As the Premier League 25/26 season begins, Aston Villa will take on Newcastle United at Villa Park on Saturday, August 16th, 2025. The match kicks off at 12:30 p.m., the early lunchtime slot. Both teams narrowly missed a top-four finish last season, but Newcastle secured a Champions League place ahead of Villa based on goal difference. This clash not only sets the tone for a familiar European face-off but also provides a fresh chance for bettors to take advantage of some competitive free bet offers.
Last updated: 18 August 2025, 09:01AM
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Here’s how to claim your Aston Villa vs Newcastle United free bets:
Choose your sportsbook: For the best deals ahead of this fixture, check out the offers listed at the top of this page.
Sign up for a new account: Complete the steps required to register a new account with your chosen bookmaker.
Make a qualifying deposit: Make a qualifying deposit at your chosen bookmaker. Depending on the brand, it is often between £5 and £10, but check the T&Cs beforehand to ensure you don’t miss out on the offer.
Opt-in: You are usually required to opt in for free bet sign-up offers, either during sign-up or at your account dashboard.
Place a qualifying bet: The T&Cs will explain how much you are required to wager to be eligible for the bonus and the minimum odds for the bet. (typically 1/1 or 2.00)
Receive bonus funds or tokens: Once you have completed all the above steps, you should receive your free bets.
Use your free bets: You can now use your free bets on the Aston Villa vs Newcastle United fixture.
Read the T&Cs: Be aware that free bets will come with an expiration date, minimum odds, and whether the stake is returned.
Both teams are aiming for European qualification, so this game is vital. With these two Midlands heavyweights opening their campaigns on the same day, bragging rights and competitive revenge are at stake. Historically, Newcastle edged Villa on goal difference last season in the Champions League, but Villa have a formidable home record with only two defeats last season on their home turf. Since Newcastle has won against Aston Villa only once in the last 11 years, it will be interesting to see if they can make it happen this weekend!
Aston Villa: The most newsworthy change for Villa this weekend is that goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez will miss this season’s opener due to a red card in their final game of last season. We expect Marco Bizot to start in this position on Saturday. Unai Emery has maintained a largely fit squad coming into this year’s Premier League season; however, Morgan Rogers may miss the game for fitness reasons.
Newcastle United: Alexander Isak, still embroiled in a transfer dispute, remains absent from the squad for this match. However, new recruits Anthony Elanga and Malik Thiaw are set to bolster Newcastle’s lineup. Jacob Ramsey has now completed his move from Villa for £40 million, but isn’t due to feature in this opening match. There are no new reported injuries for this side.
Home Win: Many bookmakers seem to favour a Villa win in this game. This could be based on their recent run of home dominance and the recent uncertainty around Newcastle.
Over 2.5 goals: Forecasts show that a high-scoring game is likely, and many sportsbooks offer competitive odds on over 2.5 goals. We could be looking at a 3-1 game, but we wouldn’t rule out a 4-1 victory.
Ollie Watkins to Score Anytime: Ollie Watkins is an attractive pick ahead of this clash with his solid recent performance against Newcastle, where he scored early in their last meeting.
For a full list of fixtures for the opening week of the Premier League season, head over to our full guide to Premier League MW1 here. Otherwise, here are some of the standout fixtures:
Liverpool v Bournemouth - 15th August 2025 20:00
Wolves v Manchester City - 16th August 2025 17:30
Chelsea v Crystal Palace - 17th August 2025 14:00
Man Utd v Arsenal - 17th August 2025 16:30
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FAQs: Aston Villa v Newcastle Free Bets & Preview