Premier League best bets: James Maddison has a point to prove

This weekend sees teams from each of these three groups — the top, the bottom and the yawning middle — facing off in a series of mismatched clashes from all across the spectrum. No top of the table battles or relegations six pointers here: these games are head scratchers straight through to the London Derby on Monday afternoon. Where are the best bets hiding in all that chaos? We think they’re here:

Nottingham Forest vs. Aston Villa — New viewers may not remember this, but Aston Villa was flirting with relegation this time last season. Coach Steven Gerrard failed miserably to bring the team together and it showed in the results every weekend: the Villans simply could not win a game. When Unai Emery stepped in to replace him a year ago, people thought Villa might improve … but few expected the team to improve this much and this quickly. It’s been flying ever since, picking up more points in the past 12 months than anyone bar Manchester City and sealing European soccer for the first time in over a decade. And guess what? It’s managed that with a largely unchanged squad of players.

Villa is a neutral’s dream this season because where it goes, goals will follow. It’s scored and shipped loads of them on its path to the top 5. The Villans haven’t managed a clean sheet in the league since September’s victory over Chelsea, and we think that trend will continue against Nottingham Forest this Saturday. At +250, a Villa win with at least one Forest goal feels like a smart choice.

Brentford vs. West Ham — We can count on little in the Premier League, but one of the few certainties we have is that West Ham will be an absolute nightmare to play against. Jarrod Bowen, Michail Antonio, Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta are uniquely tricky attackers, players who are just as likely to kick you in the shins as they are to slide a perfectly placed ball into the far corner of the net.

Brentford, to its credit, does not fear teams like West Ham — and that’s why we think it’s likely to pick up a few yellow cards in this match. We’ve got our eyes on Ethan Pinnock picking one up at the tasty odds of +800.

Spurs vs. Chelsea — This London derby feels a bit anticlimactic, what with Spurs looking fantastic, Chelsea looking rough and the whole shebang taking place on a Monday afternoon instead of a prime weekend spot. But we still think there’s hope for a spectacle here. Most likely to deliver drama? Spurs’ James Maddison, who will use this derby as an opportunity to prove his worth for England manager Gareth Southgate in advance of the international break this month. At +250 to score at any time, he’s the man we’ve got our eyes on.