Betting column: Banking on a merry Christmas for Preston North End

Preston North End ace Paul Gallagher is 14/1 to score the first goal

North End take to the road again after two important wins at home to halt their losing run.

They should gain confidence from those two results, proving they deserve their place in the play-offs.

I have a good feeling they could pinch another here to put to bed their away day worries this season.

They can be backed at 9/1 to win 1-0, whilst captain fantastic Paul Gallagher can be backed at 14/1 to score first.

Is there ever a  better weekend to get a football treble up than the one before  Christmas?  Unfortunately for punters it looks like a tricky one though,  with the prices reflecting this.

Wolves look a tad overpriced to me at Evens away to Premier League strugglers Norwich.

They will be hurting from conceding in the last minute at home to Spurs last weekend.

And though the Canaries have just picked up a massive point away at Leicester City to put a spanner in the Foxes’ title works, the away side should have enough this weekend.

Another price which looks a decent one is the  11/8 available for Aston Villa to pick up a much needed home win against Southampton.

The Villa have found themselves being dragged into a relegation battle and a couple of wins over the festive period will ease their worries massively.

It’s never an easy place to travel to and Saints could easily come unstuck at Villa Park.

To complete the treble I feel it could be worthwhile rolling it over onto Sunday, where a resurgent Tottenham Hotspur under new boss Jose Mourinho welcome Chelsea for what looks like a feisty London derby.

How Mourinho would love to get one over the Blues, who he managed to title success in two different spells at Stamford Bridge.

Spurs look like finding form at the right time for a change this season and if they want to finish fourth and secure a Champions League place for next season, they will need to win this.

It will be tough but at  11/8 I just see them as some value.

The treble will pay a  tidy 10/1 and would be more than welcome in the festive kitty.

It’s a competitive weekend on the racing front, with Ben Pauling’s KILDISART being my pick of the weekend in the Silver Cup at Ascot (3:00).

He showed at Aintree last season that he has a liking for the fences and at 7/1 he could relish these conditions this weekend.

Enjoy your weekend folks and all the best for Christmas next week!