Hopes for Aston Villa are as high as they've been in years, and they don't want to slip up, especially when they host Sheffield United on Friday in an English Premier League match. The Villans (12-2-3) were at the top of the table after 20 games in 1998-99 but finished the season sixth, and they haven't been higher than that since. Following relegation and some lean years, Aston Villa sit third in the Premier League table in 2023-24, one point behind leader Arsenal. On Friday, the high-powered Villans face last-place Sheffield United (2-2-13), who have the EPL's worst defense, and an upset would be monumental.
Kickoff at Villa Park in Birmingham, England is set for 3 p.m. ET. The Villans are -425 favorites (risk $425 to win $100) in the latest Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United odds, while the Blades are +1000 underdogs and a draw is priced at +525. The over/under for total match goals is 3.5, and Villa are -1.5 (-145) in handicap betting. Before locking in any Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United picks, you need to see what proven SportsLine soccer insider Jon "Buckets" Eimer has to say.
Eimer is a high-volume bettor who has vast knowledge of leagues and players across the globe. Since joining SportsLine, he has covered the English Premier League, Serie A, the FA Cup and much more. Since the end of last year's Men's World Cup, Eimer has been red-hot on English Premier League picks, going 85-53-5 for a profit of more than $3,900 for $100 bettors. Overall, he is 244-219-11 (+37.57) on soccer picks over that span. Anyone following him is way up.
Now, Eimer has broken down Sheffield United vs. Aston Villa from every angle and just revealed his picks and EPL predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see Eimer's picks. Here are the betting lines and trends for Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United:
- Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United spread: Villa -1.5 (-145)
- Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United over/under: 3.5 goals
- Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United money line: Villa -425, Sheffield +1000, Draw +525
- AVL: Have scored at least twice in six of their past nine EPL matches.
- SHF: Eight of their past nine losses have been by at least two goals.
- Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why you should back Aston Villa
The Villans have scored the second-most goals in the Premier League (37) and have five players who have scored at least three goals. Sheffield have scored the fewest (13) and have just six players who have scored at all, and none with more than two. The Blades also have allowed more than twice as many goals as the hosts (43-21) and are the only team in the league to allow more than 300 shots and more than 100 on net. Villa have 49 more shots on net than Sheffield this season (89-40).
If that weren't enough, Villa are the only team in the league to win every home match (8-0-0), while Sheffield are 0-1-7 away from home. Captain John McGinn (four goals, two assists) and Ollie Watkins (nine goals) are the stars of the show for Villa, and they have a ton of pace in attack. Leon Bailey (five goals), Douglas Luiz (five) and Moussa Diaby (three) are also major threats. The Blades have failed to score in four of their past five matches, while Villa have been shut out twice all season. See which team to pick here.
Why you should back Sheffield United
The Blades' best hope is that the Villans are worn down as they play their third match in eight days. The hosts drew 1-1 with an inferior Zrinjski Mostar side in the Europa League last Thursday. Villa could take Sheffield lightly, and the Blades have won twice in their past seven matches after starting the season 0-1-9. They took a 1-0 victory two weeks ago against Brentford, a team Villa beat 2-1 on Sunday. James McAtee had the goal to become the sixth player to score for Sheffield this season.
The teams have met four times in the top flight since 2019, and the Blades are 2-1-1. Aston Villa have won just twice (2-3-4) in the past nine meetings in all competitions, dating to 2014. Gustavo Hamer, Oliver McBurnie and Cameron Archer all have scored twice for Sheffield, who have scored the fewest goals in the EPL and conceded the most. The Blades lead the league in blocks (244), diverting an EPL-high 169 passes, and are fourth in the EPL in tackles (330), so they could frustrate the hosts. See which team to pick here.
How to make Sheffield United vs. Aston Villa picks
Eimer has broken down Friday's Premier League match from every possible angle and is leaning Over on the goal total. He also has locked in a pair of confident best bets while offering a full breakdown of this EPL match. He's sharing his Premier League picks and analysis only at SportsLine.
So who wins Sheffield United vs. Aston Villa on Friday, and where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see which wagers in Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United have all the value, all from the soccer expert who is up more than 39 units on EPL picks since last year's Men's World Cup, and find out.
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