Welcome to English Premier League Best Bets, a Bettor in Green Article Series where we break down the latest action in the English Premier League (EPL) and my favorite bets for the upcoming matchweek.

For an overview of what to expect in this Series, check out my 2025/26 EPL Season Preview and Futures article here.

Recap:

On Saturday, Wolves almost stole points from Arsenal at the Emirates with a 90th-minute goal, until Arsenal got a winner in the 4th minute of stoppage time, maintaining their lead at the top of the table.

On Sunday, Aston Villa and Manchester City each got wins to stay in the top 4, while Sunderland won the Tyne-Wear Derby.

Monday saw a 4-4 thriller between Manchester United and Bournemouth in one of the most exciting matches of the season thus far.

We went 2-1 for Best Bets, winning with Fulham and Manchester City, losing on Spurs to win either half.

Across the Globe we finally got back to winning ways, going 5-0.

Upcoming Matches:

This weekend kicks off the EPL’s “Festive Fixtures,” starting with Newcastle hosting Chelsea.

There are 8 matches on Saturday, including a big match between Tottenham and Liverpool.

Sunday and Monday each have one match apiece, with Aston Villa hosting Manchester United on Sunday and Fulham hosting Nottingham Forest on Monday.

Let’s get to the bets:

Best Bets:

Pick #1: Chelsea to Win Either Half -130 (Dec. 20, 2025; 7:30 a.m. EST):

For starters, I’m looking at the opening match of the weekend as Newcastle host Chelsea.

Each of these teams played in the middle of the week in the Quarter-Finals of the Carabao Cup, with Chelsea playing on Tuesday and Newcastle playing on Wednesday.

One reason to back this bet is that Chelsea had an extra day of rest, playing Tuesday. They did have to travel from Cardiff (Wales), whereas Newcastle played at home. While Chelsea will now travel to north to Newcastle, they still were afforded an extra day of rest and to focus on the next match.

Another reason I like this bet is the level of rotation each team was afforded in the Carabao Cup. Chelsea have a large squad and have rotated more than any other EPL club this season. They played 3rd-tier Cardiff and were able to get a win, primarily through players coming in off the bench.

Newcastle, on the other hand, had a tougher match against Fulham, requiring a stoppage-time winner. While they also rotated their front 3, they had to utilize a decent chunk of their starting midfield, defense, and starting keeper.

With the difficulty of playing away at Newcastle, I’m only backing Chelsea to win either half, as they push to remain in the top 4.

Pick #2: Manchester City to Win to Nil +110 (Dec. 20, 2025; 10:00 a.m. EST):

For my next bet, I’m looking at another Carabao Cup team, Manchester City, who host West Ham.

While West Hal did not play midweek, Manchester City got a 2-0 win at home to Brentford with a heavily-rotated squad.

Manchester City are seemingly back to impressive form, having won their last 6 matches in all competitions, keeping clean sheets in half of those matches.

Their home form is impressive in the EPL, going 7-0-1, and having scored the most goals in the league at home, while conceding the 2nd fewest.

West Ham under Nuno Espírito Santo prioritize defensive structure and capitalizing on a counter-attack, which they’ve utilized pretty well. While they’re winless in their last 5, they’ve scored a goal in 8 of the 11 matches in which he’s been in charge.

However, they’ve struggled against teams with greater quality, losing and failing to score against both Liverpool and Arsenal.

With City dominating possession and aware of the counter-attack, I think Pep Guardiola will find a way to get his team winning and keeping a clean sheet.

Pick #3: 2-Leg SGP: Arsenal Moneyline and Over 1.5 Total Goals +110 (Dec. 20, 2025; 3:00 p.m. EST):

For our final Best Bet, I’m backing league-leaders Arsenal to win on the road against Everton with over 1.5 total goals.

Arsenal narrowly escaped a draw with Wolves last weekend, getting a late goal to win 2-1. That marks their 7th match in the last 10 in all competitions winning with over 1.5 total goals.

While being a Carabao Cup Quarter-Finalist, Arsenal’s Carabao Cup match against Crystal Palace was scheduled for this upcoming week, rather than this past week with the others.

While the Carabao Cup would be nice for Arsenal, they can’t afford to let their lead in the EPL slip any further and will need to prioritize this trip to Everton before a stretch of home matches, including the Cup match with Palace.

With Saliba back in defense, Arsenal are still light at the back, but better than the last few weeks, switching up center-back pairings.

Everton are a good side and the recent head-to-head history shows some cagey and low-scoring affairs. However, I don’t focus heavily on head-to-head history. 

The more telling statistic is how Everton have faired rather poorly against the “Big 6” sides this season, losing to Chelsea, Spurs, Manchester City, and Liverpool. While they beat Manchester United, they’ve also lost to Newcastle and only managed draws against Aston Villa and a Sunderland.

I trust that Arsenal will prioritize this match and look to win in a more comfortable fashion than their nervy win last week against Wolves.

Bonus:

Looking for a player prop? Harry Wilson for Fulham has been on fire lately, with 3 goals and 3 assists in his last 5 matches for Fulham. In his last international match for Wales, he got 3 goals and an assist in a 7-1 smashing of North Macedonia. Back Harry Wilson to Score or Assist +130.

Across the Globe:

• Melbourne City Moneyline +110 (Australia; A-League)
• Beşiktaş Moneyline -150 (Türkiye; Super Lig)
• Ajax to Win Either Half -120 (Netherlands; Eredivisie)
• Atlético Madrid Moneyline -145 (Spain; La Liga)
• FCSB Moneyline -105 (Romania; Superliga)

Season Record:

Best Bets: 25-23

Across the Globe: 35-46