Premier League Permutations and Odds: Update

Despite only being only five points clear of the relegation zone with six points theoretically still up for grabs by the teams below them, West Ham’s 2-0 win away at Leicester on the weekend means that, comes what may, United, currently sitting on 38 points, have avoided the possibility of dropping down into the Championship next season.

This is because Southampton (in 17th) and Swansea (in 18th) are both currently on 33 points, and the two play each other on Tuesday 8 May. A win for either Saints or Swans means that the other can’t get any more than 36 points, which will not be enough to catch United. A draw in this fixture will mean the best either club can hope for is 37 points.

Embed from Getty Images


As for the other teams currently in the drop zone, Stoke City are in 20th and have already been relegated, while West Brom (in 19th) are on 31 points, and even wins from its remaining two matches won’t give the Baggies enough points to go past West Ham.

The fixtures computer has therefore done the Hammers a favour at the business end of the season, and the side can go into the last two games of a disappointing campaign, away to Manchester United and at home to Everton, knowing that they are essentially meaningless matches.

The bookmakers don’t seem to think West Ham will be up for these games, either. According to the leading football betting sites, the best price you can get on a Hammers win at Old Trafford is 77-20 with Marathon Bet, with odds of 7-2 at PaddyPower and Betway. The best you’ll get on the draw is currently 11-4.

For the last home game of the season against Everton, the outlook is a little more favourable, with a best price on a West Ham win of 6-4 with Bet Bright, while the price is 13-10 with PaddyPower or 7-5 at Betfair.

In terms of who does look the likeliest to go down, West Bromwich Albion are unsurprisingly the hot favourites at 1-100 with Betway, although they are as much as 1-250 with Coral. The bookies don’t seem to fancy Southampton’s chances of staying up either, with a best price of 13-8 at Sun Bets. Swansea, on the other hand, are around 2-1 to go down, while the other team in the mix, Huddersfield Town are currently at 9-4 with Betway to get relegated.

Embed from Getty Images


Of course, the biggest topic of conversation around West Ham since the start of 2018 has been the future of manager David Moyes. His chances of still being in charge at the start of next season were no doubt bolstered by the Leicester win, and the fact that the Hammers will be in the Premier League for the next campaign means that the odds against his being sacked have duly increased. You can currently get a best price of 20-1 on Moyes being the next Premier League manager to lose their job, behind only Chelsea’s Antonio Conte at even money and Sam Allardyce at Everton at 9-1.

However, given the side’s performance this season, the fan uncertainty around Moyes, and the discontent of Hammers supporters with how the Club is being run, should the new campaign start poorly, you can expect the pressure to mount quickly on Moyes — and the odds on his losing his job to shorten dramatically.

* Like to share your thoughts on this article? Please visit the KUMB Forum to leave a comment.

* Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the highlighted author/s and do not necessarily represent or reflect the official policy or position of KUMB.com.


More Opinion