Showdown Sunday in Premier League sees UEFA Champions League, Europa League, & relegation places up for grabs — Miller picks all 10 games
Here it finally is.
After a three month break for COVID-19, this has been the greatest Premier League June and July period ever.
Ok, it is also the only one ever. But hey, after three months of misery, this has been pretty cool.
Sunday, though, brings an end to the 2019-20 Premier League campaign. Liverpool got its trophy already, so today is about all the other races.
And there are a few of them.
Third and fourth places, and the UEFA Champions League places that go with them, have yet to be decided. Manchester United is currently on 63 points, ahead of Chelsea on goal difference, and one point ahead of Leicester City. United and Leicester play today, while Chelsea has to find a way past Wolverhampton, which needs the win to ensure Europa League.
At the other end of the table, Aston Villa guarantees survival with a win, which would relegate Bournemouth. But a Villa draw could open the door for Watford, while losses by both of those teams could allow Bournemouth to jump up to safety.
Head spinning yet?
All games will be played at 11 a.m. EDT across the NBC networks, so have your iPads ready to watch as well.
So here it is, all 10 matches that will be played on the final day of the greatest Premier League June and July ever.
Check Fubo.tv for channel listings.
ENGLAND PREMIER LEAGUE
Arsenal (-114) vs. Watford (+280), draw (+290), 11 a.m. EDT (Golf Channel and Fubo.tv)
THE PICK:
Arsenal ML (-114)
Notes: Watford actually needs this game to stay up, but Arsenal will want to tune up for next week’s F.A. Cup Final. Wait to see the lineups first, and if Arsenal go with a strong 11, go with the Gunners. I have no confidence in Watford at this point, although one win could keep the Hornets up, depending on the Aston Villa result.
Burnley (+130) vs. Brighton (+205), draw (+240), 11 a.m. EDT (NBC Gold)
THE PICKS:
Brighton pick (+123)
Over 2.5 goals (-105)
Notes: Burnley can’t make it into the Europa League, but it can finish eighth. Brighton is safe. Both teams looked like they might get relegated at points of the season, and now both will head into 2020-21 as a year to make pushes into Europe or into the top 10.
Tough to have a feel for this one, but if I had to guess, I would say it is open, and there could be some goals.
Chelsea (-112) vs. Wolves (+300), draw (+295), 11 a.m. EDT (USA and Fubo.tv)
THE PICKS:
Wolves ML (+300)
Wolves +0.5 (-105)
Notes: One of the biggest matches of the day, simply because of what it means for both teams. Chelsea needs a point to lock up top four, while Wolverhampton needs to win to guarantee UEFA Europa League play next season. Of course, Wolves could still win this season’s Europa League, which would mean an automatic bid into the Champions League.
Chelsea’s defense was atrocious on Wednesday, and Wolves will have had two extra days of rest. Wolverhampton gets it done.
Crystal Palace (+525) vs. Tottenham (-190), draw (+320), 11 a.m. EDT (NBC Gold)
THE PICK:
Tottenham -0.75 Asian handicap (-140)
Over 2.5 goals (-125)
Notes: Spurs have to win to give themselves a chance to make the Europa League, but even a seventh place finish could be enough if Chelsea wins the F.A. Cup next weekend. Crystal Palace hit the beaches since the restart, and could end the season with eight-straight losses.
Tottenham gets it done.
Everton (+123) vs. Bournemouth (+195), draw (+275), 11 a.m. EDT (CNBC and Fubo.tv)
THE PICK:
Bournemouth pick (+123) OR Bournemouth ML (+195)
Notes: Everton has massively disappointed this season, and will finish in the bottom half of the table. To call this campaign a disappointment for Bournemouth would be a massive understatement: the Cherries have been awful.
But they must think here a win could keep them up for another season. If Watford and Villa both lose, and Bournemouth wins, the Cherries would stay up on goal difference.
I am going to take a shot with Bournemouth.
Leicester City (+220) vs. Manchester United (+123), draw (+245), 11 a.m. EDT (NBC and Fubo.tv)
THE PICKS:
Over 2.5 goals (-118)
GOAL SCORER PICKS:
Anthony Martial (+190)
Marcus Rashford (+190)
Harry Maguire (+950)
Notes: A lot of this is going to depend on the Chelsea match at halftime. This could end up as a training exercise if Wolves are up 3-0 at the break.
But neither team can afford to be scoreboard watching early on. My heart (as always) thinks United will get a result. How they get to that could be ugly, like the last game, or it could be pretty, like some of the other wins after the break.
If Chelsea loses, the best result for both teams would be a draw, as United finishes third, and Leicester fourth.
Manchester City (-1667) vs. Norwich City (+2800), draw (+1300), 11 a.m. EDT (NBC Gold)
THE PICKS:
Over 1.75 goals first half (-120)
Over 4 goals Asian handicap (-129)
City -3 Asian handicap (-124)
Notes: If you remember, Norwich City beat Manchester City 3-2 way back in September, one of the Canaries five wins this season. But they have given up, and City is revving up for a Champions League run.
I can’t see anything other than a big win for the Cityzens.
Newcastle United (+700) vs. Liverpool (-278), draw (+420), 11 a.m. EDT (NBC Gold)
THE PICK:
Newcastle +1.5 (-115) OR Newcastle +0.5 (+225)
Notes: Liverpool might still be hung over from the celebrations, and Newcastle has played well at times since the break. I am going to take the home team.
Southampton (+112) vs. Sheffield United (+240), draw (+250), 11 a.m. EDT (NBC Gold)
THE PICKS:
Southampton ML (+112)
Over 2.5 goals (-112)
Notes: I really like the job Ralph Hassenhutl has done with the Saints, and they go into the summer knowing that a good transfer window could have them competing once again for a Europa League spot.
Watch out for Southampton next year in the cups as well.
West Ham United (+205) vs. Aston Villa (+125), draw (+255), 11 a.m. EDT (NBCSN and Fubo.tv)
THE PICK:
Aston Villa ML (+125) or Aston Villa pick (-145)
Notes: West Ham is safe, Villa is not. But Villa would stay up with a win. Jack Grealish has dragged his side out of the relegation zone, and will sign off on his career with the Villains, before what looks like a move to Manchester United, with one more signature win.