jake saturday

Jake Osgathorpe's Premier League tips and predictions: 26/27 Saturday Matchday 1

Football
Sat August 22, 2026 · 1w ago
  • Jake's 25/26 Predictions (incl outrights): Staked 630.00pts | Returned 671.63pts | P/L +41.63pts | ROI 7%
  • Jake's World Cup Predictions (incl outrights): Staked 204.60pts | Returned 286.22pts | P/L +81.62pts | ROI 40%

Matchday 1 previews - Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Monday

Football betting tips: Premier League

17:30 - Brentford vs Tottenham

1pt Archie Gray to be carded at 7/2 (General)

0.75pt Andy Robertson to be carded at 11/2 (Coral, Ladbrokes)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair

Saturday brings our first taste of 3pm Premier League action, and the schedulers have had a belter in terms games that look likely to be closely fought.

The day bookends with top-four contenders Manchester United and Tottenham playing away from home, though the former visit the side 1/6 to be relegated in Hull and the latter head across London to take on a Brentford side who narrowly missed out on Europe last season.

We have shot bets, foul bets, card bets and an unlikely draw treble to cheer on.

Brentford vs Tottenham

While we expect Tottenham to be better this season, at the very least finishing above 17th, it's hard to want to back them here given the list of absentees. Roberto De Zerbi is set to be without both of his preferred full-backs (Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie) and his best centre-back Micky van de Ven.

In forward areas Spurs are without Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert, Dejan Kulusevski and Mohammed Kudus, while Dominic Solanke and James Maddison are touch and go in terms of featuring.

All of a sudden Spurs' starting XI doesn't look all that clever despite splashing the cash. Brentford are the 6/4 favourites to win here and rightly so after an excellent campaign last season and a good summer in which they have only strengthened their team and squad.

I am tempted to back the Bees, but the referee appointment of Michael Oliver has caught my eye and drawn me into a couple of card bets, with Spurs' likely full-backs in focus.

ARCHIE GRAY is expected to start at right back for the visitors which immediately makes the 7/2 about him being CARDED a bet. Gray was carded five times last season at a per 90 average of 0.30, and will be tasked with containing the rapid Kevin Schade on Saturday who wins 1.40 fouls per 90.

De Zerbi-ball should be in full effect now after a pre-season under the Italian manager, meaning we should expect high-octane, end-to-end attacking football that will likely leave Gray isolated in tricky 1v1 situations against one of the most direct and fastest players in the league.

Archie Gray (left) and Andy Robertson (right)

New signing ANDY ROBERTSON should also be backed TO BE CARDED at a whopping 11/2. The Scotsman, now 32-years-old, isn't getting any faster, and that was on full display at the World Cup where he averaged 1.20 fouls per 90 and was booked in one of three appearances.

He'll be up against Dango Ouattara who is the cliche 'bag of tricks', capable of going left or right at speed. Outtara won 1.54 fouls per 90 last season, interestingly winning five penalties in the process - the most in the division.

There is also the likelihood that Jaidon Anthony (1.55 fouls won p90) enters the fray at some point too either on the left or right, so we should expect both Spurs full-backs to be under the pump throughout in this opener.

Score prediction: Brentford 2-1 Tottenham (Sky Bet odds: 15/2)

Odds correct at 13:00 BST (20/08/26)

Football betting tips: Premier League

12:30 - Hull vs Man Utd

2pts Harry Maguire 1+ total shots at 5/6 (Coral, Ladbrokes)

1pt Harry Maguire to win 2+ fouls at 7/2 (bet365)

15:00

0.5pt Draw in Everton vs Palace at 12/5 (General)

0.5pt Draw in Ipswich vs Sunderland at 12/5 (Coral, Ladbrokes)

0.5pt Draw in Forest vs Leeds at 12/5 (General)

0.1pt Draw treble at 38/1 (Coral)

Hull vs Manchester United

The fact that Hull are priced at 17/2 at home for a Premier League game tells you everything you need to know about how the market rate this team. For anyone in the dark, check out my 20-1 article in which I explain why the Tigers are complete outsiders this season.

Manchester United look well set up after a calm summer, and should get the win on Saturday but there are better bets to be had than the 2/5 about an away victory, and they centre around a former Hull player - HARRY MAGUIRE.

The giant United centre-back had two successful seasons at Hull in 15/16 and 16/17, and looks the man to target here with a couple of angles, starting with him to have just 1+ TOTAL SHOTS, which is available at 5/6.

Fresh from a goal in United's last pre-season outing, Maguire will be even more of a target from set-pieces this season with Casemiro departing, the Brazilian a constant threat from dead balls. Last term he averaged 0.77 shots per 90 and fired at least one shot in nine of 16 after returning to the fold under Michael Carrick.

The fact that United will be in the ascendency for most of this game helps the bet, with the visitors expected to rack up the corners and free-kicks which increases the opportunities for Maguire to get his big head on one. He's 17/2 to score anytime with Sky Bet for those interested.

I also want to have a smaller bet on MAGUIRE TO WIN 2+ FOULS at 7/2. The price looks big, with 1+ close to selection at 8/11 and definitely one for your bet builders.

Last season Maguire went on a run of winning a lot of fouls against physical forwards before cooling off in the final four matches as there was no real jeopardy with United qualified for Europe.

But during a spell spanning from mid-January to the end of April, Maguire was fouled at least once in all 11 matches, being fouled twice in five of those. This weekend he'll be tasked with handling Ollie McBurnie who is as physical as they come.

The Scotland striker committed 1.65 fouls per 90 in the Championship last season, and will be throwing his body around in a bid to get his team up the pitch while also rallying the home crowd. Maguire is very clever at falling under contact and winning free-kicks, so this looks like a good match-up to take the bet at a bigger price than expected.

For context at the back end of last season Maguire was going off around 6/4 to win 2+ fouls.

Score prediction: Hull 0-3 Manchester United (Sky Bet odds: 17/2)

Odds correct at 10:00 BST (20/08/26)

Everton vs Crystal Palace

The Dwight McNeil derby. Or is it the Brennan Johnson derby...? Either way, Everton look way too short at 5/4 to win this game. Yes, Crystal Palace have a new manager, but Pierre Sage is a good appointment and I'd argue the Eagles have a better squad than the Toffees.

At the prices, THE DRAW stood out to me at 12/5. I really don't think there is much between these two sides at all.

New Palace boss Pierre Sage

Everton were very inconsistent at home last season as they got accustomed to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, and we shouldn't expect that to change straight away, while Palace probably have a higher upside than Everton but may take a few weeks to get properly going.

Over the last three seasons, there has been at least one draw across the 3pm fixtures, but there have been very few matches that you'd expect to be close in that time.

In a 12 game span, only six were games that looked like they would be closely contested and half of those ended all square. The other six featured heavy-odds on favourites - usually a big six side versus a newly promoted one and none ended all square.

All three of this weekend's 3pm games look like evenly matched teams playing each other, so I'll be backing all three to be drawn in a TREBLE too.

Score prediction: Everton 1-1 Crystal Palace (Sky Bet odds: 11/2)

Odds correct at 12:00 BST (20/08/26)

Ipswich vs Sunderland

As mentioned above, the draws really look a nice way in for these 3pm games which all look very closely matched between teams I expect to finish in similar parts of the table.

Add in the fact their could be some cobwebs being blown off with neither side at full tilt and THE DRAW makes a lot of sense between an Ipswich side who will need every point they can get this term and a Sunderland side who will face some regression this season.

Sunderland drew 12 games in last season's Premier League, the joint0third-most, while only relegated Leicester drew more games in the Championship than Ipswich last season.

Score prediction: Ipswich 1-1 Sunderland (Sky Bet odds: 5/1)

Odds correct at 12:00 BST (20/08/26)

Nottingham Forest vs Leeds

It has turned out to be quite annoying from the fixture schedulers that Nottingham Forest and Leeds play each other on opening day, with my feelings about both being that they can upset the establishment this season.

Both have excellent foundations to build from but this again fits the category of two evenly matched teams early in the season, so THE DRAW gets another nod.

Oliver Glasner takes over Nottingham Forest

Only Bournemouth (18) drew more games than Leeds (14) last season, with 12 of those coming in their final 25 league matches. Oliver Glasner's Palace drew 12 times last term which was the joint-third-most.

I hope I'm wrong and that we get a lot of entertainment at 3pm - not that we can watch the games anyway right... - but the three matches in question just look so well matched that close fought draws seem the way to go.

The treble is 38/1 for a small bit of interest, but overall we'll go small stakes on these 3pm bets for some interest.

Score prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Leeds (Sky Bet odds: 5/1)

Odds correct at 12:00 BST (20/08/26)

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