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Premier League Gameweek 5: The best player prop bets for Kane, De Bruyne, and Mane

Profile Picture: Josh Powell

September 17th, 2021

We’re only four games into the season, but already we have a fascinating Premier League unfolding in front of us. A Ronaldo-inspired Manchester United top the table, the Blues have Lukaku firing on all cylinders up front, and Klopp’s Liverpool look like they're back to their 2019-20 title-winning best.

Reigning champions Manchester City can’t stop scoring and they are only a point adrift, while coach Rafa Benitez is working wonders at Everton, despite his ties to Merseyside rivals Liverpool.

Gameweek 5 is here, so it’s time to buckle-in for another huge slate of matches, and identify the three best prop bets for the weekend.  

Tottenham vs. Chelsea: Harry Kane to score a goal (+240)

After all the summer hype around Harry Kane and a potential mega-money move to Man City, the England striker ended up staying at Tottenham and has reached mid-September without finding the net in the Premier League. That's an outcome very few would’ve predicted back at the start of August.

But Kane has not lost his eye for goal – he scored in all three of England’s World Cup Qualifiers against Hungary, Andorra, and Poland during the international break – and he’s a good bet to find the net in the big London Derby this weekend.

He’s averaged a shot every 99 minutes this season, but that has to start regressing to the mean. Last year he was taking a shot every 22 minutes and there is no way Tottenham’s new game plan doesn’t involve Kane at the heart of it. Those numbers will start improving, and Chelsea is the perfect time, as Kane clearly enjoys these big games, scoring six goals in 16 games against their city rivals.

As an interesting side note, there have also been three penalties awarded in the last eight games between these two teams, and with Kane on spot kicks for Spurs it’s another reason to side with the star striker to open his league account.  

Manchester City vs. Southampton: Kevin De Bruyne to score or goal (+148) / Kevin De Bruyne to get an assist (+120)

Sat, September 18 2021, 2:00 PM

Manchester City

-670

Draw

+750

Southampton

+1900

Kevin De Bruyne’s season has been disrupted by injury, but I wouldn’t discourage you from betting on him to be involved in at last one goal against Southampton this weekend.

Incredibly in nine games against the Saints, De Bruyne has been involved in 11 goals – scoring four and assisting another seven. That’s a goal or an assist every 58 minutes against Southampton, whose fans must’ve winced when they saw KDB return for Man City in the Champions League this week.

City are certainly not goal-shy, and have racked up 5-0 wins against Arsenal and Norwich in the league, as well as winning 6-3 in Europe against RB Leipzig earlier this week. Nobody has scored more Premier League goals than City this season, and they rank second in the top flight for shots per game with 21.

The reigning league Champions have 20 goals in their last seven matches with Southampton, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if thy hit the Saints for another three or four this week. It’s a good bet that De Bruyne will be involved in at last one.

Liverpool vs. Crystal Palace: Sadio Mane to score a goal (+112)

Sat, September 18 2021, 2:00 PM

Liverpool

-500

Draw

+600

Crystal Palace

+1500

Sadio Mane’s record against Crystal Palace is simply stunning. He clearly loves facing the Eagles. He has 12 goals in 14 games against them, and there is no other team he has scored more goals against than Crystal Palace.

In fact, he has scored in every single one of the last eight games these two teams have played, and he is a great bet to keep that going at Anfield.

Mane has two goals already this season, scoring against Leeds and Burnley, and no other Liverpool player has had as many shots this season (22). Liverpool themselves rank first in the league for shots per game (25) and shots on target pr game (8.3), and Mane is at the heart of this free-flowing attacking side.

Jurgen Klopp’s men are riding a huge wave of momentum after a thrilling 3-2 win against AC Milan earlier this week, and they’ve scored 19 goals in the last five games with Palace. This could be another high-scoring game and Mane is the best bet to find the net.

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