Roker Riches: Bashing The Bookies As The Baggies Come To Town?

Week Twelve Recap

Not the greatest of weeks for our tipping team as everyone seemed to get caught up trying to emulate Dan's big accumulator win with some ambitious bets of their own. Unfortunately no-one was able to emulate our man in France's success and my Championship double was the only winning bet of the weekend which moved me into second place on the leaderboard but with still some work to do to catch Mr. Williams. This week see's the return of the hapless Chris Weatherspoon who will be desperate to put his record right sooner rather than later.

Speaking of Chris...

Chris Weatherspoon

I don't know why I bother but here goes...

Given last week's no-show by myself - a result of insufficient time, not cowardice, I hasted to add - I'm back and ready to lose more money this week. Now, given our two league wins thus far have seen us drawing at half-time, I see no reason to buck this trend. Therefore, with decent odds of 5/1 on offer, I'm going for a HT-FT bet of Draw-Sunderland.

Elsewhere, I like my accumulators. I never win them, but I enjoy them nevertheless. Thus, I'll go a bit daft, with a seven-team accy!

• Sunderland and West Brom to be drawing at half-time, with Sunderland to win at full-time - 5/1- £2 Stake
• Everton, Man Utd, Wigan, Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace, Blackburn and Barnsley all to win - 78/1 - £1 Stake

Karl Jones

Sticking with my Sunderland bet for a second successive week after Stephane Sessegnon thought one may not have been enough last time out (he was right).

We haven't got the greatest record against the Baggies; but for the 4-0 win that Ricky Sbragia presided over we haven't beaten them at home in the top flight since the 1983-84 season. West Brom's recent form adds to the size of the task, but having regathered our goalscoring touch at Craven Cottage I'm confident that we can record back-to-back wins. Steve Clarke has his team more organised than Fulham are at present, so I expect it to be a tight one.

We dip into League Two for a double now as Port Vale closed the gap on leaders Gillingham with a 4-0 win over Bristol Rovers on Tuesday. They travel to struggling Aldershot having scored their 41st goal of the season in the romp, and have won five of nine on the road.

Northampton are just outside the play-off spots after successive home wins and face an Oxford side just keeping their heads above water. Northampton's form away from Sixfields is patchy, but they are now unbeaten in seven.

• Sunderland to beat West Brom by a one-goal margin - 10/3 - £5 Stake
• Port Vale to beat Aldershot, Northampton to beat Oxford - 7.59 - £5 Stake

Dan Williams

After the incredible goal-fest that was Sunderland v Fulham last week, I'm backing this week's game to be a far tighter affair. We've been good at the back all season (apart from 10 seconds on Sunday) - while Steve Clarke has put together a very organised outfit at West Brom. They have been on excellent form, and we are showing signs of becoming 'the real deal', I think we'd all consider a point to be a decent result on Saturday.

They say never bet on your own team, but that's what I did with Barnsley last week, and it cost me my six-team acca' coming in. Still, five our of six isn't bad, especially when you take into account my glory the week before. So it's more acca-action this week. Everton and United should both be a shoe-in at home (cursed), and I would fancy all of the other teams to pick up three points too. More profit, here I come.

• Sunderland 0 - 0 West Brom - 10/1 - £2 Stake
• Everton, Man Utd, Middlesbrough, Blackpool, MK Dons to win - 7/1 - £5 Stake

David Boyle

Whilst Sunderland certainly found their goalscoring touch last week, the man advantage certainly helped and an organised, confident West Brom side should make this a close encounter. As such I believe there is value in returning to my old favourite when Sunderland are concerned; under 2.5 goals.

Away from the Stadium of Light I am going to have another Championship double this weekend. The first side to make my coupon is Middlesbrough who have been in fantastic form, despite a narrow defeat last time out to high-flying Cardiff and should have more than enough about them to see off Bristol City at the Riverside. Secondly I'm going to go with Leicester City who following a 6-0 demolition of Ipswich last weekend travel to a relegation threatened Sheffield Wednesday.

• Sunderland vs West Brom, under 2.5 goals - 10/11 - £3 Stake
• Middlesbrough and Leicester double - 3.5/1 - £2 Stake

Simon Walsh

I lost last week. Are you surprised? I'm not particularly, and neither should you be. Anyway here's this week's losing bets...

To start in this weeks game against West Brom I'm going for Adam Johnson to score whenever the hell he pleases in a 2-0 win for us. This comes in at a tempting 35/1, so that's where one of my pounds is being lost.

Elsewhere I'm looking at the following teams all to win in their respective match-ups. No looking at the form or any of that crap which those above me appear to have done, just gut instinct. If you know me, that's quite a gut too. Anyway, this lot are all going to win - Stoke City, Blackburn Rovers, Crewe Alexandra and Plymouth Argyle. They just are, and it's going to net me a healthy gain.

• Adam Johnson scores any time in a 2-0 Sunderland win - 35/1 - £1 Stake
• Stoke, Blackburn, Crewe & Plymouth all to win - 72/1 - £2 Stake