Chris Hutcheon pinpoints the antepost money making opportunities as the Premier League return gets closer.. Live scores | Compare odds |
Premier League Outright Betting:
Manchester City are the hot favourites to retain their Premier League crown, with Pep Guardiola’s side comfortably winning the 2020-21 title and the bookies aren’t taking any chances with their quotes about a third triumph in four seasons for the north-west giants.
Bet365 offer 4/6 about the Citizens being crowned champions next May, with Guardiola likely to recruit some star talent to go along with Kevin de Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Dias and John Stones.
Perhaps we’ll see a more concerted challenge from some of the other big EPL clubs, with Liverpool bidding to bounce back from a disappointing campaign which saw the Reds seriously lose their way during the second half of the season.
Jurgen Klopp has suggested that he might adopt a different strategy, with Virgil van Dijk on the road to recovery, with BetVictor going 5/1 about the Merseyside team reclaiming the Premier League title that was landed during the 2019-20 season.
Much depends on Liverpool’s recruitment over the summer, although Chelsea might well be quiet in the market considering that Thomas Tuchel’s squad is already dripping with quality in every position, with the German steering the Blues to a Champions League success last season.
That win in Europe had certainly laid down a marker and there could be further improvement to come domestically, with Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Mason Mount all coming into the new campaign after appearing at Euro 2020.
Ladbrokes have 5/1 about Chelsea winning the 2021/22 Premier League and they could be the best each-way bet, while Manchester United are also regarded as contenders and they are once again throwing money around in the hope that some of it sticks.
Jadon Sancho is set to be the high-profile arrival at Old Trafford and he will join several Euro 2020 stars such as Bruno Fernandes, Luke Shaw and Paul Pogba, while Edinson Cavani was dynamite for the Red Devils at the back end of last season.
Paddy Power have 9/1 about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer leading United to a first title since 2013, with the team having finished second behind City last term. Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof are a solid central defensive pairing and perhaps this is the season where Dean Henderson rises to the fore.
The bookies regard the Premier League title race as a four-team affair, with Tottenham Hotspur trading at 40/1 with Betfred and Nuno Espirito Santo might have to plan for life without Harry Kane. Arsenal are even bigger at 66/1 with Coral, with Mikel Arteta’s side having been heavily off the pace last term.
As for Leicester City, Brendan Rodgers has already started some early recruitment and the Foxes are chalked up at 50/1 with bet365 and every other team is priced up at 150/1 or bigger.
Premier League Relegation Betting:
It’s never a surprise to find the promoted teams heading the Premier League relegation market, with the bookies installing Norwich, Watford and Brentford as the short-priced favourites to return to the Championship, although it’s plausible that at least one of these clubs will remain in the top flight for more than one season.
The Canaries have the experience of being in the EPL two seasons ago under Daniel Farke and won last season’s second tier title, although Paddy Power go 10/11 that they become something of a yo-yo club by dropping down once again.
The Hornets will hope to stick in the top division and Betfred have even money that Xisco Munoz’s side are relegated which implies they have a 50% chance of staying up and finishing above at least three other teams.
Brentford are chalked up at evens with betfair to suffer an immediate return to the Sky Bet Championship although the Bees will be determined to build on a plan which came to fruition when Thomas Frank steered them to the Promised Land last term.
If the promoted clubs perform well in the Premier League, then it could leave some of the existing teams vulnerable and that includes Crystal Palace who are a best price 2/1 to suffer the drop, with the bookies far from convinced that Patrick Vieira is the man to lead the Eagles forward.
Burnley are an 11/4 chance with Paddy Power to finish eighteenth or lower and the transfer budget continues to be tight at Turf Moor, even if Sean Dyche’s side have been like Teflon in the top flight for several campaigns and seem to have the survival blueprint.
You can get 11/4 with betfair that Newcastle suffer the drop despite the fact that Steve Bruce steered them well clear of danger last term, with the Magpies hoping to benefit from the returning fans at St James’ Park although perhaps this could have the opposite effect.
Ralph Hasenhuttl is among the Premier League Sack Race betting favourites and his Southampton side are chalked up at 5/1 with Ladbrokes to continue their downward spiral by being relegated from the top flight, while Bruno Lage is an unknown quantity at Wolves and bet365 have 5/1 that Wanderers have a miserable season.
NB. All odds shown are correct at time of publishing and are subject to change.
