Which Teams Could be Surprise Relegation Candidates in the New Premier League Season?

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Whenever a new Premier League season is ready to begin, bettors start to look at all types of futures odds.

Of course, most people will look at the title race, which right now has Manchester City at odds of -125 (5/4) to win a second-straight top-flight trophy. Some people will back Manchester United at +650, thanks to new arrivals Jadon Sancho and Raphaël Varane, and maybe a few others in the near future. Maybe you like Chelsea, the UEFA Champions League winner.

But there are so many other markets to look at in the futures odds, and one of the best ones is the odds to be relegated.

One thing that makes European football so iconic is the fact that if a team plays poorly enough one season to finish at or near the very bottom of a league, that team could be sent down to a lower division. Relegation from the English top-flight sees three teams head back into the EFL Championship, the second division of the English football pyramid.

It sucks for fans, and for the three clubs that get sent down (for financial reasons).

But for bettors, you can make some money wagering on teams you think could be relegated. Most of the time, the three teams that were promoted from the Championship, which for the 2021-22 campaign are Norwich City, Watford, and Brentford, will be the teams with the shortest odds to be relegated.

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That is certainly the case this season. Norwich City currently leads the way with odds of -112 to be relegated, with Watford +100 (even money) and Brentford +110 by some bookies. But there are some teams that might provide you with some value if you choose to take a flyer on them.

Crystal Palace has been hanging around the bottom third of the table in each of the last few campaigns, and the Eagles are an aging squad that is priced at +175 to be relegated. Burnley (odds of +250 to be relegated) is another team that has flirted with disaster the last couple of seasons.

But right now, the team I would be focusing on is Newcastle United. The Magpies were supposed to be sold last season, but that fell through, and they just about stayed up thanks to some shrewd loan deals. That might not be the case in 2021-22, and Newcastle might be primed, much like Sheffield United in 20-21, to get off to a terrible start. If you heard the fans booing the team off the pitch in a preseason-friendly match against Rotherham, this is a situation that could be potentially toxic to start the new campaign, and only get worse.

Another team that could struggle mightily under a new coach is Wolverhampton, which is priced at odds of +500 to be relegated. I think the Wolves might be a season away from that outcome, but I would not be surprised to see them finish in the bottom three.

I would back Norwich City, Watford, Crystal Palace, and Newcastle United to be relegated, and hope the two plus-money teams go down and make you some money.

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