Archived Premier League Football Betting Tips

Portsmouth are renowned for their home form and not even Man Utd could topple them at Fratton Park, although United did have the upper hand for most of the game and should have made their superiority count. Harry could be making a mistake in getting rid of Taylor, a player that has been at the heart of much of Pompey's good play, whilst the signing of Nugent looks to have been a tad hasty; time will tell. Bolton, under new manager Sammy Lee, have failed to impress with 2 successive defeats. They did make a game of it at Craven Cottage and created chances after going behind but failed to get back on terms. Sammy Lee remains confident that his side will turn the corner but there will be plenty tougher games than Fulham away and one of those comes at fortress Fratton. With Davies and Vaz Te sidelined, the partnership of Anelka and Helguson will again be tested but expect Pompey to take it in their stride and dig out a result.

Birmingham have shown plenty of spirit in their 2 games so far; a narrow defeat in which they scored twice at Stamford Bridge and a home draw against promoted rivals, Sunderland, after being pegged back in the last minute. Bruce's men look like they can score goals but it looks like they leak them as well; ironically, they may have been better prepared had they not sold Upson to West Ham during last season, although the ex-Arsenal man has had his fair share of injuries. West Ham haven't played since the opening day but by all accounts were so inept at home to a new look City that Curbishley publicly criticised them afterwards; maybe not the wisest decision but after producing a grand finale to stay in the Premier league last season, you would have thought they valued their status and had everything to play for. Maybe the losses of Reo-Coker, Benayoun, Harewood and Tevez have been to West Ham's detriment on the pitch although beneficial elsewhere. Certainly some of their recent signings have been strange ones. The Hammers need a big performance now; that seems unlikely where as Birmingham look to have prepared well during the close season and should register their first win.

Fuham are a side that are definitely benefitting from a new manager sticking to players that he knows well, confident that they will perform and give their utmost for him and the club. A slender defeat at the Emirates after leading for so long followed by a good win over Bolton sets them up nicely for the visit of a very weak Boro side. Defeat at home to Blackburn and then another 'nil points' at lowly Wigan have Boro pretty much where everyone expected them to be, although probably not quite so soon. Much speculation still surrounds the possible signing of Mido but it'll be some time before he's fit to play; Viduka remains a big loss and Yakubu's departure hangs like a cloud. Sanchez knows that these are the games where he needs to take maximum points if Fulham are to build on successive fragile seasons in the Premier league. The Cottagers should make home advantage count in their quest for another 3 points.

Both these sides have set their stalls out this season as very hard to break down. This gives them the platform, especially away from home, of inviting the opposition on and exposing the gaps behind them. Reading showed their defensive discipline at Old Trafford and again at home to Chelsea; a single point from those 2 games is by no means a bad set of results. With Lita injured, Coppell will also be without Cisse and Kitson after both saw red over the last week, so while the Royals won't be at full strength they do have the organisation to handle an Everton side that walloped a very poorly organised Spurs side. The Toffees may top the table at the moment but it will be tough for them to stay there, and their small squad will suffer should the likes of key players, such as Arteta, get injured. This could be a very dull affair with little space for either team to operate and a stalemate looks the likely outcome.

Could this be third time lucky for Spurs? After being touted as Champions Leage contenders, 2 defeats and performances to match indicates they'll be lucky to finish with a European place. Victory may come by virtue that Spurs are playing the club expected to prop up the rest of the division but the players have become embroiled in all the hype and failed to deliver the goods; defending has been comical and the lack of creativity has been exposed for all to see. Give the strikers some service and the goals will come but the sooner some of their quality back four return the better. If they lose, Spurs can't even blame the 'curse of the box', so maybe they will finally register some points on the board (after a big kick up the backside of course). Derby shouldn't be discounted however; they've proved so far that they're no pushovers and make up what they lack in quality with effort and determination. Billy Davies is no mug and a point at home to Portsmouth and a narrow defeat at a rejuvenated City say as much. Spurs' failings have so far come against sides that attempt to stop them playing, a tactic that Derby will undoubtedly use, but the pressure is on Spurs to win and they must find some creative spark if they are to ignite their season.

Chris Hutchings will be a relieved man to get his first Premier league win under his belt but Boro aren't exactly a prize scalp, and there are bound to be far less happier days at the JJB as the season progresses. Sibierski has already proved himself to be a bargain free transfer and now they need to build on the Boro win, but Sunderland are a team hungry to prove themselves and are trying to lay the foundations for success in the Premier league for years to come. Keane rested a few players for the trip to St Andrews and should have no selection problems. Chopra will be going for his third goal in three successive games and though Keane will be keeping his players' feet on the ground, they must be feeling confident after notching 4 points from their first 2 games. The Sunderland manager felt his side could have done better against Birmingham but was happy with the result; no doubt he'll be looking for improvement against Wigan and victory should suffice.

Both these sides won't have really wanted a rest so early in the season but at least neither can complain of tiredness. Newcastle have started well under new manager, Allardyce, with an emphatic win at the Reebok and they'll be anxious to reproduce that in front of their home fans. Owen could well be available to start and may partner Viduka up front but it's not just about the front two; Sam has strengthened his side in all areas of the pitch and they should start to reap the dividends. Their opponents, Villa, narrowly lost out to Liverpool on the opening day and the biggest worry for them will be the defence; their squad is already small and the loss of Laursen is a big blow. The source of their inspiration continues to be their captain, Gareth Barry, and O'Neill needs some of the other players to share some of the responsibility and seize their opportunity while they can. It's a big game for both sides and it looks like Villa will again narrowly miss out.

The first of a Super Sunday double bill is this spicy local derby; it almost feels too early in the season for such an encounter and given the recent form of both sides there's no good indicator of which way the result will go. United have had problems scoring with just 1 goal from 2 games yielding only 2 points. Rooney is out injured whilst Ronaldo is suspended after a needless headbutt with 5 minutes to go in the game at Fratton Park, so how Fergie juggles his squad could prove interesting. Despite City's new signings they've kept quality in the shape of Dunne and Richards at the heart of their defence and are yet to concede this season; Kasper Schmeichel in goal has also earned his share of the plaudits. Sven appears to have picked his new signings well (shame they weren't English) and his new trio of Elano, Bianchi and Geovanni have not had trouble finding the back of the net; something that needed to be addressed after last season's dismal tally in front of goal. Difficult to pick a winner and it wouldn't be surprising to see the spoils shared.

Blackburn will probably expect to finish in the top six this season and with the wealth of attacking talent they have, who would argue? Santa Cruz, McCarthy, Derbyshire up front with Pedersen, Bentley and Dunn supplying the ammunition; not all 6 will play together but the thought is rather mouth watering. Arsenal travel to Ewood Park on the back of a good win in Prague and a late, late comeback at home to Fulham to take all 3 points. Much has changed at the Emirates during the close season but the young players appear to be thriving given the opportunities; however, Wenger may struggle if players like van Persie, Fabregas and Gallas sustain injuries and it should be remembered that Arsenal's away form really let them down last season. It's draw time again and with Blackburn at home, there won't be a lot to separate these two.