Yet to score in the English Premier League this season, the question for Tim Cahill is when will the drought end?

At home against Norwich is most likely says online bookmaker sportsbet.com.au, installing the match as the $2.50 favourite to be the game Cahill finally finds the back of the net.

Second in the betting at $3.75 is any game after 2 January 2012 followed by Swansea ($4.50), who Everton face on Wednesday 21 December, and Arsenal ($5.00) on Saturday 10 December.

“Cahill usually knows how to find the back of the net and we expect his barren run to end within the next few weeks,” sportsbet.com.au’s Ben Hawes said.

“We just hope for David Moyes and the Toffees’ sake that he bags one soon.”

You can see all Sportsbet’s betting markets here: Sportbet Betting Odds

When will Tim Cahill score in the EPL? Odds @ sportsbet.com.au

$5.00 Arsenal (Saturday 10 December)
$2.50 Norwich (Saturday 17 December)
$4.50 Swansea (Wednesday 21 December)
$8.00 Sunderland (Monday 26 December)
$13 West Bromwich (Sunday 1 January 2012)
$3.75 Any game from 2 January 2012 onwards

The English Premier League (EPL) is now around six full games into their 2011 season, and there have been quite a few interesting and exciting matches.  On top of that though, there has been some very interesting betting that has occurred as well on the EPL.  Soccer betting is quickly becoming more and more popular all around the world, and the English Premier League is popular in many different countries as well.  When you take a look at the top of the standings for this season, you’ll see some familiar names up top, with the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, and Chelsea sitting in the top three positions.  One team that has surprised a few people this season is Newcastle United, who had betting odds to win the EPL of 1000 to 1 to start the season.  Newcastle is currently sitting in fourth place with 12 points, and has yet to lose a game.

Betting on the EPL early in the season can be tough, as you’ll see that quite a few teams are still in the process of figuring out their lineups and their identities before they get into the heat of the season.  One example of a team who is attempting to figure out who they really are would be Arsenal.  They are sitting with two wins, three losses, and one draw, but they have been very disappointing with a -5 goal differential.  Arsenal was an 8 to 1 favorite to win the entire league at online gambling sites before this season kicked off, and they have been a major disappointment in terms of English Premier League betting as well.

We now move ahead to the upcoming soccer betting for the weekend.  Two games that stand out in terms of online betting for this weekend are the Everton vs. Liverpool game, as well as the Blackburn vs. Manchester City.  In these two match-ups you’ll find that the team who is favored will give you some good betting odds, and you should also feel confident about how they’ve played this season.  The Manchester City game features Man-City with odds of 1.57 to win outright against Blackburn, who has odds of 5.57 to win outright.  It wouldn’t surprise many if Manchester City took this one down by a score of two or three to zero.  The Liverpool game on the other hand features a team near the top of the standings, and a team who is near the middle.  While the stats aren’t incredible for either side, and Liverpool is coming off of a tough loss to Tottenham 4-0 on the road.  Liverpool’s odds to take down Everton are currently 2.35, and their offensive firepower should be back and ready to go for the upcoming week.

The English Premier League has been exciting so far this season, and the betting should continue to feature some excellent betting options throughout the 2011-2012 season.  Keep an eye out for more excellent betting options out of the EPL in the upcoming weeks, and don’t sleep on these teams who are sitting atop the standings early in the season, as they’re on top for a reason!

This promises to be a compelling game. One of these sides could get relegated, both might survive, and there’s even a chance they can both make the drop if they draw and Blackpool, Wigan and Birmingham City can find wins. It might make for the occasionally chaotic spectacle you get where orders change depending on what is happening in games elsewhere and it makes betting on the match a little difficult. However, both teams should be going for it as only a win guarantees them safety. The changing circumstances elsewhere might also lead to some good betting in play opportunities. Both are one point above the drop zone, and Blackburn have the better goal difference. This game kicks off at 01:00AST.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS PREVIEW

Wolves have suddenly hit form, with two wins in a row meaning they are out of the drop zone. Their victories over West Bromwich Albion and Sunderland were thoroughly deserved and striker Steven Fletcher is in excellent form, with 5 goals in 5 games to edge them closer to survival. But there are one or two trends that are slightly concerning. Wolves have never won 3 Premier League games in a row and like Spurs, they have struggled against the bottom six, taking eight points out of a potential 27 available to them. They do have a major boost in that striker Kevin Doyle is fit again, so they are not short on fire power. Their home record is also not that of a bottom three side.
BLACKBURN ROVERS PREVIEW

Blackburn look as if they may be able to do enough to fall over the line and ensure survival, albeit doing it a point at a time through draws. They have just one win in their last 13 league matches, but they have put together a mini three match unbeaten run. It also helped them that Manchester United last week just needed a point to claim the title, allowing both sides to get what they wanted out of the match. Rovers have no serious injury problems, with key defender Chris Samba fit and striker Mame Biram Diouf coming back into the squad. What might just be enough for Rovers is their improved defensive record. Keeper Paul Robinson has been beaten just six times in his last six matches.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS v BLACKBURN ROVERS BEST BET AND PREDICTION

Looking at the other fixtures, although safety is not guaranteed, there is every chance a draw will be enough for both teams, and we expect a 1-1 stalemate, with the draw at $3.10 with Centrebet our pick of the weekend.
Back the draw with Centrebet at $3.10!

This game is one of those where both sides do have something to play for. Spurs can confirm a second season of European football, albeit in the Europa League, while Birmingham are only sitting outside the drop zone on goal difference – and could so easily fall into the bottom three. Only a win guarantees Spurs that Europa League place, while any result could send Birmingham down, or keep them up, such are the ridiculously narrow margins between the teams at the bottom. It means there will be a tense atmosphere, though more so for Blues fans, who might be preparing to enjoy the combination of Europa League and Championship football. This match begins at 01:00AST.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR PREVIEW

Spurs season had really tailed off, until they went to Anfield and produced a win at Liverpool. That was just their second victory in 11 games with the season having been very flat after their Champions League exit. Manager Harry Redknapp has got to the point of challenging striker Jermain Defoe to prove he’s worth a place in the team. Although Spurs have a strong home record, having lost just once there – to Wigan early on – they do draw a lot, one area where they have really fallen down is getting results against the perceived lesser teams. They have just three wins from 11 games so far in matches with sides in the bottom six. Rafael van der Vaart is one of several injury worries for Spurs.
BIRMINGHAM CITY PREVIEW

There are real fears about Birmingham going into the game, which are mainly based on the fact they looked so flat in their last match against Fulham, which was a very limp 2-0 defeat. They do have two important players coming back from suspension in the shape of goal-scoring midfielder Craig Gardner and defender Liam Ridgwell, but Lee Bowyer is struggling and David Bentley is ineligible to play. Birmingham do have a good record against Spurs though, with just 1 defeat in their last 5 meetings. However their form is similar to Spurs with 2 wins in 12, and they are the most goal shy team in the EPL with 36 goals in 37 games.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR v BIRMINGHAM CITY BEST BET AND PREDICTION

We’re prepared to take a risk here and overlook Birmingham’s poor performance last week and back them to get a 1-1 draw. Their need is urgent, and Spurs do struggle against the poorer sides. The draw is worth a go at $4.10 with Sports Alive in a 3/5 bet.
Back the draw with Sports Alive at $4.10!

The Stoke City v Wigan Athletic game provides punters with that typical end of season dilemma. Do they back Stoke, who have been the better team during the season, or should they pile in on Wigan, because they are the side with something to play for? Stoke are comfortably secure for another season, and a win here would guarantee a top half finish to go with their run to the FA Cup final. As for Wigan, they start the day in 19th, but with a decent shot at survival after their injury time win over West Ham. They are 19th, but only goal difference separates them from Premier League safety once more. This match begins at 01:00AST.
STOKE CITY PREVIEW

The main question for Stoke is have they run out of steam? They’d looked in fine form up to the FA Cup final, but lost to Manchester City without playing at their best and then ran into the same opponents in the league and looked worse. The players insist they will give their all for this match, but you wonder how tired, physically and mentally they are. They hope to have wingers Jermaine Pennant and Matthew Etherington back, but Robert Huth is set to be ruled out. Stoke have recent history in thir favour, as they have yet to lose to Wigan since they won promotion into the Premier League – it’s four draws and a Stoke win in their five games.
WIGAN ATHLETIC PREVIEW

As the team in the worst position of the 5 teams trying to avoid the drop, Wigan will have to go into this match with a positive attitude and they do have a fully fit team to pick from. They also do have some degree of form on their side two, with three wins and three draws in their last eight matches, the form of a mid table team. They do struggle to score goals though, with only Birmingham having netted less. Charles N’Zogbia has scored 5 goals in his last 5 matches. They drew 2-2 in the game at the DW Stadium this season, but they have often been the kind of side who look suspectible to Stoke’s physical edge. It’s all hard to call.
STOKE CITY v WIGAN ATHLETIC BEST BET AND PREDICTION

The weight of money earlier in the week has made Wigan favourites, which is still hard to justify on a season’s form. We’ll go against popular wisdom and say Stoke will get a 1-1 draw here, and the draw is good value at $3.60 with SportingBet, when there is every chance it might be enough to keep the Latics up. This is a 3/5 bet so keep stakes limited as it’s a tricky match to call.
Back the draw at $3.60 with SportsBet Australia!

This game is among the most intriguing of the Premier League weekend. Blackpool could win and get relegated, yet lose and stay up, such is the race to survive. With goal difference potentially key to survival, they may yet get caught in a trap of not knowing how wise it is to push forward in a constantly changing scenario. They are 18th as things stand, with the most goals scored out of the sides in trouble. As for Manchester United, they have said they will rest some players ahead of the Champions League final, but no one knows exactly how strong their line up will be. This game begins at 01:00 AST.
MANCHESTER UNITED PREVIEW

Having dropped just two points at home so far and reclaimed the league title, Manchester United have bigger fish to fry rather than focus on this game. However Ferguson has publically said he will play a number of senior players, including Edwin van der Sar, Darren Fletcher, Patrice Evra, Paul Scholes, Anderson and Dimitar Berbatov all starting. That looks a pretty intimidating line up for Blackpool even as it is. Weakened United sides have also won in this scenario – at Hull two years ago, and against Schalke in the Champions League home leg. If they beat Blackpool at home they also will set a record for the most consecutive home wins since the formation of the Premier League.
BLACKPOOL PREVIEW

Blackpool’s survival has come down to the last game, which may be better than most expected, but it is at the toughest venue. After an appalling early part to 2011, where they were bottom of the form table, they have perked up a little just at the right time. They are on a 4 match unbeaten run since losing to Wigan, drawing with Stoke, coming within a minute of picking up victory at Spurs and then beating Bolton 4-3 at home in a madcap contest. Their balance between defence and attack has looked a little better despite that result last weekend. There are no injury worries for manager Ian Holloway to contend with.
MANCHESTER UNITED v BLACKPOOL BEST BET AND PREDICTION

Odd as it sounds for a home game, the value probably lies with Manchester United, who we would expect to win 3-1. There has been some discounting of Blackpool’s odds as they have something to play for and United do not, so we’ll get stuck into United here at $1.57 with Luxbet here, in a 5/5 rated bet.
Back Manchester United at $1.57 with Luxbet!

This fixture matters little to Fulham in terms of their finishing place, but there’s a lot of pressure on Arsenal for more than one reason. The first is they need to get something from the game to try and reclaim third spot from Manchester City and avoid a qualification play-off for the Champions League. The second is to try and end the growing atmosphere of anger and negativity from fans and media. Apparently not winnings a trophy for six years is quite the sin. Fulham have secured safety some time ago and have enjoyed their second half to the season. This one kicks off at 01:00AST.
FULHAM PREVIEW

It seemingly took a little time for Mark Hughes to get his team moulded into the style he wanted, but that has happened for him in this second half of the season, with their home form especially strong. Overall they have won 5 of their last 9 matches, more than they did in the entire first half of the season and they are showing a solid defensive base with 4 clean sheets in 7 games. Their history against Arsenal is poor though, they rarely win and they usually struggle to score, with just 2 goals in their last 6 meetings. Midfielder Simon Davies is also back in the squad after missing their easy win over Birmingham, but Chris Baird is suspended.
ARSENAL PREVIEW

Arsenal have really fallen away late on this season, and for the first time it does really seem as if fans are starting to lose patience with Arsene Wenger and their squad. The raw facts are the Gunners, who beat Barcelona remember, have won just 2 out of their last 12 matches. Despite this poor run, one thing they can do is score away from home. If they can find two goals here they will be the highest away scorers in the Premier League. There is though, a sense of exhaustion from everyone concerned, and a comprehensive away defeat at Stoke was followed up by another uninspiring loss at home to Aston Villa. They also have several fitness worries in Abou Diaby, Gael Clichy and others.
FULHAM v ARSENAL BEST BET AND PREDICTION

Given the respective form of the two sides and potentially a number of players missing from the Arsenal squad we’ll go for Fulham to edge home here 2-1. This is a 3/5 but, but $3.40 on Fulham with Sportsbet Australia looks value and worth a small wager.
Back Fulham at $3.40 with Sportsbet Australia!

This should be a decent match with nothing at stake for either side. After a slow start to the season, as it all too traditional, Everton realistically need just a point to confirm an 8th place and Chelsea will be runners up to Manchester United bar the most freakish set of circumstances. Both sides can therefore hopefully relax and try and play without any real feeling of pressure as their respective seasons come to an end. It might also be the final match for Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, as it is widely reported his destiny is the sack despite winning the double last season. This game begins at 01:00AST
EVERTON PREVIEW

Everton are defending a tremendous record at Goodison Park here, having not lost a home league match since November, and their overall run in has seen just two defeats in their last 11 matches, with 5 losses in 18 since the turn of the year. They are without suspended Russian midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, along with Marouane Fellaini and Louis Saha, while Tim Cahill is not a certain starter. David Moyes’ team were beaten in their last match though, a slightly surprising 1-0 reverse at West Bromwich Albion. Everton’s recent record against Chelsea has finally picked up too. They beat them in this fixture last season and also put them out of the FA Cup, albeit on penalties.
CHELSEA PREVIEW

Chelsea, despite finishing runners up, will get their worst haul of League points since 2003 whatever happens in this game, indicating one reason why Ancelotti’s job is under threat. In their last 6 matches the Blues have 4 wins, but they were followed by their title deciding loss at Manchester United and their fairly uninspiring 2-2 draw with Newcastle that showed some defensive weakness. This match often ends in a draw – with 6 of the last 8 fixtures deadlocked. Goal scorer betting fans should note Didier Drogba has 7 in 10 matches with Everton. If Ancelotti is as popular with the players as widely believed, they may well be motivated to win to give him a good send off.
EVERTON v CHELSEA BEST BET AND PREDICTION

This looks like another draw given both sides are in reasonable form and the recent history between the two. We expect a 1-1-1 scoreline and the draw is looking a fair price here at $3.30 with Centrebet, which we rate as a 4/5 bet.
Back the draw at $3.30 with Centrebet!

This game features two sides with very different thought going into the summer. Bolton’s promise of mid season has evaporated since their FA Cup semi-final mauling by Stoke City and they are limping to the end of their campaign, sitting in 10th place having occupied the top half of the table for most of the season. In contrast, Manchester City are looking full of strength after their FA Cup final win. They also can clinch third place here with a victory – that has significance because it would mean they go straight into the Champions League group stages, rather than having to face a tricky two legged qualifier. This game begins at 01:00AST.
BOLTON WANDERERS PREVIEW

Bolton’s end of season tailspin has seen them lose 4 straight matches, and suffer six defeats in their last eight games, with their most recent a 4-3 loss at Blackpool. Their home form has been their strength throughout the season though, and they should put up some sort of resistance here in what is a local derby of sorts. Midfielder Fabrice Muamba is struggling to be fit and Mark Davies is definitely out but striker Johan Elmander is expected to play before he heads to Turkey to join Galatasaray. They do have a reasonably good record here against City though, who have not won in their last five visits to the Reebok Stadium. Their side now though, is a little different.
MANCHESTER CITY PREVIEW

There seems to be a real feel of blue moon rising for Manchester City, after their FA Cup final win and even more comfortable victory over Stoke City in midweek. The match is also important for keeping third place, so it’s that classic end of season betting conundrum where a team with nothing to play for versus one with something at stake. Jerome Boateng and Michael Johnson are ruled out thanks to injury. City have four wins out of five in their end of season run, and they also have the most clean sheets of any team, at 17. They also seem to be a more attacking side in recent weeks, and the momentum they have should carry them through here.
BOLTON WANDERERS v MANCHESTER CITY BEST BET AND PREDICTION

It looks impossible to oppose Manchester City for this game with the respective form of the two sides and we fancy City to come through with a 2-0 win here. The bet to be on looks to be City with a -1 goal handicap, which is priced up at $2.70 with Sporting Bet.
Back Manchester City -1 goal at $2.70 with Sporting Bet!

The season comes to an end for these two with both teams having contrasting fortunes. There’s plenty of instability around Aston Villa with manager Gerard Houllier still recovering from heart problem – it is not known yet if he will return to the club for next season. A bottom half finish is also a setback after the relative success of the Martin O’Neill era. Liverpool are now settled with a club institution in Kenny Dalglish finally confirmed as manager. They have been one of the form teams of the second half of the season, and they still have a shot at a Europa League place as well if Tottenham slip up in their match with Birmingham City. This game gets underway at Sunday 01:00AST.
ASTON VILLA PREVIEW

After looking as if they were in danger of dropping out of the Premier League for the first time since it was formed, it has actually been a reasonable end of season for Villa with just one defeat in their last seven games, a run that includes three wins and three draws. That good form has mainly been inspired by big money signing Darren Bent, who has netted six times in his last seven matches. There are no injury worries for Villa, who can pick from the same team that won 2-1 at Arsenal, with Bent netting twice in the opening 15 minutes. This might be a farewell for Ashley Young, with the England international keen to move on. Sometime these things can motivate individual players and can be factors to watch.
LIVERPOOL PREVIEW

Liverpool have enjoyed their second half of the season, picking up 32 points from 15 matches under Kenny Dalglish, which has earned the Scot widespread praise. They go into this match with Portugese midfielder Raul Meireles an injury concern, but it is perhaps interesting to note that when they had to play against Spurs, with something at stake in terms of Europa League qualification, they were beaten. That factor is still there. History says that Liverpool always do well at Aston Villa – they have not lost here in their last 12 fixtures, with seven of those wins. Dirk Kuyt has been the man to watch for those interested in betting on goalscorers. He has 9 in their last 9 matches.
ASTON VILLA v LIVERPOOL BEST BET AND PREDICTION

A 1-1 draw feels right here with Villa having perked up for the last few weeks and Liverpool playing this match under a degree of pressure. It means the draw is a good option at $3.25 with Readbet in a 4/5 recommendation.

Back the draw at $3.25 with Readbet!