Betting Picks

Liverpool vs Stoke City

Location: Britannia Stadium, Stoke-On-Trent

Kick-Off: Saturday, January 16, 7:45 AM ET

Liverpool

The Reds’ online betting odds have suffered under a glut of injuries and inconsistent play. They were knocked out of the FA Cup by Reading, and they sit in seventh place in the Premiership after manager Rafa Benitez promised they would finish in the top four. It won’t be easy as Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Yossi Benayoun and Glen Johnson won’t be available because of injury, and Javier Mascherano is doing everything to be fit for this match. Anyone want to take soccer betting odds on Liverpool’s top-four chances?

Stoke City

Scrappy Stoke are 10^th in the Premiership, and they’ve improved greatly since they were thumped 4-0 at Anfield early in the season. Stoke aren’t an offensive juggernaut, but they’ve scored six goals in their last two games. Stoke is also trying to get David James on loan from Portsmouth as first-choice Thomas Sorensen is battling thumb and wrist injuries. James is looking to impress England manager Fabio Capello, and with the mess that last-place Pompey is in, it may be the best for everyone involved if James moves.

Outlook and Pick

Liverpool comes into this crucial match as a -125 favorite away from home, while Stoke is rated at +335 and a draw is listed at +220. The Reds have won one and drawn two of their three meetings with Stoke, but the home team will be boosted by their recent offensive surge, and they’ll be able to take advantage of a weakened Liverpool team. Liverpool’s lack of depth is what separates them from the best teams in the league, and it’s being stretched to the limit right. This could be the final match of Rafa Benitez’s managerial stint at Liverpool.

Bookmakers odds (bookmaker reviews) pick: Stoke +335