Last week, our betting expert Jones Knows landed a Jack Harrison assist and Kurt Zouma card - which takes his profit for the season to +14.5. Where is his money going this weekend? He's got Leander Dendoncker on his mind...
Saturday 5 December 2020 20:24, UK
Our tipster was on the money again last weekend with two winners at 5/1 and 9/2 and he's back with a 7/2 Leander Dendoncker-inspired double.
From the three advised bets, we came out singing with +8.5 profit, bagged with Jack Harrison providing his third assist of the season for Leeds at 5/1 and Kurt Zouma picking up a card at 9/2.
Sorry to go all cricket on you, but we're seeing it like a beach ball in my current nick.
So, what has triggered this winning run then? It could well be the 'Nappy Factor' - becoming a father, especially for the first time, and especially of a son, apparently can really have a profound effect on any sportsman, apparently. And maybe it's the same in this game.
But, please don't be fooled by the relentless period of winners, things will turn, this is no way to make some quick coin. It's great to see the figures proving I'm profitable to follow in the long-term and I'm confident of keeping that up, but this game is a rollercoaster of ups and downs. With the prices I play at, there will be losing runs. Stick with me though.
However, if I do start backing 5/1 winners every week, you won't see Jones Knows for dust. I'll be in the Algarve, working on the short game, all day everyday.
I've got two angles this weekend, both of the short price persuasion, so I've combined them to make a 7/2 double.
Good luck comrades, and remember, whatever I tip, I back. We're in this together.
P+L = +14.5
I've been banging the Fulham drum hard and loud in the past few weeks in my Premier League prediction column and they hit the right notes at Leicester, causing Brendan Rodgers' team huge amounts of problems on the counter-attack. It will be a case of rinse and repeat surely for Scott Parker at Man City in terms of tactics.
I'm yet to be convinced Pep Guardiola's men are anywhere near the standards of previous seasons but Fulham will have to improve significantly defensively to stand any hope of nicking a result. Points will be hard to come by, but grabbing a goal, playing with the same attacking fluidity as the Leicester win, is well within their capabilities. City are much easier to play through in their midfield area with Spurs and Leicester showcasing just how it's done, scoring seven times in total this season.
Since Deadline Day, Fulham rank sixth in the Premier League for chances created from open play and shots on goal and have scored in all but one of their matches, the anomaly being the Ademola Lookman penalty debacle at West Ham. You can get Evens on Fulham finding the net at the Etihad Stadium - a nice price on it's own for those that like playing the short ones.
However, I'm interested in combining it with a Leander Dendoncker for Wolves against Liverpool on Sunday evening.
Dendoncker is a very intelligent player for Wolves and his ability to make runs into the opposition box is a big strength when Wolves get the ball out wide to Adama Traore. Added to that, his power in the air makes him a huge threat once he gets into the clever positions he takes up.
In terms of out-and-out central midfielders, only Tomas Soucek, Mateusz Klich and Sander Berge have had more touches in the opposition box than Dendoncker (23) in the Premier League this season.
And when he gets into those dangerous positions, he has a knack of getting on the end of things. Despite not finding the net this season, the Belgian has seen four big chances fall his way for Wolves - the most of any out-and-out central midfielder in the division. That was on full show last weekend at Arsenal where he crashed a header off the crossbar before the rebound was smashed home by Pedro Neto.
With Raul Jimenez unavailable with a fractured skull, I'm sure the encouragement from his manager for Dendoncker to add some support through the middle from wide areas is only going to increase in the coming weeks. And this weekend he should find opportunities against a Liverpool team that do look very suspect at defending crosses without Virgil van Dijk in their ranks.
Much has been made of Van Dijk's injury since he limped off against Everton but most of the arguments have missed a key feature. The organisational factor. Liverpool have coped fine in general play but look significantly more vulnerable from set-pieces and crosses into the box without him.
John Egan (Sheffield United), Soucek (West Ham), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta), Lisandro Martínez and Davy Klaassen (both Ajax) have all been presented with good openings from set-plays without Van Dijk, they just didn't take them whilst Michael Keane (Everton) took his.
Meanwhile, Atalanta's two goals in the 2-0 win at Anfield came via crosses into the box. Wolves will be looking to expose that weakness with Dendoncker likely to be utilised as a key weapon.
So, how to we go about profiting from this?
His anytime goalscorer price is tight enough at 6/1 with his poor conversation rate so that is easily swerved. But I was surprised to see Sky Bet offering up Evens about him registering a shot on goal in the game. He's averaging a shot every 81 minutes this season and - as explained - I'm certain he'll be making plenty of attacking runs into the middle at Anfield. A chance should fall his way.
Take the 7/2 for a goal for Fulham and a shot from Dendoncker.
