Races are heating up in the English Premier League—but not the battle for first place, which is all but decided already.
Manchester City ran their winning streak to 20 games across all competitions, earning a pair of victories last week (one in league play, one in the Champions League) to open up a 12-point lead on the field.
Just how dominant is Man City? Soccer odds have the EPL powerhouse at -20,000 to win the league title, with rival Manchester United the best Premier League bet to pull off the monumental upset at +6,600.
As for how the rest of the action unfolds lower in the table? Well, here are our top Premier League betting plays for Matchday 26:
Premier League predictions for Matchday 26
Manchester City v Wolverhampton
By just about any measure, Manchester City's current run is one of the most dominant stretches of football by any domestic team in any major professional league this century. Not only have the prohibitive Premier League championship favorites reeled off 20 consecutive victories, but they have also outscored the competition by a ridiculous 51-7 margin over that span.
It probably doesn't matter much, but Wolves have actually played well of late with seven of a possible nine points earned over their previous three league matches. And they actually swept both meetings with Man City last year, scoring five times in those two games. But this is a different Man City squad altogether—and a win/clean sheet combo seems like an excellent play.
PICK: Manchester City Win/Clean Sheet (-150)
Sheffield United v Aston Villa
The team with the highest odds to be relegated at the season's end are back in action Wednesday as Sheffield United host surging Aston Villa. The visitors have dropped just one of their previous four league matches overall and are slight favorites, despite tangling with a Sheffield side that are -10,000 to drop down a division with just three wins from their first 26 matches.
Villa are by no means perfect, but they've been playing more inspired football of late and are coming off an impressive 1-0 away triumph over Leeds. Sheffield, on the other hand, have dropped four in a row in league action and have been outscored by an 8-1 margin in that span. You won't often get odds this great against a team with 21 losses in 26 games, so snag them.
PICK: Aston Villa (+105)
Liverpool v Chelsea
They might have nearly identical records at this point in the Premier League season, but Chelsea and Liverpool arrived here in vastly different ways as they lock horns Thursday at Anfield. The Blues have erased a rough stretch at the end of the calendar year with a 10-game unbeaten run, while Liverpool ended a four-game losing skid with a win over Sheffield last time out.
Ending their longest losing streak in 34 years against the worst team in the league is hardly a confidence-inspiring event, especially with Chelsea playing terrific football of late. Still, these teams are more evenly matched than their recent form would suggest, and it wouldn't be at all surprising to see the sides battle to a single point apiece in this pivotal mid-week tilt.
PICK: Draw (+260)
Premier League betting card for Matchday 26
- Manchester City Win/Clean Sheet (-150)
- Aston Villa (+105)
- Liverpool-Chelsea Draw (+260)
Did you know that if you parlayed our Premier League Matchday 26 picks, you could win $113.00 on a $10 bet?
Use our Premier League parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
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