Only one place to start and that is at Loftus Road, where Rangers entertain Premier League leaders Chelsea on Saturday.
Six months ago we’d have priced up a market on whether X would shake hands with Y but we felt in light of other events this week it was petty, trivial and completely boring.
Onto the football and we bet 7/2 there will be a red card in Saturday’s game (Chelsea ended up with nine men in the corresponding game last season) and 1/6 there isn’t.
Chelsea are a shade of odds-on to win at 20/23 with the draw at 13/5 and the Hoops at 19/5.
Chelsea have won a penalty in each of their three league games to date and we bet 11/4 there is a penalty awarded for either side at the weekend.
Rangers need something – or someone – to kick-start their season and Bobby Zamora, who has never scored in 11 Premier League appearances against Chelsea, is 9/1 to grab the opener at BetVictor with Fernando Torres 4/1 favourite and Daniel Sturridge 11/2.
The corresponding game last season brought a 1-0 victory for the R’s and the same scoreline is 14/1 at betvictor.com.
Everything was doom and gloom at Loftus Road after their mauling at the hands of Swansea on the opening day but, lest we forget, Rangers won their last five games at home last season and Chelsea picked up fewer points in London derbies than any other team from the capital last term.
I fancy Rangers to nick a point with 1-1 at 13/2 at betvictor the recommendation.
Rangers are now 5/6 to finish 15th or better in the table and the same price for them to finish 16th or worse. They have an ageing squad but I think there has been a slight overreaction to the Swansea mauling.
Fulham meet West Brom at Craven Cottage and are unbeaten in their last 13 home league matches against the Baggies.
That said, the visitors have had a cracking start to the season, beating both Merseyside clubs at The Hawthorns, and were arguably unlucky not to win at White Hart Lane when dominating Spurs for large periods.
Fulham are a shade of odds-against at 21/20 and when you consider they have lost just one of their last 11 games at the Cottage they are sure to have their supporters. Albion are 3/1 to maintain their excellent start to the season with the draw at 5/2.
Dimitar Berbatov is a stand-out 13/2 at BetVictor to grab the opener on what is likely to be his home debut for Fulham behind Mladen Petric 11/2 and the same price as Hugo Rodallega.
Romelu Lukaku, on loan from Chelsea impressed, against both Liverpool and Spurs and is 8/1 to score first.
We bet 8/11 for both teams to score and 11/10 for one or both of the sides to fail to hit the back of the net. Again I think the points will be shared and 5/2 for the draw and 6/1 for 1-1 would be the recommendation.
Our enhanced bet of the weekend at BetVictor is for Arsenal (home to Southampton), Chelsea, Manchester City (away to Stoke) and Manchester United (home to Wigan) to all win at 19/4.
For all your weekend odds check out betvictor.com
Be lucky
Charlie
This post was last modified on 15/09/2012