The Premier League has had a week off for World Cup qualifiers, and now it’s time to get back into the season. Plenty of clubs are showing early warning signs that may lead them into the relegation zone over the next few months, while others, such as Sunderland and Burnley, are proving that they are keen to fight for European football.

Let’s get straight into it then, and take a look at the best matchups on show this weekend. BetUS has posted odds on every match.

Aston Villa: +375
Draw: +240
Chelsea: -125

Aston Villa vs. Chelsea: Aston Villa always seem to be the dark horse of the English Premier League. They are never in danger of relegation, but never truly manage to contest a top four finish. Their season so far has been reminiscent of years past, with some great wins, and some unexpected losses. It is their inconsistency that will worry Chelsea most, as they have been known defeat more than a few big names at Villa Park.

After a surprise upset at Wigan last month, Carlo Ancelotti’s boys stepped it up a notch to convincingly beat Liverpool 2-0. They should be confident going into Saturday’s game, as they are currently leading the Premier League, but they know all too well that their last away game was a bad loss. Expect this one to be a low-scoring affair.

Portsmouth: +350
Draw: +230
Tottenham Hotspur: -120

Portsmouth vs. Tottenham: Portsmouth finally grabbed their first points of the season at the expense of Wolverhampton a fortnight ago. While the win was an unconvincing 1-0 it will do a lot to boost the moral of not only Pompey’s players, but their fans as well. They may not rate their chances of win this weekend very highly, but if they can steal a draw I’m sure Paul Hart will be more than pleased.

While they have shown vast improvement from their 2008-09 start, Tottenham are falling back into the same form that has seen them fall from the top four in countless seasons past. Their opening few weeks were incredible, which included a four game winning streak, but that awful 2-2 draw against Bolton last round just goes to show that Spurs can become complacent when the pressure is off.

Sunderland: +325
Draw: +245
Liverpool: -155

Sunderland vs. Liverpool: Critics are remarking that, without Darren Bent, Sunderland wouldn’t win half as many games as they already have, and while it’s true that Bent has been in arguably the best form of his career, it’s clear to see that Sunderland as a unit is working better than they ever did last season. Kenwyne Jones has been a stalwart up front, while Kieran Richardson has provided depth in creating chances from out wide. It will be an interesting battle between him and Glen Johnson.

Liverpool have already lost more games than they did in their entire 2008-09 campaign, and if they continue on this rocky path they will surely relinquish any hold they had upon a possible title race. A loss would see them drop into the bottom half of the top 10, so expect a fiery encounter between these two attacking clubs.

Blackburn Rovers: -135
Draw: +260
Burnley: +355

Blackburn Rovers vs. Burnley: After an extremely poor start to the season, Blackburn are finally finding some form. While their away record is shocking, to say the least, their home form hasn’t been too bad, picking up 7 points from a possible 12. Burnley are five points clear on the table, though, and that will surely be playing in their back of their minds. This one will be a close match indeed.

When you look at the Premier League table, these odds look ridiculous. But the fact of the matter is that Burnley have yet to score a single goal away from home, let alone take any points. However, I reckon this one is the pick of the week – their away losing streak has to end sometime, right? And they have been in far better form than Blackburn throughout the season. Zero points away from home seem like a risky wager, but with players like Steven Fletcher and David Nugent finding form, it’ll be a tough ask for the Rovers defence to contain Burnley.

There are plenty of other matches being played over the weekend, and BetUS has posted odds on all of them, so head over to the site to start backing your favorite team today.