Crystal Palace v Cardiff: Dodo sightings more likely than goals

With the Premier League’s lowest scoring sides clashing at Selhurst Park, there’s every chance the MoTD team already have this one pencilled in for the graveyard slot on Saturday’s show.

The Premier League may be famed around the world for its sex appeal and highly competitive nature, but once in a wee while it still throws up a proper ugly duckling and this week that honour is bestowed upon Cardiff’s visit to Crystal Palace.

This fixture between two top-flight newbies promises to be more attritional than Steve Coogan’s ongoing battle against the free-speaking press.

If ever there was an opportunity to get behind the 0-0 then this is it, especially at such creamy odds as 8/1.

Cardiff haven’t located the onion bag in their last two Premier League outings and they’ve only bothered the scorers once in their last four away games, and that was back in mid October at Stamford Bridge.

Meanwhile, Palace may have scraped past West Ham 1-0 to the delight of Tony Pulis in his first game in charge at Selhurst Park, but that represented just the second Eagles’ goal in six outings in England’s loftiest division.

Marouane Chamakh may have grabbed the winner in midweek – just his second in 14 Palace appearances – but the chances of the Morroccan going on a scoring spree are about as likely as Joey Essex getting accepted into Oxford.

All roads therefore lead towards 4/6 on under 2.5 goals being notched, while perhaps the most pocket-lining pick will be found in backing less than 1.5 goals in the whole contest at 21/10.

Another trend which could turn a profit is that all three of Cardiff’s most recent road trips have at least seen the Blue-ish-birds go in level-pegging at 0-0.

Therefore the under 0.5 first-half goals appeals at 7/4, as does the draw, as a half-time result, at 11/10.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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