Online Bookies Take Big Bets On Premier League

The English Premier League season will get underway just over one week from now, and already online sportsbooks are taking some crazy bets from punters who are perhaps a little too in love with their own team.

William Hill recently took their biggest bet of the pre-season when one mad Liverpool fan put down £44,000 for his side to win the league (£22k each way). The man, who is in his mid-30s, backed his side at 25/1 odds, forcing Hill to cut their title odds to 16/1. He will collect £777.3k if Liverpool win the titles, and £205.3k if they finish second.

Liverpool is now responsible for about 40 percent of all stakes on the Premier League winner market, Hill said. However, they pointed out that while the football has gone largely unnoticed in London while the Olympics have been on, there have been a lot of bets from the north-west of England.

William Hill Online is now offering the following odds on the English Premier League title: Manchester City, 6/5, Manchester United, 5/2, Chelsea, 5/1, Arsenal, 12/1, Liverpool, 16/1, Tottenham, 25/1, all other teams, 150/1 odds and above.

The traditional season curtain raiser takes place this Sunday as the reigning league champions Man City face the FA Cup winners Chelsea at Wembley. City are the slight favourites, while Hill is also taking bets on scenarios involving Sergio Aguero and Fernando Torres scoring and their respective sides winning.