Premier League Preview GW 18
It looks like it may be the battle of the new managers in the opening game of the weekend, as Everton host Arsenal at Goodison Park, although the new men in the hot seat are unlikely to have too much influence. Elsewhere Manchester City host Leicester in the evening kick-off on Saturday, looking to stay in the title race discussion, and Tottenham host Chelsea in the battle for Champions League place.
Remember that here at LeoVegas, we have Premier League betting tips & previews for every match for each week throughout the season. We have online betting odds for all of the latest Premier League matches, plus we also have football betting tips for matches from around the world, as well as an outstanding selection of other sporting markets too.
Here are some of our selected tips & odds for the Premier League Gameweek 18.
Everton vs Arsenal - 12:30pm 21st December
Unfortunately at the time of writing neither of these teams has a confirmed manager, but it seems likely that Carlo Ancelotti and Mikel Arteta will be at the helm for Everton and Arsenal respectively, going forward. It’s likely that Duncan Ferguson will have one final opportunity to make his mark as the caretaker Everton manager, and despite a fair few absences throughout the squad, he will be confident in a home game against a struggling Arsenal side. In fact, the Gunners could end up 13th in the table if results go against them, which almost halfway through a season would be a shambles. Everton are favourites though.
Aston Villa vs Southampton - 3:00pm 21st December
This is a crucial game at the bottom of the Premier League, as neither side will want to be in the relegation zone over Christmas, but with both teams level on 15 points and only separated by goal difference, they can’t afford a slip up. Aston Villa are in the better position, as a draw or a win will keep their heads above water, and with home advantage Dean Smith will be confident, even without key defender Tyrone Mings. That could give Southampton some positives, if they choose to play attacking football, although Danny Ings is likely to be key to any threat they have.
DANNY INGS TO SCORE - ODDS: 13/10
Bournemouth vs Burnley - 3:00pm 21st December
Neither Bournemouth or Burnley have had the greatest of times recently, although both were able to arrest their recent slumps in fortune, as Bournemouth won at Chelsea and Burnley beat Newcastle at Turf Moor last time. Bournemouth look likely to have their attacking threat blunted slightly, with Josh King and Junior Stanislas likely to be missing, which will add to their growing injury issues. Meanwhile Burnley may also be without Chris Wood and Ashley Westwood, but will still fancy their chances of getting a goal, and will be hoping it isn’t in vain.
[BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE - ODDS: 13/20]
Brighton vs Sheffield United - 3:00pm 21st December
You get the feeling that Brighton are about to reach a crossroads in their season (or a T-Junction, to be more accurate), as they currently sit 5 points ahead of safety, but only 6 points away from the European places. While that may be a long shot, it’s more of a genuine possibility for the newly-promoted Sheffield United, who are only a single point behind Tottenham who are in 5th. Brighton are unbeaten in three since narrowly losing to Liverpool, while Sheffield United have only lost once in ten matches, and never away from home this season.
[DOUBLE CHANCE: DRAW OR SHEFFIELD UNITED - ODDS: 4/6]
Newcastle United vs Crystal Palace - 3:00pm 21st December
At least one of these sides will be in the top half of the Premier League come Christmas, something they would be delighted with, given that Newcastle were 15th and Crystal Palace were 14th on the big day last year. Newcastle will be boosted by the anticipated return of Jonjo Shelvey and Miguel Almiron, although several key players will still be missing. Crystal Palace have five defenders injured, and Mamadou Sakho suspended, which will create issues for them. There have only been five goals scored across the last five meetings - two of them being penalties - and it’s unlikely to be the most exciting game of the weekend.
[UNDER 1.5 GOALS SCORED - ODDS: 7/4]
Norwich City vs Wolverhampton Wanderers - 3:00pm 21st December
Norwich earned a good point away at Leicester last weekend, but will be concerned by potential injuries to Teemu Pukki and Ben Godfrey. Whatever happens though, they will be in the relegation zone by the time Christmas Day comes around, as either Aston Villa or Southampton must pick up at least a point due to them playing one another. Wolves have only lost one of their eight away matches this season, and will be confident of at least getting a point here, having conceded late on against Tottenham to narrowly slip to their first defeat in 12 games.
[WOLVES TO WIN THE FIRST HALF - ODDS: 29/20]
Manchester City vs Leicester City - 5:30pm 21st December
Reigning Premier League champions, Manchester City, have underperformed by their lofty standards, and even a win in this one won’t be enough to move them up to second. While intense scrutiny and pressure may be on them, Leicester City are playing with a freedom and confidence as refreshing to see as when they romped to an unprecedented title in 2016. With home advantage, you’d expect Manchester City to make a decent fist of it, but Leicester have largely shown that they are capable of dealing with any threat. With so many quality flair players on the pitch, and some decent goalscorers, this could be very entertaining indeed.
[OVER 3.5 GOALS - ODDS: 26/25]
Watford vs Manchester United - 2:00pm 22nd December
It’s not even Christmas and Watford are onto their third manager of the season. They’ll have been hoping that Nigel Pearson can bring success to the club quickly, and while they ultimately lost to Liverpool, there were certainly some positives. Manchester United are unlikely to be a soft touch, although they haven’t registered a clean sheet in 12 Premier League matches, having drawn with Everton last Sunday. The nine other sides to have a points tally as low as Watford’s at this stage in past seasons have all gone on to be relegated, which is a worrying statistic for the Hornets.
[BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE - ODDS: 3/4]
Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea - 4:30pm 22nd December
The final game of the weekend takes place in North London, as two high-flying teams battle it out to see who holds a Champions League place at Christmas. Chelsea currently occupy 4th place, but four defeats in their last five league matches has afforded the chasing pack a whiff of elite European football. Tottenham are the front-runners in that chasing pack, with the mirror image of Chelsea’s form, boasting four wins from their last five league games. A draw would be enough for Chelsea, but if Tottenham can win by any margin, they will leapfrog their London rivals by virtue of goal difference. They certainly have the stronger momentum going into this game, as Jose Mourinho faces his former club.
[TOTTENHAM TO WIN - ODDS: 11/8]