Nottingham Forest vs Sheffield United, Friday 7.45pm
Steve Cooper has been eager to implement a more offensive and progressive style of play. It is evident that he is frustrated by the defensive approach, despite the team's successful survival last season. This presents the perfect opportunity for the team to break free from their constraints against the underperforming Blades, who are shockingly lacking in quality when it comes to their attacking abilities. While Paul Heckingbottom's players may possess good work ethics, their limited attacking options will hinder their competitiveness. Forest boasted an impressive defensive record last season, conceding only 24 goals at home, just one less than Arsenal. Therefore, it will be a difficult task for the Blades to make a breakthrough.We profited from the 11/4 on Palace winning without conceding vs Sheffield United last weekend and it's time to rinse and repeat at 15/8 with Sky Bet for a Forest win to nil.
SCORE PREDICTION: 4-0
Fulham vs Brentford, Saturday 3pm
Is there a more underrated player in the Premier League than Rico Henry? He has consistently performed at this level for two seasons now, demonstrating strong defensive skills in one-on-one situations and posing a significant threat when participating in attacks.The fact that he has not been considered for England's 26-man World Cup squad speaks volumes. If either Luke Shaw or Ben Chilwell were unable to play - players who are not significantly superior to Henry anyway - he would be the next in line, by a considerable margin. In the match against Tottenham, he played in a wing-back role with great advancement, frequently attempting to break through the defensive line and creating three scoring opportunities for his teammates, one of which resulted in a goal by Yoane Wissa. If he employs similar tactics in this game, then the odds of 5/1 for him to contribute another assist are particularly enticing, especially considering it is expected to be a high-scoring match.
SCORE PREDICTION: 2-3
Wolves vs Brighton, Saturday 3pm - PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!
Brighton were initially favored with odds of 4/7 by Sky Bet for their upcoming match against Wolves, even before the start of the season. However, after a remarkable performance at Old Trafford where Gary O'Neil's team demonstrated their dynamism, organization, and clear purpose, the odds shifted significantly to 10/11. This tempting price reflects Brighton's potential as top-four contenders this season. Although I have chosen not to engage in outright betting, I strongly back the goal-line option.What stands out to me is the 11/10 odds for both teams to score and over 2.5 goals in the game. This bet has been successful in 14 out of 20 away matches under Roberto De Zerbi's management. Moreover, with the recent loss of Moises Caicedo, Brighton's average goal count may even increase. This was evident in their match against Luton, where the newcomers created numerous counter-attacking opportunities. It is possible that Brighton may need some time to find a new defensive balance without their exceptional midfield destroyer.
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Solly March rejoices in scoring a goal alongside his Brighton teammates during their victory against Luton. Wolves displayed a style of play suggesting they will take more risks, which should lead to an increase in their average goals per game this season. With this in mind, this upcoming match appears to be filled with goalscoring potential.
SCORE PREDICTION: 2-3 | JONES KNOWS BEST BET: Over 2.5 goals & BTTS (11/10 with Sky Bet - Bet Here!
Liverpool vs Bournemouth, Saturday 3pm - PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!
Andoni Iraola has gained a reputation for delivering impressive performances against top teams when playing away games. In his time managing in LaLiga, his team, Rayo Vallecano, achieved two remarkable results against Barcelona - a 1-0 victory and a 0-0 draw. They also only suffered defeats by a narrow margin of 2-1 in their encounters with Real Madrid. Notably, in both visits to the Bernabéu, Rayo Vallecano managed to outshoot their opponents, demonstrating their fearless approach towards challenging opponents.Given Iraola's tactical preference for counter-attacking and high-pressing, his team's style of play is more suitable for a match in which they are expected to have less possession. In the previous game against West Ham, Bournemouth initially displayed a lackluster performance for the first 60 minutes, as the Hammers willingly ceded possession. However, Bournemouth eventually regained their momentum and finished the match strongly, securing a 1-1 draw. I am eager to witness Iraola's aggressive style of play being utilized at Anfield. While it is premature to consider the 10/1 odds offered by Sky Bet for an away victory, we can back the Cherries in the shots on target markets.
With a lack of defensive balance in their midfield, the Liverpool team is not operating at full efficiency. As a result, Bournemouth will have opportunities to capitalize on transitions. Jurgen Klopp's side has been subject to four or more shots on target in 53 percent of their previous 40 Premier League matches. Considering Bournemouth's expected bold strategy, the odds of 11/8 offered by Sky Bet for them to achieve four or more shots on target appear appealing.
SCORE PREDICTION: 2-2
Tottenham vs Manchester United, Saturday 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports - PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!
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The live match between Tottenham and Manchester United will be broadcasted on We. While it is not recommended to make hasty judgments or strong assumptions about a team based on a single 90-minute football match, I have become slightly less optimistic about Manchester United's chances this season.
Newcastle possess the defensive structure and ability to seriously frustrate the champions - more so than the market expects. There's enough in the prices to get me interested in this game going down a scrappy, low-scoring avenue with the under 2.5 goals line at 11/10 with Sky Bet standing out. However, I cannot overlook
SCORE PREDICTION: 2-1
their jaded and lightweight showing vs Wolves and the ageing limbs of key players like Casemiro and Raphael Varane along withManchester City vs Newcastle, Saturday 8pm - PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!
Erik ten Hag's record on the road against elite opposition, where he has only managed to secure one point from a possible 24 in Premier League away games against the top nine teams last season. It was, in fact, the worst record of any team. Nonetheless, I did observe enough from Tottenham in terms of Ange Postecoglou getting his ethos across to make Spurs a tempting proposition at Evens on the draw-no-bet market with Sky Bet here.Newcastle performed impressively in their away games against the top six teams in the Premier League last season. They only conceded a total of five goals and managed clean sheets against Arsenal, Manchester United, and Brighton - all three games ending in goalless draws. On average, these matches saw a low total of just 1.3 goals per game.
If Newcastle aims to employ a frustrating strategy against Manchester City, goalkeeper Nick Pope may also be at risk of receiving a yellow card. At odds of 17/2 with Sky Bet, there is a possibility that Pope could be penalized due to the increased strictness towards timewasting, with referees skipping warnings and immediately issuing cards. Consequently, there is an expected rise in the number of away goalkeepers receiving bookings.
SCORE PREDICTION: 1-1
Aston Villa vs Everton, Sunday 2pm, live on Sky Sports - PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!
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Aston Villa vs Everton, live on We
To utilize a horse racing strategy, it is acceptable to overlook one poor performance by a horse if there were valid reasons for the underperformance. This principle applies to Aston Villa's heavy defeat against Newcastle on the opening day, where the absence of Tyrone Mings due to injury disrupted their performance, and they faced a formidable opponent at St James' Park. Given Everton's current struggles to score goals, those who bet on a home win at odds of 4/6 with Sky Bet should expect a profitable outcome, as Aston Villa aims for their eighth consecutive victory at Villa Park.
Nevertheless, I anticipate Everton to have their fair share of opportunities, considering they have averaged 14 shots per game in their last seven away matches. This statistic makes Alex Iwobi, who has replaced the injured Dwight McNeil on the left side, an intriguing option to consider for scoring a goal at even odds with Sky Bet. In the previous match against Fulham, Iwobi managed to take four shots, two of which were on target, by exploiting his preference to cut in on his stronger right foot, thus creating multiple shooting chances.
SCORE PREDICTION: 2-0
West Ham vs Chelsea, Sunday 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports - PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!
The loss of Reece James due to his hamstring injury is a significant setback for those who have high hopes for Mauricio Pochettino's team this season. Their performance against Liverpool was impressive, particularly in terms of their solid defensive structure, as they only allowed one shot on target from the usually relentless Reds attack. I have a theory early in the season that Chelsea will be a challenging team to defeat, but their ongoing struggles with scoring goals and the absence of key creative players like James will make it difficult for them to secure victories.This situation is likely to result in low-scoring matches, making the odds of 5/2 with Sky Bet on under 1.5 goals a viable option, especially against a West Ham side that is also unlikely to concede many goals.
Ben Chilwell is a player worth keeping an eye on in the attacking prop markets under Pochettino. Last weekend, Pochettino gave his wing-back a lot of freedom to attack and expected his midfielders to look for opportunities to pass the ball to him during every attack.
Chilwell's aggressive playing style was evident when analyzing the average positions of the Chelsea team, as he was the second highest player in terms of position. He had a shot on target, although he missed the goal due to a poor first touch, and he also had a goal disallowed when he ventured into a central area.
You can choose from several options when betting on Chilwell: he is priced at 11/8 to have two or more shots, 2/1 to have one or more shots on target, and 18/1 to score the first goal.
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Chelsea's Ben Chilwell scores a goal that was later disallowed by VAR for offside
SCORE PREDICTION: 0-0 JONES KNOWS BEST BET: Ben Chilwell to score first (20/1 with Sky Bet - Bet Here!) & Chilwell to have at least one shot on target (2/1 with Sky Bet - Bet Here!)
Crystal Palace vs Arsenal, Monday 8pm, live on Sky Sports
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Crystal Palace vs Arsenal will be broadcasted live on We. Although I have doubts about Arsenal's capability to compete for significant titles, Mikel Arteta's team has shown great dependability in games where they are susceptible to slip-ups. In the previous season, their combined score against teams in the bottom half of the table was an impressive 52-17, experiencing only two losses, narrowly falling to Everton and Nottingham Forest.
Roy Hodgson has undeniably made an impact, with Crystal Palace winning more points than Arsenal since his return. However, it is likely that Palace will regress to being a solid mid-table team due to their lack of depth in multiple positions. For those looking for an exciting bet, consider Gabriel Martinelli to score first in a 2-0 victory against Palace at odds of 30/1 with Sky Bet. He scored against them in both matches last season and finished as their joint-top scorer with 15 goals in the Premier League. Martinelli's ability to consistently outperform his expected goals tally makes him a highly promising goalscorer, and he seems to be in top form on the left flank this season.