At the start of the week I was probably one of many football followers who didn’t know that Ricky Lambert was born in Liverpool and used to work in a beetroot factory. Many of us now have acquired a new favourite former worker in an industry that prepares a vegetable that can be eaten grilled, boiled, roasted or cooked.
Another fact about Lambert that many more sports will know is that he was the highest scoring English forward in the Premier League last season. His tally of 15 goals was matched by Frank Lampard but the six players that scored more goals were not eligible to play for England. So maybe there was a method in Roy Hodgson’s madness, especially as Lambert scored the winning goal against Scotland on Wednesday evening with his first touch in international football.
The Southampton forward can be backed at 100/1 to be top scorer in the Premier League this season and there are worse each-way bets but Bet Enthusiast followers have been presented with an alternative at one third the price but with more significant credentials. This week’s tips include our best bets for the new season including a player with a major club that can be backed at 33/1 to be the Premier League top scorer.
The favourite in this market is Robin Van Persie who landed the odds at 10/1 and 11/1 in the last two seasons. The best price for Van Persie in the market ahead of this weekend’s matches is 4/1 which could be a steal if Wayne Rooney moves on and Danny Wellbeck is the second striker for Manchester United this season. Van Persie scored twice in the Community Shield last Sunday and given an injury free season looks a worthy favourite.
Gareth Bale was the highest scoring British player last season at the start of which he was priced at 150/1 in this market. He is now third favourite at 16/1 but surely that price must be of no interest while we don’t know whether he will be playing in England this season. Luis Suarez is another player prominent in the betting who may have moved to an overseas club before the end of the transfer window at the start of September.
Our pick to be top scorer this season was a regular scorer for a mid table side last season where he was on loan but he is now back at his parent club, one of the leading contenders to win the title. An imminent high profile arrival could seriously affect the bet and an established international may recapture former glories. The latter is no longer reliable and an alternative striker is below top grade. To discover the identity of the mystery striker subscribe to the Bet Entusiast service at a bargain for 20 quid.
Lambert has scored 219 goals in 581 matches in English football which is a decent return but he currently has a better strike rate for England than Bobby Charlton, Gary Linekar and Alan Shearer. However he could become the next David Nugent, Paul Goddard and Francis Jeffers, the only other players to score one goal in a single substitute appearance for England.
Back next Friday.
Ian Hudson
Bet Enthusiast
http://go.betfan.com/1000/127
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