Premier League predictions and best bets: Is this the start of the great escapes? Both Wolves and Burnley to win
Watch Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest & Bournemouth vs Arsenal live on Sky Sports on Saturday; Play Super 6 on Sunday to win £250,00!
Thursday 1 January 2026 23:15, UK
Our football betting expert Jones Knows provides his insight across Saturday's games and is tipping BOTH Wolves and Burnley to win...
Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest, Saturday 12.30pm, live on Sky Sports
Nottingham Forest's attacking output is wobbling and confidence is a fragile thing for sides built on structure and discipline. Teams coached in the Sean Dyche mould can be notoriously streaky going forward and it can work both ways as when belief dips, chance creation tends to dry up. Forest arrive in that exact space, scoring just once in their last three and struggling to consistently provide quality in the final third.
That's a problem at Villa Park. Aston Villa under Unai Emery are ruthless and have won their last 10 matches at their home fortress. They can win again, without conceding, which is a 2/1 shot with Sky Bet.
SCORE PREDICTION: 1-0
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Brighton vs Burnley, Saturday 3pm
Burnley's 10-game winless run jumps off the page and most will declare this a home banker at 1/2 with Sky Bet - but dig a little deeper and there are signs of life. Scott Parker has been proactive rather than stubborn, tweaking personnel and roles to try and spark something.
He's found an exciting dynamic in his attack in the Marcus Edwards-Armando Broja pairing, who looked genuinely dangerous against Newcastle. Edwards' ability to receive between the lines and commit defenders gave Burnley a threat they've lacked for weeks, while Broja's power and direct can stretch a backline.
Brighton look vulnerable again priced up as the odds-on favourites. They're six without a win themselves and games at the Amex have recently lacked the control and fluency that once made them so reliable. If Burnley play with the same attacking edge they showed last time out, this could quickly turn into an uncomfortable afternoon for the hosts.
SCORE PREDICTION: 1-2
Wolves vs West Ham, Saturday 3pm
This has all the hallmarks of where a extraordinary run finally snaps.
Wolves reaching the 20th game of the season without a win is the kind of unique run that rarely drags on forever. Football has a habit of correcting these extremes, especially when performances are starting to hint at a shift beneath the surface. And Wolves' recent displays suggest this isn't a team completely lost.
The performances against Liverpool and Manchester United were quietly encouraging. Wolves competed, pressed with purpose and crucially, showed a level of bravery in possession that has been missing at times this season.
West Ham are criminally soft when coming under pressure in games and Wolves may just need one moment to take advantage in what is likely to be an ugly affair. The home side to win by one goal looks a bet at 3/1 with Sky Bet.
SCORE PREDICTION: 1-0 | JONES KNOWS' BEST BET: Wolves to win by one goal (3/1 with Sky Bet)
Bournemouth vs Arsenal, Saturday 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports
It's currently impossible to build a credible case for Bournemouth against anyone in the Premier League, let alone the league leaders. Their defensive numbers have nosedived to worrying levels and the eye test matches the data. They look open, fragile and far too easy to play through. Conceding 2.25 goals per 90 across their last 12 matches is alarming on its own, but the expected goals against figure of 1.9 per 90 suggests this isn't bad luck, it's an underlying issue that has shown no signs of being fixed.
Arsenal don't need many invitations to punish mistakes and Bournemouth are currently handing them out far too frequently.
It's back to our old friend of Arsenal to win and under 3.5 goals that has landed in five of their last seven games.
