David Beckham is now free and clear after the Galaxy won the MLS Cup and he will be heading overseas any day now along with his teammates, Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane to name just a few players who will test their mettle in the English Premier League.

The Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United Magpies, Chelsea Blues, Liverpool Reds and the Arsenal Gunners are all within three points of each other just behind the leaders from Manchester. Tottenham is a team that can improve fast with an influx of available talent from the MLS.

The Newcastle United Magpies need to pick up the pace to move into the upper echelon of teams in the league. Newcastle United is tied with Tottenham with 25 points but they are in a precarious position just out of second place by four points and just out of sixth place by a mere three points.

Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal are in a three-way tie with 22 points each and all three teams have the stars to muster a drive to the head of the standings with a few short-time additions. MLS players will play through March when the MLS season begins.

Premier League betting Odds have Arsenal as a -105 favorite and Fulham a +275 underdog, while a Draw is at +260.

Arsenal has some questions in goal. Wojciech Szczesny got the start against Aston Villa, but did little to impress. Four different goalies have started a game for Arsenal during the current EPL season. They need better play at the goalie position than what they have gotten the last two games. Offensively, Robin Van Persie is the main threat. His 17 goals are among the best in the EPL, and he gets good support from Samir Nasri.

Fulham has Mark Schwarzer in goal. He has provided consistency, though he has allowed a lot of goals. His 35 goals conceded will do little to inspire the Fulham fans. On the offensive side of the ball, Fulham features American star Clint Dempsey. He leads the team with 12 goals and his found his way in the EPL. The Fulham attack isn’t as strong as that of Arsenal, but they know how to score goals.

Arsenal grabbed a 2-1 victory against Fulham in the first meeting. They should have the edge in this match, but Arsenal has looked very vulnerable. A loss here would be a crushing way to end the EPL season. Expect Arsenal to attack hard in this game, but Fulham might be able to match them. This game could very well end in a draw, which would also be disappointing for Arsenal.

Manchester City is a -185 moneyline favorite, Stoke City is a +525 underdog, and a Draw is at +280 in Soccer Betting Odds.

Manchester City can thank Joe Hart for their surge this season. The stellar goalie has allowed just 33 goals this year, making him one of the top goalies in the Premier League. Offensively, Manchester City has not been as impressive, though the team can still score. Carlos Teves leads the club with 19 goals, and he is the clear offensive threat on this team. Nobody else has half of that goal total.

Stoke City is looking to secure a finish in the top ten of the league. They are playing well, coming off a 3-1 win over Arsenal. Goalie Asmir Begovic has improved, making Stoke City a tough team to score against. Offensively, the team has no double digit goal scorers. Kenwyne Jones leads the team with nine goals, but other players are capable of hitting the net as well.

Manchester City has an advantage both offensively and defensively. They are also playing at home. The two teams played to a draw earlier this season. They will also meet three days before this game at Wembley Stadium to decide the FA Cup. There should be plenty of drama between the two teams over the course of those days. The EPL duel figures to be as intense as ever.

Manchester United is a +140 favorite and Chelsea a +200 underdog in Soccer Betting Odds.

Chelsea has won their last five EPL matches to get back in contention. They have looked scary lately, with goalie Petr Cech regaining his edge. He has allowed just 28 goals in his 35 starts. Offensively, Chelsea has found rhythm as well. Florent Malouda, Didier Drogba, and Salomon Kalou have carried the offense. In addition, Fernando Torres has adjusted to the team. With the way they are playing in all phases, Chelsea looks unbeatable.

Manchester United has played consistently well all season. Edwin van der Sar has been solid in goal all season for the team, so goals will be at a premium. Dimitar Berbatov has been the big star, leading the team in goals. In addition, Javier Hernandez and Wayne Rooney have also made large contributions on offense. The team is among the most explosive in the soccer world.

This is a huge showdown, and it will say a lot about who wins the championship. Manchester United has the advantage, with the lead in the standings. However, Chelsea won the first match between the two in league play. Manchester United defeated them twice since then, winning both legs of their Champions League quarterfinal. This game is all about the EPL title, and both teams will be playing hard for it. According to online sports handicappers, Manchester United is a favorite to win this match.

In English Premier League Odds, Arsenal is a +150 favorite, Manchester United is at +188, and a Draw is +225.

By yielding just 28 goals in his 30 starts, Edwin van der Sar has been strong in goal for Manchester. A major reason why the team is threatening to claim another EPL title is because of Edwin. The club relies on Dimitar Berbatov on offence, who has a remarkable 21 goals. For the most prolific offense in the league, Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez are also double digit scorers.

The goaltending has not been a strong for Arsenal. By allowing a total of 36 goals, four different goalies have started EPL games for them this season. Robin Van Persie has emerged as the top goal scorer on offence and he has 15 to lead the club. Theo Walcott and Samir Nasri are also potent scorers. Although Arsenal can score goals the offense isn’t as strong as that of Manchester United.

In their last three EPL matches Arsenal is winless. They also lost their EPL match to Manchester this season as they have a recent loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup. Arsenal will be hungry playing at home and a win would ease the pain of their recent slide. To take the win here, expect whichever side scores first.

Get Premiership Odds USA for this matchup at online sportsbooks.

Manchester City lost their last EPL game in ugly fashion when Liverpool earned a 3-0 win. They got some confidence back when they beat Manchester United in an FA Cup match. The team has relied on goalie Joe Hart, who has allowed 30 goals in his 32 starts. He has helped make up for an offense that has struggled. Carlos Tevez has 19 goals, but the rest of the team has struggled to score.

Blackburn hasn’t had the same goaltending that Manchester City has had. Paul Robinson has gotten most of the starts, allowing a total of 50 goals. He has given up six goals in his last two starts. Offensively, Blackburn has only scored 40 goals. No player on their team has more than five. However, 14 different players have scored goals.

In the first meeting between the two teams ended in a draw. Blackburn knows how to play against Manchester City. Playing at home, that should give them an edge. They are winless in their last nine games. However, they have forced some draws, including one against Arsenal. On paper, Manchester City is the better team. But if Blackburn can find an early goal, they could pull an upset.

Manchester United is a -138 moneyline favorite in Soccer Betting, while Newcastle is at +375.

Manchester got a strong performance from Edwin van der Sar in goal against Chelsea in a Champions League game. He has missed the last few starts in EPL action, but it shouldn’t matter. Van der Sar and Tomasz Kuszczak are both capable goalies. Offensively, Manchester can score without problem. Dimitar Berbatov has an amazing 21 goals this season. Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez, and Nani can also score. Manchester has 70 goals through 32 games so far this season.

For Newcastle, the offense will have to come through. Tim Krul and Steve Harper have both struggled in goal. As a team, Newcastle has allowed 47 goals. The offense is capable, but not as dynamic as that of Manchester. Kevin Nolan and Andrew Carroll lead the team in goals, and both are elite players. The rest of the roster is going to have to step up if they want to win this game.

Manchester defeated Newcastle in the first EPL game this season. They won that game 3-0 and have looked great ever since. They are the superior team, but Newcastle is capable of scoring. They have beaten Arsenal this season and forced a draw with Chelsea. They shouldn’t be overlooked.

Liverpool is a slight favorite in soccer betting lines at +162 while Manchester City is +175.

Manchester City has thrived on defense. They have allowed 27 goals in EPL action, good for the second fewest in the league. Joe Hart has been solid all season, and he has kept the team in most games. The offense has come to life as the season has gone as well, taking some of the pressure off of Hart and the defense. Carlos Tevez has been the star with 19 goals, nearly half the total for the team.

Liverpool hasn’t been as consistent this year. They got off to a tough start but are starting to settle in to their game. Goalie Pepe Reina has stepped up lately. He has allowed 38 goals on the season so far. Offensively, Liverpool is still missing the departed Fernando Torres. Still, Dirk Kuyt and Raul Meireles are capable scorers for this team. Liverpool has gotten recent wins against Chelsea and Manchester United, so they are capable of winning big games.

Manchester City won the first game with a 3-0 score. They have better talent on defense, so Liverpool will be hard pressed to score. However, playing at home should work to Liverpool’s advantage. Expect a tight game where one goal could make all of the difference.  In online betting free picks Manchester City are favorites to win this mach.

Manchester City is a -200 favorite and Sunderland is a +600 underdog in Soccer Betting Odds.

One of the major strengths for Manchester City all season has been defense. That starts with goalie Joe Hart, who has allowed just 27 goals in 30 games. Hart has kept Manchester City in nearly every game this season. Because of him, Manchester City is not easy to beat. Offensively, Carlos Tevez is the biggest threat. He leads the team with 18 goals and 106 shots. He has three times as many goals as anyone else on the team.

For Sunderland, Simon Mignolet and Craig Gordon have split duties in goal. Mignolet has made the past three starts. He has given up four goals in those starts. However, that is far from the weakest area. Sunderland has struggled offensively, especially in recent games. They have not scored a goal in their last three EPL games. Thanks to an inept offense, they are winless in their last six games. That has kept them from moving up the standings.

Sunderland defeated Manchester City 1-0 in their first meeting earlier this season. For them to do that again, Sunderland needs a strong showing from either goalie. Sunderland cannot match the attack that Manchester City has, and it will be difficult for them to score. The team that scores first should get the win in this match.

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Since this is only the beginning of the season, the pre-season results are good indicators of the form of each team.

Chivas U.S.A. finished the pre-season poorly, with embarrassing losses to the Canadian U-23 National Team and UCLA. However, Chivas U.S.A. can take some confidence from the victories against MLS teams San Jose Earthquakes and FC Dallas.

In their season opening game, Chivas lost 2-3 to Sporting Kansas City. Despite the loss, Chivas looked to be in better shape than in the pre-season. Newcomer Chivas captain Jimmy Conrad scored a goal against his former team in the 55th minute. Midfielder Ben Zemanski scored the second goal for Chivas, which came late in the game.

The Colorado Rapids had a solid pre-season record of 3 wins, 2 losses, and one draw. They defeated the La Galaxy, Columbus Crew, and Vancouver Whitecaps.

In their first game of the season, the Rapids pleased the home fans with a 3-1 victory over newly formed MLS team Portland Timbers. The Rapids got off to a quick start at Dick’s Sporting Goods Stadium by finding the back of the net three times in the first thirty minutes of the game. Colorado’s top striker Omar Cummings scored a goal and also set up the play in which Jeff Larentowicz scored the game’s first ball. Scottish International Jamie Smith nailed a bullet with his right foot from long range. In online sports picks watch odds for this matchup.