Through two match days in the English Premier League, five teams remain without a point. Two such teams—Fulham and Crystal Palace—will face off on Saturday in London. Someone has to take home some points and get their season on track.
Fulham are +125 favorites on the moneyline for this one on DraftKings Sportsbook, with a draw available at +240. Crystal Palace’s moneyline is set at +210.
Crystal Palace vs. Fulham Prediction, Pick
The 0-0-2 record is in part due to bad luck for Fulham. They ran into a confident Chelsea team on opening day, trailing 1-0 and 3-1 before losing 3-2 in a tight match. It was a positive sign for their attack to perform well against a top team, but their defense can’t afford to be blitzed like that. In their second match, the defense didn’t get blitzed, holding out for 75 minutes against Sunderland. But a pinpoint cross to Wilson Isidor delivered the lead for Sunderland, and Fulham’s attack couldn’t summon any momentum, ending in a 1-0 loss. On the bright side, they did take care of business against Wimbledon in the first match of the EFL Cup.
Things haven’t been as rosy for Crystal Palace. In their opening match, Palace’s finishing fell flat in a 2-0 loss to Everton, though they looked more dangerous in attack. Their second match was an utter dismantling at the hands of Manchester City, losing 4-1 in front of their home fans. Unfortunately for Palace, they don’t have a Cup game to hang their hat on. Pierre Sage’s tenure as the manager of Crystal Palace is off to a rocky start.
For Fulham to pick up all three points, they need to improve their chance-taking. It’s a young group with a lot of new faces up top, and they’re going to take some time to get on the same page. My player to watch for them is Alex Iwobi. He’s a supremely talented passer, one who can connect the back line to the forwards with ease. That linkup passing will be key to the attack getting moving.
Crystal Palace will have to dial in their defense to get the points here. That starts with Chris Richards, their top center back and the anchor of their back line. He has to keep their three center backs in order. Adam Wharton is doing yeoman’s work in the center, but he has to trust his back line. If he can’t, then they are in for a long day.
The key man here is Jean-Philippe Mateta for Crystal Palace. Palace have missed seven big chances in two games, which is tied for the most in the league. He has to be the man to bury the chances they create with their passing and wide play. If he can do that, they have to like their chances. Given their strong history on the road at Craven Cottage, I like Palace as a road value.
