ipswich Town need points & wins to push away from relegation trouble while Bristol City still hold hopes of reaching the play-offs so both will want to win but equally neither can afford to lose & that makes a competitive, scoring draw a likely scenario & a value bet well worth taking here.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: DRAW

Correct Score options: 1-1/2-2

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Haynes/Walters/Iwelumo

Double Result: DRAW H/T & F/T

Leicester City vs Nottingham Forest – (Saturday 3.00pm)

Fascinating battle of 5th & 2nd here as Leicester City welcome their midland rivals Nottingham Forest for what should be a really entertaining & closely fought match.

Leicester City have only suffered 3 defeats at home while Nottingham Forest have only lost 3 away matches, both teams like to play a similar style of football & all that combined with what is certain to a charged atmosphere will make this a tough, combative test for both sides.

The points on offer are vital to both sides with Leicester City motivated to win this for their fans & to keep their play-off push going while Nottingham Forest are chasing automatice promotion & they need to prove they can win away again after 3 successive away defeats.

The local rivalry will make the atmosphere charged & intense and the action on the pitch is likely to be incredibly competitive & combative which makes any result possible but the most likely scenario is a competitive, entertaining scoring draw which does look a bet worth investing in.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: DRAW

Correct Score options: 1-1/2-2

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Waghorn/Earnshaw/Blackstock

Double Result: DRAW H/T & F/T

Preston vs Cardiff City – (Saturday 3.00pm)

A competitive, high energy & high tempo battle looks on the cards here as Preston & Cardiff City chase a much needed win to get their seasons going again.

Preston come into this match with only 1 win in the last six & Cardiff City have only won 1 in their last five so this looks certain to be a very close match as both desperately need the points.

Preston need a few wins to push themselves away from any relegation troubles while Cardiff City need to get back winning again to help their push for a play-off spot so the motivation to win is there for both but equally the fear of losing hangs over them & that could have a big impact on this match.

The one conistent element for Preston this season has been their strong home form with 6 wins & 6 draws from their 15 home league games while Cardiff City have been tremendously strong away from home & that is another sign that these two sides could well cancel each other out.

This has got the makings of being a really entertaining & high tempo match as both Preston & Cardiff City will want the points but equally they are both closely matched which makes a scoring draw appeal as a very tempting bet with a share of the points likely here.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: DRAW

Correct Score options: 1-1/2-2

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Bothroyd/Whittingham/Parkin

Double Result: DRAW H/T & F/T

Reading vs Sheffield Wednesday – (Saturday 3.00pm)

This is an absolutely huge match for both Reading & Sheffield Wednesday and could well play a pivotal role in their joint fight against relegation.

Reading sit 1 point & 1 place above Sheffield Wednesday at the wrong end of the table & clearly the 3 points on offer here are absolutle vital.

A win for Reading would push them 4 points clear of Sheffield Wednesday & away from the bottom group while a win for Sheffield Wednesday would take them 2 points clear of Reading & above them in the table so everything is at stake here.

The fact Reading had to go to extra time in the midweek F.A. Cup win over West Brom could become a key factor in this game because the Reading players are bound to have been physically affected by that & the extra mental impact of being involved in such a big game may also affect their performance in this one.

Brian McDermott, the Reading manager, will use that win to give his player a confidence boost but the fact Reading lost their next league games after great successes in the F.A. Cup must be a concern & he will have to make sure the Reading players are mentally right for this one.

The Sheffield Wednesday manager Alan Irvine would have been delighted to see Reading go into extra time because he will know the physical & mental impact that will have on Reading & we fully expect Sheffield Wednesday to have a real go at exploiting that here.

Now we feel anything is possible in this match & it is going to be a tight, competitive affair so in what is essentially a 50/50 contest, we are going to take a chance on Sheffield Wednesday pulling off a vital away win & they are certainly a value bet to do that.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Sheffield Wednesday to win

Correct Score options: Sheffield Wednesday to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Varney/Tudgay/OConnor

Double Result: Sheffield Wednesday H/T & F/T

Betting Recommendations for remaining Championship matches:

Barnsley vs Blackpool DRAW – 1-1/2-2
- Bogdanovic/Adam/Campbell score 1st/anytime

COVENTRY CITY to beat Scunthorpe – 2-0/2-1
- Eastwood/Morrison/Bell score 1st/anytime

DONCASTER ROVERS to beat Crystal Palace – 1-0/2-0
- Sharp/Coppinger/Shiels score 1st/anytime

Q.P.R. to beat Middlesbrough 2-0/2-1
- Simpson/Cook/Buzsaky score 1st/anytime

SHEFFIELD UNITED to beat Plymouth – 3-0/3-1
- Henderson/Camara/Yeates score 1st/anytime

SWANSEA to beat Peterborough – 2-0/2-1
- Kuqi/Pratley/Cotterill score 1st/anytime

NEWCASTLE UNITED to beat Watford – 2-0/2-1 – Carroll/Lovenkrands/Nolan score 1st/anytime

WEST BROM to beat Derby County – 3-0/3-1
- Brunt/Koren/Dorrans score 1st/anytime

Steve Bruce is a very proud & ambitious manager & he must be looking at Roy Hogson & Fulham knowing that’s where he wants Sunderland to be but right now they are a fair distance of that & it is all about Premier League survival from here on in now.

All matches are important for both Sunderland & Fulham as both Steve Bruce & Roy Hodgson aim to win every game they go for but there can be no denying how much more important this game is to Sunderland than it is Fulham.

Sunderland come into this vital home match sitting very uncomfortably in 14th only 3 points above the relegation zone & knowing that this is a must win game.

All points are vital throughout the season & all points gained are beneficial but Steve Bruce & the Sunderland players need a win & they need it fast as their season continues to slide alarmingly.

Sunderland have not won in the Premier League since beating Arsenal at home in November & that poor run of form is keeping the Sunderland players under great pressure which in turn makes it more difficult to get positive results & only a win will help to reverse that process.

A win for Sunderland here will kick-start their season again & give the squad the belief to go on & make sure they don’t get relegated but failure to win will create more worry & pressure so we are expecting Steve Bruce to have his players fully wound up for this one.

Roy Hodgson has done a tremendous job at Fulham & he continues to work miracles with what is widely regarded as one of the more weaker looking, thinner squads in the Premier League & what Fulham have achieved in the last couple of seasons is remarkable.

With another top 10 Premier League finish already looking certain, a place in the F.A. Cup Quarter Finals & more remarkably a place in the last 16 of the Europea League, Fulham continue to surprise & excel and the confidence levels within the squad right now cannot possibly get any higher.

Fulham come into this match on the back of achieving a fantastic 1-1 draw away at reiging Europa League holders Shaktar Donetsk & that fantastic result gave them an agregate win in the tie to secure a last 16 tie against Juventus.

The positives of that result will clearly be that the Fulham squad have gained more vital experience against top class opposition & the belief they can handle the travel & everything involved to perform under great pressure.

The negative of that away trip is of course the extra physical & mental demands that a long trip to Russia places on the squad & that could well become a big factor in this match with tiredness & fatigue likely to be problems for the Fulham squad.

Incredibly, Fulham have achieved another top 10 placing in the Premier League with an away record which reads 1 win, 5 draws & 7 defeats with only 11 goals scored & clearly that poor away record is a major concern for Fulham here.

Sunderland arrive here in poor form & lacking confidence while Fulham are exactly the opposite right now so it we are expecting Fulham to make it a tough test & Sunderland do have to handle the pressure of having to win which does make predicting the outcome of this match incredibly tough.

Both Sunderland & Fulham have struggled for goals so it is going to be a tight, competitive match which makes a low scoring draw a tempting option but we are just going to take a chance on Sunderland’s greater need for a win being the deciding factor & they can just edge this on the day.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Sunderland to win

Correct Score options: Sunderland to win 1-0/2-0

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Bent/Jones/Malbranque

Scorecast options: Bent/Jones/Malbranque score 1st & Sunderland win 1-0/2-0

Double Result: Sunderland H/T & F/T

Statistics, form & figures sometimes mask the truth & have no relevance to the eventual outcome of games but for this clash of Liverpool & Blackburn Rovers they most certainly indicate a very strong & clear advantage for Liverpool.

Liverpool & Blackburn Rovers have played each other 15 times in the Premier League at Anfield with Liverpool holding a record of 9 wins & Blackburn only 1 with the other 5 drawn games.

9 wins to 1 is a clear & obvious guide to why Liverpool are priced at 2/5 or shorter to win this match and so does the fact Liverpool have 9 home wins in the league so far compared to Blackburn’s sorry tale of only 1 away win all season.

Those comparative home & away records give Liverpool every reason to come into this game confident of getting another home win here & every reason for Blackburn Rovers to have great concern about getting any positive result at all.

Liverpool have been very strong at home & although they have produced a few poor performances in recent weeks, their overall form & results have improved & they will go into this match confident after getting a satisfactory 3-1 away win in europe in midweek.

Blackburn Rovers have only achieved 6 points from a possible 39 away from home this season displaying a weakness in front of goal & a terrible fragility in defence which has seen them concede 31 away goals already.

The only positive for Blackburn Rovers is that they come into this match on the back of beating local rivals Bolton 3-0 so that should give them a degree of confidence but whether it will be enough to get a result is another matter altogether.

Liverpool have improved their results lately & they will be keen to improve their performances as well & this match looks a good opportunity for them to do that & Liverpool do look a solid bet to make it 10 home league wins for the season.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Liverpool to win

Correct Score options: Liverpool to win 2-0/3-0

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Gerrard/Benayoun/Babel

Scorecast options: Gerrard/Benayoun/Babel score 1st & Liverpool win 2-0/3-0

Double Result: Liverpool H/T & F/T

Can Everton win this & make it four successive Premier League victories at White Hart Lane?

Yes, incredibly Everton have won this fixture for the last 3 years & so on that statistic alone they warrant massive respect & are clearly big dangers to Tottenham in this one.

Tottenham are chasing the much vaunted 4th place to earn their ticket to the Champions League & at present they do hold 4th position but only by the margin of goal difference.

Harry Redknapp knows that Tottenham cannot afford any more slip ups in the Premier League & particularly at home where maximum points have to be secured to keep the pressure on their 4th place rivals but he will know this match against Everton represents a really tough test.

A major positive for Harry Redknapp is that Tottenham have been very strong at home with 8 wins & only 3 defeats and Tottenham certainly have more than enough quality to get the win here.

A 4-0 win over Bolton in midweek will give the Totteham players a big lift ahead of this match & we are expecting Tottenham to be very positive from the start here & look to test Everton who had a tough, physically demanding trip to Sporting Lisbon.

Everton come into this match in 8th place in the Premier League following a run of 5 wins from their last 6 Premier League matches including very impressive victories over Chelsea & Manchester United which illustrates the strength & quality Everton have.

Obviously the 3-0 defeat away at Sporting Lisbon was a big blow & it will be interesting to see how Everton cope with that defeat as well as all the extra demands that away trip placed on the squad.

David Moyes will want Everton to respond in the right way here & we are certainly expecting Everton to be fully up for the challenge & they have an excellent chance of getting a positive result but winning here this season is going to be very tough.

Tottenham & Everton are two excellent sides with plenty of strength & quality amongst them so this is certain to be a competitive test which does make a draw a very tempting option but we feel Tottenham can make home advantage pay here & they look a fair bet to get 3 more massive points here.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Tottenham to win

Correct Score options: Tottenham to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Defoe/Pavlychenko/Crouch

Scorecast options: Defoe/Pavlychenko/Crouch score 1st & Tottenham win 2-0/2-1

Double Result: Tottenham H/T & F/T

Can Stoke City do what most of the footballing world can only dream of doing & complete a hat-trick of home wins against Arsenal???

For us that is the key question to this match as Stoke City look to follow up their league win here last season & more recently their home win over Arsenal in the F.A. Cup & given Stoke City’s recent form there is good chance the answer is yes.

The key to this match is that it represents the biggest clash of footballing styles you can get as Stoke City & Arsenal come from opposite ends of the football spectrum.

Tony Pulis believes 100% in his players giving 100% commitment, determination & team spirit with a direct style of play that suits their physical prowess & plays to their strengths by exposing the weaknesses of their opponents.

Arsene Wenger believes 100% in total football, based on Arsenal playing a flowing, passing & fluent attacking style of play with technique & skill more important that physical or mental strength.

Those two clashes which Stoke City completely deserved to win, showed how Stoke City playing at their very best driven on by a loud & passionate crowd, can compete with & beat an Arsenal side that struggle against physical power & strength and how that plays out in this game will probably decide the outcome.

Stoke City come into this game on a great run of form which has seen them go unbeaten so far this year & coming fresh on the back of their deserved win in the F.A. Cup against Man City so their confidence levels are going to be sky high for this one.

Arsene Wenger still has a belief that Arsenal still have a chance in the Premier League title race but he knows that chance will only remain if Arsenal can pick up maximum points here & only a win will do.

Arsenal have been fragile defensively & how they defend in this match will almost certainly be the key factor because if they deny Stoke City the chance to win set-pieces then they will blunt Stoke City’s threat & get control of the game but if they don’t do that they could well suffer badly.

This is going to be a really fascinating clash of physical power, determination & team spirit of Stoke City against the techincal ability & skills of Arsenal so it could be close but Stoke City like playing Arsenal here & they look a fair bet to have the edge once again.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Stoke City to win

Correct Score options: Stoke City win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Fuller/Shawcross/Sidibe

Scorecast options: Fuller/Shawcross/Sidibe score 1st & Stoke City win 2-0/2-1

Double Result: Stoke City H/T & F/T

This is probably the lowest profile match of the entire Premier League weekend fixture list but that won’t concern either Birmingham City or Wigan who want the points for their own reasons & it should be a close contest.

Birmingham City have had an absolutely fantastic season already & everybody at the club would be more than happy if the season ended now given what they have achieved to date.

The fact Birmingham City come into this match in 10th place on 37 points is a truly remarkable fact & great praise must go to Alex McCleish and the Birmingham City squad because they were widely expected to be serious relegation candidates.

The Birmingham City players have made a mockery of those expectations & they have shown how a fantastic team spirit, work ethic, desire to compete & a determination to get the best possible result at all times can deliver success for any team no matter the level of quality within a squad.

That is not to say Birmingham City have not got quality because they have showed plenty of quality in winning matches but their real strength has been a collective spirit to be hard to breakdown, defensively solid & ultimately hard to beat.

That is perfectly highlighted by their tremendous home record with 6 wins & 5 draws from 13 and incredibly only 8 goals conceded during those 13 matches which is the joint best in the entire Premier League.

Alex McCleish will want Birmingham City to bounce back after their recent blip in form & we do expect them to prove tremendously hard to beat in this match & they have more than enough quality to win it as well.

Roberto Martinez brings his Wigan side to this match knowing that they could well be in the bottom 3 if they fail to get something from this match & if other results go against them so this is a truly massive game for Wigan.

Roberto Martinez will take his Wigan to Birmingham City believing their positive, controlled passing football can get them the win but their incredibly poor away record does not really inspire confidence for that to be a strong possibility here.

Wigan have only won 3 away matches all season, losing 8 of them & conceding 34 goals which is simply not good enough & neither is the fact they have only scored 2 goals in their last 6 competitive matches.

This is unlikely to be a high quality, entertaining match of flowing football & goals are likely to be scarce given the record of matches at Birmingham City so a draw is a possibility but Birmingham City’s home form is hard to ignore & they look a decent bet to get another home win here.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Birmingham City to win

Correct Score options: Birmingham City to win 1-0/2-0

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Jerome/McFadden/Larsson

Scorecast options: Jerome/McFadden/Larsson score 1st & Birmingham City win 1-0/2-0

Double Result: Birmingham City H/T & F/T

A clash of 2nd bottom Burnley against bottom side Portsmouth at this stage of the season would normally mean this is a massively imporant fixture for both sides but that is not the case now given Portsmouth’s now certain relegation.

The fact Portsmouth are now virtually relegated does have a massive impact on this fixture & will have on all of Portsmouth’s remaining fixtures because we simply don’t know how the Portsmouth players will now react.

You have to question the motivation to win for the Portsmouth players because knowing they are relegated must surely have a major impact on their mental state & ultimately affect their desire to win.

Of course, the Portsmouth players have shown great pride in recent weeks & endeavoured to do their best but how can we predict what they will produce now they know their fate.

In terms of this match, it is probably best to concentrate on Burnley & given their excellent home record that is not a bad thing to do.

Burnley have won 6 & drawn 4 of their 12 away games with 22 of their 23 points achieved to date coming at home so that clearly highlights their strength at home & the vital importance of their home matches.

Burnley have been utterly useless away from home & Brian Laws knows that the only place Burnley are likely to pick up points is at home & so we expect Burnley to go all out for the win here because it is probably the best chance they have left of winning a Premier League match.

The fact that Burnley & Portsmouth are 2nd bottom & bottom proves these sides have been largely inconsistent & poor so anything is possible here but Burnley won’t have a better chance to win a game than this & we think they are worth a bet to extend their excellent home record & get 3 vital points.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Burnley to win

Correct Score options: Burnley to win 2-1/3-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Fletcher/Patterson/Eagles

Scorecast options: Fletcher/Patterson/Eagles score 1st & Burnley win 2-1/3-1

Double Result: Burnley H/T & F/T

While the Chelsea vs Man City games understandably gets all the media attention & indeed a hugely important match, this relegation 6 pointer between Bolton & Wolves is an absolutely massive clash & certainly every bit as relevant as any other game taking place in the Premier League this weekend.

Bolton sit 18th in the Premier League, 1 point & 2 places behind Wolves and both are desperately fighting to avoid & both teams knows that while all points are vital, the real key now is to win games & both will see this as a good opportunity to do that.

Owen Coyle has to lift his team after suffering another confidence shattering defeat in midweek after being beaten 4-0 by Tottenham & coming on the back of a very disappointing run of results that is indeed a big challenge.

Owen Coyle knows that Bolton have to win their home matches & we are expecting a really direct, positive attacking approach from Bolton because they have to go for it & they need a win to build confidence & momentum for the rest of the season.

Mick McCarthy faces exactly the same challenges as Owen Coyle does & he knows that these matches against their relegation rivals are the one that will ultimately decide whether they stay up or get relegated so we do expect Wolves to go for this one.

To their credit, Wolves have had a go at competiting & trying to be positive in virtually all of their matches & that won’t change here but their incredibly poor away record on only 2 wins does not generate much confidence that they can actually win this.

This is going to be a really competitive match with plenty of good, positive football on show & given the pressure involved then anything is possible but we just going to go for a Bolton win in this one & we take them to edge it with Kevin Davies & Ivan Klasnic to lead the way.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Bolton to win

Correct Score options: Bolton to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Davies/Taylor/Klasnic

Scorecast options: Davies/Taylor/Klasnic score 1st & Bolton win 2-0/2-1

Double Result: Bolton H/T & F/T

A truly massive fixture to kick-start the weekend action in the Premier League as title chasing Chelsea welcome 4th place chasing Man City with 3 vital points at stake.

Neither Chelsea or Manchester City can afford anymore slip ups in the league & winning is all that counts at this stage of the season the pressure on this fixture is massive & that looks certain to make it a tight, competitive affair.

Both Chelsea & Man City come into this match after suffering disappointing midweek cup defeats with Chelsea losing at Inter Milan & Man City going down at Stoke City so this match will be a real test of character for both squads.

Chelsea will have to cope without the injured Petr Cech & Ashley Cole which could prove to be a massive double blow to their entire season while Manchester City have to pick themselves up after what has been a tough & indeed disappointing recent run of form & results.

Historically this fixture favours Chelsea in a really big way with Manchester City only having won once in 12 visits to Chelsea & Chelsea have won the last 4 on the trot with a record of 12 goals scored & none conceded.

Another fact that makes Manchester City’s task look so much tougher is the fact they have not scored on their last 7 visits to Chelsea & given their current poor form in front of goal that sequence could well be extended.

Chelsea are incredibly strong at home with a record of 12 wins & a draw from their 13 Premier League games so far with an average of 3 goals scored per game & only 8 goals conceded in those 13 games.

Manchester City have only won 3 away matches from their 13 so far so that makes it tough to envisage them winning here although they have had 6 away draws already & that could well be their target for this match.

Tactically this match is going to be a fascinating test as Chelsea are likely to have the majority of the possession & certainly look to do most of the attacking while Man City are now more defensive minded under Mancini with counter attacking likely to be their main policy.

With the pressures involved & the likely intensity of this match, a competitive & combative draw has definite possibilities & warrants consideration but we cannot ignore Chelsea’s incredible home form & that makes Chelsea appeal as a bet to prove too strong & take the points.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Chelsea to win

Correct Score options: Chelsea to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Drogba/Lampard/Anelka

Scorecast options: Drogba/Lampard/Anelka score 1st & Chelsea win 2-0/2-1

Double Result: Chelsea H/T & F/T