Another good week from our football accumulator tips last time out, albeit let down by Luton not quite being able to best Notts County at home.
Otherwise our other four legs came in, and so in the past fortnight alone that’s nine out of ten successful selections nearly landing a 9/1 and 11/1 payout.
Not to worry: as acca punters we wear our close-but-no-cigar bruises with pride! The good news is that our for is good, so let’s see if we can go even closer this week for a timely Christmas bonus.
- Arsenal vs Newcastle United: Arsenal -1.00 Asian Handicap (8/13)
- Sunderland vs Fulham: Fulham Draw No Bet (8/11)
- Rennes vs PSG: Rennes +2.50 Asian Handicap (1/2)
- St Etienne vs Monaco: Monaco -0.25 Asian Handicap (8/11)
- Girona vs Getafe: Getafe/Draw Double Chance (4/5)
- Acca Odds: 9.42/1
Arsenal vs Newcastle United: Arsenal -1.00 Asian Handicap
This Asian handicap dictates that we our bet will land if the Gunners win by two or more goals, with this portion voided should they only claim victory by a single goal.
That seems fair enough given their attacking veracity at present. Arsene Wenger’s side have scored two or more goals in 7/8 home outings this term in the league, and in the one anomaly to the rule – the 1-3 defeat to Manchester United – they would have netted a hatful but for the brilliance of David de Gea.
Newcastle are really in the doldrums with six defeats in their last seven, and the fact they have shipped 15 goals in their last five games lends itself to this selection rather nicely.
Sunderland vs Fulham: Fulham Draw No Bet
Sunderland somehow escaped Molineux with a draw last week despite losing the shot count to Wolves 1-23 and the xG measure by some 0-1-1.4.
The Black Cats used all of their nine lives then, but you suspect on home soil – where their fans will demand more in an attacking sense – they could come unstuck. They haven’t won at the Stadium of Light in months, and that’s because when they play on the front foot they concede goals as a rule; ten in their last four speaks volumes.
Fulham have found their attacking spark of late; winning three of their last four and finding the net in each of their last five. They will fancy the job in the North East this weekend.
Rennes vs PSG: Rennes +2.50 Asian Handicap
Betting against PSG, you say? Yes, on paper this selection appears foolish, but stick with us.
The nature of this Asian handicap selection means that PSG need to win by three clear goals to scupper our bet; Rennes only need to win, draw or lose by one or two goals for this selection to land.
The Parisians have been rocked this week by the absence of Neymar, who requested to return to Brazil for ‘personal reasons’. According to eyewitnesses and various social media posts, it would seem that those personal reasons were to have a darn good knees-up with his mates.
The Brazilian missed the club’s Christmas party as a result, and it appears as though his time in France may be coming to an end sooner or later.
PSG have ‘only’ won by three or more goals in 8/17 Ligue 1 matches this season, and Rennes are a better outfit than most in France’s top flight.
Their record under former boss Christian Gourcuff – W4 D3 L5 – wasn’t the best, but new manager Sabri Lamouchi seems to have had a positive effect with a W3 D1 L1 in his league outings thus far.
Rennes have won their last four on home soil, and with all of PSG’s dropped points this term coming on their travels we can have confidence that the hosts can get the job done – one way or another.
St Etienne vs Monaco: Monaco -0.25 Asian Handicap
St Etienne’s remarkably bad run of defending continues. They have now shipped a staggering 17 goals in their last six games following a 0-3 defeat to Marseille at the weekend, and it’s no coincidence that that run has coincided with injuries to key defenders Loic Perrin and Gabriel Silva.
Well now another defender has joined that list of absentees: Ronael Pierre-Gabriel, who is suspended. It never rains but it pours.
After a brief wobble Monaco have returned to winning ways with victories in each of their last three league and cup fixtures, and after resting players in midweek for the 2-0 win over Caen they will be chomping at the bit to get at the Saints here.
Girona vs Getafe: Getafe/Draw Double Chance
Girona are currently sitting pretty in ninth in the La Liga table in their debut season in the top flight, although you wonder how sustainable their lofty billing is.
They’ve netted 19 goals this season and 13 of those have come from two players – Middlesbrough cast-off Cristian Stuani and Portu. Take those two out of the side and it is a very sorry tale.
They will also be without three key players for this one in Marc Muniesa, Bernardo Espinosa and Pons Pere, so we’re expecting some kind of regression this weekend.
And so we’re happy to give Getafe a chance of avoiding defeat at such a generous price. They sit seventh in the table and have lost just two of their nine away dates so far this term.