Bookmakers are convinced that the race for the English Premier League top 4 will be between just the top six this season. Thus, once again the British top flight is a world of the big six, and then everybody else. In order of favorites, it all starts with the two Manchester clubs, which are also the two sides which happen to be strongest league title contenders by far.
Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are all odds on to finish in the top four, with Liverpool next up at best odds of 7/4 and Arsenal FC coming in at 9/4 odds of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League.
Punters have liked Arsenal at this fairly modest price, as 30% of bets this month have been for Arsenal to make the top four.
So after the top four who would project for Champions League, then the two teams on pace to make the Europa League, there’s a huge drop-off to the rest of the field.
To put the bookmakers’ race for the top 4 in perspective, you can take seventh-favorites Everton at best odds of 200/1 to make the cut, but punters haven’t backed Everton at all, with the surprise bet being Burnley with 10% of market bets in October after their recent run of good form including the away draw at Liverpool.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now and Minute Media. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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