Two top half-of-the-table teams face off as Aston Villa hosts Chelsea. It is time to continue our Premier League odds series with an Aston Villa-Chelsea prediction and pick.
Aston Villa comes into the game at 10-9-7 on the year, placing them in ninth place in the Premier League. They are just four points behind Bournemouth for a spot in the Europa League next year and just five points behind Manchester City for a spot in next year's Champions League. Aston Villa has not been winning as of late, but also not losing much. They have four draws and a loss in the last five. In their last game, on Wednesday of this week, Aston Villa played Liverpool. They would give up the first goal of the game, but Youri Tieleman and Ollie Watkins would score to give Aston Villa the lead at the end of the first half. Liverpool would tie the game in the second half, leading to a 2-2 draw.
Meanwhile, Chelsea is 12-7-6 on the year, placing them in sixth in the EPL. They are tied with Bournemouth for the fifth spot and a spot in the Europa League next year but are behind on goal differential. They are also just one point behind Machester City for a spot in the Champions League next year. They are 2-1-2 in their last five games, and last time out faced Brighton. Brighton would have a 2-0 lead at the end of the first half. They would add another goal in the second half to defeat Chelsea 3-0.
Chelsea and Aston Villa faced off back at the start of December. Chelsea took a 3-0 victory in that game.
Here are the Aston Villa-Chelsea Premier League odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Premier League Odds: Aston Villa-Chelsea Odds
Aston Villa: +160
Chelsea: +155
Draw: +270
Over 3.5 goals: +132
Under 3.5 goals: -162
How to Watch Aston Villa vs. Chelsea
Time: 12:30 PM ET/ 9:30 AM PT
TV: NBC
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Article Continues BelowWhy Aston Villa Will Win
Aston Villa has scored in 20 of 26 games this year in Premier League play, scoring 37 goals in the process. That is good for 1.42 goals per game. They have scored better at home this year. Aston Villa has scored in 12 of 14 home fixtures this year while scoring 1.64 goals per game at home this season.
Ollie Watkins leads the way for Aston Villa. He has scored 12 times, including twice via penalty. He also has two assists this year. Meanwhile, Morgan Rogers has continued to play well. He has six goals on an expected 4., while also having four assists on the year. Meanwhile, Youri Tielemans has been solid in moving the ball. He has four assists this year while adding two goals this year. Finally, Ross Barkley has scored three times with an assist, primarily as a sub.
Aston Villa has allowed 40 goals over 26 games this year, good for 1.54 goals per game against them. The defense has been better at home, allowing just 17 goals over their 14 home fixtures this year, good for just 1.21 goals against per game. They also have two clean sheets at home this year.
Why Chelsea Will Win
Chelsea has scored well in Premier League play this year. They have scored in 21 of 25 games this year, scoring 47 goals in the process. That is good for 1.88 goals per game. Further, they have scored well on the road. They have scored in ten of 13 games this year, scoring 25 goals in the process. That is good for 1.92 goals per game on the road.
Chelsea has been led by Cole Palmer, their top-scoring option. He leads the team with 16 goals on the year with six assists. Meanwhile, Nicolas Jackson has also been great this year. He has scored nine goals with five assists this year. Further, Noni Madueke has seven goals and three assists on the year. Meanwhile, Enzo Fernandez and Jadon Sancho both have four assists on the year. Fernandez has scored three times as well, while Sancho has four goals.
Chelsea has been solid on defense this year. They have allowed just 34 goals over their 25 games this year. That is good for just 1.36 goals per game. They have also been solid on the road, giving up just 1.46 goals per game this year.
Final Aston Villa-Chelsea Prediction & Pick
Both teams coming into this game score well. Still, they also both play solid defense. While both teams have both teams to score rates over 65 percent, they see the under 3.5 goals hit in over 60 percent of their games. This will be a tight game and could see both teams score, but take the under in this one.
Final Aston Villa-Chelsea Prediction & Pick: Under 3.5 (-162)