The bookies fancy that the arrival of Martin O'Neill as manager will have an immediate effect on Sunderland as they start favourites against Blackburn in the live Sunday lunchtime match. Sunderland are available at 5/6 in the match odds for the Premier League encounter at the Stadium of Light, while Blackburn are a best priced 7/2 with Bet365.
Both sides are in desperate need of points as they hover precariously in and around the relegation zone in the league. Sunderland reacted to their current plight by replacing Steve Bruce with Martin O'Neill and the Northern Irishman has the credentials to turn things around.
O'Neill should have a galvanising effect on his new squad and we fancy them to get his reign off to a winning start against a poor Blackburn side. Sunderland have won three and lost none of the last six Sunderland v Blackburn meetings and they will be keen to extend that unbeaten run and improve end their own wretched league form.
They are without a win in their last five matches and have won just two of their last fifteen at home. The problem has been scoring goals and it is a telling statistic that the scorers in Sunderland's 3-0 win over Blackburn last season are no longer at the club, as Darren Bent, Asamoah Gyan and Danny Welbeck have all moved on.
However, goals could be in store this weekend as Sunderland's dismal home record is only bettered, or worsened depending on your viewpoint, by the abysmal away record of Blackburn.
Steve Kean's men have kept just one clean sheet in their last 26 Premier League away matches and are yet to keep a clean sheet this season. Both teams to score is 8/11 odds on and that is no surprise, but there could be value to be found in the over/under markets.
Five of Sunderland's last six matches at home have involved over 2.5 goals and over 2.5 is available at 4/5 with Bet365.com. Furthermore, both teams have scored in all of Blackburn's seven away matches this term and five of them have involved over 3.5 goals, with over 3.5 looking decent value at odds of 2/1.
The one bright spot for Kean has been the form of Yakubu, who scored all four goals in the 4-2 win over Swansea last weekend. Yakubu now has eight goals in his last seven appearances and Bet 365 offer industry best priced odds of 17/2 for him to score first.
However, Blackburn have won just one of their last sixteen away matches and we fancy Sunderland, boosted by the arrival of O'Neill, can improve their dismal home record. The correct score of 2-1 is available at 15/2 and that could be the way to go as O'Neill looks to work his magic early at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland v Blackburn Form
Check the season's statistics for both Sunderland and Blackburn, plus the odds ahead of Sunday's match.
Sunderland Stats | Blackburn Stats
Sunderland v Blackburn Tips
Tip #1: Sunderland to win @ 5/6 with Bet365.com
Tip #2: Sunderland to win 2-1 @ 15/2 with Bet365.com
Tip #3: Yakubu to score first (each-way) @ 17/2 with Bet365.com
Match Odds
5/6 Sunderland
5/2 Draw
7/2 Blackburn
Correct Score Odds
13/2 Sunderland 1-0
8/1 Sunderland 2-0
15/2 Sunderland 2-1
10/1 Draw 0-0
11/2 Draw 1-1
12/1 Draw 2-2
12/1 Blackburn 1-0
22/1 Blackburn 2-0
14/1 Blackburn 2-1
First Goalscorer Odds
9/2 Nicklas Bendtner
6/1 Jo Dong-Won
6/1 Stephane Sessesgnon
6/1 Ryan Noble
8/1 Jordan Cook
17/2 Yakubu
9/1 David Goodwillie
10/1 Jason Roberts
10/1 Sebastian Larsson
10/1 Nick Blackman
10/1 No Goalscorer
Odds supplied by Bet365.com, who provide a variety of betting markets, including live in-running betting, for all of the weekend's Premier League matches.
Posted: Friday, 9th December 2011
Author: Chris James
Tags: english premiership, sunderland, blackburn, yakubu, bet365,
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