The Premier League returns from the second of the three pre-Christmas international breaks and some helpful betting trends are beginning to emerge with the season now almost a quarter of the way through.
Bournemouth’s inability to win, or even score at home, Brighton’s defensive porousness and Nottingham Forest’s lack of City ground cutting edge inform our EPL betting tips for the ninth round of games.
EPL weekend betting tips
Wolves to beat Bournemouth (drawn no bet) @ 21/20
Man City to score over 2.5 goals vs Brighton @ 21/20
Luton double chance (win or draw) vs Nottingham Forest @ 13/10
Bet on the latest Premier League odds at Betzone
O’Neill’s men can extract a modicum of revenge on return to Bournemouth
Former Rayo Vallecano boss Andoni Iraola was presumably supposed to be an upgrade on Gary O’Neill when Bournemouth replaced the latter with the former this summer.
However, the winless Cherries have lost five of their first eight games and sit second-bottom of the Premier League, five points behind their former manager’s new club Wolves.
Wolves have won away at Everton already this season, as well as beating Manchester City at Molineux and they have two players in the form to make the difference at the Vitality Stadium in five-goal striker Hwang Hee-Chan and five-assist winger Pedro Neto.
They’ll be helped in their pursuit of three points by Bournemouth’s toothlessness at home under Iraola. They’ve managed just one goal in four home league games since the Spaniard took charge.
Tip: Wolves to beat Bournemouth (drawn no bet) @ 21/20
Return of Rodri can help City fill their shooting boots against Seagulls
Manchester City have notched three times or more in three of their last four meetings with Brighton and that trend looks likely to repeat itself now that the Seagulls are officially god’s gift to over 3.5 goals bettors (10 of the 11 games they’ve played this term have gone over).
Roberto de Zerbi’s men have shipped at least twice in three of their last four outings in all competitions, against Aston Villa, Marseille and Liverpool. City are at least the equals of any of those sides and will be a shade better than we’ve seen of late with Rodri back from suspension.
The Spaniard is such an integral part of Pep Guardiola’s side these days and his return is expected to galvanise them sufficiently to net three times or more, whether Erling Haaland awakes from his recent malaise or not.
Tip: Man City to score over 2.5 goals vs Brighton @ 21/20
Hatters can get something at the City Ground with hosts far from lethal
Nottingham Forest’s strong home form kept them up last season, with Liverpool and Arsenal among the eight home scalps with which they assured safety.
This time around that cutting edge hasn’t quite been there, with the last-gasp 2-1 win over Sheffield United the only victory they’ve claimed so far from clashes with the Blades, Burnley and Brentford. Steve Cooper will have expected more.
Given Forest’s muddling form on the banks of the Trent they look far too short at 8/13 to beat Luton, with the Hatters’ win odds of 9/2 a touch dismissive for a side that beat Everton at Goodison Park on their last top flight road trip.
Rob Edwards’ side have lost four of their last six league games but each of those losses came by a single goal. That has to give double chance backers hope against hosts that have conceded in every home game so far this term.
Tip: Luton double chance (win or draw) vs Nottingham Forest @ 13/10
