Bournemouth vs Sunderland Picks and Predictions for Sunday, October 18, 2026
On Sunday, Bournemouth hosts Sunderland at Vitality Stadium. The opening kickoff is at 9:00 am ET. Bournemouth is 0-3-3 and 18th in the Premier League with three points, while Sunderland is 1-1-4 and 17th with four points. The Cherries lost to Chelsea 5-1 in their last league match, while Sunderland lost to Brighton 2-0. Both teams won in the Europa League on Thursday. Check out our free Premier League picks to help increase your winnings.
Bournemouth needs its first league victory
Bournemouth defeated Sturm Graz 3-0 on Thursday, following a 5-1 loss to Chelsea in Premier League play. The Cherries have not won a league match this season and have scored an average of 1.17 goals per game. Bournemouth allows an average of 2.17 goals per game, while keeping possession 48% of the time. The Cherries have lost two straight league games but have won both Europa League matches.
Marcus Tavernier leads Bournemouth with three goals, while Evanilson has a team-best three assists. Evanilson has also scored one goal in six league appearances. Bournemouth has been getting better results in Europe than in the Premier League, where the Cherries have three draws and three losses.
Injuries: Alex Scott, Veljko Milosavljevic, Julian Araujo and Eli Junior Kroupi are out.
Sunderland needs better defense
Sunderland defeated Torreense 2-1 on Thursday but has lost three consecutive Premier League matches. The Black Cats lost to Brighton 2-0 last time out in league play and have allowed at least two goals in each of the past three league games. Sunderland scores an average of 1.00 goal per game while allowing 2.00. The Black Cats have four points through six matches.
Brian Brobbey leads Sunderland with three goals in five appearances. Enzo Le FÊe, Thomas Meunier and Nilson Angulo have one assist apiece. Sunderland has scored six goals in six league matches and has kept one clean sheet. The Black Cats won their first away match of the season on Thursday but have not won a league game since August.
Injuries: Daniel Ballard and Romaine Mundle are out. Thomas Meunier will miss Sunday's game, while Wilson Isidor is doubtful.
Key To The Game
Both teams have struggled on defense, with Bournemouth allowing 2.17 goals per game and Sunderland giving up 2.00. The Cherries have the home advantage, but Sunderland has one more point in the standings. Both teams also played on Thursday.
Bournemouth vs Sunderland Pick
- Draw
Bournemouth has not won a Premier League match, while Sunderland has lost three straight league games. The Cherries have drawn three of six matches, including two of three at home. Sunderland has struggled on defense but has scored in five of six league games. Neither team has shown enough consistency to be a clear favorite. With both clubs coming off Thursday's European matches, a draw is the selection here.
Bournemouth vs Sunderland Over/Under Pick
- Over 2.5 Goals
Bournemouth allows an average of 2.17 goals per game, while Sunderland gives up 2.00. The Cherries have scored in four of six league matches, and Sunderland has scored in five. Bournemouth also allowed five goals against Chelsea in its last league outing. Both teams have been giving up plenty of goals, and neither has been dependable defensively. Those numbers support the Over 2.5 goals on Sunday.