Photo by Victoria Haydn/Manchester City FC via Getty Images. Pictured: Kevin De Bruyne
Soccer is the true 12-month sport (sorry, football and basketball fans).
Though we have Euros and the Copa America churning along for another week and a half, preseason friendlies begin about a week after that.
Then, the Premier League, La Liga and other national leagues start about three weeks thereafter. It’s a non-stop grind — way more than any other sport in the world.
With a half-week gap before the Euros and Copa America quarterfinals begin, we thought we would take a look ahead at the Premier League’s futures odds for the upcoming season.
This story will be updated intermittently throughout the campaign.
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Odds to Win 2021-22 Premier League
Odds via DraftKings as of July 1
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Manchester City | -139 |
| Chelsea | +500 |
| Liverpool | +500 |
| Manchester United | +650 |
| Leicester City | +4000 |
| Tottenham | +4000 |
| Arsenal | +6600 |
| Everton | +10000 |
| Aston Villa | +15000 |
| Leeds United | +15000 |
| West Ham | +15000 |
| Brighton | +20000 |
| Wolves | +20000 |
| Newcastle | +30000 |
| Southampton | +30000 |
| Burnley | +50000 |
| Crystal Palace | +50000 |
| Norwich City | +100000 |
| Watford | +100000 |
| Brentford | +100000 |
Preseason Update
- Manchester City are absolute juggernauts who have cover at every position. There are legitimately 20 players on this roster that could play for most, if not every, club team in the world. While they haven’t made any notable incoming transfers quite yet, their sights are set on Harry Kane and Jack Grealish. If the rumors are any indication, there seems to be a distinct possibility that Grealish happens at the right price. I don’t see Tottenham Chairman Daniel Levy letting Kane go under the current circumstances, especially because the team has far more bargaining leverage now that Manchester United is likely out of the Kane conversation after dropping about $100 million on Jadon Sancho. Regardless, it seems like there’s a solid chance Grealish makes the move up north and calcifies City’s chances at a repeat this season. If that happens, expect this -139 to lengthen even further.
- Chelsea are coming off a surprising Champions League victory and haven’t made any notable transfer moves either — besides selling Fikayo Tomori to AC Milan. The 23-year-old defender had already left in January on loan. As of Thursday, they are also rumored to be at the closing stages of loaning out wunderkind midfielder Billy Gilmour. While Chelsea has clearly found a formation and style of play that suits their squad, until they find a consistent No. 9 option, I don’t see them being anything more than a top-four contender over a lengthy Premier League campaign. I love their center backs, I love their wingbacks and Mason Mount is a complete baller. But Timo Werner and Tammy Abraham are liabilities up top. These odds at +500, with the current roster makeup, don’t present much value for me. They’ve been rumored as prospective buyers for Erling Haaland for the second straight summer, and with Sancho officially out of Dortmund, perhaps that becomes more of a distinct possibility. But until they nail down an out-and-out striker, I don’t think this team can pull off a title over a 38 game stretch.
- Liverpool at +500 might be the best value play here. Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez will be back and they picked up some more center back cover with a $44 million purchase of RB Leipzig’s Ibrahima Konate. The loss of Georginio Wijnaldum in the middle will be mildly problematic, but I rate Thiago to have a fantastic bounce-back season after he struggled with injuries throughout 2020-21. The front-three and wingbacks that won this team the Premier League and Champions League is still intact. Alison is still the best keeper in the world. Yes, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane have regressed slightly. Yes, Trent Alexander-Arnold has his defensive issues. But this team — at full strength with their center backs — can contend with any team in the world. The loss of van Dijk and Gomez for the entire 20-21 season caused a chain reaction that resulted in a worse counter-pressing apparatus and an inability to press higher up the field for fearing of being countered. With two of the best center backs in the world back in the fray, I expect the Gegenpress to be back at full strength.
- The rest of the odds align with pretty much how you’d expect them, with the potential exception of Leicester City, which at +4000 has some solid value if you’re really, really trying to bet a massive underdog. Tottenham need at least two more center backs if they’re going to even make a run for the top-four. And I don’t rate United or Ole at only +650.
- The three promoted squads — Brentford, Watford and Norwich City — have the longest odds to win the trophy. No team has ever won the Premier League the season after promotion.
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