Premier League Matchday 5 Odds & Picks: Everton vs Liverpool, Newcastle vs Manchester Utd & Leicester vs Aston Villa

• The weekend’s action kicks off at Goodison Park, where league leaders Everton are the +295 underdog against EPL champs Liverpool
• Manchester United will try to bounce back from Matchday 4’s 6-1 home loss to Spurs with a visit to Newcastle
• See all odds and best bets for England Premier League Matchday 5 below

After the brief and untimely interruption provided by the UEFA Nations League, the world’s greatest soccer league returns with a bang on Saturday, October 17, with a slate of mouthwatering fixtures.

The Merseyside derby, featuring league leaders Everton against city rival and defending English Premier League champion Liverpool, gets the weekend underway. But it is quickly followed with Arsenal looking to maintain their upward trajectory with a visit to Manchester City, before the other Manchester team – United – aims to turn the page on one of their worst-ever Premier League losses, the 6-1 defeat to Tottenham last time out, against Newcastle United.

Before we look at specific games though, here’s a look at the full slate of the weekend action, neatly arranged in an old-fashioned 4-4-2 lineup split between Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

English Premier League Round 5 Odds

Odds taken Oct. 15 at DraftKings

Can Toffees Stick With Liverpool?

With four wins from four and the joint-top leading scorers, Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton side is looking like a team reborn following last season’s 12th-place finish.

😍 | Fresh from marking his @England debut with a goal, @CalvertLewin14 has been named September’s @EASPORTSFIFA #PL Player of the Month.

Congrats, DCL! 👏 pic.twitter.com/v8dYrJ6PKc

— Everton (@Everton) October 9, 2020

But while the additions of James Rodriguez and Allan – as well as the emergence of England international Dominic Calvert-Lewin – have all impressed, no one is about to suggest that the victories over Brighton, West Brom, Crystal Palace and Spurs make Everton favorites to win the league.

A victory over city neighbors Liverpool would go a long way to silencing the doubters. Even a Reds side coming off a 7-2 humbling at Aston Villa last time out.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp seemed genuinely embarrassed by the events at Villa Park the weekend before last and will be out to restore his team’s championship sheen. What better way than with a win over the league leaders?

Everton hasn’t beaten Liverpool in any competition since 2010 and has only four wins against them this century. But they do have 11 draws in the 22 games since that last victory, and a draw seems like a likely outcome for Saturday’s fixture too.

Pick: Draw (+295)

Magpies Set to Soar

In normal years, there’s rarely a good time to play Manchester United. But 2020 is anything but a normal year, and after Spurs romped out of Old Trafford with a 6-1 victory earlier this month, United have been left to lick their wounds over the international break.

And some of the damage inflicted in that calamitous defeat has shown little sign of easing with the players away with their respective national teams. Just witness United captain Harry Maguire’s red card during England’s 1-0 defeat against Denmark on Wednesday as a case in point.

😱 | Deux semelles et deux chevilles brisées en 30 minutes. Ce n'était pas la soirée de @HarryMaguire93 hier soir. 🤷‍♂️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/GfC3wTLvuM

— Eleven Sports (FR) (@ElevenSportsBEf) October 15, 2020

With just three points from their first three games, new signing Donny van de Beek unable to find his way into the lineup, reports of a rift between Bruno Fernandes and manager Ole Gunnar Solsksjaer and the usual circus surrounding Paul Pogba, this might be the ideal time for Newcastle to play the Red Devils. On top of that, new signing Edinson Cavani will have to wait to make his United debut as he isolates following his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain.

The Magpies have seven points from their first four games, and aside from the 3-0 home humbling against Brighton, have looked a side that could be turning the corner this season under Steve Bruce.

Pick: Newcastle (+400)

Back Vardy to Open the Scoring

With five goals in four games, Jamie Vardy has picked up right where he left off last term with Leicester City. The defending Golden Boot winner is in fine form, and sits second in the goal-scoring charts, one back of the summit.

And after scoring five goals in five appearances against them, the England international needs no introduction to Aston Villa fans. Much of that success is recent too, with Vardy scoring a brace in each of the league games against the Villains last season.

Number 39 – Jamie Vardy vs Aston Villa (a) 08.12.19#lcfc #BlueArmypic.twitter.com/zYdII2RXSt

— Blue Army TV 📺🦊 (@bluearmy) December 11, 2019

Vardy opened the scoring in seven Premier League games last year, including the first meeting against Aston Villa last December, and so is no stranger to firing up the scoreboard.

After failing to find the net last time out against West Ham, look for the No. 9 to get things rolling this Sunday.

Pick: Vardy first scorer (+320)