10th Sep 2016 | Premier League
Bony Boosted Stoke Can Defy Odds
The Potters are continuously underestimated by the bookies at home to big clubs.
The Sports Analytics Machine (SAM) developed by Salford academics and currently ‘competing’ against Mark Lawrenson on BBC Sport suggests a home win is marginally more likely than an away win here - yet it’s a 15/4 shot with BetVictor.
Forget the league table which shows Stoke at the foot, this is a side who beat both Manchester clubs and Chelsea at the Britannia Stadium in 2015-16.
Mark Hughes’s boys have had tough opening fixtures but the nucleus of a top half team remained intact even before deadline signings of Wilfried Bony and Dutch international defender Bruno Martins Indi.
Spurs just don’t look like the same side - yet - that challenged for the title till the start of May. Ali and Kane don’t look themselves while Dembele is clearly a huge loss, as Danny Rose will be for this one.
At the steep price we have to back the Potters. They will beat any Premier League opponents more than one time in five with home advantage.
Odds correct at time of publishing: 10:14 10th Sep, 2016 but subject to change
