Bournemouth v Liverpool: Back Florian Wirtz to score or assist at 11/10 | OneFootball

English Premier League Tips

Liverpool head to Bournemouth 13 games unbeaten

Liverpool take their 13 game unbeaten run to Bournemouth and Lewis Jones thinks there are many reasons to back Florian Wirtz to shine...

Bournemouth v LiverpoolSaturday 24 January, 15:30Live on TNT Sports

An unbeaten streak to respect or rally against?

Liverpool are playing with purpose again, Bournemouth are searching for answers and those contrasting trajectories are difficult to ignore.

Arne Slot's side are unbeaten in their last 13 games in all competitions (W7 D6), a sequence that speaks volumes when you consider what came before it.

They had lost nine of their previous 12 matches prior to this run, but the shift in mood, intensity and togetherness has got their season moving in the right direction. They are on the upgrade and could just be peaking at the right time.

Crucially from a betting perspective, there is a greater reliability to their overall performance level. They're not perfect, but they are controlled, composed and difficult to beat - a key trait when travelling away from home. The 1.95 on offer for the away win on the Exchange will be a popular punt here.

Bournemouth, by contrast, are heading the opposite way. Their only win in the last 13 Premier League games came in a dramatic 3-2 home success over Tottenham. The wider trend is concerning for Andoni Iraola, especially when you factor in their dramatic slide down the table.

To put that drop-off into context, Bournemouth were sitting second in the league as recently as November 1.

Fast forward to this weekend and they start in 15th place. Confidence has drained, defensive structure has loosened and leads have become harder to protect - as seen at Brighton. From a betting angle, backing them to suddenly halt a Liverpool side riding a wave of belief requires a leap of faith. It's 4.0 on the Exchange that they cause an upset on Saturday night.

Overs or unders?

This is one of those fixtures where the market thinks it has the answer. They are predicting goals. Plenty of them.

The over 2.5 line is trading at 1.65 - but the key question is whether that price still leaves any value to squeeze out? The answer is no.

The equation with Bournemouth is quite simple: overs away, unders at home. Across their last 35 home games the Cherries matches have averaged just 2.35 goals per 90. Switch it to away games over the same sample size and you get a 3.65 goals per 90 ratio. Something to consider if you are thinking about having a whack at the over line.

Listen to the Football...Only Bettor Saturday preview

Wirtz finding his rhythm at just the right time

Florian Wirtz's start to life in the Premier League has been a slow burn - but the signs are starting to show that we must start paying attention to him across the prop markets.

The early weeks after his £116.5m summer move from Leverkusen were awkward. New league, new tempo, new expectations. Wirtz looked like a player thinking rather than reacting and was not producing enough damage in the final third.

Wirtz's end product has caught fire though. He's now averaging close to a goal involvement every 102 minutes across his last eight appearances in all competitions. For a player operating between the lines, not a penalty-box poacher, that's elite output.

After failing to score in his first 22 Liverpool appearances, he's now hit the net in four of his last seven.  That's a player finding rhythm, timing and trust in his surroundings. He is a great bet here at 11/10 to score or assist.

Bournemouth are the right opponent for this type of bet on Wirtz. They don't sit deep for long stretches, they leave space between midfield and defence and they're vulnerable to intelligent movers who can receive on the half-turn.

Now read our other Premier League previews here!

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Back Florian Wirtz to score or assist @ 11/10