The first round of Premier League fixtures has thrown up some cracking ties with Tottenham hosting Chelsea and Arsenal travelling to Southampton. Will there be plenty of goals to end the festive period on a high? We certainly think so and we’ve selected some great BTTS tips for you.
Thursday 1st January 2015
- Stoke City v Manchester United (5/6 with BetVictor) – The Britannia Stadium isn’t an easy place for visiting teams, as Manchester United found out last term when they lost 2-1, and already this season Mark Hughes’ side have beaten Manchester City and Arsenal at home. However, United are in the midst of a good unbeaten run and although they failed to score in their last match, they really should have found the back of the net and we predict they’ll get back to their goalscoring ways on New Year’s Day.
- Liverpool v Leicester City (5/6 with Ladbrokes) – Last season Liverpool could outscore nearly any team they faced, yet since losing Luis Suarez to Barcelona they have found goals much harder to come by. They shouldn’t struggle to create chances against Leicester who can have no real complaints about their current league position but the Foxes will fancy their chances of scoring against a decidedly fragile-looking Liverpool defence.
- Manchester City v Sunderland (13/10 with Coral) – The Black Cats failed to bring much luck to Manchester City in recent years as Manuel Pellegrini’s side have a fairly poor record against them despite the gulf in quality between the two teams. Sunderland haven’t been hitting the back of the net regularly yet their players seem to step up when they face City, who conceded two against Burnley last weekend, and there could be goals aplenty at the Etihad on Thursday.
- Newcastle v Burnley (10/11 with Ladbrokes) – Sean Dyche’s side will certainly be buoyed by their comeback against Manchester City where they managed to snatch a valuable draw and they will pose a significant threat to a Newcastle side who aren’t always the best defensively. Newcastle fans will be dreading the African Cup Of Nations with Papiss Cisse in fine form right now and he has the ability to put the Clarets defence to the sword.
- Queens Park Rangers v Swansea City (10/11 with Betfred) – QPR have picked up all of the 18 points they have amassed this season at Loftus Road and they are a formidable outfit in front of their own fans. They play on a narrow pitch which may not suit Swansea’s expansive style of play and with Charlie Austin scoring plenty so far this season they will back themselves to score on Thursday. Swansea meanwhile have been going well of late and they will be expecting to take all three points back to Wales with them, making BTTS a decent shout.
- Southampton v Arsenal (31/40 with BetVictor) – With Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez looking dangerous, the Saints defence will certainly have a challenge on their hands. However, at the other end, Arsenal look poor at the back and Southampton will be confident of hitting the back of the net against a side who have the leakiest defence in the top six.
- Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea (20/23 with BetVictor) – The emergence of Harry Kane this season has been a real plus for Spurs fans and he has scored an impressive fifteen goals so far. Chelsea haven’t been their best on the road recently although they are still plenty good enough to hit the back of the net at White Hart Lane.