Saturday Accumulator

This week I’m backing unbeaten Aston Villa to beat lowly Wigan, and West Brom to defeat Sunderland for a fourth consecutive league match. In the Championship Ipswich look totally over-priced to win at home to Brighton. The Tractor Boys will be on cloud nine after they claimed a well-deserved three points at Upton park on Tuesday, while the Seasiders capitulated against their great rivals Crystal Palace. Back the treble at best odds of 13/1 with VictorChandler.

We’ll start with the ‘banker.’ Aston Villa are unbeaten, even if they have drawn five of their six league matches to date. But having watched their second half display at Loftus Road last Sunday they looked like an improving side; they were desperately unlucky to be denied victory by a fluke own goal in injury time. Significant news is that Darren Bent should be fit to return to the side and provide that all important cutting edge up front. Wigan have lost their last four games in all competitions and have only won once all season.

West Brom are the only away team I’m backing and that may seem surprising given their slow start to the season. But some teams just ‘fancy it’ against certain opponents and this fixture throws up one such example. In April Roy Hodgson masterminded a 3-2 victory at the Stadium of Light to make it three wins on the spin for WBA against Sunderland. Baggies’ striker Peter Odemwingie has particular fondness for these opponents having scored against them home and away last term. The west Midlanders have taken more points away to Sunderland than against any other Premier League opponent.

Steve Bruce can’t be enjoying his job too much at the moment. The Monday night defeat at Norwich was more resounding than the 2-1 scoreline suggests, and life at home is no better these days. The Black Cats have lost eight of their last 10 games at the ground they once regarded as a fortress. If you look at 2011 as a whole, WBA should really have the beating of Sunderland on Saturday. At individual odds of 12/5 with Victor, the away win is worth a punt on its own, but it’s a great boost to our accumulator’s value.

Finally I’m delving into the Championship to back Ipswich to beat Brighton. A week ago this might have looked rash, but the odds haven’t reacted much to some significant midweek developments. Confidence is pretty much everything in this division and Paul Jewell’s side will suddenly be brimming with it after their deserved 1-0 win at promotion favourites West Ham. Brighton were already in a minor slump, without a win in three, but they will have been rocked by the final 10 minutes at the Amex on Tuesday. Palace scored three times at the death to leave the hosts bewildered as to where it had all gone wrong. The contrasting momentum of Saturday’s opponents should make Ipswich strong favourites.

Back Villa, WBA and Ipswich to all win at best market odds of 13/1 with VictorChandler.