2012/13 Premier League Betting Preview: Team Specials

Not many markets ahead of the new Premier League season sees the odds compilers disagree more than individual top team scorer ones and there is certainly some value to be had.

Much debate in the days before the start of the new campaign has centred on who will score more goals at Old Trafford this term but we’re not going to get rich taking a chance on new signing Robin van Persie at a shade of odds on or Wayne Rooney at around the 2.50.

There is cash to be made elsewhere however and first port of call is Stamford Bridge where I’m convinced Fernando Torres should be significantly shorter than the 2.63 available at Stan James and Coral to be Chelsea’s leading scorer come May.

While there is no doubt Torres endured a wretched first 18 months at Chelsea, the Spaniard did top the scoring charts at Euro 2012 and his displays domestically improved in the final months of last season, too.

There is no Didier Drogba stealing his thunder in west London any more and even if owner Roman Abramovich splashes the cash on another striker, such as Hulk, then Torres would still be first choice to lead the line.

His supply from Juan Mata, Oscar and Eden Hazard should be first-rate and Torres can return to somewhere near his best this term.

At a similar price, Luis Suarez has very little competition at Anfield and he, too, should be odds-on to end the campaign as Liverpool’s top scorer.

Having put his race row troubles with Patrice Evra behind him, and having signed a new long-term contract in the summer, the Uruguayan is the standout name in a flimsy Reds strike force and was prolific for Ajax in his time in the Eredivisie.

The 2.25 with Coral is too good to turn down with Bet 365 as short as 1.57.

While Suarez will hopefully be banging in the goals for new boss Brendan Rogers on Merseyside, The Northern Irishman’s former team Swansea City are still tipped to perform with credit under Michael Laudrup and the signing of Michu appears a shrewd one.

The former Rayo Vallecano playmaker bagged 15 goals in La Liga last season and Coral’s 7.00 about him outscoring his new teammates over the next nine months is wrong.

He faces far from stern opposition in the shape of Danny Graham and Scott Sinclair while the next best price on offer is 4.33 at Boylesports.

Along the M4 in west London, Djibril Cisse, granted an injury-free nine months, looks decent value at 3.25, again with Coral, to fire Queens Park Rangers to relative safety.

I’ve been impressed with Rangers’ recruitment this summer but they’ve failed to add to their forward line and Cisse was an instant success when signing for the Loftus Road club in January.

It was six goals in eight matches from the turn of the year and the Frenchman has plenty of Premier League experience to call upon. Bobby Zamora, his attacking partner, appears past his best and nobody else in a Rangers shirt threatens to come close to that pair.

3pts Back Fernando Torres Top Chelsea Scorer @ 2.63 (Coral, Stan James)
3pts Back Luis Suarez Top Liverpool Scorer @ 2.25 (Coral)
2pts Back Michu Top Swansea Scorer @ 7.00 (Coral)
3pts Back Djibril Cisse Top QPR Scorer @ 3.25 (Coral)