While the Premier League title has now been wrapped up, the battle for a top-four place remains in the balance as Tottenham slug it out with Chelsea and Arsenal for Champions League football next season.
Along with Manchester United and Sunderland, Andre Villas-Boas’ men look a good bet to secure maximum points away from home this weekend.
Each of the below selections should be considered on an individual basis, but new customers who sign up to bwin.com and back the treble with their free £20 bet would see a return of £411.94 should the trio all return home with the three points.
Tottenham Hotspur to beat Wigan Athletic @ 19/20
Sunday’s 3-1 victory at home to Manchester City gave Tottenham’s chances of Champions League football next season a major boost as they moved to within one point of Chelsea in fourth place and two behind Arsenal in third, having played a game less than the Gunners.
Villas-Boas was able to welcome Gareth Bale and Jermain Defoe back into the fold from injury, with both players getting their names on the scoresheet, while Aaron Lennon looks set to return for their trip to relegation-threatened Wigan this weekend.
Spurs have a good record at the DW Stadium since their hosts were promoted to the Premier League in 2005, losing just once in seven trips, while their form on the road this term has been impressive, with only Manchester United securing more away wins.
The Latics head into the game on the back of two defeats, leaving Roberto Martinez’s men three points adrift of safety – albeit with a game in hand over Aston Villa directly above them – and their eight-year stay in the top flight looks to be in real danger of coming to an end.
One of the major issues for Wigan this term has been their tendency to leak goals, as only Aston Villa and bottom club Reading have conceded more than the 60 Wigan have let in, while they have managed just one win against a side currently in the top half.
A tenth victory on the road for Villas-Boas’ men looks well within their grasp as they aim to keep the pressure on their London rivals, and with some key players returning after lay-offs, they should have too much quality for their hosts.
Manchester United to beat Arsenal @ 9/4
Manchester United were crowned champions on Monday evening as they saw off Aston Villa 3-0 at Old Trafford courtesy of a first-half hat-trick from Robin van Persie, which secured the club’s 20th league title and their 13th under Sir Alex Ferguson.
They travel to Arsenal this weekend with the record Premier League points total of 95, set by Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea back in 2005, in their sights and know they can surpass it by one point if they win all four of their remaining league fixtures.
United have won the last three meetings between the sides, including a 2-1 success at Old Trafford earlier in the season – a game in which Van Persie wasted no time reminding his former employers what they were missing as he opened the scoring inside three minutes.
No side has won more games on their travels this term than Ferguson’s men, who have secured maximum points on twelve occasions, losing just twice, and tasting defeat only four times in total in a season they have dominated from the very start.
United are averaging over two goals a game, with Van Persie leading the way in the goalscoring charts with 24 in the league, and he’ll fancy his chances of further increasing that tally against an Arsenal defence that have recorded just five clean sheets at home.
The pressure will be firmly on the Gunners, who are battling with Tottenham and Chelsea for one of the two remaining top-four places, which could work in United’s favour.
And considering they are unbeaten in ten away matches, 9/4 looks a great price.
Sunderland to beat Aston Villa @ 9/4
Following the news a few weeks ago that top scorer Steven Fletcher would miss the remainder of the season through injury, along with captain Lee Cattermole, Sunderland’s relegation odds quickly plummeted as the club looked to be in freefall.
Soon after, Martin O’Neill was replaced at the helm by Paolo Di Canio, who has breathed some new life into the Black Cats and they head to Villa Park this weekend on the back of successive league victories over Newcastle and most recently Everton.
Their remarkable 3-0 success in the derby at St James’ Park was followed by a 1-0 win at home to David Moyes’ men on Saturday, lifting the club seven points clear of the relegation places and ensuring their top-flight status is all but secure for another season.
The same can’t be said about their hosts, with Paul Lambert’s men sitting just three points above Wigan, who occupy the final relegation place having played a game less, and they have managed to pick up just one point from the last six available.
Only bottom club Reading have conceded more goals this term than Villa, whose defence has been breached 63 times in 34 league outings, while the Midlands outfit have lost eight matches at home this term – the joint-worst record alongside Wigan.
Had this match taken place last month, backing a home win is where the smart money would have gone, but with morale likely to be sky-high in the Sunderland dressing room following back-to-back wins, they’re certainly worth a punt to secure the points.
