EPL Betting Picks and Game Previews for Matchday 26: English Premier League

The EPL season rolls on, and we're bringing you our weekly article, which looks at betting picks and predictions for all games. Matchday 26 kicks off on Friday, February 21, with Brentford visiting Leicester City. It culminates on Sunday, February 23, when Manchester City hosts Liverpool.

Every week, we'll offer a preview of all the games. We'll predict the outcome, give a score prediction, and pick our favorite play for all fixtures. Before you read on, remember these essential things: betting on sports should be fun. If you aren't having fun with it, stop. And never bet what you can't afford to lose.

We're bringing you more soccer content than ever before at RotoBaller. There are FPL, UCL, and DFS articles every week, along with our weekly betting picks and game previews article, all of which can be found here. Follow the team on X (@EuanFPL, @TheFPLManual, @df_solutions, @BellRoto, and yours truly @Baseball_Jimbo), and reach out to any of us if you ever have any soccer questions.

Matchday 25 Recap

Not a great week for us. Disappointing home performances from West Ham United and Aston Villa were the real catalysts for what turned out to be an empty weekend. We were spot on in a few games, getting the correct score in Bournemouth's win at Southampton.

Villa's inability to beat Ipswich Town, despite playing against 10 men for the entire second half, was the big blow. If Villa had found a second goal, Everton's late winner would still have killed our "over/under" parlay. However, it would have allowed bettors to cash out for a tidy profit.

Friday, February 21, 2025

Leicester City (+240) vs. Brentford (+105) - 3:00 p.m. EST

Score prediction: Leicester City 1 – 1 Brentford

Leicester's lost nine of its last 10 EPL games and failed to score in its last five home league games. Brentford's kept three clean sheets in its last four away league games. That can only mean one thing ... Leicester will score.

Leicester scored in each of its first eight home league games of the season. Brentford conceded at least two goals in seven of its first eight league games of the season. I expect this game to be more similar to the two sides' early season form and will be taking both teams to score.

Saturday, February 22, 2025

Everton (+145) vs. Manchester United (+185) - 7:30 a.m. EST

Score prediction: Everton 1 – 1 Manchester United

Everton's recent form has seen it move away from the relegation zone and leapfrog this weekend's opponents. Who could have foreseen that a few weeks ago? United's blanked in five of its last nine EPL games and has failed to score in its last two.

Since David Moyes' return, no @premierleague team has picked up more points than the Toffees' tally of 13.

BOSS. 💙 pic.twitter.com/HtelbInY01

— Everton (@Everton) February 16, 2025

Everton's found its goal-scoring form at home lately. After scoring nine goals in its first 10 home games, it has scored nine in its last three. However, Manchester United's 12 away games have produced a total of 24 goals. This looks like being a low-scoring game, so we'll take under 2.5 total goals.

Arsenal (-360) vs. West Ham United (+900) - 10:00 a.m. EST

Score prediction: Arsenal 2 – 0 West Ham United

As we predicted last week, Arsenal found a way to win despite a lack of attacking options. It will need to rely on its resolute defense to remain in the title race as goals look like they'll continue to be hard to come by. West Ham's also been struggling for goals lately.

The Hammers have scored two goals in their last four league games. We will likely see a similar game to Arsenal's victory at Leicester with plenty of control but a lack of goal threat. The Gunners may need to keep a clean sheet to win this game and we'll take under 2.5 total goals as a result.

Bournemouth (-165) vs. Wolves (+400) - 10:00 a.m. EST

Score prediction: Bournemouth 3 – 1 Wolves

We predicted Bournemouth's 3-1 win last weekend and I'm expecting a similar game this week. On either side of their blank against Liverpool, the Cherries have scored 14 goals in four games. That's the one thing Wolves has going for it; scoring goals.

Highest rated teams in the Premier League since the beginning of 2025:

◉ 7.03 - Bournemouth
◎ 6.90 - Manchester City
◎ 6.83 - Arsenal
◎ 6.83 - Nottingham Forest
◎ 6.81 - Everton

Andoni Iraola. 👏 pic.twitter.com/yxuif4qTLq

— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) February 19, 2025

Wolves has scored in 10 of its 13 away games but also conceded 30 goals on its travels, the second most in the league. There have been at least three goals in Wolves' last 11 away league games, so as well as playing a home win, we'll take over 2.5 total goals, too.

Fulham (+105) vs. Crystal Palace (+255) - 10:00 a.m. EST

Score prediction: Fulham 2 – 1 Crystal Palace

Both teams have scored in 11 of Fulham's 13 home games. There's been a total of 39 goals scored at Craven Cottage. But visitors Palace can boast of the best defensive record in the league away from home. No side has conceded fewer goals on their travels than the Eagles (11).

Palace has kept four consecutive clean sheets away from home. However, three of those opponents are currently in the bottom six of the table. Fulham's scored two goals in seven of its last eight games. A home win looks appetizing but the safest play looks like both teams scoring.

Ipswich Town (+245) vs. Tottenham Hotspur (+100) - 10:00 a.m. EST

Score prediction: Ipswich Town 1 – 2 Tottenham Hotspur

Ipswich showed its battling qualities to get a point last weekend. Failing to win means it has now taken just two points from its last six games. Only four of Tottenham's last eight away EPL games have seen three or more goals. Eight of Ipswich's 13 home games have seen fewer than three goals.

Tottenham secure successive Premier League clean sheets for the first time since October 2023. 😮‍💨#TOTMUN pic.twitter.com/w1vRLzeDMn

— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) February 16, 2025

Despite the expectation that this game will see plenty of goals, the numbers don't back that up.  Tottenham's form has been showing signs of improvement and it is getting healthier. With unappealing odds in the goals markets, we'll take an away win as our play.

Southampton (+400) vs. Brighton (-165) - 10:00 a.m. EST

Score prediction: Southampton 0 – 2 Brighton

Southampton was unable to build on its second win of the season. The Saints have lost their last seven home games and conceded at least three goals in six of them. There's been a total of 45 goals in Brighton's 12 away games. Seven of those came against it in its last away game.

I expect Brighton to want to keep things relatively tight given its previous away game, like it did against Chelsea last week. We may not see a lot of goals, but regardless of that, an away win looks too likely to turn down at these odds.

Aston Villa (+165) vs. Chelsea (+145) - 12:30 p.m. EST

Score prediction: Aston Villa 1 – 0 Chelsea

Villa's midweek draw against Liverpool was a solid point. But it was its fifth straight league game without a win (four draws and one defeat). Villa's only home loss in the league came against Arsenal in its first game of the season at Villa Park. Chelsea's been struggling for goals recently.

The Blues have scored 10 goals in their last nine games but barely threatened last weekend. They've only scored two goals in their last five away league games. It may be counterintuitive as a Chelsea goal will end our hopes of bagging both bets, but we'll take a home win and under 2.5 total goals.

0 - Despite averaging just under 70% possession, Chelsea failed to register a shot on target in a Premier League game for the first time since September 2021 (v Manchester City). Unusual. pic.twitter.com/UVULs2r04a

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 14, 2025

Sunday, February 23, 2025

Newcastle United (-125) vs. Nottingham Forest (+300) - 9:00 a.m. EST

Score prediction: Newcastle United 2 – 2 Nottingham Forest

Both sides will be looking to bounce back from disappointing defeats. And both sides will be keen to win and keep their challenges for Champions League qualification on track. Forest's last eight away games have seen it keep three clean sheets. It has conceded at least two in the other five games.

Notably, the three clean sheets came against sides currently in the bottom half. Newcastle conceded six goals in its previous two home games after keeping three straight clean sheets. This game is set up to be an entertaining one, so we'll take both teams to score and at least three total goals in the game.

Manchester City (+170) vs. Liverpool (+135) - 11:30 a.m. EST

Score prediction: Manchester City 1 – 2 Liverpool

It's difficult to know what version of Manchester City we'll get on any given day. It followed up last weekend's comprehensive win against Newcastle by being knocked out of the Champions League with barely a whimper. Doubts about Erling Haaland's fitness don't help.

FULL-TIME | Our #UCL campaign comes to an end.

⚪️ 3-1 🤎 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/WlCJmuAqfI

— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 19, 2025

I do fancy Liverpool to win but City's unpredictability makes it hard to pick a winner. Liverpool's scored at least two goals in six straight EPL games but conceded five in its last three. We'll keep things safe to end the weekend by playing both teams to score.

Betting Picks

The table below gives the odds for each game's three main plays (moneyline, total goals, and both teams to score). My favorite pick from each game is highlighted if you are looking to build a parlay (which I will be playing and tracking).

Good luck with those FPL teams and EPL bets. Remember to bet responsibly!

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