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The EPL season rolls on, and we're bringing you our weekly article, which looks at betting picks and predictions for all games. Matchday 20 kicks off on Saturday, January 4, with Newcastle United visiting Tottenham Hotspur. It culminates on Monday, January 6, when Wolves hosts Nottingham Forest.
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 19 Recap
Despite getting more than half our picks correct across all three bet types, we didn't hit a parlay. Leicester City and Manchester United's failure to score at home ruined our "over/under" and "both teams to score" parlays. Hopefully, a new year will turn our fortunes around.
Just a quick reminder that you can click on the team names in the preview section, and it will take you to the highlights of their previous game.
Saturday, January 4, 2025
Tottenham Hotspur (+185) vs. Newcastle United (+130) - 7:30 a.m. EST
Score prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 2 – 2 Newcastle United
Tottenham's struggles continued over the festive period, failing to win any of its last three games. It has scored and conceded 13 goals in its last five games. Newcastle has scored 18 goals in its last six EPL games. We can expect goals aplenty, and that's what we'll be playing.
Given this is the weekend's first game, we won't add "both teams to score" to the parlay. Just in case one team lets us down, and we lose two of our three parlays after just one match. However, I would certainly look to play both teams scoring in isolation.
25 - Alexander Isak scored 25 Premier League goals in 2024 - only Alan Shearer in 2002 (27) has ever scored more for Newcastle United in a single year. Geordies. pic.twitter.com/atmFqy6vkM
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 31, 2024
Aston Villa (-300) vs. Leicester City (+750) - 10:00 a.m. EST
Score prediction: Aston Villa 3 – 1 Leicester City
Villa is unbeaten in its last nine home matches, scoring 10 goals in the last five. It has kept just two clean sheets at home. Leicester has conceded three or more in each of its last four away games. It has scored in seven of its nine away matches. We'll take a home win, and both teams will score.
Bournemouth (-130) vs. Everton (+350) - 10:00 a.m. EST
Score prediction: Bournemouth 2 – 0 Everton
Bournemouth comes into the weekend on the back of a seven-game unbeaten run. Everton's been blanked in seven of its last nine EPL games. The Toffees have only conceded 11 goals in their last 13 games. A home win looks like the best play, and we'll add in under 2.5 total goals as well.
Mind-blowing that in Everton's last 9 league games - a quarter of a season - 40% of their goals have been Craig Dawson own goals.
— Colin Millar (@Millar_Colin) December 29, 2024
Crystal Palace (+275) vs. Chelsea (-110) - 10:00 a.m. EST
Score prediction: Crystal Palace 1 – 1 Chelsea
Palace has lost just one of its last eight league games (against Arsenal). Both teams have scored in each of Palace's last four home matches. Chelsea has failed to score in its last two away games. Both teams scored in each of Chelsea's previous five games, and we expect that to happen this weekend.
Manchester City (-320) vs. West Ham United (+700) - 10:00 a.m. EST
Score prediction: Manchester City 3 – 0 West Ham United
City got a much-needed win last time out. Meanwhile, West Ham conceded five goals at home for the second time in seven games. It was the seventh time in 19 league games that the Hammers conceded at least three goals. We'll play a home win and at least three total goals in the game.
Southampton (+170) vs. Brentford (+155) - 10:00 a.m. EST
Score prediction: Southampton 1 – 1 Brentford
Southampton has kept just one clean sheet at home. Brentford has kept two clean sheets on its travels and hasn't scored more than one in any of its away games. Neither team's defense is good enough to keep clean sheets regularly, so we'll be playing for both teams to score in this one.
Brentford are winless away this PL season.
W0 D2 L7. pic.twitter.com/L8ccwkJP26
— StatMuse FC (@statmusefc) December 27, 2024
Brighton (+330) vs. Arsenal (-125) - 12:30 p.m. EST
Score prediction: Brighton 1 – 2 Arsenal
Brighton has drawn in its last three games and hasn't won in seven. It only lost two games at that time. In seven of Brighton's nine home games, both teams have scored. Arsenal has failed to keep a clean sheet in its last eight away games. We'll play both teams to score in this fixture.
Sunday, January 5, 2025
Fulham (-185) vs. Ipswich Town (+450) - 9:00 a.m. EST
Score prediction: Fulham 2 – 1 Ipswich Town
Fulham carries a seven-game unbeaten streak into this game but has only won two matches in that run. There's been at least three goals in seven of its 10 home games. Five of Ipswich's nine away games have seen three more goals. We'll take a home win and over 2.5 total goals.
Liverpool (-380) vs. Manchester United (+850) - 11:30 a.m. EST
Score prediction: Liverpool 4 – 0 Manchester United
I can't recall the last time there was such a gap between these two sides at this stage of the season. United can still reach rock bottom with a big defeat this Sunday, and that is what I'm expecting. Liverpool will have far too much in attack, so a home win and taking the over of 2.5 total goals are the optimal plays.
The recent team leaks at #mufc certainly caught the imagination of the players, who had their own ideas about who the mole was.
While head coach Ruben Amorim tried to play down the situation that had been brewing behind the scenes at Old Trafford, his players had turned into… pic.twitter.com/HXvQjKuBaY
— The United Stand (@UnitedStandMUFC) January 2, 2025
Monday, January 6, 2025
Wolves (+200) vs. Nottingham Forest (+135) - 3:00 p.m. EST
Score prediction: Wolves 1 – 1 Nottingham Forest
Wolves is unbeaten in its last three games, scoring at least two in each of them. Forest will ride a five-game winning streak into this game, having scored 10 goals in that run. Forest has kept three straight clean sheets, but even without Matheus Cunha, Wolves should have enough firepower to score.
Forest's odds to win are appealing. But its winning run will come to an end sooner rather than later. Hwang Hee-chan scored two goals in Wolves' last two games. We'll play both teams to score with the expectation that Hwang can help Wolves cope without Cunha.
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 |
| Tottenham 2 – 2 Newcastle | Draw +290 | Over 2.5 -285 | Yes -310 |
| A. Villa 3 – 1 Leicester | A. Villa -300 | Over 2.5 -190 | Yes -120 |
| Bournemouth 2 – 0 Everton | Bournemouth -130 | Under 2.5 -105 | No +105 |
| C. Palace 1 – 1 Chelsea | Draw +285 | Under 2.5 +135 | Yes -185 |
| Man City 3 – 0 West Ham | Man City -320 | Over 2.5 -280 | No +125 |
| Southampton 1 – 1 Brentford | Draw +255 | Under 2.5 +120 | Yes -195 |
| Brighton 1 – 2 Arsenal | Arsenal -125 | Over 2.5 -150 | Yes -165 |
| Fulham 2 – 1 Ipswich | Fulham -185 | Over 2.5 -140 | Yes -135 |
| Liverpool 4 – 0 Man United | Liverpool -380 | Over 2.5 -250 | No -110 |
| Wolves 1 – 1 N. Forest | Draw +220 | Under 2.5 -120 | Yes -155 |
| Season totals | 83/189 | 92/189 | 104/189 |
| Season parlays | 1/18 (-6.53u) | 0/19 (-19.00u) | 6/19 (+25.05u) |
Good luck with those FPL teams and EPL bets. Remember to bet responsibly!
