It is difficult to know which Liverpool will turn up against Sunderland at Anfield for the Reds first Premier League game of 2013.

Will it be the attack-minded Brendan Rodgers team that outclassed Fulham 4-0 at home and struck three without reply away to QPR?

Could it be the side that lost 3-1 on their own patch to a young Aston Villa outfit or even the XI that were outfought by the same scoreline at Stoke?

Consistency is key to becoming a team capable of fighting at the top of the table, and it is an issue that will have left Rodgers scratching his head.

Despite that, Liverpool remain firm favourites for their clash with the Black Cats, and can be backed at 4/9 (1.57) for victory .

The away side lost last time out against Tottenham after earning a first-half lead, but are priced at 13/2 (7.5) to bounce back at Anfield.

Those are rather long odds for the visitors to win, bearing in mind Martin O’Neill’s side have recently beaten the champions Manchester City and Liverpool have lost three out of 10 home matches in the league already this season.

If you fancy a draw in this one – the result that occurred in the corresponding fixture back in September – then a price of 10/3 (4.33) is available.

If Liverpool are to emerge victorious, then chances are star striker Luis Suarez will have played a key part in the process.

Three goals in as many games has seen the Uruguayan return to his best after a barren run of six games (in all competitions) without scoring that will have given his manager sleepless nights.

Suarez is 3/1 (4.0) to strike first, 4/6 (1.66) to fire at anytime, 21/10 (3.1) to score first for Liverpool and 8/5 (2.6) as the Insurebet first goalscorer (stake refunded if he does not score first but does at another time during the game).

Siding with Liverpool as the main bet and Suarez to strike first as the value bet looks worthy of a return here.

Jamie Dickenson is a 22-year-old freelance journalist who specialises in football, sports and betting. More of his work can be found here – and you can also follow Jamie on

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