Premier League Relegation

Rather than wait until the weekend before the season and start trying to find various bits of value, it often pays to dip and and out when the opportunities present themselves, and there might be one such opportunity available now which could erode over the coming days.

When looking at the Premier League relegation market, we see Huddersfield as a very strong favourite in the market - the only odds-on shot, it's quite understandable that a side promoted with a negative goal difference last season will have their work cut out to stay in the division. They've been busily rebuilding for the season and could struggle to bed all the new names in together quickly enough. But they are odds-on, so let's move on.

The next most likely in the pack can all have cases made for them - Burnley 13/10, Brighton 11/8 and Watford 2/1. Of those, Brighton potentially look the most likely to get their act together and keep clear of the both, but it's a bit of a pin strike. Swansea are 9/4 and could struggle if they lose Sigurdsson which looks increasingly likely, but they will be getting a big chunk of cash and would surely add new names to the squad when that does happen.

No, it's none of those who scream out the value.

Stoke are surely a value selection at 7/1. With such spending going on throughout the division, you have to keep moving to avoid going backwards, and Stoke are a side who certainly look considerably weaker at this point in time than they did at the end of last season.

Jon Walters might be moving on with the years, but he looks as big a loss for Stoke as he will be a gain for Burnley, while exactly the same could be said of Marko Arnautovic's move to West Ham. They have also seen Glenn Whelan move on, and while he might not have been the best at times, he still appeared in 30 of their 38 games last season and will be another spot to fill.

So far, only Darren Fletcher has come in with any real pedigree behind him, but there are surely enough question marks over his ability to really excel in a dog-fight, and with a super tough start to the season - they will have faced Arsenal, Chelsea, Man United and Man City in their opening eight matches - this might be the longest we get them at for relegation all season.

7/1 Stoke to be Relegated.

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