Can Brighton continue its hot streak?
It’s been a slow season for Liverpool and Newcastle United, but each side can get on track in what arguably is the match of the week in the third Premier League fixture.
Newcastle started the season with a dominant 4-1 over Aston Villa at St. James’ Park but failed to challenge Manchester City at Etihad Stadium last week. Liverpool drew against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and rebounded to beat AFC Bournemouth at Anfield. However, there still are potential issues on defense that new signing Wataru Endo could help fix.
But before we get into Sunday’s matchup, let’s get into our other picks for this week’s Premier League fixtures after going 1-3 last week.
Wolverhampton Wanderers and both teams to score +550 (FanDuel, Caesers)
Everton and Wolves are winless to begin the season, and last week was a harsh sign of a potential relegation battle. The Toffees failed to put anything cohesive together in their 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa at Villa Park. They are in desperate need of some life, or else Everton will play in its new stadium in the Championship. Wolves ran into the Brighton & Hove Albion buzz saw, and this week could be where they put it together to earn their first win of the season. The team still is shaky, so it could be more of a back-and-forth matchup, but Wolves should be good enough to get past Everton.
Brighton over 2.5 goals +162 (FanDuel)
Roberto De Zerbi has proven to be one of the best managers in Europe with the Seagulls. Brighton has won its first two matches by a 4-1 score, and we’re going to keep riding it and try to see if West Ham United has an answer for Kaoru Mitoma. The Seagulls shut out the Hammers in both matchups last season, and they should continue to coast even though West Ham earned a 3-1 win over Chelsea last week.
Liverpool and both teams to score +375 (Caesers)
The Reds troubling went down to the Cherries last week in the first three minutes, but they recovered and scored three straight goals. Dominik Szoboszlai proved to be a great addition to the team, but Alexis Mac Allister would be better used as a No. 8 rather than a No. 6. He is capable of playing the position, but against a top six side like Newcastle, Jürgen Klopp should try out Endo to see if he’s the man to help stabilize the defense. It would be a good challenge against a side with a dangerous attack and strong midfield. Liverpool should still come away with the win even if it trails, but the midfield situation is one to monitor.