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Cape Town - Top meets bottom in the Absa Premiership on Wednesday and unsurprisingly Kaizer Chiefs are overwhelmingly fancied to bag all three points off ailing AmaZulu in Durban.
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 MPUMALANGA BLACK ACES
Wednesday 19:30, Lucas Moripe Stadium
The Brazilians may be defending PSL champions, but if they fancy retention of the title, a feat they last managed in 2006/07, they really need to get moving as they are 10 points adrift of log-leaders Kaizer Chiefs in fourth. That is already a lot of ground to make up, so consistent home wins are essential at the very least. Most of us feel they will see off Aces (I think it will be comfortable) although there is also some support for a stalemate. Sundowns took this clash 1-0 last season.
Rob’s tip: 2-0
Garrin: 1-1
Raymond: 1-0
Earl: 2-1
Wade: 2-0
Tashreeq: 1-1
Maano: 1-1
2. AMAZULU V KAIZER CHEFS
Wednesday 19:30, Moses Mabhida Stadium
If you use last season’s outcome as a yardstick, all signs only point ever more powerfully toward the AmaKhosi doing the business in Durban, Siyabonga Nkosi netted twice in a 4-1 rout, AmaZulu only getting a consolation in stoppage time. As the rock-bottom hosts remain the only side in the entire Absa Premiership not to have secured a 2014/15 win yet, they seem truly unlikely to break their duck against the runaway leaders. Some food for hope is that a few of our forecasters suspect it will be quite close this time...
Rob: 0-1
Garrin: 0-2
Raymond: 0-2
Earl: 1-2
Wade: 1-2
Tashreeq: 1-1
Maano: 0-1
3. UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA V AJAX CAPE TOWN
Wednesday 19:30, Tuks Stadium
In a rare coincidence, not only do we have top playing bottom in this round, but also second-placed Ajax travelling to second-but-last AmaTuks. Many neutrals will be egging on the Capetonians, if only to stop the table looking too much like a one-horse race: it is bad enough that they lost their home game to leaders Chiefs recently, which goes some way to explaining the eight-point chasm between them. Can Ajax land the away win? Not all of us are convinced.
Rob: 1-1
Garrin: 1-2
Raymond: 0-2
Earl: 0-1
Wade: 1-1
Tashreeq: 1-2
Maano: 1-2
LEADERBOARD
24 Wade
21 Tashreeq
19 Ray & Earl
17 Rob
16 Maano
14 Garrin
