Bet Saturday afternoon soccer: Liverpool begins first Premier League title defense against an old foe

It had been quite a while since Liverpool last won the top flight in England before last season.

It has also been a long time since the Reds took on Leeds United in the Premier League.

Saturday afternoon, the long-awaited return for Leeds finally happens, after over a decade and a half out in the wilderness of the second and third tiers of the English football pyramid.

Liverpool looked awful for the first 60 minutes of the F.A. Community Shield, a match which it ended up losing on penalties to Arsenal. I can’t see the Reds falling after they opened their last campaign so well: they had a 44-game unbeaten run through February (carried over from 2018-19). Look for Loverpool to run Leeds off the pitch.

Check Fubo.tv for channel listings

ENGLAND PREMIER LEAGUE AFTERNOON GAMES

Liverpool (-335) vs. Leeds United (+800), draw (+480), 12:30 p.m. EDT (NBC and Fubo.tv)

West Ham (+102) vs. Newcastle United (+265), draw (+250), 3 p.m. EDT (Peacock and Fubo.tv)

THE PICKS:

Newcastle United +0.5 (-120)

Liverpool -1.5 (-110)

Liverpool/Leeds over 3 goals Asian handicap (-120)

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) to score (-120)