Premier League Matchday 3 Predictions, Picks, Odds

Andrew Beasley Sports Betting Expert

3 minute read

Matchday 3 of the English Premier League is set to be another exciting weekend of action, beginning on Friday August 25, 2023 and concluding on Sunday August 27, 2023.

Each week, I'll be offering up my Picks & Predictions for a handful of games in the Premier League with hopes of cashing winners.

Let's get right to the games!

Premier League Matchday 3 Predictions

• (Sunday) Manchester City -2
• (Sunday) Newcastle United - *ML
• (Saturday) Over 2.5 Bournemouth-Tottenham
• (Saturday) *BTS No - Everton-Wolverhampton
• (Saturday) Manchester United win to nil

*Both Teams to Score
*ML - Moneyline

Odds Provided by bet365 - Subject to Change

Sheffield United vs. Manchester City

• Date: Sunday, August 27
• Time: 9:00 a.m. ET
• Venue: Bramall Lane
• Location: Sheffield, England

Best Bet: Asian Handicap: Manchester City -2 (-103)

These sides met in April in an FA Cup semi-final, with Manchester City running out 3-0 winners.

While Riyad Mahrez got a hat-trick that day and has since left, many of the same XI will feature on Sunday against a Sheffield United side that has been weakened through transfer business since that Wembley showdown. 

In its away games against the eventual bottom eight last season, City won by at least three goals four times and by two goals twice. Erling Haaland hasn’t scored in his last two games and will see this as an opportunity to fire the visitors to a massive victory. 

Newcastle vs. Liverpool

• Date: Sunday, August 27
• Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
• Venue: St James’ Park
• Location: Newcastle, England

Best Bet: Newcastle ML (+115)

Newcastle does not have a good record in its head-to-head with Liverpool, having failed to win any of the last 13 meetings and suffering nine defeats in that period.

However, it only lost to a 98^th minute goal at Anfield early last season, while it had goalkeeper Nick Pope sent off after just 22 minutes in the corresponding clash at St James’ Park.

Considering the Reds’ form, Newcastle’s price to win is too good to ignore. Liverpool gave up five clear-cut chances to Chelsea in its previous away game and had to come from behind to beat Bournemouth last weekend.

With Newcastle scoring five in its previous home match, the Reds’ porous midfield will look very inviting and the Magpies possess the defense to largely keep Liverpool at bay.

Bournemouth vs. Tottenham Hotspur

• Date: Saturday, August 26
• Time: 7:30 a.m. ET
• Venue: Vitality Stadium
• Location: Bournemouth, England

Best Bet: Both Teams to Score and Over 2.5 goals (-110)

No Premier League club failed to score more often than Bournemouth last season. But times have changed for the Cherries, who have netted in both games so far in 2023/24.

And even though Tottenham were dreadfully dull at times last term, its games saw more goals than any other club in the division. They too have livened up since appointing a new manager this summer, with this likely to be one of the most watchable games this weekend.

Both meetings last season ended in 3-2 away wins. A similar outcome would not be surprising, but it’s safe to expect to be entertained with goals for both sides.

Everton vs. Wolverhampton

• Date: Saturday, August 26
• Time: 10:00 a.m. ET
• Venue: Goodison Park
• Location: Liverpool, England

Best Bet: Both Teams to Score: No (-105)

With both teams having lost their first two games, this could be the most important match the third week of a Premier League season has ever seen.

What’s worse, the teams have just one goal between them, and that was secured by Wolverhampton when already 4-0 down to Brighton. This continues the trend from 2022/23.

Wolves were bottom of the Premier League for games in which both teams scored, tied with their manager Gary O’Neil’s former club, Bournemouth. With tension high and three points crucial, it seems certain at least one of these low-scoring teams will draw a blank. 

Manchester United vs. Nottingham Forest

• Date: Saturday, August 26
• Time: 10:00 a.m. ET
• Venue: Old Trafford
• Location: Manchester, England 

Best Bet: Manchester United win to nil (+125)

One of the mildly more surprising pieces of betting trivia from last season was that Manchester United won at least two games to nil more than any other side. 

What isn’t a shock is that nine of their 15 such victories occurred at home, including a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest last December.

These clubs met four times in 2022/23, with United winning to nil every time. As Forest was the lowest scoring team on the road last term, another victory with a clean sheet looks on the cards for the home team here. 

Andrew Beasley

Andrew Beasley is a freelance football writer who uses his statistical knowledge and insight of soccer to provide betting previews, strategy articles and podcasts for a variety of websites and bookmakers. Primarily focussed on the EPL, if the data is available for another league, he’ll manage to find an edge somewhere.Andrew was also part of the victorious team in season 15 of the BBC quiz show Only Connect. He’s good at spotting sequences and connections in soccer too. More from Andrew Beasley