Premier League predictions: Wolves to send Steve Cooper packing

Our tipster Jones Knows takes aim at the Premier League card, predicting wins for Wolves, Liverpool, Brighton and Man Utd on Saturday.

Crystal Palace vs Liverpool, Saturday 12.30pm

Roy Hodgson's tedious tactic of turning the game into a 45-minute match by playing nullifying and dour first-half football is getting a little silly now. In 15 Premier League matches this season, Palace have scored three first half goals - and this has been a common theme in his time at Palace across both spells. In his 173 Premier League games in charge, Palace have scored just 79 first half goals. That's just 0.45 goals per first half across a huge sample size.

It gets even more eye opening when assessing home matches against the traditional big six of Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea. Under Hodgson, Palace have scored one first-half goal in their last 18 home matches against those opponents with the aggregate score coming out as 'Palace 1-17 Big Six' when assessing all those first halves.

How do we profit? We back Liverpool to be winning at half-time at Evens with Sky Bet.

Brighton vs Burnley, Saturday 3pm - PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!

I'm sitting patiently waiting to continue my love affair with Roberto De Zerbi and his Brighton side. I've had to row back over the past six weeks or so as their squad depth and attacking process has hampered confidence in these parts but there were signs in the comfortable 2-1 win over Brentford that the zip and relentlessness to their attacking is returning. This could be the fixture where they cut loose.

Having Lewis Dunk back can only help boost matters, too. He remains overpriced in many attacking markets now he's the designated free-kick taker from range - and is going to find the top corner with one of them sooner or later. His threat aerially from set pieces also is huge, especially against a flimsy side like Burnley and I'm happy to back him to have two or more shots at 5/2 with Sky Bet.

Dunk has fired 14 shots in his last seven home appearances, so the odds look generous for him to maintain that average against a relegation threatened side.

SCORE PREDICTION: 4-0

Manchester United vs Bournemouth, Saturday 3pm - PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!

It's such a shame when my excitement for a particular angle is negated by the market agreeing with my view. This fixture has all the ingredients for a bit of a basketball-like shootout involving two attacks that are playing with great confidence based on recent games. A high volume of goals, shots, and tackles are expected and punters should attack a selection with confidence if they find a strong fancy across the array of options.

My weapon of choice is Ryan Christie's tackle numbers again. Unfortunately for my retirement plans, the traders at Sky Bet have noticed his spiking numbers in his free pressing role and the 7/1 on offer for four or more tackles is a thing of the past. However, the 2/1 for four or more tackles is still just on the right side of backable considering he's made 20 tackles in his last four matches (4-4-6-6) - that's six more than any other player in the Premier League. He's a tackling machine in this exciting set-up under Andoni Iraola.

SCORE PREDICTION: 3-2

Sheffield United vs Brentford, Saturday 3pm - PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!

Brentford playing away from home against a relegation threated team have never filled me with confidence.

Thomas Frank's team are better suited to counter-punching their way to a result against the bigger boys. The numbers stack up in terms of the severe uneasiness about the 8/11 with Sky Bet for the away win. In 11 away games against the bottom eight since the start of last season, Brentford have won just twice. And they head to Bramall Lane without their key creative outlet in Bryan Mbeumo.

That said, it's too early to make a judgement call on Chris Wilder having any sort of impact on the worst team in the league by a distance. The Blades, like Brentford, are unbackable, too.

So, the under goals market has caught my attention. Brentford are happy to turn a game ugly on the road as shown by 13 of their last 14 away matches falling under the 3.5 goals line. When the goal count is predicted low then the draw always becomes a runner so I'm happy to invest in the 4/1 with Sky Bet for the game to be a draw and produce less than 2.5 goals - in other words splitting stakes on 0-0 and 1-1.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-1

Wolves vs Nottingham Forest, Saturday 3pm

Nottingham Forest are a perfect example of how quickly things can escalate in football.

Taiwo Awoniyi was leading the line with such authority. Aston Villa were being swept aside. A top-10 charge was mooted.

Now, after one win in 11 Premier League games, including a calamitous 5-0 thumping at Fulham, Steve Cooper is one more defeat away from the sack. The problem he has is that without Awoniyi, Forest post results and underlying numbers that make them a relegation candidate. His groin injury couldn't have come at a worse time for Cooper.

In 27 games with Awoniyi starting, Forest have a 41 per cent win ratio across all competitions.

That figure drops to a miserly 12 per cent without him from a 33-game sample size. It's damming numbers and Cooper's inability to find a way to negate the loss of Awoniyi's influence and goals will ultimately cost him his job. A home win at 5/6 with Sky Bet looks one of the best punts of the weekend here.

Aston Villa vs Arsenal, Saturday 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports - PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!

As with most Aston Villa matches I've gone hunting for an offside based bet in what should be a high stakes, high intensity encounter that is a difficult outcome to call.

The traders at Sky Bet are well versed about opposition offsides when it comes to Emery's Villa now, who have caught 173 players offside in Emery's 40 Premier League games in charge - an incredible 78 more times than any other team.

After a spell of attaining prices that were fat and juicy, that per 90 average of 4.3 is now aligned with the market with Arsenal offered up at 6/4 to be caught offside five or more times. This means we must get a little shrewder to beat the market and find some value. It comes in the shape of Ben White to be caught offside at least once in the player offsides market at 4/1 with Sky Bet.

Such is the complex nature of trying to beat the Villa offside line, running from deep as a third man is a tactic employed by opposition when the opportunity arises. That includes down both flanks where attack-minded full-backs are encouraged to get in behind their winger. Of those 173 offsides, 17 of those have been full-backs, meaning we're looking at an average of one getting flagged offside every 2.3 games. A healthy rate when assessing the prices.

And, interestingly, one of those to be flagged was White in Arsenal's 4-2 win over Villa at Villa Park last season.

He's an intelligent footballer that has developed a great understanding with Bukayo Saka - as seen by his assist for Gabriel Jesus' goal at Luton in midweek where he got in behind the opposition and clipped a cross in. He'll be making that same run when he can at Villa Park and will be walking the offside tightrope against the aggressive offside line.

Everton vs Chelsea, Sunday 2pm

If you take away the points deduction, Everton would be above Chelsea in the Premier League table - and it's no fluke.

Sean Dyche has got his team playing forthright and dangerous football. Chelsea's name and strong attacking metrics remain factored heavily into their outright match prices. The away win trading at 5/4 with Sky Bet here. That looks woefully short.

Everton, if able to reenergise from their impressive 3-0 win over Newcastle, look worth chancing on the draw no bet at 6/5.

Raheem Sterling's direct dribbling and ability to draw fouls and yellow cards off opponents remains a sustainable edge to exploit. Diogo Dalot's booking on Wednesday night for a foul on Sterling, took his tally to 13 bookings drawn off opponents. It's an outrageous figure - six more than any other player. This obviously leaves Everton's full-backs very vulnerable to cards, so depending on where Sterling lines up, the 5/1 with Sky Bet for Vitaliy Mykolenko to pick up a card is certainly a runner.

SCORE PREDICTION: 2-1

Fulham vs West Ham, Sunday 2pm

West Ham are a team that frazzle my brain.

Performances remain mediocre and David Moyes' future looks in doubt beyond this season but they are just three points off Tottenham and Manchester United. They are most certainly overperforming - as seen by the expected points model which has them seven points higher than their underlying metrics. Only Manchester United are overperforming to a greater level. I have no idea how this one will go. Best play the draw then.

Alex Iwobi is being disrespected by the market at being offered up at 14/1 with Sky Bet to open the scoring. Marco Silva is the master at lighting a fire and making his players feel unstoppable and that certainly looks the case with the usually timid Iwobi, who is getting into some great positions in this Fulham set up as shown by his haul of 10 shots and three goals in his last three home appearances. His hot-streak in front of goal may continue.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-1

Luton vs Manchester City, Sunday 2pm, live on Sky Sports - PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!

Luton's corner lines at Kenilworth Road remain soaked with value.

Rob Edwards knows his team must play for set pieces by getting the ball into opposition territory fast to create situations to win corners down the flanks or free-kicks by playing at a high tempo. At home, their corner count has been traditionally very healthy, averaging 7.4 corners per game at Kenilworth Road last season - a tally only bettered by West Brom in the Championship.

The step up to the Premier League hasn't affected their output too much yet as they've won 42 corners across their seven games, working at an average of six per 90 minutes.

Therefore, the 10/11 with Sky Bet on offer for them to win just three or more corners is exceptionally generous.

Manchester City aren't their usual selves - and that can be seen through the amount of corners they are conceding. They have conceded 26 corners in their last four fixtures to an average of 6.5 per game as their usual supreme ability to strangle opposition with possessing football has dipped which in turn has allowed them to be more vulnerable to counters on their goal. I can see them grinding out a no-thrills victory but I'll be more concentrated on the Luton corner count.

Tottenham vs Newcastle, Sunday 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports - PLAY SUPER 6 HERE!

Newcastle looked to be running on fumes at Goodison Park and there is little time for a breather for this stretched squad.

Just two wins from their last 13 games away from home in all competitions doesn't exactly inspire much confidence on the 2/1 with Sky Bet for an away win. Plus, Eddie Howe will also have one eye on the clash with AC Milan on Wednesday so may tweak his already tweaked squad to maintain some energy levels for that huge night. That said, it's hard to trust Spurs at 23/20 to turn their likely territorial advantage into goals based on their last two home performances.

Just two goals scored from 110 touches in the opposition box, 32 of those being shots and to a backdrop of an expected goals tally of 4.2 is damming indictment of their attackers. A draw it is.

Pedro Porro has been threatening to find the net this season though and odds of 25/1 with Sky Bet do underplay his goalscoring chances. He's had seven shots in the last two home fixtures, hitting the post with an effort and finding the target with two others. His turn might be close.