SOCCER

FanDuel Premier League Matches to Target in Matchweek 29

Douglas Smith  —  @DFresh39 Mar 16th, 2017
West Ham and Leicester City could be a chaotic match, with both teams struggling to keep clean sheets in league play.

As expected FanDuel has a six-game slate for Matchweek 29 in the Premier League. The return to the larger contest brings a return to the normal format of this series as we highlight two matches with the potential for good point returns in the six-game schedule.

League leader Chelsea are in action as they look to extend their lead on Tottenham, who plays on Sunday. Chelsea take on Stoke City, one of the other two teams from the top half of the table in action as a part of the FanDuel slate. Everton is also in action as they host Hull City.

Every match on Saturday has an over/under of 2.5 goals, with Everton as the biggest favorite of the day. Romelu Lukaku, the most expensive player on the slate, will be popular based on Everton's odds. As usual, our focus will be off the obvious choice with the London Stadium being the first stop.

West Ham United vs. Leicester City

Leicester are riding a high after making it to the final eight in the Champions League this week, but it was not without a little drama. Former Liverpool midfielder Graeme Souness says that the players' egos will be too big and that they will fall to West Ham this weekend. His argument is aided by the fact that Leicester have yet to win a league match away from home.

Leicester do have a good recent record against West Ham and have won every match they have been leading this season. They have also won three games in a row across all competitions. Manager Craig Shakespeare could go with the same starting XI that beat Sevilla on Tuesday in hope that his team can create even more distance from the relegation zone.

Jamie Vardy is Leicester's most expensive player at $8,100 while his likely strike partner, Shinji Okazaki, is $7,100.


Marc Albrighton scored against Sevilla and is only $5,600. He is averaging close to 20 FanDuel points per match in Leicester's last two Premier League games. The other goal scorer, Wes Morgan, is $5,500. Leicester has struggled with possession (per WhoScored) this season, so Morgan and the Leicester back line could be busy.

The starting XI is not as predictable for West Ham with Mark Noble's performances being criticized and Robert Snodgrass nursing an injury. Snodgrass pushed through last week, but he is currently doubtful. Andy Carroll should lead the charge and comes in as the game's most expensive player -- just $100 more than Vardy. The Snodgrass injury will allow Sofiane Feghouli to slot in as a wide midfielder at just $5,800. Feghouli recorded an assist last week.

Leicester's last domestic clean sheet came on January 2nd against Middlesbrough. West Ham's last clean sheet in the Premier League came on January 14th, and they have averaged two goals against in the seven matches since holding Crystal Palace without a goal. As one may suspect, both teams give up over 13 shots per game and rate in the lower half of the table defensively. They also commit over 11 fouls per match.

Leicester needs a win but comes off an emotional high. West Ham is on a bad run of form and playing hurt. The scene at the London State is ripe for volatility.

Bournemouth vs. Swansea City

Bournemouth scored three goals last week, all by Josh King, and missed two penalty kicks. Swansea scored one goal and allowed two, all in the last 30 minutes of the match. The last three matches between these teams have produced a combined 12 goals. It is also the last game of the day on Saturday, which could allow you to climb the leaderboard with a late hammer.

King -- one of our studs to target last week -- has scored three goals in three Premier League appearances against the Swans. He has 11 goals on the season and 8 in his last seven matches. Last week's hat trick came as a result of playing off striker Benik Afobe and being in the right place at the right time. King did miss one of the spot kicks last week. He is $8,700 and the Cherries' most expensive player.


In their last five Premier League games, Bournemouth have been held scoreless only once and have scored eight goals. They do have some injury concerns, so that allows bargain players to get in on the offensive upswing. Marc Pugh could play in an advanced role at just $5,100. Ryan Fraser had one of his best games of the season last week, creating four chances and is still less than $6,000.

Fraser's midfield counterpart on the other side of the field, Gylfi Sigurdsson, is the most-expensive player on the field -- as expected. He is $10,500, but he has more assists and has covered more ground than any player in the Premier League this year. Sigurdsson continues to prove his worth despite being one of the most costly players on the slate.

However, there may be ample value on the pitch for Swansea on Saturday as Fernando Llorente, Kyle Naughton, and Martin Olsson are all working on their fitness for the match. Angel Rangel is out for the rest of the season, so Naughton's return is the most pivotal for the Swans. Manager Paul Clement could opt for youth should any or all of these three be unavailable on Saturday. Defender Stephen Kingsley and forward Oliver McBurnie could see playing time and both are under $4,500.

Needless to say it would be good to look at the starting XI for Swansea on Saturday as the value could be through the roof if you are unsure of Bournemouth's ability to defend. The Cherries do allow over 14 shots per match and foul at a rate of 10.4 whistles per match.

There is plenty on the line in this match at Vitality Stadium. Swansea is just three points clear of the relegation zone while Bournemouth is six points clear. Bournemouth has given up 54 goals while Swansea has given up 61, the two highest totals in the league this season. Again, this match can create create fireworks as both teams fight for their Premier League life.