Premier League Winners, Favourites, Long Shots and Betting History
33 years of champions, odds & surprises
Since its launch in 1992, the English Premier League (EPL) has grown into the world’s most-watched and most-bet football competition. Each season attracts billions of pounds in wagers, from outright title bets to matchday accumulators and live in-play markets. No other domestic league combines history, money, and drama quite like it. From Manchester United’s early dominance to Leicester’s miracle and Manchester City’s modern dynasty, the Premier League has delivered unforgettable betting moments.
This article looks back at how Premier League title betting has played out historically. It focuses on past favourites, famous long shots, and how betting markets have reacted to dominance, collapses, and shocks over the decades. It's not intended as a betting preview or a guide to current odds, just a look back at what's happened when punters took on the bookies.
Premier League Winners, Runners-Up, and Betting Highlights (1992–2025)
Season Champion, (Runner-Up), Points (Pre-Season Odds) Betting/Trivia Note
1992–93 Manchester United (Aston Villa) 84pts (3/1)
United end 26-year wait; new Premier League era begins.
1993–94 Manchester United (Blackburn Rovers) 92pts (2/1)
Cantona-inspired double; favourite lands easily.
1994–95 Blackburn Rovers (Manchester United) 89pts (9/2)
Jack Walker’s millions pay off; final-day drama at Anfield.
1995–96 Manchester United (Newcastle United) 82pts (5/2)
‘Love it if we beat them’ season; comeback ruined 1/8 odds on Newcastle.
1996–97 Manchester United (Newcastle United) 75pts (7/4)
Low points total; first back-to-back defence in PL era.
1997–98 Arsenal (Manchester United) 78pts (8/1)
Wenger revolution; French imports rewrite football science.
1998–99 Manchester United (Arsenal) 79pts (5/2)
Treble year; 8/1 mid-season odds swing into history.
1999–00 Manchester United (Arsenal) 91pts (8/13)
Runaway title; punters cashed out early as bookies closed markets.
2000–01 Manchester United (Arsenal) 80pts (4/5)
Third straight title; shortest ante-post price ever at time.
2001–02 Arsenal (Liverpool) 87pts (7/2)
‘We won it at Old Trafford’; unbeaten away all season.
2002–03 Manchester United (Arsenal) 83pt (2/1)
Title swing sealed in April; bookies hammered on accas.
2003–04 Arsenal (Chelsea) 90pts (6/1)
‘Invincibles’; biggest bookmaker loss of early 2000s.
2004–05 Chelsea (Arsenal) 95pts (6/1)
Mourinho’s first season; record-low goals conceded (15).
2005–06 Chelsea (Manchester United) 91pts (7/4)
Comfortable defence; value bettors avoided short odds.
2006–07 Manchester United (Chelsea) 89pts (5/2)
Ronaldo-Rooney peak; betting turnover record pre-mobile boom.
2007–08 Manchester United (Chelsea) 87pts (2/1)
Double for bettors on UCL/PL.
2008–09 Manchester United (Liverpool) 90pts (7/4)
Liverpool collapse cost punters; Rafa’s ‘facts’ rant famous.
2009–10 Chelsea (Manchester United) 86pts (5/2)
Drogba golden boot; first team to hit 100+ goals.
2010–11 Manchester United (Chelsea) 80pts (5/2)
United’s 19th league title; Alex Ferguson’s last great squad.
2011–12 Manchester City (Manchester United) 89pts (7/2)
Aguero 93:20 goal; £150m in-play traded on Betfair.
2012–13 Manchester United (Manchester City) 89pts (9/4)
Ferguson farewell; early payouts in March.
2013–14 Manchester City (Liverpool) 86pts (11/4)
Gerrard’s slip cost punters millions; Liverpool traded 1/5.
2014–15 Chelsea (Manchester City) 87pts (15/8)
Mourinho’s pragmatic masterclass; low volatility season.
2015–16 Leicester City (Arsenal) 81pts (5000/1)
Miracle season; biggest betting shockever (£25m paid).
2016–17 Chelsea (Tottenham) 93pts (13/2)
Conte’s switch to 3-4-3 caught bookmakers off guard.
2017–18 Manchester City (Manchester United) 100pts (7/4)
‘Centurions’; 100 points; early payout by March.
2018–19 Manchester City (Liverpool) 98pts (4/6)
Epic duel; record combined 195 points.
2019–20 Liverpool (Manchester City) 99pts (9/4)
First title in 30 years; early payout promos mid-season.
2020–21 Manchester City (Manchester United) 86pts (8/13)
COVID year; empty stadia drove live-betting surge.
2021–22 Manchester City (Liverpool) 93pts (8/11)
1-point gap; £1b+ UK turnover on title markets.
2022–23 Manchester City (Arsenal) 89pts (8/15)
Treble season; Arsenal traded 1/5 before collapse.
2023–24 Manchester City (Arsenal) 91pts (4/7)
Fourth straight title; unmatched betting consistency.
2024–25 Liverpool (Arsenal) 92pts (5/1)
Arne Slot dethrones Pep
Pre-season odds shown are historical prices available at the start of each season and are included for context only.
Decade-by-decade betting story and betting trends and market evaluation
Decade-by-Decade Betting Story
1990s: The United Dynasty and the Birth of Modern Football Betting
The Premier League’s first decade belonged to Manchester United, who claimed seven of the first nine titles. Bookmakers learned to price dominance: by 1999, United were odds-on favourites in August. The introduction of Sky Sports, televised Super Sundays, and global betting access turned the EPL into a week-long gambling product. Blackburn’s 1995 triumph and Arsenal’s 1998 double provided the only real surprises.
2000s: Money, Mourinho, and Online Betting
The 2000s brought Abramovich’s millions, Mourinho’s swagger, and the dawn of online betting. Chelsea’s rise disrupted United’s monopoly, while Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ 2003–04 run caused one of the worst bookmaker years in memory. The Betfair exchange launched in 2000, introducing trading dynamics that allowed punters to hedge in-play. By 2009, in-play and Asian handicap betting were mainstream.
2010s: City’s Revolution and the Leicester Miracle
Manchester City’s financial might and Guardiola’s tactics redefined dominance, but the 2015–16 Leicester miracle remains the century’s greatest upset. Pre-season 5000/1 odds became folklore; bookmakers capped future long-shots at 1000/1. Liverpool’s return under Klopp created record turnover. By the end of the decade, smartphone apps, cash-out options, and micro markets had transformed football betting into a 24/7 phenomenon.
2020s: Data, Dominance, and Disruption
The 2020s opened with Manchester City's dominance under Guardiola, claiming four consecutive titles from 2020-24 and cementing an era of data-driven perfection. Liverpool's 2024-25 title under Arne Slot broke City's stranglehold, proving profitable for those who backed them pre-season. The total annual UK football betting spend exceeded £10 billion, with the Premier League accounting for 60-65% of it. Regulations tightened, but global liquidity soared thanks to mobile and online betting platforms. The decade has shown how betting markets became increasingly efficient at pricing favourites, though occasional disruptions like Liverpool's title still deliver value.
Betting Trends and Market Evolution
Premier League betting evolved from printed coupons to algorithm-driven AI models. Pre-match betting once dominated, but today, more than 70% of wagers are placed in-play. The rise of 'bet builders' and player-stat markets (shots, assists, tackles) has created a micro-economy for data-savvy bettors. What started as simple win-draw-win betting in 1992 had become a complex, multi-layered market three decades later.
Premier league betting trivia and patterns and looking ahead to 2025-2026 and beyond
Premier League Betting Trivia and Patterns
· Average points needed to win: 86.4
· Most consecutive titles: 4 – Manchester City (2020–24)
· Longest pre-season favourite streak: Manchester City (2018–25)
· Most profitable title winners for punters: Leicester 2016, Arsenal 2025
· Team with the most losing seasons as favourite: Liverpool (3)
· Most common winning margin: 5 points
· Tightest finishes: 2012 and 2019 – both decided by one point.
What the History Shows
Looking back over three decades, Premier League title betting has become increasingly concentrated around a small group of dominant clubs. While shocks like Leicester still happen, and occasional disruptions like Liverpool’s 2024-25 triumph break through, the pattern shows that extended dynasties and short-priced favourites dominate the modern era. The gap between the elite and everyone else has widened, both on the pitch and in the betting markets.
Understanding how Premier League title betting has behaved historically helps explain why favourites dominate modern markets, why genuine shocks are so rare, and why moments like Leicester's title remain so powerful. It's a reminder that while football keeps changing, the stories that define betting history tend to repeat in familiar ways, dominance occasionally interrupted by chaos, money usually winning out, and every so often, something genuinely miraculous breaking through.
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OVERVIEW
Over 33 seasons, the Premier League has created a tapestry of triumphs, heartbreaks, and betting legends. From Cantona’s swagger to Aguero’s drama and Arteta’s tactical evolution, each chapter brought fortune and risk. For bettors, it remains a thrilling test of instinct, analysis, and timing. A true reflection of football’s unpredictable beauty.
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