Premier League: Greg Lea has five recommended bets for Saturday's fixtures

The Premier League is back and ready to spoil us on Saturday. Greg Lea takes you through his selections from a packed schedule.

Bournemouth vs Aston Villa

Kick-off: 3pm

Bournemouth would likely settle for a 17th-place finish before a ball has been kicked this season. They are the pre-season favourites for relegation, with our traders calculating their chances of an instant return to the Championship at 64%. Scott Parker will not mind his side being underdogs, but he knows as well as anyone that they have it all to do.

A home game against Aston Villa is not the worst possible fixture on the opening weekend, but it won’t be easy. Steven Gerrard’s side have European aspirations and their squad is packed full of top-flight talent; the same, alas, cannot be said for Bournemouth. An away win looks likely here.

Selection: Aston Villa to win @ 2.2

Leeds United vs Wolves

Kick-off: 3pm

Wolves tailed off dramatically at the end of last season. Just two points behind sixth-placed Manchester United at the beginning of April, a seven-game winless streak saw them finish 10th. Their primary problem was a lack of goals: only Burnley, Watford and Norwich City, the three teams that went down, found the back of the net less often.

Leeds had the opposite problem. A porous defence looked to be sending them back to the Championship, only for a win at Brentford on the final day to see the Whites clamber out of danger. Jesse Marsch will have spent much of pre-season tightening up his team’s back line. Expect a low-scoring game on Saturday.

Selection: Under 2.5 goals @ 1.8

Newcastle United vs Nottingham Forest

Kick-off: 3pm

Nottingham Forest are back in the Premier League after a 23-year absence and their work in the transfer market shows they are willing to throw everything at their survival attempt. Steve Cooper has 12 new players to work with, and more are expected to follow before the window closes on September 1.

It will take a while for the Forest boss to integrate all the new faces. Newcastle, who have brought in only Nick Pope and Sven Botman to date, should benefit from greater continuity. But Forest are a force on the counter-attack and they have the tools to create chances at St James’ Park. This should be an entertaining encounter.

Selection: Both teams to score @ 1.97

Tottenham Hotspur vs Southampton

Kick-off: 3pm

After edging out Arsenal in the race for fourth last season, Tottenham are looking up rather than over their shoulder. A cash injection at the start of the summer was a signal of intent, as Spurs splashed out on the likes of Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Ivan Perisic and Clement Lenglet.

With Antonio Conte in the dugout and Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son up top, a title challenge is not out of the question – our traders rate Spurs as third-favourites at 16, albeit a long way behind Manchester City and Liverpool.

Southampton’s ambitions are altogether more modest. This represents a difficult start to the season for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, who are unlikely to have much to shout about in North London.

Selection: Tottenham to win to nil @ 2.28

Everton vs Chelsea

Kick-off: 5.30pm

It is fair to say Thomas Tuchel has cut a frustrated figure for much of pre-season. He voiced his annoyance after a 4-0 thrashing by Arsenal towards the end of July, warning supporters that Chelsea had a lot of work to do.

Yet for all that, the starting XI that will begin Saturday’s game at Goodison Park will probably be stronger than its equivalent from last season. Raheem Sterling is a particularly astute addition who has proven his worth in the Premier League year after year. A clean sheet might be beyond a revamped defence, but Chelsea should come out on top against Everton.

Selection: Chelsea to win and both teams to score @ 3.8

Recommended trades

Back Aston Villa @ 2.2
Back Tottenham to win to nil @ 2.28
Back Leeds-Wolves under 2.5 @ 1.8
Back Newcastle-Forest both teams to score @ 1.97
Back Chelsea & both teams to score @ 3.8