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Hull are going to really struggle to be competitive in the Premier League this season with the lowest valued squad in the league. They did really well to secure promotion via the playoffs last season, but all the underlying data suggests that this achievement did come with quite a bit of luck and I think that will play out in them finishing towards the bottom of the table.

Manchester United enjoyed a decent second half of the season under Carrick following the departure of Amorim and this game gives them an opportunity to make a strong start to the campaign. Tielemans and Santos should feature as new signings and United actually had a pretty good away record last season - losing just four of their 19 away matches.

Did you know that Brentford have never beaten Tottenham at home in the Premier League?

It's quite an interesting stat, considering how difficult of a ground the Gtech has become in recent campaigns - especially for some of the traditional big six sides. Even during their disaster season last year, Tottenham beat Brentford at home and earned a point against Keith Andrews' side on the road.

It's also worth noting that most of Tottenham's poor form was at home last season, they ranked sixth for away form last season and crucially avoided defeat in 12 of their 19 matches. They have bolstered the squad significantly over the summer window with the likes of Tonali, Van Hecke, Fernandes and Robertson all joining and De Zerbi led them through a promising pre-season campaign where Tottenham avoided defeat across five matches.

This should be a really entertaining tie over the two legs between two of the most positive sides in Europe. 

We’ve already seen how both can get involved in high scoring matches, with Bodo Glimt seeing BTTS in both legs in the last round of qualifying against Union Saint Gilloise and Nijmegen coming away 2-1 winners over Olympiakos in the second leg of their qualifying tie in the last round. 

Both sides have seen BTTS in each of their last three matches ahead of this clash, with all of these games seeing 3+ goals as well. I see these teams as being relatively well matched, which should see chances created and converted at both ends. 

Atletico Madrid have had a very positive summer window, bringing in the likes of Romero, Kang-In Lee, Hjulmand and Grimaldo to improve their squad and possibly set up a push for the title this year.

Only Real Madrid and Barcelona picked up more points at home than Atletico Madrid in LaLiga last season, with Diego Simeone’s side winning 15 of their 19 matches. They scored 39 goals across these games (2.05 per game) and should be able to score at least twice against a newly promoted Malaga side.

Malaga conceded 2+ goals in all four of their friendly matches ahead of the new campaign, including conceding three goals to a Leicester side competing in League One this season. They are likely to struggle with the quality of Atletico Madrid in this opening game of the campaign.

These are the top two sides in the Western Conference at the time of writing, but there is a gap between them when looking at their home and away records.

Vancouver have the strongest home record in the Western Conference having won seven of their nine games in front of their home fans. They’ve only conceded five goals across these games, netting 22 goals in the process.

62% of Houston’s points in the Western Conference this season have come from their home matches. They’ve only won four of their nine away games, conceding 17 goals across these games. 

The gap between these sides may not be obvious when looking at the league table, but there is a clear advantage for Vancouver as the home side in this clash. 

I’m always keen to go against Montreal when they’re away from home in the MLS. 

They’ve got a dreadful record on the road over the last few seasons, and that’s continued this term - they’ve only won one of their nine away games this campaign, conceding 25 goals in the process.

Unsurprisingly, this is the worst away record of any side in the Eastern Conference. They’ve only scored 12 goals across these games as well, losing seven of their nine games. 

They take on a Columbus side who have struggled a little more than they did last term, but crucially have only lost three of their nine home games this season.

Columbus have not lost to Montreal home or away since 2022, a run spanning seven games with Columbus winning four of these games. Montreal’s recent form is also really poor, failing to win any of their last eight games in the MLS.

BTTS has landed in each of the last seven head to head meetings between these sides, stretching all the way back to 2023.

The most recent clash between these teams produced 10 goals as Inter Miami came away 6-4 winners over Philadelphia back in May - which is a good snapshot of the level of goal volume we could see from both of these sides in this encounter.

Inter Miami have seen BTTS in each of their last five matches ahead of this clash, and have also conceded 19 goals across their 11 away games this term. 

They have scored 25 goals across these games too, which is more than any other side on the road in the Eastern Conference this season. Philadelphia have seen BTTS in three of their last five matches across all competitions. 

Orlando have been the most entertaining side to watch in the MLS this season, and their style of play makes them a really good side to back for goals.

Orlando have seen BTTS in each of their last five matches and have seen 30 goals across their nine home games this campaign (3.33 per game) with a fairly equal split in the number of goals scored and conceded (16-14). 

The last two head to head meetings between these sides have seen BTTS. Furthermore, Chicago have seen 27 goals across their eight away games this term (3.3 per game), giving both sides really solid goal records ahead of this clash.

Kairat will need to make strong use of their home advantage here if they are to have a chance of coming through this tie against an Anderlecht side who come into this clash in decent form - but not many clean sheets.

The away side have kept just one shut out across their last seven matches, with this run including all four legs of their previous qualifying ties against Hammarby and PAOK. Kairat struggled a little during Champions League qualifying, but did have at least 15+ shots in all three of their home matches. 

They scored in two of these games and have a unique advantage when at home due to the weather conditions that often surround their games in front of their home fans. Kairat have not lost a single game at home domestically this term, winning seven of their 10 matches and netting 23 goals in the process (2.3 per game). 

Thun were one of the stories of the season across Europe last year, winning the Swiss Super League as a newly promoted side.

They continue to be underrated in these markets, as they were in the last round of qualifying where they scored in both legs to see off Icelandic opponents by 5-3 on aggregate. 

Thun have only failed to score once in their last 13 matches across all competitions, highlighting their impressive scoring power which should come to the fore again here. 

Lech Poznan are favourites to win this game, but their home form last season wasn’t that consistent with the Polish side only winning seven of their 17 games in front of their home fans - conceding 29 goals in the process.

I'm keen to back both teams to score when Celtic take on LASK on Wednesday night. 

Both sides like to play on the front foot, so I can see this being an open and entertaining encounter in Glasgow's east end.

Celtic may have cruised to a 4-0 win away at Dundee United at the weekend, but they were far from watertight at the back, with the hosts hitting the woodwork 5 times and edging the shot count 11-9.

I don't expect LASK to be as wasteful in front of goal, especially given they have won all 3 of their Austrian Bundesliga matches this season while scoring 9 goals in the process.

It should also be noted that Celtic failed to keep the back door shut in their last Scottish Premiership outing, running out 5-1 winners over Kilmarnock.

The case for siding with this selection is further strengthened by the fact that LASK conceded in their 4-1 victory over Ried at the weekend.

Celtic have long been one of my go-to teams in the corner markets, and I'm expecting them to rack up at least six on Wednesday night. 

Martin O'Neill's men should be full of confidence after their strong start to the campaign, and with a raucous home crowd behind them, I expect them to put LASK under plenty of pressure from the outset.

The Hoops won 9 corners in their first home game of the season against Dundee and followed that up with 7 in their next outing away at Kilmarnock. 

There is also plenty to like about Celtic's corner numbers when on continental duty last season. 

They averaged 5.20 corners per game in the Europa League, with that figure rising to almost 6.6 at Parkhead.

Notably, Celtic won 9 corners in their home clash with Austrian opposition in the shape of Sturm Graz last term, which adds further weight to this angle.

Benjamin Nygren made a real impression during his debut season at Celtic, and the Swedish midfielder has wasted no time picking up where he left off. 

He has already found the net in each of Celtic's opening 3 competitive games of the new campaign, including a superb finish in Saturday's 4-0 win over Dundee United.

One of Nygren's biggest strengths is his ability to drift into dangerous positions and make his mark, even when he hasn't been heavily involved in the game. 

Last season, he averaged 1.35 shots on target per game in the Scottish Premiership and 1.60 in the Europa League.

With Camilo Duran and Kasper Hogh likely to attract plenty of attention from the LASK defence, Nygren should be afforded plenty of space to get into dangerous positions. 

Given the way he's started the season, I'm more than happy to back the Celtic ace to hit the target for a fourth game in succession.

Samuel Adeniran is a player Celtic will have to keep close tabs on during this contest.

The LASK forward has made a strong start to the season in front of goal, finding the net 4 times across his opening 3 Austrian Bundesliga appearances, making the American an attractive option to attempt 2+ shots at Celtic Park.

Adeniran has averaged 3.17 shots per game across his opening 3 outings in the Austrian top flight this term, pulling the trigger at least twice in all 3. 

As mentioned, Celtic looked shaky at the back against Dundee United at the weekend despite their 4-0 victory, so I'm expecting LASK to carve out opportunities during this contest, with Adeniran likely to be at the heart of their attacking threat.

It's also worth noting that the 27-year-old tends to be on penalty duty, which only adds to the appeal of siding with this selection.

This is a favourable first game of the season for Arsenal, who are protecting the title for the first time under Mikel Arteta and I expect them to get off to a comfortable start.

Arsenal showed their quality in taking apart Manchester City in the Community Shield last week, coming away 3-0 winners and looking comfortable in that victory despite being without key players. 

They’ve recruited well with the likes of Tzolis and Guimaraes bolstering an already complete squad which should serve them well to push for the title again this campaign.

Arsenal netted 41 goals across their 19 home games in the Premier League last season (2.15 per game), only Manchester City (45) scored more goals at home than Mikel Arteta’s side.

Both head to head meetings between these sides last season saw BTTS, with Betis coming away 3-1 winners as the home side last term followed by a 2-2 draw when they traveled to face Real Sociedad. 

Real Sociedad saw BTTS in all six of their friendly matches ahead of the new campaign, and have seen BTTS in each of their last 10 matches more widely. 

They’re actually without a clean sheet across their last 15 matches, so I wouldn’t expect them to keep out a Betis side that scored 34 goals at home last season (1.78 per game). 

Betis did concede 19 goals at home last season (1.0 per game) and the underlying data would suggest that they can replicate their 3-1 win over Real Sociedad last season - a game that saw both sides come away with a healthy xG (2.47-0.84). 

PAOK dropped into the Conference League after suffering a 4-2 aggregate defeat against Anderlecht last time out, but they now have an ideal opportunity to bounce back from that setback.

The Greek side are not short of experience on the European stage, and visiting sides often find it difficult to come away from the Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki with any points. In fact, PAOK were the only side in the Greek top flight last season to go unbeaten at home - they won 11 of their 13 matches in total. 

Brann won’t be used to playing a side as strong as PAOK, and their form this season has been mixed. Brann currently sit sixth in the Norwegian Eliteserien, with the record of eight wins, one draw and eight losses. Their defensive record has been poor, with 27 goals conceded in that time, and PAOK will be able to take advantage of any defensive weaknesses.

Lech Poznan come into this first leg after securing a convincing 6-0 aggregate victory over KI Klaksvik in the previous round.

The Polish champions only managed a narrow 1-0 win at home, but they were much more clinical in the return fixture, putting five goals past their opponents from the Faroe Islands, and that will fill them with confidence coming into this clash. 

However, Thun aren’t a side to underestimate, and they should be much more competitive than Klaksvik. They came away with a 6-0 win against Saxon Sports last time out, after beating Vikingur Reykjavik 5-3 on aggregate.

Goals have been a target whenever Thun are playing, and they usually don’t struggle to find the back of the net. Keeping Lech Poznan at bay will be their biggest challenge here, though. It’s a clash between two strong sides, title-holders in their respective divisions, so it promises to be an intriguing contest.

Braga played out a goalless stalemate against Dinamo Minsk last time out, which was all they needed to do to win the tie, but this clash against Austria Vienna looks set to be much more open and entertaining.

The visitors travel to Portugal as underdogs, but they have every reason to approach this match with confidence, and it isn’t really their style to sit back and absorb pressure. 

Both legs of Vienna’s previous European tie finished 2-1, as they eventually prevailed after  a penalty shootout. Vienna eased past FK Liepaja with a 5-1 aggregate victory prior to that.

The Austrian side have scored 15 goals in eight matches across all competitions this season, which shows how they can carry a threat in the final third, and Braga will have to be wary of that.

Jagiellonia produced an impressive performance against Rangers in the previous round of the Europa League qualifiers, winning 2-1 in Poland before holding on to a 1-1 draw at the Ibrox Stadium.

The Polish side looked dangerous in transition across the two legs, as they managed ten shots with seven on target in the home fixture against Rangers. This upcoming clash against Iberia looks like a much easier matchup on paper, and Jagiellonia will once again hope to take a positive result into the second leg. 

Iberia needed extra time to overcome Larne in the previous round, following a goalless draw in Northern Ireland. Prior to that, they were beaten 3-1 by Slovan Bratislava over two legs. The Georgian side come into this clash as notable underdogs, and Jagiellonia should be able to capitalise.

Copenhagen have started this season in excellent form, and they are still unbeaten after seven matches across all competitions. Impressively, the Danish side have emerged victorious in six of those games, with a total of 23 goals scored.

Copenhagen have bagged multiple goals in all of their matches so far, which shows just how effective they are going forward. This price for Copenhagen to win looks great value, not only because of their recent form, but also because they deserve to be playing at a higher level than the Conference League. 

Copenhagen competed in the Champions League last season, and despite not making it out of the league phase, they did win two of their eight games. Inter Turku deserve credit for making it to this stage, but this promises to be a real challenge for them as there is a significant gulf in quality between the two sides.

Man City U21s haven’t kept an EFL Trophy clean sheet in any of their last 14 games - dating back to a game at, now non-league, Scunthorpe in August 2021.

They’ve seen both teams score in nine of their last 12 games in the competitions.

The bet landed in two of three EFL Trophy games for both sides last season.

BTTS landed after 49 minutes in Mansfield’s 2-1 win over Doncaster on Saturday, and the last head-to-head between the sides ended 3-2 to the Stags.

City’s youngsters scored seven goals in the competition last season and should test a Mansfield defence who are yet to put in a convincing display in 2026/27, and will have an eye on the weekend’s winnable trip to Peterborough.

Celtic conceded in nine of their 10 games in the Europa League last season, with BTTS landing in seven of those.

While this is a Champions League qualifier, LASK represent opposition closer to the strength of a Europa League side than a typical Champions League one.

The Austrian Bundesliga champions have started their title defence well, scoring nine goals and taking maximum points from their first three games.

Celtic have scored 10 goals in their three competitive outings so far, but haven’t been watertight at the back, conceding in a 5-1 win over Kilmarnock, and they might take a few risks in this encounter, aiming to take a healthy lead to Austria for the second leg.

Both sides have seen this bet land in each of their last three games.

Bodo/Glimt played out an epic tie in the last round, beating Union St Gilloise 6-5 on aggregate, via a 3-3 away draw and 3-2 home win.

NEC scored in every home game in the Eredivisie last season, and in 33/34 games overall.

And they’ve netted in both home outings so far this term, Bodo/Glimt are unlikely to be the defensive unit to stop that run -they conceded in all six Champions League away games last season.

USG scored three at home to Bodo in the last round, NEC only need to score one to keep up their side of this bet.