Following Manchester City’s title success last season, a host of clubs will go into the 21/22 campaign in the hope of lifting the Premier League trophy. With other major talking points being available to bet on too, what do bookies have in store for punters throughout the season? The season kicks off on August 13th, before culminating on May 22nd. Norwich City and Watford return to the English top-flight, while Brentford will battle it out for the first time too. The trio took the places of Fulham, West Brom and Sheffield United, who were relegated at the end of last season.
The battle for Champions League places will be hard fought once again. Leicester City were just pipped to the post on the final day of the campaign last time out, with both Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal hoping to be in contention this season too. Big-spending Aston Villa could be a team to look out for, along with Rafa Benitez’s Everton and a rejuvenated West Ham.
Wolves and Crystal Palace are among the teams operating with a new manager, with fans nervously awaiting to see what impact Bruno Lage and Patrick Vieira will have. Who will be relegated to the Championship? Which team will be the surprise package? Who will win the Golden Boot award? Such questions will all be answered over the next 9 months, with the world’s most popular domestic league welcoming fans back too.
When it comes to Premier League promotions, the following are among the most popular for punters. Each helps bettors to maximise winnings and minimise losses:
Of course, betting on the winner of Premier League matches is available throughout the season. However, there are a host of outright markets that are also on offer with most bookies. Whether you wish to bet on the Premier League title race before a ball has been kicked in anger or which team will avoid relegation, the best bookies have you covered. Below are some of the markets likely to be taken advantage of by Premier League fans:
Available up until the final weeks of the season in most cases, punters can bet on which team they believe will finish top of the Premier League standings. With Manchester City having finished 12 points clear at the top last season, Pep Guardiola’s side are the favourites with all bookies to claim another title. However, the likes of United, Liverpool and Chelsea are also in the running. Below is how the odds look ahead of the new season:
The race to finish as the Premier League’s top scorer is always tight. Some of the leading strikers in the game have won the award in the past. Regardless of which colours he is playing in, England skipper Kane is likely to be there or thereabouts. Meanwhile, short odds are also available on the likes of Salah, Timo Werner, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bruno Fernandes. If goals do not separate those at the top, assists are taken into account.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, recently promoted Norwich, Watford and Brentford are the favourites to suffer relegation this season. However, it is rarely as clear cut as this. The likes of Crystal Palace, Newcastle and Burnley are expected to struggle over the coming months, which could see them drop to the Championship. Meanwhile, bets can also be placed on which of the newly promoted teams will finish the highest. Those who backed Leeds United last season will have reaped the rewards of Marcelo Bielsa’s men’s 9th place finish.
Finishing in the top four of the Premier League table means Champions League qualification. Not only is this lucrative in terms of finances, it also enables clubs to compete in Europe’s leading club competition. Bets are regularly placed on the likes of Leicester, Wolves and Arsenal, with West Ham and Everton being potential outsiders this time around.
Manchester City defender Ruben Dias won the Premier League player of the year award in his first season in English football last season. Competition for places is likely to be as severe as ever this time around. The likes of Kane, Kevin De Bruyne, Bruno Fernandes and Salah are likely to be among the favourites with the bookies.
More often than not, the team that is top of the table at Christmas will go on to lift the Premier League trophy at the end of the season. As such, betting on who will be sitting pretty come December 25th is another appealing market.
Premier League clubs are still working hard on adding to their playing squads. Manchester United have spent big in order to bring in Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane, while rivals Manchester City have been heavily linked with England duo Harry Kane and Jack Grealish. In terms of managers, former Liverpool favourite Rafa Benitez has been set the goal of returning Everton to the European places. Finally, with Kane having won the Golden Boot award last season, the likes of Mohamed Salah, Jamie Vardy and Edinson Cavani will be hoping to put themselves in contention over the coming months.