Saracens are now 16/1 to win the Gallagher Premiership title
Reigning English and European champions Saracens have been handed a massive 35 point deduction and also fined £5 million after breaching the Premiership’s salary cap rules.
That’s resulted in previous second-favourites, Exeter Chiefs, moving up a spot into clear odds-on favourites to with the Gallagher Premiership at 8/11.
Mark McCall’s side had started the season in typically strong fashion despite missing several of England’s world cup stars including Maro Itoje, Owen Farrell and the Vunipola brothers.
After two wins in their opening three games Sarries were generally priced at around 10/11 to win the Premiership Final and around 13/8 to finish top of the regular season.
But with the points deduction sending them to the bottom of the table and -26 points, the five-time champions are now 16/1 to retain their crown.
Rumours have already begun to circulate that star winger Liam Williams will leave Allianz Park, along with promising young second-row Joel Kpoku. This could be the start of a mass exodus, especially with so many high-profile internationals in the squad.
The domestic sanctions have had no effect on Saracens price for the 2019/20 Heineken Cup, with Farrell and company still favourites for the title at a best price of 5/2.
Oddschecker spokesperson Callum Wilson: “When news of a sporting team receiving a points deduction hits, it can often have a seismic shift on the market.
“We noticed similar patterns for the likes of Bury and Bolton, and news of a monster point deduction now means Saracens are drifting like a barge.
“Having been odds-on at the start of the day, the Sarries are now a whopping 16/1 to claim the title. IN layman’s terms, they’ve moved from a 52% chance out to a 5.9% chance.
