Paddy Says – Gameweek 12

Lift up a rock called Paddy and you’ll find all manner of wee creatures squirming with life underneath. These wondrous things are called odds, and we’ll be scooping them up and placing them under the betting microscope this week.

But before we turn our forensic eye on Anytime Goalscorers and Clean Sheets, we’ll start where we always do – with the enhanced offers for new customers.

If Man United beating Arsenal floats your boat, then Paddy can offer you 8-1 on just that scenario.  But enhanced offers like to cater for all tastes, so Arsenal to beat Man United is also available – and the odds are decidedly identical.

That match looks too close to call, whereas Man City travelling to Crystal Palace and snaffling all three points is a more likely 5-1 offer.

You’ll get the same odds on Chelsea winning at Middlesbrough, while a home win for Spurs against West Ham is another 5-1 shot.

Finally, we have this week’s acca. If you fancy Liverpool, Everton and Man City all to win, then you can get 16-1 by clicking here.

Be sure to check the terms and conditions on all those offers and, of course, we should state that all these specials are only available to those aged 18 or over. And if you’re going to wager, please always gamble responsibly.

ANYTIME GOALSCORER ODDS – GAMEWEEK 12

Three of this week’s big-name captaincy candidates have the smallest Anytime Goalscorer odds.

Just as he does in our Captain poll, Sergio Aguero leads the way at 1.53 – and it’s perhaps no surprise. Manchester City travel to a Palace side that hasn’t kept a clean sheet this campaign and are on a four-match losing streak.

Seeing as he played just one half in Argentina’s two World Cup qualifiers, Aguero is as well-rested as he can be after travelling back from South America. He’s also hit three goals in his last two league matches and all three of his two-goal hauls this season have come away from home.

Romelu Lukaku, at 1.72, has been giving Aguero a run for his captaincy money. The visit of Swansea City to Goodison looks tasty for the big man, who has scored in four of his last six matches in the league and bagged a late brace for Belgium on Tuesday.

Diego Costa, also at 1.72, completes the low-odd strikers. Only two forwards have seen more transfer action this Gameweek, and he’s scored in four of his last five league matches. The only downside is Chelsea’s opponent – Middlesbrough are making quite the habit of frustrating the big boys this season.

Big’ is not the best word to describe l’il old Jermain Defoe, but the Sunderland man’s 122,000+ new owners clearly think the only way is up for the otherwise vertically challenged striker.

Sunderland’s opponents, Hull City, have shipped 12 goals in their last three away days while Defoe has netted twice in a row, which explains Paddy’s 2.20 price.

Elsewhere, you can get 2.50 on Eden Hazard continuing his amazing recent league run (five goals in his last four starts), while the in-form Sam Vokes, who has scored three times in four matches, is at 3.75 to net for Burnley at West Brom.

CLEAN SHEET ODDS – GAMEWEEK 12

Five straight wins, five straight clean sheets – Chelsea’s league form has turned dramatically since going to three at the back. So it’s no surprise to see them the stone cold favourites to record a shut-out when they travel to Middlesbrough on Sunday.

More than 129,000 Fantasy Premier League managers have brought in Marcos Alonso since Gameweek 11 as a result, making him the most transferred-in defender. Two more Blues stoppers – Cesar Azpilicueta and Gary Cahill – are also in that particular top five.

Intriguingly, the other two are both Middlesbrough men, suggesting that some FPL managers will be willing for a goalless draw, although Paddy have Boro at a rather more hefty 6.00 to blank Chelsea.

Another popular defensive pick has been West Brom’s Gareth McAuley, who has more than 50,000 new managers backing him this week. The Baggies are at 2.20 to shut down Burnley when the Clarets visit on Monday; the start of a nice mini-run in which they face Hull away and host Watford over the next couple of Gameweeks.

Sunderland have failed to keep a clean sheet in the league all season, so it’s a bit of a surprise to see them at 2.60 to do so when Hull drop in on Wearside today. Hull’s poor away form – three goals and no points from their last four trips – is surely the main reason why those odds are so short.

Manchester United just about scrape onto the clean sheet table as they prepare to face Arsenal in today’s early kick-off.

They’re at 3.20 and the Gunners 3.50.

A 4-0 mauling by Chelsea aside, Mourinho’s men have kept it tight in recent weeks, with two clean sheets from their last four in the league. Arsenal were frustrated by Middlesbrough’s defensive set-up in Gameweek 9 and Mourinho is an expert bus-parker, even if the Old Trafford faithful do not appreciate the larger modes of transport being wheeled out for home matches.

With Zlatan Ibrahimovic suspended, the longer odds available on an Arsenal shut-out might be the more attractive – the Gunners have kept three clean sheets in their last six matches, after all.