Aston Villa vs Sheffield United Odds & Preview June 17
- Aston Villa entertain Sheffield United on June 17 in the first game of the resumed EPL
- For Villa, their battle is to escape the relegation zone, while United still have a chance of a European place
- We’ll preview the games, look at the odds and offer a pick below
The English Premier League finally returns in the week when, after nearly a three-month break, Aston Villa resume their battle against relegation with a home game against Sheffield United on Wednesday, June 17. Kick off is slated for 1pm ET.
We’ll preview the game, look at their form prior to lockdown, and see if we can find some value for the bettors.
Aston Villa vs Sheffield United EPL Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aston Villa | pk, +½ (-115) | +183 | O 2½ (+101) |
| Sheffield United | pk, -½ (-105) | +140 | U 2½ (-121) |
| Draw | N/A | +235 | N/A |
Odds taken June 13.
Villa’s Big Spending Yet to Pay Dividends
Villa manager Dean Smith spent massive sums of cash last summer to bolster his newly-promoted squad but at the time of lockdown it didn’t appear money well spent, with the Villans languishing in 19th and only Norwich below them in the table.
For Sheffield United, who were also promoted last season, there are no relegation worries at all and manager Chris Wilder, despite only spending relatively modest sums last summer, has steered his team to mid-table safety and beyond. In fact, the Blades – currently in seventh- are in touching distance of a place in next season’s Europa League.
The different paths taken by both teams since their respective promotions couldn’t be starker, with Villa’s stay in the Premier League in danger of being only a one-season stopover.
Into the Unknown
How all the EPL teams will react to the long layoff is the big unknown, with the hiatus being longer than the traditional break between the end of a season and the start of the next preseason. So, despite 18 points separating these two, the lay-off may act as a leveler, and the fact that Villa lost four games on the bounce prior to the break may count for very little when the action resumes.
There’s little doubt the break came at just the right time for Villa, whose four-match losing league streak saw them concede 11 goals and draw blanks in front of goal in the last two games, against Southampton and Leicester. They were in freefall.
Aston Villa vs Sheffield Utd Head-to-Head Stats
| 28 / 7 | Game played / Wins | 28 / 11 |
| 17 | Defeats | 7 |
| 4 | Draws | 10 |
| 34 | Goals scored | 30 |
| 56 | Goals conceded | 25 |
| 25 | Points | 43 |
| 5-1 vs Norwich (a) | Biggest win in 2019/20 | 3-0 vs Burnley (h) |
| 1-6 vs Man City (h) | Heaviest defeat in 2019/20 | 2-0 (three times) |
Blades Happy on the Road
Villa has struggled against top-seven opposition this season, taking just a single point while losing eight of those nine games, but it is worth noting they’ve had most of their success at Villa Park, where they’ve earned 17 of their 25 points. At home, they have scored in 16 of their 17 games in all competitions, while Sheffield United have drawn blanks in only three of their away games – an incredible stat. There will be goals in this one if the stats are anything to go by.
The different paths taken by both teams since their respective promotions couldn’t be starker, with Villa’s stay in the Premier League in danger of being only a one-season stopover
In contrast to Villa, Wilder’s men are unbeaten in their last four league games, having beaten Norwich 1-0 in their final game before lockdown, and have also been undefeated in their last three games against Villa including a 2-0 home win back in December at Bramall Lane.
Key to United’s success has been their three-man defense, which Wilder has adapted perfectly to cope with the extra pressure of the EPL. So impressive has the Blades’ form been on the road, they’ve lost just twice – at Man City and Liverpool – and along the way have also picked up seven draws.
Can Villa Avoid Making It Five Losses on the Spin?
So, with Villa having lost four on the spin and being just one place off the bottom of the league, the stakes couldn’t be higher for the hosts. While the break came at a good time for Smith’s squad, and enabled them to recharge their batteries, if they can’t hit the ground running upon the resumption they will be in huge trouble.
👀 on the #PL table pic.twitter.com/SmGl62ijbZ
— Premier League (@premierleague) June 10, 2020
With this in mind, their need for a win is greater than United’s, for whom a Europa League campaign next season would be a bonus but not a necessity, so there is some value in the +183 for the Villa win. But with +235 on offer for the draw and United being so hard to beat, for me, this offers even greater value.
Pick: Villa and Sheffield Utd to draw (+235)
Once just a sports fanatic, fan-turned-writer Gary Gowers has been featured on European television and radio networks to discuss several professional football clubs. His work can be found in an assortment of publications like The Metro, MyFootballWriter.com, and BBC Radio Norfolk.
