EPL Best Bets This Weekend: Top Picks & Predictions for August 22-23
Ladies and gentlemen, Premier League soccer is BACK! The EPL returns as champions Arsenal look to successfully defend their crown, but in their way stand a number of red-hot contenders looking to knock them off their perch, such as Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea. Every team has strengthened its squad ahead of the season. Meanwhile, Coventry, Ipswich and Hull were promoted from the Championship, and will set their sights on replicating Sunderland and Leeds from last year and surviving. The 2026-27 EPL season starts this weekend, and our soccer experts have their EPL picks for EVERY Premier League soccer game this weekend! But for now, let's break down their hottest predictions and give our 3 EPL best bets for this weekend.
EPL best bet: Man Utd -1.5 over Hull (-110)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to -120.
Hull City couldn't have asked for a much bigger game on their return to the Premier League when they host Manchester United on the opening weekend.
The Tigers are back in the EPL for the first time since 2017 and face an immediate test of their survival credentials against Michael Carrick's side.
Hull will, of course, give their all in this huge first home game and, aided by a fervent support, Sergej Jakirovic's side are bound to have their moments on Saturday.
However, United should soon be able to exert control and their superiority will surely tell.
Carrick said last week he needs more summer signings to bolster what he hopes could be a title challenge after last season's third-place finish, and there is no doubt the Red Devils' squad needs more quality and depth to cope with the significant demands of domestic and European football again.
The Red Devils should get off to a winning start, though, against a Hull side who failed to score in their final two summer friendlies against Eintracht Frankfurt and Nice.
Read our full Hull vs Manchester United prediction for Saturday's Premier League game
EPL best bet: Leeds ML over Nottingham Forest (+220)
Odds available at Fanatics Sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to +200.
Leeds' away record last season was pretty poor, with just three wins on the road in all competitions.
It's a different season, however, and it may produce different outcomes, as they actually look worth supporting at Forest, where Oliver Glasner seems yet to have found his best group.
The Tricky Trees definitely look light in attack with Chris Wood working his way back from yet another injury, and Daniel Farke should feel more confident of the potential attack he has at his disposal this season.
Check out our Nottingham Forest vs Leeds prediction for full EPL stats, trends and more
EPL best bet: Brighton ML over Aston Villa (+120)
Odds generally available at time of publishing. Playable to +105.
The arduous Thursday-Sunday match double, the bane apparently of any club that qualifies for Europe, is now part of Brighton's scheduling.
Back in Europe, the Seagulls played in the Arctic Circle on Thursday against Tromso in the Conference League, and now welcome Aston Villa to the Amex on Sunday.
It looks a thankless challenge given how strong Villa have become in the Premier League, though it's actually one where the Seagulls could claim all three points.
Villa head south with their heads held high after a 2-1 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the European Super Cup on Wednesday.
But they also look vulnerable with big players like Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers gone, Ollie Watkins inactive since the World Cup, new Swiss star Johan Manzambi injured and the vultures hovering around Ezri Konsa.
The Europa League winners are impossible to doubt given the tunes Unai Emery continues to get out of them, but they could take a few weeks to click into gear.
Brighton have lost a couple of star names - top scorer Danny Welbeck among them - but Fabian Hurzeler has also signed some really eye-catching players, most notably Luka Vušković from Tottenham. Preseason could not have gone any better with wins over Strasbourg, Roma and Bologna, and they can make a winning start to the new Premier League season.
Get the full analysis for our Brighton vs Aston Villa prediction
EPL Predictions for This Weekend
Want even more EPL predictions? Check out our expert picks for all 8 games this weekend below!
