Liverpool vs Bournemouth: 6/4 and 7/2 betting tips for Friday's Premier League opener
The 2025/26 Premier League season kicks off this Friday night with an 8 pm BST kick-off between Liverpool and Bournemouth at Anfield.
Our football tipster Steve Day takes a look at the betting for the big game and gives his tips for the curtain-raiser for the new top-flight campaign.
The new Premier League season has finally arrived. Reigning champions Liverpool will host a new-look Bournemouth at home in the first league game of the campaign as they aim to retain their league title.
Reds manager Arne Slot has overseen a huge number of arrivals and departures during the summer. The club has spent nearly £300 million on new signings, including Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen, Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt, Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth, Geovanni Leoni from Parma, and Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia, who have bolstered the squad.
A few big names have also exited the club. Trent Alexander-Arnold departed for Real Madrid earlier in the summer, with the likes of Caoimhin Kelleher, Jarell Quansah, Luis Diaz, Tyler Morton, and Darwin Nunez leaving for pastures new.
Liverpool come into this game as the 7/4 favourites to win the league, and they are listed as 3/10 favourites to kick their new campaign off with a victory on Friday night.
It's worth noting that the Reds have won with a clean sheet in each of their last three matches against Bournemouth. A repeat of that recent trend appeals at a best-priced 6/4 with Bet365.
It's fair to say that it's been a tough summer for Bournemouth.
Head coach Andoni Iraola performed miracles with the team last season to guide them to a ninth-placed finish in the Premier League.
Unfortunately, the squad that delivered that top 10 position has been decimated in the defensive areas. Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga returned to his parent club, Chelsea, before sealing a permanent transfer to Arsenal. Key performers from last season, including Kerkez, Dean Huijsen and Illia Zabarnyi, have also left the club.
The Cherries have attempted to replace those players. Goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic arrives from Chelsea, left back Adrien Truffert comes in from Rennes and Bafode Diakite signs from Lille. Despite these signings, there are still gaps left in the Bournemouth back line.
Mohamed Salah heads into this game with a stunning record of scoring on the opening day for Liverpool in the Premier League.
The Egyptian attacker has now scored a total of nine goals in the opening game of a Premier League season, including scoring in seven of the last eight opening day league games in the top division of English football.
He is available at 7/2 with AKBets to be the first goalscorer in this game, which looks worth having on side.
Given the fact that Bournemouth will be starting with a restructured defensive backline, it's likely that cohesion and communication issues could be a factor in this first fixture. More than four cards, priced at 6/4 with Bet365, also looks a decent shout as the south coast club kick off their season with a fresh-looking defence.
Steve Day is a seasoned content writer and editor for Odds Now, with over 15 years of experience in the sports betting industry.
Steve has written for a number of high-profile sites, including Football League World, Punters Lounge, and Cricket365.
His main area of expertise is football betting, where his understanding of the game and betting markets has enabled him to provide expert tips and analysis over the years. He also dips his toes into other sports including horse racing, cricket, and ice hockey.
Steve is a lifelong Cardiff City FC fan and is a follower of the Wales national football team. He can often be found taking in Glamorgan Cricket Club matches at Sophia Gardens and Cardiff Devils ice hockey matches at the Vindico Arena.
Steve Day is a seasoned content writer and editor for Odds Now, with over 15 years of experience in the sports betting industry.
Steve has written for a number of high-profile sites, including Football League World, Punters Lounge, and Cricket365.
His main area of expertise is football betting, where his understanding of the game and betting markets has enabled him to provide expert tips and analysis over the years. He also dips his toes into other sports including horse racing, cricket, and ice hockey.
Steve is a lifelong Cardiff City FC fan and is a follower of the Wales national football team. He can often be found taking in Glamorgan Cricket Club matches at Sophia Gardens and Cardiff Devils ice hockey matches at the Vindico Arena.
Steve's p/l
7 Days
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