Ed Chamberlin shares his tips for the weekend and says Sunderland and Bolton are both unlikely to score.
Blues to edge back in front, says Ed
The weekend's here and that can only mean one thing - Ed Chamberlin's back with his top tips.
Premier League
There's another intriguing weekend ahead in the
Premier League.
The last two weeks have seen frustration for Liverpool fans being held to goalless draws by West Ham and Fulham.
Blackburn are fighting for their lives in 19th place in the Premier League and are capable of getting a point against a Torres-less Liverpool at Ewood on Saturday.
Ten of the last 19 Premier League meetings between Blackburn and Liverpool have been drawn and that looks a good call again at
23/10 with Sky Bet.
Chelsea have happy memories of the Reebok, having won the league there a few seasons ago and won on their last five visits, without conceding.
In fact, Chelsea have now gone 477 minutes (7 hours and 57 mins) without conceding at the Reebok, since Henrik Pedersen scored in Bolton's 1-1 draw in November 2002.
There's also not been a goalless draw between the sides at Bolton in 54 games in all competitions so the logical bet has to be Chelsea to win to nil at
5/4 with Sky Bet.
Fulham against Man City will surely throw up goals! The two games last season produced 11 - a 3-3 draw at Craven Cottage and a 3-2 win for Fulham at the City of Manchester Stadium.
The last four meetings have produced 19 goals - averaging almost five goals per game - with City scoring three goals in each of their last two visits to Craven Cottage.
Over 2.5 goals looks a certainty.
When you are going through a bad spell, the last thing a team needs is a trip to Old Trafford but that is what awaits Sunderland, who have lost five of the their last six games and this week watched Roy Keane walk away.
Sunderland's last win at Old Trafford was 2-1 in an old Division One game in May 1968 when Louis Armstrong was at number one in the charts with 'What A Wonderful World'.
That same month United became the first English team to win the European Cup. More recently United have kept a clean sheet in the last three meetings and have conceded just five goals in the last 11. Like Chelsea, United should win to nil.
Bet on correct score
The Sky Bet Live game on Sunday is sees Everton host Aston Villa. These two look closely matched and haven't scored or conceded many of late.
Everton's last three games have produced four goals, Aston Villa's just two. Less than 2.5 goals at 8-11 or no goalscorer at 17-2 look the best bets.
Bet on Everton v Aston Villa
Horse Racing
Saturday sees the clash of the season so far: Champion Chaser Master Minded against Arkle winner Tiday Bay. It's going to be a sensational match-up with Sky Bet favouring
Master Minded at 1-2, with
Tidal Bay at 3-1.
Tiday Bay has a serious engine but I worry about him tackling the cross fences and expect Master Minded's slick jumping and superior speed to prove decisive.
I just pray AP McCoy doesn't get unseated on Saturday!
Paul Nicholls and AP should be in for a good day and win the Henry VIII Novices' Chase at 1.55 with Free World.
He was impressive over course and distance last month, impressing the champion jockey in the process.
Over at Chepstow, I fancy Hopkins to get off the mark over fences in the novices' chase at 1pm and look out for Moncadou in the 2.05pm. He's been off the racecourse for 632 days but is a horse with serious ability.
Formally trained by Thierry Doumen he came to England with a big reputation before getting injured when trying to land a gamble in the Racing Post Plate at the Cheltenham Festival.
On Sunday don't miss Calgary Bay's debut over fences at Warwick (1.10pm). Calgary Bay is Tony McCoy's horse to follow for the season and keep an eye out for a tasty price for the Arkle with Sky Bet.
Bet on Horse Racing
Rugby Union
The
Heineken Cup is back this weekend with a feast of matches live on Sky Sports and a comprehensive list of prices with Skybet.
Punters will need to tread carefully as so many players are returning from a bruising set of Autumn internationals. For example, it's not hard to see Wasps' England contingent feeling the effects of a torrid November and struggling at Edinburgh on Friday night.
The game of the weekend is in Paris on Saturday afternoon.
Stade Francais against Harlequins, live on Sky Sports 2, in front of 75,000 people at the Stade de France will be a brilliant occasion.
Further, both teams play open, expansive rugby and are in excellent form. Stade should win but Harlequins are capable of giving the French a fright and I'm sure there will be a lot of points.
The big winners on Sky Bet's handicap at the weekend should be the Ospreys, buoyant from Wales' win against Australia, at home to Treviso and Bath should cover Glasgow's head start on Sunday.
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