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Both side bets failed to cash last week, making it four losses in a row 😩.
Manchester United produced one of their worst performances in living memory, going down 1-0 to Everton. The sooner this season finishes, and the new manager is confirmed - likely to be Ajax’s Erik ten Hag - the better.
In the relegation six-pointer between Burnley and Norwich City, I backed Sean Dyche‘s side to win with insurance by taking them in the Draw No Bet market. The Canaries voided the policy with a 2-0 win, and this result could cost Burnley their Premier League (PL) status.
Due to the FA Cup semifinals, we only have six PL fixtures this weekend, and I have two side bets for you to consider. All stats are taken from FBREF.com, and odds are taken from Pointsbet and reflective at the time of writing.
Watford vs. Brentford (Saturday, 10 AM EST, Live on CNBC and Peacock)
Last week I covered Watford’s 0-3 defeat against Leeds United, and they were the masters of their own demise for the first two goals. Samir and Hassane Kamara tried to be cute rather than clearing the danger, and those mistakes allowed their relegation rival to move nine points clear of the drop.
Manager Roy Hodgson talked about his disappointment in the post-match interview, urged his players to “keep the faith,” and said it was “up to them really to get the feeling we can still do this.” Six points from safety, struggling to score goals with seven matches left, I can’t see how The Hornets will turn it around.
Their opponents Brentford have picked up four victories in their last five games to put them on 36 points. A win here will take them to 39 points and all but confirm their PL status for next season.
Thomas Frank’s side will be fired up, and in Ivan Toney, they have one of the league’s most in-form players. The club’s star striker has scored six goals and provided two assists in his last five appearances. I like him to continue this rich vein of form against Watford’s shaky backline, who have conceded 13 goals and failed to keep a clean sheet in their last five matches.
Considering both teams’ recent form, I’m shocked to see Brentford priced at +150 on the Moneyline. It’s excellent value, and I highly recommend you join me in backing them to get the three points.
Betting Tip: Brentford Moneyline +150
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Newcastle vs. Leicester City (Sunday, 9:15 AM EST, Live on USA)
Last week’s 1-0 victory over Wolves has taken my Newcastle up to 15th on 34 points and 10 clear of the relegation zone. The way we’ve been playing in 2022, it’s time to shift our focus away from survival and towards a top-half finish.
We sit three points behind 10th placed Crystal Palace with Brighton, Aston Villa, Brentford, and Southampton in between. With Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal still to play, the odds are heavily stacked against us, but Eddie Howe and the players have dared us to dream again.
This week we face Leicester City, who have a difficult trip to the Netherlands on Thursday night to face PSV Eindhoven in the Second Leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) Quarterfinal. They drew the First Leg 0-0 and will go all out with this being their only chance of silverware and the best path to qualify for European football next season.
I expect Brendan Rodgers to play his strongest side, meaning he will rotate for Sunday’s trip to St. James Park. The Foxes still have nine PL fixtures left and are scheduled to play every three to four days from now until the end of the season, barring a week off April 30th-May 7th. If they make it to the UECL semifinals, that’s two more fixtures they have to squeeze in before the season ends on May 22nd 😬.
Back my Newcastle to take advantage of a fatigued Leicester City side and get the win.
Betting Tip: Newcastle Moneyline +125
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