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Struggling Crystal Palace will hope that hosting Bournemouth is going to help them get back on track, but the visitors proved themselves to be no pushovers in the Premier League.
Four consecutive defeats and no wins in the last 6 Premier League matches have sent Crystal Palace from Europa League contention to the 11th place in the table. The hosts have not been able to address their huge offensive problems with a proper transfer in January and as a result they scored exactly 1 goal in the last 6 Premier League matches. They did bring in Adebayor, but it was too little, too late. Palace scored just 24 goals in 23 matches and it seems like their offensive struggles will continue. On the bright side, the hosts managed to defeat Stoke 1-0 in the FA Cup over the weekend, so that should give them a little boost of morale.
Bournemouth really stepped it up in late 2015 and in 2016. The visitors lost just one of the last 6 games and 2 of the last 13 in all competitions. Last time out they defeated Portsmouth 2-1 on the road in the FA Cup, so Bournemouth will definitely come into this match full of confidence. Currenty 16th in the table, Bournemouth will fancy getting at least one point in order to remain on a safe place above the relegation zone.
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Team news & lineups:
Palace’s poor form can also be attributed to injuries and the hosts continue to struggle in this department. Wickham, Appiah, Bolasie and Sako are out, while Cabaye, Ledley and Gale are questionable. Also, new signing Adebayor will probably miss out on the game. Bournemouth can’t count on Gradel, Stanislas, Mings, Wilson and possibly Afobe.
Crystal Palace: Hennessey – Ward, Dann, Delaney, Souare – McArthur, Jedinak, Mutch – Zaha, Chamakh, Puncheon
Bournemouth: Boruc – Smith, Cook, Francis, Daniels – Surman, Arter – Ritchie, Gosling, Pugh, Afobe
Palace was quietly dreaming of Champions League football a few weeks ago and yet they have the 4th worst offense in the league, which really says it all. Pardew’s side has zero offensive force and could not bring in serious help during the transfer window, despite being linked with many big names. Bournemouth is a team that can put players behind the ball and defend well, so the hosts seem destined to struggle offensively yet again.
This is a very important match for both sides, Palace is desperate to end the losing streak while Bournemouth will love a point in order to stay above the red zone. I expect Palace to dominate possession very carefully, doing everything in their power to avoid conceding a goal, because they know it will be very hard for them to surpass a 1 goal deficit. Bournemouth, I think, will be happy to play the 0-0 game, choosing to put players behind the ball and hope for counterattacking opportunities. It’s hard to see any side taking risks.
With the above factors in mind, the under over market seems the way to go here, as this match looks like it has under 2,5 goals written all over it. Earlier this season, Palace and Bournemouth were involved in a 0-0 draw at Bournemouth, which pretty much defines the matchup between the two sides.
My tip here is under 2,5 goals to be scored. Odds are pretty good on the bet, so I will invest a high 9 unit stake. Prediction: Crystal Palace – Bournemouth 1-0.
Pick: under 2,5 goals
Odds: 1.73 @ 1xBet
Stake: 9
Possible profit: 6.57
Event date: 2 February
