Roker Riches: Week #9 - Wishful Thinking

Absolutely none of us won a bet this week.

If I could compare the Roker Report writers and their ability to win bets to anything, we'd be Michael Chopra.

Since Jim has missed two weeks, I'm resetting his balance to zero. Take that. I am the authority.

Week #8 Table:

Pundit	Last Week's Profit/Loss	Current Balance
@GRokerReport	- £16.02	£100.00
@FunkyPhallus	- £20.00	£69.97
@DJRoberts22	- £10.00	£47.80
@RoryFallow	- £8.00	£47.00
@Jim_Holmes_101	N/A	£0.00
@SAFCSource	- £10.00	-£6.50

@RoryFallow

The only bet that I've won so far was by backing Patrick van Aanholt to score any time against Bournemouth, so I'm going to hark back to those glory days by going for Fabio Borini to score anytime against Southampton. I'm hoping that his goal against Crystal Palace will either be enough to earn him a place in the starting eleven or that he'll come off the bench to nick us a later winner. Borini to score any time is 5/1 with Betfred.

Stoke City to win away at Chelsea is a very tempting 7/1 with BetVictor. This is of course due to how solid Chelsea have been under Gus Hiddink but this season in the Premier League is utterly ridiculous, so it's certainly worth going for at such good odds. I'll gamble another fiver giving me a potential return £40, including stake.

Picks:

Fabio Borini to score anytime v Southampton: 5/1 - £5

Stoke to beat Chelsea: 7/1 - £5

@SAFCSource

After only picking up a point at home to Crystal Palace, we need a result at St Mary's, particularly with Newcastle at home to Bournemouth and Norwich away to Swansea. Southampton were awful on Tuesday night as they lost at Bournemouth and saw Charlie Austin and Shane Long limp off injured - Austin is definitely out of the game at the weekend and Long is a doubt.

Due to our need to get a result and Southampton having one or two injury problems, I am going with us to snatch a much needed three points.

Blackburn's form has picked up recently thanks to the arrivals of our on loan duo Jordi Gomez and Danny Graham but they face a Burnley side who haven't lost since Boxing Day and currently sit top of the Championship. It should be a tight game but Burnley will have enough to win.

Picks:

Sunderland to win: 6/1 - £5

Burnley to win: Evens - £5

@GRokerReport

I need to start winning sometime soon, because I've spunked away a good portion of my profits recently.

Betting on Sunderland is absolutely dreadful, lets be honest. We're about as predictable as a toddler with ADHD, so trying to second guess what might happen is ridiculously hard.

We've only won twice away from home all season, so you'd have to think we'll eventually upset the apple cart and win in a game we aren't favourites to take three points from, right? Sunderland are 11/2 to win on Saturday so I'll be placing a fiver on that and hoping for the best. This returns £32.50 with Betway.

There are two derby games that have caught my eye this weekend. Spurs take on Arsenal in the early kick off tomorrow, whilst Burnley and Blackburn face off in the Championship. You can get 3.23/1 for a BTTS double, which returns £32.30 off a tenner. That'll do me.

Picks:

Sunderland to win: 11/2 - £5

BTTS double - Spurs v Arsenal & Burnley v Blackburn: 3.23/1 - £10

@FunkyPhallus

I'm playing it fairly safe this week.

If Sunderland win - brilliant. If we don't, I win money. Southampton to win and over 2.5 goals in the game is 6/4.

Elsewhere, I'm going for a four-fold. Middlesbrough to defeat Wolves, Millwall to beat Blackpool, Barnet to beat Hartlepool and Leyton Orient to beat Luton is 8.92/1 - a fiver on that please, bookmaker.

Picks:

Southampton to win and over 2.5 goals in the game: 6/4 - £5

Middlesbrough, Millwall, Barnet & Leyton Orient all to win: 8.92/1 - £5

@DJRoberts22

For my Sunderland bet this week, I'm going to punt for a Wahbi Khazri goal. He's dangerous from free kicks and if we're going to score, it's likely it'll be a free kick.

My second bet this week is, as always, an acca. I'm going to be ambitious with a seven fold too. In League Two, I'm going for home wins for Cambridge United and Port Vale, in League One I'm hoping home comforts also provide victory for Millwall and Wigan, where, likewise, I hope that also works out in the Championship and the Premiership, with wins for Sheffield Wednesday, Burnley and Manchester City rounded off my picks. That comes in at 56.2/1.

Picks:

Wahbi Khazri to score anytime: £5 - 9/2

Seven Fold - Cambridge, Port Vale, Millwall, Wigan, Sheff Wed, Burnley and Man City all to win: £5 - 56.2/1

@Jim_Holmes_101

Well, I've been utterly useless at this so far.

Firstly, I'm going with Sunderland and Southampton to draw 1-1, with Khazri to score. This bet is 35/1 with bet365, I'm going for £2 on that.

Secondly I'm going for an Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City and Leicester four fold. £3 on at 10.95/1 with bet365.

Honestly all I care about is that the lads get something at St Mary's, I guess £33 profit would soften the blow if we didn't.

Picks:

Sunderland v Southampton to finish 1-1: 35/1 - £2

Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City & Leicester all to win: 10.95/1 - £3