Premier League Matchday 1 Odds, Picks & Predictions (2023)
The 2023-2024 English Premier League campaign gets underway Friday and we have a clash between Treble-winning Manchester City and newly promoted Burnley, who cruised to a Championship title last season by 10 points.
I’m locking in a play on the total for Friday’s season opener as well as another pair of bets throughout the weekend. Let’s dive into where I’m laying my money on the pitch this weekend.
Soccer Betting Record 2023-2024: 0-0 (+0.00 units)
Premier League Matchday 1 Preview & Best Bets (2023)
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Manchester City (-330) at Burnley (+850), DRAW (+500) | 2.5 (-165/+135)
I almost feel like it’d be negligent not to bet on the season-opening match on Friday. With that being said, I’m not just locking this bet in because I want the sweat; I’m actually confident in the wager itself. Kickoff for this matchup of the champions is set for 3:00 p.m. ET from Turf Moor in Burnley.
I think we’re in for a goal-fest on Friday, so I’m taking the over. To get rid of some of the juice, I’ll play the Asian total at 2.75 goals. Essentially, this match could be one where Manchester City puts up four goals by themselves. They’re coming off of that fantastic season in 2022-2023 where they netted 94 goals and won the PL with relative ease. With Erling Haaland coming off of a league-leading 36-goal performance, I think he’ll get off to a hot start and lead the charge here.
On the flip side, I’m confident that Burnley will be able to hold their own and find the back of the net. For starters, they’re playing in front of their home crowd and this building will be rocking. They were a force offensively last year in the Championship, leading the second-tier league in goals with 87. Look for Vincent Kompany’s men to build off of that success in this spot and help contribute to the total. Give me the over!
Bet: Over 2.75 Goals (-140)
Liverpool (+135) at Chelsea (+190), DRAW (+265) | 2.5 (-155/+125)
The Sunday nightcap features a battle between two storied franchises in the PL: Chelsea and Liverpool. Kickoff for this match is set for 11:30 a.m. ET from Stamford Bridge in London.
The Blues are coming off of a very underwhelming campaign last year as they finished 12th in the top flight of English soccer. Goals were tough to come by for Chelsea considering they scored just 38 times. They failed to score in both of their matchups with Liverpool; however, both matches ended in 0-0 draws.
With Liverpool missing out on UCL play, I’m expecting them to put together a dominant year where they take the domestic league by storm. This includes starting off hot against a Chelsea side that’s basically in soccer limbo right now. I’ll gladly bet on the better manager in Jurgen Klopp, to collect the three points here. Their attack is much more polished with Mo Salah at the helm, and we’ve also seen the emergence of Darwin Nunez recently. Finally, it’s worth noting that Liverpool is 8-2-0 in their last 10 season-opening matches.
Bet: Liverpool Moneyline (+135)
Wolves (+800) at Manchester United (-320), DRAW (+475) | 2.5 (-180/+135)
Finally, let’s head out to Manchester where the opening weekend of matches wraps up. Manchester United is set to host Wolverhampton on Monday at 3:00 p.m. ET from Old Trafford.
I, like a decent amount of others, have Wolves as one of the clubs that has the potential to be relegated this year. They come in at +250 to be relegated (via DraftKings Sportsbook), which is the fourth-shortest odds in the PL. Mainly, you have to wonder where the goals are going to come from for the Wanderers. They netted just 31 goals last season, which was the fewest in the league. Management didn’t really address the lack of offense either.
Factor in that they’ll play their opener at a hostile Old Trafford, and I think Wolverhampton is going to get blown out. United is trending in the right direction after finishing third last year in the domestic league. They’ve added Mason Mount and budding star Rasmus Hojlund, who should slot in nicely to assist Marcus Rashford with the scoring responsibilities. Erik ten Hag’s men should cruise to an easy win in their season opener. Let’s lay the 1.5 goals here.
Bet: Manchester United -1.5 (-125)
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