Hello everyone. Before your betting preview, Betfair have been nice enough to offer our visitors a free £50 bet before the transfer window shuts on August 31st. Be sure to claim your free £50:
1. Open your account (With promotional code: Bet753)
2. Deposit some money into the account straight away and stake up to £50
3. If you lose your 1st placed bet, you get that stake back within 24 hours (up to £50)
Also be sure to follow Arsenal vs Portsmouth - Live Commentary on our Twitter page for live updates and join in with the discussion during the match.
Season record 0-2 –2.00
It’s been a superb start to the season with the thumping opening day win at Everton and the Champions League cruise at Parkhead for the Gunners. However things arguably get much easier as Arsenal will look to continue their excellent start to the season with a home opener against a team that is considered by many to be doomed for relegation in wake of their close season fire sale. They have lost at home to Fulham and lost on the road to Birmingham last time out losing both games by 1-0. Whilst those results implies they may have been close games, they face a much more difficult task stepping up in class to face a big 4 side away from their Fratton Park home. With the South coast side in ownership and financial turmoil we can almost certainly focus on one result and that is an Arsenal win.
However, looking at the markets, the challenge is finding value and that is not easy with Arsenal 2/11 and 8/13 on the handicap. Whichever market you turn to Arsenal are odds on as they are 4/9 in the double result market to lead to half time and full time, 8/13 for the game to produce more then 2 goals. Normally this is a game I would walk away from given the absence of any value bet. Yes I could “pick” Arsenal at 2/11!
For value hunters, the markets to focus on are the under 3 at 6/5, over 3 goals at 13/8, Arsenal –2 on the Asian handicap at 95/100 and the first goal-scorer market. At first glance this appears to be yet another routine win for the Gunners who has already defeated Everton 6-1 and Celtic 2-0 both on the road. Surely logic dictates that in the first home game against a side much worse then Everton and Celtic, Arsenal should surely grab a hatful? The first two bets are linked in some ways. If it ends up 4-0 then the over 3 and Asian handicap are obviously winners. How you envision an Arsenal win is the key to extracting any possible value from this game. The under 3 goals also represents a touch of value given the Portsmouth defence still contains some useful players.
By the same token, if you envision a hatful of goals there could be value in backing one of the usual suspects to get their name on the scoresheet. Robin Van Persie could be a popular choice as he has yet to score this season and he is the 7/2 favourite to grab that first goal. But again, until you see that team-sheet for sure, there is little point betting at this point in time.
My personal preference is the Asian Handicap of –2 at 95/100. In their last meeting, the Gunners defeated Portsmouth on the road 3-0 and given reports of Arsene Wenger likely to field an unchanged starting XI for the third consecutive game, it’s hard to see past a resounding Arsenal victory to open the season at the Emirates.
Pick:
1pt win Robin Van Persie to score anytime 1.90 (Betfair)
1pt win Arsenal –2 1.91 (Bet365)
Loading ...