With Betfair offering a completely free Acca or Bet Builder this weekend, here are three ideas for how you could use yours...
-
-
Get two Bet Builder tips for Premier League
-
13/27.50 Acca recommendation for this weekend
Betfair are once again giving customers a completely free Bet Builder or Acca this weekend.
As the football schedule hots up, this is your chance to have a risk-free wager that could bring you some early festive cheer.
Here are a couple of Bet Builder tips for the weekend's Premier League action - one from Saturday and one for Sunday - as well as a recommended Acca.
Sheffield United earned their second win and first clean sheet of the Premier League season against Brentford last time out. Can they pull off a famous victory over another west London opponent?
Chelsea have lost their last two Premier League games, going down 2-1 at Manchester United and 2-0 at Everton. You might be more confident about their chances back at Stamford Bridge except that they have lost three times here this season (to Nottingham Forest, Brentford and Aston Villa).
That said, this is a Sheffield United team that lost 5-0 on their last away trip in what turned out to be Paul Heckingbottom's final match in charge. Still, Chris Wilder has already started to have an impact and he may be able to engineer a mini-upset here. At 11/112.00 the away win is an appealing way to use a free bet.
Mohamed Salah has scored 12 goals in 12 games against Manchester United - a record for any Liverpool player - and must be backed to inflict more misery on the struggling Red Devils this Sunday.
United crashed out of Europe in midweek, after their worst ever Champions League campaign, and will go to Anfield in poor shape. They will be missing Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw (another reason to back Salah to terrorise the defence).
Liverpool may be conscious of their busy schedule, however, and it is possible they will not win emphatically - or at least not on the same level last season's 7-0 in this fixture. Back Liverpool to win 2-0 and Salah to score.
Leg 1: Back Newcaslte to beat Fulham
Being able to back Newcastle at close to Even money at home to Fulham would have seemed like a pipe dream at the start of the season, but circumstances have conspired in such a way that allows the traders to dangle a carrot and offer 17/201.85 about a home win.
Those circumstances are obviously Newcastle's long injury list, their recent form (including being knocked out of the Champions League in midweek), and the fact that Fulham will go into this game on the back of two consecutive 5-0 wins. But Eddie Howe's men are very strong at St James' Park, and Marco Silva's men aren't very good on their travels.
Newcastle have won six Premier League games on the spin in front of their own fans with just a single goal conceded in that time, and this has been during that horrendous run of injuries and suspensions. Fulham are now seven games without a league win on the road, and I really fancy that will become eight courtesy of a Newcastle victory on Saturday.
Leg 2: Back Everton to beat Burnley
Similar to the Newcastle game, this is another match that throws up a 'poor home form v great away form' scenario and being able to back Everton at 11/102.11 looks the obvious call to me.
Sean Dyche's men are actually one of the form teams in the Premier League, and but for their 10-point deduction would now be sitting comfortably in the top half of the table. The Toffees have won three on the spin without conceding a single goal, and away from home they've won five of their last six in all competitions.
Burnley set that unwanted record of being the first Premier League club in history to lose their first seven home matches. They conceded an alarming 20 goals in that run, and although they have since recorded their first league win of the season on home soil, it's not hard to envisage the Toffees putting up a much better fight than an abject Sheffield United did on that occasion.
Leg 3: Liverpool -1 to beat Manchester United
This bet really is all about how poor Manchester United are more than anything else, and I think they're set for another horror show at Anfield on Sunday.
Liverpool are in fine form and are now unbeaten domestically since September. They're top of the Premier League and they'll go into Sunday's game fresh from resting a number of their regular starting XI in the Europa League in midweek.
But what can you say about United. I'm amazed they are where they are in the league given some of their dire performances this term. From their nine league wins, eight of them have come by just a single-goal margin and all against teams currently 10th or lower in the table. Away from home to the top sides they've been absolutely terrible for a long time now.
United lost this game 7-0 last season, and with so many injuries, suspensions and out-of-form players they could well suffer another big defeat on Sunday. Odds of 8/111.73 about Liverpool covering the -1 goal handicap looks a great bet.