The English Premier League soccer season has hit it's halfway point and the title race is the most open it has been in several years, with a couple of surprise packages involved too.
Reigning champions Manchester City are once again involved in the battle alongside Arsenal and Liverpool, but Aston Villa are also right in the mix just a year on from being in a relegation battle while Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are also lurking in the background.
But who is going to win it? We'll take a look at the current situation and provide you with our best free soccer betting picks to see if we can earn you some extra cash while you enjoy the action on the pitch.
| English Premier League Outright |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester City | -145 | -150 | -170 |
| Liverpool | +275 | +275 | +222 |
| Arsenal | +650 | +600 | +530 |
| Aston Villa | +2500 | +2500 | +2100 |
| Tottenham | +3300 | +3300 | +2900 |
| Manchester United | +25000 | +25000 | +36000 |
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English Premier League favorites
Below you'll find a list of the favorites to win the English Premier League in the 2023/24 season.
Manchester City - (-145)
The Cityzens are coming off the greatest calendar year in their history after securing five trophies, including the Premier League, Champions League and World Club Cup to end 2023 as the world champions.
But in the Premier League this season they have been off the pace a little. Pep Guardiola's side currently sit in 3rd place with 12 wins from their 19 games so far with the best attack in the division with 45 goals scored.
That's despite key player Kevin De Bruyne not featuring since suffering a hamstring injury in the opening game of the season, while Erling Haaland hasn't hit the heights of his debut campaign either after picking up several injuries too. But with both players set to return in 2024 and City known for being able to go on incredible winning runs when the pressure is on, you'd be crazy to bet against them getting it done again.
They have been there and done it, they keep refreshing the squad with new world-class talent and they have the best manager too. Back City to lift the trophy for a fourth time in a row and a sixth time in seven years.
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Liverpool - (+275)
Most people wrote Liverpool off in the title race during the summer after they lost several key players and failed to replace them during the transfer window.
But once again Jurgen Klopp has worked wonders with his squad at Anfield and the Reds currently sit top of the Premier League table with just one defeat all season. The club will be without star man Mohammed Salah during the month of January as he heads to the African Cup of Nations with Egypt, while holding midfielder Wataru Endo is also heading to the Asia Cup which could leave the team light.
The team is strong enough to cope, but the lack of top quality depth that the team has at their disposal plus the fact they're playing in the Europa League means their schedule will be tighter and they'll likely fall just short come the end of the season.
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Arsenal - (+650)
Last season the Gunners took the title race to the wire after leading the way for most of the campaign, before their young squad crumbled under the pressure of a relentless Manchester City side.
This season they have not been as convincing despite adding Declan Rice and Kai Havertz to their squad, and they currently sit in fourth place after consecutive defeats to West Ham and Fulham over the Christmas period.
Mikel Arteta is likely to enter the transfer market during the January window, but the team is some way off where they were and with a lack of quality depth in the squad their chances of going one better than last season seem slim. They're certainly capable of going on a winning run and building momentum, but it's looking more and more likely that the 2022/23 season may have been their best chance of winning the title.
Aston Villa - (+2500)
This season's surprise package is definitely Aston Villa, with manager Unai Emery leading the charge for the Birmingham side as they sit in 2nd place at the halfway point.
Ollie Watkins, Douglas Luiz and World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez have been the stand-out performers for the side and their record-breaking 15-game winning run at home has played a big part in their push towards a miracle.
But a lack of squad depth beyond their usual starting lineup, plus European football in the second-half of the season and a lack of experience in these situations means they'll more than likely fall away as the season goes on although a top-four finish to secure Champions League football next season could well be on the cards.
Tottenham Hotspur - (+3300)
Ange Postecoglou swapped Glasgow for north London last summer and made an immediate impact on this Spurs side, despite losing Harry Kane to Bayern Munich late in the transfer window.
His attacking, free-flowing football has been fantastic to watch and has seen the team earn plaudits from neutrals all over. But injuries have been a real issue for the team, with key players James Maddison and Micky Van de Ven both suffering long-term issues while Cristian Romero and Yves Bissouma have had disciplinary issues which have seen them miss several games too.
Tottenham will have several players missing through January also as Pape Sarr and Bissouma will head off for AFCON while captain and talisman Heung-Min Son is off to the Asia Cup, adding to their issues.
With a full strength squad they were surprise contenders, but these problems will be too much to overcome and they now fact a tough task to claim a Champions League spot for next season.
