Three in a Row?
This past season’s English Premier League title race between Manchester City and Liverpool had us on the edge of our seats until the very end. The Citizens won the title — their fourth in five seasons — by one point. The Reds had to settle for having the top scorer in Mohamed Salah, who finished the season with 23 goals.
Before talking about the favorites to dethrone Manchester City, we need to talk about the Citizens’ chances. They’re offering a -175 price in the sportsbook. Keeping the team’s core has a lot to do with it, but having signed Erling Haaland is the main reason for them to be atop the odds board.
The Norwegian goal machine is expected to break all kinds of records. He’ll have plenty of time to do so because his contract with the Citizens is for six years.
It’s not a secret that Manchester City’s main goal is to win the UEFA Champions League. However, the Citizens have the talent to spare. Therefore, they’re among the favorites to also win the UCL (+275), the FA Cup (+335) and the EFL Cup (+275).
Enough about Pep Guardiola’s team, let’s check the favorites to snatch the crown.
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Liverpool
The Reds finished as the 2021-22 runners-up. They were the No. 2 top-scoring team with 94 goals. They also had the best defensive unit, alongside Manchester City, after allowing only 26 goals in 38 matches.
Aside from Salah, Sadio Mane (16) and Diogo Jota (15) also finished among the top scorers. Unfortunately for Liverpool, the trio won’t be back as Mane is ready to sign with Bayern Munich. The Reds already found a replacement, for which they paid 100 million euros (bonuses included). We’re talking about Darwin Nunez, who last season scored 26 goals for Benfica in the Primeira Liga.
Salah, Nunez, Jota and Luis Diaz should have no problem keeping Liverpool among the elite. That’s why the Reds are the soccer betting favorites to dethrone Manchester City at +200.
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Chelsea
Last season, the Blues finished third thanks to a 21-11-6 record. They finished with the second-best defensive record after allowing 33 goals. However, Antonio Rudiger, one of the team’s best defensive players, opted out and signed with Real Madrid.
Even so, we’re talking about a very talented roster that includes Edouard Mendy, N’Golo Kante, Jorginho, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz and Romelu Lukaku, to name a few. Plus, Thomas Tuchel is considered one of the best managers in the world and this will be his third season with the team. The Blues are offering a +1600 price.
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Tottenham
Tottenham has the same odds as Chelsea at +1600. This will be Antonio Conte’s first full preseason with the team. That should make a huge difference. There’s also the fact that Harry Kane and Son Heung-min are one of the best-attacking duos in Europe. Last season, they combined for 40 goals in the EPL alone. Kane also led the team in assists with nine while Dejan Kulusevski followed him with eight.
The Spurs already signed some reinforcements, including Ivan Perisic, who chose them over Inter Milan. There’s also Yves Bissouma, who last season took the league by storm while playing for Brighton. They paid almost 30 million euros for him.
Conte is a very successful manager who already won the EPL with Chelsea and the Serie A with Inter Milan. So, yes, Tottenham deserves to be among the betting online favorites to dethrone the Citizens.
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Dark Horses
Erik ten Hag, who made Ajax a powerhouse once again, took over Manchester United’s reins. Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to remain on the team. Regarding transfers, Frenkie de Jong is the team’s priority. He became a superstar while playing for Ten Hag’s Ajax. Even so, the Red Devils are offering a +2500 price, enough to be considered a dark horse.
Nevertheless, if you were looking for an underdog to include in your soccer picks at a very tempting price, Arsenal could be the answer. The Gunners, who last season finished in fifth place, are offering a +6600 price. If you place a $100 bet on them and they pull off the stunner, your payout would be $6700. They won the title for the last time in the 2003-04 season, so it might be time to rewrite history.
