PSL: Our pick of the pile

Cape Town – Our pundits, with the odd exception, find it hard to believe Kaizer Chiefs will bank anything less than another three points when mid-table Black Aces visit them on Saturday.

Regularly during the PSL season, 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 bunch 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 group of spiciest picks ...

1. Kaizer Chiefs v Black Aces, Saturday 15:30, FNB Stadium

The Amakhosi have pretty much returned to merciless ways since that little 2-2 home hiccup against Platinum Stars, with successive victories since and no sign that they are going to let slip their huge lead at the top. What price eighth-placed Aces producing some sort of upset? It’s difficult to envisage, especially as they come off a 2-0 home loss to Bloemfontein Celtic. Mind you, the underdogs may take some sort of heart from the fact that their last away fixture saw them thump labouring AmaZulu 3-1. Garrin goes quite brave here in tipping a draw ...

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

2. Mamelodi Sundowns v Ajax Cape Town, Saturday 18:00, Lucas Moripe Stadium

One thing about defending champions ‘Downs is that although they remain a distant 15 points behind Chiefs with one game in hand, they remain tough nuts to cracks. They have lost fewer times in the current PSL season (twice) than any other outfit besides the unbeaten leaders, and it’s largely because of a high volume of draws – seven – that they’re so far off title-chasing pace. And you’d probably be daft to tip an Ajax win here, given the Capetonians’ awful current form: somehow they cling to fourth, but sport only three draws and two big losses from their last five outings in the league. Comfortable win for the Brazilians? That’s what some of us feel, anyway. 

Rob: 2-0
Garrin: 1-1
Raymond: 3-1
Earl: 2-1
Wade: 2-0
Tashreeq: 3-1    
Maano: 0-0

3. Orlando Pirates v Bloemfontein Celtic, Saturday 20:15, Orlando Stadium

Eish, just when long-suffering Buccaneers fans think they’re turning a corner, they flatter to deceive once more. Heartened by that 4-0 slaughter of Ajax, Pirates then earned a humdrum 1-1 outcome in midweek with Swallows. That keeps them a gaping 20 points shy of arch-rivals Chiefs. With next opponents Celtic buoyed by a good 2-0 away triumph over Aces, I fancy the pride of Bloemfontein to fight out a stalemate in Soweto. But there’s also some firm support from the gurus for Pirates to get “maximum” ...

Rob: 1-1
Garrin: 2-1
Raymond: 1-1
Earl: 3-1
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 1-1    
Maano: 1-0

Leaderboard:

33 - Wade & Earl
32 - Ray
29 - Tashreeq
28 - Maano
27 - Rob
26 - Garrin

*Follow our chief writer on Twitter: @RobHouwing