Free Premier League betting preview: Leicester City v Liverpool tips
George Pitts has a 9/4 selection for the early kick-off, as Liverpool look to maintain their perfect start to the Premier League season...
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2pts Sadio Mane to score-and-win at 9/4
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Leicester City v Liverpool (King Power Stadium, 1230 BST, Sky Sports Premier League)
The first Premier League game of the weekend should be a cracker, with two different teams facing their own tests of character.
Hosts Liverpool will be looking to maintain their perfect start which has seen them lead the way after three games. They have been questioned defensively over the years, but the expensive 2018 additions of Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Naby Keita have so far proved good value with the Reds yet to concede in the league this term.
Their next obstacle is a Leicester side who won successive fixtures after - despite an impressive performance - losing to Manchester United on the opening day and they have looked good thus far under Claude Puel. They will be playing their second match without the suspended Jamie Vardy, but with summer arrival James Maddison impressing along with Harry Maguire at the back, who they managed to keep, they have a reason to be optimistic - especially after a late winner last week.
They probably will come unstuck here though - although we are backing them to become the first team to score against the Reds in 2018/19.
Betting guide
Score prediction: Leicester City 1-4 Liverpool (Sky Bet odds: 22/1)
As we came to expect last term, the Reds were regulars in entertaining goal-rich clashes in the Premier League.
They will be keen to improve on last week's under-par performance as they edged past Brighton on home turf. Their defence is looking good with Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk forming a strong partnership, but Leicester can bag at least one here on their way to defeat.
Best bet: Liverpool to win and over 2.5 total goals at evens
The Reds have scored seven goals in their last three games while Leicester have bagged eight in their last three in all competitions. Last season this fixture produced over 2.5 goals home and away and the Foxes have shown they can score without Jamie Vardy, with Harry Maguire's contribution from defence showing they have goals throughout the field.
Liverpool should know the task in hand and get the win in the process as they look to steal a march on Man City.
The Senegal forward made a flying start to the campaign, with three goals in as many appearances to his name.
This could be his season to shine after plaudits have gone to Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino in previous seasons. Leicester will know the threat all front three pose, but stopping them is another thing and Mane could provide good value for this match.
Selected RequestABet: Over 1.5 goals, 3+ corners each team and 30+ match booking points at 7/4
Opta facts
- Leicester have won three of their last four home meetings with Liverpool in all competitions, though they did lose this exact fixture 3-2 last season.
- Liverpool have won eight of their last 12 Premier League meetings with Leicester (D2 L2), though they have lost this fixture in two of the last three seasons (2015-16 and 2016-17).
- Leicester have lost their last 10 Premier League matches against sides starting the day top of the table, scoring just four goals while conceding 25 in those matches.
- Liverpool have won their last four Premier League games without conceding a goal – they last had a longer winning run without conceding in December 2005, a run of eight under Rafael Benitez.
- Liverpool are looking to win their opening four games of a Premier League season for the first time. They last opened a top-flight campaign with four wins back in 1990-91 under Kenny Dalglish.
- Liverpool have kept three clean sheets in their opening three Premier League games in 2018-19 – the only previous occasion they haven’t conceded in any of their first four league games in a season was back in 2005-06.
- Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson could become the fourth goalkeeper in Premier League history to keep a clean sheet in his first four starts, after Alex Manninger (first six), Anders Lindegaard (first five) and Jose Reina (first four).
- Since Leicester returned to the Premier League in 2014-15, Jamie Vardy has scored 43% of Leicester’s league goals against ‘big six’ opposition (27 of 63 goals) – however, he is suspended and will miss this match.
- 50% of the six 90th minute goals scored in the 2018-19 Premier League season have been scored by Leicester (2) or Liverpool (1), while these sides are responsible for 12 of the 37 goals scored in the final minute in 2018 (Leicester with eight, Liverpool with four).
- Since the start of last season, Liverpool haven’t won any of the eight Premier League matches when Mo Salah has started but failed to register a goal or assist (D4 L4).
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Odds correct as of 1200 BST on 31/08/18