Palace to make sure of survival

I was pleased with a handy profit last week, Newcastle and Southampton bringing a net 40 points’ haul, even allowing for Manchester United’s draw with Leicester.
Like the vast majority of pundits, I thought Leicester were relegation material this season and I admit it straightaway. However, at least I put up Tottenham each-way at 20/1, so there was something coming back. It has been an amazing season and the Chelsea v Spurs game was both unsavoury and riveting. Spurs may be a little flat on Sunday, which gives Southampton the chance of a draw, at least, while everyone on Wearside will be hoping that Chelsea show nothing like the commitment in evidence the other night.

In the relegation stakes, Sunderland’s game in hand is of vital importance and one can imagine Liverpool banking everything on the Europa League final because victory gives them a Champions League place against all the odds. I think Sunderland will need points there because it is hard to see them taking more than one against Chelsea, whereas you would have to make Newcastle and their travelling army favourites at Villa, though I thought Villa agave it a real go against Watford last week and at the very least they will want to show their supporters there is hope for the future. It’s all too hard to call though I have a feeling that Newcastle will wriggle out with Sunderland and Norwich going down.

Interestingly, Crystal Palace are not entirely safe and they will want a point at least against Stoke so that the match at Southampton on the final day means little ahead of the FA Cup Final. Palace can beat Stoke, who have been decidedly patchy of late, though I can see it being quite close.

Walsall need a point at Port Vale to land our each-way punt at 40/1. They will still be all right if they lose and Millwall fail to win at Gillingham, who need the points. I think both teams may score in that one and, after a gap of a few months, I shall have a small treble on that bet.

CRYSTAL PALACE 20 units at 11’10 (Betfred, Hill’s) to beat Stoke
3 x 15 unit doubles and 1 x 15 unit treble, Both Teams To Score:
Norwich v Man Utd
QPR v Bristol City
Gillingham v Millwall