Dean Etheridge
It barely feels like we’ve had any break in the football season, so with the 2021/22 Premier League campaign about to start, here is our preview and futures betting picks.
- English Premier League
- 13th August 2021 – 22nd May 2022
- 2020/21 Winners – Manchester City
The season gets underway this weekend, but there is still a couple of weeks left for teams to buy players in the transfer market.
Based on where the teams are now with their squads, we believe there are just four sides in with a chance of winning the league.
| To Win English Premier League 2021/22 Betting |  |  |
| Man City | -149.3 | -166.7 |
| Chelsea | +450 | +400 |
| Liverpool | +500 | +500 |
| Man Utd | +850 | +700 |
Here we look at all four of the sides and give you our verdict on what their chances of success are. Starting with the defending champions…..
Manchester City
- 2020/21 Finishing Position: 1st
- 2021/22 Odds: -149.3
- 2021/22 Prediction: 1st
Manchester City starts the season as favorites with the sportsbooks, and it’s not hard to see why.
They have the best manager in the league and the strongest-looking squad.
There hasn’t been too much going on transfer-wise at the Etihad Stadium, but the one major signing City has made is a pretty good one.
Yes, just last week the Blues smashed the Premier League transfer record to sign Jack Grealish from Aston Villa for a mammoth $140 million.
There is also talk that Harry Kane will be following from Tottenham Hotspur. But that transfer is proving far more difficult to negotiate, and knowing the Tottenham CEO, Daniel Levy, it may not happen.
City has let a few younger squad players leave, with Sergio Aguero the most notable and only senior player to date to leave.
If Kane does arrive, expect a few big-name departures to follow.
Manchester City is -149.3 to win the English Premier League this season, and they are my pick.
They won with relative ease last season, and that was without really having an out-and-out striker. So I wouldn’t be put off by the will-he, won’t-he transfer saga surrounding Harry Kane.
Pick – Man City to win English Premier League 2021/22
Chelsea
- 2020/21 Finishing Position: 4th
- 2021/22 Odds: +450
- 2021/22 Prediction: 2nd
Last season’s Champions League winners Chelsea look to be Manchester City’s biggest threat this time round.
Thomas Tuchel’s side has signed Marcus Bettinelli and Romelu Lukaku this summer.
Departing the Bridge is Olivier Giroud, and probably Tammy Abraham now that Lukaku has arrived.
Welcome home, @RomeluLukaku9. 💙#LukWhosBack pic.twitter.com/P43CAIVqfU
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 12, 2021
Chelsea is a team and a squad on an upward curve though. It’s a team that is another year wiser, and with the arrival of Lukaku, they will have a real focal point.
I expect them to push City this time around, but at +450 I still won’t be picking them.
They are my pick to finish second though.
Manchester United
- 2020/21 Finishing Position: 2nd
- 2021/22 Odds: +850
- 2021/22 Prediction: 3rd
Also busy in the transfer market has been Manchester United. The Reds finished second last season, 12 points behind cross-town rivals Manchester City.
In all honesty though, United never looked like they were going to trouble City. They may have finished second, but they were miles off the pace.
United have forked out a lot of money on Jadon Sancho. The England wide-man is a hot prospect and will improve the side and squad.
Also boosting the United squad is the return of Jesse Lingard from his successful loan spell at West Ham United. If Lingard clicks, he will feel like a new signing around the place.
Defender Raphael Varane is also a quality addition to the squad – when he finally completes his transfer.
With the arrival of Varane, the United defense does look solid.
Even with these additions, I still don’t believe United is strong enough to win the league. They are +850 with top sportsbooks in Premier League betting, and there are good reasons for that. Reasons I agree with!
Liverpool
- 2020/21 Finishing Position: 3rd
- 2021/22 Odds: +500
- 2021/22 Prediction: 4th
Last season the Reds made an absolute mess of defending the title they fought so hard to win in the 2019/20 season.
A strong end to the season seen Jurgen Klopp’s team finish in 3rd position on 69 points. That was a massive 17 points behind eventual winners Manchester City.
The run-in to the end of the season did paper over some of the cracks for Liverpool. In truth, their league title defense was all over months before the season ended.
So far this summer, all Liverpool have done in the transfer market is buy Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig.
Konate’s signing was much needed, as the central defense was an area of concern for Liverpool last season.
Although he looks like a good prospect, Konate is far from the finished article. He is a young player still finding his feet. Such players can sometimes need a season or so to adapt to new surroundings.
On the flip side, Liverpool has seen midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum leave for PSG. The Dutchman was never really a guaranteed first choice at Anfield. But he was a handy player to have around the place and will be sorely missed.
With the lack of transfer activity, I can’t see Liverpool troubling the trophy engravers employed by the Premier League.
I can only see them finishing fourth unless there is some severe transfer activity over the next couple of weeks.
Keep an eye on our Soccer Betting Picks page for more free picks from the English Premier League.
