Premier League 2019-20: Value Pick For Relegation
The English Premier League season is almost upon us, and this season promises all the drama of years past! There’s a likely two horse race between Manchester City and Liverpool for the tile again, and down the other end, there’s a wide open scrap to avoid the drop down for the bottom half teams.
Only one team is currently sitting at minus-money to go down, in the newly promoted Sheffield United at -137. With fellow Premier League newbies Norwich City at even-money to make a swift return to the English second tier. Rounding up the bookmakers’ top three relegation favorites is Brighton & Hove Albion which you can get as high on as +180 to finish in the bottom three.
Outside of those three clubs, there’s a host of other likely-bottom half Premier League clubs, all vying to finish above the dreaded relegation spots. It really seems like this year could offer the most thrilling race to avoid relegation in years, due to so many teams seeming like they could be in contention.
Here is my pick for who I think offers the most value to get relegated this year:
West Ham United F.C. To Get Relegated @ +1200
The Hammers finished the 2018-19 season in a respectable 10th place. They recorded 15 wins, 7 draws and 16 loses, with a -7 goal differential over that period. Since then East London club has lost their top goal scorer from last year in Marko Arnautovic, and their next highest scoring striker Chicharito, has now eclipsed 31 years of age.
They’ve brought in two strikers in Frenchman Sébastien Haller, and the Swiss Albian Ajeti to fill the void, but without any past Premier League experience it could be tough to judge how they’re going to adjust to the set-up in competition. Another addition they’ve made is Pablo Fornals who could provide some attacking creativity from midfield.
Their signings are interesting, and maybe even promising for West Ham fans, but the reality is that the competition is going to be fiercer than it was last season. Their surrounding teams have largely improved also, and the newly promoted teams will most certainly put up more of a fighting effort than the teams that went down last year.
With their steadily aging and unimproved back line, worries have to be setting in, despite their new offensive pieces. Łukasz Fabiański is now 34, and has never be regarded as one of the league’s best, even considering his better performances in the past couple years.
Their midfield core is also not getting any younger, with Mark Noble, Carlos Sanchez and Robert Snodgrass all over the age of 30, and with a Jack Wilshere who may never escape the concerns over his ability to stay fit and healthy.
This West Ham team could ultimately prove to be a huge bust this season, and at +1200, I’m more than happy to take the punt on it happening. Their defense is aging, their midfield is also aging, fragile and lacking depth, and their strikers are largely unproven.
0.5u – West Ham United FC to get Relegated @+1200