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The last piece of the Ryder Cup jigsaw was completed yesterday, as US captain Davis Love named his four wildcard picks, with Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Dustin Johnson and Brandt Snedeker joining the eight automatic qualifiers. The last two surprised many pundits, who had expected Love to opt for the next best placed quartet in the qualifying race. Whatever the merits of that unenviable decision though, it is hard to remember a Ryder Cup with such strength in depth amongst the 24 combatants.

There is always at least one big name that misses out, but thanks to a deeper pool of American talent than we've seen for many a year, this time around there were at least half a dozen perfectly plausible alternatives. Most notably Hunter Mahan, the reigning WGC Matchplay champion and a star of previous Ryder and President Cups, must be cursing the US qualification rules, having finished just one place outside the initial qualification places. If Mahan were European, ninth place would have been good enough. Rickie Fowler, hailed just a few months ago as America's next big thing and Rory McIlroy's new rival, is another extreme talent to miss out.

In both cases, poor recent results proved costly and it is hard to argue with Love's decision to blend recent excellence with experience amongst his four picks. Johnson and Snedeker met the first criteria having found their best form over the past fortnight with consecutive good results. Stricker and Furyk add invaluable experience to a side that includes four rookies. After Phil Mickelson found his form in Boston last week, it is hard to identify a single weak link in this American side. Especially with home advantage, they have the perfect credentials to regain the cup.

That shouldn't, however, worry the Europeans, who have not been short of good recent news themselves. Rory McIlroy re-affirmed his status as world number one and the man to beat by winning in Boston, while Sergio Garcia's sudden, surprising resurgence is the equivalent of finding an extra player who also happens to be a tournament legend. Along with Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Luke Donald, Team Europe will boast the four leading Ryder Cup performers this century. Their only worry is the poor form of Martin Kaymer, who will bid to his redeem a battered reputation this week at the KLM Open.

Not surprisingly given the pedigree amongst all of Love's possible picks, the betting was unmoved by his decision. USA remain 1.89 favourites, with Europe available at 2.52 and the tie a 13.0 chance. After endless consideration, I still can't separate these two classy line-ups and can only reiterate earlier advice to back the tie. Check out the full line-ups below.

Team Europe: Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell, Justin Rose, Paul Lawrie, Francesco Molinari, Peter Hanson, Martin Kaymer, Ian Poulter, Nicolas Colsaerts

Team USA: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Matt Kuchar, Bubba Watson, Webb Simpson, Keegan Bradley, Jason Dufner, Zach Johnson, Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Dustin Johnson, Brandt Snedeker

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Leeds v Blackburn

Leeds are playing well, there's no doubt about that. An opening day victory over Wolves was followed by an unlucky loss to early league leaders Blackpool before Neil Warnock's men got back to winning ways by beating Peterborough. Add in two impressive cup wins and it's four wins from five for United, 11 goals scored and just three conceded.

Blackburn have also started the season well going on results alone, but they haven't been playing great and that showed in midweek when they lost in the Capital One Cup to League One outfit MK Dons.

I sense Leeds are in for a good season and their form at Elland Road is going to be crucial if they are to be in the promotion picture come May. I'm not at all confident that Rovers will be there at the death however and I think the home side can win this game. Argentine striker Luciano Becchio is capable of scoring many goals at this level and he could well prove to be the difference in this encounter.

Recommended Bet: A confident Leeds side will be a match for any team this season. Back Leeds to win @ 2.4


Nottm Forest v Charlton

A lot of good things are expected from Forest this season but I'm not so sure. They were awful last terms and the addition of a few new faces and a bit of cash won't change things overnight. They'll improve as the season goes on but for now, and especially in this game, I think they are worth taking on.

Sean O'Driscoll's men have started the season ok but it's no wins in three now and they were thrashed in midweek on home soil by a much-changed Wigan side. In fact, Forest's only wins this term were both 1-0 victories over Fleetwood and Bristol City respectively.

Charlton have accumulated the same amount of points as Forest from their first three Championship games but their results read a little better. An away draw to Birmingham was excellent and victory over Leicester was fine too, and despite the Addicks being disappointed with a 0-0 home draw with Hull, they defended brilliantly against a very well-organised Steve Bruce side.

I'm of the opinion that Chris Powell's side can challenge for promotion this term, or at least be in the play-off picture throughout. They ran away with the League One title last season and their away form was very impressive. They're a big price here to register their first away win of this season.

Recommended Bet: Forest are ok but Charlton are still buzzing and full of confidence after last season's League One triumph. Back Charlton to win @ 4.2


Leicester v Blackpool

If someone can explain to me why Leicester are strong favourites to win this game then please go ahead.

I've made no secret of the fact that I thought the Foxes were vastly under-priced to win the Championship last season and I was equally bemused as to why they were one of the pre-season favourites this term. In short, I don't think they are very good and I wish I'd have laid them at odds-on in the Top 6 Finish market.

Nigel Pearson's outfit started this season with a win over a poor Peterborough side but they've since lost three on the bounce, including a shocking home defeat to Burton in the Capital One Cup. True, Pearson rotated his squad but if you're conceding four and losing at home to a League Two side then that is arguably an indication that your squad isn't that good.

Blackpool on the other hand have started the league season in superb fashion, winning all three games, scoring 10 goals, and conceding just the one. Obviously home advantage should count for something for Leicester, but comparing each club's early season form and my general feeling on how good each side is then I can't believe that Ian Holloway's men can be backed at 3.5 to win this game.

Recommended Bet: Christmas might be the best part of four months away but the Tangerines at this price is an early present. Back Blackpool to win @ 3.5 (Best Bet)

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It's difficult to escape the feeling that Hearts have already missed their opportunity in this tie. The SPL outfit had some good spells against a weakened Liverpool side at Tynecastle last week, but couldn't find a way past keeper Pepe Reina. A late own-goal from Andy Webster gave Liverpool a 1-0 win, and the Reds are firm favourites to progress to the group stage.

Hearts followed that defeat up with a disappointing goalless draw at Aberdeen at the weekend, a game that saw the Jambos muster just one shot on target in the whole 90 minutes. Hearts keeper Jamie MacDonald says his teammates have belief that they can pull off a shock at Anfield, but the market disagrees.

Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Premier League champions Manchester City on Sunday indicates they are heading in the right direction under Brendan Rodgers, although the horrendous Martin Skrtel error that gifted City an equaliser shows there are still a few teething troubles. Rodgers will however be encouraged by his side's performances so far in the Europa League - three games, three wins, three clean sheets.

Liverpool will once again shuffle their pack ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash with Arsenal, but regardless of the personnel involved, I expect Rodgers' team to dominate possession. It will be tough for Hearts to carve out chances if they are starved of the ball, and I suspect they will have to rely on nicking a goal from a set-piece. Value bets are tough to find with the market slanted so heavily in Liverpool's favour, but I like the look of the 1.87 on offer for Liverpool to Win to Nil, especially as they are yet to concede a goal in this competition.

Recommended Bet: Back Liverpool to Win to Nil at 1.87

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In keeping with all six of last season's El Clasicos, the two giants of Spanish football served up yet another goal-filled treat in the first leg as Real Madrid managed to bag two away from home to leave everything up for grabs.

After a quick-fire equaliser from Pedro at the Camp Nou to cancel out Cristiano Ronaldo's opener, it then looked every bit as though Barcelona were going to cruise home as they raced into a 3-1 lead courtesy of goals from Lionel Messi and Xavi.

It appeared as though Barca had one hand on the cup heading into the last ten minutes until Victor Valdes gifted Madrid a second goal following an absolute howler, which should see Iker Casillas remain as Spanish number one for a little longer yet.

In last season's Supercup, Barcelona achieved the same 3-2 result at home but it was the 2-2 draw they had achieved previously in Madrid which enabled them to win the trophy.

In fact, the 2-2 draw was the best result Jose Mourinho's side achieved in three home meetings with their bitter rivals last season, losing 2-1 and 3-1 on the other occasions.

It is this form at home to the Catalans which will have Blancos fans worried and for that reason I would stick my neck out and favour Barcelona at 2.58 to silence the home crowd once again by picking Real off as they search for the goal that they need.

Perhaps even more worryingly for Mourinho, his side are yet to win any of their three matches so far this season.

Over 3.5 goals

This market came up trumps in the first leg as once again the goals flowed at the Camp Nou, becoming the fifth Clasico in seven to produce over 3.5 goals, so a bet on a repeat appeals at 2.36.

Two of those games, including last week's topsy-turvy affair, have now produced over 4.5 goals as both sides go all out for victory, with defending often taking a back seat.

That's hardly surprising when you see the attacking talent on display for both sides, including Gonzalo Higuain, who has notched in both of his Real Madrid starts so far this season.

Half with most goals

While the goals have been raining in for El Clasico, there is a really strong trend for the majority arriving in the second half.

As we witnessed in a goal-laden second half last Thursday, in the last four meetings there have been more goals after the break on three occasions and the same amount on the other.

At 2.2, preparing for another top-heavy second period looks like a fruitful approach.

Best Bet: Back over 3.5 goals @ 2.36
Other Recommended Bet: Back the second half to have more goals @ 2.2

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Aston Villa v Tranmere

You can't be confident about anything in the early rounds of the League Cup, especially team selections, and as a general rule you'd imagine that Premier League clubs would rest some of their better players and give the 'second string' a chance.

That could well be the case when Villa host Tranmere but such is the need for Paul Lambert to get his first win I have a hunch that his starting XI will be a pretty strong one and they'll be fully fired up to get the win. Two league defeats on the bounce has put the new boss under some early pressure; a defeat tonight will be a huge blow.

Tranmere have started the season very strongly, recording two wins out of three (in which they scored three goals both times) and gaining an excellent draw at Shrewsbury at the weekend. As daft as it may seem, it could be wily old boss Ronnie Moore that rests a few players tonight as promotion from League One will be their ultimate aim this season.

Recommended Bet: Back Villa HT/Villa FT @ 2.3


Carlisle v Ipswich

A side that recorded a thumping win at the weekend versus a side that was on the wrong end of a good hiding. That might have little to do with the outcome of this encounter but I fully expected to see Carlisle at around the 2.6 mark for the visit of Ipswich, so at 3.1 to back, I have to make them a selection.

Scoring four goals against bewildered Portsmouth might not turn out to be such an achievement, but Carlisle themselves were coming off a 0-3 home defeat so they showed a lot of character against a Pompey team that might not have any money, but they do have some fighting spirit.

Ipswich were played off the park against Blackpool on Saturday, a result that had boss Paul Jewell shaking his head in disbelief. Yes, the home side were good, but the Tractor Boys were awful and I expect Jewell will ring the changes tonight. The problem is, his squad isn't that good, so we'll either see a side that is lacking in confidence or a side containing a lot of young and inexperienced players.

However Ipswich line up I'm pretty confident that Carlisle boss Greg Abbott won't change things around too much and that home advantage might just swing this tie in United's favour.

Recommended Bet: Back Carlisle to win @ 3.1


Other games

The Sky Sports cameras will be at the City Ground to see Nottingham Forest host Wigan, and they are there for one reason only; to see a potential upset. I'm not so sure, I think it's a difficult game to call but at the current odds I'd rather be on the Latics at 3.2 than Forest at 2.44.

There will be plenty of short price favourites going into your Multiples but as always, there's sure to be at least one upset on the night. My advice is to not get too greedy and select all seven or eight 1.4 (or less) shots, and instead be selective - three or four will still net you a nice profit.

Norwich (1.4) should have no problem beating out of sorts Scunthorpe at Carrow Road, whilst Everton (1.2) are in such confident mood that whoever David Moyes selects to play should be able to see of Leyton Orient. Put those two in a treble with Aston Villa (1.52) for accumulative odds of approximately 2.55.

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Brace yourselves ladies and gentlemen, El Clasico is here again. It's time for Spain's finest to entertain the rest of the world with some astonishing high tempo football and unbelievable skill, not forgetting some atrocious play-acting too!

Let's concentrate on the good bit though (the football). Barcelona certainly had the edge over their great rivals in this fixture last season, winning three of their six meetings and losing just once to Real Madrid.

However, in truth the contests were much closer than those statistics suggest, with only one of the games being decided by more than one clear goal - a 3-1 away win for the Catalan club in La Liga.

In fact, the last time these giants met at the Camp Nou was right at the end of last season where the champions returned the favour with a 2-1 win of their own.

It would seem a close one to call then. Both teams possess magical players in Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo - I'm more of a Messi man myself - who can produce a goal from nowhere and that's what makes El Clasico so exciting.

Barcelona are always the team who dominate possession but with the likes of Ronaldo and Mesut Ozil on the counter, Real Madrid will always trouble Carles Puyol's aging legs.

Real seemed to relish the hostile atmosphere at the Camp Nou last season too, scoring twice on each visit, and I would fancy them to get something here too.

Considering the champions only lost once there last term, and that to a last-gasp Messi strike, I suspect that they will come away with a positive result for the second leg.

For those reasons, it would seem that you could do a lot worse than back the draw at 3.95

Over 3.5 goals

El Clasico rained goals last season, with each one of the six games producing over 2.5 goals.

What's more, two-thirds of those produced in excess of 3.5 goals as the two opposing styles lent themselves to vulnerability at the back.

The two legs of the Spanish Supercup alone produced nine goals, so betting on another open encounter with plenty of goals seems most appealing at 2.66. Without the pressures of league points, the gloves will surely be off.

First Goalscorer

Both teams are littered with goal threats but there are obviously two candidates that stick out above all the rest. After all, Messi and Ronaldo bagged nearly 100 goals between them in the league alone in 2011/12.

No-one found the net more than the Portuguese in this fixture too as he scored four times, though the diminutive Argentinian wasn't far behind - bagging three for himself.

It's pretty much a toss-up here but with Messi's electric start to the campaign against Real Sociedad, scoring twice inside the first 20 minutes, I am more inclined to back him at likely odds of around 4.7 to draw first blood.

Best Bet: Back Messi to score first @ 4.7
Recommended Bet: Back over 3.5 goals @ 2.66

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Reading will be delighted after salvaging a point from their opening fixture with Stoke, but a midweek trip to Chelsea will be an altogether more daunting experience.

A lot was made in pre-season about how Chelsea's new wealth of attacking talent would migrate into the side, however Eden Hazard in particular proved that he could walk the walk as well as talk the talk.

Hazard was involved in both goals against Wigan and already the Belgian looks like becoming one of those players with the ability to win games on his own.

With such encouraging debuts for new stars Hazard and Oscar, you would expect Chelsea to overwhelm the Royals in defence as they did in the early stages at the DW Stadium.

If Roman Abramovich wanted attacking football then he also must have cracked a smile when witnessing the performance of Chelsea's new marauding right winger, Branislav Ivanovic!

The west Londoners laid down an impressive marker at Wigan and in front of their fans you just feel that the Blues will outclass newly promoted Reading.

The teams have only met four times in the Premier League, with Chelsea winning all but one of them and drawing the other 2-2.

The Berkshire sides' away record against the big teams makes fairly woeful reading too; in their previous stint in the top flight, Reading took only five away points in total against last season's top six clubs. And as Opta tell us, Reading have only won seven of their 38 road trips in the Premier League to date.

One shred of positivity though is that the visitors have managed to find the back of the net in 19 of their last 20 games, albeit against lesser opposition. It is difficult to look beyond the home win here at 1.27.

Chelsea to score in both halves

With Chelsea's beginning the season so strongly, there is potential here for a bit of a goal fest.

With the likes of Hazard, Juan Mata, Fernando Torres, Frank Lampard and Oscar all providing a goal threat, it is difficult to see Reading keeping the hosts out in either half and at 1.77, this makes an attractive punt.

Stamford Bridge is traditionally a prosperous home for Chelsea, in the last three league games of last season there, they plundered eight goals, only failing to register twice there in the whole of the 2011/12 Premier League campaign.

Sending off

Given the derby-like nature of this fixture, it's not at all surprising that it has thrown up a few disciplinary issues over the years.

As Opta tell us, there have been three red cards in the four Premier League games between Reading and Chelsea (two for Reading, one for Chelsea), so
backing a red card at 5.3 has a certain sadistic pull. Calm down boys.

Best Bet: Back Chelsea to score in both halves @ 1.77
Other Recommended Bet: Back there to be a sending off @ 5.3

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On a full midweek programme of Championship football this is undoubtedly the fixture that catches the eye from an entertainment perspective; two attacking teams in opposition with a couple of swashbuckling managers going head-to-head in the technical area.

Both Blackpool and Leeds got their campaigns off to win-to-nil starts at the weekend, and in all honestly, both looked very solid defensively. Neil Warnock's United side restricted a pretty talented Wolves side to just a few clear cut chances, whilst Ian Holloway's Blackpool were rarely threatened away to Millwall.

Over 2.5 Goals is available to back at just 1.86 here, and that's understandable given the way that both these sides like to play. But early impressions - and I admit they are very early impressions - lead me to believe that defences could once against come out on top.

This corresponding fixture last season resulted in a 1-0 victory to Blackpool and I'm very hopeful that a repeat - at least in terms of number of goals scored - is on the cards tonight.

Recommended Bet: Two attack-minded sides but hopefully Holloway and Warnock provide most of the entertainment. Back Under 2.5 Goals @ 2.12



In any division, it's always worth following newly-promoted sides in the early part of the season if only because they are carrying forward confidence and a winning mentality from the season before.

League One winners Charlton certainly didn't look out of place on Saturday when only a 94th minute Nikola Zigic goal prevented them from taking three points at last season's fourth place finishers Birmingham.

The Addicks will be brimming with confidence ahead of tonight's big clash with Championship second favourites Leicester and Chris Powell's men are well worth a wager to upset the odds.

Charlton lost just two of 23 home games last term whilst Leicester would have finished no better than mid-table if away results only were taken into account. True, the Foxes should also be confident after their opening day success, but beating relegation favourites Peterborough on home soil appears a much simpler task than a midweek away tie at a team that have the ability to be in and around the play-off picture all season.

The Match Odds are the opposite to how I'd have them; I'd have Charlton as marginal favourites at around 2.6 with Nigel Pearson's side at around 3.0. For that reason then, a home victory has to be the bet.

Recommended Bet: A great game in store but hopefully Charlton can carry on where they left off last season. Back Charlton to beat Leicester at 3.0



I watched both of these sides in action on Saturday. I was at Oakwell to see Barnsley narrowly defeat Middlesbrough, and I watched a full re-run of Wolves' live game away to Leeds. The conclusion is that Wolves are much the better side and I fancy them to record an easy victory this evening.

Relegated Wolves looked well organised under Stale Solbakken, and although they didn't create many clear cut chances at Elland Road they strike me as a side that will be extremely difficult to beat at Molineux this season. They have some highly sought-after players still in their squad and if the likes of Steven Fletcher and Matt Jarvis start tonight then what better way to earn yourself a move back to the Premier League than to put in a strong performance?

Barnsley were outplayed for much of the game against Boro but thanks to a mixture of some excellent defending and some poor finishing by the visitors they managed to scrape a 1-0 victory. If Wolves enjoy as much possession tonight then I can't see them being as wasteful as the Teessiders.

Recommended Bet: Wolves will get their promotion campaign up and running against an average Barnsley side. Back Wolves HT/Wolves FT @ 2.72

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Everton v Manchester United, Monday 20:00, Sky Sports 1.

Match Odds: Everton 4.5, Manchester United 1.93, The Draw 3.75.

Rarely have Manchester United made such a landmark signing as Robin van Persie, yet rarely have there been so many question marks about how Sir Alex Ferguson will incorporate a new signing. With Shinji Kagawa also arriving and stating his intention to play behind the man striker, in the role played by Wayne Rooney last season, the main tactical interest from this match will be the positioning of Manchester United's attackers.

Van Persie starting United's opening game would be something of a surprise, considering he's only had a couple of days training with his new teammates. Ferguson might take the opportunity to save Wayne Rooney for future matches, however, on the ground where he generally gets a hostile reception since his departure eight years ago. Van Persie and Kagawa would be a fascinating combination.

David Moyes has recruited some new attacking players this summer, with Steven Naismith, Steven Pienaar and Kevin Mirallas all arriving to offer genuine attacking threat from the wings, something Everton have often lacked in recent seasons. Mirallas will not play in this game, however, and I expect Moyes to be relatively cautious, playing with two deep banks of four, and probably allowing United to dominate possession.

Mirallas' sheer speed will give them another dimension, but for now Nikica Jelavic is clearly their main goal threat. He specialises in making clever runs towards the near post to meet crosses and cut-backs, something United's centre-backs must be wary of - with injury problems at the back, rumours suggest Michael Carrick might be deployed in that role. He's filled in at centre-back before, but he was responsible for the goal England conceded against Italy in midweek, when Daniele De Rossi steamed in at the near post ahead of him at a corner. If Carrick starts, Jelavic will look to get across the front of him.

United's injury crisis - plus Rafael's participation at the Olympics - also means Antonio Valencia looks set to start at right-back. Again, this is a role he's played before, but he's not always looked comfortable in that position. United's sheer number of attacking players might mean he's used more at right-back this season and becomes more established in that role, but for now Everton should look to attack him as often as possible. Pienaar's relationship with left-back Leighton Baines is excellent, and I think Valencia will be in danger of a booking if he plays right-back. Back him to be shown a card at around 4.0.

Everton have their own injury problems, with both Marouane Fellaini and Darron Gibson doubtful. These might be exaggerated stories, however - Newcastle seemed to do something similar ahead of their game against Tottenham - but the absence of those two players would only further United's chances of dominating possession.

The corners market is difficult to predict without knowing the identities of the wide players, so I'll steer clear of that market. Instead, I quite fancy over 2.5 goals here. There have been a couple of crazy matches between these two in the past couple of seasons - a 3-3 and a 4-4 - and there were some big scorelines on the opening weekend of the Premier League season, as if defensive organisation was still lacking after a long summer break. Everton generally start the season slowly and United have those defensive concerns, so at 2.06, I fancy three goals or more.

Recommended bets:
Antonio Valencia to be shown a card at 4.0 if he starts at right-back
Over 2.5 goals at 2.06





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Manchester United's new boy should lead the line for the 19-time league champions and the stats say that he is a strong bet to finish up with the golden boot. Andrew Atherley explains all

Cream rises to the top in the Premier League scoring charts, just as it does in the overall table. In fact, there is an inextricable link between the two.

For the statistical evidence, compiled for the past 10 seasons, let's consider first the likelihood of the top goalscorer coming from one of the leading clubs. There have been 11 winners in the past decade (two players tied for first in 2010-11) and every one played for a top-four finisher (five for the champions, two for the runners-up, three for the third-placed team and one for the fourth-placed). In fact, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in 2000-01 is the last winner who did not play for a top-four side (Chelsea were sixth that season).

Hasselbaink did, however, fulfil the other key criterion - previous form in the race to be top goalscorer. He had won two seasons earlier when with fourth-placed Leeds United and been fourth the season before that when Leeds finished fifth.

Looking at the past decade, nine of the 11 top scorers had been in the top four in a previous season (four of them were previous winners). The two exceptions had finished fifth and 10th in a previous campaign.

The betting says Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal are likely to be the top four and that narrows the leading fancies down to five: Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez of Manchester City, United's new boy Robin Van Persie and old lag Wayne Rooney, and Fernando Torres of Chelsea. Only those five fit the ideal profile.

The concern with the big pairings at City and United is that the goals may end up being shared around - only once in the past 10 seasons have two players from the same club broken the 20-goal barrier (Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard in Chelsea's record-breaking high-scoring season of 2009-10). Otherwise the ceiling level for the second-highest scorer from a club has been 14 goals.

It helps to be the main man and that is the status of Torres following Drogba's departure, but backers still have to take a lot on trust with him and the risk factor is not built in to the odds.

The arrival of Van Persie at United seems more likely to hamper Rooney than RVP, as it did when Cristiano Ronaldo was United's top scorer. Rooney has stepped up to be the main man when required, with two 20-plus-goals tallies in the past three seasons, but it is more likely he will be in the support role that saw him help Ronaldo and Dimitar Berbatov to be top scorer. With Van Persie's fitness problems apparently behind him, he looks the best bet at 9.0.

A more open market is Top Goalscorer - Top 4, where playing for a high-placed club is not as essential. Even so, around three-quarters of top-four goalscorers in the past 10 seasons were with a top-four club or had finished in the top four scorers before.

Fourteen goals is often enough to figure in this category, which brings in goal-scoring midfielders. Oscar and Eden Hazard at Chelsea might make a mark, as other top-class newcomers have done in the past. A left-field option is Rickie Lambert, who could emulate Darren Bent and Andy Johnson by bringing his scoring up a division for a lower-ranked club.

With four top-six finishes in seven seasons, including third place twice, Bent at 6.0 looks a solid option now he is fit and has, in Paul Lambert, a manager more committed to attack.


Recommended Bets

Robin Robin van Persie to be top scorer at 9.0
Darren Bent to be in top four scorers at 6.0


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