After what feels like an eternity away for the summer, the English Premier League returns for the 2023/24 season this weekend.
Last season Manchester City made it three league championships in a row by pipping Arsenal late in the campaign, while also securing the UEFA Champions League and FA Cup to become the first English team to win the treble since 1999 and only the second team ever.
Will they do it again this year? Or have the rest of the teams in the country finally caught up? We'll take a look at the season ahead and break down the favorites to be crowned champions this season while providing you with our best free soccer picks to try and earn you some extra cash.
| Premier League 23/24 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester City | -125 | -140 | -140 |
| Arsenal | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Liverpool | +750 | +800 | +700 |
| Manchester United | +1100 | +1000 | +1100 |
| Chelsea | +1500 | +1200 | +1400 |
Learn more about how to bet on the Premier League here.
Premier League favorites
Below you'll find a list of the favorites to win the English Premier League this season.
Manchester City (-125)
Pep Guardiola has firmly established himself as the greatest manager of his generation after winning a second treble of his career last season, and City look to make history again this year by becoming the first team to ever win four Premier League titles consecutively.
They will have to do it without Riyad Mahrez though, who has joined the revolution in Saudi Arabia, and former captain Ilkay Gundogan who left for Barcelona at the end of his contract, while there are still question marks surrounding the futures of first-team players Aymeric Laporte, Kyle Walker and Bernardo Silva.
The team has however splashed $98.6m to sign defender Josko Gvardiol and bolster their options, and with the transfer window still open for a few weeks there is time for them to bring more additions in.
They're the rightful favorites to lift the title again having been so far ahead in recent years, but you can argue that they're weaker this year while everyone around them has strengthened and there is no value in backing them at this stage at this price.
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Arsenal (+500)
Arsenal led the league table for 30 of the 38 games last season and still finished five points behind Manchester City at the end after a late crumble in results.
But manager Mikel Arteta has responded positively in the transfer window by signing Declan Rice ($133.6m), Kai Havertz ($82.7m) and Jurrien Timber ($49.1m) to improve the depth and quality within his squad. They have however lost influential midfielder Granit Xhaka to Bayer Leverkusen and several other fringe players are expected to depart before the window closes.
However the Gunners have shown their improvement by winning the Community Shield in the final preparation game before the season starts, and they'll look to go one step further this time around.
Last season they just missed out and while all the other teams have got stronger, they have too. They have a great chance of success this season if they can keep key players like Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and William Saliba fit and +500 is a fantastic price at this stage as it will likely only get shorter as the season goes on.
Liverpool (+800)
It was a tough season last time around for Jurgen Klopp as he dealt with several injuries and some poor, inconsistent form that saw the team finish 5th in the league and miss out on Champions League football for the upcoming campaign.
They lost their captain Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabian clubs, while Roberto Firmino, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Naby Keita were all allowed to leave the club at the end of their contracts. They have so far brought in talented midfielders Alexis Mac Allister (undisclosed) and Dominik Szoboszlai ($76.3m) and continue to be active in the transfer market to strengthen.
Their attack looks incredibly strong with Luis Diaz, Mohammed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota all fit and firing while Trent Alexander-Arnold looks back to his best too.
But too much change isn't usually a good thing and with a whole new midfield for the season, winning the title looks to be a step too far for this side. If other teams underperform however, there is great value in backing them as a host of these players have been there and done it before.
Check out our review for BetUS sports betting here.
Manchester United (+1100)
Manchester United are looking back to somewhat near what fans expect from them under Erik Ten Hag after several years of underperformance in recent times.
Last season the Red Devils finished third in the table while also winning the Carabao Cup and making it to the FA Cup final, and this summer they have added Mason Mount ($75.7m), Andre Onana ($57.4m) and Rasmus Hojlund ($91.6m). They allowed legendary goalkeeper David De Gea to leave at the end of his contract too, while several players are still expected to leave before the transfer window closes.
But after naming Bruno Fernandes as the new team captain ahead of Harry Maguire, the team looks better set to compete on all fronts this season and after winning a trophy last year they will have a thirst to continue improving and win their first Premier League title since 2013.
It won't be easy but they beat all the other contenders last season so know they're capable of competing, and they're stronger than they were in terms of depth and quality. At +1100 there is some serious value, although they should be considered a long shot.
