Football Tips: The 3 best bets for Crystal Palace v Arsenal on Wednesday

Our footie tipster Shane O'Brien has his three best bets for the Selhurst Park showdown.

* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

Arsenal -1

This would be almost totally irrelevant game of football if it weren’t for the fact that both sides are playing in front of a crowd for the first time in 2021. Arsenal have little hope of breaking into the top seven and securing European football next season, while Crystal Palace are almost guaranteed to finish in mid-table obscurity somewhere between 12th and 14th.

Both sides will almost certainly have one eye cast on next week’s summer holidays, but the return of spectators should spark this game into life. Roy Hodgson will want to sign off in style at Selhurst Park too, before he leaves the Eagles at the end of the campaign.

In typical Arsenal style, however, the Gunners have started to string a run of wins together at the exact moment when their games became meaningless. They have now won three on the bounce in the league, most recently beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in an impressive away win.

Arsenal’s away record in the league is actually quite good. Mikel Arteta’s side are unbeaten on their travels since the beginning of February in a run stretching over six league games. The Gunners have won more points and loss fewer games on the road this season and will hope to finish with a flourish in their final two games of the season.

Crystal Palace, on the other hand, have won just four of their last 14 league games and have been on autopilot since the end of January. They showed good spirit to come from behind and beat Aston Villa on Sunday and may be buoyed by their vocal support and the chance to give Hodgson a winning farewell in his last home game, but Arsenal really should win this comfortably.

Wednesday 19:00: Crystal Palace v Arsenal
BT Sport 1

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Both Teams to Score? No

For all their woes this season, Arsenal boast a commendable defensive record that is bettered only by Manchester City and Chelsea. The Gunners have conceded just 38 goals in the league this season and have kept clean sheets in their last three away games.

They have conceded 17 of their 38 goals conceded this season away from the Emirates and have kept eight of their 11 clean sheets on their travels. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace boast one of the worst goalscoring records in the division, scoring just 40 goals in 36 games.

Only six clubs, including the three relegated clubs, have scored fewer goals than Palace this season and they have drawn blanks on 13 occasions this season – roughly once in every three games that they play.

Six of those shutouts have come at Selhurst Park and Arsenal have a good chance of keeping the hosts scoreless on Wednesday night.

RoyHodgsonJun20

Alexandre Lacazette to Score and Arsenal to Win

Lacazette hasn’t started for Arsenal in a month after picking up a hamstring injury against Fulham, but he has come off the bench in each of their last three games and could start at Selhurst Park on Wednesday night. He has been the shining light in a season of darkness for Arsenal, scoring 13 goals in the league from just 22 starts.

Lacazette, who has scored 17 goals in all competitions, has emerged as Arsenal’s talisman this season, a role previously held by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

He needs two goals in the final two games of the season to record his best-ever scoring season in the Premier League and has a great opportunity to do so against Crystal Palace and Brighton.

He has scored first in six games this season and could strike first in a comfortable Arsenal win on Wednesday.

Crystal Palace v Arsenal betting tips:

Arsenal -1
Both Teams to Score? No
Alexandre Lacazette to Score and Arsenal to Win

* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

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