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EPL 2021/22 Week 27 Soccer Picks and Predictions
Updated: | First published:
Written by Prospector Sam, Contributor
Things are heating up at the top of the table in the English Premier League and Prospector Sam is back for another weekend odyssey of soccer bettin'
Last weekend was about as good as it gets as far as the Premier League goes. You could have put a blindfold on me and asked me to hit a target 500 feet away and I still wouldn’t have missed, and it was the best feeling you can have as a handicapper. Even better, the range of wins showed some flexibility on my part as I hit all 3 article bets while also winning a few on twitter making live plays. Basically, send me all your love and adoration as the greatest handicapper alive..
In all seriousness, the point of this intro isn’t to sit here and pretend like I’m some magical druid who wins all of his bets and will make you rich; I’m not. In fact, I have weeks where I feel like I can’t catch a break or hit a damn thing and it really fucking sucks. But, while I have some good will I want to make a couple of very important points that matter for people tailing and for those people giving out picks.
First, good gambling is measured in the long term, not the short term. I have tough weeks all the time just like every other good “sharp,” but the key is to stay focused and committed over the course of a season because good gamblers will win when it all shakes out. Second, enjoy the hell out of it when you do have a week like this. I’m not here to brag or say I’m better than anyone else, but winning is so much fucking fun and I will not apologize for having a blast when it happens. And you shouldn’t either. Live it up when things are going right because it will inevitably flip at some point and you’ll miss the good old days (sorry to break it to you, but it’s true).
With that, let’s try to keep the momentum and hope we have another good week. I’m not ready to go back to anything less yet.
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Free EPL Picks 2021-22
Brentford vs. Newcastle: Saturday February 26, 10 AM EST
As we get closer to the end of the season, games like this one become vital for teams scared of the drop. And, typically, they play out in one of two ways; either both play extremely cautious to avoid a mistake and the potential loss, or both go at each other’s throat for 90 minutes fighting over a piece of meat like two dogs who haven’t eaten in days. Here, I expect the latter. Brentford play far better at home than away (more points and a far better GD) which means they’ll look at this match as a crucial opportunity to pick up 3 points, and I expect they come out firing. As for Newcastle, the influx of money from their oil baron patrons has brought in some quality players and they’ve scored in every EPL match since the new year, but their defense is still a bit of a clusterfuck. While betting on who wins the battle is a bit more like a game of russian roulette, I think we see chances and goals in this game, which is why we’re taking both teams to score. If you need some numbers to back it up, these two sides have given up a combined 87 goals so far this season and it’s hard to expect either are capable of keeping a clean sheet. I think both find the net here, and the money is solid at -126.
BET: Both Teams To Score (-126)
RELATED: Brentford vs. Newcastle Betting Preview
MORE: Brentford vs. Newcastle simulator
Everton vs. Manchester City: Saturday February 26, 12:30 PM EST
It’s no longer going under the radar, but Everton are in pretty deep shit at this point and there’s a real chance they get relegated. The Toffees are only 2 points ahead of 18th and have lost 5 of their last 6 EPL matches, which isn’t a great way to enter this tie. Not only are they playing the top team in the league, but City had no European fixture and are coming off a tough loss to Tottenham that gave Liverpool a sliver of hope in the title race. You can bet your ass that Pep will want them to come out here and go scorched earth, and I expect that’s what the visitors do. City Team Total over 2.5 isn’t a massive payout at +116, but the Citizens average well over 2 goals scored per game and against a bottom half team you can comfortably expect at least two goals. With the extra factors I included above thrown into the mix, I think City get to the 3 goal number (and maybe even more). Bet on City to reestablish their dominance.
BET: Manchester City Team Team OVER 2.5 (+116)
RELATED: Everton vs. Man City Betting Preview
MORE: Everton vs. Man City simulator
West Ham vs. Wolves: Sunday February 27, 9 AM EST
It brings me absolutely no joy to do this. But, alas, some days the board gives you no choice. You see, over my year and a half at Dimers I’ve gotten to know most of the actual employees fairly well and one of my absolute FAVORITE pastimes is getting under the skin of Ryan, who happens to be a West Ham fan. I’ll put out plays I like while making fun of West Ham and inevitably get some snarky response that makes fun of Tottenham. Even better when I’m right like I was recently in their draw to Newcaste. Unfortunately, I can’t always bet against them and I care more about being right than my jokes (shocking, but true), so today we’re taking the West Ham money line. While Wolves have been solid as of late, they’re playing on really short rest after a Thursday makeup fixture and their strategy of “trying to win 1-0” simply doesn’t work over the long term (see: Thursday when they did just that and blew a lead). While West Ham have a habit of fluctuating from a strong team to absolutely awful from week to week, they still sit in the top 6 with a +11 GD, which is pretty darn good. At home against this Wolves side I would have expected them closer to -130, and I’ll gladly take positive odds. Even if we lose, we can all make fun of Ryan so there’s at least a positive spin on it too.
BET: West Ham Moneyline (+105)
RELATED: West Ham vs. Wolves Betting Preview
MORE: West Ham vs. Wolves simulator
RELATED: Betting Previews for every EPL game
Prospector Sam is a cartoon man that handicaps as well as anyone on the planet. No one knows exactly who The Prospector is, but what is known is how well he does from sports betting.
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