Crystal Palace vs. Aston Villa  8/20/22 EPL Soccer Picks, Predictions, Odds

Crystal Palace and Aston Villa face off on Saturday in an English Premier League showdown at Selhurst Park Stadium. When these two teams faced off on May 15th the two teams played to a 1-1 draw. 

Crystal Palace has only picked up one point this season, but they still have to feel good about where they are right now. In the first game of the season against Arsenal, Crystal palace failed to score any goals and that led to the 2-0 defeat. Crystal Palace had 57 percent of the possession but only two shots on goal. In the last game against Liverpool, it was a 32nd-minute goal by Wilfried Zaha that led to the draw. Liverpool only had 27 percent of the possession but three shots on goal were enough to pick up the point. More impressive was the way the defense looked against Liverpool, and that’s what really kept them in the game with a chance for the point. 

On the other side of this matchup is Aston Villa who has picked up three points so far this season. In the first game of the season, Aston Villa’s offense looked awful and they were defeated by AFC Bournemouth 2-0. In the last game against Everton, Aston Villa scored two goals, and it was enough to secure the win. Danny Igns scored a goal in the 31st minute and Emi Buendia added another 86th minute. One disappointing thing for Aston Villa is that Diego Carlos is dealing with ah Achillies injury and he will be out until the spring. 

Both teams have a ton of confidence heading into this game but I expect this game to be all about the defense for both sides. Aston Villa’s defense looked good against Everton, and the only goal they gave up was an own goal. I also expect Crystal Palace to lockdown this Aston Villa offense, and that is going to be the difference as this game stays under the posted total. Back the under to cash.