If you find it surprising that the English Premier League has only 5 games this weekend and 5 the next, don’t worry. It’s just the league’s way of implementing a mid-season break; spreading one matchday across two weekends. The upcoming matches include a relegation battle, a clash between two top-four hopefuls, and a London derby. Beyond England, there’s the Supercopa de España final, while Napoli, currently out of form, aims to return to winning ways as they host bottom-of-the-table Salernitana. Let’s explore these matchups while also discussing the betting offers on the best betting site in Nigeria, BetKing. **Chelsea vs. Fulham** Among English League fixtures where two teams have met at least 50 times, this encounter between Chelsea and Fulham stands out as the most lopsided. Fulham’s win rate of 10% against Chelsea, with only 8 victories in 77 league meetings, ranks as the lowest among 3,116 such matchups. Their last away league victory over Chelsea dates back to late 1979 when both teams were in the second tier, and Fulham has managed just one win in their last 18 games against Chelsea, both at home and away. However, this lone victory came last year at Craven Cottage so, maybe there may be slim hope for the visitors. Both teams are coming off first-leg losses in the League Cup semi-finals, and enter this upcoming game a bit wounded. Fulham, similar to their earlier Premier League clash at Anfield this season, initially led against Liverpool but ultimately relinquished their advantage, resulting in another defeat on Merseyside. Chelsea’s defeat was more humiliating. A significantly weakened Middlesbrough side secured a 1-0 win over the Blues, with Mauricio Pochettino’s team witnessing a hat-trick of missed chances by Cole Palmer. Seeking a swift recovery, Chelsea aims to maintain their recent positive momentum in the league. With victories in their last two games, they have an opportunity to secure three consecutive wins for the first time since October 2022. At Stamford Bridge, they’ve won 3 league meetings in a row, and could win 4 in a row since the pandemic-hit season. Chelsea’s lack of quality in front of goal has been responsible for their poor results this season and Cole Palmer would hope to have his scoring boots on this time around to help the team. The club’s xG of 41.96 is the 4th highest in the league behind only Liverpool, Newcastle, and Manchester City, so clearly, they have no problem creating chances. Having scored in 12 of their last 14 games, and with a sound record in this fixture, our bet prediction is for a few goals and Chelsea to win. **Betting Tips:**
**Newcastle United vs. Manchester City** These two teams rank 2nd and 3rd in xG rankings in the Premier League and, ordinarily, a high-scoring game would be expected. However, recent matchups between these two teams have defied expectations, with the last three games yielding just four goals. In contrast, their preceding seven encounters produced a goal bonanza, totalling 33 goals at an average of 4.7 goals per game. While Newcastle have recently come into some money of their own, this remains a fixture dominated by Manchester City in recent years. The Magpies’ 2-1 victory at St. James’ Park in 2019 stands as their sole win against the Cityzens in 32 attempts in the Premier League. Manchester City won 26 of those encounters, with the remaining 5 ending in draws. Also, Manchester City has found the net in 30 consecutive league games against Newcastle - the longest scoring streak by one team in the competition’s history. Given Newcastle’s ongoing injury woes and the return of key players for the reigning champions, it appears unlikely that this impressive run will end soon. Newcastle United secured a 1-0 victory over Man City in the EFL Cup earlier this season, providing them with a boost in confidence as they aim to achieve two wins over their opponents in a single season for the first time since 1983/84. However, their league form raises concerns, having lost six of their last nine games, leading to a drop to 9th place in the table. A potential loss this weekend would mark their fourth consecutive defeat, a feat not experienced since they were in a relegation battle two seasons ago. For Pep Guardiola, this game presents an opportunity to kick-start a climb up the league standings. With the return of the Belgian duo, Kevin de Bruyne and Jeremy Doku, Manchester City possesses the firepower to leave St. James’ Park with all three points.
**Manchester United vs. Tottenham Hotspur** Manchester United faces a crucial must-win situation if they intend to secure a top-four finish this season. A defeat against Spurs this weekend would result in an 11-point gap behind the North Londoners, a significant margin that would require a near miracle to overcome in the remaining fixtures. Two things seem highly likely ahead of this fixture. First, the visitors are going to score. Spurs have scored in each of their last 32 league games - the longest ongoing run by any side in the league. Also, under Ange Postecoglou, Spurs have a knack for scoring cut-back goals. Fortunately for them, this season, Manchester United has shown a susceptibility to conceding cut-back goals. So, not only is a Spurs goal expected, but the likelihood of witnessing a cut-back goal is on the cards. The second thing that is almost certain is that we will have a winner. None of the last 17 Premier League meetings between Manchester United and Tottenham at Old Trafford have finished level, with the Red Devils winning 13 and losing 4. Remarkably, Manchester United boasts 24 home Premier League wins against Spurs, the highest tally by one side against another, tied only with Arsenal’s 24 victories over Everton. Nevertheless, Spurs aim to achieve their first league double over the hosts since the 1989/90 season, having won 2-0 when these two teams met earlier in the season. It’s hard to figure how this game will swing, given Man Utd’s poor form, especially at home, and Spurs’ loss of a few key players to the AFCON and the AFC Asian Cup. With these in mind, our advice to the online sports betting community is to stick to the certainties we are aware of. **Betting Tips:**
**AC Milan vs. AS Roma** Amidst speculation about a potential exit at the end of the season, Jose Mourinho will travel to Milan to face the Rossoneri. Unfortunately, he won’t be on the sidelines as he serves a suspension, having been sent to the stands twice within a week during Roma’s matches against Atalanta and Lazio in Serie A and the Coppa Italia, respectively. Roma is currently going through a challenging period, marked by a Cup exit at the hands of bitter rivals, Lazio. After 19 league games, they find themselves eighth in Serie A, having won just one of their past five matches, with two draws and two losses. Their only victory in this stretch came against a poor Napoli side before Christmas. Adding to Roma’s woes is the absence of players due to injuries. Diego Llorente, Marash Kumbulla, Chris Smalling, Renato Sanches, and Tammy Abraham are all sidelined, while Paolo Dybala may also miss out after being substituted at half-time in the loss to Lazio due to an injury. Also, they will be without Evan Ndicka, Houssem Aouar, and Sardar Azmoun, who are away on international duty. For Milan, they’re in a healthy position in the league, and are on course to finish in the top 4, though a bitter Cup exit to Atalanta may have dampened the mood somewhat. With three wins and a draw in their last four league games, they currently sit six points ahead of 4th-placed Fiorentina. Going into this game, Milan holds a clear advantage, having remained unbeaten in their last eight encounters against Roma since a defeat in October 2019. Among these, five have been wins, including a 2-1 triumph at the Stadio Olimpico earlier in the season. Betting on both teams to score in the upcoming clash could be a favorable choice, considering that both teams have found the net in each of their last seven encounters. Also, there are high odds for Romelu Lukaku to continue his scoring streak, as he has scored in each of his last four Serie A starts against Milan. Betking offers the best odds for these compared to other betting sites. **Betting Tips:**
**Real Madrid vs. Barcelona** For the second consecutive year under the four-team format, the Supercopa de España final will showcase an El Clasico encounter. Barcelona clinched a 3-1 victory in last year’s final at King Fahd International Stadium, securing their only trophy of the season. Eager to defend their title, they breezed through the semi-final against Osasuna with a 2-0 triumph, with Robert Lewandowski and 16-year-old Lamine Yamal finding the net. Real Madrid faced a more dramatic journey to the final, engaging in an 8-goal extra-time spectacle against Atletico Madrid. This intense match witnessed 8 different scorers, including Antonio Rudiger, though his was in the wrong net. Since the pandemic hit, these two sides haven’t drawn in 90 minutes. In the 12 meetings between them in that span across all competitions, Real Madrid have won 8, including their earlier meeting this season where Jude Bellingham’s brace secured a 2-1 away victory. Ahead of this game, both teams could be without key players. Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde was taken off in extra-time with a knock, while Barcelona’s Raphinha was forced off in the first-half. Still, there is enough quality on both sides to guarantee an exciting game when they take to the field at the KSU Stadium. Barcelona’s form was not entirely convincing before the winter break, as they dropped league points to Valencia and Girona, before squeezing past Almeria. In contrast, Real Madrid has maintained an undefeated streak across all competitions since September, and their victory over Atletico showed they can overwhelm teams with their excellent attack, even if they have defensives holes that need to be addressed. With these in mind, we predict Real Madrid to get revenge for last year’s final and lift the trophy. **Betting Tips:**
**Napoli vs. Salernitana** Reigning champions, Napoli find themselves in a dismal run of form, mirroring the struggles of 20th-placed Salernitana, whom they will host in Naples on Saturday afternoon. Both teams have suffered three losses, secured one victory, and drawn once in their last five matches, causing concern among their respective fanbase. For Salernitana, this precarious situation could mark the end of their three-year stint in Serie A unless there is a swift turnaround. Napoli, on the other hand, has already seen their aspirations of retaining the Scudetto dashed, and there is now a looming risk of missing out on a European spot. Adding to the gravity of Napoli’s situation is the historical note that, for the first time in Serie A history, a reigning champion trails the league leaders by over 20 points at the halfway mark of the season in the subsequent campaign. There might be a glimmer of hope for Napoli as they face Salernitana. In the past 11 meetings across all competitions, they have remained unbeaten against Salernitana, winning seven and drawing four since their 2-0 loss to the visitors in Serie B back in late 2002. Napoli has never suffered a home defeat against Salernitana in club history, boasting a record of nine wins and five draws in their 14 encounters at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. In the earlier clash between these two teams this season, Napoli were 2-0 winners under ex-manager, Rudi Garcia, even without star striker Victor Osimhen, who was sidelined due to injury. Despite Osimhen’s current absence, this time due to AFCON commitments, we believe they have enough in them to once again take 3 points off Salernitana. **Betting Tips:**
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