EPL 2021/22 Matchweek 31 betting picks, top parlay bet & odds

World soccer’s international break is finally over and the Premier League is back this weekend. While World Cup qualification is great and entertaining, nothing matches up to Premier League games and soccer fans will be buzzing for the season to start up again. This weekend, all 20 teams have a match and at this stage, every point matters just that extra little bit. Each team has between 8 and 11 games remaining, and there’s a lot to play for. While many of the matches this week project to be blowouts, there is still a lot of value on the board. Here are the three best picks from the games.

Aston Villa FC at Wolverhampton Wanderers

The draw is this pick in this game between two very evenly matched opponents. Aston Villa is in ninth with 36 points through 29 games. Wolves are in eighth place with 46 points through 30 games. While Wolves have been the better team over the whole of the season, Villa has raised their level of play. Despite losing two close games heading into the past international break, Villa won their previous three. In those two losses, Villa played better teams and were able to keep it closer than many people expected. With Phillippe Coutinho and Emiliano Buendia, Villa have a lot of attacking prowess and will be able to match Wolves offensively.

Wolves have sat in the mid table for most of this season. They will come into this game with two wins and three losses in their past five and that’s pretty much been the story of their season. They alternate wins and losses and haven’t been able to string a bunch of wins together. Ultimately, while they may have hopes of qualifying for the Champions League with a top four finish, it’s not likely Wolves will do so. At home in this game, Wolves will have the advantage but their inconsistency leaves them hard to trust. Take the draw in what could sneakily be a very entertaining match.

Southampton FC at Leeds United

The international break could not have come at a better time for Southampton. After a stretch that saw them winning four of five games, Southampton went on to lose four straight. Now, they had time to refresh and will come into this game prepared. When it comes down to it, Southampton is a better team than Leeds and there is great value in betting on them to win this game. Although they don’t have top end talent, Southampton has a strong midfield that should be able to dominate possession and break down a porous Leeds defense.

Leeds, unlike Southampton, were cruising leading into the break. After a brutal stretch that saw them lose six straight, Leeds turned it around and won two straight games. It will be hard for them to keep that momentum after the two week break and it’s likely they will return to the level they were at before those wins. Leeds are a mess defensively and have given up a Premier League high 67 goals this season. Southampton is better defensively than going forward, so this will play into their hands. Take Southampton +175 and watch their star James Ward Prowse manipulate the Leeds defense into conceding a few goals.

Leicester City FC at Manchester United

These are two English Premier League teams who are unhappy with their play up to this point and a large part of that is their defensive woes. United are in sixth place with 50 points through 29 games. They would’ve hoped for a title challenge after signing Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer transfer window. It hasn’t played out very well and while United have the talent to beat anyone, their defense is consistently letting them down. Of the top eight Prem clubs, United have conceded the most goals and win games through their offense, not defense.

The same can be said for Leicester. While no one expected them to compete for a title, people thought they would be better than they have been. Leicester sit in 10th place with 36 points through 27 matches. Like Man U, Leicester has been let down by their defense on many occasions. They have given up the most goals on corner kicks and that has been a prevailing issue for them all season. Going up against a header specialist like Ronaldo, one would expect that issue to be a factor in this game. Leicester have the ability to break down United’s back line but will struggle for answers when it comes to defending them. This over is very appealing in what projects to be a pretty high scoring game. Both of these teams have defensive woes and a strong offense. The pick is obvious.