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Swansea up against it now

May 4th, 2018 | Ian Carnaby's Sports News

This is the time of the season when betting firms allow title/promotion/relegation issues to affect football prices. Having watched Southampton right through a troubled campaign I could not possibly make them favourites at Everton, yet the hosts can be backed at 2/1 on Saturday.

Having said that, at long last there was tremendous spirit in the way the Saints played to deny Bournemouth at St Mary’s last week. Something similar may yield a point at Goodison, by which time the Bournemouth v Swansea result will be known.

The Cherries should not have lost last week and had Southampton on the rack for the final 20 minutes. They are a very good side with a manager who is destined for greater things and I would not let Swansea’s plight put me off going for a home win. There is some 23/20 about Bournemouth, it’s their final home game, they still need a point to avoid any late (highly unlikely) problems and I believe they are much the better of these two sides.

People have been saying that Huddersfield’s last three games against top sides could still send them down. This is true, though how motivated Chelsea will be next week if a slim Champions League chance fades away altogether is impossible to say. I wouldn’t touch the Everton- Southampton game but if it’s a draw and Swansea lose, I can imagine the Saints winning at the Liberty Stadium next Tuesday, which would be very bad news for Swansea and Huddersfield, of course.

Derby looked a top six side in the Championship for a long time, then lost their way to a degree and are now coming back strongly. They need to beat relegation-threatened Barnsley to ensure a place in the play-offs and once again there is some 3 to 4 available where the realistic price at any other time of the season would be 4/7 or even 8/15. They should win, though the atmosphere will be tense.

Incidentally, the Fulham each-way ante-post advice has paid off, a tremendous run in the second half of the campaign guaranteeing a top three place. They could still gain automatic promotion but, even if taking all three points at Birmingham, may well hear that Cardiff have done enough against Reading. There may well be yet one more twist, however, and I wouldn’t be reaching for the wallet where either game is concerned.

  • BOURNEMOUTH 25 units at 23/20 to beat Swansea
  • DERBY 20 units at 3 to 4 to beat Barnsley