MAY 22: SURVIVAL SUNDAY

FIRST we had Helicopter Sunday – now it's Survival Sunday.

And there's no question which is more glamorous. Fighting to avoid the drop from the Premier League is no fun at all and this season five teams are trying to stay up.

Wigan, Blackpool, Birmingham, Blackburn and Wolves are the sides who don't want to join West Ham in the Championship.

Ir promises to be a day of drama and I reckon it will be two from Wigan, Blackpool and Birmingham. Goal difference is so close it could come down to that and Ladbrokes go 11-10 a side will relegated that way and 4-6 on points alone.

Blackpool are Ladbrokes' 2-7 favourites for the drop ahead of 8-13 Birmingham. Wigan are also odds-on at 4-5 with boylesports leaving Wolves and Blackburn both 8-1.

Punters would be advised to tread warily with crazy prices across the EPL card with odds compilers standing by the sides who need the points.

I'm going against that stance, preferring to support the best team and just hope they make an honest fist of it.

So let's start with Blackpool who need to better Birmingham's result at Spurs. Ian Holloway's men have been a joy to watch all season and I'd love them to stay up but I fear the worst.

Man United won't lie down especially when they are protecting a season-long unbeaten record. It doesn't matter what 11 Sir Alex Ferguson puts it – they will give it their best shot.

And remember it's likely to be last-ever Old Trafford run-outs for Edwin van der Sar and Paul Scholes while other such as Dimitar Berbatov and Darren Fletcher will be trying to win places in the Champions League squad.

Earlier in the season United would have been in the region of 1-7 or 1-8 to beat Blackpool at home so 4-6 with Hills has to be taken. Blackpool might have been 33-1 to win at the home of the champions so I've got to snigger at a biggest 5-1 at Chandler.

Wigan are the other side who need to make a move to survive and although they don't face as tough a test as Blackpool it's still not easy.

They travel to a Stoke side hurting after an FA Cup Final defeat and who showed in the run-up to the game that they always try their best.

Stoke shouldn't be as big as 15-8 with boylesports and Ladbrokes and Wigan should be bigger than 6-4 at the likes of William Hill.

Wigan are 66-1 with Ladbrokes to beat Stoke and still suffer relegation with Blackpool 80-1 to win at Old Trafford and fall through the trapdoor and Birmingham 100-1 to win at Spurs and fail to stay up.

Birmingham are the side bookies don't fear and bet365 make them 11-2 to win at Spurs.

This is another tricky one as you'd expect Spurs to win but remember poor home form has cost them a Champions League place. Birmingham were dire against Fulham last week but I can see them nicking a point.

Wolves and Blackburn should survive and I expect Wolves to celebrate with a third successive win. They are 6-5 at William Hill and Chandler.

Recommendations

Wolves to win

(6-5, Hills, Chandler)

Blackpool to go down

(4-11, bet365)

Wigan to go down

(4-5, boylesports)

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