The defending Premier League champions secured an important win against early season rivals Leicester City last weekend, despite missing key personnel, and they should be able to pick up another win on Saturday.
Brighton have played well in patches so far this season, and they were impressive in beating Aston Villa last time out, but that win, like their only other Premier League success, against Newcastle, came on the road. At home, the Seagulls have been less impressive, picking up two points from four games.
Graham Potter’s side have also shown a tendency to leak goals against the stronger sides, conceding three apiece against Chelsea and Manchester United and four when they lost to Everton. That defensive weakness is likely to prove costly against a Liverpool attack that will be strengthened by the return of Mohammed Salah.
Harlequins beat Northampton in the reverse fixture at Twickenham Stoop back in August, and although they haven’t won at Franklin’s Gardens since 2012, they look a good bet to break that record this weekend.
The Saints go into this game on the back of a dreadful run of form that has seen them lose their last seven Premiership fixtures, including the final six outings of the delayed 2019-20 season and their 2020-21 opener against Sale last weekend.
The visitors also lost last time, against reigning champions Exeter, but they ended last season in good form, winning two of their final three to finish two places above the Saints, and I’m backing them to edge this one.
The UK Championship has reached the Second Round stage and the draw has thrown up an interesting clash between two players with plenty of potential.
Xu Si and Oliver Lines have met once before, at the 2017 Northern Ireland Open, when Lines fought back from 0-2 down to prevail 4-3, but while Lines has yet to build on his early promise, Xu has made steady progress.
The young Chinese star is higher ranked than his opponent, and has shown more so far this season, reaching the third round of the English Open and coming close to making the last 32 at the Northern Ireland Open last week. There isn’t much to choose between these two, but at odds against, Xu looks the better bet.
Total Odds for this multiple: 5/1 Remember, multiple prices are based on our Sportsbook product, so any winnings are exempt from commission.
Source: BetFair Tips
