Each weekend I usually come up with between five and eight games in the English divisions that look decent draw selections and I will post them on the thread, personally I do level stake singles on these and will keep a running lsp update until the seasons end
Watford v West Ham 23/10
Just two points separate 10th placed West Ham and Watford in 13th and the very recent form of both sides of just one loss in five is pretty decent. At home Watford have gained eight points from the last five, with the only loss coming against 3rd placed Tottenham and two of their other three home losses have come against the sides currently 1st and 4th in the table. They have won five and drawn three of the other eight games here. On the road West Ham have improved massively in recent games, after winning just once from the first eight they have now won three of their last four, at Swansea, Middlesbrough and Southampton. Recent form indicates a close game and the draw can be had at 23/10
Aston Villa v Derby 23/10
Villa haven't won since beating Burton on Boxing day and have managed to gain just two points from the last nine games, a far cry from earlier in the season when they once went on a run of just one loss in thirteen. Through all this thought they have only lost twice at home this season and are the home draw specialists along with Ipswich Town having seven draws. Derby have lost three of their last four on the road but those losses were at Norwich, Leeds and Newcastle, those sides were in good form at the time of the meetings and are in far stronger positions than todays opponents. With Villa in such negative form and Derby beginning to fall away from those sides pushing for a play-off place the draw looks a strong possibility
Preston v QPR 12/5
The hosts have found some good form of late, they have only lost two of their last eleven, at home they are unbeaten in five, winning three of those games, including a 2-0 win over 2nd placed Brighton. They are nine points adrift of 6th place, possibly a bit too much ground to make up. QPR have improved since the turn of the year, winning five and drawing twice from the last ten games which has seen them climb away from the danger zone toward mid table safety. For those that take note of historical h2h fixtures, four of the last six meetings have ended all square though this stat does go back as far as 2010
Afc Wimbledon v Walsall 12/5
Two mid table sides meet here and both can be deemed draw specialists this season. Only Bradford with sixteen have drawn more games than these two who have thirteen draws each. Wimbledon are unbeaten in the last seven here, drawing four of those games while Walsall have lost once in the last six on the road, also drawing four times. With the overall stats for the season I'm quite surprised the odds compilers offer the draw as high as this
Sheffield United v Bolton Wanderers 11/4
The bookmakers have the hosts as short as 7/10 for this 1st v 3rd match up, personally I think that's a bit on the short side but on the upside the draw odds are decently priced at 11/4. Sheffield are very strong at home with eleven wins and three draws from seventeen games which is the joint strongest along with todays opponents and Fleetwood Town. Bolton on the road have won six and drawn four of their fourteen games and have the joint meanest defence along with MK Dons, having conceded just twelve times. They have been beaten just twice in the last nine away and have drawn the last three. The sides have met twice this season, one league and an Fa Cup tie, Bolton winning both by the odd goal
Exeter City v Blackpool 5/2
Exeter's fine run of ten wins and two draws from twelve games ended abruptly with a 0-3 loss at Plymouth and they have followed that result with two draws, firstly at struggling Notts County, throwing away a two goal lead and then a home draw with in form Stevenage. Blackpool are just below mid table but only five points off 7th place so if they have a decent season end they could also make the play-offs. Their away form is slightly better than the hosts home form although Exeter have done a lot better at home recently. With Blackpool having drawn five of their last seven and Exeters two recent draws those stats point me towards another stalemate
Notts County v Yeovil Town 12/5
Both sides are in the bottom eight and not yet entirely safe so we could see a tightly contested affair. County come into the game in better recent form having taken ten points from the last five, this follows a run in which they gained just two points from eleven games. Yeovil have only lost two of their recent eight games, drawing five times and have drawn three of their last four away from home
Southport v Chester 12/5
Both sides are in dire recent form having gained just a solitary point from their last five games. With Chester currently in mid table, thirteen points away from play-off places and twelve points clear from the relegation places it seems far more important for the hosts who are 3rd bottom to play more offensively and go for the win. Games don't always pan out like that though and the h2h stat for the last four seasons stands out well for the draw. They have played each other seven times over the last four seasons and five of those games have ended all square
That's the fixtures for the first week with the aim of trying to gain at least three draws. More would be great but if you can average three draws per week from eight selections you would see a profit. I will run this until the end of the season and hopefully turn in a +lsp return
Good luck with your own football bets this weekend
Watford v West Ham 23/10
Just two points separate 10th placed West Ham and Watford in 13th and the very recent form of both sides of just one loss in five is pretty decent. At home Watford have gained eight points from the last five, with the only loss coming against 3rd placed Tottenham and two of their other three home losses have come against the sides currently 1st and 4th in the table. They have won five and drawn three of the other eight games here. On the road West Ham have improved massively in recent games, after winning just once from the first eight they have now won three of their last four, at Swansea, Middlesbrough and Southampton. Recent form indicates a close game and the draw can be had at 23/10
Aston Villa v Derby 23/10
Villa haven't won since beating Burton on Boxing day and have managed to gain just two points from the last nine games, a far cry from earlier in the season when they once went on a run of just one loss in thirteen. Through all this thought they have only lost twice at home this season and are the home draw specialists along with Ipswich Town having seven draws. Derby have lost three of their last four on the road but those losses were at Norwich, Leeds and Newcastle, those sides were in good form at the time of the meetings and are in far stronger positions than todays opponents. With Villa in such negative form and Derby beginning to fall away from those sides pushing for a play-off place the draw looks a strong possibility
Preston v QPR 12/5
The hosts have found some good form of late, they have only lost two of their last eleven, at home they are unbeaten in five, winning three of those games, including a 2-0 win over 2nd placed Brighton. They are nine points adrift of 6th place, possibly a bit too much ground to make up. QPR have improved since the turn of the year, winning five and drawing twice from the last ten games which has seen them climb away from the danger zone toward mid table safety. For those that take note of historical h2h fixtures, four of the last six meetings have ended all square though this stat does go back as far as 2010
Afc Wimbledon v Walsall 12/5
Two mid table sides meet here and both can be deemed draw specialists this season. Only Bradford with sixteen have drawn more games than these two who have thirteen draws each. Wimbledon are unbeaten in the last seven here, drawing four of those games while Walsall have lost once in the last six on the road, also drawing four times. With the overall stats for the season I'm quite surprised the odds compilers offer the draw as high as this
Sheffield United v Bolton Wanderers 11/4
The bookmakers have the hosts as short as 7/10 for this 1st v 3rd match up, personally I think that's a bit on the short side but on the upside the draw odds are decently priced at 11/4. Sheffield are very strong at home with eleven wins and three draws from seventeen games which is the joint strongest along with todays opponents and Fleetwood Town. Bolton on the road have won six and drawn four of their fourteen games and have the joint meanest defence along with MK Dons, having conceded just twelve times. They have been beaten just twice in the last nine away and have drawn the last three. The sides have met twice this season, one league and an Fa Cup tie, Bolton winning both by the odd goal
Exeter City v Blackpool 5/2
Exeter's fine run of ten wins and two draws from twelve games ended abruptly with a 0-3 loss at Plymouth and they have followed that result with two draws, firstly at struggling Notts County, throwing away a two goal lead and then a home draw with in form Stevenage. Blackpool are just below mid table but only five points off 7th place so if they have a decent season end they could also make the play-offs. Their away form is slightly better than the hosts home form although Exeter have done a lot better at home recently. With Blackpool having drawn five of their last seven and Exeters two recent draws those stats point me towards another stalemate
Notts County v Yeovil Town 12/5
Both sides are in the bottom eight and not yet entirely safe so we could see a tightly contested affair. County come into the game in better recent form having taken ten points from the last five, this follows a run in which they gained just two points from eleven games. Yeovil have only lost two of their recent eight games, drawing five times and have drawn three of their last four away from home
Southport v Chester 12/5
Both sides are in dire recent form having gained just a solitary point from their last five games. With Chester currently in mid table, thirteen points away from play-off places and twelve points clear from the relegation places it seems far more important for the hosts who are 3rd bottom to play more offensively and go for the win. Games don't always pan out like that though and the h2h stat for the last four seasons stands out well for the draw. They have played each other seven times over the last four seasons and five of those games have ended all square
That's the fixtures for the first week with the aim of trying to gain at least three draws. More would be great but if you can average three draws per week from eight selections you would see a profit. I will run this until the end of the season and hopefully turn in a +lsp return
Good luck with your own football bets this weekend
