A potentially decisive weekend in the Premier League and a pair of eye-catching televised matches.
Manchester United’s trip to Stamford ridge and Liverpool’s Monday night clash with Tottenham are the highlights but it is a lower profile match that offers the best betting opportunity over the coming days and I’m keen to take on Norwich.
The Canaries have performed magnificently since their return to the top flight but making a long-term profit is all about recognising value and they look underpriced to secure another three points against Bolton on Saturday.
A 3-0 loss at Sunderland last time out can probably be discarded as a one-off but Norwich do concede plenty of goals and Wanderers can cause them problems at Carrow Road.
In a clash of two Scottish managers, Bolton’s Owen Coyle will have been delighted by his team’s recent improvement and they were unfortunate not to have beaten Arsenal in midweek.
A goalless draw against the stuttering Gunners will still have been viewed as a point gained by Coyle and he will also have been cheered by two terrific recent Premier League wins over Everton and Liverpool.
FA Cup victories too over Macclesfield and Swansea since the turn of the year means it is now four wins in their previous eight matches in all competitions, having endured such a torrid time in 2011, and a 3-0 reversal at Old Trafford remains Bolton’s only defeat in that period.
Coyle’s opposite number on Saturday, Paul Lambert, has bizarrely been linked with the vacant Leeds United job on Friday and while that appointment seems unlikely, the rumours might just have taken Norwich’s eye off the ball.
Just one clean sheet all season, on their penultimate start in a goalless draw with Chelsea, doesn’t bode well against a team that likes to attack but both sides like to get forward and this should be a decent contest.
Norwich’s overall record in East Anglia this season is decent but West Brom, Tottenham and Arsenal have all emerged with the maximum haul and it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise of the campaign were Wanderers to follow suit on Saturday in their bid to beat the drop.
2pts Lay Norwich (vs. Bolton) @ 2.10 (Betfair)