PSL Weekend Treble and Value Bets

Without the Big Three of the DSTV Premiership in action this weekend, Supersport United v Cape Town City takes the spotlight. It’s a mouth-watering clash with ramifications for how the top four of the table will look. With the help OptaJabu, Bet Central provides the best bets and value bets for three matches in the PSL.

17:00 – Stellenbosch v Golden Arrows (Friday)

Golden Arrows travel to the Western Cape for their final game in an impressive first-half of the season. 25 points from the opening 14 league games is their best total at this stage of a season in their PSL history (25 also in 2002/3). They are now guaranteed to reach the 15th game with their best ever half-season points tally, and need just a draw to make 2020/21 their best ever points total at the half-way stage. They don’t like the Cape, however.

1 – Arrows have won just one game away to Cape based opposition since 2012 (1-0 v Cape Town City in 2018), drawing 4 and losing seven, including the last visit to face Cape Town City last month.

Best Bet: Under 2.5 goals at 1.48

Value Bet: Draw at 2.55

17:00 – Supersport v Cape Town City (Saturday)

Supersport followed up their Nedbank Cup weekend elimination with another defeat, this time 2-1 in the league against Bloemfontein Celtic during the week. With that, they missed the chance to pile pressure on Sundowns at the top of the table. They also opened the door to clubs below them to overtake them into the CAF places. They host one of those CAF hopefuls, Cape Town City on Saturday, who also lost 2-0 to Orlando Pirates midweek.

Despite mixed recent results, a strong home record is one thing Kaitano Tembo has going for him and his troops. Only four teams have managed to beat Supersport in a home league game since Tembo took over three years ago – Sundowns (twice), Highlands Park, Baroka & opponents Cape Town City.

13 – Supersport are unbeaten at home in 13 league matches (W8 D5, since January 2020), their longest such run in their PSL history.

PSL Weekend Summary – Sundowns Unbeaten Halfway Through the Season

Despite the good home form, they traditionally haven’t enjoyed games played against Cape Town City, winning just once in 12 games against City in all competitions since City came into the top-flight. Of teams with a full season of PSL action under their belts, only Celtic (11%), have a lower win rate in the league against The Citizens than Supersport (12.5%) since City came into top-flight football. The record is worse under Tembo.

1 – Cape Town City are the only club that Kaitano Tembo has played both home and away and failed to beat in his tenure at the club (P5 D2 L3).

His longest run of defeats in a single season at Supersport also came around Valentine’s Day last year, when they lost three in a row on the 1st, 8th and 14th of February 2020.

The home record is slightly tainted by three successive home draws: Supersport have drawn four in a row at home in the same season only once before – in the 2004/5 season. To make matters worse, Tembo is welcoming the highest scoring team in the land. The blank against Pirates on Tuesday was the first time City have failed to score in an away game this season. No team has scored over 1.5 goals away from home on more occasions than City all season (four).

PSL Transfers 2020/21 – Predicted Best and Worst Deals

12 – In the 30-game era, only twelve sides have scored 26+ goals at the half-way stage of the season, out of 384 different sides that have participated in the competition since. Riekerink’s side are the 13th.

Yet, City are also susceptible to leaking goals at the back. Only bottom side Black Leopards (24) have conceded more goals than City (23). Since becoming a PSL club in 2016, only three sides have conceded 23+ goals at the halfway stage of a season, before this current campaign – Highlands Park and Pirates in 2016/17 and City last season. Grobler and co. will be rubbing their hands in glee. Supersport have failed to score just once in a home league game this season, scoring over 0.5 goals in every game except the game against Sundowns (0-0).

1 – Only one of eight league matches between these sides has seen less than 0.5 goals.

Best Bet: BTTS at 1.90

Value Bet: BTTS and over 2.5 goals at 2.35

15:30 – Swallows FC v AmaZulu (Sunday)

Swallows have a chance to leapfrog Supersport into second should they get at least a point in their match against AmaZulu. The Dube Birds are still unbeaten heading into their 15th game of the season. They will be well rested having gone 15 days since their last game, just one less than they enjoyed in the December break. On the other hand, AmaZulu have found a new lease of life under Benni McCarthy and are on a three game winning run of their own.

How Good Are Swallows FC? Can They Mount a PSL Title Challenge?

4 – The last time AmaZulu won 4 successive league games in the same season was back in 2008/09.

Best Bet: Over 1.5 goals at 1.50

Value Bet: BTTS at 1.90