AFC Bournemouth vs Newcastle United
English Premier League, KO: 14:00 Aug 25, 2024, Vitality Stadium
Newcastle got the new Premier League campaign off to a winning start last weekend and Eddie Howe will be looking for another three points when he takes the Magpies to his old club AFC Bournemouth.
I thought Howe's side would grab a few goals against Southampton on day one but a controversial first-half red card for Fabian Schar left them up against it at St James' Park.
Newcastle showed great character to take the lead with 10 men and managed to hold on for a huge three points despite Saints laying siege to their goal for the entire second half.
Howe will looking to make more of an impact in attack when he returns to his old stomping ground and it should be a good watch as he pits his wits against another progressive manager in the shape of Andoni Iraola.
The Athletic Bilbao legend did a great job on the south coast last term as he led Bournemouth to a mid-table finish and fans will be looking for more of the same.
Losing star striker Dominic Solanke to Spurs was a blow but AFC Bournemouth kicked off with a decent draw at Nottingham Forest on day one and will now target a win on home soil.
How the bookies view it: Magpies have the edge
This looks like a 50/50 game for me but Betfred have Newcastle as 6/5 favourites with AFC Bournemouth as big as 2/1. I wouldn't be surprised if this match ended level and that pays 5/2.
Recent head to head: Eddie not so steady
Howe's record has been poor against his old club since taking the reins at Newcastle, going for league games without a win against Bournemouth. But he did manage a 1-0 League Cup win over the Cherries at St James' Park in 2022. Bournemouth won 2-0 when the Magpies came calling last term.
Players to watch: All eyes on Evanilson
Bournemouth's £40million signing Evanilson didn't feature last weekend after only just sealing his move from Porto. He should get a debut in this game though and Betfred price him at 7/4 to make an instant impact with a goal.
Despite being linked with a move away from Newcastle this summer, Alexander Isak remains at St James' Park with the clock ticking down until the transfer window closes. The Swede will be out to open his account for the season and is 23/20 for anytime scorer.
Probable line-ups
Evanilson could be unleashed by Bournemouth and that would likely see last week's scorer Antoine Semenyo move out wide. Swiss defender Schar is suspended for Newcastle after his red card last weekend.
AFC Bournemouth: Neto, Huijsen, Kerkez, Smith, Zabarnyi, Cook, Ouattara, Christie, Tavernier, Semenyo, Evanilson
Newcastle United: Pope, Kraft, Hall, Livramento, Burn, Joelinton, Longstaff, Guimaraes, Gordon, Isak, Murphy.
Anything else catch the eye?
These sides played out a 2-2 draw when they last faced off at St James' Park in February and this should be another entertaining game. BTTS is just 4/9 and if you combine that with over 2.5 goals it still only boosts the odds to 4/6. There's better value in backing over 1.5 first-half goals at 6/5.
Winger Marcus Tavernier usually carries a threat for AFC Bournemouth and he's a tempting evens at Bet365 just to have a shot on target here.
The card markets are also worth a look and Newcastle defender Dan Burn looks overpriced at 4/1 with Betfred to go in the book.
This English Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Newcastle United will be played on Aug 25, 2024 and kick off at 14:00. Check below for our tipsters best AFC Bournemouth vs Newcastle United prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
