Stats at a glance: Bournemouth (A), Premier League: 18/10/2026
Average home goals predicted: 1.25
Average away goals predicted: 1.25
Confidence of Roker Report’s writers: 4.9/10
Predicting a win for the Lads: 50%
Martin Wanless (Cautious Optimist) says…
Score prediction: Bournemouth 1 Sunderland 2
We really need to pick up three points today and while we haven’t played well in our last two, we really need to get points on the board today.
Aside from the win, the positive on Thursday were key players being rested and Omar Alderete getting a game under his belt — and with Brian Brobbey back and available,
we should be relatively fresh.
Bournemouth were in action on Thursday too and picked up a good win that they needed for confidence too, so this will be a bit of a battle. Hopefully we’ll pick up all three points.
Key differentiator: Our central midfield could give us the edge.
Confidence: 4/10
Bold call: Our first scorer to have more than 22 Scrabble points in their full name.
Malc Dugdale (Scarred happy clapper) says…
Score prediction: Bournemouth 1 Sunderland 1
After that very emotional win in Europe on Thursday, I think this game will be a challenge for both sides, but something we can get points out of.
Bournemouth’s form at home has been poor in the Premier League — they haven’t won a game yet, but they haven’t become a poor side overnight, and they put three past Sturm Graz in the week.
Both teams need to start improving their points tally, so while I hope for an away win, I’m expecting a tight affair and for the Lads to make the long trip home with a share of the spoils.
Key differentiator: The rested legs from the midweek game should serve us well (we rotated two more players than the hosts did), as well the comeback nature of our win. Confidence and stamina will make a difference.
Confidence: 5/10
Bold call: Our scorer will hail from the Americas (North or South)
Jack Howe-Gingell (Eternal optimist) says…
Score prediction: Bournemouth 1 Sunderland 2
Like ourselves, Bournemouth had Thursday night European action and also came away with a win.
Both teams will have similar in terms of the extra game, although Bournemouth have the advantage that they were at home.
They’ve had a slow start to their league campaign — again, similarly to us — and I’m expecting a close game.
Key differentiator: Brian Brobbey. The big man will be back after his injury, raring to go.
Confidence: 6/10
Bold call: We’ll score our first goal with a backheel.
“Champion” Will Jones (Heart over head) says…
Score prediction: Bournemouth 1 Sunderland 2
Not exactly the convincing European performance we were after, but a last minute winner against Torreense is hopefully just what the Lads needed.
There should be a bit more belief around the dressing room, and sometimes that’s all it takes to get things moving again.
Bournemouth away is never going to be easy, but I fancy us to take that late Thursday boost into the weekend. We’ll need to be much better than we were in Portugal, but I’m backing the Lads to get the job done and bring all three points back to Wearside.
Key differentiator: Carrying Thursday’s late winner into Sunday and playing with a bit more confidence.
Confidence: 6/10
Bold call: We score our final goal after minute seventy five.
Matty Foster (Pragmatist) says…
Score prediction: Bournemouth 1 Sunderland 0
While Thursday was a magical moment in our history, I reckon the tired legs will show in this.
Bournemouth also had a great European night in the comfort of their own home, so are less disadvantaged than ourselves.
It’ll be a tough task, and I don’t anticipate we’ll be close to first on ‘Match of the Day’ by any stretch.
Key differentiator: As mentioned, fatigue will play a part in this one.
Confidence: 4/10
Bold call: We’ll look like we’ve got a valuable point before Bournemouth snatch it in stoppage time.
Anthony Gair (Depreciating optimist) says…
Score prediction: Bournemouth 2 Sunderland 0
Expect the same from our lot: complacent, toothless, empty aggression.
We’ll give it a good go again, but we have nobody who fancies having a pop, and we’ll pass it in the final third instead of putting it in the onion bag.
Key differentiator: If we decide to take the game by the scuff of the neck and actually do what teams who want to win games do, then we might get out there and win. But we have to take shots and not be scared to buy a ticket.
Confidence: 4/10
Bold call: There’ll be no goals until after the eightieth minute.
Gary Winter (Glass almost empty) says…
Score prediction: Bournemouth 2 Sunderland 1
A last-minute winner on Thursday spared the blushes, so at least we won’t walk into the Vitality Stadium on a low.
It’s early in the season but this game feels so important — win, lose or draw, all outcomes will have a big impact on subsequent weeks.
We could really do with three points to give us some respite and help the team play without nerves, or worrying about losing rather than playing to win.
Key differentiator: My concern is that Bournemouth didn’t have to travel for either their Europa League tie on Thursday or today’s league match, whereas we’ll have clocked up about 2,500 miles by the start of this game.
Confidence: 5/10
Bold call: A defender will score the first goal.
Brett Lyons-Davis (Gut feeling guy) says…
Score prediction: Bournemouth 1 Sunderland 2
This one sits between ‘must win’ and ‘must not lose’.
We need to up our game from Brighton and the first sixty minutes of Thursday, release the handbrake like we did the in last thirty minutes and just go for it.
Key differentiator: Our ‘last minute win’ vibes beat their ‘3-0 cruise’ ones.
Confidence: 5/10
Bold call: All scorers will be born in the Chinese new year of animals with either scales or feathers (snake/dragon/rooster).
Last game thoughts…
The Lads got back to their old way with a comeback win in Portugal on Thursday to the delight of 4-5000 travelling fans.
The performance was’t great but we rotated heavily and to come back from a wonder goal down to win when the hosts were clearly parking the bus for a point was a great outcome. Fabulous for Noah Sadiki and Jules Ahoka to get their first goals for the club too.
Hopefully this can lift the spirits and performance levels of the lads, which we’ll need after all that travel and an away trip to fellow European contenders Bournemouth. They got spanked away in the Premier League last time out, so will want to put that right too.
Could be an interesting one.
Last game predictions…
The confidence before Torreense was higher than the performance that got us the win, but we got there so all the lads got something out of the Europa league adventure.
Only Matty benefitted from the bold call, correctly saying that every Sunderland goal would be a first goal for the club — an inspired forecast which was delivered by Ahoka and Sadiki.
Predictions table and standings
Matty resumes the lone lead with his two points from the Portugal game, and everyone else stays as was, plus one point.
How the points are awarded
Just a quick reminder of how we allocate points to our match-by-match predictions:
- Correct score = Three points
- Correct outcome (but not correct score) = One point
- Correct Bold Call = One point
- Possible deductions for being lazy and not submitting on time = a two-point deduction.
