Business End Big Ones
With the mid-week Champions League clashes out of the way, spread bettors will be gearing up for what looks set to be a fantastic weekend of football. The two key matches that spread punters will be hoping to profit from will be the Manchester Derby and Arsenal v Chelsea. United look to take another step towards a third successive league title and it is in the bag according to the Sporting Index traders, as they have them as 57-58.5 spread favourites in their 60-point title index. With the Premier League drawing to a close, there are some key matches at the other end of the table, one of which is the North-East Derby between Newcastle and Middlesbrough. The Sporting Index traders reckon these two sides will be playing each other next season, but unfortunately in the Championship.
Super Sunday starts at lunch time with Manchester United taking on their local rivals. United will be in high spirits following their destruction of the Gunners in Europe and it should be a great game, as City are gunning for the crucial seventh-place and European spot. Followers of United on the spreads will be pleased that their home form this campaign has been near perfect - only losing one and drawing one of their 17 matches at Old Trafford. They have also won 11 of their 15 victories to nil, which will be a concern to sellers of the first Man City goal. Those looking to buy United's match supremacy spread will be aware that City have an awful away record this season, which has seen them lose 10 of their 17 away games. Both spread sellers and buyers have had success in the derby in the total bookings market. The last match between these two accumulated a huge total of 80 points, but the two previous encounters only made up 10 and 40. Spread bettors may therefore wait to have a bet in-running once they've seen how fiery the opening exchanges are.
Having both been dumped out of Europe, Arsenal and Chelsea will be looking for a morale boosting win to banish the memories and hurt of the mid-week clashes. Buyers of Arsenal's win index spread will be pleased that the Gunners have not lost at home in the league since being overturned by Villa in November. Those looking for a spread bet on the Gunners will be hoping that Arshavin can continue his fine form in the league; he was greatly missed in Europe having been cup-tied. Those spread bettors looking at the total goals market will have noticed that the last three matches between these sides have produced exactly three goals, but none of the last 17 have seen more than that. Tempers flared again for Chelsea on Wednesday night, as they claimed four penalty decisions went against them. Spread bettors looking to buy bookings will be hoping those frustrations spill over here and will remember the Carling Cup Final two years ago when three red cards were shown in the final minute for a final bookings make up of 145 points.
Bill Esdaile of Square in the Air Communications, a former sports trader, spread betting specialist and self confessed stats addict, casts his eye over this weekend's sport and shares his views on some of the trades available. Please note these are his views and are not the views of Sporting Index.
Football Spread Betting at Sporting Index
