2025-26 English Premier League Betting Preview:
The start of the new English Premier League season is just around the corner, and I love getting stuck into the futures markets to pick out bets that will give us an interest over the next nine months. Here is my opinion on the title winners, best bet for relegation, the top goalscorer and a couple of tasty looking prop bets.
Premier League Winner:
The traders make this a four-horse race, and I agree. I can’t see anyone outside of Chelsea (+900), Man City (+330), Arsenal (+230) or Liverpool (+175) getting in contention.
Chelsea are the newly crowned Club World Cup champions and have once again spent big, bringing in another eight players at a cost of close to $300 million. In fairness, their outgoings have recouped nearly $250 million of that without negatively impacting the squad, with the inconsistent Noni Madueke the highest profile (and expensive) exit.
They started hot last season and traded as low as +350 before fading away. A similar story wouldn’t surprise me this time round, but I think they can claim third place ahead of Manchester City.
Pep’s men had a terrible campaign by their high standards last season, finishing third in the league, a distant 13 points behind the champions and failing to win a trophy.
Defeat in the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace would have been a massive disappointment, as would their failure in the Club World Cup. Without a doubt, that was a tournament Guardiola wanted to win, announcing his side as “back.” They fell well short, losing in the Round of 16, getting knocked out by Al-Hilal and shipping four goals in the process.
Legends of their title wins, Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker, have been moved on. While most of their summer recruitment has been eye-catching, I feel this could be another season of transition as those new players take time to adjust to the rigours of the Premier League.
Their best hope of a trophy will come in the cup competitions. Talking of trophies, the pressure is on Mikel Arteta to deliver one at Arsenal, and a slow start could really see him come under pressure.
The Gunners were next best last season, but 10 points is a lot to make up, especially with Liverpool strengthening extensively. I think that is too big a gap to bridge, despite a couple of decent signings.
It has been obvious for a few years now Arsenal have needed a striker, and they have finally pulled the trigger on Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting. He was prolific over in Portugal, but is unproven in the Premier League and a player sold for peanuts by the shrewd Tony Bloom at Brighton not so long ago. That man seldom makes a mistake, and I can’t help but think the Londoners have paid over the odds. It looks like a fourth successive runners-up spot for Arteta and his men.
Which means I am siding with the favorites and current champions. Although they won the title by 10 points last term, Liverpool pretty much stopped playing for the final month and failed to win any of their last four fixtures. If they’d kept on it, that margin of victory would likely have been around 14 points.
What’s more, having spent $300 million on new players, they look even better equipped ahead of the new season. The old phrase no better time to strengthen than from a position of power couldn’t be truer.
There has been significant money coming for the Reds, and if they get their way and land the fantastic Alexander Isak, that price will tumble further. In short, I cannot see anyone getting close to Liverpool this campaign as they look set to land successive titles for the first time since the 1983–84 season.
Relegation:
The last six sides that have been relegated from the Premier League have all been the newly promoted ones from the Championship. This season, Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland look to end that trend, and I actually believe at least one of them can survive.
I fear for Burnley. Their manager may be a hot property and their success was built on incredible defense that kept a record 30 clean sheets while only conceding a mind-blowing 16 goals last term. However, goalkeeper James Trafford was sold back to Man City in the summer, and they have also lost CJ Egan-Riley to Marseille on a free. Top scorer Josh Brownhill has also left the club.
Leeds have spent wisely on improving their defense, while Sunderland have had a real go. Manager Regis Le Bris has signed a new long-term contract while the club have spent $150 million, including five players of at least $20 million.
On top of that, they pulled off something of a coup in persuading Granit Xhaka to swap Bayer Leverkusen and the Champions League for a relegation scrap on Tyne and Wear. So, which of the establishment is set to drop through the trapdoor? I am all over Brentford at +300.
Since promotion to the Premier League, the Bees have consistently punched above their weight, and none more so than in finishing 10th last season. Much of that has been down to the incredible work of Thomas Frank, who after nine years at the club this summer, left to take the head coach position at Tottenham, taking most of his backroom staff with him.
To make matters worse, top scorer Bryan Mbeumo was bought by Manchester United and captain Christian Norgaard departed for Arsenal. With clubs showing interest in wantaway Yoane Wissa, who also hit 19 goals last term, things are set to get even worse.
Owner Matthew Benham is a very successful bettor, but his gamble on replacing Frank with former set piece coach Keith Andrews, who has never previously been a manager, looks one that is set to fail. With no signs of adequate replacements for the departed contingent, Brentford look the best bet to be the mid-table side to drop if at least one of the new boys proves themselves to be remotely competent.
Top Goalscorer
There is a very warm order in the top scorer market with Erling Haaland priced at +125 to reclaim the Golden Boot from Mo Salah (+500). With this being a really popular future for bettors to get involved in, I have picked out a player I think can give us a great run for our money at much bigger odds.
I can’t be taking Man City’s number 9 at that price. Yes, there is a strong chance he will finish at the top of the pile as he has done in two of his three seasons in England, but you’re only a serious injury away from screwing up your ticket. Also consider the Norwegian has regressed from 36 goals in season one, to 27 in 2023-24 to 22 last term, and given I feel this City side are still in transition, there are enough question marks to look elsewhere.
Salah himself will be at the African Cup of Nations and will likely miss at least six games as a result. The last time he attended, he recorded his lowest tally for Liverpool of 18 goals—a repeat will almost certainly leave him short.
A happy, content and settled Alexander Isak would be of great interest, albeit at a fraction of last season’s +1600. Odds of +600 would still be good enough if we could look into the future and see what happens with his potential move to Liverpool. He is currently training solo at Newcastle, and that casts doubt on his availability at the start of the campaign.
Most of the top clubs have multiple representations in the betting. Of the 15 market leaders, Liverpool, City and Arsenal all have two players while Chelsea has three, meaning the goals are expected to be shared around.
I am looking for a striker who will get the majority of his side’s goals, will be on penalties, and will pretty much be assured of a starting position week in week out, injury permitting. Ollie Watkins fits most of those criteria, but seeing him fall out of favor with Unai Emery last term does ring alarm bells.
So, for me, the player I have settled on is Dominik Solanke of Tottenham. After hitting 19 goals in his last season at Bournemouth, a number that could put him in the places this campaign, he left for North London in a deal worth $70 million.
A poor league campaign across the board under Ange Postecoglou meant he never threatened that tally with injuries and a toxic atmosphere playing their part. Expect Spurs to be much better this season under the more balanced approach of Thomas Frank, who recently said he is 100% sure his side will score a lot of goals this season.
That bodes well for the main man Solanke, who won’t be expected to do quite so much legwork and have more emphasis on putting the ball in the back of the net. At odds of +3300, I therefore think he is well worth a small investment.
Prop Bets
Having put Dominik Solanke forward as my best bet in the outright scorer market, I am sticking with him for what is my best futures bet of the new season. I was shocked to see the England international priced at +200 to be the top scorer for Tottenham this season—that is incredible value.
After being expected to link play, run the channels, make decoy runs and pretty much everything else under Ange Postecoglou, we should see his main directive this season be to score the goals that get Spurs challenging at the right end of the league. His 19 goals in his last season at Bournemouth were proof he can be prolific in the right system, and he could get that again this term.
New manager Thomas Frank has a reputation for getting the best out of his main striker. Neal Maupay had his best season when playing under the Danish manager, firing 25 goals in 2019 to earn a move to Brighton. His replacement Ollie Watkins went one better the following season, enough to tempt Aston Villa to pay $40m for his services. Then followed Ivan Toney, who hit 33 goals in the Bees promotion season and 20 in the Premier League in 2023. Last year saw Mbeumo and Wissa hit 20 and 19 goals respectively under Frank.
I feel Solanke is the next beneficiary. Spurs were plagued by injury last season, and the 27-year-old had no real chance to form partnerships, which should change this term. With the addition of Mohammed Kudus, there is plenty of creativity behind the striker.
Heung-Min Son has left for the MLS, and I expect that means Solanke will take over responsibility for penalties. James Maddison, who also scored nine league goals last term, will miss most of this one with an ACL. Brennan Johnson top scored in the last campaign with 11 goals, but I feel that was a purple patch and doubled his tally of the season before. Expect regression towards that number.
Finally, with this being a World Cup year, there is a massive chance for Solanke to stake his claim to a place in Thomas Tuchel’s final squad, and he will be determined to show he is the best English goalscorer in the Premier League. Do that, and he will easily cash this ticket for us.
For my final selection, I am doing what I like to do often and swim against the tide. There is plenty of talk that Everton will struggle this season, their first in a new home since that emotional farewell to Goodison Park. I’m not having it and am backing them to finish in the top half at +200.
Unlike many other fan bases that have moved to a new arena, it feels Evertonians knew it was the right thing to do. They needed to upgrade and modernize, and they were ready. In charge, they have an experienced and very safe pair of hands. David Moyes turned their fortunes around and easily guided them to safety after rejoining a club he spent 11 years at in his first spell.
Nobody gets the club more than him, and he has struck the balance between effective soccer, being well organised, and aggressive without sending the fans to sleep. Nearly half the Premier League will be playing in European competition this season, and the Toffees can take advantage.
There were a few grumblings after a slow start to the transfer window, but new striker Thierno Barry looks an exciting addition to compete with Beto at the top end of the pitch. Carlos Alcaraz has joined permanently after his loan, and the signing of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Chelsea looks a shrewd one. Moyes is just the man to get the best out of a player with a point to prove.
At the back keeping, Jarrad Branthwaite is one of their best pieces of business. He forms a rock-solid defense with James Tarkowski and Jake O’Brien in front of England’s first-choice keeper, Jordan Pickford. The real eye-catching story that recently broke is that Everton are favorites to add the incredible talent that is Jack Grealish on loan. If secured, he would provide the magic dust this side lacks and would see this price get smashed to bits.
Expect a big improvement from the recent relegation struggles with a full season under Moyes, and they can once again be looking forward rather than over their shoulders.
