Premier League predictions, football betting tips and free bets for Saturday's 3pm kick-offs

Paddy Power are offering enhanced odds of 40-1 for Manchester City to win and 100-1 for West Ham to triumph when new customers bet on Saturday's Premier League meeting. 

Click here to claim that offer with Paddy Power or read on for our predictions for that match and Saturday's other 3pm kick-offs in the Premier League.  

When to bet

All matches kick-off at 3pm on Saturday

Best bets

Bournemouth to beat Everton
2pts 3-4 Coral, Hills, Ladbrokes

Ollie Watkins first goalscorer in Aston Villa vs Leicester
1pt 3-1 general

Crystal Palace or draw double chance vs Chelsea
1pt 17-20 Hills

Erling Haaland to score two or more goals for Manchester City vs West Ham
1pt 5-2 Paddy Power

Draw in Southampton vs Brentford
1pt 13-5 Coral, Ladbrokes, Hills

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Saturday's Premier League 3pm predictions

Aston Villa vs Leicester predictions

Leicester have undergone a change of manager already but Ruud van Nistelrooy is just discovering the scale of the task he faces in keeping the Foxes in the top flight.

They have won one of their last 11 league games - a fortunate 3-1 success over West Ham in the Dutchman's first game at the helm - and they now have the joint-leakiest defence in the division having conceded 42 goals in their 19 outings.

Opponents Aston Villa have had to get to grips with the extra demands of Champions League football this season, but they have been strong on their own patch with their only defeat coming in their opening encounter against Arsenal.

It could be a high-scoring game with Unai Emery's team keeping just two clean sheets in their last 14 home league matches, but there will be plenty of attention focused on the attacking third, where Ollie Watkins has a point to prove.

He should have to shoulder the goalscoring burden in the absence of Morgan Rogers and particularly Jhon Duran, who has leapfrogged the England striker in the pecking order.

Watkins should react positively to being given his opportunity, and he can score the game's first goal.

Aston Villa vs Leicester team news

Aston Villa: Matty Cash returns from suspension but both Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers are banned while Diego Carlos, Pau Torres and Jaden Philogene all miss out through injury.
Leicester: Jordan Ayew is back from a ban but goalkeeper Mads Hermansen and winger Kasey McAteer remain out. Central defender Wout Faes will undergo a late fitness test.

Aston Villa vs Leicester predicted line-ups

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans; Bailey, McGinn, Ramsey; Watkins
Leicester (4-2-3-1): Stolarczyk; Justin, Coady, Vestergaard, Kristiansen; Winks, Soumare; Buonanotte, El Khannouss, Ayew; Vardy

Aston Villa vs Leicester key stat

Leicester have conceded 14 goals in their last four Premier League away games.

Best bet for Aston Villa vs Leicester:

Ollie Watkins first goalscorer
1pt 3-1 general

Verdict by Ian Wilkerson

Bournemouth vs Everton predictions

Bournemouth's run of seven games without defeat has lifted the Cherries to seventh in the Premier League table and they should continue their unlikely push for European qualification by beating shot-shy Everton.

Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham have all found a trip to the claustrophobic atmosphere at the Vitality Stadium too much this term and it is difficult to be confident about a Toffees team who appear to be crossing their fingers that three teams will be worse than them this season.

Sean Dyche's side drew 1-1 at City last month and they also beat Wolves 4-0, but Everton have been regularly firing blanks and just one win in their last 20 league away games highlights their troubles.

Brighton are the only visiting side to have left with the points in the last seven matches that Andoni Iraola's team have played at home, and while recent draws on their own patch against West Ham and Crystal Palace have been frustrating, the Cherries are plainly heading in the right direction, which is something that cannot be said of their visitors.

Some may be tempted to go for a home win to nil given the Merseysiders' poor scoring record, but there seems enough in the price for a Bournemouth win for it to be the most sensible course of action.

Bournemouth vs Everton team news

Bournemouth: Justin Kluivert is back after suspension and Tyler Adams is fit to play but Marcos Senesi, Alex Scott, Julian Araujo, Adam Smith, Marcus Tavernier and Luis Sinisterra are all out.
Everton: Dwight McNeil is still missing with a knee injury while Seamus Coleman, James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam are all sidelined.

Bournemouth vs Everton predicted line-ups

Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Arrizabalaga; Hill, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Christie, Cook; Brooks, Kluivert, Semenyo; Evanilson
Everton (4-3-3): Pickford; Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Mangala, Gueye, Doucoure; Harrison, Broja, Ndiaye

Bournemouth vs Everton key stat

Everton have failed to score in seven of their last nine Premier League games.

Best bet for Bournemouth vs Everton:

Bournemouth
2pts 3-4 Coral, Hills, Ladbrokes

Verdict by Ian Wilkerson

Crystal Palace vs Chelsea predictions

A shock 2-0 defeat at Ipswich meant Chelsea unexpectedly ended a strong 2024 with a run of three matches without a win. 

A 0-0 draw with Everton and a 2-1 loss at home to Fulham preceded that defeat at Portman Road and a tricky trip to Selhurst Park may not be as straightforward a game as Enzo Maresca would have hoped for in his side's first outing of the year. 

Crystal Palace have steadily improved throughout the season and a run of one loss in eight Premier League matches suggests they may have enough to earn at least a point against their London rivals. 

That impressive run has seen the Eagles draw with Aston Villa, Manchester City, Newcastle and Bournemouth and also beat Brighton at the Amex, putting them in good stead ahead of a visit from a Chelsea side with lingering title hopes. 

Palace snapped a run of 14 head-to-head defeats in September's reverse fixture to earn their first point of the campaign and, having improved since and with the added boost of Marc Guehi's return from suspension, they are fancied to at least repeat that feat on home soil. 

Crystal Palace vs Chelsea team news

Crystal Palace: Rob Holding, Will Hughes and Adam Wharton are out with injuries. Marc Guehi is back from suspension and will replace loanee Trevoh Chalobah, who is unable to face his parent club.
Chelsea: Wesley Fofana, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Benoit Badiashile are injured while Mykhailo Mudryk is provisionally suspended. Romeo Lavia is back in training and could make the bench. 

Crystal Palace vs Chelsea predicted line-ups

Crystal Palace (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Lerma, Doucoure, Mitchell; Sarr, Eze; Mateta
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusto, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Enzo, Caicedo; Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson 

Crystal Palace vs Chelsea key stat

Crystal Palace have lost just one of their last eight Premier League games.

Best bet for Crystal Palace vs Chelsea:

Crystal Palace or draw double chance

1pt 17-20 Hills

Verdict by Jamie Griffith

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4/5

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40/1 Man City vs 100/1 West Ham - Choose Your Winner

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• Detailed stats available for horse racing and football
• Early payout if your football team goes two goals ahead

New customer offer. Place a max £1 bet on the Match odds market on Man City vs West Ham, Saturday, January 4th. Winnings paid in cash at normal odds and are topped up to the enhanced price in Free Bets. Free bets are valid 7 days, only deposits with cards & Apple Pay are eligible. Excludes multiples & in-play bets. T&C's apply. Please gamble responsibly.

Click here for enhanced odds when you bet on Manchester City vs West Ham

Manchester City vs West Ham predictions

Pep Guardiola and Julen Lopetegui have endured difficult seasons but only one of those Spaniards is set to enjoy this match. 

Lopetegui's Hammers were routed 5-0 by Liverpool on Sunday and Manchester City, despite their well-documented recent troubles, have more than enough talent to exploit one of the worst defences in the league.  

There was an abundance of space behind the West Ham rearguard against Liverpool and the Reds were not the first team to exploit that obvious weakness this term. 

Chelsea, Tottenham and Nottingham Forest have all thrashed the Hammers and they will be fearing this trip, even if City's win over Leicester last time out was their first in six outings. 

The Citizens ran out 3-1 winners in the reverse fixture thanks to a hat-trick from Erling Haaland and the Norwegian is fancied to run riot again. 

Haaland's pace and movement should stretch a disjointed and open Hammers defence and it would be no surprise to see him notch at least a brace against a side he has put seven past in just five meetings. 

Manchester City vs West Ham team news

Manchester City: Rodri, Oscar Bobb, John Stones and Ruben Dias are still absent but there is a chance Matheus Nunes and Ederson could return.
West Ham: Jarrod Bowen has been ruled out for over a month with an ankle fracture, joining Michail Antonio on the sidelines. Guido Rodriguez and Tomas Soucek are back from suspension and Lukasz Fabianski is available again following a concussion. 

Manchester City vs West Ham predicted line-ups

Manchester City (4-1-4-1): Ortega; Lewis, Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol; Kovacic; Foden, De Bruyne, Silva, Savinho; Haaland
West Ham (4-1-4-1): Fabianski; Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson; Alvarez; Kudus, Socuek, Soler, Summerville; Fullkrug

Manchester City vs West Ham key stat

Erling Haaland has scored seven goals in five appearances against West Ham.

Best bet for Manchester City vs West Ham:

Erling Haaland to score two or more goals
1pt 5-2 Paddy Power

Verdict by Jamie Griffith

Southampton vs Brentford predictions

While Southampton remain bottom on just six points, there have been positive signs in Ivan Juric's first two games and there is every chance the Premier League's basement boys can pick up a point against travel-sick Brentford. 

The Bees have lost 17 of their last 23 Premier League away matches, failing to win any of their nine this term, and are far from a sure thing at St Mary's, despite being 18 points better off than their hosts. 

Although, while Brentford tend to be poor travellers, the Saints are equally as difficult to trust from a win perspective. 

Southampton have triumphed just once in the league all season and have also lost each of the last four meetings against Brentford.

While those stats make Brentford a tempting price, their injury list – made up of nine players, including defensive trio Kristoffer Ajer, Ethan Pinnock and Ben Mee – and a quick turnaround following Wednesday’s defeat to Arsenal tempers enthusiasm. 

With each side having major negatives hanging over them, the draw looks a big runner and it's worth backing Southampton to earn a point to boost their survival hopes. 

Southampton vs Brentford team news

Southampton: Will Smallbone, Gavin Bazunu, Jack Stephens and Ross Stewart are injured while Mateus Fernandes is suspended. Flynn Downes will be assessed.
Brentford: A lengthy injury list is made up of Ben Mee, Kristoffer Ajer, Ethan Pinnock, Aaron Hickey, Rico Henry, Fabio Carvalho, Gustavo Nunes, Josh Dasilva and Igor Thiago.

Southampton vs Brentford predicted line-ups

Southampton (3-4-2-1): Ramsdale; Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Wood; Sugawara, Ugochukwu, Downes, Walker-Peters; Dibling, Armstrong; Onuachu
Brentford (4-3-3): Flekken; Roerslev, Collins, Van den Berg, Lewis-Potter; Janelt, Norgaard, Jensen; Mbeumo, Wissa, Damsgaard

Southampton vs Brentford key stat

Brentford have just three wins in their last 23 Premier League away games

Best bet for Southampton vs Brentford:

Draw
1pt 13-5 Coral, Ladbrokes, Hills

Verdict by Jamie Griffith

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