Back page With Chelsea almost certain to claim the Premier League title this term, all eyes have instead turned to the race for Champions League places and the battle at the bottom of the table.
Make no mistake; however, it is the relegation battle that remains the most fascinating, with a financial prize of up to £200 million on offer and potentially seven teams facing the drop.
The question that remains, of course, is which teams will survive, and which three will spend next season in the Championship? So, let’s take a look at how this seasons’ relegation battle is likely to play out.
Sunderland are surely down and out, while Middlesbrough continue to struggle
At present, it is David Moyes’ Sunderland side that appears most likely to endure relegation. The Mackems are currently 1/10 to fall into the Championship, as they sit at the bottom of the table and six points adrift from safety.
They have also won just one of their last 10 league games, while many of the sides around them have enjoyed an upturn in form since the beginning of the year.
Another side in imminent danger is Middlesbrough, who have failed to win at all in their last ten league games and remain the division’s lowest scorers with just 19 goals in 27 matches.
Abject in their 2-0 defeat against Stoke last time out, Boro can also be backed at 4/11 to go down and remain in desperate need of inspiration if they are to beat the drop.
This is where the scenario becomes a little tricky, as four of the other teams battling the drop have showcased periods of excellent form during the course of the last eight weeks.
Swansea (despite having the worst defence in the league) have won five of their last eight matches, while Crystal Palace have also been victorious in their last two as the Sam Allardyce effect begins to bear fruit.
Hull City have also showcased exceptional promise since hiring Marco Silva in January, while Leicester City have won two matches impressively since parting company with the struggling Claudio Ranieri.
The last word – why Bournemouth may be in trouble
While a quick glance at the table confirms that Hull City (2/5) are the most likely to join Sunderland and Boro as the favourites to go down.
However, there are also concerns for Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth.
Despite their resilient draw at Old Trafford last week, as the Cherries have lost five of their last seven games and shipped a total of 18 goals in the process.
Bournemouth are competitively priced at 7/1 to go down and may struggle to arrest their recent slide.
However, if you do fancy a punt check out the full odds at bonuscode.co.uk before committing.
Premier League history is littered with examples of struggling mid-table sides suddenly being dragged into a relegation battle, and given the form of the sides beneath them few would bet against the Cherries joining this list.
