8/14 On the Pitch EPL:
Tottenham Hotspur/Manchester City DRAW (+241)
Tottenham Hotspur/Manchester City UN 2' (-107)
This should actually be a fairly conservative match. Both teams are trying to take a spot in the traditional big four (Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool), which Tottenham did last year. City have been the only big spenders in the transfer market this summer adding Jerome Boateng (Hamburg), Yaya Toure (Barcelona, Ivory Coast), David Silva (Valencia, Spain), Mario Balotelli (Internazionale) and Alexsandar Koralov (Lazio, Serbia). It will take some time for the new City players to gel with the current talent. Tottenham knocked City out of a spot in the UEFA Champions League late in the season. Tottenham has a game in three days against Swiss club Young Boys in the Champions League playoff (to advance to Round of 32). Both teams may not have their best form and play for a draw.
Aston Villa (+108)
West Ham will battle to just survive relegation. Villa may be in disarray with the resignation of manager Martin O'Neill early in the week, but they still have enough to win here.
Everton (+151)
Everton finished 8th last year and would have had better had they been healthy. They are healthy to start the season.
Bolton Wanderers (+124)
Roy Hodgson is one of the best managers in the EPL, but now he is gone from Fulham to Liverpool. Owen Coyle vs. new Fulham manager Mark Hughes is a mismatch.
Sunderland (+128)
John Netto has been all over this one. Birmingham City overachieved last year. Ben Foster replacing Joe Hart (now w/ Man City) at keeper is a downgrade.
Wigan/Blackpool OV 2 & 2' (-110)
Wolves/Stoke City DRAW (+226)
West Bromwich Albion (+2) (-107)
Defending Champs Chelsea vs. a team that won their way back into the EPL. Chelsea is out of form right now and W.B.A. will have their best effort here. Kind of applying my capping from other sports here. Go against the previous champ in season opener. Hope it works.
LIGUE 1, EREDIVISIE and MLS later on.
