2019-20 EPL Top Half and Bottom Half Table Odds & Best Bets
- Wolves, Everton, Leicester and West Ham aim for top 10
- Aston Villa look good outsiders for top half
- Crystal Palace, Southampton, Newcastle and Watford likely for bottom half
The English Premier League prides itself on being the most competitive in the world.
The point is proven by the emergence this season of a new pack of mid-level clubs who are seen as serious challengers for some of the leading places.
EPL 2019-20 Top Half Finish Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Tottenham Hotspur | -20000 |
| Arsenal | -10000 |
| Chelsea | -10000 |
| Manchester Utd | -10000 |
| Everton | -260 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | -260 |
| Leicester City | -195 |
| West Ham Utd | +100 |
| Crystal Palace | +275 |
| Newcastle Utd | +275 |
| Southampton | +275 |
| Watford | +275 |
| Bournemouth | +350 |
| Aston Villa | +450 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | +650 |
| Burnley | +700 |
| Norwich City | +1000 |
| Sheffield Utd | +1200 |
*Odds taken at 2019/08/07
Leicester City, Wolves, Everton and West Ham United are all fancied as potential threats to the EPL’s regular elite group.
All four teams are strongly-rated as the best value bets in books’ assessment of which teams will finish in the top half of the table – with title favorites Manchester City and second-ranked Liverpool excluded from the market.
Certainly, they offer more promising returns than the remainder of the familiar leading pack of Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.
Bold Coach Pellegrini
Shrewd-spending West Ham, with their bold, attacking manager Manuel Pellegrini, are particularly attractive at +100.
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For a promising outside bet, newly-promoted Aston Villa are interesting at +450 after highly-rated coach Dean Smith spent more than $225 million on 12 new signings.
Along with the biggest teams who regularly occupy the leading positions, the analysts are offering odds on which sides will be in the top 10 and which in the bottom 10.
Arsenal have broken their transfer record to increase their attacking potency by capturing winger Nicolas Pepe from Lille for $117 million.
As you would expect for a team who reached last season’s Champions League final and finished third in the EPL, Tottenham Hotspur are most favored outside of City and Liverpool to be in the top half next May at -20000. Not much promise of big returns there.
EPL 2019-20 Bottom Half Finish Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Sheffield Utd | -3300 |
| Norwich City | -2500 |
| Burnley | -1250 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | -1100 |
| Aston Villa | -700 |
| Bournemouth | -500 |
| Crystal Palace | -375 |
| Newcastle Utd | -375 |
| Southampton | -375 |
| Watford | -375 |
| West Ham Utd | -140 |
| Leicester City | +160 |
| Everton | +200 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | +200 |
| Arsenal | +1000 |
| Chelsea | +1200 |
| Manchester Utd | +1200 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | +1800 |
*Odds taken at 2019/08/07
Similarly, from last season’s top six, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United are all priced at -10000.
United Spend Big on Defense
United have spent $210 million to strengthen in defense by signing Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
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Arsenal have broken their transfer record to increase their attacking potency by capturing winger Nicolas Pepe from Lille for $117 million.
However, there is a newly-improved chasing pack who should all be very capable of finishing in the top half. This is where opportunities lie.
Chelsea have a new manager in club icon Frank Lampard who is expected to lift the spirits and desire around Stamford Bridge. Although they are operating under a transfer ban they had landed Christian Pusilic before it came into force.
However, there is a newly-improved chasing pack who should all be very capable of finishing in the top half. This is where opportunities lie. These clubs have made serious statements of intent.
Wolves were seventh last season. Their manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, has quickly built a big reputation in English football.
They are priced at -260 after making the $59 million signing of Mexican striker Raul Jiminez permanent. They have also brought in winger Pedro Neto from Lazio and forward Patrick Cutrone from AC Milan.
Everton Splash Out
Everton have spent big to capture young striker Moise Kean from Juventus and defensive midfielder Jean-Phillipe Gbamin from Mainz as well as making the Spanish midfielder Andre Gomes a $49 million signing.
After finishing eighth last season, they are also -260 to make the top 10.
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Leicester City finished ninth in May after impressive manager Brendan Rodgers arrived mid-season from Celtic.
They also offer some value at -195 after signing striker Ayoze Perez from Newcastle for $50 million and permanently signing Monaco midfielder Yuri Tielemans for $65 million after his loan spell last season.
Watford were in the top half for most of last season before finishing 11th. At +275, they are the best bet for the top 10 among clubs who are priced the same including Crystal Palace, Newcastle and Southampton.
West Ham were 10th in the spring. The arrival of $73 million striker Sebastien Haller and $40 million Spanish youngster Pablo Fornals will more than compensate for the departure of Marko Arnautovic – as will the return from long-term injury of Andriy Yarmolenko.
Watford were in the top half for most of last season before finishing 11th. At +275, they are the best bet for the top 10 among clubs who are priced the same including Crystal Palace, Newcastle and Southampton.
In the market for the bottom half of the table, newly-promoted Sheffield United (-3300), fellow newcomers Norwich City (-2500) and Burnley (-1250) are widely-favored to fill the three relegation spots.
Brighton narrowly escaped the drop last season and offer little expectation at -1100, either.
The best value for the bottom half lies among those clubs who are the narrowest outsiders to make the top 10.
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West Ham’s price of -140 for the bottom 10 is intriguing. Although they are fancied for the top half, they can be unpredictable and have been prone to under-achievement throughout their history.
The best value for the bottom half lies among those clubs who are the narrowest outsiders to make the top 10.
That places Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Southampton and Watford at -375 to finish in the bottom half.
Palace – 12th last season – may look the best opportunity here if they lose star player Wilfried Zaha, with European transfer windows open longer than the EPL’s.
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Bruce’s Troubled Arrival
Newcastle’s supporters have not taken kindly to the appointment of Steve Bruce as manager and it could be a troublesome campaign if they do not make a good start.
Few feel Bruce can improve on the 13th place attained by the popular Rafael Benitez in May.
Southampton have spent £40 million on strikers Danny Ings and Che Adams but do not look strong enough for the top 10 after finishing 16th last season.
Picks: Top Half – Aston Villa (+450); Bottom Half – West Ham Utd (-150)
John Dillon is a leading member of the UK's sporting media, having spent three decades as a national newspaper soccer and sports writer, broadcaster and author. He has covered five World Cups, six European Championships and was Chief Sports Writer at the Daily Express for 14 years.
