Our betting expert Jones Knows provides his insight across the Premier League weekend and thinks Brentford will beat Leicester on Friday Night Football.
Leicester vs Brentford, Friday 8pm, live on Sky Sports
Ruud van Nistlerooy’s teams are supposed to have a go. Well, Leicester’s goals per game has dropped from 1.2 under Steve Cooper to 0.75 under Van Nistelrooy and they have scored four league goals in their last 10 games, taking just three points from a possible 30 on offer.
So, they don’t score goals, confidence is on the floor and the home fans are more than restless. Brentford look a great bet at Evens with Sky Bet.
Thomas Frank’s team have an amazing record against the newly-promoted teams, Wolves, West Ham, Palace and Everton this season. From 10 matches, they have won eight, drawn two and lost none, scoring 2.7 goals per 90 in those matches. They know how to put away the lesser teams.
SCORE PREDICTION: 1-3 | JONES KNOWS’ BEST BET: Brentford to win (Evens with Sky Bet)
Friday 21st February 7:30pm
Kick off 8:00pm
Everton vs Manchester United, Saturday 12.30pm
Everton were 7/4 for relegation when David Moyes was appointed. That price is now 80/1 and the Toffees come into this fixture above Manchester United in the Premier League table.
Perhaps United will go back to Moyes eventually – he wouldn’t make things much worse, would he?
Ruben Amorim’s football continues to baffle and bore.
They’ve scored just seven goals in their last nine Premier League games, failing to score in five of those. Slow starts aren’t helping matters as United’s first-half woes continued last weekend at Spurs. The only first-half goal they have scored in their last 16 games in all competitions was Bruno Fernandes’ penalty in the defeat to Brighton. That’s 15 blanks in the last 16. Unbelievable numbers really.
A low scoring game looks on the cards so the 0-0 half-time score at 13/8 with Sky Bet looks to have a chance.
SCORE PREDICTION: 1-0
Arsenal have got to keep winning.
Performances haven’t been great but they are 15 unbeaten in the Premier League, winning 10 of those without getting close to shooting the lights out. But it’s that mean Arsenal defence, led by Gabriel and William Saliba, that remains the one consistent theme.
They’ve conceded just 11 goals in their last 15 games. If they are going to chase down Liverpool, it’s going to be built on their defensive prowess. In a tough betting heat, the Arsenal win to nil remains the way to play at 10/11 with Sky Bet.
SCORE PREDICTION: 2-0
Bournemouth vs Wolves, Saturday 3pm
Matheus Cunha is all-action in this Wolves side under Vitor Pereira, dropping a bit deeper under his watch, and his tackle prices are full of potential. He’s made two or more tackles in six of his eight starts under the new gaffer, registering 18 tackles in total.
Matheus Cunha is 10/11 to make two or more tackles
Bournemouth’s style lends itself to tackle frenzies in central areas with Tyler Adams and Ryan Christie encouraged to engage the opposition at every opportunity. Cunha will be patrolling those areas, which makes the 10/11 with Sky Bet for him to make two or more tackles rate as a juicy value play.
SCORE PREDICTION: 2-1
Fulham vs Crystal Palace, Saturday 3pm
Fulham have kept only two clean sheets in their last 14 games and have failed to deliver at home against Manchester United, Ipswich, Southampton, Wolves and Brentford this season. Marco Silva is overseeing some fantastic performances but a lack of quality in their forward line is holding them back.
Jean-Philippe Mateta is 9/2 to score first
If Fulham had a player like Jean-Philippe Mateta then Champions League qualification would be a realistic possibility. He remains in the form of his life, scoring seven in his last six appearances in the Premier League and his all-round play is of the highest standard. The 9/2 with Sky Bet on him to open the scoring has potential in a really tight game to call.
SCORE PREDICTION: 1-1
Djed Spence is taking his opportunity for Tottenham, winning the player-of-the-match award in their victory over Manchester United. His performances are catching the eye, especially from a punting perspective where the prices surrounding his ability to win fouls are very much in our favour.
He is 11/8 with Sky Bet to be fouled two or more times – a bet which has landed for punters in seven of his last eight starts. Ange Postecoglou likes his full-backs to drive into central areas of the pitch and that tends to lead to fouls being drawn. He can go in again.
SCORE PREDICTION: 2-2 | JONES KNOWS’ BEST BET: Djed Spence to be fouled at least twice (11/8 with Sky Bet)
Southampton are going down but they are going down with a tinge of fight and attacking intent. There were signs at 2-1 down to Bournemouth last weekend where they had the Cherries on the ropes with Paul Onuachu, Tyler Dibling and Kamaldeen Sulemana looking like an exciting trio.
It’s very unlikely they’ll be able to sustain that type of threat to get a result against Brighton but they’ll have spells in the game to put the Seagulls under pressure. Sulemana, especially, looks a dangerous customer when given space. He’s had 15 shots in his four recent starts, hitting the target five times. The 10/11 with Sky Bet for another shot on target makes a lot sense.
SCORE PREDICTION: 1-3
Aston Villa vs Chelsea, Saturday 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports – PLAY SUPER 6 TO WIN £1M!
Aston Villa have lost just five of their last 44 home games since the start of last season and are unbeaten in their last 13 at home in the Premier League – that alone makes their win price here of 8/5 with Sky Bet very attractive.
Enzo Maresca must find a solution to Chelsea’s problems in the final third where they are already showing signs of missing Nicolas Jackson. They failed to have a shot on target at Brighton and they averaged a huge figure of 92 passes per shot – the second-worst ratio by any team in a Premier League game this season. Passing without purpose.
After threatening to make some noise in the title race in December, Chelsea have since won just two of their last nine Premier League games. There could be more frustration to come.
SCORE PREDICTION: 2-1
Newcastle vs Nottingham Forest, Sunday 2pm, live on Sky Sports – PLAY SUPER 6 TO WIN £1M!
Newcastle’s performance at Manchester City did stink of a team that have subconsciously got one eye already on their trip to Wembley in March. I’m always wary of a drop off from a team away from the elite that make a cup final.
Just looking at the last six non big-six teams to make the EFL Cup final and their results between their win in the second leg and the final does show a correlation of form loss.
In those 24 games, the clubs involved suffered 12 losses, five draws and just seven wins. Newcastle are included in that sample of clubs when they made the Carabao Cup final in 2023 – they were winless in their next three matches following their semi-final win, drawing to West Ham and Bournemouth and losing to Liverpool. They are vulnerable here.
Nottingham Forest are on course to take 71 points this season and Opta have them with about a 65 per cent chance of finishing in the top five which would be enough for Champions League qualification. It’s easy to forget they won 3-1 here last season when battling relegation and they’re a much better side now.
I like them to avoid defeat on the double chance at Evens with Sky Bet.
SCORE PREDICTION: 1-2 | JONES KNOWS’ BEST BET: Nottingham Forest double chance (Evens with Sky Bet)
Manchester City vs Liverpool, Sunday 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports – PLAY SUPER 6 TO WIN £1M!
Man City have been the hand that has been feeding me this season, but they’ve given me a couple of slaps in the face over the last week. I was all over Newcastle to get a result at the Etihad last week and was stunned at how cohesive, dangerous and watertight out of possession Man City looked. It did make me sit up and take note. Were they back?
But that answer is a resounding no based on their midweek showing in Real Madrid. They were so lacklustre again and lacked intensity without possession. Madrid were just toying with them.
So what do we do now with City?
Real Madrid were well backed on Wednesday in the end by the sharp money that makes the market, so any move for Liverpool here should be taken seriously. The 5/4 with Sky Bet for the away win is certainly a price to keep a close eye on.
SCORE PREDICTION: 1-2
Jones Knows’ best bets…
1pt treble: Brentford to beat Leicester, Djed Spence to be fouled at least twice, Nottingham Forest double chance (9/1 with Sky Bet)
