EPL Relegation Odds for Bournemouth, Watford & Aston Villa Ahead of Final Weekend
- The relegation battle in the Premier League will come down to the final weekend
- Aston Villa and Watford are tied in 17th and 18th with 34 points apiece, while Bournemouth has 31
- Who will go down with Norwich City? Get the odds, preview, and best bet below
While the race for a top-four finish in England’s top-flight remains exciting, the battle to stay in the Premier League is also a tight one. Aston Villa, Watford, and Bournemouth will all be looking for a positive result this weekend as they try to steer clear of the relegation zone.
Villa grabbed a crucial three points on Tuesday against Arsenal in a 1-0 win. Watford however, lost 4-0 to Manchester City. Bournemouth is in a tough spot as they sit three points behind the Lions and Hornets after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Southampton last weekend.
EPL Relegation Odds
| Team | Odds Not to Be Relegated | Odds to Be Relegated at Bet365 |
|---|---|---|
| Aston Villa | -250 | +200 |
| Watford | +275 | -350 |
| Bournemouth | +1200 | -2500 |
Odds taken July 23
The Premier League Relegation Odds currently favor Villa to stay up, followed by Watford then Bournemouth.
Villa in a Good Spot
Dean Smith’s men have had some dreadful moments this season, but as the relegation battle comes down to the wire, they’ve brought their best. They haven’t lost in their last three matches, collecting wins against Crystal Palace and Arsenal, while snagging a point against Everton.
The Lions welcomed an in-form Gunners side to Villa Park on Tuesday knowing they needed a result and got the job done in fine fashion after a first-half goal from Mahmoud Trezeguet. This victory was a huge testament to their backline, who have conceded the second-most goals in the Premier League this season. To keep an Arsenal attack quiet with the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette constantly creating havoc was impressive and showed just how badly this Villa squad wants to stay in the top flight.
Matchday 38 will see Aston Villa meet West Ham United, who have also been playing great football as of late. As it currently stands, if Villa doesn’t win and Watford somehow beats Arsenal, they would go down. But, if they both lose or tie, it would come down to goal difference in which currently, Villa has the advantage. With the Cherries and Hornets facing two tough sides though, a defeat for Dean Smith’s men could still see them stay up if Watford and Bournemouth lose to Arsenal and Everton, respectively.
Can the Hornets Find a Result?
Watford has won just twice in their last five appearances, losing two straight against Man City and West Ham. It will be a daunting task for them on Sunday when they face Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal. On a positive note though, they played to a 2-2 draw with the Gunners back in September. However, the North Londoners are a much different squad now with a new manager in charge.
Nigel Pearson took over at Vicarage Road back in December and his main task was to keep Watford in the Premier League. This team has struggled to score this term though, bagging just 34 goals in 37 fixtures while conceding 61. The club decided to axe their current manager and hand the job to U23 boss Hayden Mullins just before the loss to the Citizens.
After giving up four goals to City, the Hornets need to better Villa’s result against West Ham this weekend or hope they lose by two goals more than them if Watford does lose to Arsenal. A lot needs to go right on Sunday in order for them to stay in the top flight, but if they can somehow pull out three points against the Gunners, it’s going to put the Hornets in a prime position.
Bournemouth in Trouble
A 4-1 victory over Leicester City on Matchday 35 was a step in the right direction for Eddie Howe, but since then, the Cherries have lost two straight after defeats to Manchester City and Southampton. Those negative results leave them on 31 points, three behind Villa and Watford heading into the final weekend. A clash with Everton at Goodison Park is a must-win fixture if they want any hope of remaining in the Premier League. The only way they will not be relegated is if they grab three points and both of their rivals lose their last matches, as goal difference would then play in their favor.
Of these three sides battling it out, Bournemouth has the worst odds of any, with -2500 odds to be relegated. They could pull off the unthinkable and beat the Toffees by a healthy margin, but it’s unlikely that Watford and Aston Villa will both lose as they know just how important their last fixture is in regards to their Premier League fate. It’s not looking good for the Cherries, who have been in the top flight since 2015.
Best Bet
Despite the lack of consistency for Aston Villa this season, I believe their last few matches have proven they’re the team who deserve to stay up. Results against the likes of Everton, Arsenal, and Palace have shown that the Lions are hungry to remain the Premier League for another season after being promoted from the Championship last year. Watford and Bournemouth haven’t been playing well when it matters most in their last two fixtures and they both have tough matches against Arsenal and Everton on Sunday.
West Ham is no easy task, but I do believe Villa will continue their impressive form and find a result this weekend. In return, they will find themselves in the safe zone.
Best Bet Not to Be Relegated: Aston Villa -250
Quinn Allen is a sports journalist, with a background and education in broadcast journalism (BCIT '17). He is a full-time associate editor at ClutchPoints by day, where he writes about soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and more. At night, Quinn is a frequent contributor at SBD.
