EPL 2021/22 Matchweek 16 preview & best bets

Manchester City and Liverpool face tricky matchups at home this Saturday after both clubs jumped Chelsea on the English Premier League table with wins last week. We’ve got picks in those two games as well as one in Sunday’s Leicester City vs Newcastle match on Sunday in our best bets for EPL Matchweek 16.

Manchester City vs Wolverhampton

Manchester City (11-2-2) is back on top of the EPL table after extending its current win streak to five with a 3-1 road victory over Watford. Man City has now gone 11-2-1 since opening the season with a road loss to Tottenham Hotspur. Wolverhampton Wanderers (6-3-6) dropped to 1-2-2 over its last five matches with a 1-0 loss at home to Liverpool on Saturday.

While Manchester City will almost certainly win this match, there isn’t much value to betting on the home club at -575 on the three-way line or at -2 goals against the spread. The betting value in this matchup is on the UNDER 3 goals. Wolves has scored only 12 goals this season and conceded 13; the club has failed to score a goal in each of its last three matches and has given up one or less to its opponents in four straight. Look for Manchester City to pick up a clean-sheet win on Saturday with a 1-0 or 2-0 scoreline.

Liverpool vs Aston Villa

Liverpool (10-4-1) jumped Chelsea and remained one point behind Manchester City in the standings with its 1-0 win over Wolves on Saturday. The club has won four straight matches since suffering its only loss of the season in a 3-2 defeat against West Ham last month. Aston Villa (6-1-8) has been playing well of late with a 3-0-1 record since opening 2021-22 with a 3-1-7 record.

SEE ALSO: BEST BOOKMAKERS FOR SOCCER BETTING

We like Aston Villa as a +1.75 underdog in this spot. Liverpool is always capable of blowing out its opponents, especially at home, but Villa has allowed only five total goals over its last five matches, including a respectable 2-1 loss to Manchester City last Wednesday. We could see another Liverpool victory by one goal in this one.

Leicester City vs Newcastle United

Leicester City (5-4-6) fell to 1-2-3 over its last six matches with a 2-1 road loss to Aston Villa on Sunday. Newcastle United (1-7-7), meanwhile, earned its first win of the season with a 1-0 victory at home over Burnley.

We’re torn between a Leicester City win and a draw in this one, but why go with either of those plays when we have the option to take the OVER 3 goals instead? Leicester’s defense is in bad form right now having conceded at least two goals in each of the team’s last four matches. And Newcastle has been shaky on defense all season with 30 goals conceded in 15 matches. A 2-1 Leicester City win would lead to a push on the total wager, while a bunch of other realistic scores – including Leicester 3-1 and a 2-2 draw – would lead to a solid payout.