Top 3 bets for tonight's Premier League football

Who will win the Merseyside derby tonight?

Everton against Liverpool is not only a local derby clash, it’s also a meeting between one of the most out of form teams in the Premier League and one of the most in form. Everton are without a win in seven games, dropping to 14^th in the table, while Liverpool are up to third after extending their streak of scoring at least 2 in every game on Saturday, when they thrashed Southampton 4-0. Rafa Benitez is already under the kind of pressure reserved only for a former Red by the Everton fans. He takes charge of his first Merseyside derby a Everton manager but his 15^th in total, after 14 in charge of the Reds. He is the first manager to take charge of both Merseyside clubs in a derby in more than 100 years. Seven of the last right Goodison derbies have ended in draws.

Sadio Mane Anytime Goalscorer (boosted to 7/5)

While Mo Salah has been getting all the headlines this season with his succession of five star performances and wonder goals, Sadio Mane has quietly gone about his usual business, with nine goals in 18 games in all competitions. He scored after just three minutes of this fixture last season, breaking a run of three straight goalless draws between the sides at Goodison.

How is Steven Gerrard’s Villa revolution going?

It’s so far so good for Steven Gerrard after his move to Villa from north of the border, with two wins from two games, at home to Brighton and away at Crystal Palace. Tonight though, Villa face a sterner test, as champions Manchester City are in town. Not only will Villa be facing one of the title chasing teams, they will – injury permitting – come up against Jack Grealish, one of their own, for the first time. The England star of course left Villa for City in a £100million move in the summer. Along with Phil Foden, he’s been struggling with injury but looks likely to be fit. Gerrard has his own injury woes to  contend with, Danny Ings set to sit this one out with a niggle.

Cross-Bookings (410-470)

Gerrard has his Villa side defending from the front, with the high press on at all times, and with so many skilful players on show tonight, it could be a night of mistimed tackles which keeps the referee busy. If Grealish plays, it will be interesting to see what kind of reception he gets, but either way, the Villa players will be keen to make sure their old teammate hasn’t forgotten about them and leave their mark. We have seen buying in most of our bookings markets, but Cross-Bookings, which multiplies one team’s booking points by the other, replies on both sides to find their way in the book, and it’s not something City do that often. Since their home defeat against Crystal Palace, when Aymeric Laporte was sent off, City have not had more than two players booked in the same game.

Which other games catch the eye tonight?

Leaders Chelsea will come up against their old boss Claudio Ranieri when they travel to Watford tonight. The Hornets thrashed Manchester United in their last home game, and definitely look more threatening going forward under the Italian, but the defence still looks leaky, a fact borne out by an out of form Leicester team scoring four against them at the weekend. Not only are Chelsea top of the league, they have been coping without their two main strikers, Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku. The bad news for Watford is both look like being fit and ready to play tonight.

Goals x Corners x Bookings (975-1125)

There have been 25 goals in the six Watford games since Claudio Ranieri took over, so we’ve seen plenty of buying in markets involving lots of goals being scored tonight. The Goals x Corners x Bookings market has caught the eye after Chelsea’s game against Manchester United on Sunday, when they forced 15 corners. With plenty of industrial challenges set to be launched in a game with a real gulf in skill between the two teams, punters are banking on Watford to continue scoring and conceding plenty, and Chelsea to rack up the corners again. Of course, if any of the three contributing factors finish on zero, then the make-up of this spread will be zero and the loss to buyers will be 1125 times their stake – the maximum.