It’s been an extremely profitable Premier League season and I’m hoping it can end in style at Villa Park on Sunday.
Only the matches at Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford, where Chelsea and Manchester United will fight out the title, have anything riding on them but you won’t get rich backing either of the big two at around the 1.10 mark this weekend and instead I think there is value to be had in siding with Blackburn.
Sam Allardyce’s side have meandered along in mid-table for much of the season, never looking likely to fall into a relegation battle, but the way they came from behind to beat Arsenal last time suggested there is still plenty of fight left in Rovers.
Big Sam takes his side to face an Aston Villa team that will once again fall just short of Champions League qualification and I get the feeling that the hosts will find it rather difficult to raise themselves for the visit for the 1995 champions.
A 3-1 defeat at Eastlands last time out was no disgrace, Martin O’Neill’s men actually played OK, but just how motivated they’ll be for the clash with a physical Blackburn outfit is open for debate and the 1.65 about Villa makes no appeal.
It is often foolhardy putting your faith in a side when very little is at stake but I also fancy the home side’s stars to have more than one eye on the World Cup and Villa don’t actually have that great of a home record either.
Just two defeats in front of their own fans is commendable but the midlands club often find it difficult to break teams down at Villa Park, they are an excellent counter-attacking side, and the statistics show they have won less than half of their top flight fixtures.
With Stoke visiting title-chasing Manchester United, a point for Blackburn will almost certainly see them finish in the top half and Allardyce will have his men ready to rumble from the start.
I’m tempted to suggest a small wager on the visitors to prevail but opposing teams that are too short has more often than not reaped rewards for the past nine months and that looks the way to go once again despite Blackburn’s poor away record.
3pts Lay Aston Villa (vs. Blackburn) @ 1.65 (Betfair)