Written by Cornermanden. The author’s opinions and predictions are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Unibet. Odds and details may change between the time of writing and when placing a bet – always check before betting.

More Premier League football to look forward to this weekend. Let’s get our teeth into it and see if we can find any value bets – here are my Premier League betting tips for round 27.

A Blip Or A Trend?

Bournemouth – Liverpool

I have to talk about the scousers, don’t I? I’m no Liverpool fan, but I can understand the euphoria that flows around in the red parts of the city of Liverpool right now. Beating – no, actually smashing – your rivals Manchester United is not something that every fan gets to experience during their lifetime, so Liverpool fans have every right to celebrate the 7-0 win – even now, some days later, and even in the weeks, months and years to come!

I went to watch Ranheim-Bodø/Glimt and occasionally checked the score in Liverpool-Man United (I had a bet for the game to finish under 10.5 corners), and actually laughed out loud already at 5-0. The question now remains if Klopp’s team are able to make that more than a blip, a rare win that didn’t actually reflect their performance. I don’t think it was a blip. I am quite interested in sports psychology and I thought that it looked like a good portion of weight was lifted off the Liverpool players’ shoulders. Bournemouth have been a tad better after the January window closed, but this will be too tough a task for The Cherries in my view. 1.46 for Liverpool is maybe a bit short, but…

In Good Company

Leeds United – Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton are now priced at 1.98 to go to Leeds and win. That’s a short price away from home against a traditionally good home side. They are in good company with teams like Man City, Arsenal and Man United to be odds on when they go to Elland Road. For a good reason, there’s no denying that. The Seagulls from the south coast have improved a fair bit after De Zerbi took charge, and right now there’s no sign of that stopping. They hammered West Ham 4-0 and never looked to go above 3rd gear in the process.

Leeds United are finding their feet under new manager Javi Gracia, who I don’t know a lot about to be honest. I remember his name and presence from his days with Watford FC, especially that he did quite well in the Premier League before getting the axe (which every Watford manager gets at some stage) but can’t say that I watched football with as much of an analytical eye as I do now. I have read quite a bit about him, though, and the conclusion seems to be that he prefers a 4-2-2-2 formation where the philosophy seems to be oriented around an offensive style, but nowhere near as “frenetic” out of possession as under Marsch and Bielsa.

Leeds average the fewest passes in each section that they win the ball back (only five passes before losing the ball), so I expect this to increase somewhat under Gracia. They’ve looked more solid already than what was the case under Marsch. He wants to restrict spaces in the middle of the pitch, so that might be worth looking at if you like betting on team corners, if Leeds will allow teams to attack them out wide.

My Bet of The Weekend

Everton – Brentford

I want to make it clear that I’m extremely impressed by Brentford and the way that they have gone about their business this season – especially at home. They play with confidence, robustness and have a few offensive players who produce the necessary goods. Their midfield is quite complete and they have a keeper who understands his role perfectly. I watched a lot of Ivan Toney when he played for Peterborough United in League One, and I think that he’s improved on what was an already colossal bag of attributes.

However, I think this is just the sort of game that Everton could and should thrive in. Not because I think they’ve showed much to suggest that this Brentford will roll over and give Everton a leg up, but because I think a 3 PM kick-off at Goodison Park when the Merseyside crowd, Dyche and the players are mobilising all their energy and passion into 90 minutes of football, against a team with not much to play for (of course, they can challenge for a top 6 spot, but achieving so will need a huge effort and some luck), is just the sort of game that The Toffees can get momentum and moments of pressure in. I’m not saying that they will pick up all three points here, but they will have enough situations to threaten, I think. Everton corners are very logical in my view.

Conclusion

Not many bets from me in the PL thus far, but here are my Premier League betting tips for round 27:

• Everton-Brentford. Everton over 4.5 corners & Brentford under 2.5 goals @ 1.92.
• Bournemouth-Liverpool. Liverpool -1 (asian handicap) @ 1.66.