In last week's article, I gave an overview on the runners and riders in this season's race for the Premier League title and with a new campaign on the horizon, it is fair to say that the teams at the sharper end of the table have garnered the most attention.
However, there are always a number of sub-plots in any given league season and one of those is the battle to avoid relegation. While the quest for league championships can be considered glamorous, the fight to stay out of the EFL Championship is nothing short of dramatic.
It is well known in football, that what goes up, must also come down and the question that punters will be asking themselves before the season starts, is just who will end up being the unfortunate trio of clubs that are consigned to England's second tier.
At the time of writing, there does not seem to be a great deal of confidence in the two clubs that gained automatic promotion back in May, as both Norwich and Sheffield United are odds on to return to the Championship at the first time of asking.
Norwich who were celebrating a league win of their own just a couple of months ago, can be backed at around 10/11 to be relegated, while Sheffield United are at the shorter price of 4/6 to finish in the bottom three.
In all fairness, backing these two sides for the drop is not necessarily where the smart money lies and although there is a small amount of value on these long term bets, your focus should lie elsewhere in this particular market.
One team that has seen a swell of interest is that of Newcastle and after the departure of Rafa Benitez and subsequent arrival of Steve Bruce, the Magpies' odds to go down have been slashed and at 9/4, you may well kick yourself that you did not get on this one earlier.
That said, they are not the only team with the threat of relegation looming large and although Aston Villa have spent in excess of £100m this summer, that is not necessarily a guarantee of survival and this is something that Fulham fans will easily attest too.
If you think that Dean Smith will not be able to spend his way out of trouble at Villa Park, then odds of 2/1 for the West Midlands outfit to head straight back to the Championship, is certainly a price that must be considered.
While another team that must enter the discussion is that of Burnley and although Sean Dyche has undoubtedly worked miracles at Turf Moor, one does wonder if this now rather ageing squad has reached the end of its top-flight lifecycle.
That does seem to be the general consensus within this market and with them once again around the region of 15/8, it seems that they are being heavily backed by punters looking to predict the bottom end of the league table.
Of course, there is one last team that will be mooted as potential relegation candidates and that is Brighton, who are now under the tutelage of Graham Potter. The former Swansea man takes charge of a Premier League club outfit for the first time and the pressure will be on from the start.
The Seagulls had an incredibly poor run of form towards the tail end of last season and if Potter cannot get them out of the blocks quickly, then their odds of 15/8 to be relegated and end their Premier League tenure, looks like being a rather worthwhile investment.
Premier League Relegation Betting Odds
Sheffield United 4/6 Norwich 10/11
Brighton 15/8 Burnley 15/8
Aston Villa 2/1 Newcastle 9/4
Southampton 9/2 Bournemouth 9/2
Crystal Palace 5/1 Watford 11/2
Tottenham Fan. Football Writer/Podcaster/Statistician. @realfootballpod host. danthestatman