Home > Football > The bookies say fifth at best - but what price Spurs to upset the odds?

The bookies say fifth at best - but what price Spurs to upset the odds?

The betting experts are convinced the Premier League title race is a four-horse affair between Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. But in football, there was never such a thing as a certainty.

by midnightjester on 13 August 2007

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The new season has finally popped its head out of the hole of dodgy transfer reporting it hibernates in. So it's worth looking at what is to come.

I know how I get annoyed at part-time pundits and full- time hacks with nothing to lose banging on about what their own personal egos tell them the future will be, so... what about looking at the guys who bet their houses on it?

Fans and pundits alike risk only their reputation if they entirely screw the pooch. But the bookies have a living to make. The first thing you notice is that they expect Groundhog Day for the top five - Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs. In that order. For the Tottenham fans predicting a break into the top four, despite the opening day defeat at Sunderland, the bookies still have their chances a fair whack behind the others - but closer than last year.

'In the overall scoring charts, Didier Drogba is expected to be the man, followed by Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Robin van Persie. So no top scoring Liverpool front man. I guess they are expected to be very tight at the back'

Spurs have jumped from 150/1 to 66/1 to win the Premiership this coming season. Arsenal, though, are about 10/1, marginally behind Liverpool. So bad luck, Tottenham - fifth it is.

The odds are tight between the top two, though, and they will no doubt swap places constantly over the season. The same is not expected over the next three contenders, with the bookies more confident about their final placings.

When it comes to goals, Arsenal have no mentions in the top four leading scorers from midfield, neither do Manchester United. Chelsea have Frank Lampard, Liverpool Steven Gerrard and Spurs Jermaine Jenas as fourth-top scorer from midfield after Everton's Mikael Arteta. In the overall scoring charts, Didier Drogba is expected to be the man, followed by Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Robin van Persie. So no top scoring Liverpool front man. I guess they are expected to be very tight at the back.

Turning to the league below the top five, Big Sam Allardyce is placed to turn flailing Newcastle around immediately and guide them into Europe ahead of Aston Villa and Everton. The days of Sven-Goran Eriksson being seen as a saviour in the green and pleasant land are over and the expectation of Manchester City is dull mediocrity. Exactly what he brought to the English team, then.

To finish respectably in the top half and bank more money than ever before with the new TV deal will be West Ham, Blackburn and Portsmouth and, for the occasional money-man, Manchester City.

The award for the worst start to the season will go to Wigan, with Chris Hutchings out of a job quicker than an MP in a sex scandal, followed by Lawrie Sanchez at Fulham and Sammy Lee at Bolton. Of the three, it's only Wigan to be relegated, accompanied by Derby and Birmingham sans Steve Bruce.

This Spurs fan, though, is betting against the bookies. A tenner on Tottenham for top four and another for top three. Not the house, though - I'll leave that to better men.

spursfans.co.za - a place for South African Tottenham fans to get together.

Comments (17)

by spurs-tingo on August 13, 2007

Sorry about your money, spurs will not finish higher than 6th, watch this space !

by Spursfan on August 13, 2007

i kno its only the first match but i dont think they will be able to get champions league spot dis year. Maybe next year?

by Harry Barracuda on August 13, 2007

Should have donated it to charity.

by Anon1234 on August 13, 2007

Hilarity personified.

by Yid61 on August 13, 2007

Sunderland deserved there bit of glory but to gloat about it you wern't that good spurs vastly better team you played the reserves if your team was any good you wouldn't need to put eleven men behind the ball and hope for a LUCKY goal well if taking the p*** out of tottenham floats your boat mate where will sunderland finish and when we hammer your lot at the lane i wont gloat we have to much class for that top 4 no problem for BMJ COYS!!!!!!!!!

by big stu on August 13, 2007

Spurs fan all my 60 years--how can a spurs manager not realise our problems are the 2 in midfied-Jenus and Zakora--the players in this position in the top 4 teams are streets ahead in class--if we can all see it and he cant i am afraid a new manager is due URGENTLY

by ~mEdiCaS~ on August 13, 2007

~"so no top scoring Liverpool frontman.." how sure are you on that mate? stop predicting sumthin which is stupid..yes,am a liverpool fan and the way you wrote seems like you're underestimating our frontman..n by the way i think that torres will bang up to 20-25 goal this season..u wanna ask me how sure ia m on that? am so fuckin' sure coz that el nino is no cheap and he is collosus..!!YNWA

by Yogi on August 13, 2007

No chance if Saturday is anything to go by you had nowt, whereas both Liverpool and Arsenal, teams you predicted Spurs would finish above, created stacks of chances if I was MArtin Jol I'd be worried by Saturday's display

by Unattractive Man on August 13, 2007

I can’t help it but I am almost always right, especially when it comes to predicting how a Spurs season will pan out. While this can sometimes be a burden, watching them fold against S’land left me with a sickly feeling – like when you have had too many sweets. And know why, it’s because for the first time ever I think I may have been wrong. I predicted Spurs for 6th, but the lack of fight, ambition and skill on display looks like a sign of what is to come. Watch for spurs to fold under the pressure and a very disappointing season lies ahead.

by midnightjester on August 13, 2007

The article is about bookies odds. So much for first world education.

by Camel with the Hump on August 13, 2007

Do not feel that Spurs will finish 5th. Can't believe we spent 16.5 million on a striker when we so desperately needed to address the midfield area.We already had a decent strikeforce in Berba, Mido, Keane and Defoe.I like Bent and feel that he will do well but worried that he was purchased cause the Board intend to sell Berbatov, and it may be sooner than everyone thinks if our performances do not improve.

by MADLONDONMALE on August 13, 2007

WIN A GAME FIRST BEFORE YOU THINK OF THE TOP FOUR. ALL THE TALK YOU SPUDS HAVE BEEN GIVING ALL YOU GUYS ARE IS ALL TALK AND NO ACTION!!

by Jules on August 13, 2007

I think you'll find that Sunderland deserved to win that game, and certainly didn't put everyone back.

by spack on August 13, 2007

I love hearing all the spuds gobbing of every summer about how they are going to break the top4 win the FA cup Blah Blah Blah only to have it thrown back in their face. The spuds will have a real fight on their hands to stay above newcastle this year. I wonder what type of favours Jenas is giving BMJ when he is never dropped despite shitty performances.

by spack on August 13, 2007

by lc on August 13, 2007

To the Spurs fan who is attacking their midfield, you should attack your coach who I think he is tactically a poor coach and not the players. When have Spurs won a game when Berbatov and Zokora have been taken off? Martin Jol can't take the pression as well as his own team. He took off Berbatov the only creative forward he had for the dodgy Bent and Zokora who was working hard for the big and slow Hudstone. That change of tactic has lost Spurs the game. You, Spurs fans should know that.