Roy Hodgson is still seeking his second win in charge of Crystal Palace as the Eagles sit bottom of the pile after 12 games with only 5 points. Saturday’s 2-2 draw with fellow strugglers Everton will have given the former England manager cause for optimism for the remainder of the season. Stoke’s start to the season has been relatively unremarkable but with 4 points from their last 2 games – Mark Hughes will be hoping his side can improve on their 15th place position.
Crystal Palace
Having been propping up the table for the past 2 months, Roy Hodgson’s Palace have only registered one Premier League win so far this term – a 2-1 home triumph over Champions Chelsea. Goals have been the primary concern for Hodgson’s men with only 6 Premier League goals scored this term at an average of one every two games. It’s no coincidence that Palace’s form has improved since Wilfried Zaha returned from a length injury lay off and the Ivory Coast international has scored 3 of Palace’s 6 league goals this term.
English Premier League – Selhurst Park – Saturday 25th November 2017 – 15:00 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 11/5 at Ladbrokes |
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Crystal Palace
Stoke CityStoke City
The Potters have had an indifferent start to the campaign – beating Arsenal and drawing with Manchester United whilst shipping 7 at the hands of Manchester City. Mark Hughes’s men find themselves in 15th position (prior to their game with Brighton) and their defensive record has been uncharacteristically poor – 22 goals conceded in 11 games so far. Peter Crouch has rolled back the years this term and the former England man has notched 4 goals already this term – at a better average than a goal a game.
Head to Head
Crystal Palace hold the lead in the head to head record between the two teams with a 26:19 lead whilst another 13 games have ended in draws between the two sides. Palace thumped the Potters 4-1 last season thanks to goals from Tomkins, Dann, McArthur and Townsend whilst Stoke got their revenge at home in February with Joe Allen’s goal proving decisive in a 1-0 win at the Bet 365 Stadium.
Odds and Predictions
Defending has been the key issue for both teams so far this term so goals could be on the horizon.
Both teams to score – YES – looks a sensible bet at 10/11 with William Hill.
Wilfried Zaha has scored in his last 3 home appearances at Selhurst Park.
Wilfried Zaha to score anytime looks amazing value at 21/10 with Uni Bet.
Both sides are known for their physical/robust approaches and this could be a feisty encounter.
A red card to be shown in the match looks a real possibility at 3/1 with Paddy Power.
Both teams have struggled to win games this term and they could well cancel each other out.
The match to finish as a draw looks a logical prediction at 11/5 with Ladbrokes.
Score Prediction
Crystal Palace 1 – 1 Stoke City – 6/1 with William Hill.
Top Betting Tip
Roy Hodgson has improved Crystal Palace since his arrival although the results haven’t necessarily been coming and Palace will see this as a winnable fixture, but Stoke are resolute and won’t make life easy for them. The match to be a draw at half time and full time pays a healthy 4/1 with Sky Bet.