Barclays Premier League Betting Odds 2009-2010
With many online football betting fans sensing a gradual, potential shift in the Barclays Premier League's traditional power-base after last season's widest-open title race in moons, combined with the giant leaps made by Manchester City (monetary), Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Fulham (on a more level playing field) to make ground on the supposed 'big four', the 2009-2010 Premiership campaign is generating even greater internet football betting interest amongst online bookmaker's members and regular users. Always keen to back what they consider a winner, those who normally like to wager the outcome of the Barclays Premier League season are newly inspired to see just who (if anyone) will emerge from the pack and take on the big boys.
Online Premier League Free Bets Incentives By Internet Bookmakers Are Hard To Beat
For newcomers to the arena of internet football betting, now is the ideal time to acquaint themselves with the finer points of online bookmaker's free bets introductory offers. Most of the leading virtual bookies free bet incentives are promoted with the novice online punter very much in mind, and afford the virgin interactive bettor the opportunity to ease themselves into the comprehensive online football betting markets with money to spare from the outset of their virtual gambling adventure. For example Bet365 offer a massive £200 free bets for its new online customers, whilst not to be outdone, SportingBet match this with their own £200 free bet. Elsewhere and Totesport, Victor Chandler and Blue Square promote their £100 free bets, whilst Paddy Power flag up their £30 free bet whenever prudent to do so. Meanwhile both Betfair and Stan James have a more than useful £25 free bet currently on the go, and Boylesports will always point you in the direction of their £20 free bet. However one of the most creative online football betting free bets has to be over at William Hill.
The 2009-2010 Barclays Premier League season is shaping up to be a cracking one, with the so-called 'big four' being drawn back towards the chasing pack for the first time in years thanks to the endeavour (not to mention the hardly inconsequential matter of investment and astute team-building) of five long-standing top flight clubs. And those pigeon bothering, cat introducing merchants over in Manchester's sky blue corner who are kicking up quite a stink all by themselves. No, we're predominantly talking Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Fulham too, five financially solvent, ambitious, historically proud, well-managed clubs with sound infrastructures in place on a mission to unnerve four arguably bigger clubs who've seemingly had it their own way for far too long. Well, according to the neutral football fan and supporters of the aforementioned challengers who are providing the biggest threat to Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal's collective dominance that almost a generation has borne witness to.
Barclays Premier League Football Betting Followers Back Manchester City, Aston Villa And Spurs to Release Big Four Stranglehold
This quintet of pretenders to the Premiership crown are finding backers far and wide as they go in search of infiltrating the established order, a fact reflected in the online bookmaker's prices offered should you be looking to follow the lead of many keen internet football betting fans before you. Obviously we don't suggest you re-mortgage your house, sell the kids and pimp out your wife so as to free up some decent investment money to spunk on any of the nearly famous five (with the possible exception of moneybags Manchester City) going all the way and de-dethroning Manchester United just yet. More along the lines of partaking in a reasonable, affordable (remember our pledge and continued commitment to responsible gambling) flutter on the likelihood of one of the above gate-crashing the Barclays Premier League top four at the end of the current 2009-2010 season. Indeed, deciding on who from Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Everton and Fulham present the best bet of unlocking the key to a veritable treasure trove and perhaps opening the floodgates for other teams to follow provide a useful and altogether pleasant each-way bet dilemma to have to ponder.
Of course the big four might just be scrapped and renamed the slightly larger five or hefty-looking six by the tabloid sports hacks whose job it is to conjure up headline grabbing stand-firsts anyway, although neither have quite the same ring to them. Only time (precisely nine months) and transfer windows (the next one pencilled in for the beginning of January 2010) will tell. And more tellingly whether or not City's exciting-looking, expensively assembled squad gel, Martin O'Neill's promising young guns shoot from the hip or simply fire blanks, Spurs become the well-drilled, fluid and consistent machine under Harry Redknapp that they aspire to, learning to grind out certain results at the expense of exuberant forward-play, Everton's dogged never-say-die spirit under David Moyes can be sufficiently blended with the artistry that we fleetingly saw snatches of last term and Fulham can continue to go about their unflamboyant(yet overly successful) beneath the radar footballing operations under the watchful eye of Roy Hodgson and capitalise on last season's massive strides.
Barclays Premier League Betting Odds, As Of Week Commencing 21st September 2009
Keep returning each week throughout the 2009-2010 Barclays Premier League season as we'' be revising the odds and flagging-up the latest online bookmaker's prices as and when they change, before and after each and every game played.
Arsenal (7 - 1 with Victor Chandler)
Going the past few seasons trophy-less has been hard for the Arsenal faithful to swallow, whilst watching bitter Barclays Premier League rivals, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea steal the march on them. Despite the abdication of Adebayor and Koule Tore to Manchester City during the summer transfer window, the Gunners are still strongly placed to unsettle their closest league adversaries thanks to the continued creative presence of van Persie, Eduardo, Arshashavin, Fabregas and a fit Walcott.
Aston Villa (150 - 1 with Bet365)
Martin O'Neill is a shrewd, scruples-free manager as well as a master tactician in the mould of Fabio Capello, so ignore the whole Woody Allen look he seems to have perfected of late. Having recruited well during the summer whilst pinning down the exciting Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young, the Villains will be looking to prove that they're no one season wonder by building on last term's achievements and ensuring that they're in the reckoning come May. And as Nigel Reo-Coker found out, don't give normally mild-mannered O'Neill any back-chat, otherwise you'll be picking up your teeth from the training ground car park. Definitely worthy of an each-way gamble.
Birmingham City (5000 - 1 with SkyBet)
Alex McLeish maybe Scottish but that doesn't make him Sir Alex Ferguson. Likewise, Birmingham City are a Premiership football club operating on a relatively solid footing but that doesn't make them Manchester United. It would be grossly unfair to suggest that Brum are little more than a rag-tag team of journeymen players, interspersed with a sprinkling of promising youngsters who've failed to make the grade at bigger clubs and a couple of bad boys, but the Blues aren't going to emerge from their near-neighbours Aston Villa's shadow anytime soon and will do well just to survive the one season's return to the big league. The price doesn't deflect from the realism of their plight this season.
Blackburn Rovers (1000 - 1 with Betfred)
Sam Allardyce worked small miracles for years at Bolton with budget restraints (by regularly giving the elite awkward games yet stopping short of recapturing the form against lowly opposition so as to pull the Trotters away from the drop zone), whilst effortlessly making other Newcastle United managers look surprisingly adept, before taking the reigns (and vacant gaffer's earpiece) at Ewood Park. In fairness though he's the one boss who's persisted with the dubious talents of El-Hadj Diouf, off-loaded arguably Blackburn's best player (Roque Santa Cruz) and has knitted together a group of players very few football people have ever heard of. On this basis Rovers will hang in there on a wing and a prayer.
Bolton Wanderers (1250 - 1 with Coral)
'Big Sam's' old club is nowadays in the capable hands of Gary Megson, and by buying Zat Knight, Sam Ricketts, Sean Davis and Paul Robinson although not exactly setting the Premiership alight, will enable Bolton to strive for another season in the English soccer sun without burning their backsides. Barrel-chested loyal servant Kevin Davies will bag the crucial goals and keep ex-West Brom head honcho in the Reebok hot-seat for another 9 months.
Burnley (4000 - 1 with Paddy Power)
After beginning the campaign as everyone's dead certs to about turn and go straight back from whence they came, Owen Coyle's pig-headed team have dug deep and already embarrassed both Everton and Manchester United, a feat no-one though possible. Well, the latter anyway. Burnley's run of form in the Carling Cup last season again the big boys has left the players and management wanting more now the meetings are on a more regular basis, and who's to say they won't hang around. Providing they do a 'steady-as-she-goes' Stoke City job and not a 'damn-how-did-that-all-go-so-wrong-after-such-a-unimaginable-start' Hull City stab as a Premiership debutant.
Chelsea (11 - 10 with SportingBet)
With the wily and proven ex-AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti at the wheel of the Chelsea express the Stamford Bridge faithful are hoping for great things this season, after failing to keep up keep pace with Manchester United and Liverpool last term. Of course the Blues will have to do this with the team they've got, seeing as they've been banned from dabbling in the transfer market until 2011 after being accused of illegal poaching of promising kids from European clubs. Who've told tales and got Chelsea and other big clubs in trouble. Thing is, providing Lampard, Drogba, Anelka and co avoid injury/suspension, Chelsea still have the fire-power and depth of squad to run United closer than they did the last time of asking.
Everton (500 - 1 with ExtraBet)
Despite Everton's admirable stab at forcing themselves upon the Premier League gliterati last season - well, nearly - they're not what you'd call a hot ticket to amongst the online bookies to do that much better this time around. However if you're looking for an each-way bet for a top four finish at the end of the 2009-2010 campaign, then you could do worse than get behind David Moyes' promising team. Jack Rodwell is definitely a future star in the making and drawing obvious comparisons to ex-Toffees starlet, a certain Wayne Rooney, whilst Fellaini, Cahill and a fit Arteta are a handful for any Premiership outfit on their day. Be interesting to see how the loss of Lescott will affect the Merseysider's season and whether the defence will look shaky as a result of the England defender hot-stepping it to Manchester City.
Fulham (2500 - 1 with Boylesports)
Again, given their endeavour during the 2008-2009 Premier League campaign, you'd think Roy Hodgson's Craven Cottage charges would fetch a better price going into the following season, however do bear in mind that's to win it outright. Which, well, ain't going to happen any time soon now is it. What Fulham are good for though is securing their second European berth in a row by finishing the current campaign in the top seven places. Unless of course they go and win the Europa League before then which they're presently in the throes of navigating as reward for last term's punching above their perceived weight in English football's top flight.
Hull City (999 - 1 with Betfair)
Hard to believe that after the first month or so of the 2008-2009 Premier League season, newly promoted Hull City were shoe-horned in the top three and looking to potentially put a few bookmaker's out of business if they had kept that unbelievable form up. Naturally as the past tense suggest, Phil Brown's men couldn't, and dropped completely out of view only a few weeks later, chalking up the one single victory in the league the other side of Christmas and staying up by the skin of their teeth. Therefore the word consistency springs to mind hereonin if the Tigers are going to make the Premiership their regular football stomping ground. They could go on a cup run, but their best bet is to 'concentrate on the league' as the more traditional football manager likes to trot out from time to time. Usually from the moment they're dumped out of a domestic cup competition.
Liverpool (6 - 1 with Ladbrokes)
Ah. The age old question. The never-ending quiz. When will Liverpool next win the league after a near 20 year wait. As has been the case since since Rafa Benitez took charge at Anfield, the Red's are down as one of the pre-season favourites with a host of internet bookmakers, especially coming on the back of an extremely promising (there's that word again) season before. A season that showed plenty of signs that the long-suffering Kop faithful might see some return on their life-long investment soon. The purchase of marauding England right-back Glenn Johnson and Italian midfield ace, Aquilini are astute ones, and will compliment the Pepe Reina, Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres backbone of the current side and might (yes might) tip the scales in Liverpool's favour.
Manchester City (12 - 1 with Blue Square)
Manchester City's new owners must surely have a license to print money judging by the way they've gone about their summer spending spree. The big question though is whether or not it's money spent wisely. It's all very well splashing the cash, but unless you've got a manager who can make the individuals in a team play well together at the same time (as well as keep those who aren't from growing bored and restless) then success is far from guaranteed. Still, Eastland's supremo Mark Hughes should take tips from past stewards of his former club, Blackburn Rovers, when in the mid 1990s (under the strong managerial hand of Kenny Dalglish), then owner Jack Walker's quickly spent money brought the Premier League trophy to Ewood Park for the first time. There' no doubt that City will make it big and that it's more a case of when and not if. They ain't going to win it this season, but they'll probably won't be far off.
Manchester United (9 - 4 with Stan James)
Defending champs United are the team to knock off their Premier League pedestal, fact. Regardless of Sir Alex Ferguson's relative inactivity in the transfer market of late the current generation team that he's painstakingly built is more than up to the job of retaining the ultimate prize in English football. Or is it? We only ask as the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo leaves a gaping hole in the Red Devil's side that – with respect – will be nigh-on impossible for Antonio Valencia to fill single-handedly. The ex-Wigan winger may just cover the ego-inflated head-shaped void in a Ronaldo-esque silhouette if he's lucky, but as for the rest. Still, with Michael Owen in the ranks goals wont be hard to come by this term. Yeah, yeah, they can always fall back on Rooney, Berbatov, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, Nani, Anderson, etc, etc.
Portsmouth (10000 - 1 with Boylesports)
Optimistically there's more chance of the 2009 X Factor winner NOT being the Christmas Number One in the Top 40 Hit Parade this year than Portsmouth still being in the Premier League nevermind challenging for honours, yet we're contractually obliged to mention Pompey's chances of a tilt at the title. So there. We have. Next........as that Scottish undertaker-cum-part-time-soldier would quote on BBC's Dad's Army, "We're doomed Captain Mainwairing, we're doomed I say", nicely summing up the generally-felt feelings amongst football pundits, online bookmakers and their own, desperate fans.
Stoke City (1000 - 1 with Ladbrokes)
Tony Pulis has cobbled together a decent outfit at the Britannia Stadium in recent seasons and have reason to go into this campaign with their head's held high and in a positive frame of mind. The Potters were nobody's mugs last term, and they proved this my clambering up the Premier League to previously unseen heights. indeed their good news travelled far and wide, even alerting Thailand's national team coach, Peter Reid, to cheer up and take note. More than that, he even handed in his notice to head for Staffordshire and take up the assistant manager's role with Stoke so enamoured was the former Sunderland and Manchester City (when they were both rubbish) boss.
Sunderland (2000 - 1 with SkyBet)
With Steve Bruce at the helm, Darren Bent up front and a strong following wind, much is expected of the Black Cats this season as they look to recapture some of headlines they received back when Roy Keane led them on a Coca Cola Championship mission impossible a few years ago. Being the only North East football representative in the Premier League now they've bode farewell to arch rivals Newcastle United and Middlesbrough, Sunderland's nearest local derby will take in a 180-mile round trip to Hull City henceforth. On a more meaningful note, the Mackems will be hoping they don't flirt so closely with relegation themselves this campaign, and strive to build on the 16th place finish and 36-point haul (only 2 more than relegated near-neighbours, Newcastle) of the 2008-2009 season. In-demand strikerwyne Jones and useful-looking winger Kieran Richardson, along with new boys Bent and ex-Marseille captain, Lorik Cana should ensure Sunderland finish mid-table this time around.
Tottenham Hotspur (50 - 1 with Victor Chandler)
We're all sick of hearing that this year it's Spurs' time to break into the Premiership top four, only for two months in for them to brace themselves for a potential dog-fight at the opposite end of the table, and to entertain their latest manager on the White Hart Lane merry-go-round. However consistency is a word – unheard of around Tottenham Hotspur in recent years – that's now become the buzzword around North London, ever since Harry Redknapp pitched up last year, grabbed the club by the scruff of its under-achieving neck and breathed new life into the perennial failures. Not since the 90s heyday of Jurgen Klinsmann, Teddy Sheringham, David Ginola and Darren Anderton (sorry, typo) have Spurs fans had anything to get properly excited about, yet with England regulars Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe firing on all 12-cylinders up front and Aaron Lenon and Luka Modric running amok from midfield berths, the 2009-2010 season promises to perhaps, finally count for something for long-suffering Tottenham fans who've had to watch as their sworn enemy, Arsenal add to their trophy cabinet over the past decade.
West Ham United (1250 - 1 with Paddy Power)
Becomingly increasingly hard to predict just where West Ham will finish a season. They are still enduring financial problems from what we can gather, which explains their lack of proper business in the transfer market over the summer as well as manager Gianfranco Zola having to part company with some of his bigger assets including captain, Lucas Neill. There was much talk of Zola's former Chelsea strike partner, Eidur Gudjohnsen arriving at Upton Park over the summer, yet remains unfounded to date, so fans must hope that Dean Ashton overcomes his injury jinx and spearheads a decent front-line with the impressive Carlton Cole as the season progresses if other strike options aren't forthcoming. Finishing 9th at the end of the 2009-2010 Premier League campaign was no mean feat for a club that had struggled both on and off the field, and Zola is steadily making a name for himself at the Boleyn Ground in the face of adversity, and is definitely shaping up to be one of the new breed of young managers to watch.
Wigan Athletic (3000 - 1 with Boylesports)
Wigan have seen some great players turn out at the JJB Stadium (although I think their home is now referred to as the DW Stadium thanks to owner Dave Whelan's ego-massaging re-branding) in recent times, only to see them being snapped up by the 'bigger' Premier League clubs almost as soon as they've been picked up on their radars. Wilson Palacios went to Spurs the minute he came good, Emile Heskey's return to form engineered a move to Aston Villa and an England recall, and Antonio Valencia's wing-wizadry was clocked by the Cristiano Ronaldo-replacing Manchester United and acted upon shortly after. All players who previously worked well under ex-Latic's boss, Steve Bruce, the now Sunderland gaffer has raided his former employers for Lee Cattermole just to compound Wigan's status and do little to argue that they're becoming a selling club. Whether new manager Roberto Martinez can do anything to halt this alarming pattern remains to be seen. On their day however, Wigan can match many of the big boys blow for blow and have been known to cause a few upsets in their time in English football's top flight and ended last season in 11th place in the Premier League.
Wolverhampton Wanderers (5000 - 1 with SportingBet)
After making a mockery of the Coca Cola Championship last term - collecting 90-points on their way to the title - Wolves are once again back in the big time. Whether or not they stay in the promised land is an altogether different story and depends on a few factors. Holding on to their hot-shot striker, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake must be their top priority, especially now having partnered him up front with ex-Reading hitman, Kevin Doyle. Scoring goals early on will be crucial to manager Mick McCarthy's men, so as to set out their stall and impress that they don't intend to be the league's whipping boys as is so often the case with newly-promoted clubs. As Wanderers' odds suggest, they're not exactly expected to repeat their 90-point haul of last season and pull tongues at the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea or Liverpool, but they will hope to make a name for themselves as a well-drilled, resilient outfit who can hold their own, surprise a few opposing teams and aim to finish in mid table safety.