Who exactly is in the running to be the Premier League 2017/18’s title-winning champs and relegation-battling chumps?

Pep Guardiola will be hoping for a far more successful sophomore season, not only because so far he has spent more than £200 million on improving his Manchester City squad this summer. 2016/17’s lack of trophies marked the first time Guardiola has failed to pick up a piece of silverware since he started his managerial career, a feat that cannot be repeated if he is to remain in charge at the Etihad. Luckily for the Spaniard, City are favourites to claim their 3rd Premier League title, at a Season Points spread of 80-81.5 alongside an Outright Index spread of 33-36.



Chasing after city are defending champions Chelsea, at a Points spread of 77.5-79 and an Index spread of 25-28. The Blues have already suffered one disappointment this season – their Charity Shield loss to Arsenal – and will be keen to avoid a repeat of their last championship defence in 2015/16.

A smidge behind Chelsea are Manchester United, with the same 7/2 fixed odds price as the Blues (Man City are at 13/8) but with Points and Index spreads of 76.5-78 and 24-27 respectively. Like their City neighbours, United have spent big this summer, splurging £75 million on Romelu Lukaku alone. A failure to improve on last season’s 6th place will be seen as a bitter disappointment by both Mourinho and, importantly, the Glazers.

Sharing a Season Points spread of 73-74.5 are Tottenham and Liverpool. The two sides are separated, however, by their Premier League Index spreads, where Spurs at 16-19 to the Reds’ 14-17, and fixed odds prices, the London club at 9/1 to Liverpool’s 12/1. Tottenham – runners up last year remember – would arguably be higher up if they had been a bit more active on the transfer market. So far their most notable move is selling Walker to City, without a single signing in the other direction.

Finally there’s Arsenal. Missing out on Champions League football for the first time in more than 2 decades was a wound only partially closed up by the FA Cup success at the end of the season. Sadly for Arsene Wenger and co., the arrival of Alexandre Lacazette doesn’t seem to have substantially helped their title chances, the Gunners at a Season Points spread of 72.5-74 alongside an Outright Index spread of 13-16.

At the other end of the table there is one clear team leading the relegation charge: Huddersfield. The Terriers finished the Championship in 5th despite an awful final few months to the season, before beating both Sheffield Wednesday and Reading on penalties in the play-offs. That’s hardly top flight form, and leaves Huddersfield atop the Premier League Relegation Index with a spread of 19-22.

Just behind the Terriers are Burnley, with a Relegation Index spread of 12-15. Last season the Clarets scraped a 16th place finish thanks to a better goal difference than 17th place Watford (who aren’t too far behind with an Index spread of 8-11), and this season it seems like they may have run out of luck.

Wrapping up the potential drop-outs are Championship runners-up Brighton. The Seagulls are in the Premier League for the first time in their history, and it looks like it could be a short stay, with Spreadex offering a Relegation Index spread of 10-13.