Saturday
Fixture: Bolton 4-1 Middlesbrough
Venue: Reebok Stadium (Bolton home)
Kick-off: 3pm GMT
Verdict: With only eight games to go, we are starting to see the final picture. In the next seven weeks teams are going to pull them up to safety one by one, while others will see the hope turn to fear. And finally it will dawn on teams like Middlesbrough that hoping for five wins out of eight is all very well if you're good enough to win the title, but not if you have been the worst side in the second half of the season. Bolton are not safe yet, but with a two-week rest behind them and their ears from a Gary Megson hairdryer session after conceding late on against West Brom last time out.
Betting Advice: 4pts Bolton win at 11/10 (2.1 generally)
Fixture: Newcastle 0-2 Chelsea
Venue: St James's Park (Newcastle home)
Kick-off: 3pm GMT
Verdict: We've talked about Chelsea under Phil Scolari for a number of weeks now, and that culminated in picking up a 7/2 winner last time out when they were beaten by Tottenham. Now they play another side desperate for points, and again their opposition are worth a tickle. Chelsea's season is over, their key players have been away from the training ground. Their manager (leaving in a month) has been away from the training ground, too, so you can imagine the amount of care and attention they will be taking for preparations for a trip up to Newcastle from their cosy west London base.
Betting Advice: 1pt Newcastle to win at 5/1 (6.0 at extrabet); 2pts Newcastle (+0.5) to win on Asian Handicap at 57/50 (2.14 at Bet365)
Sunday
Fixture: Everton 4-0 Wigan
Venue: Goodison Park (Everton home)
Kick-off: 3pm GMT
Verdict: While Everton's home record now looks far more respectable, this cannot be put down solely to an improvement in form at home. Take a look at some of the dross they have beaten in recent weeks: Stoke (3-1), WBA (2-0), Bolton (3-0), Hull (2-0) and Sunderland (3-0). Granted, you can only beat what's put in front of them, but imagine if they had been playing Wigan before this run of five wins out of six Wigan would be facing a home record that said W1 D4 L4. Nothing to worry about there. Wigan are a tough outfit and are more likely to come out of a trip to Goodison like Arsenal (1-1) did recently than the kind of dross that Everton have beaten of late.
Betting Advice: 1pt draw at 28/11 (3.54 at expekt.com)
Fixture: Manchester United 3-2 Aston Villa
Venue: Old Trafford (Man Utd home)
Kick-off: 4pm GMT
Verdict: Long before Man Utd imploded against Liverpool (1-4) and blew a gasket against Fulham (0-2), I have long been a bit sceptical of this Man Utd side. They are good, but I don't see this "best team in the world" nonsense. Liverpool put them to one side and then the rest of the Premier League is no longer scared of them. It is a shame for Aston Villa that their form has left them at this stage of the season because they have proved that youth, pace and positivity can put the cat among the big four. But 9/1 against them to win at Old Trafford, that's excessive. They are also being generous on Villa be stubborn.
Betting Advice: 0.5pts Villa to win at 9/1 (10.0 at Boylesports); 2pts 0-0 at half-time (3.5 at Bet365)
THE NO BETS
Saturday
Arsenal should have the beating of Man City but at 4/9 and lower, the bookies have it covered.
Blackburn and Tottenham are both desperate for the points. Too close to call.
Hull are still in danger and I fancy Portsmouth to do the business here, but I'm not too confident. Best leave.
Liverpool are priced out of a win bet at Craven Cottage and there is always the danger that Fulham have more to say about the direction of the Premier League title this season.
West Brom are unbackable, while Stoke are not good away from home, relegation hell for betting.
West Ham are not to be trusted while Sunderland are useless. I suspect a home win, but cannot be too sure at odds on.
