With the Premier League season getting under way this weekend, our team give their verdicts and selections for a variety of markets.
They provide predictions for the winner, European qualification, relegation, top scorer and a best bet, with some interesting and differing shouts.
Who wins the title and makes into Europe?
Jake Osgathorpe
- Winner: Arsenal
- Top 4: Man City, Liverpool, Newcastle
- Top 6: Tottenham, Aston Villa
- Best bet: Newcastle to finish top four at 2/1 (General)
Joe Townsend
- Winner: Arsenal
- Top 4: Man City, Liverpool, Newcastle
- Top 6: Tottenham, Aston Villa
- Best bet: Martin Odegaard to win PFA Player of the Year at 16/1 (BetVictor)
Tom Carnduff
- Winner: Man City
- Top 4: Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham
- Top 6: Aston Villa, West Ham
- Best bet: West Ham +34 season handicap e.w. at 12/1 (Sky Bet 1/4 1,2,3,4)
Jimmy 'The Punt' Cantrill
- Winner: Man City
- Top 4: Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle
- Top 6: Tottenham, West Ham
- Best bet: Ipswich +50 season handicap e.w. at 16/1 (Boylesports 1/4 1,2,3,4)
MANCHESTER CITY are bidding for a fifth straight Premier League title, and are the favourites to extend their dynasty in 24/25. ARSENAL chased them home again last season, this time finishing just two points behind the eventual champions.
Expect the Gunners to go close again, and they are really the only concrete challenger this season, with major questions around the rest.
LIVERPOOL start the post-Jurgen Klopp era, TOTTENHAM have to deal with European football, CHELSEA are a mess, MANCHESTER UNITED were historically bad last season and ASTON VILLA must balance Premier League football with Champions League football.
NEWCASTLE could be at an advantage compared to their top four rivals in having no continental football, and could be a big threat to replicate what they did in 22/23. WEST HAM could be in the same boat, and having spent plenty of cash in the summer to back new manager Julen Lopetegui, the Hammers could be dangerous.
Who's going down?
Jake Osgathorpe
- Relegation: Leicester, Southampton, Ipswich
Joe Townsend
- Relegation: Leicester, Southampton, Forest
Tom Carnduff
- Relegation: Leicester, Southampton, Ipswich
Jimmy 'The Punt' Cantrill
- Relegation: Leicester, Southampton, Forest
Last season's fight to avoid relegation was an embarrassing one. All three promoted teams went straight back to the second tier, two of them with a whimper.
Even with Everton (8 points) and Nottingham Forest (4) receiving points deductions, the bottom three finished six points behind the rest.
We could see similar this season, as the gap between the top of the Championship and bottom of the Premier League continues to widen. Leicester are set for a points deduction of their own this season, while Southampton's style and Ipswich's naivety meaning it could be a struggle for the trio.
Can anyone beat Haaland to top scorer?
Jake Osgathorpe
- Top scorer: Erling Haaland
- Outside shout: Alexander Isak
Joe Townsend
- Top scorer: Erling Haaland
- Outside shout: Cody Gakpo
Tom Carnduff
- Top scorer: Erling Haaland
- Outside shout: Christopher Nkunku
Jimmy 'The Punt' Cantrill
- Top scorer: Erling Haaland
- Outside shout: Hwang-Hee Chan
ERLING HAALAND will take some beating in this market. The Norwegian has won the Golden Boot in both of his seasons in England, racking up a record-breaking 36 in his debut campaign and following it up with 27 last time out.
While it is hard to look past City's cyborg, there are quite a few challengers who could potentially get close, ALEXANDER ISAK being one.
Newcastle's front man finished with 21 goals last season, closing the season in red-hot form. His underlying numbers were the closest to those of Haaland, so, playing in an attacking Newcastle side with no European football this season, he could rack up the goals again.
DOMINIC SOLANKE fired 19 goals at Bournemouth last term, and will look to bag more this season after his £65m move to Tottenham, while perennial challengers and previous winners of the gong, MOHAMED SALAH and HEUNG-MIN SON will be around the top of the scoring charts once again.
Odds correct at 1630 (15/08/24)
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