Premier League Weekend Betting Preview
There’s no doubt which Premier League match stands out this weekend, as Liverpool take a lunch-time trip to Old Trafford on Saturday. The North East Derby is probably the fiercest in the Premier League and one of the most watched on the planet – and it’ll be no different this weekend.
Second-placed Manchester United remain where they are in the league thanks to their incredible comeback against Crystal Palace midweek, whilst the Reds are just two points behind them. Jurgen Klopp’s side could thus overtake their rivals with a win, something which could be a decisive morale boost going into the final fixtures of the season.
The away side don’t look like they particularly need a morale boost, however – after back-to-back losses against Swansea and West Brom, they went on to win five of their net six games in all competitions, drawing the other one against Tottenham. Mohamed Salah has been in breathtaking form, netting in seven consecutive games in all competitions. He’ll be one to watch for the weekend’s clash, with Unibet offering tempting odds of 24/13 as an anytime scorer.
The Red Devils meanwhile have looked less consistent than their rivals, although their win over Chelsea was an important result last weekend. Whilst they have same very good players, they don’t seem to have forged the same chemistry or understanding as Liverpool. They’re more than capable of winning matches, but they looked second-best when up against more seasoned units like Manchester City and Tottenham recently.
Regarding which side comes out on top, the last four meetings between these two have actually been draws. United have a rather imperious home record, in that only one Premier League team has beaten them at Old Trafford in the past two seasons. What’s more, the Reds have been victorious on just one of their last eight trips to the famous ground.
The home side boast some intimidating stats, however you get the feeling they won’t bother Salah, Mane and Firmino too much. In fact, their recent incredible form is more likely to worry the United defence than any records. For that reason, back an away win at 13/8 with Boyle Sports.
There was so much hype surrounding their meeting earlier this season at Anfield, but it ended up being a dull 0-0 draw. We’re not expecting the same again though, and we expect Liverpool to take the initiative and score the opener. Back The Reds to score first at 11/10 with Paddy Power.
The other live match on Saturday involves another top-four challenger – Chelsea. They take on local London rivals Crystal Palace in the afternoon, with the away side hoping to quickly recover from throwing away that 2-0 lead midweek to United.
The Blues meanwhile have had back-to-back Premier League losses to United and City. Whilst Antonio Conte’s men only lost 1-0 at the Eithad, they failed to register a single effort on target all game and didn’t look threatening whatsoever. It’s not looking promising for the Blues for the final run-in, and the doubts over Conte’s future don’t seem to be helping matters.
In terms of head-to-heads, Palace have actually beaten Chelsea 2-1 in their last two meetings. Wilfried Zaha was key in both of those successes, but this weekend looks likely to prove too early for him to return from injury. He’ll be a miss for the home side, but they still looked really dangerous against United. They’ll try to attack a fragile-looking Chelsea, with the Blues also attempting to juggle a midweek encounter with Barcelona.
We’re expecting the home side to really put the Blues under pressure from the first whistle, and odds of 63/20 for them to score first are tempting with Marathon Bet. Nevertheless, we think Chelsea will get a goal back and a draw is the most likely outcome. Back it to happen at 23/5 with Marathon Bet.
Arsenal are another side looking to overturn a couple of 2-1 defeats to a local rival. They take on Watford at the Emirates, and like Conte, Arsene Wenger is under increasing pressure. They’ve lost five of their last six matches in all competitions, including recent shock losses to Brighton and Ostersunds. They’re not in a good place currently, whilst the Hornets have won three of their last four league games.
Javi Gracia’s side beat the Gunners at the Emirates last season, so they should go in to the match with confidence, especially given their opponent’s recent poor form. They’ll be able to feed off any unease in the stadium, and if they can force errors from their opponents then it could lead to a downward spiral for the home side.
Nevertheless, there has to come a time when the Arsenal starting XI realise that they need to give more, and this could be the weekend after they lost to the Seagulls last weekend. It seems the bookies feel the same, with much more value on backing an away win. We suggest backing a first goalscorer then, with Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang still looking prolific despite his side’s form. Back him as the game’s first scorer at 37/10 with Marathon Bet.
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Jacob Tiro
06/03/2018 22:19
