SPURS CAN STICK IT TO TOFFEES
EVERTON HAVE LOST THEIR MOJO AGAIN
now that the slow trudge of January is over, there are notes of optimism, certainly in a sporting sense.
The Six Nations, The Super Bowl, there’s a whiff of Cheltenham in the air and the football season is hotting up.
The Premier League has been delightfully unpredictable this season – Newcastle are seventh and have already lost 10 (TEN) games – but the three sides that came up might still go back down again.
All of the bottom four are in action today and Everton and their fans must still be wondering how they are mixed up in it all. But they are and they could really Tottenham.
Spurs really are a nothing team on paper, but they’ve been galvanised by Ange Postecoglou and the Champions League is a realistic proposition.
They get over the line in games and there is a real belief around the club that they will do that, even if there are obvious weaknesses in their defence.
Everton are in trouble and have yet to win a league game this year – although that’s only a two-game span. They lost at home to Luton in the cup, though, and signs are not good.
Spurs have had a tendency to be weaker away from home, but at 11-8 against a team struggling on and off the field, I think that is worth a wager today.
Boil
Sheffield United are in the evening game and really must take something from Aston Villa’s visit to Bramall Lane. Villa seem to have gone off the boil lately, but the Blades do not even have the stove on. After a home slump against Newcastle, the visitors should rally here. I will go with Villa wins of 2-0 and 2-1, which can be got at 17-2 and 8-1 respectively. Luton are doing best of the basement dwellers and they are on a remarkable-sounding five-game unbeaten run. Three of those were cup games and another was a draw with Burnley so once the surface is scratched it does not stand up. I wouldn’t be racing to back them to go up to Newcastle and win this afternoon. The mid-season break came at the right time for the Toon Army, who seem to have got their mojo back and will be hoping that they can win this one early.
Goals don’t seem a problem for Newcastle and the 7-2 around about them at -1 in the first-half handicap could reward punters. Luton had a fine win in midweek, but that will prove the exception, not the rule.
Burnley are the other team in the bottom four and host Fulham this afternoon.
Fulham are probably a nice team to face when you are searching for a win and at 2-1 Burnley are just a big-enough price for me to be tempted.
Tomorrow’s big game is the meeting of Liverpool and Arsenal, after they drew 1-1 just before Christmas.
Liverpool have a bit of a gap at the top and a win in London would help keep the momentum. Arsenal have steadied the ship with a couple of league wins after a pretty week run of late.
The fact that Liverpool are in better recent form and are coming to London means the prices for both sides are generous.
There won’t be many games for the rest of the season where Liverpool are 2-1 or better but that is the case here. Yet I am still going to go against them.
At 13-10 I think Arsenal rate as a great price to win. I still think Mikel Arteta’s men have a shot at the title.
People still criticise Erik ten Hag but his Manchester United side seem to have the knack of getting a victory when one is really needed. They won at Wolves on Thursday (somehow) and will hope for another three points when West Ham visit.
The Hammers have done well in Sunday games this season, but after finishing 2023 with wins over the Red Devils and then Arsenal, 2024 has been a bust to date with no wins in five.
You can get Ten Hag’s team at 12-5 to win to nil in this one and I’ll have that.
Switching to the Six Nations it seems weird that the big contest of the whole tournament should be the one that opened the tournament last night.
England should start with a win in Italy, but the English are far from a top team, even if they got to the World Cup semis.
Barely
Italy won the games they were supposed to at the World Cup, before being demolished by New Zealand and France. England ran South Africa close in the semi-finals, but barely won against Fiji and Samoa.
You can get Italy at Evens at +16 on the handicap. One early try for the Azzurri and it could become a slog for England.
Welsh rugby is in disarray and although the Scots are not much better, I expect them to go to Cardiff and win.
Wales did not do an awful lot wrong in their World Cup campaign but it is sad to see them 9-5 just to win this game.
I’ll have an interest bet on Over 43.5 points at 10-11.