Martin Jol's Fulham can make a winning start by continuing their strong home record with a win over Aston Villa
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The new season is upon us and that means we're back with the first of our weekend previews, including all the regular features, the bet of the weekend, weekend punt and weekend treble. And this year, for the first time, we'll enable you to see how we're doing with a running tally of our results - just so you know you're getting good advice!
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So, with Tottenham's match against Everton the only one to fall foul of the aftermath of the riots, we have nine matches to look at and as in previous seasons, the opening weekend is likely to mean one thing: goals.
Betting bullets
- Bet of the weekend: Fulham to beat Aston Villa - 7/5
- The weekend punt: Stoke City to beat Chelsea - 9/2 bet365
- The weekend treble: Liverpool, Blackburn and QPR to win: 13/2 bet365
The reason there are usually a lot of goals is fairly simple. Many clubs have players in their teams who may not have had a full pre-season, for injury or reasons of rest or whatever. That means that each XI is not quite at full steam and mistakes inevitably flow. Match fitness is hard to replicate from pre-season where the intensity is not the same, so look for the strikers to be sharper than the defenders, where one slip is often costly.
All that said, though, there might be a slight difference this year because only one of the big teams - Liverpool - are at home on the opening weekend so there may not be quite so many hammerings as in other years.
So to bet of the weekend. It's at Fulham, where the home side host an Aston Villa shorn of their best players after raids from Manchester United (Ashley Young) and Liverpool (Stewart Downing). The addition of Shay Given and Charles N'Zogbia will help them later in the season but their biggest problem is going to be creativity now that their two biggest providers of goals are gone.
An away fixture on the opening day is always a tough proposition and when you're short on goals it becomes a war of attrition. Fulham, on the other hand, are one of those sides transformed when they play at home and begin the new season in good heart and with a good new manager in Martin Jol.
The Dutchman likes to play attractive football to watch, which will please the fans at Craven Cottage, but their home record is so strong that they will be confident of overturning this Villa side and at 7/5 with bet365 they are a surprisingly big price. Make the Cottagers the bet of the weekend.
It's always tempting to go for the big price when looking at the weekend punt and by sheer probability, one or two of them will come off in a season. Backing West Brom to beat champions Manchester United on Sunday might seem worth a go but I'll avoid that for now, not least since United won the Community Shield last weekend.
Another of the big guns might go down to defeat, though, and by that I mean Chelsea for what is a nightmare opening day trip to Stoke City. Chelsea are an ageing side and while they are still bound to be there or thereabouts this season, they are not the threat of a few years ago.
With Fernando Torres likely to miss the first match with concussion after international duty, Didier Drogba will get the starting spot in attack, which he will be happy with, but they may just find it tough to get the better of the ever robust Stoke side.
At home, in particular, their muscular brand of football makes life uncomfortable for every side that arrives there but they also possess a bit of class in their team and should not be underestimated. I can see them getting a win here and at 9/2 they are the weekend punt.
Liverpool have bought well in the transfer market this summer, by all accounts, and should be too strong for Sunderland at Anfield on the opening day, so at 8/15 they can lead the weekend treble.
Home advantage should be enough for Blackburn Rovers to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers at 11/10 and new boys Queens Park Rangers, back in the top flight for the first time in ages, can get off to a winning start by beating Bolton at Loftus Road, at 7/5.
Stick those three together and you have a treble that works out at around 13/2, which would be a pretty nice way to start the season. Good luck!
Please note that odds are correct at time of publication and are subject to change.
Simon Cambers is ESPN.co.uk's betting correspondent
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Simon Cambers
Simon Cambers is ESPN.co.uk's betting correspondant Simon Cambers is ESPN.co.uk's betting correspondant
