Steve Davies
The summer sparring is over, now it’s time to trade some real blows as English Premier League champions Liverpool lead the Premier League back into battle for what hopefully turns into a thrilling new season. Let’s get into our EPL best bets for game week 1 this weekend, while you can also find out our expert soccer picks for all the big matchups across the EPL and MLS.
EPL best bet: Burnley Win or Tie double chance vs Tottenham (+220)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Scott Parker’s shutout kings get a first serious examination with a trip to Thomas Frank’s Tottenham — and they don’t have anything to fear. Burnley were unbreachable on their way out of the Championship with 30 clean sheets in their 46 matches.
They are running into a team full of optimism after Spurs scored twice and went toe-to-toe against Paris Saint-Germain in the Super Cup on Wednesday. Yet, let’s not forget that Tottenham have come off their worst season in over a generation and Parker has made a stack of smart signings who can make the Clarets quite competitive. With fatigue issues also possible for Tottenham, Burnley could avoid defeat.
EPL best bet: Crystal Palace tie-no-bet vs Chelsea (+350)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Chelsea are being talked up by pretty much everyone after winning the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and that will be music to the ears of Crystal Palace, who are the first team handed the opportunity to bring the Blues down to size. In the Eagles’ last 4 competitive games, they have clipped the wings of Manchester City to win the FA Cup and twice drawn with Liverpool, on the final day of last season in the league and last weekend to win the Community Shield.
You can write Oliver Glasner’s men off at your peril and they will certainly plunder any edginess as yet another rebuilt Chelsea team tries to get to know itself. The Tie-Palace double-chance bet on Sunday is sound enough, though for potentially greater reward, the Eagles tie no bet gets the green light.
Find out our EPL futures predictions for this season — will it be Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City or Chelsea who win the title?
EPL best bet: Ollie Watkins to score first in Aston Villa vs Newcastle United (+500)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Ollie Watkins, who became Aston Villa’s highest-ever Premier League goalscorer last season, has scored in all 4 of his Premier League home games against Newcastle and can extend that run on Saturday. Watkins enjoyed a magnificent 2024-25, scoring 17 goals for Villa and once for England, and has also had a red-hot summer. He found the net in each of the last 5 preseason games he appeared in, which sets him up nicely for a showdown with a somewhat dispirited Newcastle. This is the club that pipped Villa for 5th last term, though Newcastle already look vulnerable off a summer dominated by star striker Alexander Isak’s desire to leave Tyneside.
EPL best bet: Nottingham Forest vs Brentford Under 2.5 goals (-110)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook and bet365 at time of publishing.
Nottingham Forest have done incredibly well to hold on to Morgan Gibbs-White and may have unearthed a gem in Igor Jesus, yet they still look like a team that will struggle for goals. 11 of their 38 matches last season delivered 1 goal or less — only Everton had more — and both their games against Brentford produced only 2.
In pre-season, Nuno Espirito Santo’s men have managed 1 goal in 7 contests, with 5 of them ending 0-0. New Brentford head coach Keith Andrews is unlikely to be expansive at the City Ground as he starts from scratch and without former attacker Bryan Mbeumo, and this promises to be a low-scoring affair.
