If you are one of the billions of soccer lovers worldwide, we have the perfect article for you. It’s known as ‘the beautiful game,’ and it’s easy to see why. Soccer ranks as the human race’s most popular sport, attracting fans from every country and background while uniting people in a common love of sport, rivalry, and lasting friendships. Which is your favorite team, and how often do you get along to support the players?
The crown of soccer’s most-watched and favorite club competition is the English Premier League. It boasts the most famous teams, including current European champions Manchester City, with two of the three European gongs won by teams from England. West Ham scooped the Europa Conference League in the same season as Man City finally conquered the Champions League. Will Pep Guardiola’s men make it two European titles on the bounce? Soccer lovers can make predictions at the best rated sportsbooks and online gambling apps.
Whether following the English Premier League live on television or betting on the US National Women’s team at the World Cup, soccer offers drama, excitement, and tension. Games played in the leading competitions are often competitive, and the results are unpredictable, even for the TV pundits with decades of experience following the sport.
Major League Soccer is the main attraction in the United States and is currently home to the game’s greatest player, Lionel Messi. But there are more popular divisions.
Adding extra heat
With the EPL being the most-watched club soccer competition, it’s little surprise to learn the leading television networks show the top games. Follow champions Man City in action as they aim to successfully defend the trophy, making it four Premier League title wins on the bounce. Arsenal ended as the runners-up last season and aims to go one better, while Liverpool hopes to regain their consistency under Jurgen Klopp.
With the strongest teams involved in a title fight, the best of the rest pushing for a European finish, and the strugglers battling to avoid relegation, every game is important.
You can watch the play live on TV from the comfort of your home or at a local sports bar. Fans who are unable to catch the big match on TV due to work commitments or another pressing engagement can remain in the loop thanks to in-play gambling. The leading broadcasters offer HD-quality live-streaming of the EPL, allowing fans to keep pace on their smartphone from anywhere in the country. If you have a reliable Wi-Fi connection or available data, you can move away from your sofa, taking the action with you on your journey.
Watching Premier League soccer is a fantastic buzz, but many fans like to add an extra layer of excitement by making predictions on the result. Some attempt to call the winner or play the specials like total goals and first scorer at betting apps. Others study the stats to improve their Fantasy Soccer team, while some like to call the result to impress friends and family or get one over on rival supporters.
But how do you consistently find the winning team? We explain all in our article on how to make smart predictions on soccer. In the section below, we detail where to look and how to improve your success with EPL picks.
League standings
What does the game mean to both teams, and is it more important to one team than the other? You’ll find out by checking the league standings and finding where both clubs are in the pecking order.
If one team is fighting for the prize places near the end of the season while the other is in midtable obscurity, you know what to expect from the contest. That could come in handy when making your pre-match predictions on the winner.
If both sides are battling against relegation, it’ll likely produce a nervy game with neither manager wanting to take any risks. Sometimes, in soccer, avoiding defeat is more important than pushing for the win. If neither team has anything to play for, the coaches may field weakened teams, and it could be a goal-fest.
Recent form
Next, check the recent form of both clubs to see which is in better shape. If the home team enjoys a winning streak, back them to add another victory to the list. If the away team is on a losing streak, that means it’s even easier to call the result.
Sometimes, the form helps separate the teams, giving you a winner, but that’s only sometimes the case. If there’s little between the pair, you can check the head-to-head stats to see how past meetings have played out between the teams. Which side leads the H2H, and is there a pattern in recent games?
Browse the head-to-head results over the last five seasons and look for a pattern. You may find both teams to score, first scorer, handicap, and other useful snippets of information.
Odds
Your last call before making predictions should be to check the odds offered on the game by the leading bookmakers. You don’t have to follow the bookies call, but it’s always nice to see what the experts think. Are you following the same path as the professionals, or do you intend to go against the grain?
Never let the bookies’ odds put you off backing a selection, as the traders don’t know anything more than you. It’s all opinions, and if you’ve done the necessary research, your opinion is worth more than most. Only make your call when you’re sure you have all the information at hand and have completed the research described on this page.
If you plan to gamble on the result of a Premier League game, collect all the information from your studies and relate it to one of the hundreds of betting markets. You can wager before kick-off or at any stage of the 90 minutes, thanks to in-play betting. Odds are available a few days before the fixture and continue until full-time.
