Boxing Day Specials
A guide to the best match betting options on the Boxing Day schedule: 15:00 Aston Villa v Crystal Palace – Referee: Howard Webb With both these teams suffering from poor form, the slight advantage has to go to the home side in this game, and Aston Villa should be able to grab a narrow win against Palace. The goal betting statistics point to a low scoring game with 62.5% of Villa’s home games and the same percentage of Palace’s away games producing this outcome. The Eagles have a long injury list but could have O’Keefe and Dikgacoi available for this game, subject to late fitness tests.
Meanwhile, Paul Lambert’s team will without Christian Benteke who has a knee injury. The absence of the Villa striker gives even more reason to suspect a low goal tally in this game. Expect a narrow home win with under 2.5 goals.
Match prediction: Aston Villa 1-0 Crystal Palace 15:00 Cardiff v Southampton – Referee: Andre Marriner Southampton have not won away since their surprise victory at Anfield in September and three out of their last five away games have been 1-1 draws. Cardiff are unpredictable at home but have only played two teams outside of the top eight, both of which they beat. They have also drawn with Manchester United and Everton and beaten Manchester City, so for match betting, the home win or the draw offers the best value in this game. For goal betting, there is a good probability of under 2.5 goals in this game with 87.5% of the Saint’s away games and 50% of Cardiff’s home games producing this result. Mauricio Pochettino’s team will be without Shaw, Fox, Wanyama, Boruc, Davis and Do Prado while Cardiff only have Craig Bellamy missing through injury. Taking into consideration form, injuries and home advantage, Cardiff could just prevail in a low scoring game but the 1-1 draw also represents a good value match betting option.
Match prediction: Cardiff 1-0 Southampton 15:00 Newcastle v Stoke – Referee: Martin Atkinson Newcastle have suffered just one defeat at home this season and will be clear favourites to beat Stoke on Boxing Day. The Potters have recorded just one victory on the road this season – back in August against West Ham – and have been beaten in three out of the last five. For match betting, a home win is the best option. This game also has some good corner betting options with a very high chance of over 10.5 corners. The stats show that 62.5% of the Geordie’s home games and 87.5% of Stoke’s away games produce this outcome. Stoke have a -4.4 corner margin compared to Newcastle’s +0.8, so the Toon can also be backed to win the most corners by a good margin. There is also a good chance of under 35.5 booking points in this game as both teams have achieved this in 62.5% of their games. Stoke are still without Robert Huth but Newcastle remain free from any key injuries. Expect a home win with over 10.5 corners and Newcastle to win the most corners by a margin of +2.
Match prediction: Newcastle 2-1 Stoke City Other standout betting options Norwich v Fulham There is a very high chance of under 35.5 booking points in this match with 100% of Norwich’s home games and 75% of Fulham’s away games producing this result. Tottenham v West Brom The statistics reveal a very good chance of over 10.5 corners in this one as 62.5% of Spur’s home games and 75% of West Brom’s away games have produced this outcome. West Ham v Arsenal Look at the corner betting options in this game as 75% of West Ham’s home games and 62.5% of Arsenal’s away games have produced under 10.5 corners. Exactly the same figures apply for under 35.5 booking points. Man City v Liverpool This game stands out for many reasons but for goal betting options, over 2.5 is the way to go. The stats show that 87.5 % of Man City’s home games and 75% of Liverpool’s away games have involved more than 2.5 goals. With Aguero missing, Luis Suarez is the obvious choice for anytime goal scorer. For match betting, Man City’s home record makes their 4/5 price seem good value but this could be their toughest test of the season so far. Look elsewhere for match betting value such as the 8/1 available for Luis Suarez to be man of the match, or 11/8 for the Uruguayan to score anytime.