six games into the new premier league season and already we are starting to see something of a pattern emerging. the manchester clubs currently lead the way, both on 16 points, with champions chelsea in third place on 13 points, with spurs and liverpool just behind on 11 points apiece.
this weekend we preview three games that could have a significant impact on the early title credentials of four of the current top five. the biggest game of the weekend is undoubtedly man city’s visit to chelsea but spurs and liverpool both face testing away days that could give an indication as to their title hopes.
read on for the latest premier league betting tips, predictions and live odds comparison.
aside from the opening day defeat to burnley at stamford bridge, chelsea have made a decent enough defence of their premier league title so far. victories over spurs, everton and leicester were positive, though the 0-0 home draw against arsenal was something of a disappointment. but it is this match against pep guardiola’s high-flying man city that will show the watching world whether or not chelsea have what it takes to challenge for the title once again.
city have been on fire of late, winning their last three league matches in some style, scoring 16 and conceding none. the interplay between the likes of sergio aguero, gabriel jesus, leroy sane, raheem sterling and kevin de bruyne has been sublime at times. and with a newfound solidity at the back, the citizens look like they’ll take some stopping this term.
indeed city are the slight favourite to take the three points at the bridge on saturday, with betway offering the best betting odds of 8/5 on pep’s men. chelsea can be backed at a tempting 2/1 with sportingbet, but after limping to that draw with arsenal last time out, we think the best the home side could realistically hope for is a draw (priced at 5/2 with ladbrokes).
both sides play in the champions league in midweek, and perhaps crucially city have a home match against beatable opposition (shakhtar) on tuesday while chelsea have to travel for a tough game in spain against atletico madrid on wednesday. the extra day’s rest and easier game suggests city will be in better shape on saturday and backing city to win and over 2.5 goals to be scored in the game is our betting tip at best betting odds of 13/5 with paddy power.
fourth place spurs are desperate to keep themselves in the title race and they have a fair chance of hanging onto the coattails of the manchester clubs this weekend when they travel to huddersfield. mauricio pochettino’s men have been particularly effective on their travels this term and it is no surprise to see tottenham priced at just 2/5 with ladbrokes and others to get the win in the early saturday kick off.
that said, huddersfield have already shown this term that they are not in the top flight simply to make up the numbers. they started the campaign with victories over crystal palace and newcastle and have since earned draws against southampton, leicester and burnley. tottenham, though, will be the best side they have faced so far and we predict david wagner’s men will struggle. harry kane is bang in form, and with ample support from dele alli and christian eriksen we think the visitors will run out comfortable victors in this one.
when seeking out our betting tip for the game we will go beyond the short-odds spurs to win option and instead opt for spurs to win both halves at a far more handsome price of 12/5 with betfair.
like tottenham, liverpool are living in hope of clinging onto the sides above them with the aim of mounting a serious tilt at the title. we are not yet convinced jurgen klopp has the right balance to achieve that, a point exemplified by the fact that the reds have conceded more goals than any other side in the top half of the table. the return of coutinho will no doubt help liverpool keep banging in the goals, but it isn’t going to make the side any more solid defensively.
newcastle, meanwhile, have had a reasonable if unspectacular start to the season. currently in 10th place in the table, decent wins over stoke and west ham have been countered by disappointing defeats to huddersfield, spurs and brighton. we think that former reds boss rafa benitez will be determined to get one over on his old club and though liverpool are the 3/4 favourites with many firms, we think the value might actually lie with a newcastle triumph at best betting odds of 4/1 with betvictor.
klopp’s men face a tricky and energy-sapping trip to russia to face spartak moscow on tuesday, and the extra preparation time could well stand the magpies in very good stead. as liverpool showed in their 3-3 draw at watford on the opening day, they are liable to concede if teams have a go at them, and newcastle have the organisation and guile to get into the visitors.
if you would rather play it a little safer, why not back newcastle with a +0.5 goal advantage in the asian handicap market at odds of 5/4 with betvictor? for us though, backing newcastle to win the game looks far too big a price to turn down against a side who are renowned for their slips against so-called lesser opponents.