What do Leicester, Ipswich, and Southampton have in common? Aside from being promoted from the Championship, they all face uncertainty with their managerial positions ahead of the new season. Leicester manager Enzo Maresca is on Chelsea’s shortlist to replace Mauricio Pochettino, Manchester United are interested in Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna, a former member of their coaching staff, and Southampton’s Russell Martin could be in line to replace Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton.
The possibility of all three clubs being relegated immediately is a concern for their fans. While it did happen this past season with Sheffield United, Burnley, and Luton, such a scenario is rare, having only occurred twice since the Premier League’s inception in 1992. The other instance was in the 1997/98 season when Barnsley, Bolton, and Crystal Palace all went down.
Conversely, all three promoted clubs have successfully stayed up on four occasions, most recently in the 2022/23 season when Fulham, Nottingham Forest, and Bournemouth avoided relegation.
Leicester are 2/1 ON to be relegated, facing the added challenge of a potential points deduction for violating Premier League financial rules. Ipswich, who were in League One just two seasons ago, are priced at 10/11 to go down with bet365, despite finishing fifth in their last promotion campaign in 1999/2000. Southampton will also need to make wise decisions to ensure they don’t join these odds as favorites for relegation.
Southampton are likely the best bet for an immediate return to the Premier League after finishing bottom with just 25 points two years ago. They will need to invest wisely in a significant number of new players to avoid another bottom-three finish. Bet365 offers odds of 7/4 for their promotion, the same odds Betway gives for Everton’s relegation, though Everton’s squad appears stronger than other relegation contenders.
Last year’s Derby winner Auguste Rodin is an unpredictable horse, capable of both brilliance and underperformance. After winning the Epsom Classic, Irish Derby, and Irish Champion Stakes, and succeeding in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita, his form dipped with disappointing runs in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, the King George at Ascot, and a last-place finish in the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan. A second-place finish to White Birch at the Curragh suggests a return to form, making him a promising each-way bet at 20/1 for the Coronation Cup at Epsom, available with firms like Paddy Power, Betfair, and bet365.
Novak Djokovic, yet to reach a tournament final this year, is not expected to successfully defend his French Open title but should easily defeat world No.143 Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the first round at Roland Garros. William Hill offers odds of 21/20 for Djokovic to win by more than 9.5 games, and combining this with Alex De Minaur to beat Alex Michelson in straight sets at 7/10 with the same firm presents a strong betting option.
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