Premier League best bets: Nunez's joy and Hojlund's anger

In true Uruguayan fashion, Darwin is listed as equally likely to score and get carded against Everton; he’s +110 for both, and we wouldn’t put it past him to make them happen. (It’s precisely what he did against Brazil.) While those two are our winners, braver bettors might want to stake their claim on Nunez doing something else he managed versus Brazil: Scoring with his head. He’s +850 to do so at any point against Everton.

Sheffield United vs. Manchester United — Rasmus Hojlund isn’t a player you’d expect to be carded. He’s an attacker, after all, and one that rarely tracks back; his defensive contributions are limited. But in his game with Denmark against San Marino this week, Hojlund wound up getting a booking after complaining to the referee that the San Marino players were conspiring to injure him. (Apparently Hojlund speaks Italian and overheard them talking about it.) The ref was unmoved, even though Hojlund was later proven correct, and he showed the Dane a yellow for mouthing off.

Hojlund was, and remains, livid about that situation. And unfortunately for him, he’s facing Sheffield United this weekend, a team that won’t hesitate to do exactly what San Marino did and kick lumps out of him. We think young Hojlund showed his hand by losing his temper against San Marino and that savvy Sheffield will look to exploit it on Saturday. At +400 to be carded, Hojlund feels like an interesting choice here.

Aston Villa vs. West Ham United — There’s a lot to unpack about this game; it’s the sleeper hit of the weekend. These two teams are remarkably similar, and not just because they wear the same colors: they’re both legendary Premier League clubs who have recently stumbled upon hard times, they’ve both shaken off those hard times with the help of underrated managers and they’ve both had better than expected starts to their 2023-24 seasons. Villa is currently fifth in the table while West Ham is seventh, and they’re separated by only two points.

Ollie Watkins is our man to watch as the two teams battle it out at Villa Park. He’s blossomed under coach Unai Emery and has become a genuine contender for the England national team — something Villa fans wouldn’t have believed just a few short seasons ago. He represented the Three Lions during this international break and scored a lovely winning goal vs. Australia; we wouldn’t put it past him to repeat the trick against West Ham. At +140 as an anytime goalscorer, Ollie Watkins is a no brainer.