CRYSTAL PALACE welcome Southampton to Selhurst Park on Saturday as the Premier League returns. Daniel McCulloch (@DMcCulloch1984) shares his favourite fancies.
Crystal Palace vs Southampton | Saturday 12th September 2020, 15:00 | BT Sport
This feels like a fixture between the two sides that punters have opposing views on. Many tipsters I follow are predicting Crystal Palace to get relegated and Southampton to finish in the top half. I can see the logic in both views.
Palace ended the season in dreadful form, with just a single point secured from the final 24 available. Indeed, while they were never really in danger of relegation, The Eagles were generally a turgid watch, managing just 31 goals in 38 league games.
The Saints, by contrast, were a good value, scoring 20 more goals than their opponents and securing nine more points. Ralph Hassenhutl’s side were also in excellent form in the second half of the season, managing 34 points from their final 20 matches of the Premier League season.
So all things considered, it may come as a surprise that I am backing Crystal Palace at 13/10 in the Draw No Bet market. Perhaps I have been unduly influenced by a couple of Palace signings – Michy Batshuayi is an excellent addition on-loan and I expect Eberechi Eze to be an excellent signing for the South London club – but I don’t see there being such a gulf between these two as many expect.
Given Palace’s deficiencies in front of goal, I don’t want to be on the Eagles in the outright market but odds-against with money back for the draw is fine for me.
I am also really tempted by the 3/1 on offer for Batshuayi in the Anytime Goalscorer market – he scored five goals in 11 league matches for Palace in his previous loan spell – but given he only completed his signing late on in the week, he may not start in this encounter. Look for the line ups on Saturday and if the Belgian is in it, then take anything greater than 2/1…
Best Bets
Crystal Palace vs Southampton – Crystal Palace Draw No Bet (13/10 BetVictor)
