

Martin Green
The Guru
After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide. The Guru appears regularly on "The Early Edge." Catch it daily at 10 a.m. ET on SportsLine's YouTube page. For Martin Green media inquiries, contact SportsLine@CBSInteractive.com.
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Bournemouth should have enough quality to pick up their first win of the Premier League season when they host Sunderland on Sunday. The Cherries picked up a morale-boosting 3-0 victory over Strum Graz in the Europa League on Thursday, but their domestic results have been poor. It has taken them a while to adjust to life under new manager Marco Rose, but they’ve also faced a difficult run of fixtures, including games against Man City, Liverpool, and Chelsea. They now have a golden opportunity to beat Sunderland, who are on a three-game losing streak in the Premier League. The Black Cats played away in Portugal on Thursday, so they could be tired, and they could be overrun in this game.
Arsenal dominated Leeds last season, beating the Whites 5-0 at home and 4-0 on the road. The Gunners have won their last four matches against Leeds, and they're unbeaten against this team in the past 20 years. They've made a strong start to the new campaign, and they're currently second in the Premier League table, with four wins from five games. Leeds are unbeaten so far this season, but they tend to struggle against the Gunners. Arsenal are missing a few key players through injury, but they have a deep squad, and they should have enough firepower to beat Leeds.
Everton have made an unbeaten start to the new season, with three wins and three draws from six games in all competitions. They should be able to grind out another win when they host newly promoted Ipswich at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday. Ipswich have been involved in a lot of high-scoring games so far this season, but they could struggle to break down Everton’s stubborn defense. The Toffees don't have a great deal of firepower, but Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Tyrique George, Jack Grealish, and Thierno Barry should lead their team to a narrow victory.
This could be a tense clash between two newly promoted Premier League teams. Both games between Coventry and Hull finished 0-0 in the Championship last season, and under 2.5 goals has paid off in their last three meetings. Coventry lost 3-0 to Arsenal in their opener, but they should be stronger against Hull. The Tigers are surging with momentum after picking up a shock 2-0 victory over Man Utd in front of their home fans last weekend, but they’re on the road for this game. Both teams will be desperate to avoid defeat against a relegation rival at this early stage in the season, so a low-scoring draw looks like a distinct possibility.
Liverpool should make a winning start to the new season under new manager Andoni Iraola. Newcastle are rebuilding after manager Eddie Howe left in the summer, along with captain Bruno Guimarães, fellow midfielder Sandro Tonali, winger Anthony Gordon, and veteran full-back Kieran Trippier. They could struggle in the opening weeks of the season, and Liverpool have a lot of firepower in their ranks, so the Reds look well priced to secure an away win.
Liverpool’s recent results have been poor, but they could still finish fourth in the Premier League if they win this game. They've won all four of their home games against Brentford since the Bees were promoted to the top division in 2021, which bodes well. Brentford have a poor away record this season – 10 defeats in 18 away games – so backing Liverpool to win at -120 looks like a great option.
Man Utd are guaranteed to finish third in the Premier League, so they have nothing to play for in this game. By contrast, Brighton are battling to secure a place in Europe next season, so they’ll be highly motivated. The Seagulls also have home advantage, so they're the clear favorites to win this game. However, Man Utd are unbeaten in their last five games, and they’ll be keen to finish the season with a flourish. They’re a better team than Brighton, with more firepower in attack, so backing them to either win or draw at -103 looks enticing.
This looks like a great opportunity for Liverpool to return to winning ways. The Reds are in the doldrums after losing 3-2 to fierce rivals Man United last weekend. That brought their three-game winning streak to an end, but they're still fourth in the Premier League table. Liverpool's home record is strong, with 10 wins from 16 games this season. Meanwhile, Chelsea have slipped down to ninth in the table following a six-game losing streak. The Blues still don't have a manager after firing Liam Rosenior on April 22, and they look rudderless right now.
Man United remain third in the Premier League table after beating Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge last weekend. They've picked up eight wins from 11 games since captain Bruno Fernandes returned from a hamstring injury in early January. The Red Devils are full of confidence right now, and they have enough quality to secure a home win against Brentford. The Bees have drawn their last six games, but that run could finally come to an end on Monday, as Fernandes is in sparkling form right now.
Aston Villa's players should be full of confidence after enjoying a six-game unbeaten streak. They're fourth in the Premier League table, and they could take a giant step towards qualifying for next season's Champions League if they beat Fulham on Saturday. Fulham have only won one of their last five games, and they're cruising towards yet another mid-table finish. The players may lack motivation for this game, and they could be outfought by this resurgent Aston Villa team. Villa have won their last six games against Fulham, which bodes well.
Aston Villa can seriously boost their chances of securing a top-four finish by beating Sunderland at Villa Park this weekend. Unai Emery's men are fourth in the table, but Liverpool and Chelsea are lurking ominously behind them. They need to win this game, and they have a strong home record this season: 10 wins from 16 games at Villa Park. Sunderland tend to struggle on the road, having lost seven of their 16 away games this season. Villa will be surging with momentum after thrashing Bologna 4-0 on Thursday, and they should get the better of Sunderland.
Man Utd have climbed up to third in the Premier League table after winning seven of their last 10 games. Captain Bruno Fernandes is on fire right now, and he should inspire his team to another victory over Leeds on Monday. Leeds are battling relegation, so the players will be fired up for this game, but they tend to struggle on the road. They have the third-worst away record in the Premier League this season, whereas Man Utd have the third-best home record.
Man City should be full of confidence after beating Arsenal 2-0 in the EFL Cup final and thrashing Liverpool 4-0 in the FA Cup quarterfinals. They're playing with real swagger right now, and they could outclass a struggling Chelsea team this weekend. Chelsea have lost four of their last five games; their sole victory came against third division side Port Vale in the FA Cup. The Chelsea defense looks weak, so Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo could fire the away team to victory here.
Man United should extend their 11-game unbeaten streak when they face struggling Newcastle this week. The Red Devils are flourishing under new manager Michael Carrick. They've picked up seven wins and four draws from their last 11 matches, and they're surging with confidence right now. By contrast, injury-hit Newcastle have lost five of their last six games. They slumped to a 3-2 home defeat against Everton at the weekend. The Magpies are now 13th in the Premier League table, 15 points below Man United, and they could struggle to contain the Red Devils in this game.
Bournemouth are up to 8th in the Premier League table after embarking on a six-game unbeaten streak. In their last three home matches, they've beaten Tottenham, beaten Liverpool, and drawn with high-flying Aston Villa. The Cherries have the sixth-best home record in the Premier League this season, and they look capable of beating Sunderland this weekend. Sunderland struggle on the road, with just two wins, four draws, and seven defeats from 13 away games. The Black Cats are winless in their last eight away matches, which doesn't bode well for their chances of beating Bournemouth.
