Liverpool vs Bournemouth Betting Tips
Champions Liverpool kick off their Premier League season on Friday night, when they face Bournemouth at Anfield (8pm, Sky Sports Main Event).
The Reds’ season got underway last weekend when they were beaten on penalties by Crystal Palace in the Community Shield at Wembley, but they showed, in patches, the kind of form that will stand them in good stead again this season.
Arne Slot’s side finished 10 points clear of second-placed Arsenal in May as they secured their 20th league title and most betting sites make them the favourites to retain their crown.
They have spent big this summer bringing in five new players and spending well over £200m, but they have received more than £180m in the sale of seven players.
Their spending doesn’t appear to be done yet, with a striker and central defender still looking likely before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.
With Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz both being sold and the tragic death of Diogo Jota, the Reds still seem light in attack, particularly through the middle, so it’s no surprise that the speculation around bringing in Alexander Isak continues.
The Reds’ Premier League title odds heading into the opening night have contracted with a wave of support coming from punters, but they’ll need to be wary of a Bournemouth team that gave plenty of the big boys a scare last season, recording wins away at Arsenal and Manchester United, while they avoided defeat at Chelsea and Tottenham.
Bournemouth finished in ninth last season, but after a difficult summer in which they’ve lost some key players, Andoni Iraola’s new-look team may take some time to gel.
Liverpool vs Bournemouth betting preview: Reds to get off to a winning start
The Cherries’ impressive season, which saw them win 15 of their 38 games and keep nine clean sheets, resulted in bids for three defenders that they just couldn’t turn down.
Dean Huijsen joined Real Madrid for £50m while Milos Kerkez moved to Liverpool for £40m, back in June, and Illia Zabarnyi has this week joined Paris St Germain for £57m, so it will be interesting to see how they adapt after losing such quality.
This is not the type of game they would hope for to kick off the season, especially as they have lost 11 of their last 12 league matches against Liverpool. Their only win came in 2023 when Philip Billing scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win at the Vitality Stadium.
Liverpool have kept clean sheets in their last three meetings, but they will need to defend better than they did last weekend, when captain Virgil Van Dijk was to blame for both of Palace’s goals in the 2-2 draw.
The Reds haven’t lost their opening match of the season in their last 12 campaigns, winning nine and drawing three since they were beaten 3-0 by West Brom back at the start of the 2012-13 season.
We can’t see them slipping up this season either, and it’s more a case of how many they will win by.
Bizarrely, the Cherries’ last opening day defeat also came against the Baggies, when they were beaten 1-0 at the Hawthorns at the start of the 2017/18 campaign. Since then, they have won three and drawn four of their last seven season openers.
Football betting sites have installed the Reds as odds-on favourites for the opener, with the Cherries a high-price for the upset in the latest Premier League odds.
Liverpool vs Bournemouth prediction 1: Liverpool to win to nil - 11/8 Bet365
Liverpool vs Bournemouth tips: Ekitike to make it two from two
Hugo Ekitike had a debut to remember at Wembley on Sunday as he opened the scoring after just four minutes when he combined with fellow debutant Florian Wirtz to fire past Dean Henderson.
He should have added to his tally in the second half, but he headed wide from six yards out before firing over from 12 yards. Ekitike is an outside shot in the Premier League top scorer odds, especially considering his strong start to life in a Liverpool shirt.
The French striker joined the club from Eintracht Frankfurt for £69m and scored 22 goals last season in the Bundesliga, including two against Bochum and Hoffenheim, as his side finished third in the league.
Premier League betting sites are offering 17/4 on him scoring first or last and 11/10 on him scoring at any time. As we saw on Sunday, he likes a quick start, and he could take advantage of the new look Bournemouth defence.
Liverpool vs Bournemouth prediction 2: Hugo Ekitike to score first - 17/4 BetVictor
Liverpool vs Bournemouth team news
Liverpool vs Bournemouth predicted line-ups
Liverpool vs Bournemouth betting offers
Bettors can enjoy a range of Premier League free bet offers ahead of the start of the new campaign, including one from William Hill that could see a punter earn free bets right up until the end of September.
By backing a team to win the league on William Hill, bettors can secure a £1 free bet for every game they win in August and September.
So, if you back Liverpool to win the league again this season and they get off to a hot start, you could receive up to £6 in free bets.
To qualify, click the link below, opt in to the promotion and wager a minimum of £10 on Hills’ Premier League outright market at odds of evens or greater.
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