It’s not often we get treated to midweek Premier League football. The FA Cup schedule was the reason for it this past week, and it gave us some stunning entertainment on Tuesday and Wednesday - as well as major shifts in outright betting, Premier League top goal scorer odds and more.
England’s top flight is back to its weekend home. Saturday has seven fixtures, and here we take a look at four of the 3pm kick-offs.
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION vs WATFORD
After being held to a 0-0 draw by West Brom in the FA Cup last weekend, Brighton crumbled at Craven Cottage on Tuesday.
Chris Hughton’s side were 2-0 up against the struggling west London outfit, but had a disastrous second half to lose 4-2, their third consecutive league defeat. Hughton’s side need to halt their slide to avoid being pulled into the relegation scrap.
Watford saw an unbeaten run come to an end away to Tottenham on Wednesday. The Hornets conceded twice in the final 10 minutes to relinquish a one-goal lead. Javi Gracia will likely rotate for this match, having had a day less to recover than their hosts.
Brighton are very hard to beat in front of their own fans. Watford have a good record on the road too - this should a well-fought clash. Sitting on the fence is the best bet.
TIP: Under 2.5 goals @ 4/6
PREDICTED SCORE: Brighton 1-1 Watford (Priced at 5/1 with 888sport)
BURNLEY vs Southampton
Burnley had a two-goal lead at Old Trafford with four minutes left in normal time on Tuesday. A late comeback from the hosts meant the Clarets had to settle for a solitary point.
The result extended their league unbeaten streak to five matches and pulls them four points above the relegation zone. A lot of the recent good work could be undone with a defeat here.
Southampton fought back to get a 1-1 draw at home to Crystal Palace in midweek. Ralph Hasenhuttl has turned things around to an extent but they are only four points above 18th-placed Cardiff. Saints are heading in the right direction though...
This is a big match for both sides. Home advantage just edges it in Burnley’s favour, though double chance may be the way to go.
TIP: Burnley to win or draw @ 4/9
PREDICTED SCORE: Burnley 1-0 Southampton (Priced at 7/1 with 888sport)
CHELSEA vs Huddersfield Town
Chelsea’s turbulent 2019 continued on Wednesday as they suffered a humiliating 4-0 loss to Bournemouth. Maurizio Sarri saw his side fall apart in the second period, and he complained again about not being able to motivate his players.
Chelsea are now outside the top four on goal difference and are up against it to finish in the Champions League places considering their difficult remaining schedule.
Jan Siewert’s first match as Huddersfield boss went the same way as many of David Wagner’s did. Huddersfield did little wrong, limiting Everton to few opportunities and having a lot of possession.
The startling lack of quality in the final third cost Huddersfield again as they failed to create any real chances despite Everton playing with 10 men for half an hour. The Terriers are 12 points from safety and will be starting to plan for a return to the Championship.
This is the ideal Premier League fixture for Sarri after the midweek disaster. Questions about his future will be asked if he fails to win this one.
TIP: Chelsea to win @ 1/6
PREDICTED SCORE: Chelsea 2-1 Huddersfield (Priced at 9/1 with 888sport)
Everton vs WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Everton got a crucial win away to Huddersfield on Tuesday. They showed resilience to hold on with 10 men after Lucas Digne was sent off, but it was hardly a vintage performance before that.
Marco Silva’s side were wasteful in the final third and lacked a cutting edge, they face a big test against an in-form Wolves on Saturday.
Wolves have won their last two in the league, beating Leicester and West Ham. The Midlands club are a strong contender for ‘best of the rest’ this season – their performances have exaggerated Everton’s disappointing campaign to date.
The visitors are in fine form right now and will be full of confidence after crushing the Hammers. Everton are still a dysfunctional unit and could struggle here.
TIP: Wolves to win or draw @ 8/13
PREDICTED SCORE: Everton 1-3 Wolves (Priced at 22/1 with 888sport)
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
