Before the coronavirus pandemic, punters around the world would have had their preferences when it came to betting. However, with football largely being played behind closed doors, results will realistically become more unpredictable. This has been shown in the Bundesliga with only a small portion of teams, mainly those possessing the most quality, earning victories on familiar territory. While some lessons will most likely be learned before the resumption of the Premier League, it would be naive if punters did not expect a similar trend, especially during the second half of June. However, some teams will realistically perform better than others with a lack of atmosphere, so which clubs should you be looking to back?
Just like there is considerable value in looking at casino proper Australian and US reviews, it should be worth taking a note of the betting odds of teams competing away from home, especially against mid-table and lower-end opposition. Of the two rearranged games which take place on June 17, a price of 7/5 for Sheffield United to defeat Aston Villa in the West Midlands naturally sticks out, especially considering their performances across the course of the season. Taking the fitness of the players into account, we would also add under 3.5 goals into the bet, and it could set you up to take slightly bigger risks heading into the weekend.
Later in the week, the other 16 teams should be taking to the pitch, and interest will be taken in Wolverhampton Wanderers. Before lockdown in the United Kingdom, Nuno Espirito Santo's team played behind closed doors against Olympiacos in the Europa League, earning a 1-1 draw in Greece. Heading into another game played at a big stadium without any atmosphere, there is a feeling that such a disciplined team in Wolves should fare well in the different surroundings. With that in mind, consideration should be given to backing Wolves to prevail at the London Stadium against opponents who require results to move away from the relegation zone.
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Tottenham Hotspur will head into their meeting with Manchester United sitting four points adrift of the fifth-placed team in the standings, While Jose Mourinho will be wary of losing to his former, both from an individual and Premier League perspective, the Portuguese also has to strike a balance with pushing for maximum points. Such a scenario could play into the hands of United, who themselves know that defeating one of their rivals could put them in pole position for a place in next season's Champions League. United recorded a 1-0 win in this fixture at Wembley Stadium in January 2019, and we would not be surprised to see the same result later this month.
With their next fixtures coming at Watford and Aston Villa respectively, Leicester City and Chelsea may take your fancy. However, at this stage, we would opt against backing either of the visiting teams, despite their betting odds being just above Evens. Nigel Pearson, who is coming up against his former club, and his players will be motivated to earn a result which may keep them outside of the relegation zone, and a low-scoring draw appeals to us rather than a Foxes triumph.
Meanwhile, Chelsea will take on Villa having already watched their opponents get 90 minutes under their belts against Sheff Utd. In theory, that should hand a considerable advantage to Dean Smith's outfit, providing that they do not pick up any injuries. Frank Lampard also has decisions to make regarding the set-up of his team with the impressive Billy Gilmour now facing a fight to keep his spot in the team after the return from injury of Mateo Kovacic. Gilmour is likely to get the nod, but Lampard will face scrutiny if his decision does not pay off. Like with the game at Vicarage Road, do not be surprised to see a draw played out at Villa Park.
