Bournemouth v Brighton: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Positive home performances have been key for Bournemouth, who have taken 10 points from five Premier League matches at the Vitality Stadium, ahead of the visit of Brighton.

The Cherries have beaten Arsenal (2-0) and Manchester City (2-1) on home turf, although they signed off for the break with a disappointing 3-2 loss at Brentford.

Brighton appear to have made another smart move with their appointment of 31-year-old German head coach Fabian Hurzeler.

He has steered the Seagulls to sixth place and his players should be in high spirits after their 2-1 success over Manchester City last time out.

Bournemouth v Brighton betting tips and predictions

Draw - 12/5

Bournemouth and Brighton are among the more entertaining teams in the Premier League, but they are also well-matched in terms of ability and may end up with a mutually unsatisfactory draw after their Dorset coast duel.

Winning will be the aim for both sides, with each capable of holding down a place in a comfortable area of the table.

The Cherries had relegation fears on their minds at this stage of last season with only six points taken from 11 games.

But they finished 12th and seem intent on doing even better despite the blow of losing their former top scorer, Dominic Solanke, to Tottenham.

Andoni Iraola’s side are fourth on the top-flight shot statistics with 167 and 47 of those efforts have come from livewire attacker Antoine Semenyo, who has notched four times, including the crucial opener in the win against the Citizens.

However, Semenyo has been nursing a tendon injury and was unable to join up with Ghana for the November internationals.

Doubts over his fitness would mean a greater responsibility for others, including big-money summer signing Evanilson, who is full of confidence after scoring in three successive matches.

Bournemouth may feel that they need to get on the scoresheet because Brighton are a vibrant team who have notched in nine successive matches.

The Seagulls are the league’s sixth highest scorers and are looking even more of a threat now that key attacker Joao Pedro is fully recovered from an ankle injury.

Brighton have only sustained two losses and those were in tough away matches at Chelsea (2-4) and Liverpool (1-2).

However, they have been involved in four draws and the possibility of a fifth looks strong enough to warrant a wager at 12/5.

Joao Pedro to score anytime - 15/8

Brighton are generally spot-on with their recruitment and they must be delighted with the progress of Joao Pedro, who was snapped up from Watford in the summer of 2023 for a reported £30million fee.

Pedro had an excellent first season with the Seagulls, scoring 15 goals in all competitions and he continues to impress under the Hurzeler regime.

This season the 23-year-old has delivered three goals and one assist from just five Premier League appearances, including the crucial equaliser in this month’s 2-1 triumph at home to Man City.

He was overlooked for the last Brazil squad, but he should be even sharper after another two weeks' training and looks a solid 15/8 bet to add to his goal tally.

Lewis Cook to be booked - 10/3

Bournemouth like to press very aggressively and midfielder Lewis Cook has been a key man for them when it comes to closing the spaces and making tackles.

Cook has been carded three times, which is probably a relief because his foul count (24) is the joint second highest in the division.

The 27-year-old will be eager to make his presence felt in a south coast derby and he looks overpriced for a caution at 10/3.

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Bournemouth v Brighton odds

Bournemouth - 27/20
Draw - 12/5
Brighton - 2/1

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.