At the start of any football season, the long-term ‘Futures’ bets are the most appealing. This tends to be the time when longer odds are up for grabs and it’s a good opportunity to get involved.
Among the many options available in the English Premier League, relegation betting can sometimes be overlooked. Following the Championship playoff final in May, the final 20 teams have been confirmed so let’s take a look at relegation market options for next year’s EPL.
The New Boys
While it’s rare for all three newly promoted teams to go down, it’s also likely that at least one will drop straight back down to the Championship. Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Fulham are the sides in question and those three are favourites for the drop.
In early relegation markets, the top betting sites as supplied by Sbo.net put Forest as favourites, followed by Bournemouth and Fulham. It’s a logical conclusion to draw and, as the season develops, it will be interesting to see if the figures are justified.
After the first ball is kicked in anger, those odds will switch to the live sections of the sportsbooks where they will be constantly monitored. Visitors can check the updated odds while assessing any news and opinion stories that appear.
There’s lots of information involved and it’s also possible to put that knowledge to the test. All sportsbooks referenced on the pages will be willing to accept new customers. The sign up process is swift and secure and many operators have a welcome package waiting at the end of it.
A range of deposit methods gets the account moving and customer services are on hand to assist. Moving forward, there will be options to bet on other sports, together with the potential for live streaming and mobile betting.
Bournemouth enjoyed an extended stay in the EPL until recently while Fulham have become a classic ‘yo-yo’ club. As for Nottingham Forest, this is their first visit to the Premier League since 1999 and that lack of experience makes them obvious favourites.
Second Season Syndrome
As relative outsiders at general odds of 7/2, Brentford could be a logical bet this time around. They impressed in their first ever Premier League season, but the Bees may find it much harder to survive in 2022/23.
One big concern surrounds the future of Christian Eriksen. Brentford took a gamble on the Danish international when they signed him in the January transfer window but it was one that paid off handsomely.
After the club appeared to be slipping towards the relegation zone, Eriksen’s assured performances helped them towards mid-table. However, there are suggestions that the midfielder could be on his way out of the club with Manchester United and Spurs showing an interest.
With further speculation surrounding top scorer Ivan Toney to sign this summer, a weakened Brentford squad could be vulnerable.
Outsider Potential
Few neutral football fans would have expected Everton to be sucked into a relegation battle last season. The Toffees looked certainties for the drop at one stage before a late rally earned the points needed to survive.
Who could step forward as Everton’s equivalent in 2022/23? Leeds United are currently the fourth favourites for the drop and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see them go down. Everton themselves could be back in the mix if they don’t improve their squad in the summer.
Perhaps Wolves could also be in danger. The club never looked in trouble last season but they struggle to score goals and, if their defence is weakened, their stay in the top flight could be over.
The Verdict
The first teams to look at are those that have just been promoted into the Premier League. Nottingham Forest lack the experience at the highest level and they could be set to lose Djed Spence who was instrumental in getting them up into the top flight.
Fulham and Bournemouth will battle and they will be encouraged by the fact that there are vulnerable sides above them. Leeds United and Brentford will be under pressure to perform next season and both clubs look to be in danger if they can’t improve their respective squads.
