Best Premier League Picks and Predictions Today (How to Bet Premier League Week 7 Slate)

Who will be at the top of the table before the Premier League goes on the international break?

IMAGO/Paul Terry/Sportimage

We have a new top-of-the-table in the Premier League after Manchester City dropped two points on the road against Newcastle. Liverpool is heading into Week 7 in first place in the standings. However, there are only two points separating the top and the fifth-place Aston Villa. 

There is going to be a national team break after this weekend’s games. Teams will want to go on the break with a win, especially the teams at the top. 

At the same time, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Tottenham, and Manchester United all played a midweek fixture in their respective European competitions. There will be some tired legs looking forward to a rest. This can result in more upset results than usual. 

The most inviting matchup of the week is between Brighton and Tottenham but all eyes will be on the Aston Villa-Manchester United clash as the pressure is mounting on Erik Ten Hag. Let’s take a look at three games from the slate and make our predictions. 

Top Premier League Picks and Predictions Today (Premier League Gameweek 7)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook. 

• Aston Villa: +120 vs. Manchester United
• Tottenham +120 vs. Brighton
• Southampton Under 0.5 Goals: -140 vs. Arsenal

Aston Villa vs. Manchester United: Aston Villa: +120

Villa is coming off one of the biggest wins of their recent history after defeating Bayern Munich 1-0 on Wednesday. Through nine competitive games this season, they have seven wins, a draw, and a loss, the only defeat coming at the hands of Arsenal. 

While they are riding high, Manchester United is in a completely different trend. They suffered an embarrassing 3-0 loss to Tottenham at home last week and currently sit in 13th place in the Premier League. 

To make matters worse, they failed to win against Porto in UEFA Europa League on Thursday, extending their winless streak to four consecutive games. The 3-3 draw in Portugal was also the second straight game star midfielder Bruno Fernandes was sent off, further highlighting the lack of discipline and seriousness with the team. 

At this point, it’s hard to pick Man Utd against any decent side, regardless of whether it’s on the road or at Old Trafford. It is even more difficult to do so against one of the hottest teams in England, managed by one of the best single-game tacticians in Unai Emery. Aston Villa should take care of business and send United deeper into misery.  

Brighton vs. Tottenham: Tottenham +120

Tottenham has won five straight games between the Premier League, Europa League, and the League Cup. They are back on track after a slow start to the season despite dealing with injuries to key players like Heung-Min Son and Richarlison. Manager Ange Postecoglou manages to get the most out of his available players and the massive 3-0 win against United last week was the highlight of the season so far. 

In Week 7, they are going up against a solid Brighton side on the road. After winning the first two games of the season, Brighton hasn’t won their last four games, including relatively easy fixtures against Ipswich and Nottingham Forest at home. Their Week 6 clash against Chelsea was particularly ugly as they gave up a ton of big chances, allowing Chelsea to finish the game with 4.16 expected goals. 

Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler likes to play a high defensive line and push numbers forward. He is obsessed with possession and playing out the back. This makes for exciting, high-scoring affairs but it also allows a ton of space in the back. 

This plays right into Tottenham’s hand. Postecoglou’s side is one of the best-pressing teams in the league and they have a ton of speed and athleticism up top. This is a particularly bad matchup for Brighton and Tottenham shouldn’t find it hard to score.

Arsenal vs. Southampton: Southampton Under 0.5 Goals: -140

Arsenal may have allowed four goals in their last two Premier League games but the fact remains that they are arguably the best defensive team in Europe. 

Between eight Premier League and Champions League games, Arsenal has five clean sheets. They are not afraid to give the ball up to the opponent and deploy a deep defensive line if needed. Manager Mikel Arteta has embraced a more pragmatic approach this season and it has paid off so far as they are undefeated through nine competitive games. 

Now, they are going up against arguably the weakest side in the Premier League. The newly-promoted Southampton has found it hard to stay competitive as they have one point through six games. Their manager Russell Martin has a positive approach, he wants to control possession rather than sit back and defend like most overmatched teams do. Yet, this hasn’t borne fruit so far as his team has scored a league-worst three goals so far. 

Arsenal will likely allow Southampton to have possession but it’s hard to see The Saints be able to penetrate the solid Arsenal defense. 

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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