With 2026 formally beginning earlier this week, the brand new 12 months’s schedule is stacked with England’s elite this weekend.
The video games are developing on Sunday afternoon, with a collection of eye-catching battles going down in every of the Premier League and Championship.
Forward of a frenetic afternoon of motion within the UK, listed below are a few of Sunday’s most eye-catching betting ideas.
Sunday, January 4th
BST 12:00 Sheffield United vs Oxford United
Sheffield United could have began the 2025/26 season within the midst of their notorious Championship rut, however Chris Wilder’s aspect have actually proven important enchancment over current occasions.
Having simply began the brand new 12 months with an awesome efficiency in a convincing 3-1 win towards Leicester, the Blades are positively sensing a golden alternative right here. Sunday’s hosts, who ended 2025 with an attention grabbing 2-1 win away at Stoke, have received three of their final 4 appearances within the Championship.
Sheffield United continued to shine with their house efficiency, having already made their mark with a 3-0 win over Birmingham final month.
Wilder’s aspect are unbeaten of their final six video games at Bramall Lane (4 wins, two attracts), together with a 3-0 win over Portsmouth on November 26.
It also needs to be highlighted that the Blades have solely fired strikes twice in entrance of their supporters up to now two months.
Oxford could have induced an enormous upset with a 2-1 house win towards Southampton final month, nevertheless it seems to have been only a small enhance for the Yellows.
Caretaker supervisor Craig Brief, who final began in 2026 after dropping 2-1 away to promotion hopefuls Ipswich earlier this week, has an enormous job on the Kassam Stadium.
Sunday’s visitors have misplaced in 4 of their final 5 Championship appearances, together with a house sport towards Swansea on December 29.
Oxford sit within the protected zone with a three-point lead and are broadly tipped as relegation candidates this 12 months, however they’ve additionally earned a fame for his or her apparent challenges on the street.
Along with one other 1-0 defeat towards Charlton, the U’s have solely received two factors in every of their final six conferences on the Kassam Stadium. It’s also price noting that the Yellows have misplaced their final three video games at Bramall Lane by a mixed rating of 8-1.
Betting Tip: Thomas Cannon 0.5 Pictures on Goal @ 19/20
15:00 Newcastle vs Crystal Palace
Newcastle might be determined to search out very important consistency after rapidly returning to profitable kind of their final sport, which ended 2025 with a 3-1 win away at relegation-placed Burnley.
Eddie Howe is claimed to be feeling important stress on his shoulders after beginning the brand new 12 months within the backside half of the Premier League desk.
However whereas the Magpies could have received solely three of their final eight top-flight appearances, the previous Bournemouth supervisor has seen his group proceed to impress at house.
Newcastle had been unbeaten of their final 10 conferences at St James’ Park (8 wins, 2 attracts), regardless of struggling a second half collapse as they had been pressured to accept a 2-2 stalemate with Chelsea.
That sensational run stretches again to the tip of September, with Howe’s aspect additionally gathering some robust scalps. Sunday’s hosts might be dreaming of an opportunity to regain momentum in Europe after securing victories over the likes of Manchester Metropolis, Tottenham and Portuguese giants Benfica.
Crystal Palace should keep their place within the prime half of the Premier League, however the Eagles have discovered themselves in the midst of a current rut.
Oliver Glasner’s aspect are of their worst rut of the season, having didn’t win any of their previous six appearances in all competitions, having suffered a disastrous house defeat earlier within the week in a 1-1 stalemate towards native rivals Fulham of their opening sport of 2026.
Sunday’s visitors additionally confirmed worrying defensive issues in a surprising 4-1 defeat to relegation-place losers Leeds final month.
The previous Eintracht Frankfurt supervisor has not seen his group hold a single home clear sheet up to now month, together with a 3-0 defeat towards Manchester Metropolis.
Crystal Palace, who’re tipped to be the true underdogs right here, can even have considerations about their current journey to Tyneside.
They received 5-0 on their final journey to St James’ Park in October 2025 and might be hoping for the same victory at house on Sunday afternoon.
Betting Tip: Newcastle Win @ 7/10
15:00 Norwich Metropolis vs Stoke Metropolis
Philippe Clement could have solely been in Norfolk for lower than two months, however Norwich are actually having fun with life beneath the previous Rangers supervisor.
Having began the brand new 12 months with a powerful 2-1 win away at QPR earlier within the week, the Canaries rapidly returned to profitable methods and re-invigorated their mission to maintain the Championship protected.
Norwich, who open Sunday’s conflict at Carrow Street with objective distinction holding them within the drop zone, might be seeking to make one other assertion right here.
Actually, the Yellows have solely misplaced one in all their final six Championship appearances and are having fun with their best interval of the 2025/26 season.
Clement’s resurgent aspect, who upset promotion hopefuls Southampton 2-1 on December 13, have now picked up 9 factors from their final 4 video games in Norfolk. It also needs to be famous that final weekend’s 1-0 defeat towards Watford was Norwich’s solely defeat in entrance of their supporters because the starting of November.
Stoke, who declare an important enhance from beginning the brand new 12 months with a hard-fought 1-0 win towards Hull earlier within the week, have been desperately looking for some current stability.
Regardless of escaping the lure in the beginning of the sport in August, Mark Robins’ aspect have seen their play-off desires take an enormous hit as they tumble down the Championship desk.
The previous Coventry supervisor, who ended 2025 with a 2-1 defeat at house to Sheffield United, has seen his group win simply two of their final eight makes an attempt, a file that stretches again to November 25.
Equally, Stoke, who’ve didn’t file back-to-back Championship wins over the previous two months, have proven some main issues outdoors of Staffordshire.
Sunday’s visitors have misplaced 4 of their final 5 street conferences, together with a 4-0 thrashing at Bramall Lane on December 6. It also needs to be highlighted that the Potters have misplaced every of their final 4 journeys to Carrow Street by a mixed rating of 12-4.
Betting Tip: Josh Sargent 0.5 Pictures on Goal @ 1/2
our sunday accumulator:
- Sheffield United vs Oxford United – Thomas Cannon over 0.5 pictures heading in the right direction @ 19/20
- Newcastle vs Crystal Palace – Newcastle win 7/10
- Norwich Metropolis vs Stoke Metropolis – Josh Sargent, 1/2 with over 0.5 pictures heading in the right direction
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