Premier League Matchday 2 Odds, Picks & Prediction (2024)
The Premier League is in full swing as we enter the top flight's second matchday. We're coming off a profitable first weekend, where we went 2-1 with our bets! Below I've listed my top three wagers and analysis for this weekend's action in England.
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Premier League Matchday 2 Preview & Best Bets (2024)
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Fulham (-120) vs. Leicester (+330), DRAW (+270) | 2.5 (-125/+100)
Leicester earned a favorable result in their first match back in the Premier League, notching a 1-1 home draw against Tottenham last weekend. They'll look to add more points as they take on Fulham, who dropped a 1-0 road match to Manchester United last Friday. Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday at 10:00 a.m. ET from Selhurst Park in London.
I'm not convinced that Leicester should be such a big underdog in this contest. I'm going to play them +0.5 goals, which will give us a win if they escape with a second straight draw. Ultimately, I think Leicester City has the offensive firepower to hang around in this match. They saw Jamie Vardy get the scoring started last weekend against Tottehham, notching a 57th-minute goal. Honestly, one goal may be enough in this contest. But, the Foxes racked up 89 goals in 46 Championship matches last season, which is 1.93 goals per match.
Meanwhile, Fulham's 1-0 road defeat to United could've been much worse last weekend. The xG score finished 2.4-0.4 in favor of the Red Devils. Furthermore, the Cottagers weren't a powerhouse at home last year, going a pedestrian 9-2-8. I'm not expecting Fulham to break into the win column just yet. I think Leicester brings in the momentum coming off their promotion, and they have the talent to hang around in this match.
Bet: Leicester +0.5 (-105)
Wolverhampton (+340) vs. Chelsea (-130), DRAW (+295) | 2.5 (-160/+125)
Both Wolverhampton and Chelsea got the new campaign started on the wrong foot, each suffering 2-0 losses. For Wolves, they dropped a 2-0 road match to Arsenal. The Blues were defeated 2-0 at home by Manchester City. Kickoff is scheduled for Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. ET from Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton.
Chelsea's 2-0 defeat against City probably wasn't as bad as the final score reflected. Interestingly, the Blues actually won the xG score, finishing 1.0-0.8 in their favor. They racked up 10 shots (3 on goal) while keeping 48.2% of the possession in the losing effort. Now that Enzo Maresca's men will take on an inferior opponent, I think they capitalize and come away with three points.
Gary O'Neil's club, on the other hand, registered a 1.2-0.8 loss in terms of xG against Arsenal. It was a constant barrage of shots from the Gunners, who racked up 18 shots (six on target). My biggest concern with the Wanderers is where their offense will come from. They lost Pedro Neto (to Chelsea), who was their best creator with nine assists in only 20 matches. Ultimately, I think Chelsea should be able to grind out a low-scoring victory in this one. They have plenty of offensive talent, but they just ran into a world-class City team in their opener. I like their chances to bounce back and issue the Wolves a second straight defeat.
Bet: Chelsea Moneyline (-130)
Liverpool (-400) vs. Brentford (+850), DRAW (+550) | 3.5 (-125/-105)
The weekend wraps up with an intriguing contest between Liverpool and Brentford on Sunday. The Reds were victorious in Arne Slot's coaching debut with the club, winning 2-0 on the road against Ipswich Town. As for Brentford, they notched a 2-1 home victory over Crystal Palace last Sunday. This match is set for Sunday morning at 11:30 a.m. ET from Anfield in Liverpool.
Both of these teams scored twice in their season openers, and I don't see any signs of the offenses slowing down. I'm taking the Over. For the Reds, they're stacked with offensive talent. They return a top-tier attack, which logged 86 goals last year (3rd) while leading the PL in xG (87.8). It was nice to see Mohamed Salah get on the score sheet in the opener, and Diogo Jota also found the back of the net. Brentford's nothing special defensively, so I'm expecting at least two or three more goals from Liverpool at Anfield.
As for Brentford, it was the usual suspects of Yoane Wissa and Mryan Mbeumo scoring in last weekend's victory over Crystal Palace. The duo combined for 21 goals last season, making them the top scorers for the club. Last season, the Bees went just 5-2-12 on the road, but their combined scores averaged 3.05 goals per match. I think we're in for a back-and-forth offensive showcase with these talented attacks. Give me the Over.
Bet: Over 3.5 Total Goals (-125)