Good Morning ☀️,

It’s Lucas here, your Chief Predictions Officer at What Are the Odds?

Ever wondered why some football teams are so much better than others? If so, then ESPN just published a good write-up on why the Champions League seems easy for Premier League teams.

Spoiler alert: it’s not just about the money.

And for something a little less analytical, find out why last weekend’s Burton Albion vs West Ham tie was stopped because of a hole in the net, then, for a medical emergency, and then, for an all-out brawl, all while West Ham fans were flying planes towing banners over the stadium.

That’s a lot of drama for what turned out to be a relatively boring 0-1 match.

Now here’s what’s ahead in this week’s edition of What Are the Odds?

• This weekend’s top EPL odds & predictions. 🦵⚽

• One of the funniest post-game interviews ever. 🎤🤣

• A little post-Valentine’s Day reminder. 💪🔥

Sharing is caring: Help grow the team and show your friends you care — send them this link https://whataretheodds.io/subscribe

⚽ Aston Villa vs Leeds
🏟️ English Premier League
Saturday 21 February; 16:00 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: Great value odds on a side with an undeniable edge.

• CXSports says: Aston Villa enjoys a clear advantage in just about every measurable way here. They’re unbeaten in recent head-to-heads (4W, 2D in the last 6). They concede just 1.04 goals per game compared with Leeds’ 1.73. Their overall results in the league are significantly better (Villa is #3, Leeds is #15). And, of course, they’ll be enjoying the home advantage here. About the only front where Leeds can compete with Villa is on the offense, with both sides having near-identical goals scored stats (1.42 per game for Villa, 1.38 for Leeds). But given Villa’s tighter defense, that’s more or less immaterial here.

• Score prediction: 2-1 for Aston Villa

Option #1

• Bet: Aston Villa Victory

• Odds Range: 1.59-1.89

Option #2

• Bet: Both Teams to Score (Yes)

• Odds Range: 1.57-1.80

▶▶Full Match Details: [Read More]

⚽ Brentford vs Brighton
🏟️ English Premier League
Saturday 21 February; 16:00 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: If you’re not chasing massive odds, there’s a solid double chance play with decent safety here.

• CXSports says: The head-to-head here tends to suggest this can go either way, with an almost even split of victories and frequent draws. But to only look at that historical equality would be to miss the momentum. Brentford have been more consistent at home, while Brighton’s away numbers have been poor — they rarely manage victories on the road. As for Brentford’s home numbers, they’re averaging close to 1.9 goals per match at home, compared with their 1.54 goals overall season average. And they do that without conceding too heavily, with leaked goals averaging around 1.35 goals per game. In short, expect Brentford to hold a slight upper hand here, even if there’s still the threat of Brighton eeking out a draw.

• Score prediction: 2-1 for Brentford

Option #1

• Bet: Brentford Victory

• Odds Range: 1.83-2.07

Option #2

• Bet: Double Chance (Brentford / Draw)

• Odds Range: 1.17-1.34

▶▶Full Match Details: [Read More]

⚽ Chelsea vs Burnley
🏟️ English Premier League
Saturday 21 February; 16:00 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: This one’s the surest thing in the EPL this week.

• CXSports says: The difference between these two is so big it’s almost embarrassing. Chelsea’s currently averaging around 1.81 goals per game while Burnley’s only managing 1.08. We see a similar imbalance in defense, too — Chelsea’s only leaking 1.15 per game, while Burnley’s leaking 1.96. And as for the head-to-head data, things only get more damning. The last time Burnley managed a victory against Chelsea was almost a decade ago (2017). Basically, Chelsea’s already got this one in the bag.

• Score prediction: 3-1 for Chelsea

Option #1

• Bet: Chelsea Victory

• Odds Range: 1.11-1.25

Option #2

• Bet: Over/Under (Over 2.5)

• Odds Range: 1.30-1.47

Full Match Details: [Read More]

⚽ West Ham vs Bournemouth
🏟️ English Premier League
Saturday 21 February; 18:30 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: The odds are long, but the probability of a draw is high enough to make it worth the risk.

• CXSports says: The consensus around this match tends to point towards a game that could go either way, with slightly longer odds on a draw. However, if you look at recent head-to-heads between these two, a draw is by far the most common result, with 3 of the last 5 head-to-heads ending this way (with the other two games consisting of a single victory for each side). That alone should indicate the high probability of another draw this time around — so much so that it more or less justifies going against the odds and taking a punt on this one ending in equality.

• Score prediction: 1-1 Draw

Option #1

• Bet: Draw

• Odds Range: 3.05-3.84

Option #2

• Bet: Both Teams to Score (Yes)

• Odds Range: 1.33-1.50

Full Match Details: [Read More]

Want to get the best odds on these predictions?

They say actions speak louder than words.

But sometimes, it’s not all about the actions.

Sometimes it’s about the tone of your voice, as this hapless FC Schalke 04 player found out in a post-match interview this week. 🤣

Now, we don’t know the exact identity of the player. But we do know plenty about his club, FC Schalke 04, including the name of a famous manager who started his career at the club.

Let’s see if you know, too, with a little trivia from our friends at Masters of Trivia.

Question: Which famous manager started his professional managerial career at FC Schalke 04?

• A: Jürgen Klopp

• B: Ralf Rangnick

• C: Felix Magath

• D: Huub Stevens

Think you know the answer?

Read to the end to see if you were right.

⚽ Man City vs Newcastle
🏟️ English Premier League
Saturday 21 February; 21:00 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: Big edge, decent odds. What more could we want?

• CXSports says: At this very moment, there’s only one side in the Premier League that’s averaging over 2 goals scored per game. That side is Man City, and the kicker is they’re managing that monster attack while only conceding 0.92 per game. That makes them a tough opponent for even the best in the business. For a mid-table side like Newcastle, whose more modest 1.42 goals per game (both scored and conceded — Newcastle’s goal difference is 0) is a far cry from the likes of their opponent in this game. And let’s not forget who’s playing this one at home.

• Score prediction: 2-1 for Man City

Option #1

• Bet: Man City Victory

• Odds Range: 1.26-1.48

Option #2

• Bet: Both Teams to Score (Yes)

• Odds Range: 1.43-1.62

Full Match Details: [Read More]

⚽ Crystal Palace vs Wolves
🏟️ English Premier League
Sunday 22 February; 15:00 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: With people overestimating the Wolves, there’s some great value on Crystal Palace’s odds here.

• CXSports says: The Wolves have certainly exceeded expectations in recent weeks. And some might be tempted to think the pattern’s holding after they pulled off a draw last week. But let’s not forget who that draw was against — Nottingham Forest, a side that’s barely keeping its head above the relegation zone. This week will be different, however. The Wolves are back on the road, and Palace is a noticeably strong side in every measurable way.

• Score prediction: 2-1 for Crystal Palace

Option #1

• Bet: Crystal Palace Victory

• Odds Range: 1.42-1.66

Option #2

• Bet: Over/Under (Under 3.5)

• Odds Range: 1.20-1.36

Full Match Details: [Read More]

⚽ Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool
🏟️ English Premier League
Sunday 22 February; 15:00 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: Liverpool’s superiority is clear — the fact that there’s some decent odds just sweetens the pot.

• CXSports says: When it comes to defense, there isn’t all that much separating these two — Forest has conceded 38 goals for the season, while Liverpool’s leaked 35. But up the other end of the field, things are very different — Forest isn’t even averaging a single goal per game (0.96), while Liverpool’s pushing a solid 1.58 through to the net each game. And that difference has more or less been decisive — it’s the primary thing that’s pushed Liverpool into the upper mid-table while Forest hangs out on the edge of the relegation zone. This game plays out as you would expect.

• Score prediction: 1-2 for Liverpool

Option #1

• Bet: Liverpool Victory

• Odds Range: 1.61-1.87

Option #2

• Bet: Both Teams to Score (Yes)

• Odds Range: 1.50-1.68

Full Match Details: [Read More]

⚽ Tottenham vs Arsenal
🏟️ English Premier League
Sunday 22 February; 17:30 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: Arsenal’s dominance this season makes them a natural pick as soon as a struggling squad like Tottenham shows up.

• CXSports says: This one’s simple. Arsenal’s on top of the Premier League with an average of 1.92 goals scored per game and just 0.69 (nice!) conceded. Meanwhile, Tottenham’s struggling at the tail end of the table, scoring a comparatively paltry 1.38 goals per game while leaking at a rate of 1.42. And the head-to-head history only makes the difference clearer — historically, Arsenal dominates, and the last time these two met (Nov. 2025), Arsenal destroyed Tottenham 4-1. This one probably won’t be quite so severe a thrashing (Tottenham’s at home this time), but it will still be a thrashing nonetheless.

• Score prediction: 1-3 for Arsenal

Option #1

• Bet: Arsenal Victory

• Odds Range: 1.32-1.61

Option #2

• Bet: Over/Under (Over 2.5)

• Odds Range: 1.63-1.87

Full Match Details: [Read More]

Make your sportsbook work for you!

With Valentine’s Day now behind us, you’d think it would be time to stop thinking about love and start thinking about something else.

But not so fast.

There’s somebody you probably forgot.

Want to learn more about Søren Kierkegaard?

Masters of Trivia is the only trivia app where every player is rewarded. Play all the trivia quizzes you can handle and earn real rewards simply for participating.

Take the Masters of Trivia for a spin with the Søren Kierkegaard Trivia Quiz today.

PS: The answer to this week’s question was [B] — Felix Magath got his professional start at FC Schalke 04. Discover more trivia like this with the FC Schalke 04 Trivia Quiz.