Week 23 of the 2016-17 EPL season will be played mid-week this week as teams begin to vie for ladder supremacy in the back half of the season. Matches will be played on Wednesday and Thursday morning (AEDT) and will be headlined by a massive heavyweight clash between Liverpool and Chelsea. We’ve got you covered as we take a close look at all of the key matchups in our EPL Week 23 Preview & Betting Tips below. We unfortunately went 1-3 on our Week 22 tips, so we will be hoping we can bounce back with a more fruitful slate this round.
EPL Week 23 Betting Tips
Liverpool vs Chelsea (Wednesday 7am AEDT)
Ladder leaders Chelsea will travel to Liverpool Wednesday to take on a Reds team that suffered a disappointing 2-3 loss at home to Swansea in their last Premier League fixture. Liverpool went down 2-0 in quick succession, conceding goals in the 48th and 52nd minute before hitting back with two of their own in the next 15 minutes. After dominating possession and the shot chart for the whole game, they then let in a late Gylfi Sigurdsson goal which proved to be the decider. The final scoreline doesn’t appropriately validate their dominance of the game, and they were ultimately unlucky not to have netted at least a few more.
The Reds will come up against a much harder opponent in Chelsea this week however. The table leaders have lost only 3 games on the season so far, one of which was a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool at home back in September. The Reds should have no fear going into the home fixture against Chelsea, but will have to be on their best defensively to get the job done. Barring the game against Swansea, Liverpool had only allowed 5 goals in their previous 9 fixtures in all competitions, and they will be hoping they can retain that defensive pressure against the Blues.
Chelsea have proven once again this year why they have been a defensive juggernaut over the last decade, allowing only 15 goals on the season so far. I’m tipping their offence to get it done against a Liverpool defence that looked really shaky against Swansea and then again against Wolverhampton in their FA Cup match on the weekend.
TIP: Chelsea OVER 1.5 Goals - $2.70 at William Hill
Stoke vs Everton (Thursday 7am AEDT)
We’ve been riding Everton hard ever since their return to form about one month ago. The bookies haven’t quite caught on yet and we’ve been able to get them as underdogs in their last three games against Southampton, Crystal Palace and Man City. The odds have opened slightly in Everton’s favour this week in what should be a tough away game at Stoke.
After a rough start to the season, Stoke have started to play some football worth of their talented list on paper. With a 4-3-3 record over their last ten games, they find themselves in 9th place on the table. They do a good job at beating the teams they have supposed to beat, however, they have yet to manage a win over any of the big six clubs, or Everton for that matter.
It’s always a tough job going to Stoke but on the back of Romelu Lukaku and Everton’s hot form, I’m happy to take them to at least come away with a draw here.
TIP: Everton (draw no bet) - $1.80 at Bet365
Sunderland vs Tottanham (Wednesday 6.45am AEDT)
Tottenham currently sit 3rd on the ladder, one point behind rival Arsenal and will be looking to improve on that with a win over Sunderland Wednesday morning. The Spurs have lost only 2 games on the season so far, which is the least in the league, while Sunderland’s 15 is the most. Even though they are away from home, there’s really only one way this game goes, it’s just a matter of how much the Spurs will win by.
Sunderland have only managed 20 goals on the season, while Tottenhams defence has been as stringent as ever, allowing only 15. It’ll be a good job if Sunderland can get on the scoreboard in this one against the likes of the Spurs back 3 in Vertonghen, Alderwireld and Dier. Manager Mauricio Pochettino has a defensive mindset and with French national keeper Hugo Lloris between the posts, I like Tottenham to keep a clean sheet here.
TIP: Tottenham to win to nil - $2.10 at Sportsbet
Bournemouth vs Crystal Palace (Wednesday 6.45am AEDT)
Crystal Palace still seem to be getting a lot of credit with the bookies because of their team on paper. They come up against Bournemouth Wednesday morning, who sit 12th on the table with 7 wins from their 22 matches. Bournemouth have taken it to some of the best teams in the league this year and probably deserve a placing higher than their own on the table. A 2-2 draw with Watford last week where they dominated possession and shots means they come into this game with some good form.
The same can’t be said for Palace. They have the longest active losing streak at 4 games and their last 10 have been the worst in the league at just 1-2-7. With the likes of Cabaye, Remy and Benteke in the side, the bookies still seem to like Palace’s chances every weekend, however, away from home against a strong Bournemouth side should see them lose this one as well.
TIP: Bournemouth to win – $2.10 at Sportsbet
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!
