X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

EPL Betting Picks and Game Previews for Matchday 2: English Premier League

Jamie Steed previews EPL Matchday 2 of the 2024-2025 season, starting on 8/24/2024. He previews each game from the English Premier League; picking bets and providing predictions for each game.

The EPL season is back and so is our weekly article looking at betting picks and predictions for all games. Matchday 2 kicks off on Saturday, August 24 with Manchester United visiting Brighton. It culminates on Sunday, August 25 when Liverpool hosts Brentford.

As we did last season, we'll offer a preview of every game. We'll predict the outcome, give a score prediction, and pick our favorite play for all fixtures. Before you read on, remember these essential things: betting on sports should be fun. If you aren't having fun with it, stop. And never bet what you can't afford to lose.

We're bringing you more soccer content than ever at RotoBaller. There are FPL and DFS articles every week along with our weekly betting picks and game previews article, all of which can be found here. Follow the team on X (@EuanFPL, @TheFPLManual, @df_solutions, @BellRoto, and yours truly @Baseball_Jimbo), and reach out to any of us if you ever have any soccer questions.

Featured Promo: Get any Props Premium Pass for 50% off using code SUMMER. Win more with our two new Props Optimizer tools -- one for PrizePicks Props, and one for Sportsbook Betting Props. Find optimal prop bets and get our recommended picks daily! Go Premium, Win More!

 

Matchday 1 Recap

Near misses were the feature of last weekend. All three parlays missed out by one goal, so we took a loss despite getting three correct scores. Tottenham Hotspur's inability to score a second goal at Leicester City on Monday ultimately saw us lose the "moneyline" parlay.

Brighton scoring a meaningless third goal against 10-man Everton denied us the "over/under 2.5 goals" parlay. Fulham blanked at Manchester United to start the weekend festivities, leaving us with a losing "both teams to score" parlay. Here's hoping for better fortunes this weekend.

 

Saturday, August 24, 2024

Brighton (+145) vs. Manchester United (+160) - 7:30 a.m. EDT

Brighton was the biggest winner last weekend, cruising past Everton. It couldn't have gone any better for the Premier League's youngest-ever manager, Fabian Hürzeler. Manchester United needed a late goal to avoid a potential banana skin on opening day. It could've won more comfortably.

Manchester United's home form wasn't the issue last season. It was games like this, away to sides in the top 12 that have seen it slip up so often. It does look better but so did Brighton last week. It should be an entertaining game but I expect it'll be a tight affair and both teams finding the net looks most likely.

Score prediction: Brighton 1 – 1 Manchester United

Crystal Palace (+110) vs. West Ham United (+230) - 10:00 a.m. EDT

Palace was hard done when it lost to Brentford on Sunday. A controversially disallowed goal contributed to its 2-1 defeat. West Ham lost at home by the same scoreline. In West Ham's case, it was a scoreline that flattered it with Villa coming close multiple times.

We can look at expected goals (xG) and think West Ham was unlucky not to get at least a point last weekend. But it missed one sitter and scored a penalty, which inflated its xG. Villa routinely carved open West Ham and in Eberechi Eze, Palace has a star who could make the most of any leaky defense.

Score prediction: Crystal Palace 3 – 1 West Ham United

Fulham (-125) vs. Leicester City (+340) - 10:00 a.m. EDT

Fulham didn't create much at Manchester United last week. This is a completely different challenge and one it will expect to control and dominate more. Leicester's impressive draw on Monday was made possible by Tottenham missing chances. It'll need to tighten things up defensively to avoid relegation.

Fulham likely won't create as many chances as Tottenham did against Leicester. But, it likely won't be so profligate, either. Unless Leicester can show more defensive solidity, Fulham should be able to pick up the three points. Only the top eight teams won more home games than Fulham (nine) last season.

Score prediction: Fulham 2 – 1 Leicester City

Manchester City (-1200) vs. Ipswich Town (+2000) - 10:00 a.m. EDT

No Rodri, no problem for City. The champions got their title defense off to a solid start without their influential midfielder and other stars starting on the bench. Ipswich's survival won't depend on games like this or last weekend and it could be in for a torrid time on Saturday.

Manchester City's last home defeat was on November 12, 2022. It put to bed the theory it can't win without Rodri and shouldn't have any problem beating Ipswich at home. Erling Haaland could fill his boots and it's difficult to see a scenario where we don't see plenty of goals.

Score prediction: Manchester City 4 – 0 Ipswich Town

Southampton (+150) vs. Nottingham Forest (+175) - 10:00 a.m. EDT

Southampton will have fancied its chances of getting at least a point last weekend when Newcastle was reduced to 10 men. It will need to make the most of such opportunities if it is to stay up. Forest will also feel it dropped points, conceding a late equalizer at home.

I expect both teams to be fighting for Premier League survival this season. Southampton created opportunities last weekend and Forest has goals in it with Chris Wood continuing to look like a threat. I expect both teams to score in what should be a closely fought encounter.

Score prediction: Southampton 2 – 2 Nottingham Forest

Tottenham Hotspur (-230) vs. Everton (+550) - 10:00 a.m. EDT

Tottenham rued a host of missed chances on Monday. New striker Dominic Solanke was the worst culprit and will want to get his first goal for his new club in front of the home fans. Everton was blown away against Brighton but was arguably the better team until it went a goal behind.

While I don't foresee another comprehensive defeat for Everton, I can't make a case for it to win. December 16, 2023, was the last time Everton scored more than once away from home (12 games ago). Tottenham's last home clean sheet came on October 23, 2023 (16 games ago). Both teams will likely score here.

Score prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 2 – 1 Everton

Aston Villa (+310) vs. Arsenal (-125) - 12:30 p.m. EDT

Villa got its bid for another top-4 finish off to a great start. It will want to pick up as many points as possible before its Champions League campaign begins. Arsenal's performance was as professional as you'd expect from it when beating Wolves. This game will present a big challenge for it.

Arsenal lost both games against Villa last season without scoring. It'll want to right that wrong, although Villa will be very difficult to beat. Arsenal's defense has been the strongest in Europe this calendar year. It has conceded just nine EPL goals in 2024, so expect a low-scoring affair.

Score prediction: Aston Villa 1 – 1 Arsenal

 

Sunday, August 25, 2024

Bournemouth (+200) vs. Newcastle United (+120) - 9:00 a.m. EDT

Bournemouth began life without Dominic Solanke with a solid point at Forest. It missed last season's top scorer and will need to find a way to replicate his 19 goals from last campaign. Newcastle showed resistance in picking up a win after playing over an hour with 10 men against Southampton.

Newcastle's got plenty of attacking depth but had to be cautious after Fabian Schar's sending-off last week. I expect it to show off its attacking talents this week but also expect Bournemouth to pose a threat. It scored 15 goals in its final eight home games last season. Both teams to score looks like a solid bet.

Score prediction: Bournemouth 1 – 2 Newcastle United

Wolves (+340) vs. Chelsea (-140) - 9:00 a.m. EDT

While Wolves had a decent spell against Arsenal, it didn't carry a threat. That should change at home, especially against a Chelsea team still trying to find its best starting XI. Chelsea also be going into the game having played Thursday night in the Europa Conference League.

Wolves did the double over Chelsea last season. And it's difficult to make a case for Chelsea being a better team now than it was last campaign. Wolves are well-drilled and will be tough to beat. I fancy it to further the pressure on a Chelsea team that seemingly lacks any coherent direction.

Score prediction: Wolves 1 – 0 Chelsea

Liverpool (-400) vs. Brentford (+800) - 11:30 a.m. EDT

The Arne Slot era got off to a solid start, although Liverpool was made to work for its three points. It has an abundance of attacking threats but still seems light in midfield. The Ivan Toney saga didn't prevent Brentford from picking up three points but it's a headline issue that it'll want to resolve soon.

Liverpool (48) picked up more points at home than any other team last season. Despite conceding just 17 goals at home, Liverpool only kept one clean sheet in its final 12 home games. And that came on the final day of the season. Brentford scored in 14 of its 19 away games and both teams are set to score on Sunday.

Score prediction: Liverpool 3 – 1 Brentford

 

Betting Picks

The table below gives the odds for each of the three main plays for each game (moneyline, total goals, and both teams to score). My favorite pick from each game is highlighted if you are looking to build a parlay (which I will be playing and tracking).

Game Moneyline Over/Under 2.5 BTTS
Brighton 1 – 1 Man United Draw +270 U2.5 +140 Yes -215
C. Palace 3 – 1 West Ham C. Palace +110 O2.5 -130 Yes -165
Fulham 2 – 1 Leicester Fulham -125 O2.5 -125 Yes -150
Man City 4 – 0 Ipswich Man City -1200 O2.5 -360 No -170
Southampton 2 – 2 N. Forest Draw +235 O2.5 -115 Yes -150
Tottenham 2 – 1 Everton Tottenham +230 O2.5 -205 Yes -160
Aston Villa 1 – 1 Arsenal Draw +280 U2.5 +110 Yes -170
Bournemouth 1 – 2 Newcastle Newcastle +120 O2.5 -190 Yes -220
Wolves 1 – 0 Chelsea Wolves +340 U2.5 -125 No +130
Liverpool 3 – 1 Brentford Liverpool -400 O2.5 -340 Yes -160
Season totals 6/10 5/10 5/10
Season parlays 0/1 (-1.00u) 0/1 (-1.00u) 0/1 (-1.00u)

Good luck with those FPL teams and EPL bets. Remember to bet responsibly!

More Betting and DFS Picks

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Cal Raleigh

Added to Home Run Derby Field
José Ramírez

Jose Ramirez Won't Start on Friday
Jihaad Campbell

to Begin at Inside Linebacker
Josh Conerly Jr.

to Play Right Tackle for Now
Tyleik Williams

Expected to Fill Big Role Right Away
Malaki Starks

Should Make an Immediate Impact
James Pearce Jr.

Impressing the Falcons
Jaxson Dart

has "Excellent" Spring
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Should Play Vs. BoSox
Donovan Jackson

has Inside Track on Starting Job
Spencer Jones

Promoted to Triple-A
Matthew Golden

Appears Set for Significant Role
Derrick Harmon

in Line to Start
Jahdae Barron

Primarily Working at Cornerback
Nathan Eovaldi

Returning on Friday
Shohei Ohtani

Starting on Saturday
Cleveland Cavaliers

Tyrese Proctor Selected by Cavaliers With the No. 49 Pick
Portland Trail Blazers

Caleb Love Lands with Trail Blazers
Dallas Mavericks

Ryan Nembhard Signs a Two-Way Deal with Mavericks
Orlando Magic

Noah Penda Drafted and Traded to the Magic
Phoenix Suns

Rasheer Fleming Taken With the First Pick of the Second Round
Jordan Lawlar

on Injured List at Triple-A
Charles Oliveira

Can Become A Two-Time Lightweight Champion
Ilia Topuria

A Favorite At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Can Become The New Flyweight Champion
Josh Giddey

Receives Qualifying Offer from Chicago
Alexandre Pantoja

Set For Fourth Title Defense At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Brandon Royval

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Renato Moicano

Returns At UFC 317
Beneil Dariush

An Underdog At UFC 317
Andre Szmyt

Browns Sign Andre Szmyt to One-Year Deal
Payton Talbott

Looks To Bounce Back
Wilfried Pene

Patriots Waive Wilfried Pene
Felipe Lima

Set To Open Up UFC 317 Main Card
Aaron Rodgers

Lauds DK Metcalf as "Big Reason" Behind Move to Pittsburgh
Emeka Egbuka

to Have Big Role in the Offense
Cristopher Sánchez

Cristopher Sanchez Records 11 Strikeouts
Daniil Tarasov

Panthers Bring in Daniil Tarasov
Grey Zabel

in Line to Start at Left Guard
Frederick Gaudreau

Kraken Pick Up Frederick Gaudreau From Wild
Shemar Stewart

Bengals Still High on Shemar Stewart
SJ

Sharks Buying Out Marc-Edouard Vlasic
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Staying in Downtown Cincinnati Through 2036
Bucky Irving

Improves Footwork and Pass Protection
Jamie Benn

Stays in Dallas on One-Year Deal
Reilly Smith

Signs New One-Year Deal with Vegas
Michael Kesselring

Traded to Sabres
Josh Doan

Moves to Buffalo
JJ Peterka

Mammoth Acquire JJ Peterka
Evander Kane

Traded to Canucks
Justin Tucker

Receives 10-Game Suspension
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

X-Rays Come Back Negative on Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on Thursday
José Ramírez

Jose Ramirez Leaves Early With Bruised Forearm
Will Levis

Has Been "Good Teammate" this Offseason
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Leaves Early Thursday After Being Hit by Pitch
Tyler Shough

Prepared for Ups and Downs of Rookie Season
Bryce Harper

Could Return on Monday
Max Muncy

Mashes Home Run No. 12, Drives in Six
Miami Heat

Miami Selects Guard Kasparas Jakucionis
Brooklyn Nets

Brooklyn Takes Nolan Traore in the First Round
Utah Jazz

Walter Clayton Jr. Heading to Utah
Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota Drafts Joan Beringer
Portland Trail Blazers

Yang Hansen Drafted by Portland
Oklahoma City Thunder

Thomas Sorber Selected by Thunder
San Antonio Spurs

Carter Bryant Lands in San Antonio
New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans Acquires No. 13 Overall Pick Derik Queen From Atlanta
Juan Soto

Smacks Two More Homers
Lenyn Sosa

Goes Yard Twice in Victory
Chicago Bulls

Noa Essengue Drafted by Chicago
Nick Pivetta

Blanks Nationals Over Seven Strong Innings
Yusei Kikuchi

Punches Out 12 in Stellar Start
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Confident he will Return by Friday
Memphis Grizzlies

Cedric Coward Drafted by Portland, Traded to Memphis
Mark Williams

Phoenix Trades For Hornets Center Mark Williams
Phoenix Suns

Suns Land Khaman Maluach in NBA Draft
Toronto Raptors

Collin Murray-Boyles Drafted by Toronto
John Collins

Exercises Player Option
Brooklyn Nets

Brooklyn Selects Egor Demin Eighth Overall
Zach Neto

No Structural Damage for Zach Neto
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to Take Part in Home Run Derby
Luis Robert Jr.

Considered Day-to-Day
Michael Thorbjornsen

Returns in Detroit at Rocket Classic
Adam Hadwin

Could Struggle Over the Weekend in Detroit
Cam Davis

Hopes Detroit Magic Can Spark Turnaround
Matt Wallace

a Boom-or-Bust Option at Rocket Classic
Joel Dahmen

Not Cutting it Lately
Michael Kim

Searching for Spark at Rocket Classic
Rasmus Hojgaard

a High-Ceiling Play in Rocket Classic
Matt McCarty

a Wild Card Heading into Detroit
Emiliano Grillo

Rolling into the Summer Season
Rickie Fowler

Looking for More Magic at Rocket Classic
Wyndham Clark

Brings High Upside to Detroit Golf Club
Max Greyserman

Could Make Noise at Rocket Classic
Akshay Bhatia

a Strong Value Play at Rocket Classic
Eric Cole

Hoping for Better Times at Rocket Classic
Beau Hossler

Searching for Form at Rocket Classic
PGA

Byeong Hun An in Good Form Heading into Rocket Classic
Cameron Young

Looking For Redemption and Possible First Career Victory in Detroit
Collin Morikawa

is The Headliner This Week in Detroit For Good Reason
Si Woo Kim

Back in Competition After Last Week's Withdrawal
PGA

Alex Noren Finishes Tied For 30th at Travelers Championship
Kurt Kitayama

Misses The Cut at RBC Canadian Open
Ryan Poehling

Becomes a Duck
Trevor Zegras

Moves to Philadelphia
Andre Burakovsky

Traded to Blackhawks
Fabian Zetterlund

Remains in Ottawa on Three-Year Deal
Matt Duchene

Signs Four-Year Extension
Jonathan Toews

to Sign with Jets
Ryan Blaney

Drives Through the Field Twice Despite Failing Cool Suit to Finish Third
William Byron

Poor Strategy Ruins William Byron's Strong Run
Kyle Larson

Decent Pocono Run Allows Him to Make Up Some of his Points Deficit
John Hunter Nemechek

Earns Another Sixth-Place Finish in One of His Best Career Races
Jamahal Hill

Gets Dominated At UFC Azerbaijan
Khalil Rountree Jr.

Dominates At UFC Azerbaijan
Rafael Fiziev

Gets Back In The Win Column
Ignacio Bahamondes

Drops Decision At UFC Azerbaijan
Curtis Blaydes

Gets Split-Decision Win at UFC Azerbaijan
Curtis Blaydes

Rizvan Kuniev Unsuccessful In His UFC Debut
Denny Hamlin

Falls Short of Victory At Pocono
Chase Elliott

Continues his 2025 Consistency with A Top-Five Run at Pocono
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace's Difficult Weekend Ends with A Tire Failure at Pocono
Chris Buescher

Finishes Well at Pocono with A Solid Top-Five Finish
Tofiq Musayev

Submitted In His UFC Debut
Myktybek Orolbai

Scores First-Round Submission
Nikolas Motta

Gets Finished After Back-And-Forth Fight
Nazim Sadykhov

Scores Second-Round TKO
Bogdan Grad

Drops Decision
Denny Hamlin

the Favorite to Notch Yet Another Pocono Win
Ryan Blaney

Qualifies 20th but Should Contend at Pocono
William Byron

the Chalk DFS Play at Pocono After Wrecking in Qualifying
Joey Logano

Is Better Than Recent Pocono Record Suggests
Chris Buescher

Looking for Legitimate Pocono Win This Time
Brad Keselowski

Should Be Strong at Pocono This Weekend
Josh Berry

a Safe DFS Option at Pocono After Diffuser Issue
Erik Jones

Is Good at Pocono
Noah Gragson

is a DFS Pivot Option at Pocono
Austin Dillon

is Respectable at Pocono
John Hunter Nemechek

Should Be Avoided in DFS
Christopher Bell

Probably Not Dominant Enough Recently for DFS Play
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace's Lack of Pocono Qualifying Time Makes Him a DFS Must-Have
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF