The English Premier League returned from hiatus over the weekend and it was everything we could’ve asked for. What’s even better is we don’t have to wait a week to get another big dosage as the next Matchday kicks off midweek! As always, we have a full preview and betting tips for some of the key games of the round below.
EPL Betting Tips Matchday 31
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Bournemouth
Thursday 3am AEST
The Wolves returned from the extended break with style in their 2-0 win at West Ham. They dominated the ball for large portions of the match and the dam wall eventually broke down late in the piece. The Wolves are now six games unbeaten in the EPL and have kept clean sheets in five of those matches.
The Cherries have had a nightmare season to date and are one of the favourites to get relegated in just a couple of weeks’ time. Eddie Howe’s men have overachieved consistently on a smaller budget in England’s top flight but now face one of their toughest tasks yet. They were pretty poor in their first game back against Palace and will need to improve sharply against an even better opponent midweek.
The Wolves are clearly the better team in this matchup and have had the wood over the Cherries in recent seasons. They still have top six and potentially top four to play for so their motivation levels will certainly be high. We also expect it to be a lower-scoring contest, so we’ve opted for a Same Game Multi to get some nicer odds.
Wolves & Under 3.5 Goals
$2.15
Liverpool vs Crystal Palace
Thursday 5:15am AEST
Liverpool were dealt the tricky draw of playing rivals Everton in the Merseyside Derby first game back from a lengthy spell. Making it even trickier was the absence of Robertson and Salah from the Starting XI and it proved too much for the Reds who were lucky to come away with a point. It wasn’t the most encouraging of returns for the soon to be EPL champs, but their fans won’t care as long as they keep ticking over their point tally.
Crystal Palace entered the break as one of the form teams in the league after winning each of their last three games and it didn’t take them long to recapture that form. They were simply too good for Bournemouth in their 2-0 away win and their four game winning streak is now the longest in the competition.
Liverpool were going through a tough patch prior to Covid19 and they certainly weren’t at their best in their first game back. On the other hand, there’s a lot to like about Palace at the moment and we believe they’re a sneaky chance to claim a point at huge odds here. In saying that, we’re happy to play it on the safer side and take them at the generous two goal handicap.
Chelsea vs Manchester City
Friday 5:15am AEST
Chelsea were given a soft fixture in their first game back and were able to capitalise with a 2-1 win over Aston Villa. Olivier Giroud was the hero with his 62nd minute winner that secured the three points and saw them retain fourth spot on the table. Manager Frank Lampard will be hoping his young squad can maintain their concentration to finish in the top four, which would be a huge accomplishment with all things considered.
Manchester City were fantastic in their first game back against Arsenal, demolishing them 3-0 at home with a bunch of their stars on the bench. They dominated both the possession (67%-33%) and shot counts (20-3) and could’ve easily banged in five or six. It certainly hasn’t been an ideal EPL campaign for last year’s champions, but they’ll still finish in the top two with a chance to win some Silverware in other competitions.
Chelsea have probably exceeded everyone’s expectations this season given just how young their core is, but they’ll still go into this game as the clear underdogs. Manchester City showed in their first game back that they’re not going to take anyone lightly and are still a team that no one wants to face under any circumstances. We expect them to be at their best again here in a fairly comfortable win against an inferior Chelsea line-up.
