Fulham vs Crystal Palace Prediction: Betting Tips & Odds

Fulham and Crystal Palace meet at Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon UK time - early Sunday morning in New Zealand - with either side yet to pick up a point this season. Fulham have lost to Chelsea and Sunderland under new manager Alvaro Arbeloa. Palace, now led by Pierre Sage, went down at Everton before a 4-1 hammering from Man City at home.

In this Fulham vs Crystal Palace preview, I look at both clubs’ difficult starts and whether this is the week one of them breaks through.

I’ve also got a draw angle at $3.40 for anyone browsing football sports betting options ahead of the weekend.

Fulham

Two games, zero points, zero clean sheets.

Arbeloa’s first competitive match was a 3-2 loss to Chelsea - a game Fulham were in, for what it’s worth. Josh King and Gonzalo Garcia both scored against a sloppy Robert Sanchez, and Antonee Robinson should have equalised late on.

Sunderland was far worse.

Fulham failed to record a single shot on target in a 1-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light. Wilson Isidor’s 75th-minute tap-in felt inevitable after Habib Diarra’s cross caught Leno off his line. For me, a team with no shots on target against a side that finished seventh last season is a concern I can’t ignore.

Garcia has looked decent on his debut, though. Signed from Real Madrid for a reported £34 million, he headed in against Chelsea and added a late goal in the 3-0 EFL Cup win over AFC Wimbledon. Arbeloa needs him and King clicking.

Team News: Cairney is out with a knee injury until the autumn. De Fougerolles is a doubt after being forced off in the EFL Cup. Andersen is available again after serving a three-match suspension.

Predicted Lineup: Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Iwobi; Bobb, King, Palacios; Garcia.

Crystal Palace

I don’t think Palace are as bad as their results look.

Against Everton on the opening day, they rattled the woodwork twice and had the better of the xG. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s thunderbolt and a Thierno Barry header punished them for their wastefulness, but Sage’s side created enough to win that game.

Man City at home was different. A 4-1 defeat with Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki both scoring twice was hard to watch, and Palace’s only response was a Yeremi Pino free kick that crashed off the crossbar and then off Donnarumma.

Sage is short up front. His most prolific forward from last season won’t be available this weekend, and a groin injury to another key attacker leaves Jorgen Strand Larsen as the focal point. Adam Wharton and Pino will need to provide the creativity from deeper areas.

Team News: Riad is out for the season with an ACL injury. Mateta is sidelined for at least four weeks with a hamstring problem. Sarr is unavailable with a groin issue. Nketiah started against Everton but has ongoing fitness concerns.

Predicted Lineup: Henderson; Munoz, Richards, Tomiyasu, Mitchell; Kamada, Wharton; Pino, McNeil, Nketiah; Strand Larsen.

• Palace have won the last two Premier League meetings at Craven Cottage.
• Fulham failed to register a single shot on target in their most recent away match.
• Both teams have conceded in all of their Premier League fixtures this season.
• Palace have not scored from open play across their two league outings.
• Fulham failed to record a clean sheet in either of their opening two Premier League games.

I’m going for the draw.

I can’t back Fulham to win here - not after what I saw at Sunderland. Zero shots on target at Sunderland is a damning stat, and I’m not convinced Arbeloa has worked out how to get this squad ticking.

But I’m not confident picking Palace away either, with so many attacking options missing. Sage is still figuring out his squad, and two defeats have done nothing for confidence.

If you’re comparing prices on the best legal betting sites available in New Zealand, I’d look closely at the draw market rather than picking a winner here. This feels like a game where neither side can afford to lose, and both will play accordingly. A tight, low-scoring 1-1 would surprise nobody.

Draw @ $3.40

Both of these sides are desperate for points, and desperate teams often cancel each other out.

Fulham have looked toothless away from Craven Cottage, while Palace have been unlucky but fragile. Palace avoided defeat in their last two visits to Craven Cottage - a 2-1 win last December and a 2-0 win in February 2025. I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

I don’t think either manager wants to open up here, and the early-season caution from two new coaches learning on the job points toward a cagey afternoon.

At $3.40, I’m comfortable backing it on the betting apps NZ punters are using this season.