PSL: Our pick of the pile

Cape Town - A feeling is gathering, at least amongst some of our learned tipsters, that the loss of Kaizer Chiefs’ 100 percent record is imminent ... to Ajax Cape Town on Sunday.

Every PSL round, a panel made up of compiler Rob Houwing plus Garrin Lambley, Raymond Silinga, Earl Haupt, Wade Pretorius, Tashreeq Vardien and Maano Nekhavhambe will attempt to hit the right buttons in forecasting a trio of the most attractive games on paper.

We will keep a season-long leaderboard showing who is prospering and which wretched souls are floundering: three points for wholly correct scoreline, one for right result.

Here’s our next trio of spiciest picks ...

1. Mamelodi Sundowns v Wits, Saturday 18:00, Loftus

Choosing this round’s prime fixtures was one of the easiest tasks this season: it so happens that the top six sides on the Premiership table are all up against each other. In this one, third-placed Wits motor up the highway to face defending champions Sundowns. The pride of Mamelodi are behind the students only on goal difference, and the majority view is that they will nick all three points in the Loftus battle. There is no backing at all for an away win ... though that may only get Wits coach Gavin Hunt’s competitive juices flowing even more strongly than usual.

Rob’s tip: 2-1
Garrin: 1-1
Raymond: 2-0
Earl: 2-1
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 1-0   
Maano: 1-1

2. Orlando Pirates v Free State Stars, Saturday 20:15, Orlando Stadium

Fifth-placed Pirates (albeit a pretty formidable 10 points shy already of certain Soweto arch-rivals) won’t have things all their own way as the side from the Free State, just one rung on the ladder below them, come to Orlando Stadium. My gut feeling is goals being hard to come by on the night ... though maybe that’s because I’m goal-shy in my mind after watching successive scoreless Bafana home matches? Only one other tipster, Ray, shares my stalemate belief: three of the panel believe the Sea Robbers will claim victory with a fair bit to spare.

Rob: 0-0
Garrin: 2-0
Raymond: 1-1
Earl: 2-0
Wade: 2-0
Tashreeq: 2-1  
Maano: 1-0

3. Ajax Cape Town v Kaizer Chiefs, Sunday 15:30, Cape Town Stadium

Clash of the weekend ... of that there can be little doubt. Ajax traditionally give Chiefs a rough old ride in the Mother City, and that’s even in seasons where they aren’t exactly flying. So given that they’re riding high in second spot to the Amakhosi, this could be a really pulsating fixture. If only because of their impressive seven-out-of-seven record, I fancy Chiefs to be hell-bent on preserving it, and rising to the occasion in the knowledge that they will hardly lack Capetonian support. But you get all offers from the panel on this one. Psst, a word of caution: Ajax-tipping Maano is just a wee bit partial to Orlando Pirates ...

Rob: 1-2
Garrin: 1-1
Raymond: 1-2
Earl: 1-1
Wade: 0-1
Tashreeq: 1-1  
Maano: 1-0

Leaderboard:

20 - Wade
18 - Ray
17 - Tashreeq
16 - Rob
15 - Earl
12 - Maano
9 - Garrin

*Follow our chief writer on Twitter: @RobHouwing