Saturday Premier League Preview and Odds – Crystal Palace vs Southampton 

Saturday 16 September, 2017 13:30pm

Selhurst Park

Recent form (All competitions)

Crystal Palace: LLLLW

Southampton: WDLLD

After sacking Frank de Boer after just four games in charge, Crystal Palace have turned to former England boss Roy Hodgson to try to turn their fortunes around.

The beleaguered Dutch boss was recruited to implement a brand new attacking style of play at Selhurst Park but that plan has been ditched after just 77 days. Instead, the club’s hierarchy have plumped for the old school methods of the veteran manager. His first task will be to secure the club’s first points of the season and hopefully to put a mark in the ‘goals for’ column.

With such a low starting point, there is only one way but up for the man who once took Fulham all the way to the Europa League final. In his favour, is the fact that the group of players he has inherited might be better suited to his style of play than de Boer’s. The new gaffer will have to make do without the service of influential winger Wilfred Zaha, who is still out injured.

With no points and no goals in their last four games, confidence might be low in southeast London  but the arrival of a new manager can sometimes give players room to breathe in such situations. However, a high goal count should not be expected here so the Under 2.5 Goals bet could come into play here.

Prediction

Under 2.5 Goals has paid out in three out of four of both Palace’s and the Saints games this term. As a result, that outcome looks good value at 7/10.

Hodgson is unlikely to instruct his players to go on the offensive and the Saints have hardly been adventurous this term, failing to score in three of their four games. With that in mind, this game has a high chance of ending goalless or being settled by a single goal either way.

For that reason, the 0-0 at 15/2 and the 0-1 away win at 7/1 both look tempting.

You can back Under 2.5 Goals at 7/10, 0-0 at 15/2 and 0-1 at 7/1 – all with Betfair.