Good Morning ☀️,

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

With just 7 weeks until the 2026 World Cup kicks off, ticket prices are back in the news. But this time, it’s not just game tickets. Turns out, the cost of a round-trip train ticket from Manhattan to New Jersey just got jacked up from $12.90 all the way to $150, with similar hikes showing up everywhere else. That’s more than 10x — enough to make FIFA look like a charity by comparison.

Meanwhile, animals seem to be taking over football. Newcastle’s shiny new stadium has been delayed by bats. A Scottish League match was interrupted by a border collie. And a flock of seagulls caused havoc in an A-League match down under in Australia.

Fortunately, no animals got to us, and we’re not trying to copy FIFA just yet. So here’s what’s ahead in this on-time and totally free edition of What Are the Odds?

• This week’s top EPL + FA Cup odds and predictions. 🦵⚽

• Some interesting 2026 World Cup trivia. 🏟️✨

• A little wisdom from this week’s birthday boy. 🔥💪

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

⚽ Sunderland vs Nottingham Forest
🏟️ English Premier League
📅 Friday 24 April; 21:00 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: This is far from a sure thing, but with Sunderland’s record at home and in this fixture, we reckon this one’s still worth taking a punt on with the massive odds available here.

• CXSports says: This is the sort of game where the table tells most of the story, but not all of it. While Sunderland are sitting noticeably higher than Forest, they’re not exactly blowing teams away, with just 36 goals in 33 matches (1.09 per game). Forest has the exact same scoring rate (1.09 per game), and are only marginally worse in defense (45 conceded vs Sunderland’s 40). With that said, Sunderland’s superior position largely comes as a result of its ability to deliver results when playing at home, with 29 points from 16 matches so far this season. With that said, Forest’s form could cause complications — they’re arriving with a strong unbeaten streak, which includes a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa and 4-1 win over Burnley in their last two. For comparison, Sunderland recently went down 4-3 against Villa. Still, Sunderland’s better home performance, and the fact they already took the first leg of this fixture 0-1 while on the road does point towards there being a chance they’ll come out on top. Just don’t expect Forest to go down without a very strong fight.

• Score prediction: 2-1 for Sunderland

Option #1

• Bet: Sunderland Victory

• Odds Range: 2.25-2.81

Option #2

• Bet: Both Teams to Score (Yes)

• Odds Range: 1.68-1.91

▶▶ Full Match Details

⚽ Fulham vs Aston Villa
🏟️ English Premier League
📅 Saturday 25 April; 13:30 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: Another fixture with a pattern worth backing given the odds on offer.

• CXSports says: Fulham’s has done a respectable enough job this season if striving for a more-of-the-same mid-table finish is the goal. With that said, they’ve only got 43 goals after 33 games (1.30 per match), and their recent trend — zero goals in four of their last 5 EPL games — isn’t quite at the standard expected. With that said, Villa aren’t exactly a powerhouse in defense — they’ve conceded 41 in 33, which means the door’s open for Fulham to finally score here. Of course, Villa do score a little more consistently, 1.42 per game over the season and, more recently, 9 goals in their last 5 (1.8 per game). If you then add in the head-to-head record where Villa have won the last five league meetings, and the way this one’s shaping up starts looking somewhat obvious, with the only real case for Fulham here being that Villa can be a little awkward at Craven Cottage. Still, Villa has been reliably, particularly in recent matches, and that’s the dynamic which will more than likely dictate this game.

• Score prediction: 1-2 for Aston Villa

Option #1

• Bet: Aston Villa Victory

• Odds Range: 2.07-2.76

Option #2

• Bet: Both Teams to Score (Yes)

• Odds Range: 1.46-163

▶▶ Full Match Details

⚽ Liverpool vs Crystal Palace
🏟️ English Premier League
📅 Saturday 25 April; 16:00 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: Some nice odds on a reasonably sure outcome.

• CXSports says: This one’s relatively clean. For the most part, Liverpool has a better season profile — they’re stronger in attack, with 54 goals in 33 games (1.64 per game) vs just 35 in 32 games for Palace (1.09 per game). Of course, the problem is that while Palace aren’t as strong in offense, their away record is respectable, they’re unbeaten in their last four league games, they’ve already beaten Liverpool 2-1 in the first leg, and they’re slightly tighter in defense, with just 36 goals conceded this season vs Liverpool’s 43. With that said, Liverpool’s the only one here with a positive goal balance, and their strong home performance more or less neutralizes any apparent threat from Palace’s victory in this fixture earlier in the season. Expect to see Liverpool come out on top here.

• Score prediction: 2-1 for Liverpool

Option #1

• Bet: Liverpool Victory

• Odds Range: 1.30-1.50

Option #2

• Bet: Both Teams to Score (Yes)

• Odds Range: 1.45-1.75

▶▶ Full Match Details

⚽ West Ham vs Everton
🏟️ English Premier League
📅 Saturday 25 April; 16:00 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: 

• CXSports says: West Ham’s problem is obvious at a glance. 40 goals scored in 33 matches is mediocre, but 57 conceded over the same number of games is just plain embarrassing, relegation-grade defending. Now throw in their home record of just 4 victories from 16 games, and things look even worse. Of course, Everton isn’t exactly an A-grade Premier League contender, but they are at least functioning at a decent enough level to keep things in balance, with an even mix of results, and a goal difference of +1 (40 scored, 39 conceded). What’s more, they tend to hold up okay once they’re on the road, with 25 points from 16 away matches. With that said, this fixture has been stuck in a stalemate for a while now, with two 1-1 draws and another 0-0 draw in the last three EPL head-to-heads. So on one hand, we have an Everton side that, according to the numbers, should walk away from this one on top. But on the other, we have a track record that says this one has a chance of ending in a draw.

• Score prediction: 1-2 for Everton or 1-1 Draw

Option #1

• Bet: Double Chance (Draw / Everton)

• Odds Range: 1.39-1.61

Option #2

• Bet: Everton Victory

• Odds Range: 2.15-3.11

▶▶ Full Match Details

Want to get the best odds on these predictions?

With the 2026 World Cup fast approaching, our friends at Masters of Trivia just reached out to us with a great new trivia challenge.

The World Cup Mastermind: Road to 2026 trivia challenge.

Let’s see how well you know your stuff with a quick question plucked straight from this quiz.

Question: The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the first to feature how many teams?

• A: 24

• B: 32

• C: 48

• D: 64

Think you know the answer?

Read to the end to see if you were right.

⚽ Wolves vs Tottenham
🏟️ English Premier League
📅 Saturday 25 April; 16:00 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: Numbers don’t lie, and Tottenham’s numbers are frankly better.

• CXSports says: This is one of those matches where “better” doesn’t necessarily mean “good”. So yes, Tottenham are the better side here. But that’s only in the sense that they’ve got 31 points, which is better than the Wolves’ 17. Tottenham is also better because it has a -11 goal difference, which is better than Wolves’ -37. So while none of that makes the Spurs look “good” in any normal sense, the Wolves’ amateur-like performances do make Tottenham look strong. With that said, with the exception of the Wolves’ season opening (a long stretch without a single victory), neither of these two have been all that predictable this season, with both delivering surprise results from time to time. Still, stats tend not to lie, even if they are subject to outliers. And that means, the likely result here is, of course, a Tottenham victory.

• Score prediction: 1-2 for Tottenham

Option #1

• Bet: Tottenham Victory

• Odds Range: 1.52-1.80

Option #2

• Bet: Both Teams to Score (Yes)

• Odds Range: 1.53-1.75

▶▶ Full Match Details

⚽ Arsenal vs Newcastle
🏟️ English Premier League
📅 Saturday 25 April; 18:30 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: Don’t let Arsenal’s recent losses distract you — they’re on top for a reason, and in case you’ve forgotten about it, this game should act as a reminder.

• CXSports says: Arsenal’s at the top of the table for a reason — 70 points from 33 matches and 63 goals scored against just 26 conceded. Newcastle, by contrast, are at the lower end of the mid table with a slightly negative goal balance (-3) and more losses than victories. The only problem for Arsenal is that it hasn’t had the cleanest run leading into this fixture, with 2 back-to-back losses from their last two games. Of course, one of those was a 2-1 defeat to Man City (the only other real contender for the title), and the other came to Bournemouth in a match wedged between the two legs of a high-stakes UCL quarterfinal. This time, however, Arsenal’s had the better part of a week off, so they should be entering this one fresh and ready to deliver at their usual high standard. And if that’s the case, then Newcastle’s got no chance.

• Score prediction: 2-0 Arsenal

Option #1

• Bet: Arsenal Victory

• Odds Range: 1.34-1.53

Option #2

• Bet: Over/Under (Over 1.5)

• Odds Range: 1.12-1.20

▶▶ Full Match Details

⚽ Man City vs Southampton
🏟️ FA Cup (Semifinal)
📅 Saturday 25 April; 18:15 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: Man City’s in top form coming into this and should have no trouble getting the better of a 2nd division team.

• CXSports says: If Southampton were good enough to make it this far in the FA Cup, then they’re good enough to make this irritating for City. At least, for a while. After all, they’ve got a 19-match unbeaten run, 77 goals in 44 Championship games, and a 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the FA Cup quarter-final. That’s not a fluke. Of course, City’s results aren’t a fluke either, and their results are even better — 4-0 against Liverpool, a 2-1 against Arsenal in the EPL, and the kind of scoring and defensive stats that make them borderline untouchable. Add in the fact that the jump from the Championship to a Wembley semi-final is a complete change of climate, and the odds of Southampton getting the better of City here start looking exceptionally thin. Maybe not so thin that they’ll go down without a fight. But thin enough that City will probably walk away from this one with a solid winning margin.

• Score prediction: 3-1 for Man City

Option #1

• Bet: Man City Victory

• Odds Range: 1.09-1.25

Option #2

• Bet: Over/Under (Over 2.5)

• Odds Range: 1.24-1.45

▶▶ Full Match Details

⚽ Chelsea vs Leeds
🏟️ FA Cup (Semifinal)
📅 Sunday 26 April; 16:00 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: There’s a worthwhile double chance here with some decent odds still on offer.

• CXSports says: Chelsea is clearly the stronger squad here, with better season-long numbers in both the FA Cup and EPL. They’ve also got a strong track record of progressing from 9 of the last 11 semi-finals they’ve contested, which suggests they know what they’re doing here. Of course, there are varying levels of superiority, and Chelsea’s superiority over Leeds isn’t exactly huge. Just focussing on Premier League numbers for the moment, Chelsea is averaging 1.56 goals per game and conceding 1.32, while Leeds has 1.27 scored and 1.49 conceded. Again, Chelsea’s clearly better, but the difference isn’t enough to guarantee results here. Leeds is also unbeaten in this fixture in the last 2 head-to-heads, with a draw the last time these two met in February, and a 3-1 victory over Chelsea last year. Of course, Chelsea still has enough of an edge to maintain its favorite status. Just don’t expect that to guarantee anything here.

• Score prediction: 2-1 or 1-2 for either side

Option #1

• Bet: Double Chance (Chelsea / Leeds)

• Odds Range: 1.15-1.33

Option #2

• Bet: Over/Under (Over 1.5)

• Odds Range: 1.13-1.30

▶▶ Full Match Details

Make your sportsbook work for you!

In case you missed it, yesterday was Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite’s (better known as Kaka) birthday. 

So to celebrate, here’s one of his more famous quotes.

What’s the moral of the story?

While Kaka was a man of faith, this one’s not just for the believers among us.

The reality is, our faith — what we believe in — ultimately shapes our actions. And, as we all know, it’s our actions which shape our destiny.

So take it from Kaka. If you want to achieve something, the most important ingredient is a whole lot of faith.

Want to learn more about Kaka?

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 Masters of Trivia for a spin with the Kaka Trivia Quiz today.

PS: The answer to this week’s question was [C] — The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the first edition to feature a full 48 teams. Discover more trivia like this with the World Cup Mastermind: Road to 2026.