I’ve got two bets as the Premier League returns from international break.
The pregame narrative: Crystal Palace has been one of the hottest teams in the Premiership and is in a good spot to dominate Southampton on Wednesday. After that, look for Cole Palmer to contribute to a goal for Chelsea against its rival Tottenham on Thursday.
Check out the best Premier League predictions for Matchday 30.
Premier League predictions
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Best Bet: Crystal Palace HT/FT (+148)
Let’s hope the international break didn’t cool off Crystal Palace.
The Eagles are a middling 12th in the table but entered the break winning four of their last five, with decisive victories over Manchester United (2-0), Fulham (2-0) and Aston Villa (4-1).
Now, they get to go up against a Southampton side destined for relegation.
- The Saints are last in the league with just nine points in 29 games (2-3-24).
- Southampton has conceded 70 goals and has a -49 goal differential (both last in EPL).
- It has also conceded a league-worst 69.6 xG, according to FotMob. That is 11.3 more than Ipswich Town, which is second last.
Palace didn’t suffer any injuries over the three-week hiatus and should be itching to get back on the horse against an awful team.
Key stat: Southampton is 1-1-12 at home this season and has been outscored 13-3 in its last five home fixtures.
Quick pick
Palmer to score or assist (-143): I was thinking about backing Chelsea to win at this price but will instead look to Palmer on the prop market.
Mo Salah is lapping the Premier League with 44 goal contributions this season, but Palmer is right in line with the best of the rest.
- Palmer is fifth in the EPL with 20 goal contributions. That puts him four contributions behind Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak, who are tied for second.
- His 22.6 xG + xA is tied for second with Haaland (Salah has 29.2).
This might seem like a bad time to back the Englishman, who is ice cold after failing to record a goal or assist in 10 straight games for Chelsea across all competitions.
But Tottenham has been a defensive wreck this year, conceding the fourth-most xG (49.2) in the EPL.
Palmer scored a brace against Spurs earlier this year at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Premier League predictions made at 12:53 p.m. on 04/01/25.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.