Our football team have selected their best bets from the specials market based on the remaining Premier League season.
It's like a mini-season to complete the 2019/20 campaign, and with so much happening it's wise to look at it as a new campaign. As such, we've got our best bets for the remainder of the season.
Toon's scoring struggles
George Pitts
A great price considering how poor the Magpies have been in front of goal this season. At one stage in late October/early November, they were relying on goals from defenders in a three-match unbeaten run - Jamaal Lascelles, Federico Fernandez, DeAndre Yedlin and Ciaran Clark all contributing.
Joelinton, despite his £40m fee, was never going to be prolific considering his previous record and they have missed the goals of Salomon Rondon from last season.
An improvement from Miguel Almiron in 2020 has given them a glimmer of hope with five goals since the turn of the year in all competitions - but the Paraguayan still has just two goals to his name in the Premier League and the last one came in early January.
As good as Allan Saint-Maximin has been and as promising as he is, the French winger still seems quite wasteful while Dwight Gayle is yet to score in 13 appearances for the club this season. Andy Carroll has not been able to catch a break since his return to the club. Supposedly fit again, they cannot count on him too much due to his record.
A combination of those shocking stats and bad luck with injuries makes no wonder they sit bottom of the expected goals table with a projected 31.2 for the season, one behind Crystal Palace (13/2 in the lowest scorers, which is also tempting).
Bruce's side are 13th in the table and eight clear of the bottom three, so it would be a disaster if they got relegated now. A couple more points will do it and then they can consider it job done.
That expected goals tally shows just how few chances they create - only 13 goals have come from open play this season (12 from set pieces). Five of their nine wins this term have been 1-0s.
Bruce clearly sets them up quite defensively and makes them hard to beat, anything else at the other end is a bonus.
They have Sheff United (h), solid away from home this term, Villa (h), Bournemouth (a), West Ham (h), Man City (a), Watford (a), Tottenham (h), Brighton (a) and Liverpool (h) to play before the season is out.
You expect the others at the bottom might go down fighting with goals here and there, but Newcastle will be happy to scrape over the line by grinding out points, so 7/1 could be a steal.
Rampant Red Devils
Joe Townsend
Before the coronavirus shutdown, Manchester United were looking really good. So good in fact, that people had stopped talking about who was going to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as manager.
Bruno Fernandes' January arrival was the catalyst for a sudden improvement in performance, lifting the level of the whole team with his sheer presence never mind his actual quality.
Currently unbeaten in 11 games in all competitions, nine of which Fernandes has been part of, more than most United won't have wanted this break to happen, but its length has brought about a couple of positives for them.
Two truly world class players are back fit after initially being ruled out for the season. That United team that was flying will now also have Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford - that's a mouth-watering prospect.
Manchester United's remaining fixtures are not the trickiest, and I can really see them avoiding defeat from now until the end of the Premier League season, but backing that is essentially the same as having early kick-off in your acca by virtue of the fact that they begin the restarted campaign with matches against two of their rivals for a Champions League place - Spurs and Sheffield United.
Altogether, a fairly straightforward-looking run-in is book-ended by sticky away trips to Tottenham and Leicester.
Personally, I am backing it because at 8/1, considering all of the factors I have mentioned, it feels like a decent price. But I know I could be metaphorical tearing up and throwing my coupon in the air after just 90 minutes.
Bet: Manchester Utd to go unbeaten for the rest of the season at 8/1
Salah to top scoring charts
Joe Townsend
Mohamed Salah has been the most consistent goal-scorer in the Premier League since joining Liverpool in the summer of 2017, netting 70 times in 100 Premier League games and so far winning the Golden Boot in both of his seasons at the club.
While Liverpool's performances as a team have improved throughout Salah's time at Anfield, his own goal-scoring has actually slowed. Well that's a little harsh, his first season was freakishly good and since then he's been more huma.
And it's easy to explain why.
During the 2017/18 season, Jurgen Klopp's team truly did play the 'rock 'n' roll football' that he promised when he arrived, but that was slightly tempered in pursuit of an improved defensive record. When it was all gung ho, Salah scored an incredible 45 goals in all competitions.
Why would Liverpool not take the handbrake off in the closing games with the title more than likely already in the bag? Salah could well be the main beneficiary should they do so.
Add to that the fact that the Reds' final nine fixtures includes only two top-eight opponents and the Egyptian might well be back to his plundering best.
Bet: Mohamed Salah to be top scorer between June 17-end of season at 5/1
Man Utd's flying finish
Dale Tempest
To be honest there’s nothing hidden in the betting markets. The prices are based on what everyone has seen and what we’d obviously expect from each team over the remaining nine games. 10 if your Man City, Sheffield United, Arsenal or Aston Villa.
The only team that particularly catches my eye for the required strong finish Is Manchester United. The 7/4 for them to finish in the top 4 has now been added to the Tempest Premier League portfolio.
I’ve opposed United for most of the season but if you want to talk about great signings that can transform a team, then step forward Bruno Fernandes. He’s been nothing short of sensational since he signed on deadline day from Sporting Lisbon.
I didn’t know much about him before he arrived but to have Roy Keane and Gary Neville singing your praises from Day 1 you must be doing something pretty good. His attitude is spot on. He leads with energy, excitement and quality, and he’s been the catalyst to a much-improved United side.
Let’s remind ourselves. Six wins from seven including a win at Stamford Bridge and the defeat of Man City. If Paul Pogba thinks he’s getting back in the side as a number 10 then he’s got another thing coming.
Pogba is generally a negative in the dressing room but I’m expecting even he’ll get on board now the team is winning. With a fully fit Marcus Rashford and a decent run-in of only Leicester, Spurs and Sheffield United still to play from the top half of the table, then 7/4 has to be a play.
Bet: Man Utd to finish in the top four at 7/4
Odds correct as of 9.15am on 15/6/20
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