Arsenal vs Bournemouth Odds, Betting Preview: Aggressive Line Makes Sense (Mar. 4)
David Price/Getty. Pictured: Bukayo Saka.
Arsenal vs Bournemouth Odds
Arsenal Odds | -450 |
Bournemouth Odds | +1200 |
| Draw | +550 |
| Over/Under | 2.5 (-175 / +140) |
| Both Teams to Score (Yes/No) | (+135 / -165) |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get the latest soccer odds here. | |
Arsenal will look to extend their Premier League lead when they host Bournemouth on Saturday at the Emirates Stadium.
This matchup is truly a tale of opposites. Arsenal have a five-point lead in the table and extended their league winning streak to four after dismantling Everton 4-0 in the midweek. Meanwhile, the Cherries are just three points out of last place and are coming off a humiliating 4-1 loss to Manchester City last week.
Will Bournemouth pull off the latest Premier League shock, or will Arsenal take care of business in front of their home fans and continue to grow their lead at the top of the table?
Here is our breakdown of the Arsenal vs. Bournemouth odds, and my pick for the Premier League match on Saturday.
Arsenal Can Taste the Title
Arsenal have a five-point lead over Man City with just 13 matches remaining and are in the midst of a four-game winning streak. Manager Mikel Arteta's confident young squad can almost taste the title.
While most of their goals and forwards have been stealing the headlines during their incredible run this season, Arsenal's greatest strength has been their midfield.
Arsenal are in complete control nearly every time they touch the pitch. They average 59.4% possession per game (third-highest in the EPL) and average 11.18 seconds per possession sequence (second-highest in the EPL).
However, it is not just useless possession. They have 99 completed build-ups that consist of 10 or more passes that have either ended up in a shot or a touch in the box, according to theanalyst.com. That is 80 more than Bournemouth have put together this season.
Moreover, Arteta's already buzzing midfield is going to get even stronger when they lineup against Bournemouth, as Thomas Partey and Emile Smith Rowe are both returning from injury ahead of the match.
Bournemouth Struggle to Defend
Heading into the Man City match, I talked about how much of a scoring problem Bournemouth have this season. Well, that remains to be the case, as their league-worst 18.9 xG heading into last week remained at the bottom after accumulating just 0.9 at home against the Cityzens.
Equally concerning, if not more for the Cherries, is their defense. They have conceded 48 goals in their 24 league games and give up an average of 16.04 shots per game, both of which are the worst in the league. 32 of those 48 goals occurred on the road, equating to 2.67 goals conceded per match, nearly two goals higher than Arsenal (0.69).
With these stats, it is no shock that Bournemouth will likely get relegated, but playing on the road against the league-leading Arsenal will only further highlight their weaknesses.
The Gunners have the second-most goals at home in the division with 31 and 13% of their shots end up in the back of the goal, meaning they will net at least two goals if Bournemouth allow their typical 16+ shots per game.
Arsenal vs Bournemouth Pick
Bournemouth represent the start of an extremely friendly stretch for Arsenal. Saturday's outing will be followed by matches against Fulham, Crystal Palace and Leeds.
Arsenal will know that if they are to finish this four-game run with maximum points, they will nearly clinch their chances to raise their first Premier League title since Arsene Wenger's Invincibles won it in 2004.
With that in mind, we will avoid overthinking this one. Look for Arsenal to put on a show at the Emirates and extend their title lead.
Back Arsenal on the spread.
Pick: Arsenal -1.75 (-135)
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