OUR sponsors Bet365 have produced a heap of Premier League specials for the new season. Chris Graham (@chrisgraham79) sifted through all them and picked his favourites.
WLB 2015/16 Preview | Premier League Specials
The start of a new season. Hopes abound. Souls untainted by cynicism and last minute defeats. The action is about to kick off and guess what, your team sit joint top of the table. For now.
It was my job to trawl through an almighty bunch of specials that Bet365 had priced up for the new campaign and pick out what caught my eye. Fun it most definitely was and four caught my eye.
My first pick really should have been included in Saturday's Outright piece but it sits well in here too. You'll know from reading Saturday's article that I like a Chelsea/Man Utd Straight Forecast at 8/1. Well let me add to that here and nominate Arsenal to finish in third place, therefore creating a Chelsea/Man Utd/Arsenal Tricast at 20/1.
The story of that bet is the fact I don't see Man City in the first three home. For me there are a huge number of negatives about the club just now. The manager looks to have lost his spark, it's an ageing team, the summer recruitments haven't (at this stage) made me gasp and there's just a feeling the club are drifting.
As City are second favourites in the betting we're being generously rewarded if we don't factor them into Top 2 equations. Therefore this particular tricast brings with it a buxom looking 20/1 price that I'm happy to seduce.
My remaining three bets are centred around one team – Crystal Palace. Now if you've read my Handicap musings you'll be aware that I'm backing them on that with a luscious looking 35 point start. But why stop there eh?
My biggest ante-post bet of the season will be jumping all over the 5/6 on Crystal Palace to finish higher than West Ham. Stop me in the street and ask me to list the negatives attached to West Ham this season and I'll still be there three hours later passionately spitting saliva in your face as I try to fervently get my points across. The non phlegm-flecked edition is here in my Relegation piece.
You want me to sum up? Ok, their abysmal second half of last season, the fact they got rid of Sam Allardyce, the way they've replaced him with a risky appointment, their potential Europa League ‘adventure' and the state of anxiety that will be hanging over the club as they prepare to move to the Olympic Stadium. Oh and it looks like Enner Valencia could be out for some time. 5/6? Oh, yes please.
Loftier ambitions than finishing above West Ham await Crystal Palace I feel. With Alan Pardew in for the whole season they'll be looking to copy the form they showed in the second half of last season under him and paste it over both halves this team round. If they do that they'll be in the Top 6 mix.
Despite that awful relegation form up to New Year's Day last season (16 points from opening 19 games) Palace still managed to finish Top 10. If we assume those depths won't be plundered again then surely 7/4 on them finishing Top 10 looks a good bet?
Even more ambitious? Yes! Ok, this is unlikely but I'm happy to throw a tenner on the 12/1 that Palace are the top ranked side outside of the Big 6 (Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal, Man Utd, Liverpool and Tottenham).
Their recruitment of Yohan Cabaye looks an outstanding one and they have a manager who achieved this feat when at Newcastle in 2011/12. Southampton (in Europa League), Everton (question marks after last season), Stoke (yeah, fair chance), Swansea (Bony gone, will Eder signing work out?) and West Ham (ha!) are their market rivals and none of them look rock-solid.
Best Bets
Premier League Specials – Chelsea/Man Utd/Arsenal Tricast (20/1 Bet365)
Premier League Specials – Crystal Palace to finish higher than West Ham (5/6 Bet365)
Premier League Specials – Crystal Palace to finish in the Top 10 (7/4 Bet365)
Premier League Specials – Crystal Palace Without The Big 6 (12/1 Bet365)
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