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Premiership Betting: Tevez to Hammer his old club?

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In-form tipster Richard Walker looks ahead to tomorrow's lunch-time kick-off as West Ham try to do the unthinkable again and beat Man Utd in their own backyard

It's more than once in recent years that the Hammers haven't read Manchester United's script when taking the on - but does lightning really continue to strike in the same place?

Not for me. Folk can rattle off the list of previous meetings all they like; what I know is that United now must win both their last two league games to be assured of the Premiership crown. They have to conceive, given Chelsea's equally modest opponents, that only six points from the available six points will do. West Ham are around a [19.5] shot to do what they did last season and upset the Old Trafford applecart!

I toyed in my mind with the notion of Fergie resting key players after such a high-octane Champions League second leg effectively only 65 hours before this game starts - but nope, just can't see it.

He'll hope that, by winning convincingly at home, there just might be enough pressure on the Blues come Monday evening at Newcastle for something to give at St. James' Park. Odds of [1.2] say I'm right about Saturday lunchtime's result, the draw is about [8.0].

But then they had a special talent. Now that special talent will be playing for the other side. Carlos Tevez - who must have sent the old 'metres of pitch covered' measuring device into meltdown on Wednesday Night - will line up with United's finest to put Alan Curbishley's becalmed Hammers to the sword.

Whether it's true or not, it feels like West Ham have been in 10th all season - and far from a negative, that's actually something of a tribute to the manager who's had to put up with all manner of injuries this term.

But we're not here to dole out tributes and flowers. This is a cash-making exercise, this game of football we're presented with - so with the result a seemingly foregone conclusion for my money, let's find some value in the many and varied Betfair markets.

Ultimately I can see the Londoners being picked apart...but it might take a while. Draw/Man Utd for me in the Half Time/Full Time market, as the nervous hosts edge towards the title. Both 2-0, at [6.6], and the [12.0] chance of 2-1 are my chosen picks from the Correct Score list. I can see West Ham scoring; it might be a consolation, it might even be the first of the game, I don't know. Just my gut feeling so laying the Man Utd clean sheet at [1.76] may be the way forward.

Therefore I'm a bit stuck on the ever-popular over/under 2.5 goals market. My plan was to suggest laying Overs since I feel it'll be a relatively nervy low-scoring one. It's [1.63] if you want to do that or [2.52] to back unders which of course amounts to the same thing. But, albeit for a slightly bigger liability, I'd be prepared to lay overs in the 3.5 goals market - you'd be offering the backer about [2.72] for the privilege of taking you on.

First Goal Odds is a list where rarely does anything jump out and shout 'Back me please, you 35-year-old fool!'. However, given my feeling on the nervousness of the occasion, how about [13.5] as a return for the first goal time to be between 51-60 minutes. Yes quite late I know...
but are West Ham going to go to Old Trafford and play an open, expansive game? No, in a word.

Right, glad I've got all that off my chest. Now time to sneak off while you're not looking and have just the smallest of savers on those 'Ammers: at [19.5].