With the Caribou Cup final between Newcastle and Manchester United being played out this weekend, we will only be treated to a reduced slate of eight Premier League fixtures.
Despite this, there are still a few exciting fixtures to be played out and more importantly, plenty of value to be found.
Our offside oracle has previewed all the EPL action across the weekend and provided his best betting plays below!
Fulham looks to claim a third league win on the trot and consolidate their position in the top six when they play host to the Wolves.
Alternatively, Wolverhampton will attempt to bounce back following a disappointing performance against the Cherries, dropping points against the relegation favourites for the 2nd this season (1D,1L).
The Wolves have enjoyed this fixture in recent history, going undefeated across their previous five games against the Cottagers (3W,2D), with all five fixtures going under 2.5 total goals.
Fulham has kept a clean sheet in each of their last three PL appearances, while Under 1.5 Goals has hit in four of their last five!
I’m backing this to be a tight fixture between two fairly evenly matched sides, with the first goal likely to also be the last!
League leaders Arsenal looks to open the gap between themselves and Man City to 5 points with another convincing victory over the inconsistent Leicester.
The Gunners overcame a plucky Aston Villa side last time out thanks to a pair of injury-time strikes, with Jorginho repaying his transfer fee in spades.
Meanwhile, the Foxes fell 3-0 to Man U despite completely dominating the first 45 minutes of play.
The Gunners and the Foxes have been struggling defensively of late, both sides conceding in each of their last five league fixtures, while both have seen over 3.5 total goals scored in three fixtures across the same trip.
I’m backing another high-scoring affair to materialise here, with either side a shout at claiming the three points.
The bookies look to have priced this fixture off reputation rather than form, with the 18th-placed Hammers massive unders at $1.70.
Notts Forest float into this fixture off the back of holding Manchester City to a 1-1 draw, building on an incredible run of results that has seen them only lose one game in their last seven league starts (3W,3D).
Meanwhile, West Ham has only managed one PL victory across their last 11 fixtures, with the solitary win coming against fellow strugglers Everton.
Forest has already seen the Hammers off this season (1-0), and with both form and confidence on their side, I think they are a huge shout to complete the double at mind-boggling $5 odds.
Two more relegation candidates are set to meet at Elland Rd, as Leeds plays host to the Saints.
Southampton enters this fixture off the back of a 1-0 victory against Chelsea while playing under a caretaker manager.
Alternatively, Leeds suffered an embarrassing 1-0 defeat to fellow dwellers Everton, failing to register a single shot on target!
The last two league fixtures between this pair have been stalemates, a trend I’m backing to continue with neither side mounting a convincing case for victory.
The rank-average fixtures continue to pour in this weekend, as Villa takes to the park against the Toffees.
Following their 1-0 victory over Leeds last weekend, Everton will be looking to secure their third straight win at Goodison Park, lifting the Merseyside outfit further clean of the drop zone.
They are a great chance of doing just that against a Villa side starring down the barrel of four straight league defeats.
The Goodison Park faithful could play a huge roll in the outcome of this fixture, I’m backing them to pull their side over the line in what should be a tight contest.
Following a surprise 1-1 stalemate against Notts Forest, Man City will be out to get their title challenge back on track with a convincing result against the Cherries.
Though Bournemouth will draw inspiration from the Notts Forest feat and their own win against the Wolves last weekend, they may very well be powerless in influencing this contest should City show up.
City failing in consecutive league fixtures is rarer than a loch ness monster sighting.
I’m backing the Cityzens to roar back to winning ways with a multiple-goal victory over the hapless Cherries.
Liverpool will be out to put their disastrous Champions League performance behind them when they travel to the capital to take on Crystal Palace.
Despite conceding five unanswered goals against Real Madrid midweek, the Reds league form has been on the up, winning their last two fixtures against Everton and Newcastle to nil.
Meanwhile, Palace is floundering in the middle of the pack, drawing four of their last five fixtures, though results against United, Brighton, and most recently Brentford will have their tails up.
Liverpool fixtures have been a nightmare to punt on this season, so rather than diving into the H2H market, I’ll be backing both teams to score with the Reds backing their forward line to outgun the Eagles.
Game Week 25 wraps up at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a once highly regarded London Derby.
History tells us this should be a fiery contest, but if recent form is anything to go by we might be dealt an absolute stinker here.
Chelsea is winless across their last four league outings (3D,1L), with their backline looking as the only functional part of their side at the minute, keeping two clean sheets across the trip.
Meanwhile, the Spurs are starting to show some mental steel, winning three of their last four, including to London Derbies and an impressive display against Man City.
Though Chelsea has dominated this fixture in the past, I can’t justify backing them with the current state of the club.
I’m backing the Spurs to get up for this one and consolidate their position in the top four.
The Gunners are out to reestablish their 5-point advantage at the top of the league when they play a rescheduled Game Week 7 fixture against the Toffees.
Everton will be looking to better the league leaders for a 2nd time in four weeks after downing the Gunners 1-0 in Sean Dyche’s first game in charge!
Arsenal has bounced back from a run of poor results, winning their previous two league fixtures, while keeping an in-form Foxes unit to nil last time out.
I’m backing the Gunners’ defense to hold tight again, as Arteta’s team even the slate against the Toffees.
Like Arsenal, Liverpool will be looking for redemption in this fixture after suffering a demoralising 3-0 defeat to the Wolves not long ago.
Since that defeat, the Reds have managed to keep three straight clean sheets, claiming seven competition points along the way.
Anfield will play a major role in the result here, with the Reds losing just one league fixture at home across their last 34 starts (25W,8D).
I’m backing Klopp’s side to get the job done at home, combined with under 3.5 goals scored.