Fri 19 Aug Man Utd 2 v 1 Southampton Sat 20 Aug Stoke 1 v 2 Man City Burnley 0 v 2 Liverpool Swansea 2 v 1 Hull Tottenham 2 v 0 Crystal Palace Watford 1 v 2 Chelsea West Brom 1 v 1 Everton Leicester 2 v 2 Arsenal Sun 21 Aug Sunderland 1 v 1 Middlesbrough West Ham 2 v 1 Bournemouth
Man Utd 1v1 Southampton Stoke 2v1 Man City Burnley 1v2 Liverpool Swansea 1v1 Hull Tottenham 5v0 Crystal Palace Watford 2v2 Chelsea West Brom 0v2 Everton Leicester 2v1 Arsenal Sunderland 0v0 Middlesbrough West Ham 0v1 Bournemouth
Fri 19 Aug Man Utd 1 v 1 Southampton Sat 20 Aug Stoke 1 v 0 Man City Burnley 1 v 1 Liverpool Swansea 2 v 1 Hull Tottenham 4 v 0 Crystal Palace Watford 0 v 2 Chelsea West Brom 0 v 0 Everton Leicester 0 v 2 Arsenal Sun 21 Aug Sunderland 2 v 1 Middlesbrough West Ham 1 v 1 Bournemouth
That probably isn't far from the case on average. Trouble is, the closer you get to the average the more benefit you get from playing under the odds, ie just predicting 2-1/1-1/2-0 like Lawro does. Those kinds of results aren't 10-1, let alone 10-1 when the outcome is the known. Either you have representative oddsoints for each individual prediction, or you have it so that the points undercut all the odds significantly so that there's not as great of an advantage in playing with normal scorelines, which makes people's predictions less varied and imo less fun. Anyway, mostly I just think the 1 point and 3 points is a good format for a league predictor. It's not like I'm gonna win anyway
Friday 19th August 2016 Man Utd 2-1 Southampton 20:00 Saturday 20th August 2016 Stoke 0-2 Man City 12:30 Burnley 0-2 Liverpool 15:00 Swansea 2-1 Hull 15:00 Tottenham 2-0 Crystal Palace 15:00 Watford 0-2 Chelsea 15:00 West Brom 1-1 Everton 15:00 Leicester 1-2 Arsenal 17:30 Sunday 21st August 2016 Sunderland 2-1 Middlesbrough 13:30 West Ham 2-0 Bournemouth 16:00
Friday 19th August 2016 Man Utd 2-2 Southampton 20:00 Saturday 20th August 2016 Stoke 1-2 Man City 12:30 Burnley 1-1 Liverpool 15:00 Swansea 2-0 Hull 15:00 Tottenham 3-1 Crystal Palace 15:00 Watford 1-2 Chelsea 15:00 West Brom 2-2 Everton 15:00 Leicester 1-0 Arsenal 17:30 Sunday 21st August 2016 Sunderland 2-0 Middlesbrough 13:30 West Ham 3-1 Bournemouth 16:00
Friday 19th August 2016 Man Utd 2-1Southampton 20:00 Saturday 20th August 2016 Stoke 1-2 Man City 12:30 Burnley 1-3 Liverpool 15:00 Swansea 2-1 Hull 15:00 Tottenham 3-0 Crystal Palace 15:00 Watford 0-2 Chelsea 15:00 West Brom 1-2 Everton 15:00 Leicester 2-2 Arsenal 17:30 Sunday 21st August 2016 Sunderland 1-1 Middlesbrough 13:30 West Ham 2-1 Bournemouth 16:00
Utd 3 Soton 1 Stoke 1 City 3 Burnley 0 Liverpool 3 Swansea 1 Hull 0 Spurs 2 Palace 0 Watford 0 Chelsea 2 WBA 1 Everton 1 Leicester 1 Arsenal 2 Sunderland 0 Middlesbrough 0 West Ham 2 Bournemouth 1
Friday 19th August 2016 Man Utd 2 1 Southampton 20:00 Saturday 20th August 2016 Stoke 1 2 Man City 12:30 Burnley 1 3 Liverpool 15:00 Swansea 1 1 Hull 15:00 Tottenham 3 1 Crystal Palace 15:00 Watford 1 2 Chelsea 15:00 West Brom 1 2 Everton 15:00 Leicester 2 1 Arsenal 17:30 Sunday 21st August 2016 Sunderland 2 1 Middlesbrough 13:30 West Ham 2 1 Bournemouth 16:00
Friday 19th August 2016 Man Utd v Southampton 2-0 Saturday 20th August 2016 Stoke v Man City 0-2 Burnley v Liverpool 1-3 Swansea v Hull 1-1 Tottenham v Crystal Palace 2-1 Watford v Chelsea 1-2 West Brom v Everton 1-1 Leicester v Arsenal 2-2 Sunday 21st August 2016 Sunderland v Middlesbrough 1-1 West Ham v Bournemouth 1-1
Friday 19th August 2016 Man Utd 2-0 Southampton 20:00 Saturday 20th August 2016 Stoke 1-2 Man City 12:30 Burnley 1-2 Liverpool 15:00 Swansea 2-1 Hull 15:00 Tottenham 1-0 Crystal Palace 15:00 Watford 0-1 Chelsea 15:00 West Brom 1-1 Everton 15:00 Leicester 1-1 Arsenal 17:30 Sunday 21st August 2016 Sunderland 2-1 Middlesbrough 13:30 West Ham 1-0 Bournemouth 16:00
Man U 3 Southampton 1 Stoke 1 Man City 2 Burnley 1 Liverpool 3 Swansea 1 Hull 0 Spurs 2 Palace 1 Watford 1 Chelsea 2 West Brom 1 Everton 0 Leicester 1 Arsenal 2 Sunderland 2 Middlesbrough 1 West Ham 2 Bournemouth 0
Man U 1 Southampton 0 Stoke 0 Man City 1 Burnley 0 Liverpool 1 Swansea 1 Hull 0 Spurs 2 Crystal Palace 0 Watford 1 Chelsea 1 West Brom 1 Everton 1 Leicester 1 Arsenal 0 Sunderland 1 Middlesbrough 0 West Ham 1 Bournemouth 0
Man Utd 2-2 Southampton Stoke 0-3 Man City Burnley 1-2 Liverpool Swansea 0-1 Hull Tottenham 2-1 Crystal Palace Watford 0-1Chelsea West Brom 0-1 Everton Leicester 1-2 Arsenal Sunderland 3-3 Middlesbrough West Ham 1-2 Bournemouth Thank you
Man Utd 3-1 Southampton Stoke 2-2 Man City Burnley 0-2 Liverpool Swansea 2-1 Hull Spurs 3-1 Palace Watford1-3 Chelsea West Brom 1-1 Everton Leicester 2-3 Arsenal Sunderland 2-1 Boro West Ham 2-0 Bournemouth
Friday 19th August 2016 Man Utd 2-1 Southampton 20:00 Saturday 20th August 2016 Stoke 0-3 Man City 12:30 Burnley 1-1 Liverpool 15:00 Swansea 2-1 Hull 15:00 Tottenham 4-1 Crystal Palace 15:00 Watford 1-0 Chelsea 15:00 West Brom 0-0 Everton 15:00 Leicester 3-1 Arsenal 17:30 Sunday 21st August 2016 Sunderland 2-2 Middlesbrough 13:30 West Ham 0-1 Bournemouth 16:00
please log in to view this image Tottenham v Crystal Palace Tottenham did not start well but came back to draw at Everton, while Crystal Palace could not score at home and were beaten by West Brom. Tottenham are without injured goalkeeper Hugo Lloris but I do not see that being a problem here while the Eagles are seeking a new striker. It looks like they will get Liverpool's Christian Benteke or the Baggies' Saido Berahino. Who would I take? Well, the way Palace play, it would probably be Benteke, who is close to joining them after the Eagles agreed to pay £27m for the player. Lawro's prediction: 2-0
Friday 19th August 2016 Man Utd 2 v 1 Southampton Saturday 20th August 2016 Stoke 1 v 3 Man City Burnley 1 v 1 Liverpool Swansea 2 v 2 Hull Tottenham 3 v 1 Crystal Palace Watford 1 v 2 Chelsea West Brom 1 v 1 Everton Leicester 2 v 1 Arsenal Sunday 21st August 2016 Sunderland 1 v 1 Middlesbrough West Ham 3 v 1 Bournemouth
Man Utd v Southampton Southampton started poorly against Watford, who were well on top in the first half. They clawed their way back to get a draw, but they'll need to be much better against United. please log in to view this image I'm not sure if Paul Pogba will start to be honest because I'd be surprised if Mourinho changed his team. It's his first home game and while they didn't play great at Bournemouth on Sunday, they still got a good result, and I think it will be fairly comfortable on Friday. PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0 please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Stoke v Man City - Saturday Stoke had a good first result at Middlesbrough, which is a difficult place to go on the opening day. please log in to view this image As for Man City, I didn't see anything different against Sunderland despite all the pre-match talk. It was the same team that didn't move the ball quick enough last year. They were slow and I was disappointed with their general play, so I think Stoke will get something on Saturday. PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1 please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Sunderland v Middlesbrough - Super Sunday, 1.30pm, Sky Sports 1 HD Big game! Sunderland did all right at the Etihad but I think it was the wrong decision to take Jermain Defoe off towards the end. It's easy to say that now, but I felt it gave Man City the impetus to attack freely. If Defoe was on the pitch, they would have been a bit more wary. please log in to view this image Middlesbrough had a good result too, Gaston Ramirez looks a very good signing and if you get the ball in the box to Alvaro Negredo, he'll score goals. They need to play to his strengths. There won't be much between these two at the end of the season and I think there are goals to be had at the Stadium of Light. I'm going for a wide-open game, and a score draw. PAUL PREDICTS: 2-2 please log in to view this image please log in to view this image West Ham v Bournemouth West Ham will be hoping to avoid a repeat of last season, when Bournemouth ripped them to shreds! It shouldn't be too much of a problem, though, because I can't see anything other than a West Ham win this time. The Cherries have a lot of possession but don't really look like scoring and I think they need to change a couple of things. West Ham have the players and it's a nice game to open the London Stadium. Slaven Bilic has more match-winners on his team and that could make the difference. PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1 please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Tottenham v Crystal Palace - Saturday, 3pm Spurs were disappointing in the first half against Everton, who should have been out of sight at half-time, but they improved after the break. Palace had a shocking result at home and it looks like they need a forward. Dwight Gayle has gone, Yannick Bolasie just went and they fired blanks against West Brom so it's a bit of a strange one. please log in to view this image Tottenham don't have that problem because Harry Kane gets better as the season goes on and I'm going for a home win. PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0 Watford v Chelsea - Saturday, 3pm I thought Chelsea played well against West Ham. They got lucky, don't get me wrong, because Diego Costa should have gone but it was a good start against a solid team. please log in to view this image Watford were outstanding against Southampton in the first half at St Mary's and their defensive shape worked a treat. They had the Saints penned back at times, which was impressive. There are positive signs for Walter Mazzarri, but I'm going for Chelsea to edge it at Vicarage Road. PAUL PREDICTS: 1-2 West Brom v Everton - Saturday, 3pm If they didn't have Tony Pulis, you would have West Brom around the relegation scrap, but with him as manager you know that's not going to happen. They will keep it tight and this will be another hard game. Everton are my dark horses this year if they can keep their players together now, and away from home I think Bolasie could be a threat with his pace on the break. please log in to view this image Still, I think this will be very tight, with Everton to draw 1-1 for the second straight game. PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1 Swansea v Hull - Saturday, 3pm Both teams had great results on the opening weekend, but I think Swansea just have a little bit more on the bench and that strength in depth made the difference against Burnley. There wasn't much in the game but then Jefferson Montero came on and ripped it up. please log in to view this image I don't think Hull have got a player that can make that kind of impact from the bench. PAUL PREDICTS: 1-0 Burnley v Liverpool - Saturday, 3pm I was a little disappointed in Burnley. At home, I thought they had to go for the win but they didn't create much and with virtually the same team that got them promoted, it looks like a long season ahead. There's a big gap from the Sky Bet Championship to the Premier League and I expect Liverpool to win this. please log in to view this image I don't think many teams will go to Burnley and take them apart because they are well organised and have a good manager, but Liverpool look dangerous in attack. They will be able to cope without Sadio Mane if he's out for an extended period because Jurgen Klopp has plenty of options going forward. It's in defence that he has problems. PAUL PREDICTS: 1-3 Leicester v Arsenal - Saturday, 5.30pm Arsenal have to win this match. People will say there are still 36 games left after this, but you can't afford to fall six points behind. Come the end of the season, playing catch-up takes its toll. It's a similar story for Leicester because you don't want to start off as champions and lose your first two games. No one had ever lost their first game as champions, and if you then lose your next, all of a sudden your momentum has gone. please log in to view this image This is a big football match and I think there will be goals. Last season, Wes Morgan and Robert Huth blocked every shot they jumped in front of, and I don't think that will happen again. Arsenal can't defend, we know that, so I'm going for a score draw. PAUL PREDICTS: 2-2
Lawrenson's prediction odds by game, via William Hill: 6-1, 13-2, 15-2, 6-1, 7-1, 11-2, 13-2, 11-2, 15-2. Not a single bet of 8-1 or higher and nobody scoring more than two goals. Thanks for that daring and insightful view of the weekend's games, Lawro!
