English Premier League Sports Betting Picks of the Week: 7/26
Just as we were getting started, the top European soccer leagues come to a close this month. Germany’s Bundesliga and Spain’s La Liga finished up in the last couple of weeks, and the English Premier League (EPL) draws to a close this weekend. All 20 teams will kick off at the same time (11:00 AM EST).
While just one game remains for each team, the final 2020 table is far from set. Both at the top of the table (Champions League and UEFA) and the bottom (relegation), teams are still jockeying for position as Sunday’s game is more important for some than others.
Let’s take a closer look at two matches that have future implications kicking off Sunday.
All odds listed provided by our friends over at FanDuel Sportsbook.
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West Ham United (+220) vs. Aston Villa (+120)
Sunday, 11:00 AM EST
West Ham United eked out a draw on Wednesday against the more talented Manchester United, and the points ensured that they won’t get relegated. Their 1-1 finish could’ve been a win as much as it could’ve been a loss. That said, West Ham’s seven points over their last three matches tell the story of a strong finish for the club.
On the other side of this matchup, Aston Villa sits in just the opposite position. After a slow restart after the pandemic-caused break, Villa sits just outside the relegation line. They’re only ahead of 18th-place Watford by a -26 (vs. -27) goal differential advantage.
With their back against the wall in this spot, I expect Villa to find a way to pull this one out.
Leicester City (+200) vs. Manchester United (+130)
Sunday, 11:00 AM EST
In easily the most intriguing matchup of the weekend, Manchester United and Leicester sit just one point from each other with a spot in the Champions League on the line.
United secured the draw on Wednesday after going down 1-0 at the half to earn a point that they needed. A draw here now sends them through to Champions Leauge as the fourth team out of the EPL at worst.
Leicester’s 0-3 loss to Tottenham last week could put them in the UEFA Cup instead of the Champions League. While not a loss they should’ve expected, they’ve been cold recently. Their 1-4 loss to Bournemouth three weeks ago kicked off a three-game run through which Leicester has scored just three goals while allowing seven.
With so much on the line for both teams, I expect a conservative brand of play with few risks taken on both sides.
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TJ Perun is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from TJ, check out his archive and follow him @JohnnyCovers.