Liverpool v Crystal Palace tips: Premier League best bets and preview
In-form Liverpool face improving Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon. Joe Townsend has previewed the game and selected two best bets.
Football betting tips: Premier League
1pt Joel Matip 1+ shots on target at 11/4 (Sky Bet)
0.5pt e.w Joel Matip to score first at 33/1 (General) (1/3 odds 1-99 places with Sky Bet)
Liverpool have started the season on fire, especially from an attacking perspective.
No team in the Premier League has been more creative, with the Reds (12.7) topping Infogol's Expected Goals For (xGF) table ahead of Manchester City (12.2). Those two are a country mile clear of the rest too, with nobody else close to double figures after four matches.
But Saturday's visitors Crystal Palace will not make things easy for Jurgen Klopp's men.
Kick-off time: 15:00 BST, Saturday
Liverpool 1/5 | Draw 11/2 | Crystal Palace 12/1
Their 3-0 dismantling of Tottenham last weekend cannot be written off purely because of a Spurs red card.
Patrick Vieira's influence on this Palace team was showing evidence of its effectiveness before that London derby, with both results and performances (according to xG) improving in every fixture. The general 1/4 about a Liverpool win, then, makes any combination which backs the home team difficult to get behind. It seems likely, but the value simply is not there.
One bet that is a tempter is Liverpool to keep a clean sheet at 5/6 given the Reds have conceded just one goal in their past six Premier League fixtures. But after restricting their opponents to less than 1.0 xG in three successive league games, they looked a little too fragile against AC Milan in their midweek 3-2 win (xG: LIV 2.71 - 1.47 MIL).
Instead, it feels best to steer clear and look towards one of Liverpool's 'obvious' attacking weapons - Joel Matip.
The central defender has already had eight attempts on goal in four leagues games this season. Somehow, half of those have been blocked, with the other half missing the target.
The 11/4 price about JOEL MATIP 1+ SHOTS ON TARGET is certainly worth backing.
And so is another price involving the former Cameroon international.
He's managed to rack up 1.43 xG from his multiple efforts so far, so we are fair enough to think that if he keeps getting into strong scoring positions, in a team creating plenty of chances, then a goal will soon arrive.
The 20/1 available with Sky Bet for him to score a header will no doubt pull in plenty of punters, however, anyone who saw Matip run straight through the Leeds United defence last week and look destined to score before unselfishly helping set up Mo Salah would be foolish to restrict themselves to that method of goalscoring.
The 33/1 each-way price available on MATIP TO SCORE FIRST certainly worth a go to small stakes. Crystal Palace have already conceded once from a set piece this term, while Liverpool have found the net twice from such situations.
It feels like it is a matter of time before Matip finds the net.
Let's hope it's at Anfield on Saturday.
Liverpool v Crystal Palace score prediction and best bets
- 1pt Joel Matip 1+ shots on target at 11/4 (Sky Bet)
- 0.5pt e.w Joel Matip to score first at 33/1 (General) (1/3 odds 1-99 places with Sky Bet)
Score prediction: Liverpool 2-0 Crystal Palace (Sky Bet odds: 11/2)
Odds correct at 1615 BST (16/09/21)
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