Football, racing and more with expert advice. Get the best football bets and prices!

Without wanting to upset Burnley fans, this local derby really only concerns Man City in our view & their push for 4th place is the focus because Burnley look relegated already to us & like a side who are just simply not good enough no matter how hard they try.
Mathematically Burnley are still very much in with a chance to survive & we are sure Brian Laws & his players will give it a real go until the league table says otherwise but in all honesty relegation looks all but finalised now.

Of course, this being a home match against local rivals makes it a big occasion for the fans & they will demand the Burnley players have a real go & we do expect them to take the game to Man City, just as they proved when getting an incredible 3-3 draw at Man City earlier in the season.

The problem for Burnley is that they simply don’t have Premier League quality players & no matter how much effort & determination they put in to matches, they are not getting anything in return and the Burnley players do look as though their confidence is almost gone.

Burnley are committed to positive, attacking football which is entertaining but equally their defensive fragility makes them incredibly vulnerable & certainly against the likes of Bellamy, Tevez & Adebayor in the Man City attack so it looks really, really tough for them here.

Man City are realistically the only serious challengers to Tottenham for 4th place & their target for the rest of the season is to win every single league game starting with this one at Burnley.

Man City took their time to get going against Wigan but ultimately a very impressive hat-trick from key player Tevez was the difference & that 3-0 win should give them big confidence to come into this match & they know they have the attacking quality to really damage Burnley in defence.

The pace of Wright-Phillips & Bellamy to provide service to the great quality of TeveZ & Adebayor will really frighten the Burnley defence & they should get plenty of opportunities to score the goals they need here.

If this match had been played a a few months ago it would be very tempting to go for a Burnley win given their home form but their current form is rubbish & Manchester City simply look to have way too much quality here & Man City do look a very solid bet to get another vital win with Tevez & Bellamy likely to be key.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Man City win

Correct Score predictions: Man City win 2-1/3-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Tevez/Bellamy/Adebayor

Scorecast options: Tevez/Bellamy/Adebayor score 1st & Man City win 2-1/3-1

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

The match stats below are compiled with major football betting markets in mind. They are presented as facts without recommendation, allowing you to spot trends and decide whether they have relevance as betting opportunities. Click any ‘Bet Now’ button to see a bet slip from that bookmaker.

NARRATIVE:

This is a new Premier League fixture. Blackburn won the reverse fixture via a 3-2 score-line earlier this season, All time league record: Burnley: 33–Draws: 13–Blackburn: 37

MARKET:

N/A

MARKET: Correct Score

N/A

MARKET: First team to score

N/A

MARKET: Even or odd total of goals:

N/A

A good healthy portion of very hot n’spicy Lancashire Hot Pot looks set to be on the menu here as bitter local rivals Burnley & Blackburn Rovers clash in what is a truly massive game.
Whenever these two bitter rivals clash, it does not matter what is at stake in terms of whether it be a league match or a cup tie, the hatred & animosity both sides feel for each other is incredibly fierce & will never fade so we are expecting this to be a real tough, physical clash.

In terms of who has the greater need to win this match then Burnley most definitely do because they are in a truly desperate situation & the true facts are that failure to win this will deliver another potentially fatal blow to their Premier League survival hopes.

Burnley simply have to win this match & as many of their remaining games as possible to have any chance of surviving so the pressure is definitely on but at least it means they know they have to go all out for the win & to their credit that is what Burnley always try to do.

Home form has been Burnley’s only saviour this season & that combined with the local derby factor will certainly have the Burnley players confident & determined but whether they have enough left to win this has to be doubtful given how their recent results have gone.

Sam Allardyce has once again done a great job in keeping Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League & now that safety is secure, he will really want to add an away victory against Burnley to really give the Blackburn fans something to celebrate.

Blackburn’s away form has been shockingly poor with only 6 points gained from a possible 45 & they have conceded 36 goals but now they are safe that does not really matter & the Blackburn players can certainly go into this game positive & relaxed with the pressure taken off.

Confidence levels within the Blackburn Rovers side should be very high after an excellent draw against Chelsea & a big win against Birmingham City so we do expect Blackburn to be really positive in this match & it should make for a good game.

This match should be an absolute cracker because the fans will make the sure the atmosphere is red hot & there is every chance the Burnley & Blackburn players will do so on the pitch so any result is possible but a really competitive, scoring draw looks a value bet worth taking here.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: DRAW

Correct Score Options: 1-1/2-2

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Fletcher/Nugent/Pedersen

Scorecast options: Fletcher/Nugent/Pedersen score 1st & 1-1/2-2

Double Result: DRAW H/T & F/T

The match stats below are compiled with major football betting markets in mind. They are presented as facts without recommendation, allowing you to spot trends and decide whether they have relevance as betting opportunities. Click any ‘Bet Now’ button to see a bet slip from that bookmaker.

NARRATIVE:

This is a new Premier League fixture. All time league record: Wigan: 8–Draws: 7–Burnley: 2

MARKET:

N/A

MARKET: Correct Score

N/A

MARKET: First team to score

N/A

MARKET: Even or odd total of goals:

N/A

In terms of the money rich, global industry which the football world definitely is, this clash of two relatively small clubs Wigan & Burnley will hardly register but to those concerned this match could be absolutely everything & ultimately nothing.
Wigan & Burnley are two of the clubs involved in the fight against relegation with Wigan 4 points better off than Burnley but knowing they cannot afford any more mistakes & 3 points on offer here are absolutely vital to both.

These two sides are at the bottom of the Premier League because they have not been good enough & far too inconsistent to warrant anything other than a desperate fight against relegation & they are both running out of chances to save themselves.

The 4 points Wigan have in hand of Burnley does offer protection but a Burnley win here would close the gap to 1 point & then Wigan would definitely be major contenders for relegation so it is a must win game for both sides.

Usually in circumstances like this when the pressure to win but not to fail is so high, the games are usually competitive, physical scraps that offer little entertainment but this could actually be quite a good game given how they both like to play.

Wigan have been the most inconsistent side in the Premier League but the one thing they have kept consistent is the way they play & a positive, open style of passing that never ever changes no matter who they play & Burnley like to play positive, attacking football so this should be a really open game.

Both sides struggle to defend & although they also both struggle to score usually, the fact they are playing each other could well mean there could be goals here as both sides will believe they can win this match.

Wigan have not exactly been that impressive or strong at home but Burnley have a pathetic away record with only 1 point achieved so far & to be honest that only adds to the difficulty in predicting how this match will go.

Wigan need a win & Burnley simply have to win so they both have to go for it & anything is possible here so for us the choice is made by the odds on offer & with Burnley to win the biggest price of the three possible outcomes, that is what we are going to take a punt on happening although obviously this match is not one to get too heavily involved in.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Burnley to win

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

First Goalscorer each way/Players to score anytime: Fletcher/Nugent/Alexander

Scorecast options: Fletcher/Nugent/Alexander score 1st & Burnley win 2-1/3-1

Double Result: Burnley H/T & F/T

Relegation battle, 6 pointer, a must win game, this match is all of those & more as Burnley & Wolves go head to head in what is without doubt the most important match of the entire weekend.

The presence of Burnley & Wolves means there is no glamour attached or trophies up for grabs here but that won’t concern anybody connected to either side because they are both fighting for the Premier League lives & absolutely everything is on the line in this one.

Burnley in 18th place ‘welcome’ Wolves in 17th place to Turf Moor as only goal difference separates them & the true facts are that this could well be the pivotal match for both teams.

The strong chances are that definitely 1 & possibly both of these two sides could well get relegated this season & if one team can secure victory then the 3 points on offer could well be the different between safety & relegation.

Burnley have one clear target for the remainder of the season & that is to secure as many points as they can at home & clearly this is a massive opportunity to do that.

Burnley’s away form is pathetic & there is no way they can expect to get anything away so the points they require have to be secured at home & thankfully for them they have a home record that gives them a chance.

Burnley have done exceptionally well at home this season with 6 wins & 5 draws from their 14 games & playing at home really does seem to bring the very best out of them & we certainly expect them to have a real go here.

Positive, attacking football is a strength of Burnley & they will have to play that way to get the goals they need but they also have a defensive fragility that means they consistently leak goals which always limits their chances of winning matches & getting results.

Wolves come here knowing that this is a truly massive game because they have got a very, very tough end of season fixture list & this match looks one of their best opportunities to get 3 points.

Mick McCarthy’s team have been positive all season & that was demonstrated to great effect with their good, spirited performance against Manchester United last weekend but ultimately they were not good enough & they lost which has unfortunately too often been the case.

Wolves’s major weakness is converting the chances they create & they simply don’t score enough to goals to get positive results – Wolves are the lowest goalscorers in the entire Premier League with only 21 from 28 games and that is obviously a massive problem for them.

Burnley will attack in this match & have scored at least one goal in every home match this season so that almost certainly means Wolves will have to score just to get a draw which is entirely possible but we like the look of Burnley who are strong at home & they look worth a bet to get a truly massive 3 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: Alexander/Paterson/Nugent

Scorecast options: Alexander/Paterson/Nugent score 1st & 2-1/3-1

Double Result: Burnley H/T & F/T

The match stats below are compiled with major football betting markets in mind. They are presented as facts without recommendation, allowing you to spot trends and decide whether they have relevance as betting opportunities. Click any ‘Bet Now’ button to see a bet slip from that bookmaker.

NARRATIVE:

This is a new fixture in Premier League terms. Wolves won the reverse fixture 2-0 earlier in the season whilst all time league records are as follows: Burnley: 33–Draws: 23–Wolves: 61

MARKET:

N/A

MARKET: Correct Score

N/A

MARKET: First team to score

N/A

MARKET: Even or odd total of goals:

N/A

The match stats below are compiled with major football betting markets in mind. They are presented as facts without recommendation, allowing you to spot trends and decide whether they have relevance as betting opportunities. Click any ‘Bet Now’ button to see a bet slip from that bookmaker.

NARRATIVE:

This is a new fixture on the Premier League calendar. Stoke won the reverse fixture earlier this season by scoring two first half goals in the 19th and 33rd minutes. All time league record: Burnley: 31–Draws: 19–Stoke: 39

MARKET:

N/A

MARKET: Correct Score

N/A

MARKET: First team to score

N/A

MARKET: Even or odd total of goals:

N/A

The Champions League 2nd round action takes centre stage & the focus of the majority of the footballing world, but not of those people connected to teams who have got vital midweek Premier League matches & there are indeed some very important contests taking place.
The main focus of the midweek action in the Premier League is on the relegation zone with 5 of the 8 teams playing still heavily involved in their own fight to avoid relegation.

We have had a good look at all the midweek Premier League games & here our thoughts with the value betting options we feel are worth consideration:

Wigan vs Liverpool – (Monday 8.00pm)

Wigan come here chasing the 3 points to help try & secure their place in the Premier League while Liverpool are after maximum points to keep their push for the Champions League going so this is an absolutely vital match for everybody concerned.

Roberto Martinez is under massive pressure as Wigan sit perrilously close to the relegation zone, only 1 point above & looking like a side in big trouble.

Wigan come into this match on a run that has seen them only pick up 3 points in their last 7 Premier League matches with only 3 goals scored in those matches, failing to score in 4 of them.

Roberto Martinez does deserve credit for the way he sets Wigan up to play positive, passing football but that does not win matches & earn points on it’s own and their failure to score enough goals is what has really cost them.

Wigan have only scored 26 goals in the Premier League all season which is an average of just less than a goal a game with only 11 coming at home which is clearly not good enough.

Wigan’s home form is also a major concern with only 3 wins in the league & so the prospects of achieving something from this match do look slim for Wigan.

The one thing going for Wigan is that they have been incredibly inconsistent & they can look upon wins against Chelsea & Aston Villa to give them inspiration but they are likely to need a lot more than that here.

Rafa Benitez has committed Liverpool to achieving Champions League football next season & has personally guaranteed that Liverpool will finish 4th so the pressure is firmly on.

To be fair to Liverpool their results have improved dramatically in the last months or so & they have only lost once in the Premier League since december so we expect them to arrive here confident of achieving again.

Sunday’s win over Blackburn Rovers was not overly impressive but they did what was needed & everybody connected to Liverpool would have been greatly boosted by Gerrard & Torres returning to the team again to get the goals they need.

We are not expecting this to be a classic match as Wigan play controlled, passing football & Liverpool are certain to go to Wigan to protect what they have while looking to edge a win & thats does look a likely scenario & Liverpool do look a solid bet to get 3 massive points.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Liverpool to win

Correct Score Options: Liverpool to win 2-0/2-1

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

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

Double Result: Liverpool H/T & F/T

Portsmouth vs Birmingham City – (Tuesday 7.45pm)

A quirk of the football calendar & fixtures is that teams can sometimes end up playing each other twice within the space of a few days & that is exactly what we have here between Portsmouth & Birmingham City here.

Portsmouth & Birmingham City fought out a competitive F.A. Cup Quarter Final tie only on saturday & yet here they are again coming face to face only 3 days later but this time for a Premier League match.

Portsmouth won that F.A. Cup tie 2-0 with a tremendously spirited performance in what was a tough, competitive game & so that does give them an edge for this match but equally Birmingham City will be motivated to respond so this should be another close contest.

Although Portsmouth were deserved winners on saturday, there was not much between the two sides on the day & Birmingham City will certainly go into this match believing they can get a positive result here & to be honest it looks like another flip of the coin decision here.

Going into the match on saturday, both Portsmouth & Birmingham City had the motivation to qualify for a place at Wembley in the semi finals but this is different because Portsmouth know they are virtually relegated already & Birmingham City know they are unlikely to finish any higher than where they are now.

The Portsmouth fans are fantastic & will generate an atmosphere which will encourage the Portsmouth squad to have a go while Birmingham City will want to show their pride & respond so any result is possible but on balance a low scoring draw looks a likely scenario & value bet worth taking here.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: DRAW

Correct Score options: 1-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score antyime: Piquionne/Jerome/McFadden

Scorcast options: Piquionne/Jerome/McFadden score 1st & 1-1 DRAW

Double Result: DRAW H/T & F/T

Sunderland vs Bolton – (Tuesday 7.45pm)

High profile, glamour ties in the Champions League may be taking place at the same time but to everybody connected to Sunderland & Bolton, the only game that counts is this massively important contest that could be a pivotal match for both clubs.

This match is a really high pressure, intense relegation 6 pointer as both Sunderland & Bolton lie in the group of 8 teams threatened by relegation & the 3 points on offer here are absolutely vital.

In terms of points & league position, Bolton have the edge over Sunderland as they come into this match on 29 points compared to Sunderland’s 27 & this really could be a decisive match one way or the other.

A win for Sunderland here would give them a massive boost & take them above Bolton & 6 points clear of the relegation zone and at this stage of the season that would indeed be a massive gap.

A win for Bolton will push them onto 32 points, 8 points clear of the relegation zone & very close to securing their Premier League status for another season.

Obviously there is everything to play for in this match & both Sunderland & Bolton know they have to try & win but cannot afford to lose either so we are expecting this to be a really tight, competitive contest.

In terms of current form then Sunderland still remain without a league win since november but their home form has been very solid & Steve Bruce knows Sunderland have to start winning home games again to push them clear so we are expecting a very positive response from Sunderland here.

Bolton come into this match on the back of a fantastic & massively important away win at West Ham United and that should give the Bolton squad a huge boost coming into this match & they will firmly believe they can get another positive result here.

The absolute key to this game could well be who scores first because whoever does will gain a massive confidence boost & tactical advantage as that will force the other team to attack more but deciding which team will score first is not easy.

Sunderland & Bolton have played each other 11 times before in the Premier League with a record of 4 wins for Sunderland, 4 wins for Bolton & 3 draws so that shows how tight this is to call & any result is possible but we are just going to take a chance on Sunderland just having the edge to take this & get that much needed win.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Sunderland to win

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

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

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

Double Result: Sunderland H/T & F/T

Burnley vs Stoke City – (Wednesday 7.45pm)

The focus of this match & indeed the pressure to win is definitely on Burnley here as they know they have to win their home games if they are to have any chance of surviving in the Premier League.

Of course this match does involve Stoke City & they will want to win it but they are virtually safe while Burnley are desperately fighting relegation & they know they have to win.

Burnley have been strong at home this season & to be honest that is a very good job because their away form has been absolutely pathetic & they know that they are very unlikely to pick up any points away from home having only picked up 1 so far.

6 wins & 4 draws from 13 home league matches is an impressive record for Burnley & to their great credit they have been tremendously hard to play against at home which is something what they will have to repeat if they are to get anything out of Stoke City.

Burnley manager Brian Laws has declared that this next set of matches against Stoke City home, Wolves home, Wigan away & Blackburn home will probably define what chance they have & they really do have to look get a good return of points from those home matches.

To be fair to Burnley, although they are incredibly naive defensively & lack quality in every department, they do play positive, attacking football & that is what we are expecting from them here but whether that will be enough against Stoke City is another question.

Stoke City have not got an amazing away record with only 2 wins from 13 but they have drawn 6 away matches & will certainly go to Burnley believing they can get a positive result of some kind.

Stoke City will make it a real test for Burnley & look to be hard to break down while they know they have the players capable of taking advantage of the mistakes Burnley are likely to make while their extra physical presence will be a threat as well.

Burnley have to win so they will go for it & their home form does warrant great respect but equally so do Stoke City for the way they compete & fight and so that makes us believe this will be a competitive, scoring draw & that is the biggest priced option it looks a value bet worth taking.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: DRAW

Correct Score options: 1-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score antyime: Fletcher/Patterson/Fuller

Scorcast options: Fletcher/Patterson/Fuller score 1st & 1-1 Draw

Double Result: DRAW H/T & F/T

The match stats below are compiled with major football betting markets in mind. They are presented as facts without recommendation, allowing you to spot trends and decide whether they have relevance as betting opportunities. Click any ‘Bet Now’ button to see a bet slip from that bookmaker.

NARRATIVE:

This is the first Premier match between these two teams. The reverse fixture resulted in a 1-1 draw earlier in the season. All time league record: Arsenal: 37–Draws: 20–Burnley: 30

MARKET:

N/A

MARKET: Correct Score

N/A

MARKET: First team to score

N/A

MARKET: Even or odd total of goals:

N/A