Good Morning ☀️,

It’s Lucas here, your Chief Predictions Officer at What Are the Odds?

This week, everyone’s been protesting.

Polish club Wisła Kraków boycotted a league match. Several members of the Iranian women’s team refused to sing the national anthem. Iran (apparently) pulled out of the World Cup. And a German fan pulled the plug on the VAR during a Bundesliga 2 game…

And speaking of VARs and protests, this week’s North Korea vs China match in the Asia Cup ended with North Korea (yes, that North Korea) deploying a novel tactic. They walked off the field after a VAR ruling they didn’t like. Apparently, it’s not the first time they’ve deployed these sorts of tactics.

Now for something a little more positive — what’s ahead in this week’s edition of What Are the Odds?

• This weekend’s best Premier League odds & predictions. ⚽

• Some more weird North Korean trivia. ⁉️

• Some communist propaganda that’s actually useful. ☭

Sharing is caring: Help grow the team and show your friends you care — send them this link https://whataretheodds.io/subscribe

⚽ Burnley vs Bournemouth
🏟️ English Premier League
Saturday 14 March; 16:00 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: Bournemouth might not be clear favorites here, even if they’ve got a convincing edge. That works to our advantage here by leaving us with some solid odds.

• CXSports says: Burnley arrive with just 19 points from 29 games and a goals-for average of 1.10 while they’re conceding at exactly 2 goals per game. That’s not exactly great, and it’s made all the worse by the pressure they’ll no doubt be feeling as the season wears on and their 19th-place finish starts looking more like destiny. Bournemouth, by contrast, is sitting in the comparative comfort of 9th place. Sure, they’re not exactly threatening for league glory — like Burley, they’re also conceding more than they’re scoring, albeit with a much smaller gap — they’re averaging 1.52 for and 1.59 against per game. That, and a slightly less desperate position, would be enough to tilt the balance slightly toward the visitors.

• Score prediction: 1-2 for Bournemouth

Option #1

• Bet: Bournemouth Victory

• Odds Range: 1.65-1.90

Option #2

• Bet: Both Teams to Score (Yes)

• Odds Range: 1.49-1.70

▶▶Full Match Details: [Read More]

⚽ Sunderland vs Brighton
🏟️ English Premier League
Saturday 14 March; 16:00 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: It’s far from guaranteed, but the chances of this one ending in a draw are much higher than the odds on that outcome might suggest.

• CXSports says: This game should be a tight mid-table tussle. Sunderland averages just 1.03 goals per match and concedes 1.17. Brighton, who sits just three points behind, scores at a rate of 1.31 while conceding 1.24. And while they might be slightly more vulnerable on the road, their away defensive record isn’t far behind, with 1.43 goals conceded per road game. Of course, Sunderland’s numbers are a little better at home, but only enough to give them a 50% win rate. Given all that, and the fact that games between these two average 1.6 goals per game, this game has a pretty good chance of ending in a low-scoring draw.

• Score prediction: 1-1 Draw

Option #1

• Bet: Draw

• Odds Range: 3.01-3.47

Option #2

• Bet: Over/Under (Under 3.5)

• Odds Range: 1.13-1.31

▶▶Full Match Details: [Read More]

⚽ Arsenal vs Everton
🏟️ English Premier League
Saturday 14 March; 18:30 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: This one’s more or less a no-brainer with these odds.

• CXSports says: In fairness, Everton’s a decent Premier League squad. They’re sitting mid-table, and their stats are reasonably balanced. Unfortunately for them, “decent” probably won’t cut it against Arsenal in its current form — 20 wins in 30 matches, 59 goals scored, and just 22 conceded (meaning they average almost 3x as many goals scored as goals conceded). That gap in attacking and defensive power will make this one extremely difficult for Everton to find its footing. The best they might manage is to slow the tempo a little, but in doing that, they probably won’t offer much in the way of a response.

• Score prediction: 2-0 for Arsenal

Option #1

• Bet: Arsenal Victory

• Odds Range: 1.21-1.39

Option #2

• Bet: Both Teams to Score (No)

• Odds Range: 1.45-1.68

▶▶Full Match Details: [Read More]

⚽ Chelsea vs Newcastle
🏟️ English Premier League
Saturday 14 March; 18:30 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: A nice double chance play for those who like to play it safe without seeing the odds drop to nothing.

• CXSports says: A quick glance at the current EPL standings (and which side’s playing at home here) would suggest Chelsea holds the edge here. And technically, they do — they score 1.83 goals per game vs Newcastle’s 1.45, while only conceding 1.17 vs Newcastle’s 1.48. But there’s another scenario worth considering here, and it starts with the head-to-head history. The last time these two met (December), the game ended in a 2-2 draw. And the two games before that were both won 2-0 by Newcastle. And if we take a look at current form in the league, neither side is looking significantly better or worse than the other — Chelsea’s got 2W, 2D, and 1L from their last five, while Newcastle has 2W and 3D. So yes, Chelsea does have the edge here, but the chances of a draw are also quite high.

• Score prediction: 2-1 for Chelsea or 2-2 Draw

Option #1

• Bet: Double Chance (Chelsea/Draw)

• Odds Range: 1.12-1.29

Option #2

• Bet: Both Teams to Score (Yes)

• Odds Range: 1.34-1.52

▶▶Full Match Details: [Read More]

Want to get the best odds on these predictions?

Bet most of you didn’t expect to find out that  North Korean football news took most of you by surprise.

But it’s no surprise — they’re not called the Hermit Kingdom for nothing. And it’s not like they’re all that present on the football world stage, even if North Korea’s local news might report otherwise. (There they are with those unconventional tactics again!)

In fact, the last time North Korea played in a World Cup, they were the lowest-ranking team to qualify. And that was many, many years ago.

Let’s see if you know how long ago with a quick quiz from our friends at Masters of Trivia.

Question: In what year did North Korea last qualify for a FIFA World Cup?

• A: 1990

• B: 2000

• C: 2010

• D: 2020

Think you know the answer?

Take the North Korea Trivia Quiz today.

Or read to the end to see if you were right.

⚽ West Ham vs Man City
🏟️ English Premier League
Saturday 14 March; 21:00 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: 

• CXSports says: Man City’s stats are brutal. They score more goals than anyone in the league (2.03 per game) while conceding just 0.93. Now compare that with West Ham, who concede 1.86 goals per match while only managing to score 1.21 goals of their own. That statistical gap of almost one goal per game in both attack and defense is huge. (And probably goes a long way towards explaining why these two live at opposite ends of the table.) As such, even if West Ham somehow manages to compete early on, expect City to gradually pin them down as the match wears on.

• Score prediction: 1-3 for Man City

Option #1

• Bet: Man City Victory

• Odds Range: 1.47-1.75

Option #2

• Bet: Over/Under (Over 2.5)

• Odds Range: 1.34-1.54

▶▶Full Match Details: [Read More]

⚽ Crystal Palace vs Leeds
🏟️ English Premier League
Sunday 15 March; 15:00 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: If you can trust the small edge the stats show here, then the odds on this one could result in a very nice payoff.

• CXSports says: This one doesn’t have a clear favorite, but if we look, Crystal Palace does emerge with an edge, mainly thanks to their more balanced statistical profile. They score 1.14 goals per match and concede 1.24, while Leeds have a much wider band, scoring 1.28 per match while conceding 1.52. That defensive vulnerability will likely be the key element this match turns on, especially given Palace’s ability to put up some reasonably strong performances while playing at home.

• Score prediction: 2-1 for Crystal Palace

Option #1

• Bet: Crystal Palace Victory

• Odds Range: 2.01-2.46

Option #2

• Bet: Over/Under (Under 3.5)

• Odds Range: 1.15-1.30

▶▶Full Match Details: [Read More]

⚽ Man United vs Aston Villa
🏟️ English Premier League
Sunday 15 March; 15:00 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: This one promises to be a tense battle for third place, even if the outcome’s maybe not as certain as we’d usually like.

• CXSports says: With these two tied for third place on the ladder with 51 points apiece, this could be a fun one. With that said, Manchester United’s stats do hint at a slight advantage. They score 1.76 goals per match while Villa only manages 1.34. And while Villa’s defensive stats do look better at first, with 1.17 conceded per game vs United’s 1.38, notice that the difference here isn’t as big. To put some numbers on it, while United averages 18% more goals conceded compared with Villa, they still score +31% more goals. The fact that United’s playing at home only tilts the equation even further in their favor.

• Score prediction: 2-1 for Man United

Option #1

• Bet: Man United Victory

• Odds Range: 1.52-1.78

Option #2

• Bet: Both Teams to Score (Yes)

• Odds Range: 1.50-1.69

▶▶Full Match Details: [Read More]

⚽ Liverpool vs Tottenham
🏟️ English Premier League
Sunday 15 March; 17:30 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: A clear edge for one side and some okay odds… what’s not to like about that?

• CXSports says: Right now, Tottenham arguably has the worst form in the Premier League. Why? It’s not just about their Champions League disaster. They’re also the only side in the EPL right now to have lost each of their last 5 games (yes, even the Wolves are doing better). And speaking of losing, Tottenham’s also lost their last three straight games against Liverpool, including a loss at home in December last year. And putting results-based form aside for the moment, things only start looking better for Liverpool — each side’s attacking and defensive numbers are almost the polar opposite. Tottenham’s scoring 1.34 while conceding 1.59, while Liverpool’s scoring 1.66 while only conceding 1.34. In short, everything’s pointing in one direction — a Liverpool victory.

• Score prediction: 2-1 for Liverpool

Option #1

• Bet: Liverpool Victory

• Odds Range: 1.15-1.37

Option #2

• Bet: Both Teams to Score (Yes)

• Odds Range: 1.57-1.80

▶▶Full Match Details: [Read More]

Make your sportsbook work for you!

There’s a popular quote linked to “Supreme Leader”, Kim Jong-Un.

Now, as spoken, this is supposed to be a piece of state propaganda. It basically says, “the present and future only exist because of the past, and therefore the past leadership must be continuously honored and followed.”

But, if you think about it, it also says something much more useful.

Here’s the real meaning:

Your past work compounds. So if you want to become successful tomorrow, use today to build useful yesterdays.

Want to learn more about North Korea and Kim Jong-Un?

Masters of Trivia is the only trivia app where every player is rewarded. Play all the trivia quizzes you can handle and earn real rewards simply for participating.

Take Masters of Trivia for a spin with the North Korea Trivia Quiz today.

PS: The answer to this week’s question was [C] — The last time North Korea qualified for a FIFA World Cup was 2010, when they qualified as the lowest-ranked team (but still managed to make it to the second round). Discover more trivia like this with the North Korea Trivia Quiz.