EPL Betting Futures – Foxes Finally Get Some Respect

Every week for the last 26 weeks, analysts and commentators have been predicting the end of Leicester City’s run in the Premier League. But now the Foxes are finally getting the respect they deserve; all it took was a string of high-profile wins against Tottenham, Liverpool, and Manchester City (he said facetiously).

Now that Leicester have knocked off all the other top teams in the EPL, the bookmakers are convinced that they can knock off all the other top teams in the EPL. (How prescient!) The Foxes’ odds have jumped massively, moving from 12/1 in January to 3/1.

But the Foxes, who sit first in the table, still aren’t the title favorites. Both Arsenal and Tottenham, who sit two points back, have slightly better odds to claim the trophy.

While Arsenal and Manchester City still have Champions League hopes, and Tottenham, Manchester United, and Liverpool still have something to play for in the Europa League, Leicester City are in an enviable position that allows them to throw everything they have into the Premier League.

Manchester United and Liverpool were still hanging on by a thread (27/1 and 80/1 respectively) last time we checked in, but subpar months have led to both sides more or less being ruled out of contention.

What we have now is a four horse race: Arsenal, Tottenham, Leicester City, and Manchester City.

Here’s the full breakdown of the EPL landscape and the current title odds.

2015-16 EPL Title Odds (as of Feb. 19, 2016)

Arsenal (6/4) 
Arsenal earned a massive win over Leicester City last week (2-1, home), picking up three points on the Foxes and keeping them tied with Tottenham. Their performances against middling and lower tier teams have been uninspiring at times, but with star playmaker Mesut Ozil in excellent form and Olivier Giroud, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Alexis Sanchez forming a solid attack, the Gunners may just take their first title in 12 years.

Tottenham (5/2)
With Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli, and Harry Kane up front, Tottenham have the attacking power to take on any Premier League team. They sit two points behind Leicester in the table and a fraction behind Arsenal in the title odds, but many believe Tottenham are the current favorites for the title. They are more consistent than Arsenal and are stronger (on paper) than Leicester. Spurs haven’t won the EPL since 1961 and haven’t cracked the top-three since 1990. The team will do its utmost to capitalize on comparative down years from the likes of Chelsea, United, and City.

Leicester (3/1) 
Though the foxes still sit on top of the table, the bookmakers are leaving them at third in the odds. Their next two games are against bottom-feeders Norwich City and West Brom, followed by the better-than-expected Watford. If Leicester City can hold onto their current form, they should have no problem maintaining their lead. Maybe then they’ll finally be considered title favorites.

The Foxes may have found themselves the out-and-out faves this time around but for that setback to Arsenal. The team conceded a last-minute goal, robbing them of a point. But fans shouldn’t be too concerned; they were defending a lead with only ten men for the majority of the game. If anything, the game showed that their success so far is anything but fleeting.

Manchester City (6/1) 
Last month, Manchester City (6/5) were the favorites to win the title. But after losing consecutive games to Leicester City and Tottenham, doubts are being raised about City’s ability to bounce back. With Belgian star Kevin de Bruyne ruled out for ten weeks due to a crippling knee injury and captain Vincent Kompany recovering from a lingering calf problem, the team is not at its best at the moment.

Manchester United (80/1)
Manchester United have gone from bad to worse this last month. With a humiliating Europa League loss to Danish side Midtjylland (who??) this week, and a series of sloppy, uninspiring EPL games, things are looking glum at Old Trafford.

To make things worse, the aging Wayne Rooney, who has been their most reliable player recently, is out for six weeks due to a knee injury. Manager Louis Van Gaal will likely be shown the door in the coming weeks, but by now the damage has been done.

Liverpool (500/1)
When Jurgen Klopp came to Liverpool, many believed it would be a turning point for the ailing club. Since then, the team has shown flashes of brilliance but, on the whole, there has been little improvement. The title – and the top four – are drifting further and further out of sight. The club will likely shift its focus to the Europa League.

The Field:

Chelsea: 660/1

Everton: 700/1

West Ham: 900/1

Southampton: 1000/1

Watford: 2000/1

Crystal Palace: 2500/1

Stoke: 2500/1

West Brom: 3000/1

Bournemouth: 3000/1

Swansea City: 3500/1

Norwich City: 5000/1

Newcastle: 6500/1

Sunderland: 8000/1

Aston Villa: 10000/1

(Photo credit: Ronnie Macdonald [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.)