Roker Riches: Will the RR lads be betting on Sunderland’s winning streak continuing today?

Welcome to another Roker Riches episode, which starts with happiness aplenty, mainly from the 13 points won from the last possible 15 across the last 5 fixtures.

Have they been the most convincing points of the season of late? No, absolutely not. Do we care? Well, if we go up automatically with those results as part of the reason, no we don’t would be my view.

Of course, performing really well from time to time is key for morale, confidence and tactical adjustments. Additionally, if we blag the last 15 results and go up by the skin of our teeth, chances are we may not stay up very easily, even with good investment from our new owner. That isn’t looking like the situation though, as we are drawing when we would have previously lost, and winning when we may have drawn, with others flailing all around us, and that is promotion form.

Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images

Focus has to be on promotion rather than the cup next weekend, and that starts this Saturday afternoon. That ambition is very much there for the taking, so let’s hope we grab it with both hands.

How do the Riches lads feel we will do against another team from the lower end of the table in Rochdale? Let’s take a look.

---

The Rolling Table: Season 2020-2021

Yellow card update...

No yellow cards this week, though we do have one deduction of “Ten of the Queens finest Pounds Sterling” for an unauthorised substitution.

We have a new punter in the mix whose transfer was not authorised by the fourth official, so he takes over the reigns in fourth place in our table. For the offence committed he does lose a tenner from his inherited kitty, which is a fair price for virtually streaking into the squad.

Welcome to the posse to Luke “Bomber” Davies. We wish you well with all things betting around RR, and hope you enjoy the banter and the bets.

Here is the table as it stands before the Lads take on Rochdale from 3pm...

Minimal success for the betting team last weekend, with both Sunderland optimism and general weird results messing up most of the predictions.

Only Danny climbed the table one slot with one of his bets coming in with a net profit of £11.50. Hopefully more success for the betting slips this time out.

---

Banker’s Bonus...

Last weeks Bankers Bonus relied on our scoring prowess bagging us three goals on the road at Crewe, which we almost did in the end, but didn’t quite manage. Most fans would agree a point was a pleasant result though, especially given where we were with 25 mins to play, and the 2 screamers that gained us something.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

In honour of our new punter “Bomber”, Riches editor Malc is putting another bankers option out there this weekend, unrelated to the Rochdale result and more aligned to our new punters nickname.

In order to get into the top 2, Sunderland need to keep doing better than either Hull or Posh, or both, and ideally we could do with all of our opponents in the top six “bombing” like our Luke’s namesake.

This weeks bonus bet is that at least 3 of the top 5 teams near us (Posh, Hull, Lincoln, Portsmouth and Doncaster) will do either the same or worse than Sunderland in terms of league points. If so, we will award an extra tenner bet to the Riches lads to use on Wembley weekend bets.

Let’s hope our contenders honour your nickname Luke, and bomb from now on.

---

This Week’s Bets:

Matty Crichton says...

Sunderland to win & over 2.5 goals: Rochdale are on shocking form and given Charlie Wyke’s brilliant goal scoring form, I can see the lads firing three or four. £5 returns £10.50.

League One treble: Paul Cook’s Ipswich to continue their good form by beating Gillingham, Elliot Embleton to win the battle of the Sunderland loanees between Blackpool and Wimbledon, plus free scoring MK Dons to beat Wigan. £5 returns £39.18

---

Luke “Bomber” Davies says...

Half-time draw, Full-time Sunderland

Sunderlands customary 1st half struggles against the weaker teams may continue, but once again I bet we are to come through with the win. £5 returns £18.75

EFL Treble Champ: Swansea, L1: MK Dons, L2: Cheltenham.

Swans to extinguish the Warnock contract extension party, and Will Grigg to continue to do the bits we wish he had done in Red and White. Cheltenham to continue to ride at the top of L2 against one of the worst away records in the division. £5 pays £36.21

Photo by James Chance/Getty Images

---

Phil Butler says...

Over 7 Sunderland Corners and Sunderland to win Half Time - Full Time: I have to say, as much I love watching Lee Johnson’s side advance up the table, it makes picking a Sunderland bet which is at anything resembling a decent price an uphill task. For that reason, I’ve got a bit creative and gone for The Lads to have eight or more corners and to be winning at both Half Time and Full Time.£5 returns £27.50.

League Two Treble: After only two late Birmingham goals against QPR denied me a win last week, I’m sticking with the same formula by picking three teams from the EFL for this weekend’s treble. Cheltenham have won four of their last five and come up against a Port Vale side who haven’t won in their last five. Another home side, Tranmere Rovers, have won their last three and should have enough to beat an inconsistent Crawley Town. Finally, Harrogate Town, like Cheltenham, have won four of their last five, and they travel to Stevenage who are unbeaten in their last five, but that includes three draws. Hopefully Jack Diamond’s former side can get the job done for me this afternoon. £5 returns £45.34.

Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images

---

Paul Fletcher says...

Sunderland to Win 4-0: Rochdale have lost five of their last seven, the only exceptions being two 0-0 draws, so they do have it in them to shut up shop. But will they be able to do it against the quality of our attacking options? If we can get an early goal, hopefully the floodgates will open, we’ll score plenty and keep a clean sheet. I’ll take the three points however they come but I’d like us to secure them in style. £5 returns £85

Win and BTTS European treble: Bayern Munich to beat Dortmund, Leganes to beat Castellon and Roda JC to beat Volendam, all without managing to keep a no clean sheet. £5 returns £286

---

Malc Dugdale says...

Sunderland to win 3-0, 3-1 or 3-2. I am backing the lads to score a few this weekend, and this bet gives a few options for us to do that with a good haul of goals and even allows for our makeshift defence to let up to a couple in. Fiver returns £25 including stake.

Away Prem Treble. I can see these three results all being away wins - all of Arsenal, Wolves and Leicester to take all 3 away to Burnley, Villa and Brighton. Fiver returns £69 including stake.

---

Danny Roberts says...

Sunderland to win but over two goals: We’re on a little bit of a run currently and I think, despite our defensive headaches, we’ll get an early goal against Rochdale and breeze past them. £5 returns £10.50.

Photo by Lee Parker - CameraSport via Getty Images

League One Double: Back to back loses for Lincoln? I think it’s highly likely, especially against a Crewe that we saw first hand how good they are. I’ll double it up with a home win for Hull against Joey Barton’s Bristol Rovers. £5 returns £23.20.

---

Riches Readers’ Random Pick...

Sunderland 1 - Rochdale 0. This weeks random pick is quite conservative but is a repeat of the result against Swindon, when Charlie Wyke ensured we got all 3 points. Ths returns £65 for a tenner stake.

---

Good luck to Sunderland and to all our fellow punters. Please remember to gamble responsibly, and enjoy your weekend.

Let us know what you will be betting on this weekend, on social media or by email.

Cheers, and Ha’way the Lads!