2022/23 Premier League futures betting: Top 4 finish
We assess the futures market for a top-four finish in the 2022/23 Premier League season and make our pick.
One of the most popular Premier League betting markets for the 2022/23 season is the top-four finish market, with four clubs looking likely to compete for two spots below title favorites Manchester City and Liverpool.
Let’s look at those four contenders, as well as an outside shot, and offer our pick.
Spurs made a late charge in the final weeks of the 2021/22 season to beat rivals Arsenal to fourth and secure a Champions League return after two seasons away.
Antonio Conte’s arrival in November was the turning point for Tottenham, with the Italian taking them from eighth to fourth with 17 wins in 28 games, including a six-game unbeaten run to end the season which encompassed a crucial 3-0 win over the Gunners.
That strong finish to the season, along with a flurry of summer transfer activity, sees Spurs enter the season as third favourites (behind City and Liverpool) to finish in the top four again.
Their odds may not be too appealing, but with a world-class manager, improving squad depth, and two of the best attackers in the league, Spurs look in a great position to consolidate their return to the Champions League this season.
It was a disappointing end to the 2021/22 season for Chelsea, who led the Premier League until early December before falling away to finish a distant third, 18 points behind second-placed Liverpool.
Off-field issues overshadowed the final few months of the season and could be partly to blame for their dip in form, but their new owners have already shown willingness to back Thomas Tuchel with the signings of Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly for a combined £75m.
The Blues have lost Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen on frees, though, and a poor preseason – including a comprehensive 4-0 loss to Arsenal – has seen Chelsea drop behind Spurs in the top-four market.
The slight uncertainty surrounding their squad, along with their odds-on price, means they are an uninspiring option here.
Along with their already-mentioned north London rivals, Arsenal have had one of the busiest summers in the Premier League, splashing out more than £100m in the transfer market.
There is optimism at the Emirates that Mikel Arteta is taking the team in the right direction despite last season’s failure to convert a strong position into fourth place and a return to the Champions League.
Shrewd acquisitions, including Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City, have only added to that, and the Gunners look poised to make another serious run at their first top-four finish since 2015/16.
The only issue for Arsenal is the competition around them. Spurs and Chelsea will be hard to dislodge from the top four, while Manchester United could put up a more robust challenge than they managed last season.
Of all the main contenders for the top four, Manchester United are the biggest unknown as we head into the 2022/23 season.
What we do know is that they will play a more structured style of football under new manager Erik Ten Hag, but whether that will translate to instant success at Old Trafford is unclear.
New signings Lisandro Martinez and Tyrell Malacia will also have to adapt to the Premier League, although Christian Eriksen should slot seamlessly into the squad and provide quality and depth in midfield.
United’s unknown quantities, as well as the competition around them in the table, make them hard to tip in this market.
Aside from the usual suspects, Newcastle are a team that look likely to be challenging for the top four within the next few years.
Their newfound wealth should put them in a position to attract the highest level of players, while Eddie Howe looks to be a good fit in the dugout after guiding them from bottom of the league to 11th last season.
While you may be tempted to have a flutter on the Magpies to gate-crash the Champions League spots, this season feels far too early for that.
They may have strengthened their defence with Sven Botman from Lille, but they haven’t made enough signings to challenge the top teams yet.
It took Manchester City three seasons to break into the top four following their influx of cash in 2008 and this battle is far more competitive now than it was back then.
