Premier League To Finish Bottom Odds 22/23: Bournemouth favourites to prop up the table

The new Premier League season gets underway on 5 August in just under four weeks time, and here at BettingOdds.com we’re continuing our Ante-Post series by taking a look at the market for which side will finish bottom. 

How many newly promoted sides have finished bottom in the last 10 years? 

So can we narrow down the potential contenders in the forthcoming campaign by seeing how many of the last ten sides to finish bottom have been newly promoted that season?

The findings below show an even split with five of the last ten teams to have finished bottom having been newly promoted to that season. However, all of the last three fall into this category with Norwich going back down in their first season twice. 

• 2021/2022: Norwich - Yes
• 2020/2021: Sheff Utd - Yes
• 2019/2020: Norwich - Yes
• 2018/2019: Huddersfield - No
• 2017/2018: West Brom - No
• 2016/2017: Sunderland - No
• 2015/2016: Aston Villa - No
• 2014/2015: QPR - Yes
• 2013/2014: Cardiff - Yes
• 2012/2013: QPR - No

How many teams that have been bottom at Christmas have been relegated?

Below we have listed the last ten teams who have been bottom of the table on Christmas day. As you can see, only three of those sides have gone on to finish bottom at the end of the season, including the most recent two in Norwich and Sheffield United. Only two of the last ten have survived relegation after being bottom at Christmas, with the most recent of those being Leicester who remarkably went on to lift the trophy the following season. 

• 2021: Norwich City - Finishing position: 20th
• 2020: Sheff Utd - Finishing position: 20th
• 2019: Watford - Finishing position: 19th
• 2018: Fulham - Finishing position: 19th
• 2017: Swansea - Finishing position: 18th
• 2016: Hull City - Finishing position: 18th
• 2015: Aston Villa - Finishing position: 20th
• 2014: Leicester City - Finishing position: 14th
• 2013: Sunderland - Finishing position: 14th
• 2012: Reading - Finishing position: 19th

Favourites

Bournemouth - 2/1

Scott Parker’s Bournemouth have been instilled as the 2/1 favorites to finish bottom of the pile in 2022/2023. It’s no surprise to see the bookmakers having the newly promoted sides as the three shortest priced teams to finish bottom, but it’s the Cherries that are favorites after only bringing in two signings so far. Joe Rothwell has made the switch from Blackburn and Ryan Fredericks from West Ham, with both arriving on a free. In our opinion Parker needs to seriously bolster his squad if they are to stand any chance of staying up this season. 

Nottingham Forest 3/1

Next up in the market we have Nottingham Forest at 3/1 who ended a 23 year hiatus away from the Premier League by gaining promotion after beating Huddersfield Town in the play-off final. When manager Steve Cooper took over at Forest he inherited a side who were bottom of the league and lacking confidence and ideas. After their historic promotion back to the promised land, Steve Cooper now boasts a 60% win ratio since making the switch to the City Ground. That also includes an FA Cup run where the Reds reached the quarter-finals, ultimately losing to Liverpool, who would go on to lift the trophy. 

There’s no denying that Forest will need to strengthen their squad, should they wish to cope with the demands of a top-flight season up against some of Europe’s most formidable teams, and In this window, they have brought in Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi from Union Berlin for a club record fee of £18m. Cooper has also made two additions in the defensive area with Frenchman Guilian Biancone being drafted in from Troyes and Moussa Niakhate arriving from Mainz, both for £9m. 

Fulham 6/1

The Cottagers were the stand out team in England’s second tier, amassing 90 points, scoring 106 goals, and dishing out three different 7-0 thumpings on their way to the league title. Fulham also became the first English team since Chester City in 1933 to score six or more goals in three consecutive fixtures and are 6/1 to finish bottom of the league in their first season back in the big time. 

Marco Silva will be fully aware that Fulham have been relegated at the first attempt in the Premier League, on each of the last two occasions they have reached the top-flight (2019, 2021), and will want to ensure that trend does not continue this time round. 

Others

We now move onto the teams who survived relegation last season, with Leeds being offered at 10/1. The West Yorkshire club have lost their two star players this summer in Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha, but have moved quickly to replace them bringing in Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson. 

Brentford can also be found at 10/1 and will be looking to not suffer second-season-syndrome after their first season back in the big time since 1947. The departure of Christian Eriksen will leave a big hole in attack but we feel their style of play should be enough to keep them in the division. 

Southampton look to have made some smart signings this summer with arrival of a couple of Manchester City academy players along with Joe Aribo, but many punters still fear for the Saints this term and they can be backed at 12/1 to finish bottom. Everton and Wolves round off the teams towards the top of the market with 25/1 available on either of those propping up the table come the end of the season. 

Who to back?

It may not be the most glamorous of picks but we cannot help but feel Bournemouth are destined to finish bottom this coming season. The Cherries have been very quiet in the transfer window so far and will be very much relying on the goals of Dominic Solanke in the attacking department, which is rather worrying. Five of the last ten sides to have finished bottom have been newly promoted, and with Forest and Fulham both investing heavily this window, Bournemouth stand out as prime candidates to finish bottom,