Saturday
Fixture: Stoke 0-1 Man Utd
Venue: Britannia Stadium (Stoke home)
Kick-off: 12.45pm GMT
Verdict: Man Utd are in superb form at the moment, but one has to wonder whether they will have the stomach for what will be a real fight on Boxing Day. At odds on I am not prepared to risk backing them.
Betting Advice: no bet
Fixture: Chelsea 2-0 WBA
Venue: Stamford Bridge (Chelsea home)
Kick-off: 1pm GMT
Verdict: Another ridiculous price from the bookies for a Chelsea not firing at home. West Brom have little chance of winning.
Betting Advice: no bet
Fixture: Portsmouth 1-4 West Ham
Venue: Fratton Park (Portsmouth home)
Kick-off: 1pm GMT
Verdict: We continue to believe that Portsmouth are in serious trouble with Mad Man Adams in charge. Recent results are bearing out that belief. West Ham's results have not been brilliant, but there have been signs of improvement under Gianfranco Zola and we back pretty much anyone to beat Pompey at the moment.
Betting Advice: 3pts West Ham win at 6/4 (2.5 at Paddy Power and Skybet)
Fixture: Spurs 0-0 Fulham
Venue: White Hart Lane (Spurs home)
Kick-off: 1pm GMT
Verdict: I am still not convinced about Spurs' reversal of fortune under Harry Redknapp. Now they have had the bounce, they will start to get a bit of a hangover. And with Fulham the king of the 0-0 draw, the price on one is a bit of a gift.
Betting Advice: 2pts 0-0 draw at 7/1 (8.0 Skybet and Coral)
Fixture: Man City 5-1 Hull
Venue: Eastlands (Man City home)
Kick-off: 1pm GMT
Verdict: Man City may be the most erratic side in the Premiership at the moment, but I am going to continue my aggressive pursuit of Hull, who I believe I started to feel the pressure and may yet fall into the relegation equation.
Betting Advice: 5pts Man City at 4/5 (1.8 generally)
Fixture: Liverpool 3-0 Bolton
Venue: Anfield (Liverpool home)
Kick-off: 1pm GMT
Verdict: While the odds on league-leaders Liverpool at home are pretty much untouchable, there are bets to be had around the fringes. Bolton are in good form, so there is a temptation for them to forget their usual tactics away to the big teams of sticking numbers behind the ball. They may actual come out of their shell a little bit. And that's good for us because the +2.5 goals odds are generous.
Betting Advice: 6pts More than 2.5 goals in game at 4/5 (1.8 at Bet365)
Fixture: Middlesbrough 0-1 Everton
Venue: Riverside Stadium (Boro home)
Kick-off: 3pm GMT
Verdict: Middlesbrough may be the next team to benefit from a change of personnel at the top as their results have faded this season and there looks like little chance of them improving in the near future. Everton, meanwhile, continue to be a strong organised outfit who will battle all the way for fifth place. And have an awesome away record.
Betting Advice: 3pts Everton to win at 7/4 (2.75 generally)
Fixture: Wigan 2-1 Newcastle
Venue: JJB Stadium (Stoke home)
Kick-off: 3pm GMT
Verdict: My favourite team to win hands down. We may have been unlucky with Wigan at the start of the season, but I advised them as a team to back more than not and they are proving me right now. Three wins in four and a narrow defeat to Arsenal puts them comfortably in mid-table with the kind of team capable of stealing a European place. Newcastle? Not so much.
Betting Advice: 6pts Wigan to win at 5/4 (2.25 at Skybet, Bet365 and Paddy Power)
Fixture: Sunderland 0-0 Blackburn
Venue: Stadium of Light (Sunderland home)
Kick-off: 3pm GMT
Verdict: I am struggling to believe the Sunderland revolution under manager Ricky Sbragia. OK, there was bound to be a bounce when a manager with the people skills of Pol Pot departs, but it doesn't negate the fact Sunderland do not have the personnel. Avoid.
Betting Advice: no bet
Fixture: Aston Villa 2-2 Arsenal
Venue: JJB Stadium (Wigan home)
Kick-off: 5.15pm GMT
Verdict: Aston Villa are on fire at the moment and I fancy them to step up again and show Arsenal that the race for a Champions League spot is not a given. This should be a great game and I'm tempted to back the +2.5 goals market at 8/11. But the Villa win will suffice.
Betting Advice: 1pt Villa to win at 6/4 (2.5 generally)
