Steven Gerrard will make his final appearance at Anfield for Liverpool (18-8-10, 62 Points) against Crystal Palace (11-9-16, 42 Points) on Saturday afternoon.
ODDS ANALYSIS
Under normal circumstances, this would be a lackluster match. Liverpool fans wouldn't flock by the thousands to Anfield for a duel with no consequence whatsoever. However, in this case, the Reds fans will be out in arms cheering for their main man, Gerrard, who has captained this team for nearly a decade.
The end result is the predictable Liverpool following for bettors. The Reds are -222 on this day, making them the biggest favorites on the board this weekend by a country mile.
The total is high at 2.5 (over -138), and it probably isn't with merit.
KEY INJURIES
Crystal Palace enters this match full of itself, knowing that it has ensured safety for the 2015-16 season in the Premier League. The Eagles will be completely injury-free heading to Anfield.
Liverpool could get Mamadou Sakho back, but in all likelihood, neither he nor Daniel Sturridge will be seen dressed out come Saturday.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"For me, I go to work on a Monday morning, and I look forward to Saturday, to prepare to go to battle with some wonderful people, with good mates, and that's my buzz. When a manager gets you into the office and says that's going to change, and it's going to become more limited, that's when you make your decision." – Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard on why he is leaving Anfield for the LA Galaxy after this season
RECENT FORM
Form almost seems to be secondary for this match for Liverpool, though it should be noted that the Reds are in decent form. They drew last week at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea, and that came on the heels of a 2-1 win over Queens Park Rangers. Prior to that though, Liverpool managed just one point in three matches against strugglers, Hull City, West Brom and Aston Villa.
Crystal Palace is absolutely out of form right now with four straight losses, but who could blame it for its struggles? It has had to play nothing but teams either at the top of the table or teams at the bottom of it for the last month. A 2-1 loss at home against Manchester United and a 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge on the day Chelsea locked up the Premier League title aren't bad results.
TALKING TOTALS
Three of Liverpool's last four matches have failed to exceed the total, a real testament to their defense as much as it is a discredit to their lacking offense. Ever since Sturridge has been ruled out for most likely the whole season, the entire Liverpool offense has seemingly gone into the tank.
Just one more moment of brilliance in a couple games, and we'd be talking about Crystal Palace being on a huge over run right now. Instead, they have played five of their last eight over the number. Still, with two 2-0 defeats in that mix as well, the Eagles are very close to being an over juggernaut.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
We love storybook endings in sports. We loved when Derek Jeter got the hit that won his last game at Yankee Stadium, for example. However, it isn't all that often that we actually see that pan out.
Sure, it would be great to see a patented screamer from long range off of Gerrard's left foot hit the back of the net to send him out of Anfield a winner, but he hasn't had one of those in him in quite some time.
The bottom line is that this Liverpool offense isn't good. This isn't baseball where anything can happen on any given night. This is the beautiful game of soccer, where more often than not, moments of brilliance just don't happen.
That's why we are betting against Gerrard and his mates in this one. Getting +1 and plus odds on the Asian handicap is just far too much. It'll be tough to see Liverpool winning this match, let alone winning it by multiple goals.
Liverpool 1, Crystal Palace 1
BookMaker has live Barclays Premier League odds for every clash of the season. BookMaker is also going to have multiple betting options available for this nationally-televised match. Liverpool opened as a -222 favorite. The first offering of the total came in at 2.5 (over -138). Live wagering during the match offers an adjusted moneyline, total and spread. Log in and start gambling during the soccer match now!
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The fixture between Liverpool and Crystal Palace will take place on Saturday, May 15, 2015, at 12:30 p.m. at Anfield. The game will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network.
