Mark your card for Saturday's Premier League games with George Pitts and Paul Higham providing a best bet and score prediction for each clash.
Recommended bets
1pt Watford to score in the first half v Spurs at 5/4
1pt Sheffield United +1 handicap at evens
1pt Norwich to beat Bournemouth at 6/5
For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record
Newcastle v Chelsea
- 1730 GMT kick-off on Sky Sports Premier League
Chelsea will have a bit of up-and-down, the inconsistency of youth, this season but this is a great chance for them to enjoy another good away day as they're a better side away from Stamford Bridge this season.
Most of their slip-ups have come on home soil when failing to break down a stubborn defence, but the one note of caution is that Steve Bruce will probably play on the back foot and look to try and stifle Chelsea's attacking intentions - especially given his injury problems.
At full strength the Magpies could probably give Chelsea a game, and they still might frustrate them at times, but if you throw in Newcastle having to play a midweek FA Cup replay, even an easy victory at home, and Frank Lampard's side hold all the aces.
Prediction: Newcastle 0-2 Chelsea (Sky Bet odds: )
Best bet: Chelsea to win -1 on the handicap at 5/4
Key stats
- Newcastle have taken just four points from their last eight Premier League games against Chelsea (W1 D1 L6), losing each of their last three meetings in a row.
- Chelsea are looking to record consecutive away Premier League wins against Newcastle United for the first time since winning 2-0 in both 2007-08 and 2008-09.
- Chelsea have only beaten Tottenham Hotspur (29 wins) more often in the Premier League than they have Newcastle United (25 wins).
- As a player, Chelsea’s Frank Lampard faced teams managed by Steve Bruce on 17 occasions in the Premier League and lost none of those games (W13 D4); the only player to face a manager’s teams more often and not lose is John Terry, also against Bruce (18 – W14 D4).
- Newcastle’s Miguel Almirón has scored with each of his last two shots on target in the Premier League, having failed to find the net with any of his first 15 such efforts in the competition.
- Chelsea’s Willian has initiated four sequences leading to goals in the Premier League this season after winning possession back from the opposition, more than any other player in the competition.
Watford v Tottenham (George Pitts)
- 1230 GMT kick-off on BT Sport
The Hornets are buzzing under Nigel Pearson at the minute and last week's comfortable win over dismal Bournemouth saw them leave the drop zone after a long time spent there during the first half of the campaign.
A tough first game under Pearson saw them create plenty of chances at Liverpool, while they have showed no fear to impressively, and deservedly, take three points from both Man United and Wolves at Vicarage Road.
So, when you see Jose Mourinho's Tottenham are visiting, they have plenty of reasons to be optimistic.
Away form proved a problem during the latter stages of Mauricio Pochettino's reign as Spurs boss and they have hit a stumbling block under the Portuguese, failing to win their last three on the road - and it could have been four had they not grabbed a lucky winner at Wolves.
You would not back the visitors with real confidence and Watford continue to be undervalued in the markets, available at 23/10 to win and at an appealing 11/8 in draw no bet.
Our columnist Dale Tempest is a big fan of them under Pearson and you can see why. The former Leicester chief has them playing with confidence and tenacity and they will certainly take the game to Spurs, who are one of just two sides yet to keep an away clean sheet in the Premier League this season.
One element of caution is that Watford are now six unbeaten in all competitions and the run has to end eventually. But, nevertheless, this home match, with the early kick-off often producing these sorts of results, is most definitely winnable.
Where some teams often stay tight and grind opponents down, Watford have often taken the initiative and scored early on during this upturn in results.
They have scored in the first half in five of six - the other coming after 50 minutes - so the odds-against price on them scoring in the first half does have appeal to get us off to a good start for the day.
Prediction: Watford 2-1 Tottenham (Sky Bet odds: 11/1)
Best bet: Watford to score in the first half at 5/4
Key stats
- Spurs have won two of their last nine away league visits to Watford (D4 L3), picking up just a single point from their last two games at Vicarage Road (D1 L1).
- Watford are looking to win four consecutive home top-flight games within the same season for the first time since December 1986.
- Watford have won 13 points under manager Nigel Pearson (W4 D1 L1) – only runaway leaders Liverpool (15) and Manchester City (15) have won more points since his first game in charge. Indeed, the Hornets have won as many points in their last five Premier League games as they had in their previous 23 in the competition (13).
- Tottenham are one of just two sides yet to keep an away clean sheet in the Premier League this season, along with Aston Villa. Spurs have conceded in each of their last 18 away league games, their longest such run in the top-flight since April 1977 (a run of 20).
- Tottenham have lost their last two Premier League games – they haven’t lost three consecutive league games since November 2012.
- Before Nigel Pearson’s first game in charge, Watford had a shot conversion rate of just 4.8%, the lowest in the Premier League this season. Under Pearson, the Hornets have a conversion rate of 15.5%, the second highest in that time after Manchester City (18.4%).
Arsenal v Sheffield United
Sheffield United are another undervalued side and they travel to the Emirates as 18/5 underdogs against an Arsenal team without star man Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The Gunners captain is suspended after his red card last weekend and, while you can see what Mikel Arteta is doing in his short time in charge of the club, they are yet to play convincingly for a full 90 minutes.
This is where Chris Wilder's men can capitalise. The Blades are well organised and, as big admirers of the league newcomers on our Premier League podcast, we feel they can go and get something there.
The Yorkshire side have an impressive away record, losing only to Liverpool and Man City and collecting an impressive 15 points in the process.
Six of their 11 away fixtures have been draws and they can claim at least a point here. A +1 start on the handicaps is available at evens, incredibly tempting on a side that will not underestimate or give the Gunners too much respect - as we saw in the reverse at Bramall Lane.
Prediction: Arsenal 1-1 Sheffield United (Sky Bet odds: 11/2)
Best bet: Sheffield United +1 handicap at evens
Key stats
- Sheffield United are looking for their first league double over Arsenal since the 1946-47 season, having won 1-0 against the Gunners at Bramall Lane in October.
- Sheffield United could become the first newly-promoted team to complete a league double over Arsenal since Blackburn Rovers in the 1992-93 season.
- Arsenal have won just one of their last seven home league games (D3 L3), though it was last time out against Manchester United. The Gunners have already lost three home league games this season, last losing more at the Emirates in a single campaign in 2010-11 (4).
- Having been unbeaten in their first nine away league games this season, Sheffield United have lost each of their last two on the road. The Yorkshire side are also winless in their last 18 top-flight games in London (D7 L11) since winning 2-1 at Chelsea in October 1992.
- Arsenal will be without Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in this match. The striker has scored 48% of the Gunners’ Premier League goals this season (14/29), only Danny Ings has scored a higher share of his side’s goals this term (52%).
Brighton v Aston Villa
Not a standout game this weekend and not one we'll be sticking points on. Overall, the feeling is it will be a low scorer.
The Seagulls have won just one of their last eight in all competitions and five of their last six games have had a total of two goals or less.
Aston Villa meanwhile, conceded six at home to Man City last week and the game after a thumping often sees teams tighten it up at the back and go a little more conservative.
If that was not enough, it looks like Dean Smith's side are still without a recognised striker due to injuries and, well, they just are not very good at the minute. Under 2.5 goals is odds on, whereas both teams not to score is a more appealing 13/10.
Prediction: Brighton 1-0 Aston Villa (Sky Bet odds: 15/2)
Best bet: BTTS - no at 13/10
Key stats
- Brighton are winless in seven league matches against Aston Villa (D3 L4) since a 1-0 win in the top-flight in December 1980.
- Aston Villa have already beaten Brighton twice this season, winning 3-1 in the League Cup at the Amex and 2-1 at Villa Park in the Premier League. Villa could become the third team to win twice away at the Amex in a season in all competitions, after Derby in 2013-14 and Southampton last season.
- Brighton have won just one of their last seven Premier League matches (D3 L3), beating Bournemouth 2-0 last month.
- Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish has scored in each of his last three games against Brighton in all competitions, also providing an assist in the Villans’ 2-1 win in the reverse fixture. He’s scored more goals against Brighton in all competitions than he has vs any other side (3).
- Neal Maupay is Brighton’s top scorer in the Premier League this season with seven goals – however, the Frenchman has failed to find the net in any of his last five appearances.
Manchester City v Crystal Palace
Manchester City certainly will not have it as easy as last weekend, when they ran riot at Aston Villa in the first half and ended the game 6-1 winners.
Crystal Palace did, remember, pull off a shock victory at the Etihad last season, which included THAT Andros Townsend strike.
Man City are starting to find their stride again and it is hard to bet against them at the Etihad, especially when Palace are not exactly a side blessed with goals.
That being said, a good option to consider for City games is always the opposition's shots market. Palace can be backed to register at least three efforts on target at an appealing 5/4 - not a tough ask for a 90-minute game on a side managed by Roy Hodgson.
The Eagles average that tally away from home this term and, with Aymeric Laporte unlikely to return just yet, a City back line of Oleksandr Zinchenko, John Stones, Fernandinho and Kyle Walker is there for the taking.
Although City will dominate possession, a few Palace chances is not too much to ask, especially when Cenk Tosun will be keen to get his first goal in a Palace shirt.
Prediction: Manchester City 3-1 Crystal Palace (Sky Bet odds: 10/1)
Key stats
- Crystal Palace won 3-2 against Manchester City in their last away Premier League match at the Etihad – the Eagles have never won consecutive away league trips against City.
- In their last game, Man City won by a 5+ goal margin for the 15th time in 136 Premier League games under Pep Guardiola. They had won by such a margin in just 13 of their first 734 games in the competition.
- Crystal Palace have lost just one of their last nine Premier League games (W3 D5), with the Eagles coming from behind to win (1) or draw (3) four of those matches.
- Man City manager Pep Guardiola has never lost consecutive home league games against an opponent before – indeed, the Spaniard has lost just 13 of his 195 home top-flight games as a manager, losing more than once against only one opponent in that time (Man Utd, twice).
- Pep Guardiola will be the fifth Man City manager to take charge of a Premier League game on his birthday – none of the previous four have won; Brian Horton (1995), Joe Royle (2001), Mark Hughes (2010) and Roberto Mancini (2011 & 2012).
- Kevin De Bruyne has had a hand in eight goals in his last eight Premier League appearances against Crystal Palace for Manchester City (2 goals, 6 assists).
Norwich v Bournemouth
It's the 'basement battle', a 'relegation six-pointer' to use just a couple of cliches, but this game between the bottom two is a hugely significant one, if not one that people will be lining up to watch on Match of the Day.
The Canaries seem dead and buried at the foot of the table, eight points from safety, and although Bournemouth are a lot closer they've been dropping like a stone and are odds-on themselves to go down as Eddie Howe struggles to keep his head above water.
Just one win in 11 tells the story for Bournemouth, but Norwich have done even worse with just one win in 17 so it's one of those games were you'd back both of them to lose if you could! Two sides devoid of confidence, who have forgotten how to win, usually leads you into thinking draw straight away.
Howe is under real pressure, as although their run of results is bad, their form and performance level is even worse! There was a severe lack of confidence, belief, passion and fight against Watford and another display like that will see them lose at Carrow Road.
No Premier League stadium has seen more goals this season, with most of them coming for the visitors, as all 11 away sides have bagged so far this season but if there is a team that could draw a blank it's this struggling Bournemouth.
They've got just two goals in eight, drawing five blanks in the last eight away days, but the problem with teams as bad as these is that you just can't trust them. Norwich have no excuses not to win this one but you couldn't trust them to grab a first home clean sheet of the season.
Prediction: Norwich 2-1 Bournemouth (Sky Bet odds: 8/1)
Best bet: Norwich to win at 6/5
Key stats
- Bournemouth have lost two of their last 14 league games against Norwich (W6 D6), though these games are stretched across a period of 63 years (1956 to 2019).
- Norwich have won just one of their last 17 Premier League games (D5 L11), winning 2-0 at Everton in November. The Canaries are also winless in their last nine (D4 L5).
- Norwich haven’t kept a clean sheet in any of their last 15 Premier League home games – the last team to have a longer such run in the competition were Aston Villa between December 2012-October 2013 (16 games).
- Bournemouth haven't scored a goal with any of their last 31 shots in the Premier League; the longest current run of all sides in the competition
- Bournemouth have picked up just four points from their last 33 available in the Premier League (W1 D1 L9), winning 1-0 at Chelsea and drawing 1-1 with Arsenal. The Cherries have lost their last three league games by an aggregate score of 0-9.
- Norwich have shipped a league-high 45 Premier League goals this season. However, no side has scored fewer goals than Bournemouth so far in 2019-20 (20).
- After finding the net with five of his first eight shots on target in the Premier League, Norwich striker Teemu Pukki has found the net with just four of his last 19 such attempts.
- Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson found the net with five of his first eight shots in the Premier League this season – since then he’s failed to score with any of his 20 attempts in the competition.
Southampton v Wolves
It has been some turnaround at Southampton. After their defeat to West Ham last month, Ralph Hasenhuttl's side were in the drop zone and nine points adrift of Wolves.
Fast forward five games and victory here would move the two sides level on points in the top half. Not only does this reflect the stutter Nuno Espirito Santo's side have had, it is a credit to the Saints for going unbeaten in six games in all competitions - five of those wins.
Both runs have got to come to an end sooner or later and a point would probably represent a decent result for both sides. Wolves have already drawn five of their 11 matches on the road.
With the hosts obviously more fancied, the better option is to go for goals - both teams to score is available at a fraction under evens.
Both sides have great attacking options and on their day play good football, so this could be a decent watch.
Prediction: Southampton 1-1 Wolves (Sky Bet odds: 5/1)
Best bet: BTTS at 5/4
Key stats
- Southampton have won four of their last five league games (D1), as many as they had in their previous 22 in the competition (W4 D6 L12).
- Only Liverpool (30) and Manchester City (22) have won more points over their last 10 Premier League matches than Southampton (20).
- Wolves haven’t lost three consecutive away league matches since March 2016 in the Championship under manager Kenny Jackett.
- Wolves have conceded the first goal in a league-high 15 different Premier League games this season, including each of the last six in a row.
- Excluding own goals, Wolves are the only side yet to have any goals scored by English players this season. Meanwhile, only Leicester (27) have had more goals by Englishmen than Southampton (22).
- Danny Ings’ 14 Premier League goals have been worth 13 points to Southampton this season – no other players’ goals have been worth more to their side.
- Wolves’ Raúl Jiménez has been directly involved in 106 shots in the Premier League this season, having 71 efforts himself and creating 35 chances for teammates. Only Kevin De Bruyne (135) has been involved in more.
- Southampton’s Danny Ings has scored in 13 different Premier League games this season, more than any other player in the competition. The last Southampton player to score in more different league games in a season was Rickie Lambert in 2012-13 (14).
West Ham v Everton
David Moyes comes face-to-face with his former side with the Hammers still in deep trouble just a point outside of the drop zone and desperate for a result - even more so against the Toffees.
Moyes was the long-time favourite for the Everton job during the final days fo Marco Silva, but Carlo Ancelotti was their eventual choice and you better believe Moyes will have been stung at being passed over. He'll be out to prove a point.
Everton have the better form of late but they've still struggled to find consistency and they've still only bagged two away wins all season in the league. West Ham's home record also makes for woeful reading but their 4-0 drubbing of lowly Bournemouth last time out will have boosted confidence somewhat.
The hosts have scored in all but one home game this season and kept just three clean sheets, while Everton haven't got the results on the road but usually score so they're not without a chance, and it looks an even contest on paper.
The Moyes factor though and home advantage gives West Ham the edge for me, and at the price they could be a great bet this weekend.
Prediction: West Ham 2-1 Everton (Sky Bet odds: 9/1)
Best bet: West Ham to beat Everton at 19/10
Key stats
- When conceding at least once, West Ham haven’t won any of their last 12 Premier League games, drawing two and losing 10 since a 3-1 win at Watford in August.
- None of West Ham’s last 11 Premier League games has ended in a draw, with the Hammers winning three and losing eight of those.
- Everton have won three of their four Premier League games under Carlo Ancelotti, as many as they had in their previous 14 combined under Duncan Ferguson/Marco Silva. The Toffees are averaging 16 shots and 5.5 on target per game under the Italian, compared to 13 efforts and 4.3 on target before his arrival.
- Since leaving Everton in the summer of 2013, West Ham manager David Moyes has lost five of his six Premier League games against his former side (W1).
- Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti failed to win any of his four Premier League meetings with David Moyes in his previous stint in the competition – Moyes is the only manager the Italian has faced more than twice without winning in the English top-flight.
- Everton’s Gylfi Sigurdsson has just one goal and one assist so far in the Premier League this term, averaging a goal involvement every 788 minutes. Last term, he was averaging a goal or assist every 165 minutes for the Toffees.
Inside the Premier League with Laura Woods - Sporting Life's January signing
Sky Sports and talkSPORT presenter Laura Woods begins her new fortnightly column, providing her unique football insight.
Take a look by clicking the image below...
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Odds correct as of 1700 GMT on 16/01/20
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