Cross Game Multi Tips: Get behind Jesse to test Ederson at the Etihad
Manchester City v West Ham will likely go the same way as City’s last 19 matches where they dominate for 90% of the match, get the 3 points and don’t look overly troubled.The issue is guessing Guardiola's line up is next to impossible with 2-3 players of real quality being able to play in each position; add to that the fact City have really been sharing the goals around this season then they just aren’t attractive to back in the player markets at the minute.
I’d likely fancy Rodri to score at 4/1 if he starts with him being the most likely penalty taker but after playing 90 mins midweek he’s one of the most likely candidates to be replaced. Looking at the West Ham team it will be purely about counter attacking and making the most of any set pieces, the one player who stands out most is Jesse Lingard, he’s 15/8 for 2+ shots which seems more than fair. The Englishman has had 12 so far in his 4 West Ham appearances and what I like most about it is that he’s been happy to shoot from 30 yards out and they may be the only types of situations West Ham manage to create here.
Brighton have been a really strange team this season, consistently dominating matches but an inability to put the ball in the net has cost them what should be a top half position based on the rest of their game. Their luck surely has to turn soon and they won’t get a better chance than against the worst defence in the league who are missing arguably their best defender in Ajayi. I’d expect Brighton to dominate the game once again and West Brom to sit back and be a threat on the counter and from set pieces as always, Brighton have really racked up the corner count of late averaging 7 a game in their last 5 matches and I can see them keeping up that record here which means a chance for Dunk and Burn to get on the end of them.
Burn really should be having a bigger impact given his height and we are starting to see signs recently that he’s improved in that area, he’s managed 6 shots (3 on target) in his last 5 games which is more than he's managed in the rest of the season combined so the 4/1 on him having a shot on target is my preferred play. I’m also looking to back Brighton here, they are Evens to win which seems more than fair given the underlying data of the two sides but instead I’m opting for Brighton to win, alongside Brighton most corners and West Brom most cards at 6/1. It’s a bet that’s landed in half of West Brom’s defeats this season and given how Brighton have dominated the corner count of late it seems a very nice boost to the outright price.
Newcastle v Wolves is a game I’m particularly looking forward to this weekend, both these managers have gone through tough spells recently and both have opted for a more attacking approach as way to reverse their form. Newcastle have lost 4 of their last 6 but have actually played well in 5 of those games and Wolves have managed back to back wins after a run of just 1 win in 11. Both sides will likely keep with their game-plans of recent weeks which is why I suspect we could get an end to end match with plenty of chances and maybe even a few more goals than are expected.
The market i'm looking to focus on is the 'match shots on target' and 10+ at 11/4 is my preferred angle; there were 13 in Newcastle’s match last weekend and 12 in Wolves’, both sides are missing key defenders, both sides have players who are a threat from set pieces, both sides have players who love shooting from distance and both sides have players who are deadly on the counter if they find themselves ahead in the match, so for me it ticks all the boxes of an open game and I’d suspect both managers would be targeting 3 points.
