Drama at both ends of Premiership table on final day

Soccer Betting Lines

05/09/2008 - Manchester, England (Soccer Betting) - There is still plenty to be decided on the final Premiership Sunday of the season, with Manchester United and Chelsea both level on 84 points at the top, while three teams are separated by just one point for the final two relegation spots.

United can secure its second consecutive EPL title if they can beat Wigan because the Red Devils own a superior advantage in goal differential over Chelsea, however The JJB Stadium has proven to be a tough place to win for any team in England this season.

Despite sitting in the bottom half of the table, Wigan has played very well at home this year, putting together a solid 8-5-5 mark that includes a draw with Arsenal and close losses to both Chelsea and Liverpool.

At times, the pitch has looked more like a minefield than a surface suitable for soccer, which also adds to the home side's advantage.

United has a chance to pull off a rare double by winning both the league and Champions League titles, and they can secure the first with a win on Sunday.

Sir Alex Ferguson's men have suffered four of their five losses this season away from home, and Wigan has already guaranteed that they will be up for United's visit, something Chelsea is hoping for as well.

Should United drop points against Wigan, the Blues can clinch a third title in four years by beating Bolton at Stamford Bridge.

Wanderers all but secured a spot in the top flight next season with a 2-0 win over Sunderland last week, and they will have a tough time following up that win with another result at Chelsea.

Arsenal and Liverpool have little to play for as both sides have already ensured themselves of a place in the top four and Champions League soccer next season.

The Gunners finish up their campaign on the road at Sunderland while the Reds also end away from home at Tottenham.

The final UEFA Cup spot is still up for grabs with Everton needing only a draw at home against Newcastle to claim it, while Aston Villa still holds out hope with an Everton defeat and a win at West Ham.

The relegation battle figures to once again offer up drama on the final day with Fulham, Reading and Birmingham so close together.

Fulham earned a vital 2-0 win over Birmingham last week to move outside the bottom three and they can secure their safety with a win at Portsmouth.

While taking three points at Fratton Park will be difficult, it might be necessary because Reading is level on 33 points and faces relegation-bound Derby.

The Royals will feel good about their chances of getting a win at Pride Park, while Birmingham, which is one point back of both Fulham and Reading, hosts Blackburn in a must-win affair.

The other match of the day features top-half side Manchester City traveling to The Riverside Stadium to meet bottom-half club Middlesbrough.

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Pacific-10 Conference odds

Teams that should be in: Stanford

Oregon and USC get their tickets punched after taking care of business this weekend. Yes, the Trojans' computer numbers aren't great, but there's no way the third-place team in this league is getting nixed. Grudgingly, I added Arizona after consultation with our Bracketologist. I don't know that Arizona will lose its last three (including a Pac-10 quarterfinal game), and even if the Cats do, I still can't see how they'd be left out, given the overall profile. That said, it bears watching, as three more L's would leave them at 18-12 (9-9) and on a 6-11 skid entering the Dance. It would be nice to see the Wildcats get at least one W in the Bay Area next week, as Cincinnati (albeit without Armein Kirkland and with a worse profile) was axed after a similar slide last season. I just couldn't rationalize having some of the other teams as locks and not having Arizona in that category -- there just aren't enough good teams behind the Cats to threaten their spot, it seems. Stanford has its fate in its own hands with the Arizona schools coming to the Farm to close out the regular season next weekend.

Should be in:

Stanford [17-10 (9-7), RPI: 40, SOS: 21] No shame in not getting a win in L.A., but that makes the home game against Arizona State a must-win ahead of what could be an intriguing meeting with Arizona should the Cats lose at Cal. Getting to 11 Pac-10 wins would make Selection Sunday much more comfortable, but 10's probably more than enough this season. The Cardinal have nonconference wins over Texas Tech and at Virginia to lean on, although they also lost badly to Air Force and Santa Clara at home.

Southeastern Conference odds
Work left to do: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State

It looks more and more possible that no one from the SEC West will make the NCAAs. How weird is that? Tennessee and Vandy move into the locks category after more good work this weekend. Kentucky stays there, although it would be smart for the Cats to handle Georgia at home Wednesday ahead of a trip to the Swamp. Could a disaster scenario (two more L's and a first-round SEC tourney exit) somehow dislodge the Cats despite their incredible computer numbers? Still unlikely, but not worth chancing it.

Work left to do:

Alabama [19-9 (6-8), RPI: 43, SOS: 47] The tough L at Tennessee was understandable, and even created some hope. Unfortunately, that hope was dashed by a home loss to Auburn, which leaves the Tide in some real trouble. There's still no signature win on the profile (no, Kentucky doesn't count), and the computer profile is weakening rapidly. The Tide conceivably could beat Ole Miss and win at Miss. State to get to 8-8 and clinch at least a share of the West crown, but that's probably not enough right now. The Tide will need to do some work in the SEC tourney.

Georgia [16-10 (8-6), RPI: 52, SOS: 23] This is the team with the best chance to make it from this section right now. The Bulldogs rebounded from a terrible performance at Ole Miss to beat down Miss. State. Now they are at Kentucky (king of the RPI 51-100 win) and home to Tennessee. That would be worth a lot of computer points to get both (which is doable), as both teams are in the top 11 in RPI. Finishing at least 9-7 is an absolute must, and I would feel much better about the Dawgs' chances if they got both to get to 10 SEC wins. They also beat Gonzaga, but lost to ACC bubblers Georgia Tech and Clemson.

Mississippi [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 63, SOS: 79] Like everyone else in this division, Ole Miss gacked up a chance to stake a claim, losing by double figures at South Carolina. Even 9-7 likely is not nearly enough with a nonconference profile devoid of anything notable.

Mississippi State [16-11 (7-7), RPI: 66, SOS: 37] With a chance to get in the mix, these Bulldogs were leashed by their Georgia counterparts. Could they get to 9-7? I guess -- although winning at Arkansas, then beating Alabama is no lock -- but would that mean all that much for a team with this overall profile? Probably not. There's nothing of note (on the good side) in the nonconference profile.

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