Premier League Betting: Three players to find the book in the first game of 2021

With 2020 boxed off (finally) we move on to a fresh new year and hopefully it will bring with it more positivity than the last 12 months has, especially down the betting office. BettingOdds.com will continue to bring you the content and tips that you’ve become accustomed to since we launched back in March, with our weekly ‘to be carded’ treble front and centre every Friday morning. 

Below, I’ve picked out a tasty looking 70/1 treble for three players to find their way into the  referee’s notepad this weekend - Gameweek 17 in the Premier League - in the hope that we can kick the new year off in style. Good luck to any followers on board and please remember to always gamble responsibly. 

Stuart Dallas v Tottenham - 16/5

My first pick is Leeds left-back Stuart Dallas to pick up a card in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off against Tottenham. 

Marcelo Bielsa has got his side playing some tremendous football this term which has been a real treat for the neutrals to enjoy, but it is a risky approach to matches which relies on a huge level of intensity. This often results in rash challenges due to how fast the tempo is pretty much every time this Leeds side step foot on the pitch, and Dallas has been one of the biggest culprits. 

The Northern Ireland international has been one of the standout performers for Leeds, frequently chipping in with shots from distance and important tackles when his side are on the back foot, but he has also seen his name taken on three separate occasions thanks to some mis-timed challenges and he is a player who always seems overpriced in the card market given he plays at left wing-back up against the league's paciest wingers. 

Up against the speed of Tottenham’s counter-attack, I think Dallas may be subject to another caution this weekend, so he goes into my bookings treble to get things started.

Yves Bissouma v Wolves - 11/4 (Paddy's 'Power Up')

Next up it’s Brighton man Yves Bissouma. The 24-year-old is a tough tackler in the centre of the Seagulls’ midfield and is never shy of getting stuck into a hearty challenge. 

This season Bissouma has picked up more cards than any of his Brighton team-mates with four, with only five players sustaining more in the top-flight this term.

With an average of 1.7 fouls per game I think the Mali international could be primed for his fifth booking of the campaign, especially considering he will line-up directly against the feisty Ruben Neves (three bookings in 20/21) in central midfield who himself is well known for how firm he can be in the tackle. 

Kyle Walker-Peters v Liverpool - 7/2

Lastly, to round things off and make this a very appetising 70/1 treble with Paddy Power I’m backing Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters to find his name taken in Monday night’s game against Liverpool.

The Saints full-back will be tasked with marking Sadio Mane here, which as we all know is a daunting prospect that never gets any easier for defender’s looking after the elusive Senegalese wide man. KWP is Southampton’s second-most booked player in 2020-21 with four bookings to his name, behind only Oriol Romeu who has five.

The ex-Spurs man has proved a fantastic acquisition since his arrival in January - first on loan and then permanently in the summer - but he is prone to a rash challenge, proven by the fact that he has averaged a foul a game so far this season. Monday evening will be a very difficult match for Walker-Peters and I can envisage him being cautioned trying to contain the pace and trickery of Mane.