Premier League Betting: Last Hurrah for Klopp at Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp sent shockwaves through the spine of world football on Friday when he announced his decision to leave Liverpool at the end of the season. Since taking charge of the English Premier League club in October 2015, Klopp has guided the Reds to four European finals, one of which saw them beat Tottenham to claim their first UEFA Champions League trophy in 14 years. The following season saw him lead Liverpool to their first-ever Premier League title.
Bit by bit, Liverpool were becoming a powerhouse on the domestic and international stage and a go-to option for Premier League betting fanatics, developing the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold into some of the best footballers in their position and continuing to challenge for silverware.
The 2021-22 season would see Liverpool come within inches of claiming an unprecedented quadruple, beating Chelsea on penalties in the EFL Cup Final and FA Cup Final, and reaching the UEFA Champions League Final, where they would lose 1-0 to Real Madrid. They also narrowly missed out on the Premier League title to Manchester City on the final day of the season.
With Liverpool regressing last season due in part to an injury crisis and missing out on top four for the first time since 2015-16, it seemed that the Reds’ time in the sunshine had come to a premature end, with Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal on the ascent and Pep Guardiola’s Man City continuing to dominate.
Today, however, Liverpool find themselves in prime position to compete for a quadruple, with the Reds set to participate in the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 after topping Group E. It should come as no surprise to soccer bettors that the Las Vegas sportsbooks have placed Liverpool as the overwhelming favorites to win Europe’s secondary competition at +225, with Bayer Leverkusen coming second at +550.
Whilst Leverkusen are the only team in the continent yet to suffer a defeat this season, Liverpool’s only two losses came in a 3-2 defeat at Toulouse on Nov. 9 and a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham that saw them concede at the final second after playing the final half-hour to nine men. Their five-match winning streak came to an end in a 1-1 draw at Fulham, with Liverpool prevailing 3-2 on aggregate and advancing to the EFL Cup Final, where they will take on Chelsea on Feb. 25.
Player Prop Bets: Nunez Hitting Stride for Liverpool
There was no doubt going to be a response following Klopp’s announcement to leave in the summer, with Liverpool demolishing Championship side Norwich City 5-2 and booking their ticket for the fifth round of the FA Cup – the sixth time since the November international break that Liverpool scored at least four goals.
Having won 14 of their 21 league matches, they sit atop the table with 48 points, five above Manchester City, who have a game in hand, five above Arsenal and Aston Villa, and eight above Tottenham. They have not suffered defeat to an English side at Anfield since Oct. 29, 2022, and I don’t expect that to change as they take on Chelsea on Wednesday.
Even with Mohamed Salah unavailable due to injury and Wataru Endo away at the Asian Cup, Liverpool continue to churn out results and put numbers on the board, with the EPL betting lines favoring them at -180 in contrast to Chelsea (+420) and draw (+370).
Darwin Nunez has been in sensational form for the league leaders, grabbing a brace of assists against Fulham and a brace of goals vs. Bournemouth before doubling their lead within a half-hour against Norwich City. He is the first Premier League player to reach double figures in goals and assists across all competitions this season.
The Uruguayan striker is hitting his stride and leading the line in the absence of Salah, and he’s a surefire addition to your player prop bets. Make sure to include a Liverpool victory in your Premier League picks, and put your money on Nunez grabbing a goal contribution for the fourth straight match at Anfield as they take on a Chelsea side that has lost five of its last six away fixtures.
Questions Of The Day
Who is a reliable pick to have a goal contribution in the Premier League?
Darwin Nunez is in red-hot form, and we’re backing him to build on that momentum with a big performance against Chelsea.
Which team is most likely to win in the Premier League this week?
Jurgen Klopp’s recent announcement seems to have lit a fire under Liverpool players. We’re expecting a major response and a decisive victory against Chelsea midweek.
