Premier League Tips: Derby Delight For League Leaders

LB has three Premier League betting tips for this weekend when England’s top flight recommences after the International break

Liverpool v Everton Prediction

Sat 21 Oct 12:30

Liverpools dominance in this fixture makes it almost unbetable. Even the better Everton sides over recent years tended to capitulate at Anfield, and this is not one of the better Everton sides. Liverpool are light-years ahead of their Merseyside rivals but I am not interested in them at 1/3. Sean Dyche is one of the Premier League’s great spoilers and he has had two weeks to prepare his side to sour this one.

With that in mind, one bet stands out to me and its Under 2.5 Goals at a whopping 17/10. I rarely bet the hard-to-cheer markets like unders or win to nil but this price is far too good to ignore. Klopp’s side have the quality to run away with this one but its worth the risk at these odds. Nine of last 12 meetings between these sides have seen 2 goals or fewer. It is an early kickoff, the first game back from an international break and a derby. It is the perfect set up for a Sean Dyche special.

Bournemouth v Wolves Prediction

Sat 21 Oct 15:00

Wolves are a huge price away to a winless Bournemouth and I’m happy more than happy to take a punt on them. Wolves’ record might not look great at first glance but they’ve had a tough schedule, with trips to Selhurst and Old Trafford and visits from Man City, Liverpool, Villa and Brighton. Most teams in the league would slip up during that run and its almost surprising they aren’t in the relegation zone.

Despite the tough run of fixtures, Gary O’Neil’s side came into some decent form before the break (WLLDWD). A surprise win over the reigning champions was the pick of the results, with “That Korean Guy” Hwang Hee-Chan grabbing the winner against Pep’s side. Hwang now has 5 goals in his last 7 league games and is one of tue most in form strikers in the league.

Bournemouth are already in the midst of a relegation scrap and their form is woeful. They are still winless (W0 D3 L5), have managed just one clean sheet in eight games and have scored once in their last 6 hours of football. Andoni Iraola might yet come good for The Cherries but looks a little out of his depth so far. He is an inexperienced coach and life for the Premier League’s less affluent clubs can be tough.

You could certainly dress this up as a grudge match for O’Neill and there is no doubt the added motivation of putting one over a former employer will have crossed his mind. Add in Wolves form and Hwang’s hot streak i think an away win looks significantly over priced. A straight Wolves win at 2/1 is the official pick but Hwang anytime (3/1) and BTTS (8/13) both caught the eye. Hwang needs no justification beyond his recent scoring record, while BTTS has landed in Wolves last five games.

Chelsea v Arsenal Prediction

Sat 21 Oct 17:30

For many years, as an Arsenal fan, this was the game I dreaded most every season. The late-era Wenger teams took some shellacings away to most of the other Top Four and laterly Big Six teams, but defeat never felt as inevitable as it did at Stamford Bridge. Defensive stalwarts like Sebastian Squillaci, Mikael Silvestre and Johan Djourou would come undone and Arsenal would get run ragged for 90 minutes.

Those days are long gone however. Arsenal have the best centre back in England in William Saliba and arguably the best rearguard in the league. They will face off against a Chelsea attack that is so blunt it almost defies logic. I do not rate Pochettino much as a manager, and his record without Kane, Messi or Mbappe is underwhelming to say the least. However, Chelsea’s woes are not his fault. Despite having spent countless money over the years, Poch has inherited a shambles of a squad that combines expensive has-beens with even more expensive prospects that are yet to deliver.

Excluding the two games against relegation favourites Luton and Burnley, The Blues have managed four goals in six games, and even two of those came against a Fulham side with one of the worst Goals Against records in the league. That fact is made worse when you consider their schedule. Chelsea have played only two teams that finished in the top half of the table last season (Liverpool and Aston Villa), and both of those started this season slowly.

In fairness to Pochettino he is doing his best to bring young players into the starting line up. He had embraced the project at Chelsea and the average age of his first eleven (22yrs) is far below the average age of the squad (30yrs). I just cannot see how is work in progress can be competitive in this one. Arsenal are still the most likely team to push City once again and should be too polished for Chelsea. Arsenal to win at 13/10 rounds out this weekend’s picks.