Naturally, most of the attention heading into the 2023-24 Premier League season is on the top of the table and what teams can challenge Manchester City for the title. But what about the other end of the table? The betting action for the three teams that get relegated can be just as interesting as picking the Premier League champion. Considering the odds and favorites in number one online sportsbooks in the US, let’s take a closer look at the serious relegation candidates in the Premier League ahead of the 2023-24 season.
Luton Town
The Hatters are the ultimate underdog in the Premier League this season. Luton earned promotion via the playoff last season but now faces the even more monumental task of staying up. A little more than a decade ago, the club was playing non-league football, which explains why the Hatters are the betting favorite to be sent down. It doesn’t help that Luton Town profoundly lacks Premier League experience of any kind.
Sheffield United
In 2021, the Blades finished last in the Premier League and got sent down. But two years later, Sheffield United is back after finishing second in the Championship last year. There are enough holdovers from Sheffield’s last season in the Premier League to make the Blades feel optimistic. However, they scored just 20 goals during the 2020-21 season, and that remains the club’s biggest question mark heading into its Premier League return.
Burnley
This is not the same Burnley team that was relegated two seasons ago. The squad has undergone significant changes since then. Most notably, former Man City and Belgium captain Vincent Kompany is now the manager. Behind Kompany, the Clarets dominated the Championship last season. They should have a fighting chance to stay up. Yet, this will be Kompany’s first Premier League experience as a manager, so it’ll be a big step up for him.
Bournemouth
A margin of just three points kept the Cherries up last season, so it’s easy to understand why they will probably be in another relegation battle this season. The club has gone in a different direction by pointing to Andoni Iraola as its new manager.
To their credit, the Cherries spent a fair amount of money over the summer, bringing Ivorian playmaker Hamed Traore and winter Justin Kluivert, among others. However, with the worst defensive record of any team that stayed up, Bournemouth also has questions to answer on the other end of the field.
Nottingham Forest
Steve Cooper did just enough last season to prevent Nottingham Forest from being sent right back to the Championship, as most expected. But the Tricky Trees are still a team that’s far from an established Premier League team, so they should expect another relegation fight throughout the season. The good news is Forest has some experienced players and should have gained a lot of confidence from staying up last season. The key is having summer additions Chris Wood and Anthony Elanga provide more offensive firepower.
Wolverhampton
Considering the players Wolverhampton sold last summer, it was surprising that they managed to stay up somewhat comfortably last season. Of course, with Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Adama Traore, Conor Coady, Raul Jimenez, and others leaving, there are obvious holes to fill.
Wolves made some noise with the signing of forward Matheus Cunha over the summer. However, if he doesn’t provide consistent goal-scoring, Wolverhampton could be vulnerable in the relegation battle.
Everton
A brilliant Abdoulaye Doucoure goal in the final game of the season is all that prevented Everton from being relegated last season. The Blues didn’t exactly have a busy summer on the transfer market, so the cavalry isn’t coming. The silver lining is that Sean Dyche will have a full season to implement his managerial philosophies. Also, talent-wise, Everton should have enough to avoid relegation by a more comfortable margin than last season.
