ENG. CHAMPIONSHIP BETTING PICK - CRYSTAL PALACE V LEICESTER CITY

Eng. Championship

2013-04-20 - Crystal Palace vs Leicester City

A Sports Betting Pick by ArmchairPunter

CRYSTAL PALACE v LEICESTER CITY
Football – England – Championship
Saturday 20th April 2013 – Kickoff: 1500hrs

CRYSTAL PALACE

Next up is a trip to Selhurst Park where fifth placed Crystal Palace entertain sixth placed Leicester City in a tense clash between the play-off rivals both eager to cement their positions for an outside tilt at Premiership football next season.

Cynics would suggest that this match looks to be heading for a draw before a ball is kicked, but both Palace and Leicester City need the points to ensure they are in the play-off mix with just three matches remaining. In actual fact, Crystal Palace have a game in hand over their play-off rivals and will be wanting to take full advantage of this fact against a poor travelling Leicester City outfit, particularly as Palace have to travel to Blackburn Rovers and Millwall after this weekend.

It’s Crystal Palace’s home form I look at today though and despite having not won at Selhurst Park in their last three matches with draws against Leeds United 2-2 and Barnsley 0-0 which were the sandwich for an unexpected 0-4 defeat to Birmingham City, their overall home record still remains a strong one at 12-7-2 47/27 and they are the division’s top goalscorers at home so far this season.

In addition, Palace have performed well against the top six sides so far at home with wins over league leaders Cardiff City 3-2, Brighton 3-0 and Hull City 4-2, while they did suffer a loss to Watford in their opening home match of the season way back in August.

LEICESTER CITY

Visitors Leicester City have managed to cling onto the last remaining play-off spot so far despite a torrid run of nine matches without a win which included five straight defeats to Ipswich Town, Sheffield Wednesday, Derby County, Millwall and Barnsley, and they recorded just four points from this sequence thanks to draws with Leeds, Cardiff City, Brighton and Birmingham City.

The Foxes’ away form though, similarly to Middlesbrough, has been left wanting with an overall record of 5-6-10 20/21 and they’ve failed to win an away match in their last seven attempts having scored just four goals in the process.

Indeed, Leicester City have failed to find the net on seven occasions so far and this could come back and haunt them again as they prepare for their trip to free-scoring Palace and striker Glenn Murray who will be desperate to get on the scoresheet again having now gone five matches without notching, he’s due this Saturday.

THE BETTING VERDICT:

Palace know they must make their remaining home matches count (and the game in hand) and whilst this doesn’t guarantee a win, I’ll back them with the round ball at odds close to evens as they shouldn’t lose this one. A 2-1 win for Palace though could be on the cards.

The Pick :