Chelsea seem to be running away with the 2016-17 EPL season after a dominant 3-0 win at Leicester on the weekend. They sit seven points clear of Tottenham and Liverpool and show no signs of slowing down. Week 22 provides us with some quality matchups including a heavyweight clash between Manchester City and Tottenham. We have a full preview for the game + some other key matchups in our 2016-17 EPL: Week 22 Preview & Betting Tips.
EPL Week 22 Betting Tips
Liverpool vs Swansea (Saturday 11.30pm AEDT)
In the SBS early televised game, Welsh side Swansea will travel to Liverpool to take on the Reds who have been in hot form of late. Besides disappointing draws to Manchester United and Sunderland, and a loss to Southampton, Liverpool have been scoring on teams for fun. They have netted a league leading 49 goals so far this season, coincidentally, Swansea, who sit bottom of the EPL table, have allowed 49 goals this season, the most by a whopping 9.
Swansea’s defence has been absolutely sub-par, letting in an average of over 2 goals per game, and while some fitness clouds still hang around Liverpool attacking players Coutinho, and Sturridge, they should still possess the firepower needed to find the back of the net on multiple occasions in this one. The home field advantage just adds fire to the flame.
TIP: Liverpool OVER 2.5 Goals - $1.76 at CrownBet
Crystal Palace vs Everton (Sunday 2am AEDT)
Everton have been one of the hottest teams in the EPL after a slow start. In the past 6 weeks, they have had wins over Arsenal, Leicester, Southampton and a huge 4-0 win over Manchester City on the weekend. They also have a lot to play for, sitting in 7th at the moment, they are a strong chance to play Europa League next year. Romelu Lulkaku has been playing like a man possessed over Everton’s recent run, scoring 12 goals and assisting on 4 so far this season.
Crystal Palace have been playing on the other end of the spectrum. With the longest active losing streak in the EPL at 3 games, they have won only 1 of their past 10 and are sliding fast down the table. They have joined the relegation race along with Swansea, Sunderland and Hull and although having arguably the strongest squad on paper of the four teams, have looked the weakest on game day by a margin. It’s surprising that Everton have opened at over $2 and I’m happy to take them away from home in this one at that price.
TIP: Everton to win - $2.37 at Sportsbet
Chelsea vs Hull City (Monday 3.30am AEDT)
Ladder leaders play third last in this matchup at Stamford Bridge. There’s no arguing that Chelsea have been the dominant force in the EPL this year. Even with the drama surrounding Diego Costa and manager Antonio Conte which saw the star striker benched for the last game, it didn’t stop the Blues from coming away from Leicester with a 3-0 win. It seems they can do no wrong at the moment, and Hull City will definitely have an uphill battle in this one.
Chelsea star Eden Hazard boasts the best performance rating of any player in the top 5 European leagues, and with no Costa in the lineup, Hazard just finds more of the ball in more damaging areas. He should dominate this game against a Hull side that has allowed a massive 45 goals this season already. With the added home field advantage, I’m comfortable in taking Chelsea to win this one by multiple goals.
TIP: Chelsea -2 - $2.50 at Sportsbet
Manchester City vs Tottenham (Sunday 4.30am AEDT)
Tottenham boast the longest active winning streak in the EPL at 6 games. A great win over Chelsea two weeks ago saw them pull to within 7 points of the Blues, however, they have the difficult task of playing Man City and Liverpool, both away in their next 5 matches. A win here will put them six points clear of Man City in 5th position and go a long way to punching their ticket to next years Champions League.
Man City have fallen somewhat out of touch with the top four. After going toe to toe with Chelsea for the early part of the season, they have lost 4 of their last 10 matches and find themselves in fifth position after 21 games. They have the home field advantage in this one but Tottenham’s defence has been outstanding over their 6 game win streak. They have allowed only 14 goals on the season while Manchester City have only scored 2 in their lsat 3 games.
TIP: Total Goals UNDER 2.5 - $2.05 at Sportsbet
