Liverpool needs to get all three points against Crystal Palace on Sunday.
The Reds’ title hopes already hit a speedbump last weekend when they tied Manchester United, 2-2, and allowed Arsenal to overtake their spot at the top of the table, so losing any more ground would likely doom Liverpool in this three-team race for the trophy.
The good news is that Liverpool is a massive favorite over Palace and they’re at home, but this may not be a straightforward contest for the Reds.
Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace prediction
(9 a.m. ET, NBC Sports)
It’s been a pretty ugly stretch for Crystal Palace since Oliver Glasner took over in the dugout for Roy Hodgson.
The Eagles have won just once in six games for their new manager and it’s taken some time for their attack to show signs of life. It did look like things may have started to come together last weekend, however.
Not only did Palace get out to an early lead against Manchester City, but the Eagles created 1.5 expected goals. Perhaps some score effects played a part, but it was still an encouraging sign for an attack that looked dormant for weeks before the City match.
Palace should be able to carry some of that momentum into Sunday’s match with a Liverpool defense that has shown to be vulnerable on plenty of occasions this season.
It’s been a rough 10 days for Liverpool. It was able to grind out a 3-1 victory against last-place Sheffield United a week and a half ago, but the Reds were a bit fortunate with how that game played out.
The Blades had a couple of Grade A chances right out of the gates and were tied with Liverpool into the 75th-minute, but the Reds were able to find a wondergoal from Alexis Mac Allister to settle the nerves.
A few days later, the Reds wouldn’t be so lucky as Manchester United held them to a 2-2 draw, and then Atalanta stormed them, 3-0, at Anfield in the Europa League quarterfinals.
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Liverpool clearly seems to be going through a bit of a wobble at the moment and they seem at their most vulnerable early in matches. Liverpool has trailed at halftime on five different occasions this season, but they’ve been level 15 times, as well.
They’re a dynamite second-half team, but it does seem that Jurgen Klopp’s side has some issues navigating the early stages of a match.
It’s unlikely Palace can handle Liverpool over 90 minutes, but the +750 odds on the Eagles to bring a lead into halftime certainly seems worth it.
The Bet: Crystal Palace 1H Moneyline (+850, FanDuel)
