The Premier League finally returns this weekend with 20 teams set to take the stage in front of millions of worldwide viewers.
Unsurprisingly, both Man City ($1.67) and Liverpool ($3.60) head into the new season as the bookie’s favourites, though there has been plenty of action in the transfer market from the teams looking to bridge the gap beneath them!
Game Week 1 gets underway on Saturday Morning (AEST) as the Gunners take on Crystal Palace in a London Derby.
Elsewhere, Fulham plays host to the Reds, United take the field against Brighton, and Man City begin their title defense with a tricky fixture against the Hammers!
We’ve previewed all 10 Premier League fixtures across the weekend and provided our best betting plays below!
The 2022/23 EPL season gets underway at Selhurst Park, as both Palace and the Gunners look to build on their impressive pre-season form.
Arsenal fans are groveling over new signing Gabriel Jesus, the Brazilian striker looks like a massive improvement on the outgoing veterans Lacazette and Aubameyang.
The Gunners have struggled in recent times against the Eagles, picking up just one win from the pairs’ last eight meetings (5D,2L)!
Only one of the last 20 H2H fixtures between Arsenal and Palace has seen under 1.5 goals scored.
With that being said, I’ll be backing the Gunners to boast too much quality across the park for the Eagles to match, along with over 1.5 goals scored and Jesus to add to his six pre-season strikes!
Liverpool has been given a charitable start to the season, facing perennial Yo-Yo side Fulham.
The Cottagers finished top of the Championship last season, with Mitrovic scoring a record 43 goals across 43 appearances for the club!
Championship form rarely translates to PL results though, and with an opening fixture against Liverpool, the newcomers will likely find themselves looking up from the foot of the table from the outset.
Mo Salah heads into this season searching for his fourth PL Golden Boot after sharing the award with Son Heung-min in 2021/22.
The Egyptian King will have penciled himself in for a couple here against a side Liverpoool should see off with absolute ease.
Bournemouth claimed the 2nd automatic PL promotion following a very successful season in the Championship, losing just eight of their 46 league fixtures.
They’ll play host to a Villa side who have top 6 aspirations heading into the new season, after signing a host of new players across the offseason.
The Cherries have failed to strengthen their squad since gaining promotion, leaving Scott Parker in a similar position to when he managed Fulham in the 2020/21 PL season, managing just five wins across the failed campaign.
I’m backing the Villans here at what looks to be overs at even money.
The third and final newly promoted outfit to the Premier League is Nottingham Forest, who return to the top-flight for the first time since 1999!
They’ll travel to St James Park to take on the newly crowned “richest club in the world”, Newcastle United.
Despite finishing the 2021/22 season strongly, the Toons are unders here at $1.67, against a side who will be hungry to make a splash on their return to the promised land.
Both outfits are healthy in the top half of the pitch, especially the Toons who are ready to unleash a fit Calum Wilson next to the streaky Allan Saint-Maximum!
I’m steering clear of the H2H market in this one, instead, I’m backing the goals to flow at both ends of the pitch.
Tottenham has garnered plenty of support from the pundits in the offseason, firming into the third favourite behind City and Liverpool at $13.
They’ll face Southampton who could be spending most of their time at the other end of the table, with no real improvements made on their struggling XI.
Conte has put the Spurs through their most grueling summer to date, and with both Kane and Son fit and firing to start the season I can’t see the Saints keeping this game respectable for 90 minutes.
Southampton has failed to find a win in their last eight season-opening fixtures (4L,4D), a record I can’t see them breaking here against a fierce Spurs unit.
Leeds United survived relegation by the skin of their teeth last season, with 3 points on the final day enough to leapfrog Burnley into safety.
Meanwhile, the Wolves threw away a promising start to the 2021/22 campaign, eventually finishing 10th following a seven-game winless streak on the run home.
American manager Jesse Marsch has wasted no time adding his own flavour to the Leeds squad, signing a pair of players from his former club Leipzig, both of which have impressed during the preseason.
Alternatively, Wolverhampton has been quite frugal in the transfer market, sending out several of their attacking options without finding any appropriate replacements, even more concerning is the health of their sole striker Raul Jimenez who is set to miss a large chuck of time through injury.
There’s a bit of excitement buzzing around the Leeds camp at the moment, I believe they’ve bought in enough cattle to replace the outgoings of Raphina and Phillips, while pushing for a top 10 finish.
I’m backing the home side to bank all 3 points in the opening round here.
Frank Lampard welcomes his old club to Goodison Park as the Toffees look to bounce back from a horrific 2021/22 campaign that saw them narrowly avoid relegation.
The home side has already been dealt a huge blow ahead of this fixture, losing key striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin to a knee injury in training, while their backup striker Solomon Rondon is serving a suspension from the end of last season.
Alternatively, the visitors will be looking to unleash their new goal threat in City transfer Raheem Sterling, the English international will likely lineup alongside Mason. Mount and Kai Havertz in a front three.
The Blues have endured a rough offseason, losing Christensen and Rudiger to Barca and Real on a free, while Barca has swooped on their two top player targets in Raphinha and Koundé!
Despite poor business in the offseason, Chelsea still has a squad able to compete for a top-four position, while the Toffees have regressed from an already disastrously poor unit.
I’m backing the Blues to take this game by the scruff of the neck early and cruise to a comfortable victory.
United is a team in turmoil.
Despite hiring a world-class manager, Man U’s footballing department has failed once again during the Summer, not bringing in a much needed CM, paying overs for a 5-foot-nothing CB, and then there’s the whole circus surrounding an over-the-hill CR7!
Regardless, the Red Devils already look much improved under the watchful eye of Erik ten Hag, with Sancho, Rashford, and Martial all impressing during the preseason, both with and without the ball.
Alternatively, Brighton hasn’t done much business during the offseason, failing to bring in any new players to compete for starting positions while losing key midfield cog Yves Bissouma to Tottenham, while star LB Marc Cucurella is all but out the backdoor with Chelsea and Man City willing to fork out upwards of 40 million pounds!
The Seagulls have never won a league game at Old Trafford and I can’t see them breaking the drought here.
I’ll be backing United to get off to a flyer, netting a couple of goals on their way to an opening-round victory.
Leicester regressed from 5th in 2020/21 to 8th last season and I can see them dropping further down the ladder once again, with reports of both financial struggles and Brendan Rodger’s approach wearing thin on the current playing squad.
Captain and Leicester legend Casper looks to lead the club exodus, departing to French side OGC Nice for an incredibly low fee of 1 million Euros, while Fofana, Madison, and Tielemans have all been heavily liked with moves away before the end of the window!
Brentford announced themselves to the Premier League in a big way last season, stunning the Gunners with a 2-0 boilover in the opening fixture of the campaign.
The Bees went on to finish the league in 13th position, taking points away from the likes of Arsenal, West Ham, Chelsea, and Liverpool.
I’m backing the Bees to take advantage of the turmoil surrounding the Foxes at the minute, with Ivan Toney to prove too much for the home side’s underdone defensive unit to contain.
Game week 1 comes to a close on Monday morning (AEST) as the defending champions travel to the capital to take on the Hammers.
The Citizens have struggled away to West Ham in recent times, drawing their last three fixtures across all comps at the Olympic Stadium.
City will be looking to show off their shiny new toy here, with Erling Haaland predicted to explode onto the PL scene with many pundits backing the 22y/o to claim the golden boot in his maiden season ($3).
Impressively, West Ham has managed to score in their last five H2Hs against City, and although I can’t see them upsetting the title favourites here, I’m backing Moyes’ side to trouble the understrength Sky Blues backline.