By: Fasika Zelealem
2020 EPL Top Four Odds Preview Week 31
We have reached Week 31 of the 2019/20 Premier League season after the restart and the top four race has continued its exhilarating ride.
Tottenham Hotspur has played two games since the restart beginning with a 1-1 draw with Manchester United and followed that up with a 2-0 home win of West Ham granting them their first win in five.
Harry Kane scored the second goal in the win which was his first in 2020 since coming back from injury. Spurs rose to seventh in the table but sit nine points behind fourth-placed Chelsea as their race for a sixth consecutive season of Champions League football looks unlikely.
Sportsbooks have Tottenham’s updated odds on finishing in the top four openings at +2500.
After beginning the restart with losses to Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion, Arsenal have bounced back with a 2-0 away win at Southampton.
Arsenal had won three in a row before the season was suspended but put in two horror performances as their already slim chances of Champions League football had become more of a dream.
Arsenal sits ninth in the table, 11 points behind Chelsea where Europa League football is a genuine possibility as they trail Tottenham Hotspur and Wolves by two and six points, respectively.
Sportsbooks has the odds of Arsenal finishing in the top four at +15000.
Chelsea Odds and the Rest of the Top Four Odds for the Table
Chelsea has been one of the more impressive sides since the restart of the Premier League.
They’ve beaten both Aston Villa and Manchester City 2-1 as they’ve strengthened their hold on fourth place and are now chasing Leicester City who they trail by just one point.
Their win over City that crowned Liverpool as Premier League champions was a highly contested match where a solo Christian Pulisic put the hosts 1-0 up before a stunning Kevin De Bruyne equaled the scoreline.
A Fernandinho handball earned him a red card and a penalty for Chelsea which Willian dispatched to claim all three points and strip City of their Premier League champion credentials.
Chelsea is five points ahead of both Manchester United and Wolves as Frank Lampard looks set to claim Champions League football in his first season as Chelsea manager.
Chelsea continues to possess the second-best odds to finish in the top four which open at -400.
Manchester United Odds to Keep Rolling
Manchester United’s unbeaten streak has increased to seven games after an impressive 3-0 win over Sheffield United where Anthony Martial scored his first senior hat-trick. It was also the first time since 2013 where a United player scored a Premier League hat-trick.
The win means United remain hot on Chelsea’s heels with just five points separating the two sides.
It’s a fourth win in six for United and their third clean sheet in their last five Premier League games.
Sportsbooks’ odds on Manchester United to finish in the top four are open at +125.
Leicester City has dropped points in their last two games, sharing points with both Watford and Brighton & Hove Albion since the restart.
They remain third but are now just a point above Chelsea who’ve won their last two games. Premier League top scorer Jamie Vardy’s struggles in front of goal has continued with just three goals in his last 14 games.
With Leicester’s spluttering form and the impressiveness of Manchester United and Wolves, the Foxes could still finish out of the top four if they don’t improve and fast. They are currently six points above the two aforementioned clubs.
Sportsbooks’ odds on Leicester City to finish in the top four open at -188.
Wolves remain sixth in the table after wins against West Ham United and Bournemouth.
Wolves are unbeaten in their last seven games and have won four of their last five including four clean sheets in that span.
They remain in a good position to secure European football for the second year in a row and remain in the race for Champions League football as just six points separate them and Chelsea in fourth place.
Raul Jimenez has hit 15 Premier League goals and his combination with Adama Traore who leads the team with nine assists has been a calling card for Wolves this season as they have combined for more goals (6) than any other duo this season.
Sportsbooks’ odds on Wolves to finish in the top four open at +300.
