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After an exciting midweek of UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League action, soccer fans turn their attention to Matchweek 8 of the English Premier League.
The action kicks off at Portman Road on Friday, where Ipswich Town host Nottingham Forest, live on TV at 3 p.m. ET. Saturday features four more games, with the remaining five matches taking place Sunday afternoon.
With major US bookmakers offering pre-match betting odds and promotions on each of this weekend's 10 EPL fixtures, there's plenty to consider.
Keep reading as trusted soccer betting analyst Frank Monkhouse walks Flashscore readers through his predictions.
Ipswich v Nottingham Forest, Friday, 03:00 PM ET
The action begins in Suffolk on Friday evening, where Ipswich Town host Nottingham Forest. A packed stadium and a huge TV audience will cheer every tackle, save, and goal, but which team will shine under the lights?
Ipswich begin Matchweek 8 in mid-table, with three wins and four losses, scoring 11 goals and conceding 15. Gary O'Neill's team have lost two of their last three games, including a 3-2 defeat at the Etihad Stadium last time out.
Nottingham Forest sit second from the bottom of the table, with only Sunderland worse off. The Tricky Trees have won just one game all season, drawing two and losing four. Having taken just one point from their last nine available, Oliver Glasner is under increasing pressure.
Head-to-head stats on the Flashscore app show that the clubs last met at Portman Road in March 2025, when Forest won 4-2.
There's not much to get excited about in the stats, but Ipswich have won two of their last three home games, beating Sunderland and Fulham 2-1. It's also worth noting that home manager O'Neil has never lost to Friday's opponents in the Premier League, recording one win and four draws.
I'm adding Ipswich on the double chance market to my midweek parlays. If the home team avoids defeat, you'll secure a profit.
Tip: Ipswich win or draw @ -165 (FanDuel) | -160 (BetMGM)
Bet explanation: Your bet wins if the home team wins or the match ends in a draw.
Aston Villa v Man City, Saturday, 07:30 AM ET
Saturday brings a mouthwatering showdown at Villa Park, where Aston Villa host Manchester City. You can follow this early kickoff on TV and streaming apps. Let's find a bet worth considering.
Villa got off to a poor start, but a three-game unbeaten run has lifted them to 12th. Unai Emery's men beat Tottenham 3-2 in London, drew 2-2 with Brentford in their last home game, and edged Newcastle United 1-0 last weekend.
Man City start in first place and are the only team left in the Premier League with a perfect record, winning all seven games. The league leaders have beaten every opponent so far and will fancy their chances of picking up another three points in Birmingham.
Oddsmakers at major sportsbooks list Man City as strong favorites in the three-way moneyline market, but the stats encourage us to look for value elsewhere.
Our partners at Opta Stats show that Aston Villa have won four of their last six EPL meetings with Man City. It's also worth noting that City have lost on each of their last two visits to Villa Park.
With the home team seemingly finding its rhythm in recent weeks, we're looking at another double chance bet. Bet on Aston Villa to win or draw on Saturday in front of their home fans, and I'm confident they'll make a game of it.
Tip: Aston Villa win or draw @ +110 (FanDuel) | +110 (BetMGM)
Bet explanation: You'll make a profit from this bet if Aston Villa avoids defeat at home to Man City, with a win paying the same as a draw.
Arsenal v Everton, Saturday, 10:00 AM ET
The standout 10 a.m. Saturday kickoff takes place in North London, where defending Premier League champions Arsenal aim for a third straight win as they host an Everton side with just one win in six games.
Mikel Arteta had his team at Bayern Munich on Wednesday for a Champions League matchup. It was a fascinating game, but the Gunners must regroup, recover, and get ready to go again.
They're entering a busy stretch, and this is when we'll see how strong the Arsenal squad really is.
Everton hope to upset the champions, and David Moyes' team enjoyed a full week off, with their last game a 2-0 home defeat toChelsea seven days ago. The Toffees started the round in eighth, but have drawn four of their previous six.
Another draw wouldn't be a bad result at the home of the champions.
Arsenal are unbeaten in their last seven league games against Everton, recording five wins and two draws. The Gunners have lost only one of their last 30 home league games against Saturday's opponents, winning 24 and drawing five.
Lastly, Moyes has never led Everton to victory at this venue, losing 10 of 13 games.
In the last five EPL games between Arsenal and Everton at the Emirates, the home team has built an impressive 13-2 aggregate goal advantage, including 5-1 and 4-0 wins.
Stick with an Arsenal team that has won 11 of its last 12 Premier League games and boasts a perfect home record at the Emirates during that stretch.
Tip: Arsenal win @ -260 (FanDuel) | -235 (BetMGM)
Bet explanation: If Arsenal continue their impressive run and beat Everton, you'll beat the bookies.
Chelsea v Tottenham, Saturday, 12:30 PM ET
Saturday afternoon's live Premier League game brings viewers an intriguing London derby from Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have home-field advantage, with Xabi Alonso knowing his Blues must make it count if they're serious about mounting a title challenge this season.
The hosts went through a rough stretch, taking just one point from a possible nine, but have since steadied the ship with back-to-back wins to move into fourth place.
Tottenham last played Monday evening, beating struggling Coventry City 3-1 in North London. Goals from Kudus, Marmoush, and Davies earned Spurs their first win of the season.
Perhaps a short warm-weather training camp in Spain did the trick. That result puts Spurs on six points, two more than last-place Sunderland.
Chelsea enter the matchup with a perfect record in their last six meetings with Spurs, and the stats show that's the Blues' joint-longest winning streak against their neighbors.
Stamford Bridge has also been a fortress for Chelsea against Spurs, with the visitors claiming just one win in their last 36 visits. That's good enough for me.
Tip: Chelsea win @ -155 (FanDuel) | -140 (BetMGM)
Bet explanation: If Chelsea beat Tottenham in Saturday's live TV game, the bet wins and bettors will secure a profit.
Liverpool v Brighton, Sunday, 09:00 AM ET
We're covering two of Sunday's five Premier League games, starting at Anfield, where Liverpool host Brighton.
The Reds have lost just one EPL game so far, but have drawn as many games as they've won. Andoni Iraola's team lost 3-0 at home to Man City earlier this month but responded with a stunning 6-3 road win over LASK in the Champions League and a 2-1 victory at Brentford eight days ago.
Liverpool hosted Villarreal in the UCL on Tuesday, but their squad is deep enough to handle playing twice a week.
Brighton began Matchweek 8 in third place in the Premier League, with five wins, one draw, and one loss. The Seagulls are five points behind Man City and just two behind last season's league champions, Arsenal.
Fabian Hurzeler's team arrive unbeaten in five games, with wins in each of their last four. That run includes a 5-0 home win over Crystal Palace last Sunday. Their most recent road trip produced a comfortable 2-0 victory at the Stadium of Light.
This is a matchup between two teams in excellent form, both targeting a top-four finish this season. On paper, there's little between them, but their midweek commitments are worth considering. Liverpool played Villarreal at home on Tuesday, while Brighton traveled to Jablonec on Thursday for the Conference League.
The extra recovery time, lack of travel, and home advantage all point to a Liverpool win. The stats support that pick, too.
Brighton have managed just one win in their last 13 visits to Anfield, with the Seagulls losing each of their last four. That's too good to ignore.
I expect a hard-fought contest, and Brighton will play their part in an entertaining game, but I'm adding a Liverpool win to my parlays. The odds make Liverpool a good option for your parlays or Liverpool vs. Brighton Bet Builders.
Tip: Liverpool win @ +110 (FanDuel) | +115 (BetMGM)
Bet explanation: Keep it simple and back Liverpool to beat Brighton. You don't care about the winning margin, who scores the goals, or when. As long as Liverpool outscore Brighton and collect all three points, you'll boost your betting balance.
Sunderland v Leeds, Sunday, 11:30 AM ET
I wrap things up at the Stadium of Light, where Sunderland seek three vital points against a Leeds United team sitting 13 places higher in the Premier League.
Sunderland are at the bottom of the table. The Black Cats have won one of seven games, drawn one, and lost the other five. They've scored six goals and conceded 14. With four points on the board, they're just three behind Manchester United in 13th place at the time of writing.
It's still too early in the season to hit the panic button, but pressure is building in the home locker room.
Leeds United have started the season well, losing only one of seven games but drawing four. The visitors have ended level in two of their last three games, sharing the points with Crystal Palace and Man Utd at Elland Road. The other result in that three-game stretch was a narrow 2-1 loss to the reigning champions, despite taking the lead.
Leeds find themselves in the European places, but manager Daniel Farke knows his team must start turning draws into wins if they want to keep pace with the teams above them.
They may be the away team, but Leeds have no reason to fear the Stadium of Light. Results show they've lost just one of their last eight visits, winning six and drawing one. The teams met here once last season, playing to a 1-1 draw in late December, with goals from Adingra and Calvert-Lewin.
If you like following the head-to-head stats, you may be interested to know that both teams scored in three of the last four meetings. I wouldn't discourage anyone from adding the both teams to score market to their weekend betting card.
You may prefer to take a bigger risk and bet on Leeds United in the three-way moneyline market at +145 with bet365. There's enough value there to consider it as a standalone bet.
I'm happy to bet on Leeds, but the only slight concern is their two draws in three games and four in six. The Black Cats may be on a losing streak, but they're capable of better, and I'd be surprised if Regis Le Bris took them down to the Championship in the spring.
Consider the double chance market to protect yourself against another draw. Leeds to win or draw is -250 (bet365). Betting on Leeds to win or draw would've produced a profit in four of the last five meetings.
That run goes all the way back to April 2024. Two of those five games were at the Stadium of Light, producing 2-2 and 1-1 draws.
Tip: Leeds United win or draw @ -280 (FanDuel) | -275 (BetMGM)
Bet explanation: As the name suggests, the Double Chance market gives you two chances to win. Either a win for Leeds or the visitors taking a fifth draw in eight games will do the job.
These odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.