Top Player Prop Bets for EPL Midweek Matchday
by Sam Cox | by Tyler Doty
The Premier League schedule is relentless in December. The busiest month of the season kicks off with a midweek round of fixtures, with matches spread across Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
It’s been a fascinating first few months of this campaign. Arsenal are sitting comfortably atop the table, but their failure to beat a 10-man Chelsea on Sunday has kept the title race very much alive.
There’s little separating the chasing pack, with struggling Liverpool only four points off second. In the bottom half, it’s set to be a tight relegation battle, as only two points separate 16th and 19th.
All odds are courtesy of DraftKings sportsbook.
Jean-Philippe Mateta to Score Anytime (+110)
Erling Haaland is the only player posting more expected goals per 90 minutes than Jean-Philippe Mateta. The Frenchman is joint-third in the goal scoring charts with seven to his name.
Crystal Palace are facing a Burnley team with 28.1 expected goals conceded. That’s 6.6 more than any other team. Palace have generated the third-most expected goals in attack, putting them ahead of Arsenal and just behind Chelsea in that category.
Mateta has contributed 41.1% of the Eagles’ league goals so far this season. Almost a quarter of Palace’s shots have come from Mateta. In a game they should win comfortably, this is excellent value.
João Palhinha to Get Booked (+165)
It promises to be a combative game at St. James’ Park. Newcastle and Tottenham are fifth and sixth, respectively, in fouls committed per game. Tottenham make the second-most tackles in the league.
Renowned for accumulating cards, João Palhinha already has four bookings across the Premier League and League Cup. The Portuguese midfielder makes the most tackles per match in the Premier League.
Tottenham have received the third-most cards this season. Thomas Frank’s have their work cut out on the road against Newcastle, so this could become a bad-tempered affair.
Sasa Lukic to Get Booked (+160)
Sasa Lukic has committed 2.9 fouls per game, which is 0.6 more than any other player. Lukic is one of six Premier League players tied for the league lead on six yellow cards.
Tuesday sees Fulham host Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s team lead the league in dribbles per game and are tied for fifth in the number of times they are fouled per match.
Lukic has to deal with the close control of Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden in midfield. With how frequently he commits fouls, he’s a strong booking candidate on Tuesday.
Antoine Semenyo 2+ Shots on Target (+200)
Only four teams concede more shots per game than Everton. Antoine Semenyo had three shots at the weekend and has taken multiple shots in eight of his 12 Premier League appearances this term.
Semenyo averages 2.2 shots per match in the league. Just 12 players are shooting more frequently. Starting on the left wing, Harvey Barnes went over this line against Everton at the weekend.
Half of Semenyo’s shots have hit the target this season, which puts him in the top 20 in shot-on-target ratio among Premier League players with at least 550 minutes. This doesn’t feel like a big ask in a game where Bournemouth’s attack can flourish.
Lucas Perri to Record 4+ Saves (+130)
Chelsea lead the Premier League in shots on target per match. Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri recorded six saves in the loss to Manchester City at the weekend and has clocked three or more saves in three of the last four games.
Despite going down to 10 men on Sunday, Chelsea took 11 shots (four on target) against Arsenal. The Blues had 15 shots (six on target) against Barcelona in the Champions League last week.
It could be a barrage from Chelsea at Elland Road. Cole Palmer is expected to make his return from injury, while Estêvão could be given another start after being removed at half-time on Sunday.
