The Premier League returns on Friday night but before it does so we need to get our ante-post betting sorted out so this is the first of three posts which will contain outright bets. In this one we will go through the top half of the table.
Chelsea are the side who will be looking to defend the table this year but they face arguably the most competition yet although when you pick apart the other sides that statement may well be false.
Recent Winners
2016/17 – Chelsea
2015/16 – Leicester City
2014/15 – Chelsea
2013/14 – Manchester City
2012/13 – Manchester United
2011/12 – Manchester City
2010/11 – Manchester United
2009/10 – Chelsea
2008/09 – Manchester United
2007/08 – Manchester United
The Favourites
Manchester City will go into the season as the warm favourites to win the title as Pep Guardiola embarks on a second season in charge at the Etihad Stadium. They were entertaining to watch last season and look set to be again with the likes of Bernardo Silva in to add to the firepower going forward. City have spent a lot of money on defenders but whether they’ve actually bought anyone who can defend is another matter. If Kompany stays fit I fancy them if he doesn’t I don’t.
Chelsea are the second favourites to retain the title but they look to be having quite a few internal issues if you ask me and I couldn’t possibly fancy them with that in mind. Antonio Conte is clearly unhappy with the summer business and it appears only a matter of time before Diego Costa leaves. Add a return to Champions League football into the mix and I don’t expect Chelsea to keep the title.
Manchester United have spent big again this summer as they look to win back the Premier League title. Romelu Lukaku, Nemanja Matic and Victor Lindelof have come in for big money and Serge Aurier could be about to follow them. Jose Mourinho usually gets things right in his second season in charge of a club and if they can agree to keep Zlatan Ibrahimovic they will take some beating.
The Contenders
Tottenham are the fourth favourites to win the title. Last season’s runners up have been very quiet this summer and at the time of writing they are yet to add anyone to their squad. They have lost Kyle Walker and could be losing Danny Rose which is not ideal but more than that they have to overcome the poor record they have at Wembley given that half of their matches will be there this season. You can get 10/1 on Spurs being champions.
Arsenal are 12/1 to win the title. The obvious stumbling block for them is the Europa League and they might not have much choice but to take it seriously because with the money being spent in the league it could be their best route to the Champions League. Alexandre Lacazette is a good signing but the suspicion is they needed much more to really challenge.
Liverpool are a point bigger to win the league. I don’t give them a prayer of going close as it is but if Philippe Coutinho does go to Barcelona and the saga drags on a couple of weeks so that they can’t replace him their chances get even slimmer. I would imagine Liverpool will give the Champions League a good go and the Premier League form will suffer as a result.
Best of the Rest
Everton have splashed out big in the summer bringing in some really good quality in the likes of Jordan Pickford, Davy Klaassen, Michael Keane and Sandro Ramirez while they have also brought Wayne Rooney home and at some point are going to add Gylfi Sigurdsson. You would think they would be better this season but again Europe offers their best route to greatness and the league could suffer.
Leicester City will still have eyes on them to see if they can get back to where they were two years ago. They look to have reinforced nicely with the likes of Harry Maguire and Kelechi Iheanacho coming in but you’ve got to think any success will be down to whether they can keep Riyad Mahrez and I don’t see that happening. They should improve on last season but they are not title contenders.
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Betting
I believe this is the year Manchester United will win the title again. Mourinho has had the cheque book out all summer and few cash cheques as successfully as he does and having sorted out the defence and found some proper protection for it there is no doubt they have the firepower at the other end of the field. In truth I only see City or United winning the title and at 2.5 times the price I’ll side with the red half of Manchester for glory.
One other bet I like in the division is in the without the top six market. Everton are worthy favourites but the longer they go in the Europa League the more their focus will go on that so it could be an outsider who finish seventh.
The beauty of this market is that it pays three places each way so we could find a team to finish ninth and get paid out. Bournemouth finished ninth last season and only goal difference kept them out of eighth place and there is no doubt with the additions of Jermaine Defoe, Nathan Ake and Asmir Begovic they are a stronger side. Few scored more in the second half of last season than Josh King so I don’t see Bournemouth lacking for goals.
There are a few sides who you would figure to be in and around the top half who haven’t strengthened as much as they would like and then there are sides like Stoke who have got worse. At 25/1 I’ll go with Bournemouth each way in the hope they at least replicate last season and fulfil the improvement that they should do on top.
Tips
Back Manchester United to win the Premier League for a 3/10 stake at 5.00 with Ladbrokes
Back them here:
Back Bournemouth (w/o big 6) to win the Premier League (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 26.00 with Boylesports (1/4 1-3)
Back them here:
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