Our football betting expert Jones Knows is back to provide his insight on every Premier League game and tips up an 11/1 weekend treble.
Brighton vs Ipswich, Saturday 3pm
Are Brighton the real deal? The markets are screaming for them after three games of the Fabian Hurzeler era.
They are just as likely to finish in the top four as Manchester United according to the outright odds (9/2 with Sky Bet) and have been backed into 13/8 for a top-six finish, having been much bigger at the start of the campaign.
No European football is certainly in their favour – as is the array of attacking options across their forward line, like Kaoru Mitoma, who looks overpriced to score at 2/1 with Sky Bet in a winnable game for Brighton.
The Japanese star looks back to his best of the 22/23 season when he averaged almost a goal every other game in the Premier League at the Amex. He can fire in a home win.
SCORE PREDICTION: 3-1
Crystal Palace vs Leicester, Saturday 3pm
I’ve yet to see any hard evidence to suggest that Leicester will have enough firepower to avoid relegation this season.
They’ve created just 1.33 worth of expected goals from open play in their three fixtures so far and looked woefully short of ideas against Aston Villa last weekend despite what looked a nervy 2-1 scoreline for Villa. It was far more comfortable than that.
Meanwhile, Oliver Glasner should be able to get Palace rolling in the right direction now the transfer window is shut. Palace have come out the other side in better shape than many predicted.
And I was very impressed by their second-half performance at Chelsea where the introduction of forgotten man Cheick Doucoure completely revitalised their midfield.
He and Adam Wharton could develop a very nice partnership in there – one that should lead them to a routine home win in this one where a Palace victory and under 3.5 goals at 13/8 with Sky Bet is worth a second look.
Fulham vs West Ham, Saturday 3pm
West Ham left-back Emerson Palmieri could have his hands full with a revitalised Adama Traore down the Fulham right flank. Opposition left-backs are always liable for cards and fouls when the price is right up against the powerful winger.
Traore has drawn 64 cards from the opposition in the Premier League, while he and Kenny Tete, who plays at right-back, have already drawn eight fouls between them in their three appearances this season.
Prices like the 6/4 with Sky Bet for Emerson to make two fouls along with the 9/2 for him to be carded are both live. If you combine both you can conjure up a 7/1 shot through the BuildABet function with Sky Bet.
SCORE PREDICTION: 1-1
Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest, Saturday 3pm – PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!
Nottingham Forest’s defensive process under Nuno Espirito Santo deserves more respect than the markets are giving them here. In the 24 games since his appointment, only Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool have a better expected goals-against output than Forest (1.24 per 90) and they’ve only conceded two or more goals in four of their last 17 matches across all competitions.
Liverpool have played with greater control and less chaos under Arne Slot which is seeing their first-half attacking output suffer. They have fired just 3-5-4 first-half shots in games against Ipswich, Brentford and Manchester United and have overperformed their expected goals output before the break.
The total goals line is projected to be over three in this encounter, which looks high, but it’s the first half under 1.5 goals line at 8/11 with Sky Bet that looks the most secure way to play the anti-goals angle.
Going by how relentless and focused Manchester City have been at the start of the season, this should once again turn into a predictable betting heat where short prices like City to win and Erling Haaland to score are likely to cop.