Premier League
12:30 Crystal Palace vs Liverpool - Prediction 1.3 Current Form * Palace have seen BTTS in 9 of their last 12 home PL matches * 8 of those 9 also saw over 2.5 goals scored * Palace scored 2 goals exactly in 8 of those games * Palace have seen BTTS in 6 of their last 8 PL matches * Liverpool have seen BTTS and over 2.5 goals scored in 6 of their last 11 away PL matches * Liverpool have scored 2 goals or more in 10 of their last 12 away matches * Liverpool have kept only 4 clean sheets in their last 15 away PL matches Past Meetings * Each of the last 6 meetings at Selhurst Park has seen BTTS and over 2.5 goals scored * 12 of the last 14 meetings (86%) have seen BTTS and over 2.5 goals. * Liverpool scored 2 goals or more in 4 of their last 5 matches at Palace Final Verdict Goals and an entertaining contest is usually the order of the day when these two sides come face to face in London and that's the outcome I expect here with Palace welcoming back some important players to their squad for the visit of a Liverpool side that will be desperate for another 3 points as they look to stay in touch with 2nd placed Man United. Each of the last 6 meetings at Selhurst between these two sides has seen BTTS and over 2.5 goals scored with a whopping 25 goals scored in those 6 fixtures. With Palace scoring 12 of those 25 goals, we can be confident of the hosts scoring again here, particularly if the influential Wilf Zaha is passed fit to make a return for the hosts following injury layoff. While Palace did fail to score in recent home matches with Man City and Spurs, they were missing plenty of key players for those contests while their most recent effort at home saw them perform much better, despite losing 3.2 to Man Utd having lead 2.0. I expect another decent effort from the home side here but with Liverpool in such strong form, it's hard to look past the visitors for all 3 points. Mo Salah is, of course, the talk of the country following his sensational debut season for the Anfield side and having scored against Portugal with Egypt during the International break, he will be confident of adding to his impressive goals tally here but it is at the back where Liverpool still have problems finding a natural partner for Virgil van Dijk. With Joe Gomez ruled out and Dejan Lovren doubtful for this contest, the out-of-form Joel Matip may get the nod to partner the £75 million man Van Dijk at the heart of the Liverpool defence and with that, you would expect Palace to cause the Anfield side some problems with Zaha such a threat this season for the Eagles. BTTS @4/5 looks likely in a fixture that should also go over 2.5 goals @4/7 as well with 13 of the last 15 meetings seeing that outcome so the double @20/21 also makes sense with Liverpool still vulnerable defensively while those past meetings indicate a strong propensity for goals in this lunch-time kick-off from the Premier League. Best Bets BTTS @4/6 - 3.5 stars BTTS and over 2.5 goals @20/21 - 3 stars 15:00 Brighton vs Leicester - Prediction 2.1 Current Form * Brighton have only lost 2 of their last 17 home matches (all comps) (against Liverpool and Chelsea) * Brighton have won 5 of their last 6 home matches (all comps) including each of the last 4 * Brighton have seen BTTS and over 2.5 goals scored in 6 of their last 7 home matches (all comps) including each of the last 4 * Brighton scored 2 goals or more in those 6 matches * Brighton have scored 9 goals in their last 3 home league matches (against West Ham, Swansea and Arsenal) * Leicester have seen BTTS in 10 of their last 11 away PL matches * 9 of those 10 also saw over 2.5 goals scored * 30 goals have been scored in Leicester's last 8 away league matches (3.75 average per game) * Leicester have lost 4 of their last 5 away PL matches. They had gone unbeaten in their previous 7 on the road * Leicester have only won 3 of their last 13 PL matches * Leicester have seen BTTS in each of their last 6 PL matches Past Meetings * Leicester won 2.0 in the reverse fixture back in August Final Verdict Brighton certainly do their best work at home having won only 1 of their last 11 away PL matches, scoring only 3 goals in the process but at the AMEX, Chris Houghton's side are an increasingly tough side to beat with only 2 losses in their last 17 and 5 wins from their last 6 and given that form, they will be confident of another 3 points against Claude Puel's Leicester. Indeed, Brighton have now won their last 3 successive home matches in the Premier League to move the south-coast side into mid-table and 6 points clear of the relegation places and I fancy them to give Leicester plenty of problems with the visitors losing 4 of their last 5 away in the PL and struggling for form generally with only 3 wins in their last 13 in the Premier League. BTTS is big @19/20 and I do expect both to hit the net with Leicester only failing to score in 1 of their last 11 away PL matches and Brighton scoring 9 in their last 3 at home while a home win has to have a good chance so I'll take the DNB option @5/6 odds. Best Bets BTTS @19/20 - 3 stars Brighton DNB @5/6 - 3 stars 14:30 VfB Stuttgart vs Hamburger SV - Prediction 1.0 Current Form * Stuttgart have seen BTTS in only 2 of their last 13 home league matches * Hamburg have seen BTTS in only 4 of their last 12 away league matches * Under 2.5 goals have been scored in 10 of Stuttgart's last 13 home league matches including each of the last 7 * Under 2.5 goals have been scored in 6 of Hamburg's last 8 away league matches * Stuttgart have won 8 of their last 13 home league matches. 5 of those wins finished 1.0 * Hamburg have lost 10 of their last 12 away league matches. They failed to score in 7 of those 10 losses Past Meetings * Each of the last 4 meetings has seen BTTS and over 2.5 goals scored Final Verdict Don't expect goals when these two sides meet on Saturday as on form Stuttgart take on relegation threated Hamburg with all the stats pointing to a low-scoring home win. I don't usually go against the goals, and with each of the last 4 meetings between these two sides seeing BTTS and over 2.5 goals scored I am not as confident as I otherwise would be with current form certainly indicating that we should see fewer than 3 goals but Stuttgart have won 1.0 on 5 occasions already this season at home and I fancy that outcome here with Hamburg failing to score in 8 of their last 12 on the road. Best Bets BTTS - NO @3/4 - 2.5 stars Under 2.5 goals @4/6 - 3 stars Stuttgart to win @8/11 - 3 stars 17:30 Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund - Prediction 3.1 Current Form * Dortmund have scored in 25 of their last 26 away league matches * Dortmund have seen BTTS in 8 of their last 10 away league matches * Bayern have seen BTTS and over 2.5 goals scored in 3 of their last 5 home league matches * Bayern have conceded at least 1 goal in 6 of their last 13 home league matches * Bayern have scored 40 goals in just 13 home league matches this season including 17 in their last 5 * Bayern have scored in 47 of their last 48 home league matches Past Meetings * Each of the last 5 meetings has seen BTTS and over 2.5 goals scored * 6 of the last 7 meetings in Munich saw BTTS. 5 of those also went over 2.5 goals * Bayern won 5.1 and 4.1 in their last 2 home league matches against Dortmund Best Bets BTTS and over 2.5 goals @20/21 - 3 stars Final Verdict German footballing heavyweights collide this Saturday tea-time with champions-elect Bayern hosting Dortmund in a fixture that has proved good for goals in recent seasons. Each of the last 5 meetings between these two sides saw BTTS and over 2.5 goals scored and that's my only selection here with Dortmund likely to score @1/2 odds having done so on 25 of their last 26 away league matches and in 6 of their last 7 visits to Munich. With Bayern almost always finding their way to at least a couple of goals on home turf, BTTS and over 2.5 goals @20/21 looks likely to me with Bayern conceding in 6 of their 13 home league matches this season. With the Bavarian giants winning 4.1 and 5.1 in their last 2 league meetings with Dortmund in Munich, they will be confident of another win here against a Dortmund side that have struggled to fulfill their potential this season, as evidenced in their recent shock Europa League exit against Red Bull Salzburg and I expect Bayern to score at least 2 goals with the home side averaging at more than 3 per game this season at the Allianz Arena. Still, we should be in for a decent contest with Dortmund almost always scoring on the road and I expect both to hit the net @8/13 with at least 3 goals expected as well while Bayern should have enough quality to engineer another 3 points as they close in on yet another Bundesliga title. La liga 17:30 Las Palmas vs Real Madrid - Prediction 1.3 Current Form * Real have seen BTTS and over 2.5 goals scored in 10 of their last 13 away league matches including 6 of the last 7 * Real have seen BTTS and over 2.5 goals scored in 12 of their last 14 matches (All comps) * Real have kept only 1 clean sheet in their last 11 victories (all comps) * Real have kept only 5 clean sheets in their last 27 away league matches * Las Palmas have scored in 16 of their last 20 home league matches * Las Palmas have seen BTTS and over 2.5 goals scored in 6 of their last 11 home league matches Past Meetings * Each of the last 7 meetings saw over 2.5 goals scored * 5 of those 7 also saw BTTS * 33 goals were scored in those 7 matches * Las Palmas managed to score 11 of those 33 goals * Each of the last 3 meetings in Las Palmas has seen BTTS and over 2.5 goals scored Final Verdict Goals are always expected when Real come to town and I expect another high-scoring contest here with Las Palmas reasonably strong on their own patch this season. Real have struggled defensively in away matches for at least 18 months now with only 5 clean sheets in their last 27 away league matches and with Las Palmas boasting a strong home record against Los Blanco's, I expect both to score @4/7 with over 2.5 goals very likely as well so I;ll take the double @8/11 odds. Best Bets BTTS and over 2.5 goals scored @8/11 - 3 stars 19:45 Sevilla vs Barcelona - Prediction 0.2 Current Form * Barcelona have won 14 of their last 18 away league matches * Barcelona scored 2 goals or more in all 14 wins * Sevilla have conceded 13 goals in their last 6 home league matches (5 against Atletico, 5 against Betis, 2 against Valencia) * Sevilla have lost 8 of their last 15 league matches * Sevilla have lost 3 of their last 6 home league matches. They had not lost any of the previous 20 Past Meetings * Barcelona have scored 2 goals or more in 14 of their last 16 matches against Sevilla * Barcelona scored 2 goals or more in 6 of their last 7 visits to Sevilla * Barcelona have won 10 of the last 12 league meetings between these two sides * Barcelona have won their last 7 matches against Sevilla (all comps, 1 AET) * Barcelona have won 5 of their last 7 away matches at Sevilla Final Verdict Sevilla are really struggling for form domestically since the turn of the year and with Barcelona coming to town, things shouldn't get much better for Vincenzo Montella's side with the visitors boasting a superb record in recent matches against the Andalusians. Barca have won each of their last 7 against Sevilla (1 AET) while they have managed 2 goals or more in 14 of their last 16 meetings against Los Rojiblancos and I expect both outcomes here if Barcelona goes full strength ahead of their own Champions League tie at home to Roma on Wednesday. Lionel Messi is doubtful following his absence from the Argentine side that crashed to a stunning 6.1-midweek loss to Spain in Madrid but should the little genius be passed fit, I will be confident to back Barcelona to win @7/10 and to score a couple @4/6 odds with Sevilla perhaps saving their best efforts for their clash with Bayern in the Champions League on Tuesday. With 1 day less to prepare for that match against Bayern than Barca do for their match with Roma, it is quite conceivable that Montella will look to rest 1 or 2 players and it has certainly seemed in recent weeks that Sevilla have been saving their best performances for the European stage. Indeed, Sevilla's stunning triumph over Man Utd was sandwiched between losses to Valencia, Atletico Madrid and Leganes and I expect another loss here with Barcelona so strong this season and Sevilla leaking plenty of goals since the turn of the year. Barcelona have won 12 of their last 15 in the league while they have not been beaten in 36 in La Liga and given that form, and the relatively poor form of Sevilla, as well as Barca's dominant record over the hosts, we should expect to see an away win with Barca scoring at least 2 as they ease towards another 3 points with the Catalan giants edging ever closer to yet another La Liga title. Best Bets Barcelona to win @7/10 - 3.5 stars Barcelona to score 2 or more @4/6 - 3 stars Comments are closed.
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