The English Premier League resumes this weekend after the international break. The matchday 12 schedule features some intriguing games, bringing together teams that the odds suggest are closely matched. We are pinpointing three Premier League picks that are plus-money teams to bet on and our EPL best bets on Saturday.
Best Premier League Picks For This Saturday
Aston Villa vs Brighton & Hove Albion
It’s a much-misquoted concept that the appointment of a new manager improves a team’s accumulation of points. There is often a short-term upsurge in form but statistically changing the man in charge has little impact. However, if the new boss is called Steven Gerrard, the meeting between Aston Villa and Brighton at Villa Park could prove the exception to that rule.
It’s worth saying that a club generally dismisses the manager when they are in need of points. Five defeats in as many EPL meetings has led the Villa owners to sack Dean Smith and recruit Gerrard. The nightmare of a drop into the Championship had to be avoided and the future manager of Liverpool is the preferred option. Time will tell if Gerrard is a long-term solution but he can begin his new job at Villa with three points against Brighton.
Premier League Pick – Aston Villa to beat Brighton at +145 with PointsBet
Watford vs Manchester United
There is a joke doing the rounds in Liverpool that their fans are delighted that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made a successful return to Manchester from Norway this week. Whether he actually left the country is a moot point but he is back at the wheel at Old Trafford. That’s good enough for the anti-United brigade but Solskjaer could have the last laugh on Saturday.
There is only one thing worse for United fans than defeat to Manchester City at home and that is defeat to Liverpool at home. After that scenario, this season, the youthful-looking Norwegian looks on borrowed time, and losing at Vicarage Road could be the end. However, Watford has won just three times from 11 EPL fixtures this season so United is tipped. A win gives the manager some breathing space before what appears to be the inevitable parting of the ways.
Premier League Pick – Manchester United to beat Watford at -209 with PointsBet
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs West Ham
When West Ham moved from Upton Park to the 2012 Olympic Stadium, there was talk of a bright new era and the potential to qualify for the Champions League. That has never looked likely until this season and West Ham now occupy one of the four most coveted positions in English football. Their current third-place spot in the EPL is in keeping with the ambitions after the move.
The run of four wins from four matches can continue at Molineux this weekend. Wolves have an air of mid-table security, free from the worries of relegation but not quite good enough to qualify for Europe. However, just six of their tally of 16 points have been won at home. West Ham is unbeaten on their travels in the league this season and can win another road trip on Saturday.
Premier League Pick – West Ham to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers at +140 with PointsBet
