Johnson can fire Palace to victory.

By Dave Tindall

Betting Box Tipping Guide

BETTING BOX
FIXED ODDS
	1pt Blackburn to beat Aston Villa at 7/2 (Sporting Odds).	Villa's inadequate squad is being exposed and Rovers are in good form on the road.
	2pts Crystal Palace to beat Fulham at 3/1 (General).	Fulham have lost more games than any other Premiership team this season.
	3pts Andy Johnson to score anytime v Fulham at 2/1 (Bet365).	Johnson is back on the scoring trail and can cash in against faltering Fulham.
	1pt e.w. Laurent Robert to score first v Birmingham at 16/1 (Bet365 1/2 1,2,3).	Was same price against Arsenal so the mercurial Frenchman is worth following again.
	2pts Spurs to beat Everton at 11/8 (Bet Direct).	Toffees have terrible record at in-form Spurs and are missing key men.

Aston Villa v Blackburn

Villa's inadequate squad is being badly exposed during the hectic Festive period and one point from the last six games has seen them slip into the bottom half of the table. Blackburn, meanwhile, are on the rise having lost just one of their last 10 Premiership games. Admittedly, they've drawn seven of those but becoming hard to beat is the first step on the road to recovery so Mark Hughes has done an excellent job since taking the Ewood Park hotseat. A 1-0 win at Bolton last time out means Rovers have taken seven points out of the last nine on the road so the 7/2 has to be decent value. Blackburn won 2-0 at Villa Park last season and they look to have the mental fortitude at present to leave with all three points again.

Verdict: Aston Villa 0 Blackburn 1

Bolton v West Brom

This is a golden chance for both teams to arrest their recent slumps but does either side have the confidence and belief to take it? At least the Baggies have grounds for thinking that their luck has turned after Richard Dunne's own goal rescued a seemingless hopeless situation at the City of Manchester Stadium (1-0 behind and down to 10 men). Of course, West Brom's only win of the season came against Bolton so that will surely add to the belief that they can get something here. Bolton have lost their last four at home - the last three by 1-0 - and haven't scored a Premiership goal for over five hours. That should surely put anyone off the 4/6 for a home win. Despite odds of 9/2 it also takes a major leap of faith to back West Brom so probably the 5/2 draw is the safest option here.

Verdict: Bolton 1 West Brom 1

Charlton v Arsenal

Arsenal have ground out 1-0 victories at Portsmouth and Newcastle - showing that they do have the stomach for a fight when not at the top of their game - but this trip to in-form Charlton could prove their toughest assignment of the three. The Addicks beat Chelsea 4-2 during the Festive season last year and also took Arsenal's scalp on New Year's Day four years ago so Alan Curbishley's side clearly have a good record against the big clubs at this time of year. Charlton made it 13 points from the last 15 after beating high-flying Everton last time so surely they look a massive price at 11/2. Let's not forget though that Arsenal are very hard to beat. They were unbeaten in six games in the Champions League group phase and have lost just twice in 20 games in the Premiership. It suggests that the best way to take advantage of the bookies underestimating Charlton is to back the draw at an inflated 13/5.

Verdict: Charlton 2 Arsenal 2

Fulham v Crystal Palace

Palace were excellent against Spurs in the first half of their 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane although it took a late equaliser by Andy Johnson to earn the point. But if Palace can take their chances at Craven Cottage, they could make a mockery of the 3/1 quote. Fulham have lost more games than any other team in the Premiership and those 12 defeats include a 2-0 reverse against Palace. Three defeats on the spin since their 1-1 draw with Manchester United means boss Chris Coleman is under real pressure and his team certainly aren't doing him any favours. With the home crowd getting on their backs, Fulham are quick to lose confidence once things go against them and going a goal down to Palace would surely lead to a mass outbreak of derision from the stands. As this is Palace's third successive game in the capital, they haven't had the inconvenience of any long journeys and with Johnson back on the scoring trail the young striker can lead them to a vital win.

Verdict: Fulham 0 Crystal Palace 2

Liverpool v Chelsea

Liverpool huffed and puffed their way to victory against Southampton but the 1-0 win extended their hugely impressive Anfield record this season to eight wins out of 10. On that basis the 11/5 is tempting until we remember that the visitors have lost just once all season and top the table by five points. Liverpool were a big price to beat Arsenal at Anfield on the grounds that they had no strikers but the Reds have shown an ability to share the goals around and so-called reserve strikers Neil Mellor and Florent Sinama-Pongolle have weighed in with some key strikes. If Rafa Benitez plays the trio of Gerrard, Alonso and Hamann in central midfield, the Reds will certainly be able to compete with Chelsea and then it's down to who can find a bit of quality in the final third. One of the most likely candidates to produce a bit of magic is Arjen Robben and you'd certainly back him if he gets the chance to run at a Liverpool defence which lacks a turn of foot. The Dutchman is 2/1 to find the net for the eighth time this season and for the third time in four games. This genuinely could go either way but a draw would be a decent result for both sides and that gets the vote.

Verdict: Liverpool 1 Chelsea 1

Man City v Southampton

1-0 up against the Premiership's bottom club who have had a man sent off. Probably only Manchester City could contrive to throw it away with a ludicrous own goal. It means only a madman could trust Kevin Keegan's men to take all three points against Southampton - even though it's a game City should win. Saints are still without a win under Harry Redknapp but they showed enough battling qualities in the 1-0 defeat at Liverpool to suggest that they can take something here. The worry for Redknapp will be that the Anfield trip could have taken a lot out of his team and they may struggle to show similar industry. Nevertheless a much better option than taking City at odds-on is backing Anelka to score anytime at odds against. The Frenchman clearly wants to move in the transfer window so is doing his best to remind potential buyers of his talents. He netted against West Brom last time and can repeat the feat here.

Verdict: Man City 1 Southampton 1

Middlesbrough v Man Utd

Steve McClaren has an excellent record against his former mentor Sir Alex Ferguson. In eight meetings since McClaren took over in the summer of 2001, Boro have won four, drawn one and lost three against United with the head-to-heads at the Riverside showing two wins apiece. This could prove the most fascinating of the lot as both sides have incredibly strong claims. Boro have won seven out of eight in all competitions at the Riverside while United have stopped Chelsea from disappearing over the horizon in the title race by taking 22 points from the last 24. It means Boro at 12/5 or United at odds against (6/5) both look appealing prices if you hold a strong view. A repeat of the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford may be a decent shout as well so given the 'all three results possible' scenario this is best left. Goalscorer punters should focus on Ryan Giggs. The Welshman looks like a man playing for a new contract and has responded with two goals in his last two games.

Verdict: Middlesbrough 1 Man Utd 1

Newcastle v Birmingham

Not long ago, Steve Bruce's decision to rebuff Newcastle's advances and stay with Birmingham looked like a huge mistake. But instead of getting stuck in a relegation battle, Birmingham have rocketed up to ninth place with four successive wins while Graeme Souness' Magpies have slumped to 14th after a six-match run of Draw-Loss-Draw-Loss-Draw-Loss. True, they've played Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton during that spell but confidence has clearly been shaken and the Toon Army are restless. Birmingham won this fixture last year when a David Dunn strike separated the two sides and they're sure to have their backers at 10/3. Until Newcastle get Alan Shearer back and the transfer window opens, their struggles may continue and another frustrating 90 minutes beckons here. However, one bet that stands out from a Newcastle view is the 16/1 over Laurent Robert scoring first. We had the same bet in the home match with Arsenal so it's a surprise to see him quoted at the same odds here. As argued then, he looks like a man trying to impress ahead of the transfer window and is always a threat from free-kicks.

Verdict: Newcastle 2 Birmingham 2

Portsmouth v Norwich

On the plus side, Norwich have avoided defeat in half of their 10 away games this season. On the negative, they haven't managed a single win. Whichever way you look at it, it's hard to see them opening their account at Portsmouth. The record book shows back-to-back home defeats for Pompey but those came against Arsenal and Chelsea and the hosts were unlucky on both occasions to come away with nothing. Take out those two results and Portsmouth had won five of their previous eight home games so they have to be fancied to return to winning ways against the Canaries. The trip to the south coast follows on from a long journey north to Middlesbrough so the extra travel can only count against Norwich also. Take the hosts at 8/11.

Verdict: Portsmouth 3 Norwich 1

Spurs v Everton

If you believe that the 2-0 defeat at Charlton means Everton's bubble has burst, an away game at Spurs is an ideal way to oppose David Moyes' men. Everton haven't won at White Hart Lane since 1986 while Spurs have taken 16 points from their last 18. Spurs have already taken Everton's scalp once this season after giving the Toffees some of their own medicine by nicking a 1-0 win at Goodison. Spurs are 11/8 to hand out a second successive defeat to Everton and that looks good value with the rush of games taking its toll on Everton's small squad. Goalkeeper Nigel Martyn has been ruled out for a month after sustaining a calf injury while Duncan Ferguson has a sore elbow and sore head after his red card at Charlton. Without those two experienced campaigners, Everton are up against it at Spurs so a home win looks a solid shout.

Verdict: Spurs 2 Everton 0