The Opening Round: Gloriously Unpredictable
The first round of fixtures in any new season are notoriously difficult to predict as there are so many factors to consider that it is almost impossible for an amateur bettor to put in the necessary time to evaluate all eventualities. This is when professional football tipsters really make their value felt, and there is no better time to take advantage of their skills. A top professional football tipster will have spent the summer analysing all transfer dealings, pre-season form, new formations and partnerships, general condition of the players and perceived weaknesses among many other factors – the rest of us will have been lying on a beach somewhere, offering but a cursory glance to the online football news, and this where the difference lies. Here are three key match-ups from the Premier League’s opening weekend that will have already been the subject of considerable scrutiny from professional football tipsters.
Manchester United V Tottenham
The tastiest encounter, on paper anyway, comes at Old Trafford where last season’s 4
th and 5
th placed teams meet for an opening day fixture that the bookies, at least, see as a rather comfortable home win (1.61), and judging by last season’s 3-0 score-line, this seems a logical conclusion. However, on closer analysis, Spurs won at the home of the Red Devils in the two previous seasons, and go into the game with a relatively settled squad in contrast to the Manchester side who have seen a number of key ins and outs over the summer months. Professional football tipsters and casual punters alike would have noted United’s stand-out 3-1 victory over Barcelona in a pre-season game in San Francisco, but only a professional football tipster would truly know how much weight to give such a result.
Manchester United 1.61, Draw 3.80, Tottenham 5.50 (courtesy of Bet365)
Bournemouth Vs Aston Villa
Not a glamour tie by any means, but an interesting match nonetheless, with Bournemouth kicking-off their maiden campaign in the English topflight against last season’s beaten FA Cup finalists Aston Villa. It is extremely tricky judging a promoted side’s chances in the Premier League, but often positive results are to be had in the openingweeks when squads are still settling down. Bournemouth stormed to the title in the Championship last year, and Villa have had a particularly difficult summer with the loss of their most experienced defender, club captain and top-goal scorer and star player in the forms of Ron Vlaar, Fabian Delph and Christian Benteke respectively. Surely only a professional tipster would have the nous to call such an unpredictable match-up, with Villa at the time of writing boasting 6 new signings without Premier League experience, and the majority of the Cherries’ squad also having never featured before in England’s elite league.
Bournemouth 2.00, Draw 3.40, Atone Villa 3.75(courtesy of Bet365)
Stoke V Liverpool
In perhaps one of the stand out results of last season, Stoke triumphed 6-1 at the Britannia on the final day of the season to leave Steven Gerrard’s Liverpool farewell in tatters. Many may consider Brendan Rodgers fortunate to be hanging onto his job after the travails of last season, and his mood will not have been improved by the acrimonious departure of Raheem Sterling to Manchester City. However, there is a genuine sense of optimism around Anfield with the arrival of several high-profile signings, the aforementioned Christian Benteke among them. It will have been only 11 weeks since the Red’s humiliation at The Potters’ hands, and professional football tipsters will be including the thirst for revenge among the many factors to be considered in the analysis of this game. Stoke, for their part, have also added some quality talent to their squad, and will want to prove that last season’s result was no anomaly.
Stoke 3.20, Draw 3.30, Liverpool 2.25(courtesy of Bet365)
By: Steven Paget]]>
