Making it better? Image via Twitter.

Video Assistant Referee is coming to the Premier League in 2019-2020. At one level, video review was unavoidable. It came to the National Football League, which couldn’t get a sufficient number of calls right despite having seven people watching the play at all times. World football only employs four people for every match, and two of them spend the vast majority of the match assessing whether a player is offside. The referee in a world football match is usually overmatched, especially given both the speed of the play and the size of the players.

So it’s only right that the primary match official, the referee, be given some help when it is needed. But just as the NFL proved in the NFC Conference Championship game, having video at your disposal doesn’t guarantee that the right call is going to be made.

Manchester City can tell you a little about that. City was knocked out of the Champions League tournament in the quarterfinal by Tottenham Hotspur on a goal that, depending on who you talk to, was either a good goal or never should have counted. And there was VAR in the Champions League this year, and they used it…and still, no one is quite sure.

And guess who City plays in league action this week? Spurs, naturally. We will pick a winner in that one and two other standout Premier League matchups after the jump.

MANCHESTER CITY v. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Some quality trolling from the Spurs social media people right there. There is a school of thought that says Tottenham might as well get their yuks in at City’s expense while they can. City has won nine in a row in the league, and though they didn’t advance to the Champions League semifinal they did beat Spurs 4-3 on Wednesday. Spurs are still without Harry Kane and may need to think about resting players like Heung-Min Son and Christian Eriksen with two more league matches this week followed by the first leg against Ajax in North London on April 30.

All of that goes into the odds here, which are far heavier in City’s favor that you might figure given that this Spurs team just knocked City out of the Champions League. City is 1/4 to win. That’s…that’s completely out of line.

This is a trap game for City. Their controversial fall from the Champions League has the usual tongues wagging about whether City manager Pep Guardiola is overrated. City now more or less have to win the Premier League to keep this season from being an expensive flop, especially since league-leading Liverpool is still alive in the Champions League. (For now, anyway; Liverpool drew Lionel Messi and Barcelona in the semifinal.) City’s next league match is at Old Trafford on Wednesday, where Manchester United would like nothing more than to derail City’s title hopes.

City would never admit it, but the possibility of looking past Spurs in this spot is enormous. And if Tottenham scores the first goal on Saturday, the Etihad will be quieter than an experienced burglar. We are going to split our units here and be happy with whichever one pays. Take Tottenham Hotspur to win at 11/1 (50 units) AND take a draw (50 units) at 5/1.

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN v. WATFORD

This really isn’t a pick based on how great Watford is. Watford is not great. Save for an unlikely (and for me, costly, since I had Wolves) comeback in the FA Cup semifinal a couple of weeks back, Watford has been pretty ordinary. That’s how it looks based on the Hornets’ form table, with four losses from six in league play.

But that’s wildly misleading, because Watford’s four losses were as follows: at Liverpool, at Manchester City, at Manchester United, home to Arsenal. Those Watford losses came to four of the top six in the current table, and three of those losses came on the road. Despite all of that misfortune, Watford is still 10th in the league table and isn’t apt to be caught by West Ham for that place.

Meanwhile, Huddersfield Town is one of the worst sides to ever play in the league. The Terriers haven’t won since February 26, and they followed that triumph with six straight losses. With three of their final four matches at home, we may see Huddersfield summon up some pride for their supporters before the season ends. It won’t be this weekend, though. Take Watford to win at 20/23.

EVERTON v. MANCHESTER UNITED

It’s too soon to say that the honeymoon is over for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as Manchester United’s manager. The top four is still in play for the Red Devils, and there is that aforementioned chance to slew foot City this coming Wednesday. But United’s Champions League campaign ended with a thud in Barcelona, and the 3-0 loss to Messi and Co. made it five losses from seven in all competitions for United.

Like Watford, Everton is sort of hard to love. The Toffees look like world-beaters one week (beating Arsenal at home) and chancing frauds the next (losing away to already-relegated Fulham.) But Everton’s recent body of work also includes a draw with Liverpool and a solid 2-0 win over Chelsea — both at Goodison Park. Everton has been terrific at home recently, United is on the skids, and the price is right. Take Everton to win at 2/1.

Good luck this weekend.

LAST WEEK’S RESULTS

Crystal Palace to win or draw at Manchester City at 12/5: LOSS

Both teams to score at Anfield (Liverpool v. Chelsea) at 3/4: LOSS

Arsenal to win at Watford at 23/20: WIN

LAST WEEK’S TOTAL: -$85

SEASON TO DATE: -$1,648