EPL Soccer Picks, Predictions, Best Bets: Chelsea’s Joao Pedro looking to break goalscoring slump
The 2025/2026 English Premier League season conclusion draws near, with Manchester City now holding a game in-hand and just three points behind the former nine-point leaders in Arsenal.
Headlining this weekend’s action is a very gritty rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool that could see the fourth-place Reds overtake the third-place Red Devils, and all eyes will be on City on Monday – hungry for a win against Everton to inch towards the title once again. Watch out for Joao Pedro on the scoreline, as he’s looking to bag his first goal in three games amidst Chelsea’s major struggles.
Find out what’s in store for matchday 35 in the EPL, with games starting at Friday at 3 p.m. ET when Leeds take on Burnley.
Manchester United vs. Liverpool best bet: Liverpool +0.5 (-175)
Manchester United (+135) host Liverpool (+175) with 81 historical wins to 67. They’ve gone 1-1-1 against each other in their last three, with United winning the most recent bout 2-1 on the road earlier this season.
United needs to finish strong, as beating Liverpool won’t come easily. Michael Carrick’s side has gone 3-1-1 in their last five with wins against big clubs like Aston Villa, Chelsea and Brentford, but United dropped points at home against Leeds in a 2-1 loss on April 13. The team has had numerous close calls in April, winning their last two games by just one goal, with Benjamin Sesko (10 goals) netting a 43′ game-winner recently against Brentford. He enters this match likely to score at +180, while Bryan Mbeumo could surely score his 10th of the season at +225 to give his team a vital edge over the Reds.
Liverpool is certainly content with being back in a Champions League contention spot after treading most of the season at mid-table. Arne Slot’s squad has done particularly well since their UCL exit to PSG, winning two straight over Everton and Palace by a combined score of 5-2. While their defence is questionable against fast-paced offensive teams, Liverpool has only allowed two goals in their last three league games. Offensively, both Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike are sidelined due to injury, so it’ll be up to teammates Alexander Isak (+205) and Cody Gakpo (+295) to take up the goalscoring reins and give the Reds a necessary cushion to remain in the top four by the end of matchday 38.
With how these matches always go, it’ll be a close call – especially with the last five consecutive meetings between the two seeing at least three goals hit the net. Liverpool are due for some morale-boosting, and while a draw is highly likely in these scenarios, the Reds can definitely pull off the +0.5 spread at Old Trafford.
Everton vs. Man City best bet: Manchester City -1.5 (+115)
City have looked like a different animal domestically since being released from the Champions League, defeating Arsenal twice (EFL Cup Final, EPL), Liverpool (FA Cup quarterfinal) and Chelsea all within a span of four games. While they did drop some unnecessary points in February and March, they are on a 10-game unbeaten streak in the EPL, with their last loss all the way back in January. In all competitions, City have struck the back of the net 12 times in their last five matches and are FA Cup finalists after defeating Southampton 2-1 last Saturday. Never count out the Sky Blues’ goal-hungry beast Erling Haaland to continue his reign of terror against Everton, as he enters on a two-game EPL scoring streak – leading the league with 24 in total.
While Everton sit at 11th place in the league, they are only three points behind a potential sixth-place spot, and at this point in the season, they are happy enough to avoid relegation. They haven’t seen a victory since March, although they’ve played out a very difficult schedule recently with matches against Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool in four of their last five. Their most recent bout against West Ham ended in a narrow 2-1 defeat last Saturday, and it’s looking unlikely that the side can withstand City’s wrath even at home – especially after losing their last home game 2-1 to Liverpool. Beto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall could be major game-changers with eight goals apiece, but it’ll take all the effort from Thierno Barry and Iliman Ndiaye (six goals each) for Everton to carry out a spectacular match.
With City’s potential title on the line and their current hot form – beating the best teams in the league – it’s hard to see anything but a dominant Sky Blues victory here, which is why the -1.5 City spread is a sound choice.
Joao Pedro anytime goalscorer +125 in Chelsea vs. Nottingham Forest
Blues’ top goalscorer Joao Pedro has 14 to his name this season, but he hasn’t scored in his last three Premier League matches. Expect his drought to end in this matchweek, as the Brazilian could be solely responsible for lifting the Blues’ spirits with a goal in this match before the FA Cup final commences.