Opta Stats: Hull and Stoke to perform to expectations

Steve Bruce's Hull were under-2.5-goal magnets in 2013/14

Michael Lintorn uses Opta's information to suggest bets for games at Aston Villa, Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Hull...

Aston Villa v Newcastle (Saturday, 12:45, BT Sport 1)

Newcastle have taken 13 points from their last five Premier League encounters with Aston Villa

Aston Villa fared better than expected on the opening weekend to win away to Stoke, who many are topping for a top-half finish, but it was home form that was their greater ill last season, suffering ten league defeats, so this is the more significant test. Newcastle have triumphed on successive visits to Villa Park to gradually chip away at the memory of the relegation they suffered at the venue in 2009.

Recommended Bet: Back Newcastle to win @ 3.052/1

Chelsea v Leicester (Saturday, 15:00)

Chelsea have kept seven clean sheets in their last eight Premier League games at Stamford Bridge

Though the Blues could only manage third place in last term's bunched-up Premier League, they conceded ten times fewer than champions Man City and 12 times less than Liverpool, while they leaked just 11 times across their 19 Stamford Bridge fixtures. There hasn't been a single instance this decade of them getting two matches into a campaign without opening their clean-sheet account.

Recommended Bet: Back Chelsea to keep a clean sheet @ 1.824/5

Crystal Palace v West Ham (Saturday, 15:00)

Crystal Palace have won three of their last five Premier League meetings with West Ham 1-0

The Eagles' history of 1-0 victories over West Ham isn't Premier League exclusive either because two of their previous four Championship clashes ended 1-0 to the manager-less south Londoners, most memorably the 2003/04 play-off final. The Irons have failed to fire in five of their last six collisions in all competitions, and were dealt a 0-1 loss in their last London derby against Tottenham last week.

Recommended Bet: Back Crystal Palace to win 1-0 @ 7.413/2

Hull v Stoke (Sunday, 13:30, Sky Sports 1)

180 minutes of Premier League football between Hull and Stoke last season produced one goal

Hull and Stoke is one of those matches that gets punters asking why it is on TV, a line of questioning fuelled further by the more appetising yet untelevised Tottenham v QPR showdown being moved to the same time slot due to the Europa League. Sometimes these glamour-light telly offerings turn into sleeper classics, but the Opta stats indicate that is unlikely at the KC Stadium. Six of Stoke's eight 2013/14 trips to bottom-eight clubs yielded two goals or fewer, as did 14 of Hull's total 19 as hosts.

Recommended Bet: Back under 2.5 goals @ 2.6613/8