Blackburn

All sorts of interesting connotations surround Tuesday’s Premier League match of Blackburn v Bolton. The two sides are struggling at the bottom of the table, with bottom dead last and Blackburn sitting just one point and one place ahead of them. The respective managers here, Blackburn’s Steve Kean and Bolton’s Owen Coyle are really under the cosh and both are the front runners to be next out of a job when it comes to Premier League manager betting. Bolton are on a terrible slid of seven defeats out of their last eight matches, while Blackburn are scraping together points here and there but continue to simply throw points away through sloppy play. This match really could decide who is next out of a job, and some precedence has to go towards the home side in Blackburn v Bolton betting, even though when it comes to goals scored and goals conceded both are matching pretty evenly. Bolton have the league’s worst defensive record of having conceded 38 goals, two worse than Blackburn, while Blackburn have scored three more goals than Bolton. So defensive issues are definitely the key problems for both of these sides, and now this is a massive match at the foot of the table and a great way to start of your Christmas week of football betting. Who will prevail? Who will be out of a job next? It really is as much of this game being a case of under pressure Steve Kean v Owen Coyle at the moment, as it is Blackburn v Bolton. Should be a fascinating battle at Ewood Park on Tuesday, really with no holds barred in scrapping for their jobs and Premier League lives. The bookies are giving the nod towards Blackburn picking up a home win, and that is the biggest advantage to which they can play to on Tuesday night. They have to make this one count, and therefore they do make the better option in your football betting for this one.

Blackburn v Bolton Betting Odds at Victor Chandler
Blackburn 10/11, Draw 12/5, Bolton 11/4

Online bookmaker Victor Chandler have their VC Double Up Promotion running for this match. Back a winning 1stGoalscorer bet in this match, and if that player goes on to score a second at any time during the game, then the bookie will pay you out double your original First Goalscorer odds. Really can’t beat extra payout for a good showing from your first goalscorer. So who will you be looking at in this market? Well Yakubu is trading as favourite at 5/1, with David Goodwillie, Ivan Klasnic and Jason Roberts all around 6/1. So imagine any of those popping up and doubling your odds on them! VC Bet offer a free £25 bet for new customers registering an account. The bookie will match the value of your first stake on a new account, up to the maximum value of £25.

Blackburn v West Brom betting on Saturday in the Premier League sees two out of form teams go head to head. The struggles at Blackburn continue, and it is by some miracle that boss Steve Kean is still in a job. Rovers have won just twice this season and really need a win to start trying to claw their way out of the relegation zone. They have the second worst defensive record in the Premier League though, and until they fix the problems at the back, they are going to struggle. If they could just tighten up back there, they are scoring enough goals to get themselves up around mid table somewhere. But they are leaking goals, and have just one win in their last eight matches. So there is a big three points at stake on Saturday.

Roy Hodgson’s West Brom are slipping backwards, unable to put any consistency together. The Baggies are with just one win in their last six matches, and were embarrassed by a comeback from struggling Wigan last weekend in the Premier League, throwing away three home points after being in the lead. Both sides need to find a way to start winning again, and both sides will be eyeing up a massive three points from this match.

Online bookmaker Victor Chandler offer some good coverage on Blackburn v West Brom betting and all Premier League markets with their First Goals corer promotion. The bookie runs their Double Up promotion on all English Premier League matches, giving you some great coverage against this weekend. How do you double up with Victor Chandler?

Well, when you back a winning First Goalscorer bet, if that player who has already just won you some profit, goes on to score a second goal at any time during the match, then the bookie will pay you out at double your original First Goalscorer odds. The maximum stake on this is £25 per person, per match, so it gives you a great chance to try and double your money in the First Goalscorer market on any Premier League match.

Online bookmaker Victor Chandler offer a free £25 bet for new customers registering an account with them. The bookie will match the value of your first stake on a new account, up to the maximum value of £25, giving you some great free betting cash to enjoy!

Saturday 24th September

English Premier League

Newcastle v Blackburn

Fresh from an entertaining victory over struggling Arsenal, Blackburn travel to the North East to try and halt Newcastle’s undefeated start to the season.

Alan Pardew was not a popular choice when replacing Chris Houghton last season but like all football fans, the Toon Army are fickle and it’s Chris Who these days as Pardew has led his troops to an early fourth placed position. Three draws and two wins from five matches have proven there is life after Joey Barton, Jose Enrique and Kevin Nolan who all moved on during the summer. Pardew has brought in several new players but the ethos behind his team remains the same – hard to beat. Draws away to Villa and QPR, their two most recent games, have not been pretty on the eye but they are precious away points and every team would like to be able to get them. Their two victories have also been hard fought and both by won by the odd goal so although they may be hard to beat, they can struggle to score goals as well and as of yet, have failed to replace Andy Carroll who left in January.

Blackburn were struggling early in the season, without a point in three, but they have picked up four points from their last two games and as mentioned in the opening line, secured a major coup in the defeat of Arsenal last weekend at Ewood Park in a seven goal thrilled. Obviously the main talking point after the game was about how Arsenal had capitulated in yet another game but credit must go to Rovers who have shown a willingness to attack and get at teams this season. Yakubu, making his home debut, notched two and he could prove to be a very shrewd acquisition for Steve Kean. Other new singings include Scott Dann and David Goodwillie who both come with big expectations. Rovers kept their good run going in midweek with a 3-2 win over Leyton Orient in the League cup, it was more comfortable than the scoreline suggests but it also kept the confidence up and was another chance for other players to get some game time and give the manager food for thought ahead of tomorrow’s trip to St James’ Park.

Newcastle have been strong at home since their return from the Championship in 2010. Pardew has looked to Leon Best and Shola Ameobi mainly in the search for a prolific goalscorer with Demba Ba having to do with a place on the bench alongside Peter Lovenkrands who scored twice against Nottingham Forest in midweek. With the loss of Kevin Nolan as well it meant losing a good 15 goals from midfield so the fact they have only managed to score four goals in their five matches is not a major surprise.

Blackburn have a terrible away record and it must improve for them to ensure they move away from the relegation zone. In eleven games on the road in 2011 they have won just once whilst losing six. In that run they have conceded 25 goals so it’s clear they must shore things up at the back in order to get more points away from home. With Dann alongside Chris Samba, you would expect them to be resolute and solid so time will tell if the new partnership can stop the leak.

Newcastle are not everybody’s cup of tea for a variety of reasons but this is the kind of match they have learned to win which is a good knack to have. I don’t think it will be pretty but I think the home side can just edge the contest.

My Selection: Newcastle to beat Blackburn

Best odds available: 10/11 available with Ladbrokes

English Premier League

Wigan v Tottenham
Wigan lost out to two late goals at Everton last Saturday whilst Spurs dominated a poor Liverpool side to record their second league win in a row and start their charge up the table.

Roberto Martinez must have thought that his players had done enough to leave Goodison with a point last weekend but it was not to be as the Toffees new boys struck late to keep all three points on Merseyside. It was Wigan’s second league defeat of the season but it is now three losses in a row when you take into account their loss to Crystal Palace in the league cup a fortnight ago. Their home record is decent with four points from a possible six including a 2-0 win over QPR at the end of August. After surviving the drop on the final day of last season Martinez may have hoped that with some new signings he could lead his side up the table and avoid another relegation battle but the signs are still there that they will struggle once again.

Tottenham started the season really poorly with heavy defeats to both Manchester clubs but it now looks as though they are coming together and starting to play like the have for the past two seasons under Harry Redknapp. A comfortable win away to Wolves was followed by an emphatic 4-0 defeat of big-spending Liverpool at White Hart Lane last Sunday. The visitors were reduced to 9 men by the end of the match but even before the sending off’s, Spurs were well in control and looked in the mood from the very first whistle. Tomorrow’s match is a big one as, depending on results, they can climb to as high as fourth. Of course, it is extremely early in the season to be worrying too much about league placings but it is a major boost to all concerned, especially after such a poor start.

Wigan will be without their star striker, Hugo Rodallega, who was injured in last Saturday’s defeat to Everton. It is not as bad as first feared but he will not be fit for tomorrow so it will be down to the likes of Franco Di Santo and Victor Moses who must now start proving their worth on a regular basis and get the goals that can lead their club to a higher position.

Spurs good form was hampered by a penalty shoot-out loss to Stoke in the League cup but it was a much changed side to the one who will turn out tomrrow. A key player in their resurgence has been Emmanuel Adebayor who is on a season’s long loan from Man City. The former Arsenal striker was not warmly welcomed by the Spurs faithful but it’s yet another case of fickle football fans as the big striker is now their favourite player after scoring three goals in two matches. He looks the type of player who will have a big say in most of the game’s he plays.

Spurs have an indifferent record away to Wigan really with just one win from their last four meetings at the DW Stadium. That win came two seasons ago whilst last years match ended in a draw. Wigan struggle to score goals at the best of times but with their top striker and best player not available, it makes things even harder. Spurs looked very good last week and I have every faith they can follow up again tomorrow.

My Selection: Tottenham to beat Wigan

Best price available: 19/20 available with PaddyPower

***Another preview will be available for Sunday’s football action***

Brechin

Sunday 22nd May

Scottish Division 1 Play-Off

Brechin City v Ayr United

Saturday 7th May
 
English Premier League
 
West Ham United v Blackburn Rovers
 
Massive match at Upton Park on Saturday as both West Ham and Blackburn are still right in the thick of a relegation battle and desperately need points in their bid for survival.  
 
West Ham put in a decent enough performance last Sunday when away to fourth placed Manchester  City. They went down narrowly losing 2-1 but it’s yet another game, in a list of many, where they’ve came away with no points. Last weekends fixtures saw the Hammers fall to bottom of the division and no team has managed to beat the drop when in last place this late on in the season. Avram Grant is of course no stranger to relegation as he was in charge of Portsmouth when they were demoted last season. He would have been expecting a much easier season in charge of West Ham but that has not been the case. Everyone expected the clarets to kick on when they brought in reinforcements during the January transfer window. They managed a decent enough run of form between February and March but have since tailed off and are now without a win since March. In actual fact, they have lost six of their last seven so it’s no real surprise to see where they are at this point. Their last point was gained in the middle of March so they are certainly right out of form heading into the final three matches of their season.  
 
Although Rovers won last weekend at home to Bolton, they are still not safe from the drop. They are six points clear of tomorrow’s rivals but only half that margin ahead of the third bottom side, Wigan. Steve Kean will have been delighted with last Saturday’s victory as it does provide a bit of breathing space, but will be under no illusions that a point at worst tomorrow could provide so much more and would mean they would all but end West Ham’s hopes of staying up. It may not guarantee safety for Blackburn, but it would eliminate one of the many sides battling to beat the drop. Rovers will have to overcome a horrendous away record which has seen them win just three of 17 matches on their travels. Their last win on the road was against West Brom at the back end of last year. It means a run of eight away games without a win. They have lost seven of those but they can take some encouragement from their last trip to the capital when they held Arsenal to a goalless draw.  
 
Tensions will be understandably high tomorrow. West Ham know that anything but a win and there season could be as good as over depending on results elsewhere so they will be going all out for a win. Scott Parker, recently crowned Player of the Year, will have a lot of responsibility on his shoulders once again, but the likes of Robbie Keane and Matthew Upson will also be important as their experience should come to the fore. Blackburn are in diabolical form away from home whilst West Ham are in terrible form overall. With so much at stake and with confidence set to be so low in both camps, the bet I like tomorrow is for their to be more goals in the second half. Often in games, teams who are in low in confidence are very susceptible to conceding late goals as they retreat deeper and deeper into their own half inviting pressure on to them. When you think of how nervous players will be in the opening 45, it looks a sound bet.  
 
Not every bookmaker offers such bets and I apologise in advance if you are unable to place such a bet but I often do these type of wagers in such games and believe it is the best bet of this fixture
 
My Selection: More goals in second half of the match  
 
Best odds available: 11/10 available with Coral
 
 
English Premier League
 
Everton v Manchester City
 
Manchester City look to have secured the fourth and final Champions League spot but as it’s not totally sealed, will be looking for all three points when they visit Goodison to face Everton.
 
Everton are really only playing for pride as they approach the final few games of the season. They had faint hopes of getting into the final Europa League spot but those seemed to be distant memory now as Spurs are seven points ahead having played a game less. Moyes will be disappointed as he is very ambitious and would have been targeting Europe through a league finish or from a domestic cup success. Neither will happen now but you can expect the Toffee’s to be kept up to their business as Moyes will be hoping to cement seventh place and hold off the challenge of Bolton and Fulham, with the latter of the two finishing the season strongly. Every position counts in the Premier League as more prizemoney is awarded the higher you finish. With Everton one of the clubs who can’t rely on massive investment, it can make a big difference to their budget for the following season.  
 
Roberto Mancini looked to be a couple of games from the sack about a month ago when they were struggling for form but football’s a funny old game and City have not only strengthened their grip on the final Champions League spot but they have also defeated their city rivals, United, in the semi final of the FA Cup which means they have the curtain piece to the domestic season to look forward to in a fortnight when they face Stoke at Wembley. It would be a unique ‘double’ of sorts for the Italian and his players who had to achieve something this season or their knives would have been out for him. Last weekends win over West Ham, aligned with Spurs defeat to Chelsea has all but ruled the London side out of the running whilst Liverpool’s late surge has come to late as they have also played a game more than City.  
 
Everton’s recent record against the light Blues has been excellent. They have won six of the last seven meetings between the two including the one just before Christmas where they were very impressive. Recent results, and performances against City may suggest that Moyes has the Indian sign over the mega-rich club and it’s something that the man in the away dugout will be hoping that it’s a run which comes to an end starting tomorrow.
 
Mancini can obviously call on a far bigger squad of players than tomorrow’s counterpart but it’s not exactly hindered Everton in the past. The players work so well as a unit and despite the lack of numbers, there is certainly a great deal of quality in the squad. They have had to contend with massive injury problems this season which has stretched their squad so it is testament to Moyes and his players that they are in the position they are currently in.  
 
Everton have certainly performed really well against City of late and it’s a run I envisage continuing tomorrow simply because of their ability to raise their game when they wish. They’re not always consistent but the odds on a home win are too attractive to knock back.
 
My Selection: Everton to beat Manchester City
 
Best odds available: 7/4 available with Victor Chandler
 
 
English League One
 
Southampton v Walsall
 
We delve into League One for the third preview of the weekend and pay a visit to St Mary’s where recently promoted Southampton play host to relegation threatened Walsall.
 
Nigel Adkins and his side have been the team to follow in recent weeks as they have powered themselves into the second automatic promotion spot behind runaway leaders Brighton. Adkins, who took the job after Alan Pardew was sacked earlier in the season, will be thrilled that his side have achieved their goal with a game to spare and that they can enjoy playing infront of their fans without any real pressure put upon them. This is further enhanced because of their opponents tomorrow as Walsall will be scrapping for their lives looking for points to ensure they are still in the division come next season. The Saints won’t be in the division but they will be plying their trade in the next level of English football. They have won 12 of their last 14 league games, an incredible record by anyone’s standards in any division. It may not come as a surprise considering the players at the club and the quality they have within the squad but they still have to have the right attitude and desire to go and perform and win matches which they certainly have had in recent weeks and months.  
 
Walsall currently sit on the threshold of relegation, one point above Dagenham and Redbridge who occupy the final relegation spot. They are in decent enough form of late as they are unbeaten in three and won last time out but they would have liked a better game to finish with than they one they are currently faced with. Any side would like their destiny in their own hands which the Saddlers have but they would have preferred to be at home on the final day. As it is they have to travel to the form side in the division, if not the country, and attempt to win which would guarantee their survival. Of course, they could end up losing the match and still stay up depending on results elsewhere but it’s hardly something they’ll wish to experience as their nerves will be bad enough when they stop on to that pitch tomorrow.  
 
Looking at the prices for this game and you can obviously see that the fact Southampton have nothing but pride to play for and Walsall everything to play for, has played a massive part in the pricing of the fixture. If this games was played last week you would never have gotten close to the price Southampton will be whilst Walsall would have been much bigger, probably double what they currently are.  
 
Walsall can console themselves with the fact that Dagenham too are away and face a difficult match against free-scoring Peterbrough at London Road – not a gimmee by any stretch of the imagination.  
 
It will be party time for the home side tomorrow and the fans will expect a good performance to sign off what has been a successful season. They have so much quality and so many goals in the side that their price is a false one to me and I believe the bookies have got this one wrong.  
 
My Selection: Southampton to beat Walsall
 
Best odds available: 4/6 available with Betfred

Chelsea v Blackburn Rovers Betting Tip & Odds: All stats really point to Chelsea picking up a home win. Blackburn aren’t great on the road at the moment, and while Chelsea haven’t been great over the past couple of months, they are expected to win here. The FA Cup win over Ipswich may have just given them the missing edge of confidence. There’s nothing like a 7-0 rout to give you a good fillip. This really is an interesting one, as Chelsea look to have blown their title chances, but if they start producing the form which they had over the first part of the season, then at least they can keep things interesting. The return of confidence could be the big goal factor here for the Blues and a home three points. Still going to be tough, and probably tight, even though Blackburn’s defence is on the weak side. There is some value in taking Blackburn +1.5 for 11/10 at Bodog as it covers a win on your bet up to everything including a 1 goal defeat for Rovers. If you are expecting Chelsea to run up the goals, then Chelsea -1.75 for 11/10 at Victor Chandler looks around right.

Chelsea to win: 3/10 at Totesport
Draw: 9/2 at Bet365
Blackburn Rovers to win: 12/1 at Victor Chandler

EPL Match Preview: Well, Chelsea produced a more familiar scoreline last weekend, as they trounced Championship side Ipswich 7-0 in the FA Cup. While there has been a bit of a sigh of relief around Stamford Bridge that Chelsea have broken out of their shell after some poor form, it has to be put into context. This was Ipswich, who had just fired Roy Keane as boss because they had not been doing so great of late. But, while the victory was expected from the defending Premier League Champions against weaker opposition, will it have done a big thing for their confidence? That is something which has really been lacking at the club as Chelsea have slipped backwards in the Premier League title race. There is still a great deal of pressure on Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti to rally the players at the Club, and with no major impact looking to come in during the January Transfer window, the Blues need to pull themselves together. They have just one Premier League victory in their last nine matches, and their latest ignominy was a 1-0 defeat against Wolves. One of the most noticeable problems for Chelsea, is that their forwards have simply stopped producing the goals, and even the return of Frank Lampard to the side has failed to really spark them back into life much. Lampard has been quoted that the atmosphere at the club feels like it was in the final days of Felipe Scolari’s managerial tenure there. How much will the Chelsea board be able to take? A defeat against Blackburn at home, could just be the final straw.

Fortunately, the Blues do have a fairly strong squad to chose from, and are relatively injury free, something which has not happened too often this season. They are only missing Alex from the back, along with Mikel, Zhirkov and Benayoun in the midfield department. Chelsea have to get out of whatever low gear they have been stuck in since being trounced by Sunderland at home back in the middle of November. It really has been a major struggle for them, and now they are a massive nine points behind leaders Manchester United having played a game more. The stats show that Blackburn are a side against which Chelsea have enjoyed a lot of success, winning eleven of the last fourteen matches against the Rovers. Chelsea have lost just one match against Blackburn in that run. There are some good trends to follow in the goal scoring records here, as Frank Lampard and Nicolas Anelka have enjoyed much success against the Rovers. Lampard (7/5 at Unibet Anytime Goalscorer) has five goals in four matches against Blackburn at the Bridge, while Anelka (5/4 at Unibet Anytime Goalscorer) has great figures of eleven goals in fifteen matches against them. Anelka looks likely to get a recall to the starting eleven, even though his goal drought this season has been one of the most noticeable of the Chelsea forwards. You really would back Chelsea here, especially if they get their noses in front, as Blackburn are the only team this season, not to have recovered points from a losing position. The big cup win was a boost, now they need to take a grip on things from here.

Blackburn are a club under something of a transition. New owners have come in to clear their debts, and Sam Allardyce has been kicked out of the door. Steve Kean has been charged with managing the squad until the end of the season, as the new owners are in no rush whatsoever to name a permanent manager. While Blackburn are holding their own in tenth place in the league, their form is still completely hit and miss, but did get a tight 1-0 victory over Championship leaders QPR in the FA Cup, in what was a potentially big banana skin for them. While Brazilian ace Ronaldinho is not heading to Ewood Park, Blackburn have secured the services of striker Roque Santa Cruz from Manchester City, albeit on loan, and he is eligible to play. Blackburn also get back starting keeper Paul Robinson, and striker Nikola Kalinic, which will be good news for Steve Kean, as their ranks have been a bit depleted as of late. Blackburn to have to play against some history here as they have not picked up a victory at Stamford Bridge in seven matches now, and Rovers have struggled to even score against Chelsea in recent times as well in the league. Perhaps the biggest worry, and something which should influence your football betting here, is the away form of Blackburn Rovers. They have suffered four defeats in their last five matches on the road  now, dropping a great deal of points. Will the return of Roque Santa Cruz help Blackburn? He must be well worth a punt in the Anytime Goalscorer market (19/4 at Unibet).

Blackburn have won just two out of their last six Premier League matches, but their previous match, which was a 3-1 beating of Liverpool, resulted in the Reds boss leaving Anfield. Could another possible upset have the same effect on Ancelotti? Blackburn lost to Chelsea 2-1 at Ewood Park back at the end of October and are substantially behind in the head to head record. At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have a 50% win percentage, while Blackburn have won on just 23% of their visits to the Bridge. Chelsea have hit 98 goals in those matches, while Blackburn have managed just 57, all pointing to a good home win. Will Blackburn be the first side to feel the backlash of Chelsea coming out of their confidence slump? Will this just be another false dawn for the revival of the London Blues? Last year’s fixture ended in a 5-0 romp for Chelsea, and that is just what the Stamford Bridge crowd really need right now. It probably won’t be a 5-0 effort from the Blues, but are still worth looking at for a comfortable home victory. Confidence is a huge factor in football betting.

Online Bookmaker Promotion: SportingBet are running a great Red Card Refund offer on this weekend’s Premier League matches. If there is a Red Card flashed in the match, then SportingBet will give refunds on all losing First Goalscorer, Anytime Goalscorer, Correct Score and Scorecast bets. This is another great football betting promotion from the popular bookie, and new customers to SportingBet can get themselves a nice £50 free bet when opening an account.

Chelsea v Blackburn Rovers Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Blackburn 1, Chelsea 2
Blackburn 1, Chelsea 1
Chelsea 5, Blackburn 0
Chelsea 2, Blackburn 0
Blackburn 0, Chelsea 2

Chelsea have an 70% win percentage at home in the league this season
Blackburn Rovers have a 27% win percentage away from home in the league this season

Chelsea are on a streak of 3 home matches with no defeat.
Blackburn Rovers are on a streak of 9 away matches with no draw

Chelsea have scored 22 goals, and conceded 7 at home
Blackburn Rovers have scored 14 and conceded 25 goals in their away matches

Chelsea average 2.2 goals per match at home this season
Blackburn Rovers average 1.2 goals per match away from home this season

Chelsea have scored the bulk of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket
Blackburn Rovers have scored the majority of their goals in the 46-60 minute bracket

Chelsea have opened the scoring in 52% of their matches
Blackburn Rovers have scored first in 59% of their matches

Chelsea 2010/11 top scorer: Drogba, 9
Blackburn Rovers 2010/11 top scorer: Kalinic, Pedersen, 4

Chelsea 2010/11 Season Form: P21 W10 D5 L6 GF235GA19 Pts 36 (5th)
Blackburn Rovers 2010/11 Season Form: P10 W8 D4 L10 GF29 GA35 Pts 28 (10th)

Blackburn v QPR makes for a pretty interesting tie, as Queens Park Rangers are the most dominant force in the Championship this year, while Blackburn have been having their ups and downs. After surprising getting rid of Sam Allardyce as boss, the new Blackburn owners have delayed naming a new boss until the summer, and are rolling along with caretaker manager Steve Kean a the helm. They are still very much a hit and miss team, but they are sitting in mid table after a slow start to the season. They demolished Liverpool in the league during midweek and that was a big three points for them, shooting them up to ninth. There is not a lot of consistency in their form however, and they face a tricky and challenging task against QPR. Rovers are not helped by all of the injuries which they have, and suddenly the twelve places between the two sides in the league standings, doesn’t seem to big. With a lot of players on the sidelines, Blackburn do get back Jason Roberts, but it will still be a side which short of full strength. This could be an FA Cup upset on the cards here, because you look at how well QPR are going and believe that they should be good for a draw.

Blackburn Last 6 Current League Form: LDLWLW
QPR Last 6 Current League Form: LLWWLD

Although Rangers will be missing Patrick Agyeman up front, there is a huge threat up front from them with Taarabat and Mackie weighing in heavily with the goals this season. Rangers are top of the Championship and are favourites to gain automatic promotion to the Premier League. They went on a run of 19 unbeaten games from the start of the season, but have lost three of their last six in the league now. They are still a strong side though, and have a pretty solid and reliable defence and that could put them in good standing. They have been beaten by Blackburn in their last two meetings, which were way back in the old Division One. When the two sides came together in the FA Cup at this stage in 2006, Blackburn ran out 3-0 winners. As for Blackburn in the FA Cup, well they have only won two of their last eight FA Cup matches, which isn’t a great run at all. QPR’s lean defence, which has conceded just 17 goals in the league all season, could be the big difference on the day. Blackburn have their weaknesses up front and at the back, and they do go into this match under strength. This could be well worth taking a draw here, or favouring an upset by the much more potent visitors. However, QPR boss Neil Warnock may play things safe, as getting to the Premier League will be far more important to them.

Blackburn to win: Evens at Totesport
Draw: 5/2 at BetFred
Queens Park Rangers to win: 3/1 at Bet365

Asian Handicap Betting Tip: QPR +0.5 for Evens at Victor Chandler

So, another manager falls by the wayside in the Premier League. After Chris Hughton got the chop from Newcastle, big Sam Allardyce has been given the boot by Blackburn. New owners Venky’s Group have immediately put their stamp on the club, by firing Sam Allardyce, who is a little shocked and surprised by the move. It’s not as if Blackburn have been doing terribly with four wins out of their last seven matches, but it clearly isn’t good enough. That’s the fickle world of Premier League football management again, and while Blackburn were never going to be threatening for a top six finish, they should comfortably be around mid table and are only just three points off seventh place in the league as it stands at the moment. Allardyce was dealt the news after dropping by to see the Chairman. He was not expecting that, but the new owners clearly have a direction which they want to take, and they want Blackburn to be bigger players in the English Premier League than they are at the moment. Everyone seems sorry that Allardyce, one of the great figures of football management has left, but business is business and in has come Scotsman Steve Kean as caretaker boss (stepping up from first team coach). He fills the breach while the owners wait to put a new manager in the hot seat and Kean represents a decent bet at 11/2 with Unibet as next full time boss, as he has a chance to prove himself.

So it is betting time again on a Premier League manager, for who will succeed Allardyce, who really has done nothing wrong, but is merely a consequence of the takeover. Well, perhaps the 7-1 hammering by Manchester United didn’t help, nor the loss against rivals Bolton on the weekend. But don’t forget, even though he prefers straight forward tactics, that Allardyce has been touted as the next potential England manager, but if your face doesn’t fit, then you are out. Will this be the start of a Premier League managerial shuffle? Will Avram Grant be the next to go from bottom side West Ham, leaving the door open for a quick return to a job for Allardyce? Is this a great opportunity for ex Newcastle boss Chris Hughton to step straight back into business. So who may step into the fold to replace Allardyce? You would tend to think that the new owners will have someone in mind if they want the club to go in a certain direction, but the list of prime candidates doesn’t really scream of domestic and European success on the horizon. Apparently they are mainly looking for an English manager to take the club to the top, however, that hasn’t stopped a foreigner topping the list of betting odds.

Martin Jol – 6/1 at Victor Chandler

Has been linked with everyone from Fulham, Liverpool and Newcastle over the past six months, so no surprise to see him top of the list. Still doesn’t make a viable bet though, because why would he leave such a promising Ajax side, who have great potential for another Champions League appearance for a mid table England Premier League side? Money? Is that enough? Unlikely.

Chris Hughton – 20/1 at Unibet

Arguably deserves another chance in England’s top flight after being shown the door by Newcastle. His dismissal was not popular at all, and is generally well liked. Great potential as a future top flight manager, but will the new Blackburn owners be ready to put their trust is a relative novice, or will they look for more experience? He will be a bold choice, but possibly did enough with Newcastle to warrant a job. Would likely take them forward.

Martin O’Neill – 12/1 at Victor Chandler

The man to steady the ship perhaps, as you know what you are going to get from him. Has been around the block and has been relatively successful wherever he goes. O’Neill actually makes the most sense if the club wants to go forward. Did wonders for Villa in making them a hard team to beat, but will he return to management anytime soon? Seems like a good fit, even though he would probably only turn Blackburn into the Aston Villa that we saw last season, as opposed to strong European challengers.

Alan Curbishly – 14/1 at Paddy Power

Well respected and has experience in the Premier League, well liked and could also make a good fit. Hasn’t pushed the envelope in terms of managing a top team in the Premier League, but that’s not what Blackburn are. The new owners need to do this in stages and put faith in someone who is going to stick around, and who they are going to stick with. More likely to return to action than O’Neill really, and could be worth an outside punt.

Manchester United v Blackburn Rovers Betting Tip & Odds: This should be a banker for your football betting on the weekend. Rovers have a very poor record at Old Trafford, and United are still on their unbeaten run this season. United have Wayne Rooney back fit and raring to go again, and is line to face the United crowds, to whom he apologised for his contract saga, and promised them that he had no intention of crossing over to Manchester City. That’s all water under the bridge, and he’ll be worth backing to get amongst the goals in a United home win. Wayne Rooney First Goalscorer: 11/4 at SportingBet (see promotion below)

Manchester United to win: 2/7 at Paddy Power
Draw: 5/1 at SkyBet
Blackburn Rovers to win: 12/1 at Bet365

EPL Match Preview: Manchester United are happy campers at home. They have an unbeaten record there this season, in fact they haven’t been beaten at home or away this season, but often United show what, say Arsenal don’t. A dig-deep ability to grind things out when everything is on the line. They have been pushed hard at times, have struggled for victories on the road, but still don’t break. They have bent a lot this season, but they still won’t break. Wayne Rooney returned to the starting line up for the midweek Champions League match at Scottish Champions Rangers, and a late penalty kick by him sealed a 1-0 win, in an otherwise lack lustre performance from the Red Devils. That has been the problem with United this season, they have lacked the quality to finish games off. The old ruthless Manchester United would never have had this problem, and it hurting them this season. Even though they are unbeaten, they have failed to capitalise on Chelsea’s defeats for the season, and are only sitting level with the London Club. Having drawn half of their fourteen matches this year, indicates something not quite right with Manchester United. It is largely down to the lack of world class players in the midfield. Up front United should be, and will be OK. If Rooney is back fit again, sooner or later you know he is going to get in amongst the goals well. Dimitar Berbatov, despite a good start in Rooney’s absence, fell away badly becoming a bit anonymous again. But United have plenty of options up front, to change things up, even though none of them are in Rooney’s class to be honest.

In that midfield area, United will be with Darren Fletcher, who is injured and there is just not good enough service going forward, and not enough protection of the back line going the other way. The first choice centre half pairing of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic return after sitting out the Rangers match for a rest. This is another match which should be cut and dry for Manchester United. They have a strong record against Blackburn, not losing any of their last nine games against Rovers. United are still looking for that spark to put some pressure on Chelsea and Arsenal. They are not far away from being a better team, but there are weaknesses there at the moment to exploit, especially in the midfield. However, a home game against Rovers should bring the three points necessary to take United to the top of the league on Saturday, with Chelsea not playing until Sunday. Most importantly of all, United haven’t been playing well, certainly not with any consistency or flow, but they are still right in the title race. They won’t go away, and you know that they are only going to get better. There doesn’t appear to be any immediate danger of them losing their home record for the season, with Blackburn trundling along in their mediocrity.

There may be better times on the horizon for Blackburn Rovers, having been taken over by new Indian owners. That will have secured their feature, plus given them a little spending cash for the summer transfer window. Boss Sam Allardyce is one of the great characters of the game and never afraid to speak his mind. It is the same forthright approach that Blackburn take to their games, and they are going along nicely at the moment with three wins out of four matches. They have lost three of their last six matches though, which isn’t so good, and why they are hanging around mid table. Still, it does show some sign of improvement  though after a poor start to the season where they only won two out of their first ten matches. Morten Gamst Pedersen is their big threat up front, and is club top scorer in the league with four goals. However, no Blackburn player has scored more than one goal away from home this year, and they have historically struggled on their trips to Old Trafford. One win in sixteen matches there, really doesn’t instil much confidence of another twist and turn happening this season. You can expect a hard working appearance by Rovers, one which will battle and try their best to hold on, and take advantage and any weaknesses United have by taking a direct approach to goal. It is unlikely to be enough though.

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Manchester United v Blackburn Rovers Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Blackburn 0, Manchester United 0
Manchester United 2, Blackburn 0
Manchester United 2, Blackburn 1
Blackburn 0, Manchester United 2
Blackburn 1, Manchester United 1

Manchester United have an 86% win percentage at home in the league this season
Blackburn Rovers have a 29% win percentage away from home in the league this season

Manchester United are on a streak of seven home matches without defeat
Blackburn Rovers are on a streak of five away matches with no draw

Manchester United have scored 17 goals, and conceded 5 at home
Blackburn Rovers have scored 9 and conceded 12 goals in their away matches

Manchester United average 2.4 goals per match at home this season
Blackburn Rovers average 1.7 goals per match away from home this season

Manchester United have scored the bulk of their goals in the 76-90 minute bracket
Blackburn Rovers have scored the majority of their goals in the 16-30 minute bracket

Manchester United have opened the scoring in 64% of their matches
Blackburn Rovers have scored first in 65% of their matches

Manchester United 2010/11 top scorer: Berbatov, 6
Blackburn Rovers 2010/11 top scorer: Gamst Pedersen, 4

Manchester United 2010/11 Season Form: P14 W7 D7 L0 GF28 GA15 Pts 28 (2nd)
Blackburn Rovers 2010/11 Season Form: P14 W5 D3 L6 GF17 GA18 Pts 18 (11th)

Blackburn v Arsenal Premier League Football Betting Odds

Blackburn to win: 9/2 at Bet365
Draw: 3/1 at SkyBet
Arsenal to win: 4/6 at Stan James

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Blackburn v Arsenal Premier League Betting Statistics

Last 5 Head to Head
Blackburn 2, Arsenal 1
Arsenal 6, Blackburn 2
Arsenal 4, Blackburn 0
Blackburn 0, Arsenal 4
Arsenal 2, Blackburn 0

• Blackburn have a 100% win percentage at home in the league this season
• Arsenal have a 0% win percentage away from home in the league this season
•  
• Blackburn have scored 1 goal, and conceded just 0 at home
• Arsenal have scored 1 and conceded 1 goal in their away matches
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• Blackburn 2010/11 top scorer: Kalinic, Nzonzi (1)
• Arsenal 2010/11 top scorer: Walcott (3)
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• Blackburn injuries: Pascal Chimbonda, Keith Andrews, David Dunn, Vincenzo Grella
• Arsenal injuries: Emmanuel Frimpong, Samir Nasri, Nicklas Bendtner, Aaron Ramsey
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• Blackburn 2010/11 Season Form: WL
• Arsenal 2010/11 Season Form: DW

Blackburn v Arsenal Betting and Match Preview:

This is Saturday’s big match of two very contrasting sides. In the red corner you have the long ball physical tactics of Sam Allardyce and Blackburn, who like to make things as difficult as they can again teams. In the blue corner you have the flair and technical ability of Arsene Wenger and Arsenal who delight with their free flowing, controlled, passing game. One stand out statistics so far this early in the season, is that Arsenal have the highest passing completion rate in the Premier League, while Blackburn have the lowest. That is the contrast we have at Ewood Park on Saturday and from a football betting point of view, there is the feeling of a draw here. Blackburn were only defeated three times at Ewood Park last season, while Arsenal are on a streak of away jitters. That, combined with the two very differing sides, there is not much going to be given. The key factor in this match is how well Arsenal’s defence can stand up to an aerial bombardment from the Lancastrian side, as Arsenal are not particularly well equipped at the back to deal with that. Any option, whether you go for a Blackburn Draw No Bet, or an Asian Handicap favouring the away team Arsenal which provides some coverage on a draw for this match, will be well worth considering. It looks as if it will be hard for one team to come out on top on Saturday, and therefore a draw will be a prime bet, even though Arsenal do have the upper hand in the head to head record.

Blackburn v Arsenal Betting Tip: Robin Van Persie to score (he has scored 10 goals in 9 games against Rovers)

Blackburn Betting:

Blackburn are one of those teams who you expect to be fighting for the top of the bottom half of the Barclays Premier League. They have big Sam Allardyce at the helm, who is a fighter and a battler. That is just what you will get from his Blackburn side. They play their way, regardless of who likes it or not, and it is a way of battling and scrapping for their Premier League survival. If there is any team that Rovers would enjoy disrupting, then it will be the best passing team in the league, Arsenal. Doing so will vindicate their approach to the game, and it paid off last year where they picked up some valuable home points against top opposition. This is another chance for them to get one over on the Gunners, whom they bet in the Premier League run in last season. They know that they are not going to have the lions share of possession in Saturday’s early game, but at the same time they know that they will be comfortable with hitting Arsenal quickly on the break. They will present Arsenal a very tough challenge, and won’t want to get stung at home for a second week running after losing to Birmingham last weekend.

Arsenal Betting:

For all of their clinically impressive football passing ability, one of Arsenal’s biggest downfalls over the last quarter of the Premier League last season, was their away form. You have to go back to March in order to find their last win away from the Emirates. Until they sort this out, they won’t be able to challenge Chelsea and Manchester United strongly enough. Undoubtedly Arsenal are still one of the highest quality teams out there, and if this was a home tie you would back them quite comfortably. The Gunners did put in a good performance against Liverpool on the opening day of the season, but needed a helping hand to salvage a draw. That was in spite of them playing very well, and it is not to often you won’t see them converting chances. Arsenal have some fierce firepower with a lot of variety. They stretched their legs last weekend when they ran in six goals against newly promoted Blackpool, with Theo Walcott weighing in with his first hat trick for the club. Arsenal won that match with Cesc Fabregas and Robin Van Persie starting from the subs bench. Naturally they are not going to have things that easy against Blackburn, and these are the kind of matches which will generally make or break Arsenal’s title hopes. Because Arsenal’s centre half position is probably their weakest area, Wenger has brought in Laurent Koscielny and has just picked up Sebastien Squillaci in order to try and tighten and toughen things at the back. The former returns to the side after sitting out the last match because of a ban, but the latter will not be making an appearance after just signing in the week. Arsene Wenger has been a vocal critic of direct football, and he knows that his side will be coming under a lot of pressure at the back from set plays, long balls and physical challenges inside the penalty box. Arsenal’s goalkeeping is also suspect and that will make betting on Arsenal just a little twitchy. In pure footballing terms Arsenal should win this one, but of course things are not as cut and dry as that. For betting on Arsenal in this match, the first temptation is to lean towards some kind of coverage in a drawn match, primarily through an Asian Handicap football bet. However, the home defeat which Blackburn suffered last weekend, coupled with Arsenal finding their goal scoring feet, should just tip the balance in favour of the Gunners. They will have to work very hard to get this one done, and it won’t be a goal fest for them, and no doubt there will be some controversy over Blackburn being too physical, but would go with Arsenal being one goal better in this match if you are looking for a winner. Whether you take that as a winning margin, fixed odds outright or handicap, it looks the most likely method of a victory.

Blackburn v Arsenal Football Betting Prediction: Away win