The Premier League kicks off on Friday, and the relegation scrap promises to be intriguing. These days there are more teams who start the season looking up rather than down, with recent seasons seeing more clubs striving to make Europe than simply looking to survive. However, that doesn’t mean that ambitious sides can’t be dragged into the battle at the bottom as Tottenham found out last season.
TL; DR – My Premier League Relegation Predictions and Best Bets
| Market | Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Ipswich Town to be relegated | 8/11 | Betfred |
| Fulham to be relegated | 11/2 | 10bet |
| Crystal Palace to be relegated | 6/1 | 10bet |
Odds correct at 11:10 BST on 17th August 2026. Odds subject to change.
Hull City are favourites to go down with the Tigers, who went up via the playoffs, priced at 1/4 with 10bet, one of the UK’s best online bookies. It is always difficult for the playoff winners to get ready for the start of the Premier League season as they have less time to build their squad once promotion is confirmed. Hull were sixth in the Championship last season, finishing nine points adrift of the automatic promotion places and closer to the midway point in the league than Champions Coventry City. I think Hull have a strong chance of going down, but I don’t want to back them at that price.
Of the other newly promoted teams, I believe Coventry will make a real fight of things. They will probably end up in the bottom six and possibly the bottom three, but I am not confident enough in them going straight back down to back them. Ipswich, who I’ll elaborate on later, are the best value pick from the promoted sides.
Many pundits are tipping Sunderland to suffer from so-called second season syndrome. They defied XG stats throughout the season, and it is doubtful that they can sustain this. Throw in the distraction of their first European campaign in over 50 years, and you can understand this line of thinking. However, I feel that in Regis Le Bris they have an astute manager, and many of their buys last season have turned out to be genuine Premier League players. I don’t see them in the bottom three even though the Thursday – Sunday schedule might take its toll.
There has been a lot of noise about Newcastle United this summer. The amount of change at St James’ Park and the faith the Magpies have put in youth means it looks like a season of transition on Tyneside. The lack of experience and depth in the squad along with the loss of key players could see things go wrong. While they might have a bad season, I think they will have enough to survive. My two outside tips for the drop focus on London rather than the North East, as I will explain.
Ipswich Town to be Relegated : 8/11 Betfred
No Expiry Date
The loss of boss Kieran McKenna has made a tough task even harder for Ipswich Town. McKenna took over at Portman Road in December 2021 with the club in League One. After steadying the ship, he oversaw back-to-back promotions. The Premier League proved a step too far; however, McKenna won a lot of plaudits during the 2024/25 season. He then brought the Tractor Boys back up at the first time of asking.
His replacement, Gary O’Neil is a very capable Premier League manager. However, he is coming into a very difficult situation. O’Neil will strive to make Ipswich hard to beat, however, at the time of writing, the squad lacks depth and Premier League quality. Kickform give them a 63.1% chance of going down and I think that they are likely to change division for the fifth successive season and 8/11 with Betfred, one of the best football betting sites is a decent price.
Remember, if you’re signing up with Betfred ahead of the new season some of the free bets from the welcome offer can be used on outrights. Get in before the season starts to get more favourable odds.
Fulham to be Relegated: 11/2 10bet
No Expiry Date
Previous boss Marco Silva succeeded in establishing Fulham as a solid Premier League side who were confident enough to look beyond survival and target European qualification and success in the cups. Silva was outspoken over his desire to get into Europe and to win Fulham’s first major trophy, something he just fell short of.
Former Real Madrid and Spain star Alvaro Arbeloa has taken over from Silva, and he faces a tough task. Arbeloa had done well with Madrid’s academy sides and with Castilla (Real Madrid B) before taking over the first team from Xabi Alonso in January. The Fulham job will be very different, and the Cottagers have lost a lot of goals through the departures of Harry Wilson and Raul Jiminez. Arbeloa has used his contacts to bring in the likes of Gonzalo Garcia from Madrid, however, if the signings don’t bed in and if the players don’t take to the Spaniards front-foot, high energy football then the season could become a struggle. Arbeloa has the pedigree to continue Silva’s good work, but it is a far from straightforward task. At 11/2 they are a good value outside bet.
Crystal Palace to be Relegated: 6/1 10bet
After two major trophies in two seasons, tipping Crystal Palace to go down says everything about how hard it is to break into the elite of English football. The financial restrictions of PSR have handicapped ambitious clubs such as Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest and despite collecting silverware Palace have been forced to sell a number of their best players.
Managerial changes has become a recurring theme throughout this piece and this is the case with Palace. Oliver Gasner did a superb job, taking the Eagles clear of relegation before winning the FA Cup, the Community Shield, and the Conference League. His departure could well have an impact, and new boss Pierre Sage has his work cut out. Sage did a fantastic job at Lens but juggling a European campaign alongside the Premier League while establishing himself in a new league could prove to be tricky. Palace may go on to have another great season, however, equally, the bubble could burst. 6/1 is a great price for an outside bet. Kickform give Palace a 24% chance of going down, the highest chance outside the three promoted clubs.
