CRYSTAL PALACE made a flying start to the Premier League season but need a win over Brighton to get back on track after successive defeats before the international break.
A trademark 1-0 win over Southampton on the opening day was followed by a shock 3-1 victory at Old Trafford, showing that Roy Hodgson's men had banished the memories of a dismal end to the last campaign.
However, the Eagles then lost 2-1 at home to Everton before being thrashed 4-0 at Stamford Bridge in a game where they failed to get a single shot on target.
This is a match Palace fans will be demanding three points from yet they won't get it easy against a Brighton side who have played some nice stuff in the opening weeks of the season.
The Seagulls have only taken three points from their first four games but the fixture computer didn't hand them an easy start with clashes against Chelsea, Manchester United, Newcastle and Everton.
Graham Potter's men have been a threat going forward, netting in every league game, but have suffered from a dodgy defence, shipping 10 goals.
Palace, by contrast, base their success on being hard to break down so this should be an interesting clash of football philosophies.
How the bookies view it
This match is a tough one to call and it's reflected in the odds, with Palace 17/10 at BetVictor, Brighton 37/20 at Unibet and the stalemate a best 23/10 at Bet365.
Recent head to head
There hasn't been much between these sides in recent seasons. Crystal Palace had the edge last term, winning 1-0 on the south coast after a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park (below).
But Brighton won both games in the campaign before that while there was a win apiece and a stalemate in their clashes in season 2017/18.
Players to watch
Wilfried Zaha scored a stunner in this fixture last term and loves a goal against the Eagles, having netted against them six times across his Palace career. Despite letting me down when I tipped him to net against Everton I will stick with him here at 13/5 with Paddy Power.
Neal Maupay grabbed Brighton's goal that day at Selhurst Park and has made a fine start this term, netting five times already. The Frenchman is a decent 15/8 with BetVictor for anytime scorer.
Anything else catch the eye?
Crystal Palace home games have generally been a damp squib, although fans were treated to three goals last time out when Everton won 2-1. Both matches between these sides had under 2.5 goals last term so I'm backing that here at 8/11 with Betfred.
There wasn't much aggro last term when Palace and Brighton faced off, with just five cards in total across the two games. Bet365 offer 8/11 on under 4.5 cards here and that should come up.
Paddy Power are offering 6/5 on the second half being the highest-scoring period and that's worth a bet as it has come up in the last three meetings of these sides.
This English Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Brighton and Hove Albion will be played on Oct 18, 2020 and kick off at 14:00. Check below for our tipsters best Crystal Palace vs Brighton and Hove Albion prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.