Premier League Matchday 1: Preview and Odds
Published August 10, 2018 by Sol FH
The Premier League kicks-off this weekend with matches across the board. Don't miss out on Matchday 1 action with competitive odds online.
It is finally upon us! The 2018/19 Premier League season is about to start with Matchday 1 of 38. For the next nine months, we will be captivated by some of the best soccer the world has to offer and in conjunction with the games, some of the best bets and odds from the leading online sportsbooks.
The first match of the new season will be at Old Trafford, as Manchester United takes on Leicester on Friday, August 10, at 20:00 GMT. This should be an excellent match with both teams trying to take the first three points of the year. United lost their last preseason match against Bayern Munich. Jose Mourinho has been quite vocal about the need to strengthen the Red Devils, as he doesn't feel like they are as talented as other top-tiered teams at this point. "The other clubs who compete with us are really strong and already have fantastic teams. Or they are investing massively like Liverpool, who are buying everything and everybody. If we don't make our team better it will be a difficult season for us," he was quoted. So far, United has signed three players for the new season including Brazil midfielder Fred, Portuguese Diogo Dalot and Lee Grant, a third-place goalkeeper. Even though it will take some time, expect United to win their opener somewhere around the score of 2-0.
If Manchester United does get the outright win on Friday night, punters will be able to take advantage of the odds at bet365 Sports. The famed sportsbook has listed Mourinho's side at 1.45, while Leicester is at 7.50. A draw will payout at 4.20.
First Weekend
The action continues on Saturday, August 11, with six games, followed by the final three matches on Sunday. The biggest event of the weekend is on Sunday, August 12, between Arsenal and last year's league winners Manchester City, but let's take a look at some highlights from Saturday.
The second match of Matchday 1, on Saturday, August 11 at 12:30 GMT is between Newcastle vs. Tottenham. The Hotspur finished last year in third place overall. They are the favorites to beat the Magpies, and 888 Sport has listed them at 2.00, but, Newcastle is not far behind at 3.55. A draw is at 3.45 which could be the best bet.
The Blues will be in Huddersfield, on Saturday, August 11, to open the new season at 15:00. The Terriers finished last year in 16th place, while the Blues were taken out of the top three, finishing in fifth place overall. A tough result for Chelsea but one that they have taken a lot of time to strategize over in hopes of making a real shot at the league title this year. Chelsea should be able to handle Huddersfield on their opening day even as the visitors, so expect a 3-1 outcome for the Blues. Intertops Sportsbook also favors the Blues to win posting competitive odds of 1.60, and 5.50 for the home team. A draw will be rewarded at 3.75 if that is the outright outcome.
Liverpool is in action on Sunday, August 12, opening their season at home, and facing West Ham at 13:30 GMT. As Jose Mourinho was quoted earlier, the Reds have invested heavily in new talent for this year and look very strong for its match against West Ham. Liverpool destroyed Napoli in a pre-season friendly match 5-0 and will be too much for West Ham to handle. bet365 Sports posted odds in favor of the Reds at 1.25 and for West Ham way back at 13.00.
The Big One
Although the aforementioned matches should all be quite exciting to watch, the biggest game of the weekend will be the final one between Manchester City vs. Arsenal on Sunday, August 12 at 16:00 GMT. The Gunners are at home at the Emirates, but City has the advantage even as the visitors with 888 Sport posting at 2.07 for them, and 3.35 for Arsenal. A draw is at 3.55 and would not be a bad bet to make.
