Premiership Draw Double

As always, tipping two games to draw can be a decent way of getting favourable odds with mimimal fuss. Sunderland v Wigan and Wolves v Fulham both look too close to call and at 10/1 with Betfred, that’s what we’ll target.

Sunderland have fallen to pieces in the past two months. They are winless in nine, and have lost eight of those encounters. It is the stuff of nightmares and Steve Bruce is yet to beat his former club since taking the reigns at the Stadium of Light. The injury situation won’t lift Mackem spirits either with doubts over the fitness of Richardson, Muntari, Wellbeck and Ferdinand, ahead of Saturday’s game. Wigan, on the other hand, had a massive 3-1 win at Blackpool last weekend that lifted them off bottom spot and out of the relegation zone for the first time in two months.

Though everything seems to point to an away win, we must appreciate that this is exactly the sort of fixture that Sunderland will have targeted to stop the rot. Wigan certainly don’t make a habit of winning on the road - last week was the first in seven. It is also over two years since the Latics won back-to-back league games anywhere. They have just three away wins for the season whereas Sunderland have still only lost a total of five at the Stadium of Light. All and all, form can only be considered so far, because other statistics and logic suggest that this should be a third consecutive draw between these sides.

The other match is another good draw candidate with the better side playing away from home - a classic levelling factor. Wolves were resurgent, then suddenly lost convincingly to Newcastle and Everton in consecutive matches. They have had two weeks off to lick their wounds and now resume their fight from the the very foot of the table. Fulham have steadily climbed away from the relegation zone since the turn of the year but this turnaround has been a consequence of excellent home results. Away from Craven Cottage they haven’t won at all in 2011, in seven attempts.

Wolves are similarly reliant on home form and if they can put the disappointment of the Everton game to one side, there is still reason for hope at Molineux. They have only lost two in a row there once this season. Fulham, with a fit again, in-form Zamora will be tough, but the Cottagers record of just one win and eight draws on their travels tells its own story. More of the same here, combined with a stalemate at Sunderland is a 10/1 double with Betfred.