The Premier League is really going to be shaping up over the festive period, with so many games being played and teams having to deal with tiredness from squeezing in the extra matches. While the race for the Premier League title looks as if it is going to be a straight shoot out between Manchester United and Manchester City, there is going to be extra pressure and stresses on the teams at the foot of the table in trying to avoid relegation.
McDermott in Royal trouble
Reading, who are on a seven match losing slump go into the Christmas period rock bottom on nine points, which is six points clear from safety and they also have the problem of a poor goal difference to contend with as well. That has left Reading as 1/7 favourites at online bookmaker Ladbrokes to take the drop. The Royals have won just two, drawn three and lost one of their six Premier League matches played in the month of December. That is a haul of 1.5 points per game from previous December matches, which they are probably going to need to better (which looks unlikely), to get clear of the drop zone.
QPR, who are just a point above Reading have a terrible Premier League record in the month of December. Rangers have not won a Premier League match in the month of December (not including this term) since the 2007/08 season, losing four of six contested at a strike rate of 0.33 points per game. Although they have lost just one of their last five in the Premier League, Harry Redknapp’s men also have a big hole to dig themselves out of and the December stats don’t look too good for them. Especially when you look at the remaining fixtures for the month, Reading’s better December points haul as well as that of Wigan. QPR are 4/7 to find themselves in the Championship next season in Premier League relegation betting.
Will the Christmas leaders take the title again?
Latics survival skills a threat to Saints
Wigan, sitting in the Premier League zone for Christmas have taken seven wins from 25 Premier League matches played in December since the 2007/08 season. The Latics have struck at a rate of 1.25 points per game during the month of December previously in the Premier League. They are tied on fifteen points with Southampton but are four goals worse off than the Saints in goal difference. Southampton don’t have records in the Premier League from the 2007/08 season apart from this term, so they are the unknown quantity. However, given Wigan’s previous survival experience under Roberto Martinez, it leaves the Saints the more likely to go back down.
Will however, one of the bigger guns, Aston Villa or Sunderland, who are three and four points respectively clear of the drop zone get dragged into things? Villa got an unwelcome Christmas gift as Paul Lambert’s men were hammered 8-0 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. That has put them in jeopardy in terms of goal difference, while the Black Cats have just started to discover a bit of form. Villa have won 12 and drawn 5 of 27 December fixtures since the 2007/08 season, while Sunderland are a little worse off winning 8 and drawing 7 of 27.
Find the latest results, League Table, Top Scorer and more on our football statistics on online-betting.me.uk (just choose your country & your preferred topic)
So it all looks like QPR and Reading are the ones who could almost be cut adrift come the New Year unless they pull something unexpected out of their respective bags. Both have two home games left each for 2012, QPR host West Brom and Liverpool, while Reading entertaining Swansea and West Brom.
Premier League relegation betting odds at online bookmaker Ladbrokes
Reading 1/7, QPR 4/7, Southampton 5/6, Wigan 11/8, Aston Villa 4/1, Sunderland 5/1, Newcastle 11/1, Norwich 12/1
Online bookmaker Ladbrokes offer a free £50 bet for new customers registering an account with them. The betting site provide their customers with great football betting promotions as well as superb live in running betting. New customers registering an account with the special promotion code FB50 will get their first stake on a new account matched with a free bet, up to the maximum value of £50.
