Thursday kicks off a new calendar year, but the Premier League is far from over, with Manchester City eyeing another second-half comeback for the EPL title.
The Matchday narrative: The current leader is Arsenal, but City continues to race up the standings. On New Year's Day, the Citizens can get within a game's reach of the Gunners with a win over Sunderland.
Check out my top EPL predictions and best picks for the upcoming soccer fixtures on Jan. 1, featuring a pick on Brentford vs. Tottenham.
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EPL predictions: New Year's Day
Best bet: Manchester City halftime/fulltime (-107)
Man City started the season slowly, but it's won six straight games in pursuit of Arsenal atop the EPL standings.
That includes beating Sunderland, 3-0, in a match that City was leading 2-0 at halftime.
For those who aren't aware, this bet cashes if the side is up at halftime and then wins the game.
And the good news is City's offence gets going early, and that leads to a lot of goals before half.
-> Don't miss out — bet on Sunderland vs. Manchester City
Despite having one fewer fixture played than most teams, the Citizens have 43 goals. Six more than Arsenal and 10 more than any other team.
As hot as the side is right now, I had to find a way to get behind Man City in a way that made sense still. This fits the bill.
Key stat: During the six-game heater, Man City cashed this bet five times.
-> See all betting odds for the EPL on New Year's Day
EPL picks: Brentford vs. Tottenham
Over 2.5 goals (-115): Both of these offences are good enough to contribute to the over in this match.
- Tottenham has scored at least one goal in 15 of 18 EPL matches, with 27 overall tallies.
- Brentford has even more goals with 28, and scored six goals in its last two games.
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Tottenham hosted this matchup a few weeks back and won the contest 2-0. With Brentford at home for the rematch, I'm confident the offence can produce more.
Neither team is particularly strong on defence, either. They have combined to allow 49 goals this season.
EPL predictions made at 1:35 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2025.
