ASTON VILLA are running out of time to pull off a great escape and they will need maximum points at home to Crystal Palace to stand any chance of dodging the drop.
A 3-0 midweek loss to Manchester United, which saw our man Slips Tips strike gold again, made it 11 games without a win for Dean Smith's side. Results also went against them on Saturday, with West Ham and Watford both winning to move seven points clear of Villa.
The Hammers host Villa on the final day but by that stage Smith's men may already be relegated so three points are a must when Palace come calling.
One consolation for Aston Villa fans is that the Eagles are in equally poor form, with the midweek defeat by Chelsea making it four defeats in a row.
Roy Hodgson's men have nothing to play for but pride and jumping a few places in the table but the pressure is also off them while it is piling up on the men in claret and blue.
How the bookies view it
Despite their dismal form, the bookies make Villa slight favourites for this one at a best 27/20 with Unibet. Palace are 23/10 with Bet365 while the stalemate is 12/5 at Boylesport. This is a tricky one to call but Villa could crumble under the pressure so I'm tempted to side with the Eagles.
Recent head to head
There hasn't been much between these sides in recent seasons, with Palace just having the edge with four wins in the last seven meetings. It ended 1-0 to the Eagles at Selhurst Park earlier this term (below) after Trezeguet had sent off for Villa. But when these teams last faced off at Villa Park, in 2016, it was the home side who triumphed by a single goal .
Players to watch
Shot-shy Villa have drawn a blank in their last three games but Jack Grealish has the talent to conjure up a bit of magic for Smith (below). He's 13/5 with 888Sport to find the target here and 6/1 with Paddy Power to have two or more shots on target.
Palace talisman Wilf Zaha ended his drought with a spectacular goal against Chelsea and may get some joy against Villa's dodgy defence. The forward is a tasty 4/1 with BetVictor for anytime scorer.
Anything else catch the eye?
Six of the last seven games between these sides have ended in a one-goal winning margin. That could easily come up again and it pays 13/10 with Betway.
Crystal Palace are evens with William Hill to win over one corner in each half and that could also be worth a punt if Zaha gets the chance to run at their defence.
This English Premier League match between Aston Villa and Crystal Palace will be played on Jul 12, 2020 and kick off at 14:15. Check below for our tipsters best Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
