EPL: Punters drop money on the Big Drop

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By Mike Moon

Horse racing correspondent


Rejuvenated Spurs a tempting bet at 10-1 to upset Man City.


The biggest moves in the English Premier League betting market are at the bottom of the log, not the top, after Matchday 1.

Defending champions Liverpool, former champs Manchester City and regular runners-up Arsenal all had satisfactory wins to kick off the 2025/26 campaign, while recent Club World Cup winners Chelsea could be excused a goalless draw after a tiring, drawn-out, previous season.

Dismal openers from West Ham, Brentford and Wolves, saw bookmakers slash their odds to be relegated.

West Ham were at 7.00 for the drop before the first round, but they were quickly adjusted to 4.00 after a 3-0 thrashing from newly promoted Sunderland. The latter drifted from 1.20 to 1.33 for relegation.

Brentford tightened from 4.50 to 3.25 after Nottingham Forest put three past them in the first half. Wolves went from 4.50 to 3.50 after capitulating 4-0 to Man City.

Newcomers

The three promoted teams are still favoured to go down, but a 1-0 win by Leeds over Everton saw their prospects brighten to 2.45. Burnley are still top of the trash pile at 1.28, with Sunderland just below.

The first match of the coming weekend, on Friday night, sees West Ham, whose transfer season has been a shambles, hosting Chelsea, who are forever snapping up young talent.

The 1.66 on a Chelsea win might be too short for the smaller punter, but the 5.00 about West Ham winning should be avoided. Odds of 2.07 on only Chelsea to score a goal is the way to go.

Manchester City versus Tottenham Hotspur is a key Saturday match.

Spurs, with a new manager and new recruits, dispensed with Burnley 3-0 last week and seem to be recovering from their horrendous showing last season.

So, odds of 11.00 on them to upset the applecart at the Emirates is a mighty generous offer that not a few north Londoners will be greedily accepting.

The needle match of the round comes on Monday with Newcastle hosting Liverpool as a transfer wrangle gets heated.

These Betway odds are correct at time of publishing and subject to change.

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