The Premier League kicks off in style with an opening weekend that sees Man Utd and Arsenal reignite their rivalry at Old Trafford, while defending champions Liverpool, fresh off a Community Shield loss to Crystal Palace, host Bournemouth at Anfield.
Here’s what to look out for in our betting preview:
Our Picks:
- Double Chance: Arsenal to Win or Draw @1.32
- Half-Time Up: Liverpool @1.27
- Aston Villa vs. Newcastle United: Over 2.5 Goals @1.61
- Double Chance: Fulham To Win or Draw @1.87
- Jarrod Bowen Anytime Scorer @2.95
- Burnley Over 0.5 Total Goals @1.81
- Bet Builder: Man City Win + Erling Haaland Anytime Scorer @2.00
- Double Chance: Chelsea Win or Draw @1.16
- Half-Time Up: Nottingham Forest @2.07
Manchester United vs. Arsenal
Man Utd and Arsenal face off in the first big clash of the season. The Red Devils haven’t beaten Mikel Arteta’s side in the league since September 2022, when they won 3-1 at Old Trafford. Since then, Arsenal have had the upper hand in this fixture, though, last season, United knocked them out of the FA Cup at the Emirates despite playing over an hour with 10 men. Also, in their second league meeting, things ended level.
Both clubs have been busy in the transfer market and now get to show off their new signings in a competitive setting. For Arsenal, Martin Zubimendi will join Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard in midfield, giving them a firm hold on possession. Their main new weapon, though, is Viktor Gyökeres, a striker Ruben Amorim knows well from their 18 months together in Portugal. United had Gyökeres high on their shortlist, but the Swede made it clear he only wanted Arsenal. I wonder how his old boss feels about that.
Man Utd scored just 44 league goals last season, prompting them to get a new front-three. Bryan Mbeumo arrived from Brentford, Matheus Cunha from Wolves, and Benjamin Šeško from RB Leipzig. Ironically, Šeško was Arsenal’s top choice before they went for Gyökeres. With no preseason minutes, Šeško will probably be eased in, so he might not feature on Sunday. Keeper Andre Onana also missed the whole pre-season with injury and could sit this one out.
It’s obvious the Gunners are not only the better team but also the fitter side. While I expect a fiercely contested game, I believe the visitors walk away with at least one point and we have the best odds for that.
Betting Tips:
Liverpool vs. Bournemouth
Liverpool kick off their title defense at home to Bournemouth. Just last Sunday, they fell short in the Community Shield against Crystal Palace, twice giving up the lead before losing on penalties. The bright spots came from their new signings; Florian Wirtz set up Hugo Ekitike for the opener, while Jeremie Frimpong grabbed his first official goal for the Reds with a fluke of a goal. Yes, it was a fluke.
This one will feel different, though. It’s their first competitive game at Anfield since the passing of Portuguese forward Diogo Jota, so expect an emotional atmosphere as the tributes pour in.
As for the match itself, it’s hard to look past a Liverpool win. They’ve beaten the Cherries in 11 of their last 12 league meetings, the only slip-up being a 1-0 away defeat in March 2023. Bournemouth’s Premier League record at Anfield is actually awful. They’ve taken just one point from a possible 24 (W0, D1, L7) and lost six straight games on that ground by a combined score of 23-2. Not exactly the stat to fill you with belief.
That said, Iraola’s guys won’t be pushovers, especially considering they haven’t lost an opening-day match in the last seven seasons (W3, D4). However, they’ve taken a big hit at the back, losing four of the five players who made up their defensive unit. Kepa’s loan expired while Illia Zabarnyi (PSG), Milos Kerkez (Liverpool), and Dean Huijsen (Real Madrid) all moved on. They’re clearly a weaker side and I think Liverpool hold a half-time lead, making this the perfect game to test out our new HTUP feature.
Betting Tips:
Aston Villa vs. Newcastle
These two have served up some of the most entertaining clashes in recent years, something the online betting crowd has definitely appreciated. Their last six meetings have produced 23 goals, with every single game seeing at least three hit the back of the net. Even their friendly in 2023 ended 3-3. When these teams face off, goals are guaranteed. So, with that in mind, we’ll keep it straightforward:
Betting Tips:
Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Fulham
It’s been a quiet summer at Fulham, with just €500k spent on Benjamin Lecomte, a 34-year-old backup keeper. Marco Silva must be feeling the frustration, especially after keeping the club comfortably mid-table for the past few seasons with little backing. Brighton, on the other hand, have been their usual selves - players leaving for huge profits, players arriving for cheap - and could yet lose Carlos Baleba, with the Cameroonian midfielder attracting strong interest from Manchester United.
The last time these two met, Brighton edged it 2-1, finally snapping a nine-game Premier League winless run against Fulham. Before that, the Cottagers hadn’t lost to the Seagulls since 2017, back when both sides were still in the Championship. Even with little movement in the transfer market, Fulham still have a solid enough squad to make life difficult for Brighton, especially if, as many expect, Baleba isn’t available for selection.
Betting Tips:
Sunderland vs. West Ham
Sunderland are back in the Premier League after eight years away and wasted no time strengthening for survival. They spent €141m on ten new faces, including Simon Adingra, Enzo Le Fée, Habib Diarra, and Granit Xhaka. It’s obvious the new guys will need some time to click judging by their poor pre-season outing which saw them win just once and lose three of five games.
West Ham, on the other hand, looked sharper in their build-up, winning three of their five matches. It’s a positive sign for Graham Potter’s side who finished 14th last season while shipping 64 goals.
One thing you can usually count on with newly promoted sides is that they’ll leak goals, so I’m leaning that way here. Then, my bet of the day is Jarrod Bowen to find the net. He’s West Ham’s main goal threat, as well as their go-to man for free-kicks and penalties.
Betting Tips:
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Burnley
Thomas Frank kicks off his North London reign with a home game against newly promoted Burnley, managed by former Spur Scott Parker. Spurs may have ended last season on a high - winning the Europa League, ending a 17-year trophy drought and booking a Champions League spot - but that didn’t hide the fact they finished 17th in the league. While new signing Mohammed Kudus brings some spark to the squad, losing Son Heung-min and having James Maddison sidelined for six months with an ACL injury is a big blow.
Burnley won’t be pushovers for Spurs. The Clarets kept 30 clean sheets and conceded only 16 goals in the Championship last season as they gained promotion. Parker’s 4-2-3-1 setup will lean on Maxime Estève’s defensive steel and Edwards’ creativity to hit Spurs on the break, while fresh arrivals Lesley Ugochukwu, Armando Broja, Martin Dúbravka, and ex-Spur Kyle Walker offer a solid mix of youth and experience. Honestly, I’m not convinced Spurs will have it all their way here.
Betting Tips:
Wolves vs. Manchester City
When Pereira took over at Molineux last December, Wolves were sitting second from bottom, but the 56-year-old pulled off a stunning turnaround in the second half of the season, good enough to earn him a Manager of the Season nomination.
He’s already built a strong connection with the Wolves fans, even making headlines for celebrating wins at a local pub with them. But with last season’s top scorer Matheus Cunha off to Manchester United and key full-back Rayan Ait-Nouri joining Pep Guardiola’s side, things could be tough… at least in the first few weeks.
Since 2020, Man City have won 9 of their 10 meetings with Wolves, including the last three in a row. Pep has had a firm grip on this fixture, and there’s little reason to expect that to change.
Their FIFA Club World Cup commitments meant they played just one pre-season match, but they made it count, beating Palermo 3-0 with Erling Haaland and new signing Tijjani Reijnders (2) on the scoresheet. Wolves should put up a fight, but given City’s superior quality, my full-time prediction is they will leave Molineux with 3 points.
Betting Tips:
Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace
Both sides head into Sunday brimming with confidence after recent success. Chelsea wrapped up last season by winning the Europa Conference League and adding the FIFA Club World Cup to their trophy cabinet. Crystal Palace, meanwhile, made history by lifting their first-ever major trophy - the FA Cup - after beating Manchester City and ending a 119-year wait. They didn’t stop there, following it up with a Community Shield win over Liverpool last weekend to make it two pieces of silverware.
As for the game, things are trickier to predict after last season’s league meetings. Before the 2024/25 campaign, Chelsea had racked up 14 straight wins over Palace in all competitions, a pretty clear dominance. But last season saw both fixtures end in 1-1 draws.
Like Man City, Chelsea had a short pre-season, playing only two matches, but they won both, stretching their unbeaten run in friendlies and competitive games to seven. With the home crowd behind them this time, I’d back Chelsea to at least avoid defeat.
Betting Tips:
Nottingham Forest vs. Brentford
With captain Christian Nørgaard, top scorer Bryan Mbeumo, and head coach Thomas Frank all gone - and Yoane Wissa possibly on his way out - Brentford could be staring at a tough campaign. They open the season at the City Ground, where a Europa League-bound Nottingham Forest side is waiting for them. Forest have strengthened well over the summer, and I fancy them to take this one. But with the generous odds from the HTUP, it’s worth the punt on them leading at half-time, which would lock in your win.
Betting Tips:
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