man city can recover from a tough monday night at chelsea

This weekend I’m going for a five-timer, with an accumulative price of about 11/1 – because the season has now got to the stage where this bet is now viable.

We have gone through the beginning of the season bun fight, where teams are finding their feet, and upsets are likely and regular.

And then there is that strange point of the season when bookies over-compensate for the prices on runaway leaders and struggle to offer anything like generous odds.

So here we are, pre-Christmas, in the start of a sweet spot for football gambling when the amount of games in quick succession favour the fittest clubs with the strongest squads – and that makes running multiples a more than viable proposition.

In the Premier League, Manchester City are value to beat Arsenal at home, particularly after their defeat at Chelsea (although this is probably keeping the price viable). Arsenal’s strength this season has definitely been at The Emirates where they have a very healthy record (W6 D1 L1), but under any pressure away from home and they have folded. Man City’s home record is faultless (W7 D0 L0) and they will be keen to get back on the winning track to put pressure on Man Utd, who travel to London on Sunday to play at QPR.

In the Championship, I am expecting West Ham to get back to winning ways at home to Barnsley. The Tykes ended a stretch of three games against teams in the lower half of the table with a 5-3 home reversal against Ipswich. While West Ham, lost their last two games – the Burnley game was a surprise (and Burnley are no mugs), while Reading was a bad day at the office for the Hammers who were reduced to nine-man during their 3-0 drubbing.

There does not seem to have been too much of a backlash in Blackpool‘s form to the return of Jonjo Shelvey to Liverpool  after a very fruitful loan spell. Their downing of Southampton’s 100 per cent home record was a feat – but it would have been a win if it had not been for a last-gasp equaliser. But it is their solid home form that should see them past a Watford side who are seventh off the bottom of the table and have had little joy much further north than, er, Watford.

Since a shock 4-0 reversal at bottom-placed Chesterfield way back in September (see above), Carlisle have been the epitome of consistency in League One – beating those that they are above, drawing with those around them, and only losing to the top two. The arrival of lowly Wycombe (away record: W2 D2 L6) who are second bottom, should make this the one banker of the day.

And in the same league, a tough encounter in the FA Cup in midweek for Oldham – who had to overcome high winds, blustering conditions and an in-form Southend side at Boundary Park in the second round of the FA Cup – could put paid to their chances at the league leaders. Charlton had a rare off day last week, dropping points away to Walsall, but should make short work of the Saddlers at The Valley.

Tip

2pts Man City (7/10), West Ham (8/13), Blackpool (Evens), Carlisle (3/4), and Charlton (8/13) at an estimated price of 14.5/1 (15.5 depending on which bookie you use)