

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MAY 21: Ilkay Guendogan of Manchester City lifts the Premier League trophy following the Premier League match between Manchester City and Chelsea FC at Etihad Stadium on May 21, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
Manchester City recently wrapped up their fifth Premier League title in the last six years and they are already installed as the bookmakers favourites to retain the trophy in 2023/24. We take a look at the betting market and assess some of the leading contenders…
PL outright betting market
Betting on the outright winner of the Premier League title is one of the most popular markets for casual football bettors. Recreational gamblers love to bet on football and many will place a wager at the start of each season on who will win the PL title. Betting on the outright winner in this market is straightforward, and far easier to understand compared to a more complex strategy such as as matched betting – where you use offers and free bets to secure a profit by backing all outcomes of a particular event.
Casual gamblers like to bet on the title winner as it’s a long-term wager that adds excitement to the season, and it’s usually fairly easy to predict who the main contenders for the title will be ahead of each campaign.
Main contenders
Leicester City are the only side to break the ‘big six’ monopoly over the Premier League since it’s inception in the early 1990’s, so contenders for the title has been reasonably predictable. Although Newcastle have now entered the race so they could mix things up over the coming years.
Man City 8/15
Pep Guardiola’s side were second best to Arsenal for much of the last campaign with the North Londoners holding an eight point lead at one stage. However, City hit top form at the business end of the season to close the gap on the Gunners. City’s experience and quality proved decisive as Arsenal cracked under the pressure. Guardiola’s relentless superstars produced a stunning winning run to clinch their third consecutive league title.
Man City also won the FA Cup with a narrow 2-1 win over Man Utd at Wembley and they could complete an historic treble if they beat Inter Milan in Saturday’s Champions League final in Istanbul. Therefore, it’s no wonder that the bookies have already made Man City the 8/15 odds-on favourites to retain their title during the 2023/24 season. It’s certainly going to take something special to stop Guardiola’s juggernaut from securing yet another Premier League trophy next year.
Liverpool 8/1
However, 2023/24 is expected to be one of the most competitive seasons for some time with several top teams likely to be much stronger than they were in 2022/23. Liverpool had a disastrous season by their standards, finishing 5th having previously gone toe-to-toe with City for the previous few years.
Jurgen Klopp will strengthen this summer and Liverpool are expected to be right back in the mix for the title next season. They are currently the bookmakers second favourites at odds of 8/1.
Arsenal 9/1
Arsenal were the surprise package last year and having led the way for so many months, they fell short at the final hurdle to finish second. Mikel Arteta is hoping to sign the likes of Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo this summer, which should really strengthen Arsenal’s midfield. Some Gooners will therefore be tempted to back their club to go one better next season and win the title. Odds of 9/1 look tempting right now.
Man Utd 10/1
Erik ten Hag enjoyed a solid debut season in England, winning the League Cup and guiding Man Utd to a third placed finish in the league. They will no doubt buy a top class striker as they look to close the gap on the top two. If United could sign Harry Kane, then they would look terrific value to win the title at odds of 10/1.
Newcastle 14/1
Eddie Howe is doing a terrific job at St James’ Park and Newcastle are back in the Champions League after finishing fourth last season. They have the money to really push on and build a top class squad for next season so they’ll be hoping to put-in a sustained title challenge next year. The Magpies are outsiders at odds of 14/1, but those odds will tumble if they can sign a few world class names, with Neymar among those linked.
Chelsea 16/1
The Blues endured a nightmare season last year and finished in the bottom half of the table. However, they are expected to be rejuvenated under new boss Mauricio Pochettino and they obviously have the money available to build a formidable squad having spend over £600m in the last 12 months. However, Pochettino has a huge job on his hands to overhaul his squad and it’s surely too soon to consider them serious title contenders.
