Bournemouth vs. Southampton prediction: Who to bet in Premier League matchup

· New York Post

There are two schools of thought when it comes to guiding newly promoted teams in the Premier League.

Some folks believe it is best to stick with the style that earned you promotion, no matter what, and others would suggest playing things safe and focusing on being hard to beat in order to give yourself the best chance at staying up.

The correct answer, as it always seems to be, is likely in the middle.

You need to be able to adapt based on your opposition. It’s one thing to play Barcelona-style football against the likes of Plymouth Argyle or Oxford United, but coming up and trying to do it against Arsenal or Liverpool is a recipe for disaster.

It seems as if Southampton is committed to learning that lesson the hard way.

After getting relegated two seasons ago, Southampton turned over the keys to Russell Martin, who focused on getting Saints to play a more possession-oriented style and pass their way through pressure, no matter where they are on the field.

That philosophy is fine when you’re one of the more talented teams in the second division, but against Premier League opposition — especially an excellent pressing side like Monday’s opponent, Bournemouth — it is almost self-defeating.

Bournemouth may not be considered one of the juggernauts in the Premier League, but Antoine Semenyo and the Cherries are on the upswing and have been one of the best sides outside of the top four since this time last season.

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This is a stylistic nightmare for Saints and could be a rout.

THE PLAY: Bournemouth -1.5 goals (+145).

Why Trust New York Post Betting

Michael Leboff handicaps the EPL, NHL, golf and anything else that isn’t the NFL and NBA for the NY Post. He’s up 49.73 units betting EPL with a 7.17% ROI.