Sporting Life's Premier League preview package

Premier League betting tips: Previews, Super 6 predictions & best bets for Saturday's 3pm kick-offs

By Paul Higham

Football

Sat October 27, 2018 · 6y ago

Mark your card for Saturday's 3pm kick-offs in the Premier League with the best bets, Super 6 predictions and top stats for each game.

Recommended bets

2pts Bournemouth win & both teams to score at 3/1

1pt Southampton to draw with Newcastle at 23/10

For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record

Brighton v Wolves

Brighton taking on Wolves after back-to-back victories

Back-to-back 1-0 wins have dragged Brighton away from the relegation zone and up to the lofty heights of 12th place in the Premier League, but it‘ll be a big test to keep that run going against Wolves, who were given a rude awakening in last week’s defeat to Watford.

Nuno Espirito Santo admitted complacency may have crept into his side when they were stunned at home by the Hornets last week, so you have to believe they’ll be right at it from the off down at the Amex, in the same way that Watford were after a chastening defeat prior to the break.

For all Wolves’ pretty football and possession stats they’ve actually only score nine goals in nine games, one fewer than Brighton, so they’ll need to start finishing their chances to be winning games like this on the road.

For now, they may have to settle for a point.

Super 6 prediction: Brighton 1-1 Wolves (Sky Bet odds: 5/1)

Best bet: Draw at 11/5

Opta stats

Brighton have won their last two Premier League games without conceding; as many wins as they’d recorded in their previous 16 combined (D5 L9). The Seagulls last won three consecutive top-flight matches in May 1981 (4 in a row).
Brighton have won 36 of their 51 Premier League points at home (70.6%) – the third highest such share in the competition’s history after Bradford City (72.6%) and Barnsley (71.4%).
Despite their defeat against Watford last time out, Wolves’ haul of 15 points from their nine Premier League games this season is the best total by a newly-promoted team at this stage of a campaign since West Bromwich Albion in 2010-11 (15 points).
Wolverhampton Wanderers are the only team in Europe’s big five divisions yet to make a change to their starting XI in league matches this season.
Raúl Jiménez (55.6%) has had a hand in a higher share of Wolves’ Premier League goals this season than any other player (5/9).

Fulham v Bournemouth

Eddie Howe's Bournemouth can continue their good start at Fulham

The harsh reality of the Premier League really hit home last week for Fulham with a 4-2 defeat at Cardiff, who doubled their goalscoring tally for the season in one go against the worst defence in the division.

From watching the Cottagers leak goals left, right and centre, the big is not only if Slavisa Jokanovic is willing to change his playing style but can he change his playing style? The teams he sends out just don’t seem capable to keeping it tight at the back.

The Cherries currently top the ‘best of the rest’ table in sixth and have the players to hurt any team on the break, let alone Fulham.

Eddie Howe’s side have let a few in themselves but have successive clean sheets in the bank now and, while they may not get a third, Fulham give teams just so many chances they’ll feel confident of taking at least a couple.

Super 6 prediction: Fulham 2-3 Bournemouth (Sky Bet odds: 22/1)

Best bet: Bournemouth win & both teams to score at 3/1

Opta stats

Fulham have conceded six more Premier League goals than any other team this season (25) – the highest total at this stage of an English top-flight campaign since Southampton in 2012-13 (26).
Fulham have afforded their opponents more shots on target than any other Premier League team in 2018-19 (61).
Fulham are the fourth team in Premier League history to concede at least two goals in eight of their first nine Premier League games to a season (also Everton in 94-95, Derby in 00-01, Southampton in 12-13).
Bournemouth have won three of their last five away Premier League games (L2), after winning three of the previous 19 in the competition (D7 L9).
Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson has been directly involved in more Premier League goals this season than any other Englishman (three goals, four assists).

Liverpool v Cardiff

Mohamed Salah has 50 Liverpool goals and can add to that against Cardiff

An ugly win at Huddersfield followed by a commanding win against Red Star in the Champions League represents another good week for Jurgen Klopp’s Reds – even if they’re still not firing on all cylinders in the Premier League.

Xherdan Shaqiri may have done enough in midweek to earn a start at Anfield as Neil Warnock’s Cardiff arrive in what they must see as a ‘free-hit’ – even more so after beating Fulham last week to move out of the relegation zone.

An early home goal could lead to a blow-out and Klopp will hope that this could be the game where Liverpool finally start to show their goalscoring ability in the league, although his new pragmatic approach should temper the home fans’ expectations somewhat.

Super 6 prediction: Liverpool 3-0 Cardiff (Sky Bet odds: 5/1)

Best bet: Mo Salah and Sadio Mane both to score at 2/1

Opta stats

Cardiff’s last league win over Liverpool was in December 1959 in the second tier, a 4-0 victory at Anfield in Bill Shankly’s third league match in charge of Liverpool.
There have been at least three goals scored in each of the last 10 meetings between Liverpool and Cardiff in all competitions, with 45 goals scored in total.
Liverpool have lost one of their last 45 home Premier League matches against newly promoted teams (W35 D9), with that defeat against Blackpool in 2010-11 – they’ve won all seven under Jurgen Klopp at Anfield by an aggregate score of 21-2.
Cardiff have lost 14 of their last 15 Premier League matches against ‘big six’ opposition (D1), conceding two or more goals in 12 of those games.
Cardiff manager Neil Warnock has managed four away games against Liverpool in his managerial career, losing all four without seeing his sides score a goal – he has lost to a different manager on each occasion (Souness, Houllier, Benitez and Dalglish).

Southampton v Newcastle

Rafael Benitez under severe pressure at Newcastle

Newcastle’s search for their first Premier League victory of the season takes Rafa Benitez’s side on the long trip to Southampton – who have just one win themselves so far and none at home.

Saints haven’t managed to score in their last four games while Newcastle have drawn a blank in three of the last four – the one exception being those two goals in that strangely magnificent first half at Old Trafford, which looks a long time ago right now.

It could come down to who wants it most from two desperate teams but going on recent form there shouldn’t be too many goals to shout about and a draw may be the best bet.

Super 6 prediction: Southampton 0-0 Newcastle (Sky Bet odds: 7/1)

Best bet: Draw at 11/5

Opta stats

Southampton have lost just one of their 17 home Premier League matches against Newcastle (W12 D4), a 2-1 defeat in September 2004.
Newcastle won their last Premier League match against Southampton in March (3-0) – they haven’t won consecutive league games against them since January 2005.
Newcastle United have made their worst ever start to a league campaign after nine games (assuming 3 pts/win), picking up just two points from nine Premier League matches.
Only Steve Wigley (0.69) has averaged a worse points-per-game ratio as Southampton manager in Premier League history than Mark Hughes (0.82).
Southampton manager Mark Hughes has won just one of his 13 Premier League meetings with Rafael Benitez (W1 D6 L6), losing both games against Newcastle last season when he was manager of Stoke City.

Watford v Huddersfield

Watford have a decent home record under Javi Gracia

A bounce-back victory for the Hornets came just at the right time as just one point from four games had threatened to derail their flying start to the season, and showed that they could well be involved in the mid-table shake-up come the end of the season.

Huddersfield had chances against Liverpool last week but remain stuck on three points with no wins and this represents a tough away day after Watford’s return to form last week, given they’ll want to make amends for a 4-0 hammering at home last time out against Bournemouth.

The Terriers have to get a first win of the season somewhere, sometime, but Vicarage Road doesn’t look like the ideal place for them to break their duck.

Super 6 prediction: Watford 2-0 Huddersfield (Sky Bet odds: 13/2)

Best bet: Watford -1 on the handicap at 2/1

Opta stats

Watford lost both of their Premier League matches against Huddersfield Town last season, including a 1-4 defeat at Vicarage Road.
Huddersfield Town have won just one of their last 19 Premier League matches (W1 D7 L11), but this came against Watford. They defeated the Hornets 1-0 at home thanks to an injury time goal from Tom Ince.
Huddersfield Town have won just three games and 16 points in their 23 Premier League away matches (W3 D7 L13) – one of these came at Vicarage Road (1-4 in December 2017). They are yet to beat a team away from home more than once in the competition.
Huddersfield Town have failed to score in 55.3% of their Premier League games (26 of 47); the highest share in the competition’s history.
Watford striker Troy Deeney has scored six league goals against Huddersfield Town – only against Leeds United (7) has he scored more in his career. He was sent off after 33 minutes in this exact fixture last season, however.