EPL Matchday 31 betting preview: 2 value plays for Thursday
Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.
Our momentum was halted slightly in the first half of Matchday 31, but we have a tasty slate to close things out Thursday.
Here are two bets that stand out.
Watford (+155) at Burnley (+165), Draw (+210)
Sean Dyche and his Burnley squad will be eager to put Monday's nightmare behind them. Between the racist banner flown over Etihad Stadium and the subsequent 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City, it was a forgettable night for Clarets supporters.
Dyche and skipper Ben Mee's post-match comments showed how embarrassed they were to be a part of that, and they will have been pushing the team to produce a positive response. Dyche is an excellent motivator and will have his players champing at the bit to show how much better they are than what they displayed Monday.
It will come at the expense of a Watford side that finds itself in a bit of a mess near the bottom of the table. For very long periods against Leicester, the Hornets didn't look like scoring until they were rescued very late by a rare moment of magic from defender Craig Dawson.
Burnley are typically very strong at Turf Moor, and while that might hold less weight without supporters in attendance, this is still a very long trip north for Watford. The Hornets will find it difficult to break down a disciplined Clarets side, and even without Chris Wood or Ashley Barnes up top, Burnley still have capable attackers to get the best of Watford and continue the club's push for an unlikely spot in Europe next season.
Pick: Burnley (+165)
Manchester City (-115) at Chelsea (+275), Draw (+250)
How's this for a fixture to close out Matchday 31? Manchester City travel south to the capital to take on Chelsea, with both sides looking sharp in limited action back on the pitch, having claimed maximum points since the restart.
The worry for Manchester City is that Liverpool could already have the title in the bag, and with Leicester City floundering, Pep Guardiola's side is essentially locked into second place. Motivation might be a bit of an issue compared to Chelsea, who find themselves in a race for fourth place with Manchester United and a few others.
Even if City remain motivated, will they be able to match the Blues' urgency? Chelsea impressed in a narrow 2-1 defeat at the Etihad earlier this season and won this fixture last year.
Frank Lampard had his side ticking along nicely against Aston Villa, and I think the extra day's rest will do the team good here. Given City's form and defensive stability, it's still going to be a difficult task for the Blues, but Lampard will be thrilled to take a point from the Citizens, setting his club up nicely ahead of winnable matches against West Ham, Watford, and Crystal Palace.
Pick: Draw (+275)
(Odds source: theScore Bet)
Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.