We are treated with a double serving of EPL this week, with a full round to be played mid-week on Wednesday and Thursday morning (AEDT) before another round kicks off at the usual time next weekend. We have you covered for both, see our Mid-Week (Round 16) preview and betting tips below and check out our Soccer Tips Page later in the week for round 17!
Everton vs Arsenal (Wednesday 6.45am AEDT)
A struggling Everton host the Gunners in the match of the mid-week round as they look to stabilize a sinking ship. The Blues have only won one of their last ten games in the league, and are coming off a very disappointing 3-2 loss to Watford on the weekend. Arsenal on the other hand, are rolling, undefeated in their last ten matches, winning seven of them, they would be the in-form team in the competition if it wasn’t for Chelsea’s remarkable run of late.
The Gunners torched Stoke on the weekend, winning 3-1 in a game where Arsenal maintained 64% possession and had a ridiculous 21 shots. The form of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez at the moment makes facing Arsenal a daunting prospect for any team. Everton really need to turn their season around or they’ll face finding themselves out of Euro-League contention sooner than they expected. However, I don’t think this will be the game where that happens, Arsenal have an outstanding record away from home so far, this year with five wins and two draws from their seven games with a +13 goal difference.
TIP: Arsenal HT/FT - $2.76 at CrownBet
Sunderland vs Chelsea (Thursday 6.45am AEDT)
The dominant force in the competition at the moment, Chelsea, travel to Sunderland Thursday morning for a first vs last clash. Chelsea have won their last nine games in a row in the Premier League, a feat they haven’t achieved since 2007. While Sunderland, on the other end of the spectrum, have won only three of their last 10.
Chelsea striker Diego Costa leads the golden boot race after 15 rounds with 12 goals, after scoring the only goal in Cheslea’s 1-0 victory over West Brom on Sunday night. Costa and running mates Pedro and Eden Hazard are in blistering form, with 23 goals between them so far, seven more than Sunderland have as a team. Since Chelsea coach Antonio Conte’s decision to switch to a 3-4-3 formation, the Blues have been unstoppable and looked a lot more attacking. I like Chelsea to win this one by at least two goals away from home.
TIP: Chelsea -1 - $1.84 at CrownBet
Crystal Palace vs Manchester United (Thursday 7am AEDT)
Crystal Palace are doing what they do best, playing just well enough to stay out of the relegation zone, but by no means making any waves or causing any upsets. They have won four games on the season so far, the best of which a 1-0 away win against Southampton. Their fortunes against the big six have not fared as well, losing to Tottenham, Liverpool and Man City on the season so far. Palace are good at beating the teams they need to beat in order to stay up, they’ve done it consistently for three years now, however, they haven’t been the known giant killers like some of their cellar dwelling counterparts.
Manchester United might be back on track after a great win over Tottenham on Monday morning. The Red Devils scraped out a 1-0 win while holding only 40% possession. Armenian star Henrikh Mkhitatyan scored his 2nd goal in as many games after a mid-week goal against Ukrainian team Zorya Luhansk in the Europa League saw Man U take home the chocolates there. The Red Devils are undefeated in their last seven matches in all competitions and look to be finally finding some chemistry in the revamped side. In that unbeaten recent run, however, United have had three draws, and I think away from home, against a solid Palace outfit could see them settling for one point.
TIP: Draw - $3.95 at CrownBet
Stoke vs Southampton (Thursday 7am AEDT)
You know that old saying, ‘could they do it on a rainy night in Stoke’? Matches like this one are where that saying gatheres profoundness. Although Stoke sit one spot behind their counterparts on the EPL table, their form of late has started to match the team they have on paper. They have only lost two matches of their last 10, and have a respectable home record on the season so far with three wins and one draw Britannia Stadium so far, this season.
Southampton have only one away win to their record through seven games on the road, suggesting that they do not travel well at all. Stoke has long been known as a really tough place to play at, and although they no longer play with that tough physical brand that has been identified with them for so long, they match the toughness of previous years with skill and precision now. Xherdan Shaquiri, Marko Arnautovic and Bojan make up arguably the best front three outside of the big six, and with them finally starting to find their feet over the past month, I see them getting at least a point at home in this one.
TIP: Stoke (draw no bet) – $2.14 at CrownBet
Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
