Premier League 
/ Mike Norman / 25 February 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Kevin Nolan and Cheik Tiote form part of Newcastle’s physically strong midfield
"Bolton have been atrocious away from home in the league recently, losing six on the bounce and scoring just two goals in that time."
Mike Norman has had six successful Best Bets in a row now and believes that Newcastle are the team that can give him his magnificent seventh this weekend. Best Bet: Back Newcastle at [2.18] to beat Bolton.
Aston Villa [1.81] v Blackburn [5.1]; The Draw [3.8]
Villa threatened to go on a good run when they won three consecutive games - including an FA Cup tie over today's opponents - at the end of January, but they have so far failed to win in the month of February which is slightly disappointing. Blackburn have lost seven of their last eight games away from home and like Villa, they have also failed to win a game this month. Villa are undoubtedly the better side in my opinion, so with home advantage this weekend Gerard Houllier's men should take all three points.
Games between these two have been very entertaining in recent years - in fact, the last six encounters at Villa Park have produced a staggering 28 goals, that's an average of 4.66 goals per game. Over 4.5 Goals is available to back at [6.4] if you expect that average to be maintained, but perhaps Over 2.5 Goals is the best bet of this game at [1.94]; eight of the last 13 meetings between these two have finished this way.
Everton [1.8] v Sunderland [5.4]; The Draw [3.8]
Everton showed terrific battling qualities to beat Chelsea in the FA Cup last week, and more importantly, they showed a great team spirit. But was that an act that merely painted over the cracks? I still believe that all is not well at Goodison Park and I wouldn't be surprised at all if 12 months from now David Moyes is no longer in charge. Everton's league form isn't great, but they are unbeaten on home soil in their last four games and they might just edge this one against a Sunderland side that have lost three on the bounce.
I'm not confident about selecting a wager in this game but the fact that Sunderland have an appalling record against the Toffees leads me to put up Everton/Everton at [2.94] in the Half Time/Full Time market. From the last 13 meetings, Everton have recorded 10 victories and three draws, and in most of those games they led the Black Cats at the interval.
Newcastle [2.18] v Bolton [4.0]; The Draw [3.4]
The loss of Andy Carroll doesn't appear to have affected Newcastle one bit. Remember, the striker was injured throughout January prior to his big-money move to Liverpool and since he's been unavailable the Magpies have lost just one of their eight league games. Bolton have been atrocious away from home in the league recently, losing six on the bounce and scoring just two goals in that time. True, the Trotters have won two FA Cup ties away from home in the last 10 days, but those games require a different mentality/approach and I very rarely use cup form as a guide to assessing a league match.
I fancy Newcastle to win this one, and at [2.18] to back in the Match Odds market I'm happy to make this my only bet of the game. With the impressive Cheik Tiote, Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan in midfield, and a relatively strong defence, I expect the home side to match Bolton physically and succumb Owen Coyle's men to a seventh consecutive league loss away from the Reebok Stadium.
Wigan [7.0] v Man Utd [1.63]; The Draw [4.0]
Manchester United have a good head-to-head record against most teams in England, but the one they have against Wigan is quite remarkable. The two clubs have met 12 times in their history (all since 2005), and United have won every single one of them, scoring 37 goals in the process and conceding just four! With Sir Alex Ferguson having quite a few injury worries this could be a tight affair, but I still expect United to come out on top.
The pitch at the DW Stadium isn't in great condition (when is it ever?) which makes the outcome - in terms of number of goals scored - very difficult to predict. I do however expect both Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov to line-up for the away side - Rooney has scored nine in 12 against the Latics; Berbatov has scored five in eight - and will back both these stars in the First Goalscorer market at around [5.0] and [5.5] respectively.
Wolves [1.91] v Blackpool [4.5]; The Draw [3.8]
Plucky Blackpool have suffered a huge blow by having inspirational midfielder Charlie Adam suspended for this game, and his absence alone could be the difference between winning and losing at Molineux. True, one man doesn't make a team, but in Adams' case he comes very close. The midfielder has scored seven league goals this season and has played a major role in many more. Wolves have beat the likes of Chelsea, Man Utd and Man City this season on home soil, and if they can reproduce anything like that form they should beat Ian Holloway's men.
Over 2.5 Goals is available to back at [1.82] here and I believe that to be very generous. Perhaps the reason why that price isn't closer to [1.7] is because Wolves are in the equation, but the last seven games at Molineux have averaged exactly three goals per game, and Over 2.5 Goals paid out on five of those occasions.
Recommended Bets
Best Bet: Back Newcastle at [2.18] to beat Bolton
Back Over 2.5 Goals at [1.94] in Aston Villa v Blackburn
Back Everton HT/Everton FT at [2.94] v Sunderland
Back Wayne Rooney at [5.0] and Dimitar Berbatov at [5.5] to (First Goalscorer) v Wigan
Back Over 2.5 Goals at [1.82] in Wolves v Blackpool
*Mike's record on his Best Bets this season is 23 wins from 46 selections resulting in a profit of £78.40 (£10 stake/liability per selection)
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