The final curtain has barely settled but already we are looking forward to next season’s English Premier League title with the odds hot off the bookmaker presses.
And the big news is that Chelsea, the title holders, are not favourites to make it a double. They are usurped by Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at 275 with Coolbet. They are as short as 200 with Bet365.
Chelsea get a mark of 350 with Coolbet who are also biggest about Manchester United at 400. United had a difficult first campaign under Jose Mourinho, failing to finish in the top four. But they did manage to qualify for the European Champions League thanks to a Uefa Cup success.
Key to their prospects will be convincing Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the feared striker, to return to Old Trafford for another tilt at the domestic silverware. They will also need to bolster their offense options and are in the market to spend big this summer.
No mention yet of Tottenham Hotspur who finished second? Well, they’re not fancied to be the bride after two campaigns as the bridesmaids. Green listed bookmakers Bet365 and William Hill all go 800.
Down at the bottom, the unfashionable and unheralded Huddersfield Town stunned the world with their play-off promotion. But the feeling among the bookies is that the team nicknamed The Terriers should enjoy it while it lasts.
William Hill, Bet365, and 1xBet are highest priced at -175. Those are odds which could prove very popular with punters.
Ordinarily we like to reckon that it’s best to say that only dead fish swim with the tide but survival looks a very tall order indeed. There is even speculation that David Wagner, the coach, could be moving to pastures new after his success.
But even if remained at the helm the quality is just not there for this crew to get the wins they need. And we would expect those odds to disappear real fast.
Brighton and Hove Albion, also promoted, are 120 (Bet365) for the drop while Newcastle United, the team that were promoted in the champions slot, are 400 with William Hill.
The price we do like is the 900 with Bet365 that it is an unhappy campaign for West Ham United. We reckon they are in a shambolic stake and have little faith in coach Slaven Bilic getting them organised.
They are perhaps unique in the EPL that they are run like an old-school club. In other words, they are not as professional as the others in the way they go about recruitment or finding the small percentage points to improve. Even Huddersfield might have an edge on them in that regard.
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