Football Tips: Watkins on target in our 17/1 Sheffield United v Aston Villa Bet Builder

Our footie tipster Andrew Beasley reckons Villa will bounce back from their disappointing Newcastle defeat last time out.

By / Football Tips / 10 months ago

Sheffield United v Aston Villa Betting Tips:

Aston Villa to Win
Both Teams to Score
Ollie Watkins to Score
Over 10.5 Corners
Over 4.5 Cards

    Sheffield United v Aston Villa
    Premier League
    Saturday, 5:30pm
    Sky Sports

    Sheffield United are doomed for an immediate return to the Championship. Nine points adrift from safety, the Blades are 1/100 front runners in Paddy Power’s relegation market. No Premier League team with fewer than 13 points after 22 matches has stayed up and Sheffield United have 10.

    If they are to achieve the impossible, next weekend’s match at Luton is much bigger than their home game with Aston Villa on Saturday evening. A win against the team Paddy expects to finish fifth would certainly be a huge confidence booster though.

    And Villa are not in the best form, having won only once in their last five league games and that thanks to a last minute penalty against struggling Burnley. Unai Emery’s boys also surrendered their long unbeaten record at Villa Park to Newcastle on Tuesday evening. Is there any hope of a home win here?

    Aston Villa to Win

    Even though these sides drew 1-1 when they last met shortly before Christmas, it looks very unlikely that the Blades can take the three points here. The visitors’ success this season has largely been built at fortress Villa Park but they also have the eighth best away record in the division.

    Villa have only suffered one defeat against a team in the bottom half of the division, home or away, and they have already won at Chelsea and Tottenham.

    If there is a hope for Sheffield United, it’s that they have been better since Chris Wilder took over in early December. Their expected goal difference per match has been -0.5 under their current boss when it was -1.4 under Paul Heckingbottom, showing how they’ve become more competitive.

    This has been especially true at Bramall Lane. Under Wilder, the Blades have beaten Brentford, drawn with West Ham, lost to Luton after scoring two own goals and squandering four big chances and held Liverpool to 1-0 until the 95th minute.

    All that said, United have still only avoided defeat in six of their 22 league matches in 2023/24, so you have to take Villa to win. It should be a close match though.

    Both Teams to Score

    It is likely to be tough for the away side to take the three points as there is a strong chance that the Blades will slice through the Villa back line to score at least once.

    This looks to be the perfect match up for this scenario, to be honest. Aston Villa have won nine Premier League matches in which both teams scored this term, more than any side. By contrast, Sheffield United have lost eight such matches, again the most in the division.

    With a yes bet in the Both Teams to Score market paying out in around two thirds of these teams matches regardless of the result, a goal at both ends looks like a safe play.

    Ollie Watkins to Score

    Villa’s last two scorers against the Blades were Nicolo Zaniolo and Ezri Konsa, while their last player to score a winner at Bramall Lane was Robert Snodgrass. It’s been a while.

    And as their joint-second top scorers on the road this season include Matty Cash and Pau Torres, it’s impossible to ignore Ollie Watkins for a goal scorer selection.

    His away goals have all been important too, with winners at Chelsea, Spurs and Brentford, plus a last-minute equaliser at Bournemouth. Back Watkins to grab a goal here.

    Over 10.5 Corners

    Sheffield United have had the fewest home corners in the top flight this season whilst also conceding the most in front of their own fans. Whether at Bramall Lane or on the road, the Blades have only won the Corner Match bet four times – at Crystal Palace in midweek, for instance, the count was 11-1 in the Eagles’ favour.

    And as luck would have it, only Arsenal have won the corners more times than Aston Villa in 2023/24, so the visitors should take the honours here easily enough. As both teams average over 10 corners in their matches this season, Over 10.5 Corners looks a decent shout too.

    Over 4.5 Cards

    The Blades are the only team in the top flight to have yet got through a match without receiving at least one yellow card. Themselves and Aston Villa are among the most cautioned teams in the Premier League too.

    Each side collected three yellow cards from Anthony Taylor last time they met, although this time they will be refereed by Paul Tierney. He’s the strictest ref on dissent, though maybe he makes more questionable decisions than anyone else, riling players up? We couldn’t possibly comment.

    Anyway, cards look on the cards. Villa’s league matches this term have averaged 5.2 so with the Blades seemingly guaranteed to contribute, Mr Tierney should need to brandish Over 4.5 Cards before people switch over to watch Gladiators. It’s the real jewel in the Saturday TV crown, don’t you know.

    Sheffield United v Aston Villa Betting Tips:

    Aston Villa to Win
    Both Teams to Score
    Ollie Watkins to Score
    Over 10.5 Corners
    Over 4.5 Cards

      *All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

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