Sports Blog 07/08/2015: Match Preview – Premier League, Saturday 8th to Sunday 8th August 2015

It’s finally here! The 2015/16 Premier League season begins on Saturday, with a few corkers for fans to look forward to!

As ever Spreadex are offering a cornucopia of fixed odds and spread betting opportunities throughout the season. Those of you looking at the long term view should take a gander at the Premier League Index (where 60 points are awarded to the champions, 40 to 2nd place, 20 to 3rd, 10 to 4th and 5 to 5th) and the Relegation Index (where the bottom side get 50 points, 2nd to bottom 25 and 3rd to bottom 10). We also offer fixed odds on the league winner and top scorer, Season Points spreads and a treble-chasing Trophy Trail index, as well as all the usual week-to-week match spreads and odds.



With the formalities out of the way, let’s get stuck in and take a look at the weekend’s televised games!

The season opener is a doozy, and might be the tightest game of the weekend, as Manchester United take on Tottenham at 12.45pm on BT Sport 1. The expectation around United this season is that we will be seeing van Gaal 2.0, a better, more consistent, version of the side that dazzled in fits and starts in the Dutchman’s debut year. Gone is the disappointing Di Maria, with Memphis Depay, Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger the headline signings brought in to add a bit more jazz. Building on last season’s 4th place finish is the aim, with a sustained push for the title the bare minimum expected of van Gaal; our Spreadex traders think it could be within reach, just, and have the Manchester side at 5/1 to win the league with the 4th best Premier League Index spread of 22-25.

Tottenham, on the other hand, will be aiming to at the very least qualify for the ever-elusive Champions League. Nabbing Toby Alderweireld from Atletico Madrid, after an impressive season on loan at Southampton, should shore Spurs up at the back, with Kevin Wimmer and Kieran Trippier adding a bit more defensive choice for Pochettino. The real focus, however, will be on if Harry Kane can continue last season’s form; it’s a lot of pressure for the 22-year old, but our Spreadex traders have faith, offering 14/1 odds for him to be the season’s top scorer. In terms of Saturday, however, Spurs chances aren’t looking so great, with their Manc rivals at a Manchester United/Tottenham Goal Supremacy spread of 0.8-1 and a Total Goals spread of 2.65-2.85.



Saturday’s late game sees the title defence start for Chelsea, who host Swansea at 5.30pm on Sky Sports 1. It’s been a fairly quiet summer for Mourinho; taking Falcao on loan has been the Blues only major signing, with the controversial Portuguese manager hoping to get more out of the Colombian than van Gaal could last season. Yet, the argument can be made that Chelsea didn’t need to really add much to their side. Absurdly strong last season, the hope going into 2015/16 will be that this form can continue with an uninjured Diego Costa leading the frontline. An impressive 20 goal total in the league despite a recurring hamstring problem was a great debut season for the Brazilian-born Spaniard, and leaves him at 6/1 to be the season’s top scorer. The Blues are hot favourites to be lifting the trophy by next May, at 13/8 fixed odds to win the league with the best Premier League Index spread of 38-41.

A best ever 8th place Premier League finish was Swansea’s prize by the end of the season, despite the New Year sale of Wilfried Bony making things a bit more difficult for the Welsh side. However, if Bafetimbi Gomis steps up to the plate once again (provided they can hold onto him) the Swans can push for another top half finish. The additions of Andre Ayew and Eder give Garry Monk a bit more choice up front; yet it will be the back of the team the Swansea manager should be worried about ahead of Saturday evening. The Blues put 9 goals past the Swans last season, and go into the season opener with a commanding Chelsea/Swansea Goal Supremacy spread of 1.3-1.5 alongside a Total Goals spread of 2.7-2.9.

Things don’t slow down on Sunday; first up is a London derby, as Arsenal host West Ham at 1.30pm on Sky Sports 1. Whilst chatter about Arsenal’s title hopes are always present at the start of a new season, this year it feels like the Gunners have their best chance in years at actually winning the league. A lot of this has come from Wenger’s Petr Cech coup; in one swift move the Arsenal manger stuck a middle finger up at Jose Mourinho AND fixed once of his team’s most persistent problems. How far Arsenal’s Cech-inspired boost of confidence can last is unknown. However, they go into Sunday following an unbeaten pre-season, including a first-time Wenger win over his Portuguese rival in the Community Shield, leaving the Gunners at 7/2 to win the league with a Premier League Index spread of 27-30.



It is a bit of a different story for their East London opponents. With a new manager at the helm in the form of Slaven Bilic, there were questions of how well the Hammers could cope with both domestic AND European duties. However, those fears proved to be a bit premature, with West Ham crashing out in the third round of Europa League qualifying after losing to Romania’s Astra Giurgiu 4-3 on aggregate. Painful as that may be, it does leave Bilic free to focus on the league, and the Croatian will be looking to match West Ham’s stellar start to last season. He may have to wait, however; the Gunners go into the game as clear favourites, at an Arsenal/West Ham Goal Supremacy spread of 1.7-1.9 with a high Total Goals spread of 2.95-3.15.

The final televised game of the weekend sees a replay of one of last season’s real surprises, as Stoke host Liverpool at 4pm on Sky Sports 1. That shock came on the final day of the season, as Steven Gerrard received as ignominious a send-off as you could imagine as the Reds sunk to a 6-1 defeat at the Britannia Stadium. Stoke are unlikely to repeat that feat at the weekend; they will, however, be aiming to best their 9th place finish, and perhaps even chase a spot in Europe. They have strengthened their squad with old hands like Glen Johnson and Shay Given alongside Premier League debutantes like centre back Philip Willscheid and winger Ibrahim Afellay, leaving more than a few people excited about their prospects going into 2015/16.

Liverpool are, of course, aiming for loftier things from this season, and have an outsiders chance at the league with a fixed odds price of 22/1. The first job for Brendan Rodgers, however, will be to avoid another mortifying defeat at the Britannia Stadium. As has been the case in the last few seasons, Liverpool have had to deal with the departure of a couple of key figures. The aforementioned Gerrard has disappeared into the LA sun, whilst Raheem Sterling secured a new record price for the transfer of an English player, going to Manchester City for £49 million. Those are two big holes to fill, and Liverpool have only just plugged the gap left by Suarez’s exit by signing Christian Benteke from Villa (who goes into the new season at 16/1 to be top scorer). The Reds should get their season off to a good start, if only just, and sit at a Liverpool/Stoke (h) Goal Supremacy spread of 0.2-0.4 with a Total Goals spread of 2.45-2.65.

Make sure to check out Spreadex’s Premier League 2015/16 Guide before the season starts, and have a look at all the spreads and fixed odds for the rest of the weekend’s games!