Manchester City has finished in the top three of the English Premier League standings five times in the last six seasons, including championships in 2012 and 2014 and runner-up finishes in 2013 and 2015. City enters this season as the favourite to climb back to the top of the league.
Manchester City is the +185 betting favourite on the odds to win the English Premier League at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
After surrendering 39 goals last season, Man City made it a top priority to address the backend this off-season, and they did exactly that with the acquisitions of Ederson Moraes in goal and defenders Kyle Walker and Danilo. The club will still run an attack-first mentality, but the improved personnel on defence should help patch up last season’s biggest weakness.
The biggest competition to Manchester City this season could be from Chelsea and Manchester United, who are each going off at +325 to win the Premier League.
Chelsea lost only five games last season in a 30-win campaign, winning the league title with a 30-5-3 record. One of the keys to Chelsea’s success last season was the team staying healthy, and that will be the case again in 2017-18. Chelsea’s starting 11, including the newly acquired Alvaro Morata, is good enough to defend the title, but the club’s lack of depth could be a hindrance if injuries arise.
Manchester United scored only 54 goals last season, letting an excellent defensive season go to waste with a sixth-place finish. The defence should once again be elite this year, and the acquisition of Belgian sniper Romelu Lukaku is likely to boost production on offence.
Other potential contenders this year include Tottenham Hotspur (+900), Liverpool (+1100), Arsenal (+1200), and Everton (+10000). Tottenham finished runner-up last season despite allowing the fewest goals in the league (26) and scoring the most (86).
The season kicks off Friday with Arsenal going off as a -188 favourite hosting 2015-16 champion Leicester City (+650) with draw odds of +366. Arsenal finished runner-up in 2016 and fifth on the table last year, and will need a better showing on defence to get back into the mix this year.
Last year’s top two teams are then in action over the weekend in Chelsea -500 vs. Burnley +1300 (Draw +500) on Saturday, and Newcastle United +400 vs. Tottenham Hotspur -155 (Draw +290) on Sunday.
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