English Premier League

2025-26 Football Season: Liverpool, Sunderland and Celtic among most backed teams

2025-26 Most Backed Teams
Find out which teams are being backed ahead of the 2025-26 football season

The Betfair Sportsbook now has betting markets for all four domestic leagues as well as the Scottish Premiership, so read on to find out who the bettors are backing with still over two months to go before the 2025-26 season commences...

  • Liverpool just edging Arsenal in Premier League Winner market

  • Black Cats proving very popular in Relegation market

  • Ipswich, Luton and MK Dons most backed in EFL divisions

  • Celtic the only team people want to back in SPL

  • Read our Ulitmate Guide to FIFA Club World Cup 25


Reds and Gunners the most backed to win Premier League

Reigning Premier League champions Liverpool are the most backed team on the Betfair Sportsbook to win the Premier League title next season... but only just.

The Reds - who can be backed at 15/82.88 to defend their crown - have received 20.2% of the bet share on the Premier League Winner market, and that is just 0.1% more than Arsenal who are the subject of 20.1% of all bets placed.

Perhaps surprisingly, Manchester United, who endured a terrible season last term, ending the campaign without a trophy and finishing way down in 15th in the table, are the third most-backed team, receiving 14.9% of all bets placed.

Chelsea and Manchester City are close behind with 13.7% and 12.9% of the bet share respectively, but the remainder of the Premier League clubs have all received less than 5%, including manager-less Tottenham, with just 1.7% of all bets being placed being on the north London club.

Club % of Bets Placed to Win PL Odds to Win PL
Liverpool 20.2% 15/82.88
Arsenal 20.1% 5/23.50
Manchester United 14.9% 40/141.00
Chelsea 13.7% 22/123.00
Manchester City 12.9% 9/43.25

*Rest all below 5%


United backed to go down but Black Cats all the rage

It appears that punters are undecided on how Manchester United will perform next season because as well as being one of the most backed teams to win the Premier League title, they are also the second most-backed team to be relegated this term, receiving 11.2% of all bets placed on the Relegation market.

United can be backed at 16/117.00 to go down next term, which is way bigger than the 3/101.30 on offer about newly-promoted Sunderland making an immediate return to the Championship. It is therefore no surprise that the Black Cats are by far the most-backed team in the market, receiving 44.9% of the bet share.

Club % of Bets Placed to be Relegated Odds to be Relegated
Sunderland 44.9% 3/101.30
Manchester United 11.2% 16/117.00
Burnley 10.3% 7/201.35
Wolves 6.5% 7/24.50
Leeds 4.7% 7/201.35
West Ham 4.1% 15/28.50

*Rest all below 4%


Tractor Boys fancied for swift return

Ipswich Town had made remarkable strides in recent seasons, gaining back-to-back promotions to the Premier League before making an immediate return to the Championship at the end of the 2024-25 season. However, the Tractor Boys are proving the most popular team among bettors to return back to the Premier League.

Ipswich are 9/25.50 favourites to win the Championship and they have received 20.2% of all bets placed on the market, this is just marginally more than Southampton (18.8%), who were also relegated last term, and beaten play-off finalists Sheffield United (15.6%).

In the early days of the Championship Winner market opening, newly-promoted Birmingham City were the team most people wanted to back, but they've slipped to the fourth most-backed team now with 14.5% of all bets placed on the market being on the Blues.

Club % of Bets Placed to win Championship Odds to win Championship
Ipswich Town 20.2% 9/25.50
Southampton 18.8% 11/26.50
Sheffield United 15.6% 17/29.50
Birmingham 14.5% 9/110.00
Leicester 9.6% 11/112.00

*Rest all below 5%


Luton, MK Dons and Celtic lead the way

Luton Town, who have just suffered back-to-back relegations, are not surprisingly the most-backed team to win League One, with 28% of all bets placed on the market being on the Hatters, while in League Two it's MK Dons who are proving the most popular team to back

However, across all the markets, Scottish champions Celtic are by far the most popular team to back, and of all the bets placed on the Scottish Premiership market a staggering 91% of them have been placed on Brendan Rodgers' men, which suggests they should be a lot shorter than their current odds of 4/111.36 to defend their crown.

Rangers - 2/13.00 to win the title - have received just 8% of all bets placed on the market, with only Aberdeen (1%) being the other team backed at this early stage.

League One

Club % of Bets Placed to win League 1 Odds to win League 1
Luton Town 28% 4/15.00
Cardiff 19.4% 13/27.50
Plymouth 16.7% 17/29.50
Stockport 9% 10/111.00
Huddersfield 6% 11/112.00
Reading 5.5% 14/115.00

*Rest all below 5%

League Two

Club % of Bets Placed to win League 2 Odds to win League 2
MK Dons 27.2% 13/27.50
Chesterfield 13.8% 17/29.50
Notts County 12.5% 9/110.00
Swindon 8.4% 18/119.00
Bristol Rovers 7.6% 11/112.00
Salford 6% 11/112.00
Gillingham 5.6% 9/110.00
Walsall 5.4% 12/113.00

*Rest all below 5%

Scottish Premiership

Club % of Bets Placed to win SPL Odds to win SPL
Celtic 91% 4/111.36
Rangers 8% 2/13.00
Aberdeen 1% 100/1101.00


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Mike Norman

Sport fanatic with a particular love of football, golf, snooker and horse-racing

Prices quoted in copy are correct at time of publication but liable to change.