Liverpool v Huddersfield
Premier League – 8.00 pm
Sky Sports
The Reds are the first ones up this weekend in the title race. They get a home fixture on Friday night against the already-relegated Terriers. The Reds have been relentless recently in their pursuit of a Premier League title and they are on a six-match winning streak. Their home form has just been immense as it stands at W15 D2 L0 for the term. The Reds have averaged 2.8 goals per home game and with the strength of their defence as well, the leading bookmakers have them at 4/7 odds-on to win to nil. That will probably appeal to a lot of punters as one of the best bets of the day.
The Terriers are just waiting to be put out of their misery at the end of the season really. They have extended their losing streak to seven now in the league. In that sequence of games, Huddersfield have managed to produce only the two league goals. During this campaign, they have won once on their travels only. It is just one point from the last 33 available to them on the road which they have taken. It would be some shock to see them be the ones to derail Liverpool’s title challenge at Anfield.
Somerset v Essex
One Day Cup Cricket – 1.00 pm
Sky Sports
Somerset have powered their way to three wins from three in the One Day Cup putting up a net run rate 2.80 in the campaign. Somerset crushed Kent by 264 runs in their opener, before squeezing out a two-run victory over Glamorgan. They were far more comfortable in their third match with a 68 run success over Sussex and they are 4/6 odds on with leading bookmakers to pick up the victory.
Can Essex (6/5) stop them in their tracks? It has been a bit of an unsteady start from them with a W1 L2 record from their three games. Their only success in the competition so far came in their opening match when they took out Glamorgan with a 180 run victory in Sophia Gardens. A home defeat against Middlesex and a road defeat to Surrey has set them back. So they need to start picking up the pace a bit to get back into contention for at least a place in the playoffs.
Sale v Bath
Premiership Rugby – 7.45 pm
BT Sport
This will be seventh-placed Bath taking on Sale who are one place and just the one point behind them in the table. So this may end up being a tight battle between the two clubs, who really at this stage are just playing with only the very faint glimmers of hope about reaching the top four at the end of the term. There are only two rounds of action to go following this one. In each of Sale’s last four league matches, the home side has come out on top. That could bode well for them at the AJ Bell Stadium on Friday.
The Sharks are 4/7 favourites for the win and they are looking for their fourth straight Premier League home win as well. The head to head over the recent meetings have produced a win for each and a draw. Bath are +3 at 10/11 in the handicap market with leading bookmakers. Exactly like Sale, the last four league games they have been involved in have ended in a home win. Bath suffered a tough defeat last time out in the league, blowing a 17-7 half time lead at Gloucester. Bath have had their struggles on the road as they have just one win away from home since September in all competitions.
Augsburg v Bayer Leverkusen
Bundesliga – 7.30 pm
BT Sport
Augsburg have a comfortable cushion between themselves and the drop zone with just the four games to play. So they can rest easy. They do have a bit of form behind them as well having taken back to back league wins over Frankfurt and Stuttgart, firing off a total of nine goals in those two games. Each of their last five league games have produced at least four goals in them. So this may be entertaining and four of Augsburg’s five home wins this season have come in their last six on home soil. Still, they are 15/4 underdogs with leading bookmakers for this.
Bayer Leverkusen have bigger fish to fry. They are in seventh place in the table, three points outside of the top five. So they are still in the mix for some European action next season and need to continue some recent good momentum to get there. They are on a two-match winning streak in the league, both of them being with a clean sheet. Leverkusen are on a nine-match scoring streak on their travels and they have won five of their last seven on the road. So again, this looks like a game with the promise of goals. The top bookmakers think the same with over 2.5 goals at 1/2 odds.
