The World Cup is done and we’re racing toward the halfway of the football season. Things will go fast than ever as the new year has already started and the season’s all planned out. What’s not scripted is the eventual winner of each football league and competition including the PL. When the World Cup started, Arsenal topped the charts, and surprisingly, Arteta’s team has shown strong resolve to win the trophy after a long time.
We think that now’s a high time to do another betting tips article in which we predict some things that might happen at the end of the season. There’s a long way to go and the PL is finally back with a tighter schedule, so bettors will surely appreciate what we say.
Who Wins the Title?
There’s no question that every season of the Premier League is a bit of a poker ride. Teams that top the table early aren’t always the champion. If that would be the case, many mid-ranked teams would have a star on their crests so far.
Surprisingly, this year Arsenal has topped the table and held its ground well. The gunners are gunning for the title after a surprisingly strong start to the season where they’re five points clear at the top. Everyone thought that City would walk to the trophy, but so far, Arteta’s team has been a tough nut to crack.
A few of City’s slip-ups have been used by Arsenal to climb the charts. And still, bookies don’t believe the gunners have the legs to finish the season in style. Everyone’s having Manchester City as the favorite, and this was our pick when we did the early PL season predictions. As a matter of fact, we imagined it as a two-horse race between the Citizens and Liverpool. But, with Klopp’s team sitting outside of a CL berth, the second racehorse is Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta has obviously been building his team properly in the past few years. With a few decent additions to the squad this season, Arsenal is shooting on all fronts. The team has scored 40 goals so far—just five less than City and conceded only 14 for the league’s third-best defense. It’s marvelous to watch Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli, and Gabriel Jesus in action, although to be honest, the Gunners’ strength lies in collectivity.
If key injuries don’t derail the team’s progress, we can see Arsenal winning a title. It’s yet overdue if you ask the club’s fans. But, it’ll be a tough climb. City won’t slip up that often from now on, and with goal-machine Haaland up front, Guardiola’s team will eagerly chase Arsenal down to the last match.
Haaland Rampaging Through the Competition?
While the title race involves two runners (or three if you trust Newcastle), the top goalscorer market is a one-horse race. Erling Braut Haaland has taken the PL by storm, scoring goals with incredible ease. He is already over 20 with almost half of the season gone, and by this rate, he may score 40. That has never happened, and the fact that the Norwegian forward is halfway there is just amazing. Oh, and let’s not forget he’s only 22.
The most goals scored in a single PL season record is joint-held by Alan Shearer and Andrew Cole. They scored 34 goals in 1994-95 and 1993-94 respectively. Haaland’s just 13 goals shy of this record. Bookmakers have made him the obvious favourite in this market. As expected, the odds aren’t great. You’ll have much better returns if you choose Harry Kane, but can the Spurs forward catch up with City’s hitman?
We don’t think so. While others have played in the World Cup, including Kane, Haaland has rested and trained. He’s more than ready to go and so is Guardiola’s well-oiled machine. The Norwegian is a lock in this market, and if he has his way, he’ll break more than one record by the end of the year.
Top Four
So, we know that Arsenal and City will battle it out for the top spot. Can anyone challenge them? It’s a bit surreal to see Newcastle racing in from the third spot at the current table. The Magpies have done a 180 turn this season after fresh investments, buying a few top-class football players that have propelled them to the top. Sitting on level points with Manchester United, the club has shown glimpses of what could be a very impressive future.
Of course, bookies aren’t convinced they can be a real threat for the top spot. But, Newcastle may very well finish in the top four if it continues its great run of form. Manchester United and Liverpool will be knocking down the same door, and we should never write Chelsea off. The Premier League is nothing if not competitive, and while some big clubs have faltered, they have time to improve their records in the second part of the season.
Relegation Zone
This is one of those markets many overlook. The relegation zone is overlooked in favor of winner outrights or top goalscorer markets, but in reality, they might even offer better odds. This year’s names are big, and that brings the odds even better.
At the moment (subject to change), Southampton, Wolverhampton, and Everton are on the bottom three spots. None of these teams have had a particularly great season. Everton was once a top-four contender, but has fallen off the rails in the past few years. The Wolves were a mid-table team that surprised many favourites, but so far, it’s been a season to forget. It’s the same with Southampton.
Of course, all three clubs have a chance to turn their seasons around. Bookies have Burnmouth, Southampton, and Everton as the three clubs likely to be relegated, but that remains to be seen.
This particular market could be of great value if you don’t want to make only slight returns on Haaland as the top scorer. City’s a big favourite for the trophy and so is Arsenal, so the relegation zone could be much more valuable.
