EPL Matchday 17 Odds & Picks: Man Utd & Everton Enticing +270 Odds for Draw

• It’s Matchday 17 in the EPL, with United facing Everton at Old Trafford
• A close one expected at Molineux with Spurs narrow favorites
• Man City odds-on for the win as they look to rebuild their season at the Emirates

With Matchday 17 of the English Premier League incoming, there’s an unfamiliar look to the top of the league. The usual two-horse race between Liverpool and Manchester City has been gatecrashed by Leicester City, who appears the only team with even the remotest chance of putting pressure on the Reds.

In terms of betting value, there’s still plenty out there in the EPL and so we’ll have a look and see if we can find some for this weekend’s games.

Premier League Matchday 17 Odds

*All odds taken Dec. 13

EPL Pick 1: Manchester United vs. Everton

United’s season has been stop-start but they will be buoyed by last weekend’s massive win at the Etihad. The win over Man City on City’s own patch has re-affirmed belief that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is taking them in the right direction and that more of the same will eventually lead them back to the summit of English soccer.

Everton too will come into this one with confidence, however – an odd claim to make for a team who spent considerable sums of money in the summer, only to go on to have a wretched start to the season. But after the sacking of the beleaguered Marco Silva and then temporarily appointing club legend Duncan Ferguson as manager, it appears a huge weight has been lifted from the shoulders of the Everton players.

The Toffees 3-1 home win last Saturday over Chelsea was just what the blue half of Merseyside needed at a time when they were facing the possibility of dropping into the bottom three. United, meanwhile, warmed up for the weekend with a thumping 4-0 win over AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League.

Unsurprisingly, the Red Devils start this one as odds-on favorites but they have yet to convince under Solskjaer on a consistent basis. Successes have often been followed by blips and after two huge wins, a resurgent Everton may just sneak a draw here. The +270 on offer certainly offers value.

Pick: United and Everton to draw (+270)

EPL Pick 2: Wolves vs. Tottenham

For Jose Mourinho, the honeymoon period is over, with his new Spurs team losing two of their last three games. But, to give it some perspective, those two games have been away to Manchester United at Old Trafford and away to Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena – both daunting tasks at any time.

That Spurs only missed out by the odd goal in Manchester meant it was far from a disaster and the away game in Munich was a ‘dead rubber’ in the Champions League in which the new Spurs boss gave game time to some of his fringe players. The reality is Mourinho has steadied the ship at the Tottenham Stadium and, as well as looking full of goals, they are operating much more efficiently as a defensive unit.

Wolves, who are up to sixth in the EPL table, are also in good form and manager Nuno Espírito Santo has rallied his team really well after a sluggish start to the season, which appeared to be hindered by their involvement in the Europa League. Since those tricky few opening weeks, they have found their form of last season and are a threat both at home, at Molineux, and when playing away from home.

This one is tricky to call in that both had midweek games in Europe that may impact on sharpness, but the extra day’s rest for Tottenham could ultimately prove decisive. I see this being close but edged by Spurs in the closing stages as the Wolves limbs start to tire.

Pick: Tottenham to win 2-1 

EPL Pick 3: Arsenal vs. Manchester City

Both teams come into this one off the back of a difficult few weeks. For City, they find themselves in the odd position of being out of the running for the EPL title and look highly unlikely to be able to make it three titles in a row.

City are currently a whopping 14 points behind the leaders, Liverpool, and after last weekend’s damaging defeat by United, there were the first signs of unrest in the Etihad crowd. They will not want to contemplate the fallout if they are unable to win at the Emirates. Expect a reaction from Guardiola’s men.

Arsenal, meanwhile, will be looking to build on their first win under the temporary leadership of Freddie Ljungberg; their win at West Ham being only their second win in nine.

So, I’m expecting a passionate, stirring Arsenal performance but with so much at stake for City, I think their extra quality will be just enough.

Pick: City to win 2-1