Best Bets and Predictions for Saturday’s Premier League Games (August 21, 2021)

The second round of the English Premier League starts Saturday, August 21. Judging by what we saw in the opening weekend, we’re in for plenty of excitement.

Soccer fans should be satisfied with Saturday’s action, but what about bettors? There are six Premier League games to choose from that day, some of which seem ideal for betting. To learn which ones they are, all you need to do is keep reading!

I’ll now analyze all six matchups of the Week 2, 2021-22 Premier League season, sharing my betting picks and predictions along the way.

The first game of the day is Liverpool vs. Burnley, which is taking place at Anfield. Liverpool’s stadium is the place where the Reds always bear the role of the favorite.

Last season, fans weren’t around, so Liverpool’s home performances weren’t as good as usual. However, in the pre-COVID-19 era, they were nothing short of brilliant on their turf. In the 2019-20 season, they won 18 of the 19 home games in the Prem.

It was Burnley’s first Anfield victory since 1974. However, it happened in January, when there were no fans in the stands.

The Reds should do well at home this season too, starting with a win this Saturday. They’re facing Burnley, a team that would be a huge underdog even in front of its own supporters.

This side finished in the #17 place last season, just one spot above the relegation zone. Okay, to be fair to the Clarets, they had 11 points more than the team just below them. Still, that might not be the case in the 2021-22 season, which they started with a defeat to Brighton at home.

If they couldn’t get a draw against Brighton in front of their supporters, Burnley players have nothing to hope for against mighty Liverpool.

The reigning champion of the English Premier League started the 2021-22 campaign with a defeat. Despite coming to North London as favorites, the Sky Blues ended up losing to the Spurs.

This time, it should be different. They’re playing in front of their crowd at the Etihad. On top of that, they’re now facing a team that’s much, much weaker than Tottenham.

The team in question is Norwich, which played in the Championship last season. In fact, this team seems to be bouncing up and down between the two top tiers of English soccer.

Norwich is once again one of the top candidates for relegation, with odds somewhere in the ballpark of -139. Truth be told, the odds weren’t as short only a week ago. However, Norwich got hammered last weekend by Liverpool, which made this team the #1 relegation favorite.

In the opening round of the 2021-22 Premier League, Aston Villa lost to recently-promoted Watford 3-2. The Villans were horrible in that game, especially in the first half. They did get two goals in the final 20 minutes of the game, but it was too late by then.

The good news is they are facing Newcastle in the second round of the season.

The Magpies did even worse than them in the opening round, getting hammered 4-2 by the Hammers at home. This Saturday, they’re traveling to Birmingham, which is where they haven’t won a game since 2013.

The Magpies probably aren’t going to win this time either. The reason isn’t just their poor record on the road. It’s also because their opponent is a much better team. Despite a disappointing start to the season, Aston Villa does have plenty of talent in the locker room.

Brentford started its first-ever Premier League season in top gear, beating Arsenal in the opening game. The score was 2-0 for the team from West London, giving the Bees much-needed confidence for the upcoming games.

Brentford players have confidence on their side, but do they have the player quality to beat another one of their London rivals?

Probably not. The team from south-of-the-Thames has some exceptional players on the roster, even though they didn’t show their talent last weekend.

In the opening round of the Premier League, Crystal Palace got battered by Chelsea 3-0. However, that’s Chelsea, the winner of the 2021 Champions League. The Eagles’ next opponent is much, much weaker than that.

In fact, Brentford winning against Arsenal can be explained by the enthusiasm of the players making a Premier League debut. It can also be explained by the fact that Arsenal played without two of its arguably best players – captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.

This Saturday, Crystal Palace will have most of its key men fit. The only exception is Eberechi Eze, who’s still recovering from a torn Achilles.

Manchester United destroyed Leeds 5-1 in the opening round. Marcelo Bielsa isn’t going to allow another disappointment! Or, will he?

England midfielder Kalvin Phillips is probably Leeds’ best player, but he might not be 100% match fit. Without him to rule the midfield, his teammates might not get enough ball possession.

What’s even worse is that several Everton midfielders are returning after missing out on the first-round action due to injuries. Gylfi Sigurdsson, Fabian Delph, and Tom Davies should all be available for Saturday’s game.

Brighton’s strongest weapon is its defense; Watford’s is the attack. So, which will prevail in Saturday’s game? I think neither. In my opinion, this game is destined to finish in a draw.

Both teams started the 2021-22 season with a win, meaning that there’s no pressure on either of them.

Furthermore, knowing that they’re both among the strongest relegation candidates, getting a point each from this game could prove very important later on in the season.

Another reason why I think they will split points is that we saw a draw in two of their previous three meetings.

Liverpool and Manchester City are the two teams that won the Premier League in the previous two seasons. Both are playing at home this Saturday, welcoming relegation candidates.

That said, I expect both Liverpool and Manchester City to win big.

When it comes to the clash between Aston Villa and Newcastle, we should see an interesting game, probably with goals on both ends. Still, the home team should be able to score at least one goal more than Newcastle.

Like my EPL picks and predictions for Saturday? Feel free to roll with them at the top soccer betting apps.