Leeds favourites in the race for the Premier League, but is that a good thing?

[YorkshireSquare]

The football season begins in the first week in August with the Championship, as the battle for places in the Premier League begins again. Many are again predicting the winners, and losers, and just who might earn one of the three places up for grabs in the world’s most prestigious league. The promotion favourites have been named with Leeds United as favourites – but is that a good thing or not?

Well OddsMonkey research has shown that it is anything but a good thing to be considered one of the favourites to up…



Promoted teams in BOLD


And as the research shows, over the last five years – just four of the 15 favourites for promotion have done so…that is just 26.6%. The last time was one of the favourites to achieve promotion was back in 2017 when Rafa Benitez guided Newcastle United back to the Premier League. In the last two years, not one of the favourites have managed to land a promotion spot.

Going into 2019/20 and the clubs looking to put the record right are Cardiff, Fulham and Leeds – they are the three favourites going into the campaign. OddsMonkey spokesman Peter Watton commented:

It really is amazing to look at just how tough the favourites have it in the Championship, but for just one of the favourites in the last three years to make it to the Premier League shows just how tough an ask it is to land promotion.

You only need to look back to last year and two of the favourites didn't even make the play-offs.

Leeds United initially exceeded all expectations last season during Marcelo Bielsa’s first year in charge, dazzling the Championship with their expansive, attacking play. But results in the second half of the season saw the prospect of promotion diminish ultimately ending in play-off defeat to Derby. Leeds will hope to put last season’s failure along with the seemingly poisoned chalice of being favourites behind them as they look to push on and win promotion to the top flight in 2019/20.


Selected Championship odds 2019/20:
Leeds United – 9/2
Fulham – 7/1
Cardiff City – 10/1
West Bromwich Albion – 12/1
Brentford – 12/1
Stoke City – 12/1
Derby County – 16/1
Bristol City – 16/1
Middlesbrough – 16/1
Nottingham Forest – 16/1
Huddersfield Town – 20/1
Sheffield Wednesday – 20/1

[1964white]

Bookies & the majority of punters got it wrong last season

[mothbanquet]

Look on the bright side, if it were the other way around and the promotion favourites always went up you can guarantee we'd be the first not to. If anything, this just means less expectations.

[weasel]

I think the bookies usually just look at the teams that have got relegated and pick at least 1 or 2 from those to be amongst the favourites.

[weasel]

Also I think we became favourites after we demolished Stoke in our opening game - we were definitely the favourites after we'd backed up that performance by beating Derby too.

[Irish Ian]

Favourites?

Well it is about time that someone liked us...