EPL Soccer Picks, Predictions, Best Bets: Manchester United’s Benjamin Sesko playing at top form
We are nearly down to 10 Premier League matchdays left as matchday 28 of 38 kicks off this weekend with some spectacular matchups.
Arsenal have been headlining every week this year, as they now take on London rivals Chelsea at their home Emirates Stadium, while Everton and Newcastle will scrap it out at St. James Park to overtake one another in the standings. Manchester United’s Benjamin Sesko has ignited a scoring streak over the last few games and will want to continue his form with another finish to lift the Red Devils past Crystal Palace.
The action gets started on Friday at 3 p.m. ET with the Wolves taking on Aston Villa, and we’ve got our EPL best bets right across the weekend.
Make sure to check out Sports Interaction’s complete list of EPL match odds and EPL futures.
EPL Arsenal vs. Chelsea best bet: Arsenal ML (-160)
This particular London derby is merciless, with Arsenal going undefeated against Chelsea for 10 straight games since August 2021. Chelsea has still pulled off three draws, but only at home in those matchups. Arsenal have gone 4-0 at home in that period, with their most recent EFL Cup semifinal victory ending 1-0.
Arsenal enter their second consecutive London derby in back-to-back matchdays this weekend. The Gunners’ history against the Blues paints a clear picture for this matchup, and they just secured a recent 4-1 win over Tottenham, putting them at 14 goals in five games. They’ve only beaten Chelsea at home in recent history, and they should be able to do it again here. Viktor Gyokeres (four goals in his last five games) leads the goalscoring odds at +160, followed by Gabriel Jesus to score anytime at +165.
Chelsea has had some close calls in recent matchups, drawing with struggling Leeds and Burnley in their last two EPL games. They are still ripe for an automatic Champions League spot next year as they hold onto fifth, but Liverpool is right on their tail. Given the Blues’ poor form at the Emirates Stadium for the last five years, it’s hard to see them overcoming adversity in this one. Reliance on Cole Palmer (+290) will be significant, although the English midfielder has missed much of the season due to injury. Joao Pedro’s (+400) performance will be vital, as he leads his team with 11 goals so far this season. Ultimately, I expect Arsenal to win in this fixture.
EPL Newcastle vs. Everton best bet: Over 2.5 (-140)
Newcastle’s last game against Everton in November ended 4-1 in their favour, which sets them up as -135 favourites this weekend after winning four of their last five games. Two of those came in the Champions League against Qarabag, with nine goals over both legs. They beat Tottenham and Aston Villa, then lost to City in the EPL, but all of those games ended with over 2.5 goals. Newcastle has not been shutout or seen a game end with fewer than three goals since January in the UCL. Nick Woltemade (+155), Anthony Gordon (+180), and Harvey Barnes (+210) continue to bolster this Newcastle side with 27 goals combined in the EPL and UCL.
Everton have seen two of their last three matches conclude with three goals, and while many of their games have been low-scoring bouts this season, they’ve still scored at least one goal in nine of their last 10 games. Now in Newcastle territory, it’s likely that they’ll allow at least one, given the results of their last confrontation. But all it takes is Thierno Barry (+350), Beto Betuncal (+380), or Iliman Ndiaye (+390) to find the back of the net one time after combining for 13 already this season, and you have an over 2.5 likely to hit, especially with these games historically ending 4-1, 2-1, or 1-1.
EPL best player prop bet: Benjamin Sesko anytime goalscorer (+170) in Manchester United vs. Crystal Palace
Manchester United’s 6’6″ Slovenian forward, Benjamin Sesko, has been particularly dominant in the last two months of play, helping the Red Devils climb all the way to fourth place. He’s scored three goals in his last five games, with two in back-to-back games against West Ham and Everton.
United have scored 48 goals, while Crystal Palace have allowed 32, so expect the towering forward to get on the end of set pieces if he already doesn’t score during the run of play, to give the Red Devils the edge and earn his eighth Premier League goal of the season.