The Premier League returns this weekend and with it, the promise of entertainment, controversy, and a whole host of fascinating betting permutations for casual punters and veteran wagerers alike. So, we’ve tasked Sam Tighe to offer his insight on the latest markets with a specific focus on three-fold accumulators.
Without further ado…
Selection 1: Liverpool to win & over 1.5 goals @ 2/7
Every good treble starts with a banker, and ours is Liverpool to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers this weekend.
Wednesday night’s events at Goodison Park – where Everton scored a stunning 97th-minute equaliser against the Reds in the Merseyside derby – would’ve sent a jolt running through the spines of Arne Slot’s men. They might be a comfortable seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table right now, but that lead could evaporate if a habit of drawing games creeps in.
That puts the visitors squarely in the crosshairs, as the watching world will expect a commanding performance from a Liverpool side looking to purge their midweek miseries from the collective mind. Just about anyone would struggle to contain Mohamed Salah and his strike-partners while in a determined mood. Wolves, who have conceded the third-most goals (52) in the league this season, might be in for a long afternoon in front of the Kop.
Naturally, the Merseysiders are heavy favourites to win outright (1/7), so building an extra element into the bet is necessary to make the odds a little more friendly. We’ve added over 1.5 goals, as we expect the hosts to score at least twice in this game.
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Selection 2: Aston Villa to win & Both Teams To Score Yes @ 15/8
Our second selection is another reasonably safe one based on where these two teams sit in the standings and their respective home and away forms.
Aston Villa’s season has felt a little up and down – 10 wins, seven draws, and seven defeats suggest inconsistency in their performances. But their strong home form has at least been constant. They’ve lost just one league game at Villa Park this term, back in August to Arsenal, and have won four of their last six on home soil.
That spells trouble for the visiting Ipswich Town, who are currently languishing in 18th place and have lost their last four league games on the bounce. With The Villans looking re-energised in attack thanks to the January transfer additions of Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio and Donyell Malen, it’s easy to forecast more away-day pain for The Tractor Boys this weekend.
That said, the hosts very rarely keep clean sheets – goalkeeper Emi Martínez boasts a paltry three from 24 games – which allows us to add another element to the bet and improve the odds: Villa to win, but not to keep a clean sheet in the process, priced up at 15/8.
Selection 3: Nottingham Forest to be winning at half-time and full-time @ 9/2
The third leg of our accumulator carries the most risk, but the statistics suggest it could be a plausible pick, especially where Forest are concerned.
Nuno Espírito Santos’ team have fine-tuned the knack of taking the lead and defending it. The Tricky Trees have scored the first goal in 19 league games this season, three more than Arsenal and four more than Liverpool.
From there, they’ve managed the game and defended their lead expertly, regularly switching formation to a back five late in games to deny opposing attackers a chance to level the score.
Meanwhile, Fulham have frequently struggled to outperform defensive teams at home. Results like the 2-2 draw versus Ipswich, the 0-0 draw with Southampton, and the 4-1 loss to Wolves suggest that when Marco Silva’s men are asked to unlock opposing defences, they come up short.
Combining these two stylistic tendencies for a bet at 9/2 feels like a winner and boosts the odds of our treble to 19.33/1!
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(Photo of Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez: Getty Images/Paul Ellis)
