Weekend Football Betting Preview 19th – 21st December 2009

We are nearing the end of a decade of Premiership football and no doubt there will be a series of DVD’s with the best goals and football shown from the past ten years. Football betting leaves little time for nostalgia and in a week where Sunderland’s good run of form early in the season has stalled with three defeats in four games we look ahead to the weekend matches searching for the winning football bets. Remember to get your bets on early if you see something you like as odds are always subject to change.

Portsmouth 5.85 Draw 3.75 Liverpool 1.55

Liverpool’s manager Rafa Benitez played Russian roulette with his job this week guaranteeing they would have a top four finish by the end of the season. They currently sit in eighth place in the league. Their last two results are a goalless draw away to Blackburn and the 2-1 loss at home to Arsenal. It is worrying times for their supporters and difficult to see where Benitez gets his optimism from. Mascherano should return from injury this week for Liverpool so I would be happy backing them away from home. Fortunately for them Portsmouth are the most beatable side in the league and Liverpool currently need all the help they can get. Portsmouth were very lucky to steal a point in their last match scoring late against Sunderland. My tip is an away win for Liverpool at odds of 1.55.

Aston Villa 1.45 Draw 3.85 Stoke City 7.50

Stoke are 11th in the league and managed a 2-2 draw at home to Wigan in their last match. Crucially, however, they have not won in three matches and perhaps this is the point in the season where their performances will level out. In Tuncay and Beattie up front they have a solid, if unspectacular forward line, but they can score goals given the opportunity. Aston Villa are fighting to maintain a top four position in the league. Milner in particular looks like a top player now and wins over Manchester Utd and Sunderland have given them key results. I believe 1.45 are good odds for Aston Villa to maintain their momentum at home to a side they should beat.

Fulham 6.75 Draw 3.75 Manchester Utd 1.50

If you can criticise Man Utd on one thing it is their goal scoring reliance on Wayne Rooney. Berbatov and Owen need to score goals or when Rooney has an off day, which is rare, they will struggle. They are now joint top of the league with Chelsea although Chelsea have a game in hand. Fulham are 9th in the league and unbeaten in four games with home wins over Sunderland and Blackburn to their credit. Playing Man Utd, however, is a different proposition entirely and although I think it will be quite a close game I think betting on Manchester Utd against anyone out of the top four is a good bet so at 1.50 I tip them to win this match.

I was tempted to tip Manchester City but they have let us down so many times with their long run of draws it is perhaps best to let them sort out their form before we back them again.

Other tips for this week are for Everton to win at home on Sunday against Birmingham City at 1.80 and Chelsea to beat West Ham away on Sunday also at 1.40. My treble bet for this week will be Manchester Utd at 1.50, Aston Villa at 1.45 and Liverpool at 1.55. At a £10 stake this treble would return a total of £33.71. This is not a huge return but a return none the less. A £5 bet on the five team accumulator of Liverpool, Villa, Man Utd, Everton and Chelsea would return a total of £42.48.

Good luck with your Premiership Football betting this weekend.

By Malcolm Clarke