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TACKLING THE £2,000,000 PICK6

Tackling The £2,000,000 Pick 6

 

This week’s Pick 6 will provide an interesting test for most of you.

Championship and League Cup fixtures make up the coupon with some classic fixtures in amongst them.

If you want to be in with a chance at winning the £2m lottery-sized jackpot then a minimum £2 stake has to be placed.

In 3…2…1…

Derby vs. Burnley

Paul Clement will hope that his Derby side have finally turned the corner.

The ex-Real Madrid assistant manager didn’t get off to a flyer at Pride Park. In fact, it took him until his seventh game as manager before registering their first win.

Two wins in their last two games might’ve given the Rams hope that their 10th place can be improved upon however they might have to wait a week before kicking into gear again because Burnley come to town with the best of records against their hosts.

Derby have drawn two and lost eight of the last 10 meetings between the sides and haven’t beaten the Clarets since 2007.

Burnley currently find themselves in 3rd position and with four wins in the last five, Sean Dyche’s side arrive full of confidence.

Two goals in five of their last six games also points to a side full of attacking intent.

Michael Keane and Sam Vokes are the danger men and if they’re not looked after by the Derby defence, they will profit.

I’m expecting Derby to score, but it won’t be enough as Burnley run out comfortable winners 1-2 or 1-3.

Aston Villa vs. Birmingham

Tim Sherwood noted after the loss to Leicester that he had “never ever felt so bad” after a football match.

To that end, we can be assured that Villa will have been working hard all week to address any deficiencies in their defensive work.

The loss of Christian Benteke has hid the Villains hard with no one really stepping up to the plate in the Belgian’s place.

A ray of hope from the Leicester defeat will have come with Jack Grealish’s first goal for the club but they come up against a Birmingham side in fine form.

Brum have lost just one of their last six and one win in the Championship will take them joint second on goal difference.

The cup will give them some respite and they are unbeaten against Villa in the last three meetings, losing the previous six.

Gary Rowett’s attacking 4-2-3-1 will cause Villa untold problems throughout but Sherwood will ensure his troops are well drilled.

The hosts will scrape home 1-0 or 2-0.

Leicester vs. West Ham

This would normally be a game where you’d lean towards the Hammers but Leicester are in such a rich vein of form under Claudio Ranieri that you can’t discount the Foxes.

Home advantage is likely to be key, even taking into account West Ham’s superb away form. Both Arsenal and Liverpool have succumbed on their own patch to Slaven Bilic’s hardworking outfit.

Leicester have won the last two between the sides including at Upton Park earlier this season, but the previous four games spanning eight years saw three West Ham wins and one draw.

Jamie Vardy’s hardworking ethic has seen recent and well-deserved international honours and alongside Riyad Mahrez, Leicester have enough about them up front to trouble the likes of Winston Reid and his fellow defenders.

Aston Villa have shown the east Londoners the way, having scored two against Leicester in the league before throwing away the lead.

Dimitri Payet will author a goalscoring performance from the away side in a match where there’ll be goals aplenty as always.

This time it goes the way of the high-flying hosts however; 2-1 or 3-1.

As always at the half way point, it’s worth taking a step back and deciding whether to take advantage of our Partial Cash-Out.

Bank some money in return for a portion of your ticket, and play on with the remainder. Yes that’s right….win from what might be an overall losing bet.

Norwich vs. West Brom

Alex Neil and Tony Pulis are very different breeds of manager but both know how to get their teams playing entertaining football.

Whether both intend to prioritise Premier League status over this tournament, we’ll find out once the teams are read out just before kick off.

The last dozen meetings has seen six wins apiece and there’s little to split them in the Premier League this season.

The Canaries have had marginally the better start and find themselves five places above the Baggies, however just one league win for the visitors would send them above their hosts.

All to play for then in the bread and butter of the English top flight, and all to play for here.

Wes Hoolahan and Cameron Jerome are in fine form for Norwich with new-signing Matt Jarvis providing high-quality wide play.

They’ll need to be right up for it here because WBA haven’t conceded in four of their last five.

Jonny Evans has slotted right in alongside Gareth McAuley in central defence and will want to prove that Manchester United were wrong to let him leave with another towering performance here.

West Brom to grab a superb away win 0-1 or 0-2.

Tottenham vs. Arsenal

In matches against West Ham and Dinamo Zagreb, we have already seen the worst of Arsenal this season.

Far too often, big name players haven’t turned up for the big game and Gunners fans patience is wearing thin as it is.

Show no passion here and the likelihood is that Arsene Wenger will feel the full wrath the next time Arsenal play at the Emirates.

Man for man, Arsenal are clearly superior to their biggest rivals but a London derby will always bring the best out of the opposition.

Harry Kane, so often Spurs’ saviour last season, is just beginning to find his feet again. If he can spearhead the charge, ably supported by two-goal European hero Son Heung-Min, then Tottenham are in with a shout.

A packed-to-capacity White Hart Lane will provide a tense battleground, the hosts suffering just one loss from seven in all competitions this season.

I’m backing both teams to score, and I can’t split them over 90 minutes. 1-1 or AOD are my selections.

Huddersfield vs. Nottm. Forest

With just one win in the last seven games, Huddersfield are one of the worst performing sides in the Championship this season.

By contrast, Nottm. Forest have lost just two in the same time span and are, like Birmingham, just a win away from second spot in the table.

The hosts have won the last two between the sides but we then have to go all the way back to November 2005 for their only other win over Forest in the last 10 years.

Chris Powell will be enthused by his side’s performance at Charlton last time out, when midfielder Emyr Huws was outstanding, and will continue to ensure his side play the right way win, lose or draw.

Dougie Freedman will play a more attacking 4-3-3 with Henri Lansbury at the fulcrum and working his creative magic in between the lines.

Can’t see anything but another away win here. 0-1 and 0-2 for Forest.