Premier League Weekend Betting Preview
The Premier League reaches its midway point this weekend, and although Manchester City are steaming ahead at the top of the table, there are still lots of intriguing battles to be decided in the second half of the season. One of those is the contest for the top four and the guarantee of a Champions League spot. It looks like this season could be just as tight as the last, with some outsiders also throwing their names into the hat. Round 19 pits two of the big challengers against each other: Arsenal and Liverpool.
The Reds just about edged the Gunners to the final Champions League spot last season, securing it on the final match week. The sides meet on Friday night with a point separating them, and they kick off the weekend’s action in what promises to be an exciting one. Jurgen Klopp’s side are on a five-game unbeaten run against their rivals, winning three of those. They destroyed Arsene Wenger’s men in late August, storming to a 4-0 win at Anfield much down to the brilliance of their attacking players.
In a season of ups and downs, the Gunners have at least been consistently good at home. They’ve only lost once at the Emirates – to Manchester United – winning the other eight. Liverpool meanwhile have a habit of taking points off their closest rivals. It’s certainly a tough one to call, but something which is almost guaranteed is goals; there have been over 2.5 goals in eight of the last nine head-to-heads. That’s reflected in the odds, with over 2.5 goals at 4/9 with William Hill. To get good odds in the goal market, it’s best to be brave and back the attacking trio of Salah, Firmino and Philippe Coutinho to outscore Arsenal’s attack; Liverpool to win and over 2.5 goals is at 16/5 with William Hill.
Saturday’s early game sees Everton host Chelsea. The Toffees have improved under Sam Allardyce, coming back from a goal down to take three points off Swansea on Monday night. Gylfi Sigurdsson had his best performance in an Everton shirt in that match, and his improved form will be a boost for the Merseyside club’s creativity. Nevertheless, they face a Chelsea side who’ve won eight of their last 10 league matches and are starting to rediscover their winning edge. The Blues have won their last four head-to-heads with an aggregate score of 12-1, and a cautious better would back them to win again at 8/13 with BetBright. Nevertheless, given the Toffee’s developing form and their home advantage, which should be heightened now that the fans are seeing marked improvement, a draw is probably a decent shout at 14/5 with BetBright. If the Blues do win, they’re likely to just edge it, so back them to win by exactly one goal at 23/10 with Paddy Power.
Of the other live games, surprise package Burnley take on Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspurs. The Clarets stole a last-minute point off their rivals earlier this season at Wembley, and are actually one point ahead in the table. Sean Dyche’s side improved away form this season has helped their rise, whilst Spurs’ struggles have been emphasised in recent weeks. The away side are still favourites for the win; they were actually one of the only sides that managed to beat Burnley at Turf Moor last season. Nevertheless, the home side will definitely try to take the game to their rivals from the off, attempting to exploit their lack of confidence. The Lilywhites have struggled when teams have pressed them high, and a good bet for this match would be for the home side to score first at 23/10 with Unibet.
The final match of the day sees Leicester City take on Manchester United. The Foxes have been consistently inconsistent this season, but still see themselves in ninth position, whilst their opponents are still racking up the wins. The Red Devil’s looked quite underwhelming in victory last weekend against West Brom, with perhaps City’s immaculate record demotivating them slightly. The Foxes meanwhile were thrashed at home by strugglers Crystal Palace, but they typically up their game when facing the Premier League ‘big boys’. They seem to thrive off a big occasion, and they could make things difficult for United. Back a dull first-half to be followed by United pushing after the break; a half-time/full-time bet of draw/Manchester United can be found at 19/5 with Betfred.
Of the 3pm kickoffs, there are a couple of important games at the bottom of the table. West Ham United take on Newcastle in a match that has 0-0 written all over it. The Hammers have scored just eight goals at the London Stadium this season – the third lowest in the league – whilst the Magpies have managed just seven away from home. Back a draw and under 2.5 goals at 14/5 with William Hill, or a correct score of 0-0 at 8/1 with William Hill. Bottom of the table strugglers Swansea City, meanwhile, take on the much-improved Palace. The away side’s new attacking vigour should see them past a Swansea side that have won just twice at the Liberty Stadium this season. Back an away win at 8/5 with Paddy Power.
League leaders City are in play against Bournemouth, and you can definitely expect them to continue their monumental winning streak. The Cherries recently conceded four against Liverpool, but they might try to set up more defensively for this one. Nevertheless, the home side will have too much firepower for them. There’s no value backing a home win, so back the in-form Raheem Sterling as the first home scorer at 15/4 with William Hill. Brighton take on Watford at the Amex, with the Hornets stinging after last weekend’s thrashing by new boys Huddersfield. Their form has dropped slightly recently, and the Seagulls have made themselves very difficult to beat. Back a draw at 21/10 with Bet365.
Home wins are on the cards for the final two matches: Southampton versus Huddersfield and Stoke versus West Brom. There isn’t too much to choose between any of these sides, but these are the sort of games where home advantage normally comes into play during a busy time of year. Southampton to win is at 8/15 with BetFred, whilst Stoke to take the points is at 11/10 with Paddy Power.
Find out how you can bet for free on the Premier League’s action by heading to our free betting page, or view our list of the best new betting sites.
David handles all partnerships with the different bookies. If you want your bookie on Bettinglounge, David is the guy to contact.
