English Premier League Soccer - Bournemouth vs. Crystal Palace, 6/20/20 - Preview, Prediction & Odds
Currently occupying one of the three places in the bottom side of the Premier League table, 18th-placed Bournemouth will be dying for a victory while hosting 11th-placed Crystal Palace, who have won their past three games. Kick-off - at 14:45 AM ET on Saturday, June 20.
Bournemouth Edge Relegation
Bournemouth have not finished lower than 16th in the Premier League since making their debut in England’s top tier five years ago. For the very first time, relegation is quite a realistic possibility for the Cherries, who currently occupy the 18th place in the standings (W7 D6 L16), level on points with 17th-placed Watford and 16th-placed West Ham United, but with an inferior goal difference. The Dorset club has lost three of its past four league outings (D1 L3) and is currently riding a six-game losing skid on the road, being outscored 14-2, failing to net a single marker in four of those games.
English striker Callum Wilson leads Bournemouth with eight goals, having buried three snipes in his last six Premier League games. Goalie Aaron Ramsdale, meanwhile, sits 3rd in England’s top tier with 103 saves. He has registered four clean sheets in 28 contests this season and gives up a goal every 57 minutes on average. The Cherries have netted the 5th lowest number of goals this year (29) while delivering the 3rd lowest quantity of shots per game (10.2). The team is 15th in ball possession (46.3%) and 13th in passing accuracy (75.9%).
Crystal Palace Win Three In Row
The enforced coronavirus break couldn’t have happened at a worse time for Crystal Palace, who were riding a three-game winning run prior to the global pandemic. The Eagles banked 1-0 victories against Newcastle United, Brighton Hove & Albion, and Watford in succession, with Jordan Ayew scoring twice during the stretch after the team ended a three-game losing skid and a run of seven contests without a win (D4 L3). These nine points in the last three matches have moved Crystal Palace to the 11th position in the league (W10 D9 L10), just four points off the top-seven and a place in the second qualifying round of the Europa League.
Ghanaian forward Ayew has scored a team-high eight strikes in the Premier League this year, netting twice in his last two appearances. Goalie Vicente Guaita, meanwhile, resides 8th in the league with 88 saves. He has posted nine clean sheets in 27 games during the ongoing campaign and allows a goal every 87 minutes of play. Crystal Palace has picked up the 3rd lowest number of goals so far this season (26), while delivering the absolute lowest quantity of shots per game (9.9). The team is 14th in ball possession (46.4%) and 13th in passing accuracy (75.9%).
Prediction
Bournemouth has not won in four straight games (D1 L3). Still, the team can gain some encouragement from its very last two contests, which resulted in a 2-2 home draw with Chelsea and a narrow 2-1 away defeat at Liverpool. Crystal Palace is riding a three-game winning run and has already beaten the Cherries in their last two head-to-head clashes. The Eagles have, however, failed to win any of their last two trips to Dorset (D1 L1), managing to muster just a single victory in their previous five away games in Bournemouth across all divisions (W1 D2 L2).
Best bet:
Draw (+220)