Get off to a flyer with the Foxes
Best Bets:
1 Pt on Eden Hazard anytime goal scorer for Chelsea v West Ham (19/10 Ladbrokes)
1 Pt on Alexis Sanchez to score and Arsenal to win vs Liverpool (15/4 Ladbrokes)
1 Pt on Vardy to score and Leicester to win @ Hull (12/5 Ladbrokes)
1 Pt Burnley to win vs Swansea (13/8 Paddy Power)
It’s a new season for the Premier League, therefore a new season for the Boston Gambler weekly football tips. We got into more of a rhythm after Christmas in the difficult to predict and amazing 15/16 season, but this time around we hope to hit the ground running with a few good looking value bets to start off the campaign.
As expected there is much hype around both Manchester clubs, with hopes that Tottenham will continue to push the elite members of the league. There are the expected “pushovers” in the league and the opening weekend sees United and City take on expected relegation battlers Bournemouth and Sunderland respectively, while Spurs battle Everton at Goodison Park. There seems no value in these markets, with the Toffees hoping for a sweet start against Tottenham in what should be a close fought game, so we will focus our tips mainly on the other guys that will hope to be around the top-tier this season, with one shoutout for some expected bottom end battlers.
1 Pt on Eden Hazard anytime goal scorer for Chelsea v West Ham (19/10 Ladbrokes)
To put it simply, Chelsea must do far better this season. The little Belgian wizard was not at it for at least the first half of last season leading up to Jose Mourinho losing his job with the blues, but he steadily improved and come the back end of the season and the Euros over the summer we have seen far more glimpses of the player that was hoping to challenge Messi and Ronaldo for the Balon D’or just 2 years back. Expect him to want to make a statement this season and hit the ground running in Conte’s revitalised Chelsea side, what better way than with an opening day goal!
1 Pt on Alexis Sanchez to score and Arsenal to win vs Liverpool (15/4 Ladbrokes)
Once again Arsenal fans find themselves frustrated at a lack of transfer activity when they feel they need it to keep up with the rest, but Wenger has had a long career keeping them at least contenders mainly with what they have and in Sanchez they do have a special player. There are already injury doubts over certain Gunners so Sanchez will be looking to take charge and lead them to an opening day victory in front of their home fans to ease some of the anxiety. Liverpool won’t make it easy, but they haven’t set the world alight in the transfer window yet either, and with injury doubts still lingering over arguably their biggest threat Daniel Sturridge they could struggle to start their season right on the opening weekend.
1 Pt on Vardy to score and Leicester to win @ Hull (12/5 Ladbrokes)
We wouldn’t blame anyone for taking the 11/10 on Betfair for Leicester just to win this one, but we decided to add a little extra excitement and value for the opening weekend. I don’t imagine any of Chelsea, City, United, Arsenal or Spurs to open the season as defending champions against a newly promoted team and have this value for their main striker who was 2nd top scorer in the league last season to score at any time with them winning the match. Leicester gained our admiration, but maybe are still yet to gain the correct respect they deserve. They are still expected to slip up and show last season was a fluke, but why should that happen and why against a newly promoted side? If anything, this is surely the best way for them to start and a great chance for Vardy to jump out to an early start in his quest to win the golden boot of the league this time around. Odds comfortably over 2/1 seem too good to pass on here.
1 Pt Burnley to win vs Swansea (13/8 Paddy Power)
While a good start with Burnley is not great for our season long tips, these odds can’t be ignored against a Swansea team that have lost 2 of their main players. Turf Moor should be rocking on Burnley’s Premier League return and their players will be looking to show they can cause some trouble in the top league. To do this they will need to be strong at home and have potentially drawn the best team they could have done, a Swansea team that have looked lacklustre at best in the 15/16 season and despite the good news of tying down Sigurdsson on a long term contract, the feel-good factor has pretty much left with Andre Ayew & Ashley Williams. Both were key to that spine of their team with Gylfi. If there is a game to back Burnley in, why not game 1 in the Prem, at home, against a team in Swansea’s situation.