Weekend betting column: Easter Monday goalfest for PNE

The Easter weekend is always a funny one in terms of the football. Two rounds of football league so close together always seems to throw up a set of funny results here and there.

For me, it undoubtedly favours those bigger clubs with decent squad depth. You also have to take into account given the time of the season just how much is at stake for each side.

The Premier League is a little more straightforward and the 5/4 on West Ham to get a much needed three points at Sunderland looks a decent bet to me.

Our old boss David Moyes took on a difficult job up there and they are now dead and buried.

ValueBet are offering an enhanced treble of 9/1 that the bottom three clubs all fail to pick up points over the bank holiday weekend. It is a good offer, given the form Arsenal are in at present and punters have been keen on it.

Chelsea head to Old Trafford on Sunday in good heart and line up against a United side who could be jaded after a midweek trip to Belgium.

The home side are struggling with injuries in key positions and the 2/1 on the away win looks quite a big price for me. They will be up for this against their old gaffer and I would pair in form Eden Hazard with the always dangerous Diego Costa at 6/1 and 5/1 respectively with the ValueBet 2 for 1 first goalscorers.

Closer to home, Preston North End face a key weekend. The locals were saying season over after the defeat to Leeds and yes clearly it looks difficult to get a play-off spot now.

The pressure is off though and Simon Grayson’s side could find this to their liking. I am expecting a bit of a goalfest against Norwich on Easter Monday at Deepdale.

The advice on the goalscorers is as usual of late, just back Barkhuizen and the classy Aiden McGeady.

It was almost cash-in time at Elland Road with Barkhuizen early on in the game and on another day he would have scored. That shows how he is still raw and he will learn from that. I fancy him to back himself and stick one away again very soon though.

The racing at Kempton is very decent and the flat season is now in full swing. The 3 year old fillies Conditions Stakes at 4:15 has thrown up decent winners in the past who have gone on to bigger things and Ralph Beckett’s Sibilance looks one to follow.

She won a nice race as a 2 year old last summer and her trainer is one who does well with the fillies. She could be a very nice horse in this seasons classic generation now stepped up to the mile.

Have a great weekend folks. Joe