Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal and Pick to Win
Date:Saturday, January 20th, 2018
Where: English Premier League Emirates Stadium Highbury, London, UK
by Keith, Professional Soccer/Football Handicapper, Predictem
Match Odds: Crystal Palace 11/2, Arsenal 4/7, Draw 7/2
Moneyline: Crystal Palace +550, Arsenal -175, Draw +350
Over/Under Best Market: OVER 3.5 13/10 (+130)
We have said it once before and we will say it again, the football rivalries of London are not just comprised of the big three within the city limits (Chelsea, Tottenham, and Arsenal). The Cross-City Derby of Arsenal and Crystal Palace exemplifies this. Arsenal comes from North London by way of the borough of Islington and that is where they will be playing this one. Crystal Palace will jet across the Thames from South London. North London and South London will lock horns once again on Saturday, January 20th, 2018. The contest will take place at Emirates Stadium.
At one point this season, Crystal Palace seemed to be sure to be relegated right in the face as they sat dead last in the English Premier League standings. However, Palace showed tremendous resilience and battled back. Now, Crystal Palace sits in the 12th position with 25 points. For Crystal Palace finishing in the top half of the table would be considered a huge morale victory. The men from Thornton Heath sit just one point clear of that echelon.
Arsenal comes into this game desperate for a victory. The Gunners have struggled mightily well as of late as they have been winless in their last five fixtures. Most recently, Arsenal fell against Bournemouth in a 1-2 shocker. BMouth stands just one point behind Crystal Palace in the standings in the 13th position. As a result of their recent woes, the Gunners have stumbled in the table. Currently, the Gunners sit sixth in the English Premier League table with 39 points. The Gunners stand five points behind their arch nemesis Tottenham Hotspur who sit in the fifth position. Presently, if the Gunners were to finish in their current spot they would return once again to Europa League competition. Overall, Arsenal is 23 points behind the league leader Manchester City.
The last time these two teams met, Arsenal was lucky to get out of Thornton Heath with a win in what was a 3-2 classic. The fact remains that Arsenal is in terrible form at the moment whilst Palace has a penchant for playing up to elite competition. Against Burnley and Manchester City of all teams, Palace is 1-0-1. Chances are Palace is looking for another shot at Arsenal when they are most vulnerable. The fact that this one is played in the Emirates, many think the Gunners may be easy money in this spot and can finally get back on level pegging. However, Crystal Palace will treat this rivalry game like it did the last one and they will certainly bring their A-Game. When comparing the market between the match-up featured here and the last one on December 28th, the draw is only $.30 more than where we saw it last time. That means that there is a very good chance that Palace can pull off the stalemate and this market offers the most upside given the three choices.
In Over/Under markets, there is substantial value on the Over 3.5. The two clubs combined for five goals in the last meeting. If the two teams combine for one less goal we still take away 1.3 units from that proposition. There is a very good chance that such an event can occur given what transpired in the last episode. Palace will simply revert to the blueprint they used last time to find the back of the net. This once again causes Arsenal to play a proficient game. Given the fact the Gunners surrendered four goals to Nottingham Forest, a minimum of two goals is not out of the realm of possibility once again here against Palace. All in all, we stand to risk two units to net a potential purse of 4.8 units.
Crystal Palace Recent Form
W Burnley 1-0
L Brighton and Hove Albion 1-2
W Southampton 2-1
D Manchester City 0-0
L Arsenal 2-3
Arsenal Recent Form
L Bournemouth 1-2
D Chelsea 0-0
L Nottingham Forest 2-4
D Chelsea 2-2
D West Bromwich Albion 1-1
Keith’s Prediction for the Game: DRAW 7/2 (+350) and OVER 3.5 13/10 (+130)
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