Expert Jury: Antonio Conte's Tottenham could be value for top-four finish

We asked our top team of writers and a leading odds-compiler for their thoughts on this week's big talking points and this is how they answered...

What is your best football bet this weekend?

Racing Post's Joe Casey: Newcastle or draw double chance. Only the Magpies, Watford and Norwich have conceded more Premier League goals than Leicester, who were knocked out of the Europa League by a 3-2 loss at Napoli on Thursday. The Foxes' squad has been hit by Covid and other illness and the Toon will be riding high after their first win of the season against Burnley.

Racing Post's Steve Davies: Swindon suffered a rare lapse away from home last time out but can get back to winning ways at Barrow in League Two. Swindon had won eight straight road trips before Tuesday's shock 4-1 loss at Leyton Orient, who are much better than Barrow. That was the Robins' first road loss since April and their goal power should ensure they bounce back at Holker Street against a Barrow team who haven't found the net in five.

Coral's Aleksejs Kovtjuhs: Huddersfield have had a decent Championship home record this season, having won six out of ten, including five wins to nil. They can defeat Coventry, who are on a four-game winless streak and have also been struggling on away trips this season.

Racing Post's James Milton: Newcastle centre-backs Fabian Schar (14-1) and Jamaal Lascelles (19-1) are tempting anytime-goalscorer prices at Leicester, who have struggled to defend set-pieces this season. Ezri Konsa notched twice in Aston Villa's win over the Foxes last weekend and Brentford's Mathias Jorgensen, Arsenal's Gabriel, Chelsea's Antonio Rudiger and Southampton's Jan Bednarek have also scored against Leicester recently.

Who are the most vulnerable favourites?

Joe Casey: Barnsley have been poor this season but I don't think Preston should be odds-on when the two meet this weekend. Unfamiliar managers can sometimes experience a bounce as there's so little known about them tactically. The Tykes have secured back-to-back draws against Peterborough and Huddersfield under new manager Poya Asbaghi and new Preston gaffer Ryan Lowe has barely got his feet under the table.

Steve Davies: Arsenal are massively overrated and have to be a lay at odds-on at home to Southampton. They have lost three of their last four, all away admittedly, and will not find Saints easy to break down. It's interesting that the Gunners are seven points and nine places superior to Ralph Hasenhuttl's outfit yet have lost a game more than their guests. Southampton know how to draw games and can avoid defeat again.

Aleksejs Kovtjuhs: The recent form of Swansea has been a concern with just one win in their last five matches, against struggling Barnsley. The Welsh club are favourites to win at home against Nottingham Forest and the Tricky Trees offer good value given the Swans' recent form as well as Steve Cooper's in-depth knowledge of his former club.

James Milton: Chelsea don't look like bankers at home to Leeds although Marcelo Bielsa may be missing some key players. And Hartlepool can be taken on in League Two – they are odds-on to defeat bottom club Scunthorpe but have lost five of their last six league games themselves and the Iron are harder to beat under experienced new manager Keith Hill.

Where's the value in the Premier League top-four finish market?

Joe Casey: At the prices, Tottenham. They now have a top manager in charge and he has the raw materials of a good side. If Harry Kane can get up and running properly, they could end up making a mockery of their current price of 7-2.

Steve Davies: It looks like it's shaping up to be one from four for the fourth spot although given that Arsenal still look flawed in so many areas, that makes it one from three in my book. West Ham have been consistently more impressive than Spurs and Manchester United, both of whom should improve under newish management. United's attack makes them superior to the other two but they aren't much value.

Aleksejs Kovtjuhs: There are signs that Tottenham have started to improve and play better football under Antonio Conte. It's difficult to gauge how seriously the latest Covid outbreak will affect Spurs but 10-3 looks decent value for them to finish the season in the top four.

James Milton: Manchester United are backable at 4-5 given the inconsistency of their main rivals West Ham, Tottenham and Arsenal. United comfortably finished second last season and have a far stronger squad this time around. Ralf Rangnick doesn't need to perform any miracles to get them into the top four and they have a lovely run of fixtures from now until the end of February.

Do you think Steven Gerrard will be Liverpool's next manager?

Joe Casey: The Liverpool job is Steven Gerrard's dream job, but he only has to look to Frank Lampard and Chelsea to see how badly that can go. As a result, the former midfield general is taking his time to work his way up through the managerial ranks and I think the likelihood is that he will be their next manager. With the success Jurgen Klopp has had it will be an incredibly tough act to follow.

Steve Davies: The days of promotion 'in-house' are long gone and there are some massive assumptions being made about Steven Gerrard. Success at Rangers was one thing, doing decent things in the Premier League at Villa is quite another, and after just a few games we've no real idea of what to expect. I get the narrative, it's neat and predictable, but let's give him 12 months at Villa Park before deciding whether he's fit enough to wear Klopp's shoes.

Aleksejs Kovtjuhs: On a personality level, Gerrard is definitely the man who could eventually succeed Klopp as Liverpool manager. However, it's still early days to make strong judgements on his managerial future – his current spell at Aston Villa in the Premier League is a proper test and may shed a lot of light on his future.

James Milton: Whatever the timescale, it would be something of a gamble. If Jurgen Klopp stays for another two or three years and Aston Villa make real progress then Gerrard could be a serious candidate but the calibre of managers in the Premier League means Liverpool would be wise to put sentiment to one side when choosing Klopp's successor.

Give us a winner on the midweek coupon?

Joe Casey: Hibernian -1 on the handicap. The Hibees have been unlucky on their terrible run recently which saw Jack Ross depart. Their underlying numbers are still good and whoever comes in to be their new manager should experience a bounce. That can begin against Dundee, who face a season-long battle to stay up.

Steve Davies: Wolves draw no bet at Brighton on Wednesday. I like Brighton a lot, I love Graham Potter's approach to the game and the Albion fans who boo their side need a reality check. That said, they aren't scoring goals and that leaves them vulnerable against any team, especially one as upwardly mobile as Wolves, who have lost just a couple in the last two months or so.

Aleksejs Kovtjuhs: Aston Villa can continue their positive run under Steven Gerrard and get three points against Norwich on Tuesday. Villa's attacking form suggests they should be able to find a way through the Canaries' defence and get a couple of goals on the scoresheet which should be enough for victory at Carrow Road.

James Milton: Brighton have drawn eight of their last ten Premier League matches and the stalemate is a massive runner when they host Wolves. Bruno Lage's men were on the verge of a third straight 0-0 before Divock Origi's late winner for Liverpool last weekend and I'd split stakes on no goalscorer and a 1-0 Wolves win at the Amex on Wednesday.

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