X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

EPL Betting Picks and Game Previews for Matchday 18: 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 18 kicks off on Thursday, December 26, with Everton visiting Manchester City. It culminates on Friday, December 27, when Arsenal hosts Ipswich Town.

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.

Featured Promo: Get any Props Premium Pass for 50% off using code WINNING. Win more with our two new Props Optimizer tools -- one for PrizePicks Props, and one for Sportsbook Betting Props. Find optimal prop bets and get our recommended picks daily! Go Premium, Win More!

 

Matchday 17 Recap

We failed to bag a winner before Christmas. Despite some nice picks (like Aston Villa beating Manchester City 2-1), we couldn't hit a winning parlay. Brentford losing and failing to score at home for the first time this season did most of the damage on Saturday.

Fulham's inability to break down a resolute Southampton side was the other big disappointment of the weekend. This week is a little more abbreviated, given the quick turnaround and the time of year. So, Merry Christmas to you all, and I hope Santa brings us a few wins this holiday season.

 

Thursday, December 26, 2024

Manchester City (-290) vs. Everton (+700) - 7:30 a.m. EST

Score prediction: Manchester City 2 – 0 Everton

City has just one win in 12 games (all competitions). Everton has failed to score in six of their last seven games. A home win is still the most likely outcome. Even with their leaky defense, it's difficult to see Everton breaching City's backline. Our play is a home win to nil.

Bournemouth (-105) vs. Crystal Palace (+270) - 10:00 a.m. EST

Score prediction: Bournemouth 2 – 1 Crystal Palace

Bournemouth's win at Old Trafford moved them into fifth place in the league. Their impressive form this season is enough to warrant making them a strong play to win this one, given they are barely odds on. Palace were brought back down to Earth with a bump on Saturday and another loss is on the cards.

Chelsea (-225) vs. Fulham (+500) - 10:00 a.m. EST

Score prediction: Chelsea 3 – 1 Fulham

Both teams suffered disappointing goalless draws on Sunday. Both teams had scored in 10 of Chelsea's previous 11 EPL games. Both teams had scored in nine of Fulham's previous 10 EPL games. I expect normality to be restored with a goal at each end in this one.

Newcastle United (-110) vs. Aston Villa (+260) - 10:00 a.m. EST

Score prediction: Newcastle United 2 – 2 Aston Villa

Newcastle's won 4-0 in back-to-back league games. Villa's won three of their last four EPL games. Two teams in good recent form make picking a winner tough. But we should see goals, so we'll take over 2.5 total goals and both teams to find the net.

Nottingham Forest (+135) vs. Tottenham Hotspur (+175) - 10:00 a.m. EST

Score prediction: Nottingham Forest 2 – 3 Tottenham Hotspur

The only thing we know about predicting the outcome of a Tottenham game is that there will be goals. There have been 28 goals in their last four matches in all competitions. Forest's season has been excellent so far, and I'm not ruling them out of winning this game. We'll just play the goal markets, though.

Southampton (+215) vs. West Ham United (+115) - 10:00 a.m. EST

Score prediction: Southampton 1 – 1 West Ham United

Wolves (+275) vs. Manchester United (-105) - 12:30 p.m. EST

Score prediction: Wolves 2 – 1 Manchester United

Wolves' "new manager bounce" kicked into play immediately. Meanwhile, United's new manager is fully aware of the size of the task he faces turning around their form. There have been at least three goals in each of Wolves' last six games and each of United's last five games.

Wolves are too high-priced given United's form. However, the hosts have hardly been impressive. Beating Leicester has given them a confidence boost, something that United are sorely lacking. We'll play it safe and return the 'over 2.5 total goals streak' for both teams to continue.

Liverpool (-1100) vs. Leicester City (+1900) - 3:00 p.m. EST

Score prediction: Liverpool 3 – 0 Leicester City

This is a home-win banker. With such short odds, we'll play that both teams do not score. Liverpool's kept four clean sheets in eight games at Anfield. Leicester's failed to score in back-to-back games. A home win to nil is the likeliest result.

 

Friday, December 27, 2024

Brighton (-140) vs. Brentford (+330) - 2:30 p.m. EST

Score prediction: Brighton 2 – 1 Brentford

Brighton's gone five games without a win. That will surely change against a side that's taken just one point on their travels (eight games). Seven of Brighton's eight home games have seen at least three goals, so we'll also take over 2.5 total goals along with a home win.

Arsenal (-700) vs. Ipswich Town (+1500) - 3:15 p.m. EST

Score prediction: Arsenal 3 – 0 Ipswich Town

Arsenal's 5-1 win at Palace came at a cost, as Bukayo Saka is set to miss multiple weeks due to a hamstring injury. They should still have more than enough to win this game comfortably. Arsenal scored five goals in two of their last five EPL games. At these odds, we'll take over 2.5 total goals.

 

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).

Game Moneyline Over/Under 2.5 goals BTTS
Man City 2 – 0 Everton Man City -290 Under 2.5 +145 No -110
Bournemouth 2 – 1 C. Palace Bournemouth -105 Over 2.5 -145 Yes -170
Chelsea 3 – 1 Fulham Chelsea -225 Over 2.5 -225 Yes -175
Newcastle 2 – 2 A. Villa Draw +290 Over 2.5 -170 Yes -185
N. Forest 2 – 3 Tottenham Tottenham +175 Over 2.5 -210 Yes -250
Southampton 1 – 1 West Ham Draw +255 Under 2.5 +120 Yes -200
Wolves 2 – 1 Man United Wolves +275 Over 2.5 -155 Yes -180
Liverpool 3 – 0 Leicester Liverpool -1100 Over 2.5 -500 No -125
Brighton 2 – 1 Brentford Brighton -140 Over 2.5 -210 Yes -210
Arsenal 3 – 0 Ipswich Arsenal -700 Over 2.5 -255 No -160
Season totals 75/169 81/169 96/169
Season parlays 1/16 (-4.53u) 0/17 (-17.00u) 6/17 (+27.05u)

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

More Betting and DFS Picks

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Alexandre Sarr16 mins ago

Tagged As Questionable For Monday Night
Zach Werenski20 mins ago

Questionable For Monday's Action
Torrey Craig26 mins ago

Questionable For Monday Night
Ivan Barbashev31 mins ago

Nicolas Roy Remain Out Monday
Lonzo Ball33 mins ago

Tagged As Questionable For Monday Night
Khris Middleton35 mins ago

Playing On Monday
Josh Giddey39 mins ago

Questionable For Monday Night, Could Miss Third Straight Game
Leo Carlsson41 mins ago

Not Expected To Play On Monday
Giannis Antetokounmpo1 hour ago

Out Monday Versus Bulls
Diontae Johnson1 hour ago

Texans Claim Diontae Johnson Off Waivers From Ravens
Damian Lillard1 hour ago

Unavailable Monday Due To Illness
Zach Charbonnet1 hour ago

Should Be Full-Go For Thursday
David Njoku2 hours ago

Undergoing MRI On His Knee
George Pickens2 hours ago

Expected To Play On Christmas Day
Jalen Hurts2 hours ago

In Concussion Protocol
Desmond Bane2 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable Against Clippers
J.K. Dobbins2 hours ago

Chargers Opening J.K. Dobbins' Practice Window
Ivica Zubac3 hours ago

Considered Questionable Monday With Calf Issue
Patrick Mahomes3 hours ago

Thinks His Ankle Will Be Better Off In Week 17
Jakob Poeltl3 hours ago

Will Remain Sidelined On Monday
RJ Barrett3 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable Versus Knicks
Kevin Love3 hours ago

Available Against Nets
Bogdan Bogdanovic4 hours ago

Uncertain To Face Minnesota
Nikola Jovic4 hours ago

Available Monday Against Nets
Trae Young4 hours ago

Questionable On Monday Night
Andrew McCutchen4 hours ago

Re-Signs With Pirates
Jimmy Butler4 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable Against Nets
John Collins4 hours ago

Doubtful Against Cleveland
Walker Buehler4 hours ago

Red Sox Agree On One-Year Deal
Tank Dell4 hours ago

Tears ACL, Out For Remainder Of Season
Ricky Council IV4 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable On Monday
Keyonte George4 hours ago

Unlikely To Play Against The Cavs
Tyrese Maxey4 hours ago

Appears On Injury Report, Considered Probable
Brandon Miller4 hours ago

Out Versus Houston
Garrett Wilson5 hours ago

Wants To Be More Involved
Tyrone Tracy Jr.6 hours ago

Aggravates Ankle Injury In Week 16
Josh Allen6 hours ago

Says His Arm Is Fine
De'Von Achane7 hours ago

Dominant In Week 16 Victory
Sean Manaea9 hours ago

Returns To Mets On Three-Year Deal
Joc Pederson10 hours ago

Agrees To Contract With Texas
Aliaksei Protas10 hours ago

Scores Twice On Sunday
Clayton Keller10 hours ago

Tallies Four Points On Sunday
Linus Ullmark10 hours ago

Leaves Sunday's Game With Upper-Body Injury
Zach Hyman10 hours ago

Extends Goal Streak To Six Games
Mikko Rantanen10 hours ago

Tallies Two Helpers, Extends Point Streak To Nine Games
Kaapo Kakko11 hours ago

Scores First Goal With Seattle
Drake Maye15 hours ago

Shows Flashes In Two-Touchdown Effort
CeeDee Lamb16 hours ago

Eclipses Triple-Digit Yardage Sunday
Jalen McMillan17 hours ago

Extends Touchdown Streak Against Cowboys
George Kittle17 hours ago

Goes Over 100 Receiving Yards In Week 16
Deebo Samuel Sr.18 hours ago

Busts Out Of Funk In Loss To Dolphins
Justin Jefferson19 hours ago

Torches Seahawks Secondary In Victory
James Cook19 hours ago

Scores Twice In Week 16
Brian Thomas Jr.19 hours ago

Dominant Once Again In Week 16
Keenan Allen20 hours ago

Finds The End Zone, Erupts For 141 Receiving Yards Week 16
Nathaniel Lowe22 hours ago

Traded To Washington
Linus Ullmark24 hours ago

Red-Hot Ahead Of Meeting With Oilers
Pyotr Kochetkov24 hours ago

Achieves Rare Feat In Sunday's Win
Sebastian Aho1 day ago

Scores Third Goal In Four Games
Michael Amadio1 day ago

In Concussion Protocol
Mackenzie Blackwood1 day ago

Takes On Kraken Sunday
Matt Rempe1 day ago

Slapped With Eight-Game Suspension
Jesús Luzardo1 day ago

Phillies Acquire Jesus Luzardo From Miami
Mark Stone1 day ago

Tallies Three Points In Saturday's Victory
Patrik Laine1 day ago

Extends Goal Streak To Three Games
Nico Hischier1 day ago

Busy In Saturday's Victory
Connor Hellebuyck1 day ago

Posts Fourth Shutout Of The Season
Quinn Hughes1 day ago

Posts Three-Point Game In Saturday's Loss
Bo Horvat1 day ago

Tallies Goal, Two Helpers In Victory
Alex Bregman2 days ago

Mets Showing Interest In Alex Bregman
Carlos Santana2 days ago

Inks One-Year Contract With Cleveland
Josh Naylor2 days ago

Traded To Arizona
Paul Goldschmidt2 days ago

Agrees With Yankees On One-Year Deal
Chicago Cubs3 days ago

Roki Sasaki Meets With Cubs
Christian Walker3 days ago

Agrees To Three-Year Deal With Astros
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.3 days ago

Extension Remains In Play For Toronto
New York Mets4 days ago

Roki Sasaki Meets With Mets On Thursday
Max Kepler4 days ago

Phillies Sign Max Kepler To One-Year Deal
Marcus Semien4 days ago

Rangers Could Look To Rest Marcus Semien More
Jesús Luzardo4 days ago

Cubs Trade Talks For Jesus Luzardo Are "Dead"
Josh Naylor4 days ago

Mentioned In Trade Talks With Mariners
Nolan Arenado5 days ago

Blocks Trade To Astros
Devin Williams5 days ago

Yankees Name Devin Williams As The Closer

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Survivor League Strategy Graphic

How To Master NFL Survivor Pools: Top Strategies to Win Your Survivor Leagues

Key Takeaways Survivor Pool Basics: NFL Survivor Pools are elimination contests where participants pick one team to win each week, but can’t reuse teams throughout the season. A single loss eliminates your entry. Winning Strategies: Success in Survivor Leagues requires strategic planning, like mapping out picks weeks in advance, avoiding popular or "chalk" selections to […]


Video: MUST ADD Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 17! Fantasy Football 2024

Our top 2024 fantasy football Week 17 waiver wire pickups for RB, WR, TE, and QB. This week's must-add fantasy football free agents -- potential waiver wire winners heading into Week 17 for running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, and quarterbacks. Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (SiriusXM channel 87) - every […]


Christian Watson - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL DFS Lineup Picks For FanDuel, DraftKings - Saints vs. Packers MNF Showdown (Week 16)

Welcome back, RotoBallers! We have an NFC showdown tonight as Spencer Rattler and the banged-up New Orleans Saints (5-9) head to Lambeau to take on Jordan Love and the Packers (10-4). The Packers are poised to solidify themselves as the sixth seed in the NFC playoffs, while the Saints hope to make it through the […]


Michael Penix Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Top Week 17 Quarterback Pickups - Best Fantasy QB Adds, Streamers Include Anthony Richardson, Bo Nix, Bryce Young, more

Fantasy managers who rode Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen throughout the season and into the playoffs were certainly disappointed by their production in Week 16. Many managers were likely knocked out of the playoffs thanks to their underwhelming fantasy performances due to injuries and ineffectiveness. Still, some awesome quarterback performances could have swung fantasy matchups. […]


Jonathan Taylor - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Top 10 Running Back Studs - Best Fantasy Football RB Performances Including Jonathan Taylor, Chuba Hubbard, De'Von Achane, And More

Week 16 felt like a whirlwind. It featured enormous performances for both wideouts and running backs. This slate of NFL action has brandished the second-most touchdowns of the season -- one shy of matching the highest total of 2024 (Week 8). Just in time for the fantasy semi-finals. If you're still kicking, then kudos. Getting […]


Dalton Schultz - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Tight Ends Fantasy Football Waiver Wire - Week 17 TE Pickups Including Dalton Schultz, Hunter Henry, Chig Okonkwo, Brenton Strange and More!

This is championship week, people! So, if you are reading this, congratulations of sorts are in order. It all comes down to this in the majority of fantasy football leagues around the country and around the world. You drafted well, you picked up the right guys on the waiver wire, and you made all the […]


Kareem Hunt - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Week 17 Waiver Wire Rankings (2024) - Fantasy Football Pickups Include Kareem Hunt, Tyjae Spears, Patrick Taylor Jr., Jalen McMillan, Dalton Schultz

Fantasy championship week is finally here, the moment fantasy managers have grinded all season to get to. At RotoBaller HQ, we have worked hard all season to help you prepare for this week, and we are back with our Week 17 fantasy football waiver wire rankings for 2024 to help secure a fantasy championship. Use […]


Drew Lock - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

10 Worst QB Performances From Week 16, Including Drew Lock and Dorian Thompson-Robinson

Week 16 brought a mixed bag of quarterback performances. The Saturday games were excellent, but Sunday brought puzzling quarterback play. Particularly, Drew Lock and Dorian Thompson-Robinson struggled mightily in Week 16. Many quarterbacks are playing for their 2025 roster spots and starting jobs right now. Some of the guys on this list are not doing […]


Tyjae Spears - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Running Back Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 17: Kendre Miller, Tyjae Spears, Trey Benson, Michael Carter, Audric Estime

Congratulations to those of you who are constructing rosters in Week 17. You have maintained your highest level of flexibility while navigating through injuries, bye weeks, production-inhibiting coaching decisions, and other unwanted developments that emerged during the season. Now your diligence has placed you at the threshold of capturing your league's championship. Winning your league […]


Calvin Austin - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups - Top Fantasy Football WR Adds for Week 17 Include Hollywood Brown, Wan'Dale Robinson, Calvin Austin III, Olamide Zaccheaus

This is it. Unless you're in some weird league that plays in Week 18, this upcoming week is the finals for your fantasy league. If you're still alive, it's you against one other person for the fantasy championship. With this week being the final chance for you, we're narrowing the focus of our wide receiver […]


Patrick Taylor Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, NFL Injury News

Biggest Fantasy Football Busts Of The Week - Fantasy Outlooks For Najee Harris, Brian Robinson Jr., Cooper Kupp, Khalil Shakir, Trey McBride, more

The 16th Sunday of the 2024 NFL season has come and gone. Hopefully, you woke up on Monday morning feeling very good about how your matchup went. However, this week's slate of games was certainly stress-inducing for many fantasy football managers. Part of that stress was caused by a group of players who drastically underachieved […]


Tyjae Spears - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Unexpected Boom Performances: Fantasy Football Risers Include Gus Edwards, Olamide Zaccheaus, Tyjae Spears, Chig Okonkwo, Kayshon Boutte

With fantasy football leagues now into their postseasons, Week 16 gave us a lot of stunning performances. One such outing came from rookie sensation Jayden Daniels. The Washington quarterback passed for 258 yards and five touchdowns, and he added 81 more yards on the ground to spur the Commanders to victory. Vikings superstar wideout Justin […]


Jalen Hurts - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Sunday Injury Report: Updates for Jalen Hurts, Kenneth Walker III, James Conner, And More

All told the Week 16 injury report was fairly light. This was good to see as you never want a playoff matchup to be decided because of injuries. We did have several players leave games early, but luckily for fantasy owners, most posted respectable games before leaving. Unfortunately, one star quarterback was injured and let […]