Crystal Palace v Bournemouth: Goals on the cards between two strugglers

Crystal Palace v Bournemouth
Saturday 9 December, 15.00

Palace's home improvements

Crystal Palace will be playing their first game at Selhurst Park since plans were announced to renovate their home ground to the tune of £100m, extending capacity to 34,000. Chairman Steve Parish was keen to emphasise this week that the redesign will go ahead regardless of which division the Eagles are playing in next season - although deep down he will know all those riches Premier League status brings will certainly make it easier.

Roy Hodgson's side currently find themselves in the relegation zone, mostly thanks to that dreadful start in which they lost all seven of their opening games without scoring a single goal and Championship football in 2018/19 remains a certain danger. But there are signs of revival: the former England boss has taken 10 points from his 11 games in charge since Frank de Boer was sacked after that pointless start.

Palace are also unbeaten in four matches and will be hoping to continue that run against a Bournemouth side struggling to string together a positive set of results.

Inconsistent Cherries

Eddie Howe's men sit in 14th place, five points clear of Palace in the relegation zone. Like Hodgson, Howe will know a fight for survival is a likely prospect this season. But similarly, the younger of the two Englishman saw his side improve after a disastrous start.

The Cherries lost their opening four games in the Premier League this season - not the kind of start the club would have been hoping for after a summer in which they spent big on the likes of Nathan Ake and Jermain Defoe - but soon recovered.

Yet Bournemouth continue to be inconsistent. Having won four games in five during October and November, the Cherries have drawn twice and lost once to three middling sides - Swansea, Burnley and Southampton. Which Cherries turn up on Saturday is anyone's guess.

Little to choose between sides

Neither side are in particularly inspiring form at the moment but Palace's unbeaten run does leave them as slightly strong favourites at odds of 2.08, although that does feel a little short. Bournemouth can be backed at 4.10 to pick up their third away win of the season. Perhaps instead there is more value to be had in backing the draw at 3.55.

At first glance there appears to be little temptation to back a goalfest. Both sides average fewer than a goal per game this season and the Eagles are the first side in the Premier League to play out consecutive 0-0 draws this term suggesting Hodgson is happy to keep things tight at the back in the hope of nicking one on the counter or from a set-piece. In fact, no side has had a higher proportion of shots on goal from set piece situations than Palace (39%).

However, both those goalless draws came away from home and recent results at Selhurst Park suggest a different style of play. Palace have scored two goals in each of their last four games at home, with the visiting sides notching a total of 6 - a combined average of 3.5 goals per game.

Over 2.5 Goals is trading at 2.20 while Unders is a comparatively short 1.80, suggesting the former could be a good option. An alternative could be to back Both Teams To Score, although that is slightly less attractive at a shorter 1.90.

Ref Watch

The man in the middle for Saturday's match will be Kevin Friend. The Leicestershire official has been in charge of 13 matches this season, handing out 29 yellow cards and one red.

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Back Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.20