The 2024/25 Premier League season is beginning to heat up and there are seven matches taking place on Saturday, many of which will have a significant impact at both ends of the table.
One such contest takes place at the King Power Stadium as relegation-threatened Leicester welcome an Arsenal team who have leaders Liverpool in their sights after the Reds dropped points in the Merseyside derby in midweek.
Those teams do battle at 12:30 while there are five 15:00 matches taking place with Manchester City's clash with Newcastle the most eye-catching fixture.
Saturday's action finishes at Selhurst Park as Everton, fresh off their last-gasp heroics against local rivals Liverpool, head to London to meet Crystal Palace.
We have all the top-flight betting angles covered below.
Recommended five-fold: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brentford, Crystal Palace all to win.
- ARSENAL -1 GOAL HANDICAP
- ASTON VILLA TO WIN & OVER 2.5 GOALS
- DRAW IN FULHAM VS NOTTINGHAM FOREST
- NEWCASTLE OR DRAW DOUBLE CHANCE
- BOURNEMOUTH TO WIN TO NIL
- BRENTFORD TO BEAT WEST HAM
- CRYSTAL PALACE TO BEAT EVERTON
Leicester vs Arsenal
Arsenal will be champing at the bit for this trip to Leicester, where they will attempt to cut Liverpool's lead at the top to just four points before the Reds take on Wolves at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
The Gunners have not lost in the Premier League since November 2nd, winning nine and drawing five of their last 14 matches, and Mikel Arteta's men have been freshened up for this test having not played since their 5-1 victory over Manchester City two weeks ago.
While Arteta has lost the services of injured forward Kai Havertz, Arsenal should have few problems finding the net against the struggling Foxes, who have lost eight of their last nine league matches.
Ruud van Nistelrooy's men have suffered seven defeats by a margin of at least two goals in that run. It could pay to side with Arsenal giving up a goal on the handicap.
ARSENAL -1 GOAL HANDICAP
Aston Villa vs Ipswich
Aston Villa have won seven of their last nine home matches in all competitions and there should be no let-up from Unai Emery's outfit when lowly Ipswich travel to Villa Park.
Ollie Watkins was absent for the Villans' 2-1 FA Cup fourth-round win over Tottenham but the striker could return for the clash with the Tractor Boys, adding further power to an attack which now includes Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio.
Ipswich returned to winning ways in the FA Cup, beating second-tier Coventry 4-1, but they've sunk to four straight Premier League defeats, conceding 14 goals in the process.
This could be one-way traffic in favour of Villa, who can rack up a score in a convincing win.
ASTON VILLA TO WIN & OVER 2.5 GOALS
Fulham vs Nottingham Forest
Two Premier League surprise packages clash at Craven Cottage as Fulham host Nottingham Forest.
While Forest remain on course for European football - and hold a six-point buffer over fifth-placed Manchester City in the battle for a Champions League spot - Fulham are also still not without hope of gatecrashing the continental party.
The Whites have lost just three matches at Craven Cottage this season but they've developed into draw specialists on their own patch, playing out stalemates against Arsenal, Southampton, Bournemouth and Ipswich since the start of December.
DRAW
Manchester City vs Newcastle
It would take a brave punter to put full faith in Manchester City at present and Pep Guardiola's outfit look poised for another tough afternoon when Newcastle come calling at the Etihad.
The Magpies are bouncing, reaching the EFL Cup final and winning six consecutive matches on their travels, which spells trouble for a City team who are still reeling after their midweek 3-2 loss at home to Real Madrid in the Champions League knockout phase play-off round.
The Citizens led 2-1 after Erling Haaland's 80th-minute penalty but late goals from Brahim Diaz and Jude Bellingham meant that they will go to Madrid on Wednesday with a deficit to overturn.
Guardiola and his players are likely to have one eye on that fixture and that could enable a dangerous Newcastle side to earn at least a point.
NEWCASTLE OR DRAW DOUBLE CHANCE
Southampton vs Bournemouth
Southampton snapped a long winless run with a victory over fellow strugglers Ipswich in their most recent Premier League outing but that slim glimmer of survival hope could be extinguished when Bournemouth make the short trip to St Mary's.
Andoni Iraola's Cherries have claimed five wins from their last seven away games in all competitions and can swat aside the sorry Saints, who have claimed just four points in front of a home crowd this season and were dumped out of the FA Cup by Championship highflyers Burnley last week.
The hosts have scored just eight league goals at home this season and might fail to find the net.
BOURNEMOUTH TO WIN TO NIL
West Ham vs Brentford
Brentford's travel hoodoo has come to an end with back-to-back away victories over Southampton and Crystal Palace and the Bees look a value bet to register a third straight road win at London rivals West Ham.
Thomas Frank's men have been inconsistent in recent weeks but the same is true of the Hammers, who have won just once since Graham Potter took charge at the London Stadium last month, a 3-2 win over Fulham in which they lost the xG battle 1.12-1.70.
Brentford were better than the bare result in a 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham last time out and can be backed to respond positively.
BRENTFORD TO WIN
Crystal Palace vs Everton
Everton's Goodison Park party is still going on after James Tarkowski's late leveller earned a point at home to local rivals Liverpool but the Toffees face another tough test when they visit in-from Crystal Palace.
David Moyes is getting the right results in his second spell at the Everton helm, although all but one of their matches since his return have been on home turf.
While they won their sole road trip to Brighton, it was far from a vintage performance and they could be exposed by Palace, who have won five of their last six matches and have had more time to prepare for this fixture.
CRYSTAL PALACE TO WIN
