SOCCER

FanDuel Premier League Matches to Target in Matchweek 33

Tottenham's form in the Premier League is remarkable, but playing a desperate Stoke team makes the match one to target.

For many FanDuel players, it is Masters week, but there is a seven-game main slate for Matchweek 33 in the Premier League, as well.

It includes Manchester City attempting to clinch the title against their crosstown rival plus some other intriguing matches.

Matchweek 33
Saturday, April 7th
Crystal Palace at Bournemouth
Huddersfield at Brighton
Newcastle at Leicester City
Tottenham at Stoke
Burnley at Watford
Swansea at West Brom
Manchester United at Manchester City


City are half-goal favorites in a game with a 2.5-goal over/under. Two of the last five league matches have ended in 0-0 draws. While City would love to win the title against their in-town rival, they still have plenty of time to do so and are coming off a midweek Champions League match. United will also fight to keep City from clinching, so it could be a battle of wills resulting in a stalemate.

Tottenham are the biggest favorite on the slate against relegation candidate Stoke City. The game at the bet365 Stadium is where this primer will start.

Stoke vs. Tottenham

Tottenham's form in the Premier League may be at its best this season despite bowing out of the Champions League. Dele Alli took over last week's match against Chelsea with Harry Kane on the bench. It was the third consecutive match across all competitions in which Spurs scored at least three goals.

Alli had an assist while Kane scored twice in the previous meeting this season. Tottenham would cruise to a 5-1 victory with another star man, Son Heung-min, earning man of the match honors. Signs point to Kane returning on Saturday, so they will have their full allotment of attackers. Kane, Dele, and Son are all at or above $9,000 with Kane being the most expensive player on the slate, but the ceiling is very high for all of them in this fixture.


Stoke's defenders will be tested, but their two highest-rated players are their center backs: Kurt Zouma and Ryan Shawcross. They both average over seven clearances a game, a number they should match against Tottenham. Together they contribute over 20 defensive actions per match. Zouma was a late scratch last week, so pay close attention to the team sheet.

Zouma, or Bruno Martins Indi, and Shawcross could be under constant pressure as the momentum is clearly on the side of Tottenham. Stoke have lost three in a row and not won since January 20. They are in dire straits right now and have to win. They are three points from safety with only seven matches to play. They have to go for points in front of their home crowd or they will grow even more restless.

Xherdan Shaqiri is discussed every time Stoke appears in a primer, but he leads the team in goals and remains the only person on the team who can create a chance out of nothing. Otherwise Stoke's best chances are from set pieces. Stoke did put on an encouraging display last week, but watch the team news carefully.

With all that said, the narrative should go like this: Tottenham control the ball or easily counter after Stoke misses a chance and eventually take a lead, Stoke's defenders continue to rack up points even though the game gets out of control, and Stoke scores when Tottenham takes their foot off the gas. In other words, target Stoke's defenders and Tottenham's attackers and pick out the person most likely to score for Stoke, which odds say will be Mame Biram Diouf.

Leicester City vs. Newcastle

Neither of these teams have much to play for, but Newcastle is not officially safe from relegation. Both teams have won their last two games and taken points from four of their last five. Even though this game will not factor in to the race for European qualification or the relegation battle, it should be a fun one at the King Power.

Newcastle's lineup is fairly settled as the same starting XI has been responsible for the past two wins. Islam Slimani is ineligible to play against his parent club, so Dwight Gayle steps in as the lead striker. He has two assists and two goals over his last five games. He scored in the return fixture against Leicester, an entertaining five-goal battle.


The real danger man for Newcastle lately has been on-loan midfielder Kenedy. He is their highest-rated current player causing problems for the opposition down the left side. He has two goals and an assist in the last two games, helping Newcastle net six points. Kenedy now averages 19.5 points a game and is priced at $7,500.

Kenedy's attacking prowess is a welcome sight for Newcastle as it is usually Leicester that is scoring in this matchup. The Foxes have scored three goals in three of the last four matches. They will have their main goal threats of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez available. Wifred Ndidi will be unavailable due to suspension, but Shinji Okazaki is slowly gaining more minutes.

The bargain on the Leicester side may be Ben Chilwell. Following a run of starts he has contributed offensively from the outside wing or back spot. He has created seven chances in his last four matches and also been a part of an improved defense. Leicester have allowed only 16 shots on target over the last six matches. Chilwell is priced at $5,000.

Both teams are on similar paths with a small winning streak and improving confidence on both sides. Neither controls possession so they should both have chances as they look to end the season on a high note.


Douglas Smith is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Douglas Smith also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username aquemini03. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.