Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY

After a terrible, no-good, embarrassing start to this weekly column, I am NOT about to apologize for this:

https://twitter.com/TeamFA/status/807743618723221504

My first winning week was perfect, 3-0, cash-cash-cash, and we are here to build on the good feelings, so here are your Week 12 WINNERS.

LEICESTER CITY v. BURNLEY

Last week I took Leicester away against Cardiff City for two reasons: 1. The Foxes had just lost their beloved owner in a tragic helicopter crash, and figured to be plenty motivated to win a match, and 2. Cardiff City is terrible.

That was a winning formula last week, and there is no reason to change course now. Leicester will be playing for the first time in front of their passionate supporters at the King Power, and though the feelings from the passing of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha are not as fresh as they were, it still promises to be an emotional moment in Leicester. Moment of silence, players pointing to the sky, etc.

Burnley is a disgrace in its own right, with its -13 goal difference and only 12 goals scored in 11 matches. Burnley took no points from October and are on a four-match winless streak in the league, coming off vicious beatings by West Ham, Chelsea and Manchester City. There is no good reason to think Leicester will not jump Burnley early and put this beyond reach quickly. But safety first and all that. Rather than getting cute with some long odds bet involving Leicester hanging a number on Burnley, just take Leicester to win at 1/2.

CHELSEA v. EVERTON

A recurring theme in this space is that the sides that treat me right get picked again. Well, dear reader, welcome to your predictable wager on Chelsea, a club that is kicking ass and taking names this season. Chelsea is unbeaten this season in all competitions. Truthfully, I did not expect Chelsea to be this good with a new manager and largely the same underachieving players as last season, but here we are.

Everton has been sneaky good so far this season. The Toffees are slotted quite comfortably in ninth place in the league table, where they have seemingly resided for at least a decade. Per its wont, Everton has been feasting on the weakest members of the league during its recent run of good form. Everton hung losses on Fulham, Leicester, Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion in the last six weeks. All four of those clubs are below Everton in the current table. When Everton faced real competition in that period, it fell to Manchester United.

Chelsea has more than sufficient quality to dispose of Everton. The Blues will win either 3-0 or 2-1 or 3-1…however it falls, take Chelsea to win AND over 2.5 goals at 19/20.

Photo Credit: Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY

MANCHESTER CITY v. MANCHESTER UNITED

Come on, you didn’t really think I was going to not pick this match, right? The Manchester Derby is always must-see TV, never more so than right now as City is steam-pressing the league while Jose Mourinho continues to extend his tenure at United one match at a time.

You can hear my thoughts about City at some length here, but suffice it to say that there is no side in the league that should trouble City, particularly at the Etihad. Such is City’s dominance of the league and of basically every opponent it faces these days that City is 4/11 to win this match. That value is terrible…but the book is dangling a carrot based on both sides’ inability to keep clean sheets against solid competition. So take City AND both teams to score at 17/10.

Good luck this weekend.

LAST WEEK’S RESULTS

Leicester City over Cardiff City at 23/20: WIN

Manchester City to lead at the half AND at full-time over Southampton at 4/9: WIN

Chelsea over Crystal Palace AND over 2.5 goals at 3/4: WIN

LAST WEEK: +$234

TOTAL TO DATE: -$662