Seeley’s Selections – Live Premier League December 26th

If you had been following this column’s tips over the last couple of weeks you would have some much needed extra cash in your sky rocket to get involved in some punting on the BoyleSports St. Stephen’s Day/Boxing Day coupons.

Chelsea v West Ham, Friday 26th December 12:45, live on Sky Sports 1
The festive football fun kicks-off with an early Premier League London derby between Christmas table toppers Chelsea and the surprise package of the season West Ham from Stamford Bridge.

This one won’t keep you in the holiday spirit for long though, as it really could be quite difficult to watch at times. Jose Mourinho was very critical of West Ham’s tactics last season when they visited West London and parked the claret and blue bus and the game-plan worked perfectly travelling back on that bus with a 0-0 draw. This time around Big Sam might be a little more adventurous and play just NINE men behind the ball.

The Happy Hammers are 17/2 outsiders with BoyleSports to get three points in this one and anybody contemplating a wager on them must have already got stuck into the Christmas cherry. Nobody wins at Stamford Bridge in the Mourinho era, especially not West Ham. The last time they picked up three points here was back in 2002 and have failed in their last nine visits.

The best they could really hope for is a draw at BoyleSports’ 17/4 and probably another 0-0 draw which is available at 13/1, I can’t see that happening either.

Every one of West Ham’s away trips this season has seen both teams scoring and stats fans will be all over the BoyleSports’ offer of 20/21 on that one. Not for me again.
Mourinho has changed Chelsea’s style of play since their defeat at Newcastle, they’ve gone back to the ‘old’ Chelsea very hard to beat and impossible to score against.

The Premier League leaders are terribly short at BoyleSports’ 1/3 to win this one, but they will win it. Instead of getting involved in the 1/3 jut to win, yet again in Chelsea games I’m loving the 6/5 on the home side to win to nil, which really is the best way to go yet again.

Their last four Premier League wins have all been to nil and five of their last home matches against West Ham, they’ve won to nil. They’ve kept five clean sheets in their last six Premier League matches and another comfortable 2-0 home win at 6/1 with looks to be on the cards.

Eden Hazard is an injury concern for this one which means that Cesc Fabregas may be asked to play in a more advanced role if the Belgium international is forced to miss out. Fabregas scored in the 2-0 win at Stoke and at 13/2 to open the scoring in this one, that’s who will be holding my Christmas money.

Remember “DOUBLE BUBBLE” if you winning first goalscorer nets inside the opening 20 minutes, BoyleSports will double the odds on your winning selection.

Seeley’s Selections:
Chelsea to win to nil @ 6/5
Chelsea to win 2-0 @ 6/1
Cesc Fabregas First Goalscorer @ 13/2 (13/1 Double Bubble)

Man United v Newcastle, Friday December 26th 3pm, live on BT Sport 1
The football comes thick and fast on Boxing Day and just when we will all be getting stuck into the Bubble and Squeak and cold turkey we can sit down and watch the 3pm live Premier League clash between Manchester United and Newcastle from Old Trafford.

Last weekend Manchester United let thousands of BoyleSports punters down on the weekend accumulators failing to beat 10-man Aston Villa and punters may not want to risk their hard earned cash on them again at 4/11. I won’t be touching those odds but they will win.

Louis Van Gaal’s troops are still in good nick, despite the Villa Park set-back they’ve only lost once in their last 12 matches and with key-players returning from injury, they are going to get stronger and stronger in 2015. They are just 4/11 to win this one and if you got your fingers burnt last weekend, I can see why you would be reluctant to get involved so soon, but I do think they will be far too strong in every department for this injury hit Newcastle side.

Newcastle play in streaks and runs, not black and white stripes this season. After their fabulous winning streak of a few weeks back where they became with first team to beat Chelsea, they were talked up as Europa League candidates. Since the Chelsea win they have been on a losing run with three successive defeats which has seen them talked down as relegation outsiders.

Pardew’s side will be bitterly disappointed by their 1-0 home defeat in the weekend Tyne and Wear derby with Sunderland and their performances at Arsenal and Tottenham prior to that were truly shocking.

They are 15/2 with BoyleSports to bounce back to winning ways on Friday, but I think the visitors could suffer a first round knock-out. United lost this fixture 1-0 under David Moyes last season and that’s 20/1 with BoyleSports for a repeat in this one, but prior to that shock defeat they always beat Newcastle at Old Trafford.

There has been some very one-sided home wins when these two have met over recent years with 6-0, 3-0 and 5-3 home wins and I like another 3-0 United victory at 17/2.
With so much attacking talent at his disposal, it’s hard to see how Van Gaal is going to fit in Robin Van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Falcao and the returning Angel Di Maria.

If he starts, Falcao would be my idea of the first goalscorer. He was a constant threat against Villa last week and he got the goal his performance deserved and at 10/3 with BoyleSports in this one to open up the floodgates, he would be my choice and hopefully net inside the opening 20 minutes to land a Festive “Double Bubble” Christmas bonus.

Seeley’s Selections:
Man United to win @ 4/11
Man United to win 3-0 @ 17/2
Falcao First Goalscorer @ 10/3 (Double Bubble 20/3)

Arsenal v QPR, Friday December 26th 5.30pm, live on BT Sport 1
It’s another London derby in the Premier League on Friday evening and like the early kick-off, BoyleSports think the battle at the Emirates between Arsenal and QPR will be another one-sided affair.

The Gunners are red-hot favourites to win this one at 1/4 and on current form it’s very hard to disagree with the odds-compilers’ view. Arsene Wenger will be furious that his side threw away a 2-1 after a with a last gasp Martin Skrtel equaliser which gave ten 10 man Liverpool a draw at the weekend and whenever Wenger expects a reaction from his side, he usually gets one.

We can’t really look to be backing them at those stingy 1/4 odds, but they will win.
The Gunners are scoring goals for fun at the moment with 12 in their last four matches, they’ve netted in 24 of their 27 matches this season and they are certain to score at least one here.

The problem for Wenger though is that they are conceding far too many and have let in six in those four games. Laurent Koscielny is still missing from the heart of the home defence which means that QPR will score and the evens with BoyleSports on both teams scoring is the first bet I like in this one.

Both teams have scored in the last four Arsenal matches and I fully expect that run to continue against a QPR side who in three of their last five matches, both teams have also netted. QPR are a massive 12/1 with BoyleSports to cause a huge shock and win at the Emirates but their record in North London isn’t that great with just one win in their last 15 visits.

Their current form could warrant some support on that price, but then you look at their away record. Away from Loftus Road, Harry Redknapp’s side have played nine matches and lost, scoring just three goals and conceding 21 – the worst away record in the country.

I do think they will score though. If they do, it’s only going to be one man getting the goal and that’s Charlie Austin. Austin is single-handedly leading the Premier League survival for the “Super hoops” and last week he netted his first Premier League hat-trick in the home win over West Brom.

A confident Austin will cause this shaky Gunners’ back-four problems and the 5/2 with BoyleSports on him scoring at the Emirates is worth taking – he’s already been to Stamford Bridge and netted so this challenge wont faze him. With goals expected from both sides and a fare few at the that, I’m taking the home team to keep up their recent average of three goals per game and come through this a convincing 3-1 winners which is a decent price at BoyleSports’ offer of 19/2.

B Lucky and Happy Christmas to you all!

Seeley’s Selections:
Both teams to score @ Evens
Charlie Austin to score anytime @ 5/2
Arsenal to win 3-1 @ 19/2