The second half of the Premier League season is about to get underway. With the exception of the Liverpool clubs, each team has faced each other exactly once, so we finally have some sense about how every team compares. At the halfway point, Liverpool sits atop the table, with Arsenal in second and a shocking Nottingham Forest in third. To make matters more interesting, the January transfer window is now open.
For Premier League fans, there are plenty of bets available at DraftKings Sportsbook. Here are my top betting picks for the Premier League’s Matchweek 20 slate.
First, let’s take a look at the full list of fixtures for Matchweek 20:
Newcastle United at Tottenham Hotspur, 7:30 a.m. EST, January 4
Everton at AFC Bournemouth, 10 a.m. EST, January 4
Leicester City at Aston Villa, 10 a.m. EST, January 4
Chelsea at Crystal Palace, 10 a.m. EST, January 4
West Ham United at Manchester City, 10 a.m. EST, January 4
Brentford at Southampton, 10 a.m. EST, January 4
Arsenal at Brighton & Hove Albion, 12:30 p.m. EST, January 4
Ipswich Town at Fulham, 9 a.m. EST, January 5
Manchester United at Liverpool, 11:30 a.m. EST, January 5
Nottingham Forest at Wolves, 3 p.m. EST, January 6
Manchester United U0.5 Goals (+120)
For the first time since the Premier League started in 1992, Manchester United is in a relegation battle. The Red Devils have lost each of their last three matches and, somehow, sit just seven points ahead of Ipswich Town, which pulled off a shocking upset of Chelsea in Matchweek 19. New manager Ruben Amorim is trying to implement his tactics, but United players are slow to catch on. The Red Devils figure to be major players in the transfer market, being particularly linked to Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyökeres, who played under Amorim in Lisbon.
For now, Gyökeres is still in Portugal, and United is still struggling with its attack. The Red Devils have scored just 21 goals this season, the fifth-fewest in the Premier League, and strikers Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have been struggling to convert their chances. United has been held scoreless in each of its three most recent matches, losses to Bournemouth, Wolves, and Newcastle.
Meanwhile, Liverpool is the hottest team in the Premier League and has its joint-best defense. Dutch center back Virgil Van Dijk, a former Ballon D’Or runner-up, has been as good as ever, even at 33 years old. Liverpool also recently welcomed back its first-choice goalkeeper, Alisson, who has had a shaky season by his standards but is still one of the best shot-stoppers in the world. Alisson has allowed four goals in his past three games, but three came against Tottenham, whose potent attack is the second-best in the Premier League.
Leon Bailey Anytime Goalscorer (+185)
Just like last season, the three recently-promoted clubs all sit in the relegation zone, with Ipswich Town in 18th, Leicester City in 19th, and Southampton in 20th. But somehow, the Foxes — whose 2015-16 title run is still the most miraculous in Premier League history — look to be in the worst form. Leicester has looked dreadful in defeats to Newcastle, Wolves, Liverpool, and Manchester City.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa has had an up-and-down season. They’ve been great in the Champions League, sitting fifth in that competition, but they are just ninth in the Premier League and two-time Yashin Award winner Emiliano Martinez has made some uncharacteristic mistakes in between the sticks. To make matters worse, striker Jhon Duran — arguably the breakout star of the 2024-25 Premier League season so far — picked up a straight red card in a Boxing Day loss to Newcastle and won’t be available against Leicester.
Englishmen Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins have each stepped up in a major way, scoring six and eight goals, respectively. With Duran suspended against Brighton in Matchweek 19, Bailey — a 27-year-old Jamaican — was re-inserted into the starting lineup and played 76 minutes in the 2-2 draw. While he didn’t score, he uncorked a season-high seven shots. He should have the chance to put up more against a Leicester City defense that has allowed 31.63 shot-creating actions and 1.99 expected goals per match, both the third-worst figure in the league.
Southampton Moneyline (+210)
If there were ever a chance for Southampton to pick up its second win of the season, it comes in Matchweek 20’s game against a Brentford team that has been extremely out of form, losing three of its past four Premier League matches. The Saints have looked better as of late, losing narrowly to West Ham and Crystal Palace in its two most recent games.
In particular, the Bees have been on the worst road form in the league, picking up just two points away from home, tied with Southampton for the worst figure in the Premier League. Brentford has picked up 22 points at home, tied for the most In the league with Liverpool, but it’s seemed to struggle every time it’s traveled outside of London. The Bees have played tough opponents lately — Chelsea, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, and Arsenal — but they haven’t been able to get much going.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
