Written by Cornermanden. The author’s opinions and predictions are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Unibet. Odds and details may change between the time of writing and when placing a bet – always check before betting.

Arsenal have a genuine chance of winning the Premier League, and a big club like Everton are actually in real danger of being relegated. Things are happening in the best league in the world, and these are my Premier League betting tips for round 21.

Relief x2

Liverpool – Chelsea

I think most people have been negatively surprised by both Liverpool and Chelsea this season. Two teams who were expected to finish in the top 4 – easily, and maybe even challenge for the title (at least in Liverpool’s case). Now, in the middle of January (!), this is actually a match between 9th and 10th in the table.

Chelsea got their long awaited win on the weekend when they (deservedly) beat Palace 1-0, while Liverpool progressed to the 4th round of the FA Cup after beating Wolves on Tuesday. Liverpool are heavy favourites to follow that up and collect another win when Chelsea travel to Anfield. Home advantage and an extra buzz should count for something, but I was shocked to see them be so poor against Brighton last Saturday. 1.81 for Liverpool to win at home is usually a tempting price, but at the same time, I think you can argue Chelsea’s corner here as well. A difficult game to call.

Swap of Manager?

West Ham – Everton

Currently, West Ham fans want Moyes out, and Everton fans want Lampard out. West Ham fans love Frank Lampard (though as a player, I would presume), and Everton fans absolutely adored David Moyes when he was their manager before leaving for Man United. Is it therefore plausible to think that we could have a manager swap on our hands? I don’t think so, but it’s not unlikely that neither of these two guys will be in charge of their club come the end of the season. It’s a colossal, massive, enormous game of football, this one. Both are in desperate need of points, and both are very reliant on not losing ground on the teams around them. They are both stuck in the relegation zone with 15 points (from 19 games) each, something that neither club should expect or be happy about. 

What kind of game can we expect in London? West Ham are quite big favourites at 1.78 to win it, a price that I think sounds very reasonable and correctly put. But it is (if it’s not 0-0 until late in the game) a match where you would think that we might see some desperation from either (or both) sides. Corners are not a bad pick here, I don’t think, although it’s not the game that screams of it too much. The line is 9.5, which is lower than usual in the Premier League. My take is that 1.74 is an attractive price for this game to have over 9.5 corners.

The Big One!

Arsenal – Manchester United

I usually try to preview a few more than three games, but I simply felt like I had a lot to say about these matches. I’ll do the same here, when Arsenal host Manchester United in a gigantic game at the Emirates. Can they keep their incredible run going and take another big leap toward the Premier League title? Manchester United, a team who are also in great form, will try to stand in their way on Sunday.

It’s a huge game, obviously, between two sides who – at the moment – are the best teams in the division. I feel like I’m torn between going for Arsenal or laying them here. They’ve looked so strong and like the best team in the league by some margin until now, but at the same time, Man United will probably relish this type of game, where they can defend deep and hit Arsenal on the counter attack. The argument in favour of Arsenal is that they have such a well working high-press that they seldom let the opposition get out of their own penalty area. 

I’ve studied the corner odds and think that the line is a bit high. Over 10.5 is currently priced at 1.94, which I think is too low. I would personally place this line at 9.5 and maybe offer the same odds there. I have also looked at the shot odds and find it difficult to land on something specific; will it be a game of many shots, where both teams “go for it” and try to outscore the opposition, or will we see a more tepid approach where the fear of losing outweighs the attacking intention? I’m not sure, but I have more faith in the former than the latter. I can see this game finishing 0-0.

Conclusion

As always I’ve landed on a few bets for this weekend. These are my Premier League Betting Tips for Round 21:

• West Ham-Everton. Over 9.5 corners @ 1.74.
• Arsenal-Man United. Under 10.5 corners @ 1.77.