EPL Soccer Picks, Predictions and Best Bets: Arsenal and Chelsea meet in heavyweight battle
Matchday 13 of the Premier League continues with Arsenal still at the helm with 29 points, followed by second-place Chelsea and Manchester City.
This week, No. 1 and No. 2 lock horns, this time with Chelsea taking on Arsenal in a major London derby. Sunderland and Bournemouth tangle to chase their rightful spots among the top four, while Brentford’s Igor Thiago looks to extend his scoring streak to three games straight.
Can Arsenal extend their lead over second place to seven points? Find out with this week’s English Premier League action kicking off at 10 a.m. ET sharp this Saturday.
EPL Chelsea vs. Arsenal best bet: Draw (+230)
Chelsea have not come out victorious against the Gunners in their last five meetings dating back to May 2023. The London squads last faced off in March, with Arsenal edging a close 1-0 victory.
Chelsea are looking like the most formidable contenders to force Arsenal to drop points as they punched their way back up the ranks to second place with 23 points and a 7-2-3 record. Their return from the international break saw them take three points with a 2-0 win over Burnley, before beating Barcelona 3-0 for their third shutout game in a row. The Blues will be highly motivated for this clash at Stamford Bridge.
Arsenal carry on with their first-place crusade as they reside at the top with nine wins and 29 points, after roughing up Tottenham 4-1 last Sunday. The Gunners enter the match at +120 odds to win on the money line, after seeing through a convincing 3-1 victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League, as they press on as the only UCL team without a defeat. However, Chelsea have been showing up for big games this season, especially at Stamford Bridge, which inclines me to pick a draw to occur at +230 odds.
EPL Sunderland vs. Bournemouth best bet: Sunderland +0.5 (-185)
Sunderland are beginning to look more vulnerable than at the start of the season, dropping to seventh place with 19 points and a 5-4-3 record after suffering their third loss in a 1-0 result to Fulham. Despite being at home here, they enter this match as +195 underdogs. Although when you look at the side’s overall capability, they’ve achieved some great results, including a 2-1 win over Chelsea and a 2-2 draw with Arsenal, and will be sure to hold their own at the Stadium of Light.
Bournemouth stands right behind Sunderland in eighth place with the same 5-4-3 record and 19 points, but has allowed nine more goals (20 total) than their opponents. The Cherries have been struggling to bag points lately, as they’ve gone 0-1-2 in their last three games, with their most recent on November 22 ending level 2-2 against West Ham. Bournemouth come in as +138 favourites, but with their -1 goal differential and fact they’re playing away, I’m choosing Sunderland to cover the +0.5 spread at -185.
EPL best player prop bet: Igor Thiago Anytime Goalscorer (-150) in Brentford vs. Burnley
Brentford striker Igor Thiago is second only to Erling Haaland on the Premier League goal-scoring charts with nine to his name so far. The Brazilian national has scored three goals in his last two matches and is the main penalty taker.
Brentford has the highest number of penalties awarded, with four so far this season, so if the Bees can draw a foul inside the box tonight, he seems sure to score, making odds of -150 very appealing.
