EPL Soccer Picks, Predictions, Best Bets: Manchester Derby highlights this week’s schedule
English clubs return from their FA Cup and EFL Cup endeavours this week with new player acquisitions from the January transfer window, making for an electric matchday 22 of the Premier League.
Arsenal are still six points clear at the top of the standings, with Manchester City and Aston Villa attempting to stay on their tail. City takes on its rivals, Man United, this weekend, while Chelsea attempts to correct their horrid recent form against fifth-place Brentford. Moreover, Hugo Ekitike will look to lead Liverpool to victory once again with a potential ninth goal of the season.
Experience the first of the EPL action this weekend with the highly anticipated Manchester Derby kicking things off at 7:30 a.m. ET this Saturday.
Manchester United vs. Manchester City best bet: Man City ML (-110)
The previous Manchester Derby ended 3-0 in favour of City, as Erling Haaland closed out the scoring with a vital brace at the home Etihad Stadium.
City needs their 14th win of the season this weekend to continue their pursuit of Arsenal in first place, and have acquired new talent like Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth (10 goals this season) to do so. The Sky Blues last three Premier League fixtures may have ended in draws, but they come to Old Trafford this weekend after winning back-to-back games in the FA Cup third round and EFL Cup semifinal first leg with 12 goals to show for, making them likely -110 victors in this rivalry.
United is under Michael Carrick’s fresh management after Ruben Amorim was let go. The Red Devils are also on a three-game draw streak in the EPL, although they were recently knocked out of the FA Cup third round 2-1 by Brighton, setting them as +250 underdogs for this weekend. As United adjusts to new management while facing City’s combined firepower of Haaland, Semenyo, and Phil Foden, the Red Devils are sure to run into trouble even at home this weekend, so a Man City moneyline at -110 may be your best bet.
Brentford vs. Chelsea best bet: Over 2.5 (-160)
Brentford have been a true dark horse this season, as they come into this matchup as +350 underdogs despite securing fifth place (43 points) with a current six-game undefeated streak. New striker signing Kaye Furo from Club Brugge could prove useful in addition to Igor Thiago and his 16 goals this season, as the Bees aim to continue their strong offensive form – having scored an average of three goals per game in their last three matches in all competitions.
Chelsea (-145) dropped nine points since mid-December, falling from fifth to eighth place in the standings, leading them to replace head coach Enzo Maresca with Liam Rosenior. While the Blues’ first leg of the EFL semifinal ended 3-2 against Arsenal on Wednesday, Chelsea have only finished two out of their last 10 games with fewer than three goals, and have let up at least one goal per game since December 13. This points towards a bet on over 2.5 goals (-160) against high-scoring Brentford.
Best player prop bet: Hugo Ekitike Anytime Goalscorer in Liverpool vs. Burnley (-140)
Liverpool’s highest goalscorer this season, Hugo Ekitike, continues his pursuit of double-digit goals with eight already in pocket. The French striker has not found the back of the net in the Premier League since the Reds’ 2-1 victory over Tottenham on December 20, but he did close out the scoring in the team’s 4-1 win over Barnsley in the FA Cup third round, and he looks to add to his tally at -140 odds.
