Premier League 2025-26: Title Race Analysis and Predictions
Season Outlook
The new Premier League season is underway, and fans and sports betting enthusiasts are eagerly analyzing the landscape. The 2024/25 campaign saw Liverpool storm to the title, ending Manchester City’s dominance and equaling a record 20 league championships. Arsenal once again finished as runners-up, while pre-season favorite Man City had a surprisingly off-year, ending without a trophy and a 3rd-place finish. Going into 2025/26, the betting odds indicate a more open title race than in years past. For the first time in nearly a decade of Premier League betting, Manchester City are not the odds-on favorite to win – a dramatic shift that has bookmakers and punters buzzing. Instead, reigning champions Liverpool and a rising Arsenal side have emerged as the top betting favorites in the outright title betting markets, with City slightly behind. Major bookmakers agree on these top contenders, though there is plenty of debate about which club will ultimately lift the trophy.
Title Odds – Key Contenders: According to Bet365’s latest outright odds, Liverpool are priced around 15/8 (~+187) to retain the title, making them the leading favorite. Close behind, Arsenal sit at roughly 2/1 (+200) odds after their strong challenge last season. Manchester City are third in the odds at about 11/4 (+275) – an unfamiliar underdog role for Pep Guardiola’s powerhouse. Outside of the top three, Chelsea have seen their odds shorten to roughly 8/1 (+800) amid an ambitious summer and heavy betting support. Fellow heavyweights Manchester United are further back at around 20/1 (+2000) as a dark horse pick. Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur (~50/1) and Newcastle United (~80/1) are long-shot underdogs in the title race. These outright odds reflect a consensus in sports betting circles: the battle for the Premier League crown appears to be primarily between Liverpool, Arsenal, and Man City, with a few wildcards potentially in the mix.
Liverpool: Defending Champions and Team to Beat
Liverpool enter the season as the odds-on favorites in most betting markets – a status they’ve earned after a dominant title run last year. Jürgen Klopp’s side “strolled to the title in the 2024/25 season,” ultimately finishing comfortably ahead of the pack. The squad has been reinforced further over the summer: Liverpool got their chequebook out and invested over £275m in new talent. Notable signings include attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz and right-back Jeremie Frimpong, among others, giving the Reds even more depth and dynamism. With star players like Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk still at the core and new additions bolstering weaker areas, Liverpool’s team looks formidable on paper. It’s no surprise that bookies have them in pole position to defend their crown – Ladbrokes, for example, explicitly lists Liverpool as the favourites to win again in 2025/26.
