Bournemouth at 10/11
November 18th, 2017 | Ian Carnaby's Sports News
We pick up again this weekend after a rest last week – the correct decision as Plymouth showed yet again that they are not a team to back or oppose without very careful analysis. Over the years, and I’m sure this is no more than coincidence, I’ve learned to leave them alone. The victory at relatively high-flying Bradford shows why.
There is one major bet on Saturday, as long as the firms holding up 10/11 stay with the price, and that is
BOURNEMOUTH to beat Huddersfield in the Premier League. At a pinch I’d accept 5/6 but no shorter than that.
The Cherries are in a slightly false position, having played several of the top teams and gone down only narrowly to some of them. They are hitting their stride now, have one of the clearest-thinking English managers in Eddie Howe, and will probably know too much for a Huddersfield team gradually finding its feet at this level but still with plenty to do to avoid a relegation battle.
I wouldn’t accept odds-on about Chelsea when they visit West Brom and I’d watch the North London derby without having a financial interest, although Tottenham look terrific at present and it may be quite a long time before Arsenal’s fans hold bragging rights again.
The only other possibility concerns the Liverpool v Southampton match, where even-money about Liverpool winning by more than one would be tempting. I doubt that the layers will offer that price (I wouldn’t ignore -2), although the Saints twice denied the Reds a goal at Anfield last season.
I don’t bet against Southampton but the fact is that their upcoming fixtures against all the top teams may end with a very worrying league position by the turn of the year. They can’t score and have not had an attacking midfielder to get them six or eight a season – I don’t consider Le Tissier a midfield player – for many, many years. When the Chinese came in to take an 80 per cent share, they cannot have envisaged anything like this and their reaction will be interesting. If the club keeps faith with Mauricio Pellegrino, who made little sense after the home defeat against Burnley, will they let him spend in January or will someone else come in? Will a clearly disenchanted Van Dijk be allowed to leave or will the current unsatisfactory situation continue?
If Mane starts on Saturday, this game could be settled quite early on and the only consolation I shall take is that no one, but no one, at Southampton will be in any doubt about the way things stand.
BOURNEMOUTH 50 units at 10/11 (Betfred, Betway) to beat Huddersfield
