Premier League – Matchweek 18 Predictions

The Premier League’s busy festive schedule is about to commence, meaning it’s time to lock in your Matchweek 18 predictions and picks. 

Matchweek 18 gets underway this Thursday, December 21, with Crystal Palace hosting Brighton & Hove Albion. On Christmas Eve, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea will wrap up the action at Molineux. 

If you’re looking for some expert Premier League Matchweek 18 predictions, you have come to the right place. Let’s get the ball rolling by looking back on the previous round of fixtures. 

Recapping Premier League Matchweek 17 

Matchweek 17 was overshadowed by the distressing scenes at the Vitality Stadium, where Luton Town captain Tom Lockyer suffered an on-field cardiac arrest. Fortunately, Lockyer survived the ordeal and is recovering in hospital, but Luton’s clash with Bournemouth was postponed. 

Everton picked up a fourth successive victory against Burnley, while Aston Villa extended their hot streak at the expense of Brentford. Thanks to Liverpool’s goalless draw with Manchester United, Arsenal returned to the summit after defeating Brighton. 

MATCHWEEK 17 PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS 

• Nottingham Forest 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur 
• Bournemouth 1-1 Luton Town (Postponed) 
• Chelsea 2-0 Sheffield United 
• Manchester City 2-2 Crystal Palace 
• Newcastle United 3-0 Fulham 
• Burnley 0-2 Everton 
• West Ham United 3-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 
• Brentford 1-2 Aston Villa 
• Arsenal 2-0 Brighton & Hove Albion 
• Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United 

Tottenham Hotspur kicked off Matchweek 17 with a 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. On Saturday, Crystal Palace came from 2-0 down to snatch a draw against Manchester City, while Newcastle and West Ham both won 3-0. 

Arsenal occupies first place in the standings, although Liverpool and Aston Villa find themselves one point shy of the leaders. With Man City trailing the top three by four points, we are set for a thrilling title race. 

Matchweek 18 Premier League Odds & Fixtures 

Before I reveal my Matchweek 18 predictions and picks, we need to assess the latest Premier League odds. Man City is competing in the FIFA Club World Cup this weekend, meaning there are only nine fixtures on the schedule. 

ODDS FOR PREMIER LEAGUE MATCHWEEK 18 

• Crystal Palace (+220) vs. Brighton & Hove Albion (+115) 
• Aston Villa (-500) vs. Sheffield United (+1000) 
• West Ham United (+150) vs. Manchester United (+162) 
• Fulham (-143) vs. Burnley (+350) 
• Luton Town (+375) vs. Newcastle United (-154) 
• Nottingham Forest (+180) vs. Bournemouth (+140) 
• Tottenham Hotspur (-125) vs. Everton (+275) 
• Liverpool (+137) vs. Arsenal (+180) 
• Wolverhampton Wanderers (+250) vs. Chelsea (-106) 

As you can see, Aston Villa, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur are the heavy home favorites this weekend. West Ham and Liverpool are also expected to triumph on home soil, although they face tricky tests against Manchester United and Arsenal, respectively. 

Chelsea is the only minus-money away favorite for Matchweek 18, with Brighton, Newcastle and Bournemouth also favored to win on the road. Anyway, let’s dive into my Matchweek 18 predictions. 

Premier League Matchweek 18 Predictions 

With nine festive fixtures crammed into the space of four days, there is no shortage of exciting betting opportunities for Premier League fans to take advantage of in the lead-up to Christmas. 

Due to Man City’s participation in the Club World Cup, the reigning champions and Brentford will not compete in the EPL until after Christmas. As a result, the top three could pull away even further this weekend. 

Can Aston Villa secure a 16th consecutive home league victory? Will the Toffees extend their winning streak to five matches? Could Luton upset the odds against Newcastle? Here are my Matchweek 18 predictions. 

Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United Prediction 

Thanks to 1-0 victories over Man City and Arsenal earlier this month, Aston Villa extended their winning streak on home soil to 15 games in the league. Consequently, Unai Emery’s men find themselves among the frontrunners as we head towards 2024. 

This season, the Villains have scored a whopping 25 goals across their eight home league wins, averaging 3.1 goals per game. Ollie Watkins has bagged nine goals and eight assists, meaning only Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah have racked up more goal involvements. 

By contrast, Sheffield United sits rock bottom of the table after suffering 13 defeats in 17 matches. Since the Blades have conceded 43 goals this season (2.5 goals per game), Villa looks set to notch another high-scoring victory on Friday. 

Best Bet: Aston Villa Over 2.5 Goals (-117) 

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Everton Prediction 

Remarkably, Everton heads into Matchweek 18 on a four-game winning streak. The Toffees have defeated Forest, Newcastle, Chelsea and Burnley without conceding a single goal, wiping out their 10-point deduction for breaching financial rules. 

As for Spurs, they have won 10 of their 17 league matches this season. Following a tricky spell of four defeats in five games, Tottenham bounced back with comfortable victories over Newcastle (4-1) and Forest (2-0) earlier this month. 

Although Ange Postecoglou’s men find themselves just six points shy of table-topping Arsenal, Everton would be seven points behind Spurs if it weren’t for the points deduction. Tottenham is favored to win this one, but the Toffees will be confident of upsetting the odds. 

Best Bet: SIGN IN TO ACCESS PICK 

Luton Town vs. Newcastle United Prediction 

After pushing Arsenal all the way during Matchweek 16 – losing 4-3 following Declan Rice’s stoppage-time header – Luton suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to Man City. Since gaining promotion, the Hatters have made Kenilworth Road a difficult venue to visit. 

By contrast, Newcastle has struggled on the road this season. Not only have the Magpies lost each of their last three away league outings, but they have also picked up a solitary victory in eight on their travels this term. 

Luton is priced at +375 to win on Saturday, while Newcastle is priced at -154. Backing the Hatters to claim all three points is undoubtedly a brave move, but backing them to avoid defeat could be the way to go here. 

Best Bet: SIGN IN TO ACCESS PICK

Lock In Your Matchweek 18 Predictions & Picks 

Now that you’ve seen my Matchweek 18 predictions, it’s time for you to lock in your Premier League picks. You’ll need to sign in if you want to access all my picks for Matchweek 18. 

It is worth noting that Everton, Fulham, Chelsea, Newcastle, Liverpool and West Ham are in EFL Cup action this weekend. The Premier League odds may shift slightly after those results, but they won’t change drastically. 

I will be back with more Premier League predictions and betting advice after Christmas. In the meantime, all you need to do is lock in your Matchweek 18 predictions and enjoy the festive action.