EPL 2021/22 Week 26 Soccer Picks and Predictions

Prospector Sam is here with your free soccer picks for this weekend's English Premier League soccer action for the weekend of Feb 19 and Feb 20, 2022.

Well, for those of you who’ve only been following me since the beginning of this soccer season, welcome to what is undeniably one of the worst parts of my life: extreme and unwavering existential pain caused by Tottenham. You see, it’s almost a certainty that Spurs will crumble some time in the late winter or early spring, causing anyone who supports them (i.e. me) to curl up and cry about once a week. It’s like a family tradition, except instead of coming together for Christmas or calling your Mom for Mother’s day, Spurs will smile as they kick every one of their fans in the crotch to repeat the cycle of endless failure.

Am I being dramatic and over the top? Certainly. But I’m a guy pretending to be a cartoon who spends his time making jokes on twitter, so what did you expect? And, while my griping may be a bit extreme, it comes from a place of experience. I dearly love my Spurs and will ride with them until they inevitably cause my premature death, but if there is one consistent truth from my time following them it’s their ability to let me down on a yearly basis.

What’s the point of this intro. There isn’t one, aside from the fact that I felt like complaining and I do what I want here. As far as the gambling goes, this won’t really change much and I’ll continue to plug along with great picks and content for all of you because that’s the real purpose of Prospector Sam. Just know that a little piece of me is dying inside as Spurs piss away another opportunity at the Champions League, and try to be kind even if I miss a bet or two.

On that cheery note, picks! ⤵️

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Free EPL Picks 2021-22

West Ham vs. Newcastle: Saturday February 19, 7:30 AM EST

Well folks, turns out money CAN buy you happiness. Because, in the case of Newcatle, all of the oil money imaginable has turned a relegation side into a “slightly better than relegation” side and might soon even make them a mid table side. It’s a sad reality for most people who support EPL clubs not owned by mega billionaires with no regard for spending (aka City and Newcastle) that this is the future of our league, but winning is what matters at the end of the day and I’d probably rather be a Newcastle fan than a Tottenham one right now (see above). On to the game itself, it feels like the books haven’t quite caught up to the improvement for the Magpies yet and West Ham have looked like absolute garbage over the last month (does anyone else remember Kidderminster? Because I remember…). So, to get Newcastle at plus money on the double chance here feels like a pretty solid deal. Sure, I think West Ham have a bit more quality overall and the home turf will be a slight boost, but their inconsistency makes them a liability to bet on and Newcastle’s recent form is hard to ignore. It doesn’t make me happy to do it, but bet the visitors to take at least a point.

BET: Newcastle Double Chance (+110)

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Man City vs. Tottenham: Saturday February 19, 12:30PM EST

Alrighty, let’s do this. Nothing about Spurs has inspired confidence over the last month, and City’s 5-0 shellacking of Lisbon in the midweek UCL fixture made me feel even less confident, but there is one thing you always need to remember about Tottenham; they do the opposite of what you expect. They came out and got run over by Wolves and Southampton in their last two matches, but this side also inexplicably beat City to open the year and this feels like a moment to take that knowledge into account. Do I recommend betting Spurs to win? Absolutely fucking not. Unless you find a way to bribe a wizard and sacrifice the correct number of goats to the sun god, Spurs aren’t going to come out and win this game without a red card. But, while that may be true, they can find a way to put in a goal which is why we’re taking both teams to score. On City’s end, I don’t think I need to say much besides “Davinson Sanchez is a player that we have” to explain how the home side find the net. While Spurs may have more trouble, their offensive talent is still some of the best in the league and the return of Son will cause more issues for defenders. The value is strong at +102 when you consider that the bet really only hinges on whether Spurs score, and I’ll take a shot at an enjoyable bet as I watch my beloved Tottenham lose by something around 4-1.

BET: Both teams to score - YES (+102)

RELATED: Man City vs. Tottenham Betting Preview

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Leeds vs. Man Utd: Sunday February 20, 9:00AM EST

Leeds are an absolute gift to the EPL, and I want to take a moment to appreciate that. Sure, their brand of swashbuckling soccer isn’t a great long term survival strategy, but damn is it fun to watch. Goals come early and often, and for that reason we’re betting the over 2.5 at -150. Why so cautious. Well, it’s still soccer and United are extremely inconsistent so I don’t think it makes sense to get overly aggressive, but for a decent payout this bet has a ton of value. Want some numbers to back that up? Over 2.5 has hit in 8 of the last 9 Leeds matches, and in the 4 matches during that span against clubs fighting for European spots the MINIMUM total has been 5. Basically, Leeds don’t back off and defend when facing better clubs, which creates opportunities but also leaves gaps for teams with quality to exploit, which they inevitably do. If you want to go bigger at over 3.5 that has some value too, but I recommend taking a big hack at over 2.5 here, which should probably be closer to -200.

BET: Total goals OVER 2.5 (-150)

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