English Premier
2012-04-07 - Bolton Wanderers vs Fulham
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Saturday 7 April 2012 - Kick Off 3pm
Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers have picked up some vital form at just the right moment of the season and continued with the fight against relegation with a vital 2-3 win at Wolves last time out. This is just the beginning of an important 8 games they have left to save their season and maintain their Premier League status for another year.
They moved up to 16th in the Premier League thanks to the three points earned at Wolves, but that means the Trotters are just 1 point clear of 19th placed Wigan Athletic in a tight bottom of the table. Bolton have a 4-2-9 home record this season, scoring 19 goals and conceding 29, but their form at the Reebok Stadium has picked up recently.
Bolton have won 3 Premier League games in a row now to move up the table, winning their last 2 at the Reebok Stadium against fellow struggling teams QPR and Blackburn Rovers. They have lost just 1 of their last 6 Premier League games at home, and they have gained 11 points from the last 18 available here.
Gretar Steinsson is a doubt for Bolton, while Darren Pratley is unlikely to take part.
Fulham
Fulham earned an important three points against Norwich City at home last week, points that should be enough to keep them in the Premier League even if they have not surpassed the 40 point mark that usually signifies safety.
The side are actually 10th in the Premier League and have a real chance to finish in the top half of the table. However, to do so, they need to improve their away form where they are 2-5-8 this season, scoring 8 goals and conceding 19.
The team beat Norwich City at home last week to stop a run of 3 consecutive League defeats before that. Fulham had failed to score in those 3 defeats, but managed 2 early goals against Norwich and never let their opponents back into the game. Fulham have lost 4 of their last 5 away games in the League, including the last 2, and they have failed to score in 3 of their last 4 away games.
Andrew Johnson is out, while Steve Sidwell will need a late fitness test to determine his availability. A bigger concern for Fulham is the fact that Pavel Pogrebnyak, a revelation since signing for the club in January, is almost certain to miss this game.
Head to Head
Fulham beat Bolton Wanderers 2-0 at Craven Cottage earlier this season.
3 of the last 4 games between the teams at the Reebok Stadium have ended 0-0, including last season, with the other finishing in a 1-3 win for Fulham.
Bolton had won 4 in a row at home in all competitions against Fulham before that run of games.
Prediction
I am going to take yet another big price in this game as I am backing Bolton Wanderers to record a fourth consecutive Premier League win and their third in a row at the Reebok Stadium.
The fact of the matter is that they have found a little bit of form recently and they play a side that has struggled for goals on their travels all season. Bolton have managed at least 2 goals in each of their last 3 games in the League and if they reach that tally here, I would expect them to have picked up the three points.
My biggest concern is the lack of goals Bolton have managed against Fulham, failing to score any in their last 5 games against them, and drawing 3 of their last 4 against them 0-0.
However, I think they have found some decent momentum at the right time and I will back them to beat a Fulham side missing their two forwards in Johnson and Pogrebnyak and the 2.63 on offer looks reasonable for them to do so.
The Statistics :
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Pick :
Bolton Wanderers 2-1 Fulham
