Premier League football betting - Liverpool vs Sunderland

Back in November, Liverpool Manager Rafa Benitez guaranteed that his side would finish at least fourth in the Premier League this season and play Champions League football next term. He must be regretting this rash promise as May approaches and the Reds are the least well positioned of the four teams in the hunt for one place amongst Europe`s elite. Tottenham, Manchester City and Aston Villa all have a game in hand over Liverpool, with Spurs and City four and two points ahead respectively and level on points.

Benitez will be desperate for his side to avoid dropping more unnecessary points and his team are strong favourites to win today at 1/3 (bet £30 to win £10 profit), leaving Sunderland as underdogs at 11/1. Both sides have only two wins in their last five games but the visitors will be the more content, as they are unbeaten over that period while Liverpool have suffered three defeats. The draw is available at 9/2 with Betfred but the sides have not drawn in the Premier League in any of their last eight meetings.

A comfortable 2-0 home win has been made the favourite score for the game at 11/2, followed by a less convincing 1-0 at 6/1 and an emphatic 3-0 at 8/1. A 1-1 draw is available at 11/1 with Stan James and 0-0 is generally available at 14/1. The first time the teams met this season will be remembered not so much for the quality of football but for the beach ball that deflected Darren Bent`s shot past Pepe Reina to earn the Black Cats a 1-0 win. A repeat of that score today is 25/1.

Spanish hitman Fernando Torres has been made favourite to open the scoring today at 11/4, followed by Steven Gerrard at 9/2 and Dirk Kuyt at 5/1. Gerrard and Torres are the stars of this Liverpool team and injury has disrupted their form and rhythm. However, when they are both on song they are a constant threat to any defence. Darren Bent is seen as Sunderland`s best hope of scoring the first goal today at 9/1, having scored twenty goals already this season.

Liverpool are 5/6 to lead today at both half-time and full-time and 7/2 to win the match after drawing at half-time. The bookmakers are offering 15/2 that both halves end in a draw and Sunderland are 28/1 with Victor Chandler to be winning at both the interval and the final whistle. Draw/Sunderland is at the same price, also with Victor Chandler.

The men from Anfield need to recover their form if they are not to be condemned to another season in the Europa League and the bookmakers give them a reasonable chance of doing so, offering 7/2 that Liverpool finish the season in the top four.

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