Premier League Top Half Finish Odds: Palace and West Ham in the mix

There are, as always, going to be a whole host of Premier League clubs with lofty ambitions this term. We’ll have the usual suspects battling it out for the European places, but what about the smaller outfits, for whom finishing in the top-10 marks real success?

Below I take a look at the Premier League Top Half Finish Odds, and give my thoughts on the runners and riders. 

I’ve skipped past the short-priced big boys who are almost guaranteed a top-half finish, and instead focused on those ambitious mid-table sides. Here’s what I make of the race for the top-10.

West Ham @ 8/11

Fully on-board with this. West Ham’s transfer business has been magnificent this sumner, with real investment going into Julien Lopetegui’s squad. Crysencio Summerville was the Championship’s best player last term and comes in from Leeds, while Niclas Fullkrug is a physical striker with an eye for goal, as we saw at the Euros this summer. 

Max Kilman is a coup from Wolves, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka should provide defensive solidity at right-back. They have a squad that should be able to compete for the European spots now, so a top-half finish really should be the minimum requirement this term. 

Premier League Odds

Brighton @ 4/5

I’m less sure about Brighton. They have the youngest manager in Premier League history in Fabian Hürzeler and even though their hiring policy has been sound in recent years, question marks have to be raised. He is just 31, but guided St. Pauli to the Bundesliga II title last season before his move to these shores. 

They’ve made some intriguing signings this month in the form of Yankuba Minteh, Mats Wieffer and Ibrahim Osman, which as usual, I’ve never heard of. That’s a good thing from Brighton’s point of view as they usually unearth gems, but they have spent a decent chunk of change on the new arrivals. They won’t be anywhere near relegation, but there’s too many unknown quantities for me to back them for a top-half finish right now.

Crystal Palace @ 11/10

Yep. Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace were nothing short of sensational at the back-end of last season and they could continue that form into the upcoming season. Glasner succeeded with a 3-4-3 system, and it seems that they will continue with that this term. Jean-Phillipe Mateta was in fine goalscoring form at the end of the last campaign, and he was being supplied by the talented duo of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise. 

Now the latter has departed, to Bayern Munich, but it doesn’t put me off too much. Ismaila Sarr is a talented addition who knows the Premier League well after his spell at Watford, and I feel Glasner doesn’t rely on individuals too much. I’d be backing the Eagles at this price.

Bournemouth @ 7/4

Andoni Iraola turned Bournemouth around last term after a sluggish start and led them to a 12th-place finish. With a full pre-season and a strong start, they could close the gap on the top-half, but there are concerns. Talisman Dominic Solanke has departed for Tottenham, while they’ve also lost Lloyd Kelly on a free to Newcastle. 

Enas Unal and Luis Sinisterra have joined on permanent deals, but it still feels like they could be lacking slightly in the attacking third of the pitch. I think they could come up slightly short of a top-10 finish again, without their main man up top. 

Fulham @ 100/30

Can’t see it. Joao Palhinha has gone to Bayern Munich and the rest of their squad isn’t up to much. They’ve also lost Tosin Adarabioyo to neighbours Chelsea, and although Emile Smith-Rowe is an exciting arrival for a hefty fee, I don’t think they’ll be better than they were last season, when they finished 13th. If things go wrong for Marco Silva, they could even be staring at a relegation battle. 

Ipswich @ 10/1

Here’s an outside shout, at a huge price. What if Ipswich continue their sparkling form all the way into the Premier League? After posting 98 and 96 points in their last two seasons, they could take that form into the top flight and secure a top-half finish, just as Wolves and Sheff Utd have done in the past. 

They are such a good attacking team, and will bring huge entertainment to the Premier League, but their defensive record will need to improve. One thing is for sure, McKenna is a top manager, and the Tractor Boys are going to be entertaining. 

Offers

Opt in and place a bet of £10 or more on a team to win the 24/25 Premier League and we'll give you a £2 Free Bet to use every game week in August!

Acca Flex: Place a pre-match 5+ leg Football accumulator and get a CASH bonus up to 50% if all of your selections win or your money back as CASH if one leg lets you down.

You can read all our latest Football Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub.