Best bets to win the English Premier League
Manchester City are overwhelming favorites to defend their Premier League title in 2021-22 after being crown champions in three of the last four seasons.
But with the clubs below the champions all improving, a less straightforward title challenge is expected this time around after Pep Guardiola's side wrapped things up with three matches to spare last campaign.
Here are the odds to win the 2022 Premier League title:
| Club | Odds |
|---|---|
| Manchester City | -140 |
| Chelsea | +500 |
| Liverpool | +500 |
| Manchester United | +600 |
| Tottenham | +3300 |
| Leicester City | +3600 |
| Arsenal | +4500 |
| Everton | +10000 |
| Aston Villa | +12500 |
| Leeds United | +12500 |
| West Ham | +15000 |
| Wolves | +15000 |
| Brighton | +20000 |
| Southampton | +20000 |
| Crystal Palace | +25000 |
| Burnley | +35000 |
| Brentford | +50000 |
| Newcastle | +50000 |
| Norwich City | +50000 |
| Watford | +50000 |
Liverpool (+500)
Following a disappointing season in 2020-21 - when a late rally was required just to secure a Champions League place - and a relatively quiet transfer window, Liverpool are mostly flying under the radar ahead of 2021-22. But discount the Reds at your own peril.
No Premier League side will benefit more from stadiums returning to full capacity than Liverpool, whose typically dominant Anfield form took a serious hit last season while playing in an empty stadium. Liverpool lost six straight league matches in front of the Kop at one point. Before that dreadful run, the Reds hadn't dropped a Premier League contest at Anfield since April 2017.
The return of Virgil van Dijk will also be integral to the Reds' success, as he was limited to just five league appearances before suffering a season-ending knee injury. He should be one half of a terrific partnership with new arrival Ibrahima Konate, shoring up a Reds defense that uncharacteristically struggled last season.
Combine that with a return to form for Sadio Mane and the continued emergence of Diogo Jota, and Liverpool - who won eight of 10 matchups (drawing two) to close out last season - are primed once again to challenge Manchester City for Premier League supremacy.
Leicester City (+3600)
Despite being mainstays in the top-four conversation during recent years and winning the 2016 Premier League title, Leicester lack the same brand power as the big six and therefore remain consistently undervalued in the title market.
Another late collapse resulted in the Foxes missing out on a top-four finish last season, but they should fare better in the league after not playing Champions League football this year.
Continuity will also be massive for the Foxes, as they return their entire 2020-21 squad. Their spine is especially strong, with the terrific midfield trio of Youri Tielemans, James Maddison, and Wilfred Ndidi as the anchor, and the arrival of Boubakary Soumare - the 22-year-old who was an integral piece of Lille's title-winning squad last season - will also provide a boost.
Leicester secured the signature of brilliant young forward Patson Daka as well, and he's coming off scoring an astounding 27 goals over 28 Bundesliga matches for Red Bull Salzburg. Combined with the growing stardom of Kelechi Iheanacho and the experience of Jamie Vardy, the Foxes will be a handful for Premier League defenses.
Leicester will also be improved defensively, an area where injuries to center-backs Caglar Soyuncu and Wesley Fofana and right-back Ricardo Pereira hamstrung the club last season. Ryan Bertrand was brought in over the summer to fill the void at left-back and provide important Premier League know-how, while Timothy Castagne can also venture to the left more frequently with Pereira back in the fold.
Alex Moretto is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.