£50 + £100 free bets from Sportingbet & Ladbrokes

13/10 Potters look worth a punt on Draw No Bet market

When these teams met at the Britannia Stadium last season, Stoke were everyone’s tip to be relegated, although a 3-2 victory illustrated that City were intent on becoming a regular fixture in the top flight. The Potters ended up surviving relatively comfortably and will be confident of claiming Villa’s scalp once again when the two teams met on Saturday.

It’s a surprise to see the home team available at 12/5 (Expekt), with Tuncay 9/1 (bet365) to open the scoring as he did at Turf Moor on Wednesday. That game ended 1-1 and a point (23/10 Coral) would suit Tony Pulis’ team in their quest to reach that magical 40-point mark. Sometimes it’s worth taking a look at the Draw No Bet market, where you’ll get your stake refunded if the game ends all square. William Hill offer 13/10 about the home side here.

Aston Villa are still firmly in the hunt for a Champions League place next season, with Martin O’Neill’s team having games in hand over Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham. They produced a marvellous comeback to win 4-2 at Reading in the FA Cup last Sunday and are 13/10 (William Hill) to bag a maximum haul at the Brit. John Carew managed a hat-trick at the Madejski and the Norwegian is 13/2 (bet365) to open the scoring.