Premier League 3pm Kick-Offs: Back goals when Hull entertain Palace

Will Warnock's men be involved in a high-scoring game at Hull?

Liverpool are the star attraction amongst Saturday's five 3pm kick-offs but Mike Norman isn't convinced by the Merseyside strugglers. Here our man's recommended wagers in each of the non-televised games...

Hull 2.111/10 v Crystal Palace 4.1n/a; The Draw 3.55/2

I envisage Crystal Palace taking this game to Hull and going all out for the three points. Neil Warnock hasn't been shy about declaring that he believes his men can give anyone a game in this division and following back-to-back league wins the Eagles should be full of confidence.

I said at the end of August in our weekly Betting Pointers column that we should be looking to back goals in games involving Palace and since then they've drawn 3-3 at Newcastle, won 2-3 at Everton, and lost 2-3 at home to the Magpies in the League Cup.

Warnock is a completely different manager to Tony Pulis, his mentality is to attack and we should take advantage of it.

In last week's Betting Pointers column it was mentioned that Hull are the new entertainers, so given now that they are up against Palace, where else could we go other than to recommend backing Over 2.5 Goals at a seemingly generous price.

All of the Tigers' last four Premier League games have witnessed at least three goals scored, in fact they've averaged 4.25 per game. Steve Bruce will also see this as a winnable fixture, not least because Opta tell us that Hull have won just one of their last 11 league matches so there's a need to get back on track.

So expect a very entertaining encounter with yet more goals being scored between two sides that the layers are yet to latch on to when it comes to scoring and conceding.

Recommended Bet
Back Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.265/4 (best bet)

Leicester 1.84/5 v Burnley 5.59/2; The Draw 3.814/5

A match between last season's automatically promoted clubs, and one in which I initially found hard to call.

But the fact is that Burnley are really struggling to score goals, and conceding four at West Brom last Sunday may have seriously dented their confidence. So when you consider some strong Opta stats in favour of the home side, it's hard to oppose Leicester here.

Opta tell us that Nigel Pearson's men are unbeaten in their last seven league meetings with the Clarets, winning five of those matches.

In addition, the Foxes have scored in every one of their last 18 league games at the King Power Stadium, and even allowing for the fact that the majority of those games were in the Championship you sense that one or two goals against Burnley may be good enough for the win given that Sean Dyche's men have scored with just 2% of their shots this season.

And it's also hard to ignore Leicester's stunning victory over Manchester United a fortnight ago, so everything considered I'm willing to forget the Foxes loss at Crystal Palace last week and back them to get straight back on track here.

Recommended Bet
Back Leicester to Win @ 1.84/5

Liverpool 1.4640/85 v West Brom 8.27/1; The Draw 5.04/1

You don't need me to tell you that Liverpool are struggling. But what I find staggering is that people are actually surprised. I know Luis Suarez missed the start of last season also but what you've effectively got right now is a Reds side that has lost a 55-goal strike partnership.

I don't think any side in the world would cope with such a loss unless they went out and spent 100m+ on direct replacements.

Liverpool don't need to replace Daniel Sturridge of course as he's just injured, but Rickie Lambert (will he even get more than five starts this season?), Fabio Borini, and Mario Balotelli aint no Suarez.

But while Brendan Rodgers' men are struggling for goals at one end they seem a worse defensive unit than last season at the other end also.

Don't get me wrong. I still blieve Liverpool are a good side and I'm certain they'll get better sooner rather thann later. They are very likely to win this game but I definitely don't want to be backing them at long odds-on t do so.

West Brom are full of confidence having won at White Hart Lane and thrashed Burnley at the Hawthorns in their last two games.

The Baggies have an ecxellent recent record against Liverpool too, with Opta telling us that they've won three and lost just one of their last five Premier League meetings. Alan Irvine's men will smell blood when they go to Anfield on Saturday then, and I can see them getting on the scoresheet at least once.

Recommended Bet
Back Yes in Both Teams to Score @ 1.910/11

Sunderland 2.6213/8 v Stoke 3.211/5; The Draw 3.39/4

If only I'd have been a tad braver. For the last two Saturdays I've suggested Under 2.5 Goals in games involving Sunderland but I genuinely thought that 0-0 was a very big runner both times. Of course, both of those games finished goalless.

I believe that the 0-0 is a big player again this week, but I always feel when you recommend such a bet it has to be from a back to lay perspective, and as I can't track such a bet in terms of recording a profit/loss then I'll instead back Under 1.5 Goals.

My pre-season worry for Gus Poyet's side was that they don't have any real quality in attack, and their lack of goals, and winless start to the season, perhaps backs up my initial thoughts.

Stoke don't strike me as a side who will score many goals either; in fact four of their six league games this term have ended the way of my recommended wager for this match so we've got to be confident about collecting.

We have to be even more confident when we read the Opta stat that tells us that there have been only six goals scored in the last five Premier League meetings between the Black Cats and the Potters. That's an average of 1.2 per game - fingers crossed for a repeat.

Recommended Bet
Back Under 1.5 Goals @ 2.747/4

Swansea 1.910/11 v Newcastle 4.84/1; The Draw 3.711/4

I'm really struggling with this game, I have to admit. My thoughts early in the week were that Swansea looked a good price to beat a Newcastle side in real turmoil. But now I have this niggling doubt.

I certainly don't believe Alan Pardew's men were disgraced at Stoke on Monday night; in fact they enjoyed some good possession and got into some good positions, and as we know, they really should have equalised right at the death.

If Newcastle had have equalised we'd now be talking about a team who has lost just one of their last seven league and cup games. It makes you think doesn't it? True, they are yet to win in the league but they aren't losing many either. It's a very fine margin and I just have a hunch that Newcastle, sooner rather than later, will start to get the rub of the green.

Having said that, Opta tell us that Swansea have won the last four league meetings between these two, and I'm sure there'll be many punters willing to wager Garry Monk's men will make it five on Saturday.

But the fact remains that Swansea have now failed to win any of their last three league games, and they haven't found the back of the net in their last two.

So we're back to square one - I'm really struggling to make a confident call. I don't want to back the Swans at odds-on so let's take a punt on the draw.

Recommended Bet
Back The Draw @ 4.77/2

Premier League 2014/15 Season P/L

Staked: 27 pts
Returned: 24.64 pts
P/L: - 2.36 pts

*based on 1pt each bet, 2pts best bet