Manchester City v Everton
Premier League – 12.30 pm
Sky Sports
Where other to start Saturday’s Bets of the Day than at the Etihad? The Citizens got a big wake up call last weekend in the Premier League. They are not invincible after all it would seem, as Chelsea took them down at Stamford Bridge. City lost that trip to London 2-0, their first league defeat of the season. It snapped a seven-match winning streak that they were on in the top flight. So this is a going to be a test of character but they are still massive 1/5 odds-on favourites at the top bookmakers to claim three points in this one against Everton.
City have a perfect home record of eight wins from eight this season in the Premier League. They have averaged 3.75 goals per game at the Etihad. Everton have had a season of improvement under Marco Silva but are looking for what would be just their second away win of the season in the top flight. But a recent 0-0 draw out at Chelsea, and a heartbreaking late defeat at Anfield against rivals Liverpool shows that they are at the very least competition and hard to knock down. Can they frustrate the reigning champions at the Etihad?
Toulouse v Wasps
European Cup Rugby – 3:15 pm
BT Sport
It is top versus bottom in Pool 1 of the European Champions Cup on Saturday afternoon. Wasps make the trip to France to take on leaders Toulouse after having been humbled by them at the Ricoh Arena last weekend. They lost their home game 16-24 against the French side. Wasps were only outscored 2-1 on the try count, but it was the boot of Thomas Ramos that saw the French gain the advantage. From their winless position heading into the fourth round of matches, Wasps look to have an insurmountable job ahead.
A qualification push looks a long way off. Will Toulouse put them to the sword at the Stade Ernest-Wallon on the weekend? That will further strengthen their own ambitions in the tournament. In their one home game so far they edged Leinster by a single point in an epic duel. All the pressure is going to be on Toulouse to deliver on home soil in this one. Are Wasps, who are sitting fourth in the English Premiership, able to pull off the upset to blow the Pool wide open? The leading bookmakers have given the English side a generous +17 in the handicap at 10/11 odds.
Bristol City v Norwich
Championship – 5.30 pm
Sky Sports
The Robins have started to see a little bit of improvement in their current form. After a four-match losing streak that they were on (failing to score in three), the Robins have taken seven points from their last three outings. Granted two of those games were against current bottom-four sides. But still, it has helped them gain momentum. Bristol City are winless in three at Ashton Gate (D1 L2) so clearly need a bump in their current home form. The top bookmakers have the Robins at 7/4 underdogs to claim three points on the weekend. Part of their problem in extending their recovery, is the form of visitors Norwich.
The Canaries are the league leaders and have some stunning form behind them. They are W7 D1 in their last eight league games and have won three of their last four on the road (D1). The Canaries have scored at least three goals in five of their last six league games (home and away). They look as if they are going to take some stopping. But 19th-placed Hull managed to find a way to stop the Canaries winning, in what was Norwich’s last away game. The Tigers dug in for a 0-0 draw on home soil against them.
Can Bristol City take some inspiration from that and least and avoid defeat? That’s an outcome which could be backed in a Double Chance option. The Canaries are favourites to win the fixture, but they have not been backed into an odds-on chance. Still, that will appeal in value terms for their backers at 6/4 odds.
Katie Taylor v Eva Wahlstrom
Boxing – 11:00 pm
Sky Sports
Ireland’s Katie Taylor hops back into the ring late on Saturday evening (UK time). She is putting her WBA and IBF lightweight titles on the line at the famous Madison Square Garden in New York as she battles Finland’s Eva Wahlstrom. Taylor is the heavy odds-on favourite to land the win as she looks to extend her professional career a step further. She holds an unbeaten 11-0 record in her career so far and this will be the fifth defence of her WBA title and the third of her IBF. 38-year-old Wahlstrom could be a tricky customer though.
She has been holding the WBC super-featherweight tiles since 2015 so will be stepping up a little bit in weight here. Wahlstrom also puts her unbeaten career record on the line, taking a W22 D1 record into the fight. Her most recent fight was a title defence against America’s Mills St Vil back in April. The Finn has won her last sixteen fights by Unanimous Decisions. Just three of her career wins have been by knockout. Taylor, in contrast, has five knockout wins in eleven fights. So those are trends which could swing punters either way. Backing Taylor for a knockout win is at 12/5 with top bookmakers. Wahlstrom to get the Decision is at 14/1 odds. Can the Finn’s experience and class help her avoid the punching power of Taylor?
