While Liverpool sits comfortably atop the table in the Premier League, there's still plenty of position jockeying going on underneath the likely champions. We have several high-leverage matches on the schedule this weekend, including a contest between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest. Below I'll dive into that contest, as well as two others, from a sports betting perspective. Here are my three favorite bets in the Premier League this weekend.
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Premier League Matchday 31 Preview & Best Bets (2025)
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Aston Villa (-105) vs. Nottingham Forest (+290), DRAW (+255) | O/U 2.5 (-115/-115)
Let's pick it up on Saturday afternoon when we have a thrilling contest on the docket between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest. The Villans currently find themselves in seventh place in the table at 13-9-8 (48 points), while the third-place Trees enter the weekend at 17-6-7 (57 points). Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. ET from Villa Park in Birmingham.
This play comes with a bit of a price tag, but I think we're set to see some offense in Birmingham on Saturday. I'm taking the Both Teams To Score (BTTS) prop at -140. While Forest has been excellent defensively this season, their defensive success hasn't translated to road matches. They've allowed 25 goals in 15 road contests, which is okay, but still equates to 1.7 goals against per match. The Tricky Trees are tasked with trying to fend off a Villans offense that's averaging 1.7 goals per match at home. They've also netted three goals in each of their last three matches in all competitions.
Aston Villa, on the other hand, has been just a mid-tier team defensively this campaign. They're 14th in goals conceded (45) while ranking 10th in xGA (40.9). Nottingham Forest has scored at least once in six of its last seven PL matches, with the exception being a 0-0 draw against ironclad Arsenal. I like both of these offenses to score at least once on Saturday.
Pick: Both Teams To Score (-140)
Manchester United (+225) vs. Manchester City (+115), DRAW (+260) | O/U 2.5 (-150/+120)
The Manchester Derby renews on Sunday morning, as slumping Manchester United gears up to host a banged-up Manchester City club. The reigning champs come into this contest in fifth place at 15-6-9 (51 points), while the hosts reside in 13th in the table at 10-7-13 (37 points). Kickoff is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET from Old Trafford in Manchester.
Starting with this banged-up City team, they're set to miss Erling Haaland (ankle) for several weeks. However, this is still a pretty potent attack up front, which will likely be led by Omar Marmoush (five goals in eight matches). The champs have been playing relatively well lately, winning two of their last four domestic matches. They've also won nine of their 15 road contests (60%) outright.
Being that United's defense isn't very good, I think we'll see the visitors claim the three points on Sunday morning. The Red Devils are a pedestrian 11th in goals against (41) while ranking 13th in xGA (44.8). They're coming off a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, and United has also lost seven of its 15 home matches (46.7%) this season. I'll take a flier on the plus-money payout that comes with Manchester City here.
Pick: Manchester City Moneyline (+115)
Leicester (+550) vs. Newcastle United (-200), DRAW (+350) | O/U 2.5 (-160/+125)
The matchday wraps up on Monday afternoon with an interesting tilt between Leicester and Newcastle. Barring a miracle, it appears that the 19th-place Foxes (4-5-21, 17 points) will be relegated, as they're 12 points below 17th-place Wolves. The visitors are trying to make a last-second push into a coveted top-four spot, and they find themselves in sixth place entering the match. The Magpies are 15-5-9 (50 points) overall. This matchday finale gets underway at 3:00 p.m. ET from King Power Stadium in Leicester.
This will be the first time that I'm playing this prop, and I just hope that I'm not jumping on this trend too late. Leicester has lost seven straight Premier League matches, and they've been blanked in all of them! The Foxes haven't scored a league goal since notching a 2-1 road win over Tottenham on January 26th.
Overall, Leicester now ranks 19th in scoring (25 goals) and dead last in xG (25.8). Across 30 matches, both of those numbers equate to less than 1.0 goals per game. Now, Newcastle isn't the most defensively sound club, but they're a modest eighth in goals conceded (39) and a respectable sixth in xGA (36.9). Being that this is an important three points for them to pick up, I like Eddie Howe and his men to turn in a sharp performance. I'll take Leicester to go scoreless for an eighth straight PL match.
Pick: Leicester Team Total Under 0.5 Goals (+130)
