In November 2022, Eddie Howe celebrated a year in charge of Newcastle. The Toon Army will have been having their private toasts to the boss as well as in that short period, the club’s fortunes have been transformed. There is no greater indication beyond the league standings than looking across the top 5 football betting sites at some intriguing Newcastle United odds.
From uncertainty over retaining their top-flight status to having a gaggle of players that looked short in delivering effort and quality, the picture on Tyneside could not be any different twelve months on.
A New UEFA Champions League Picture
Manchester City Pep boss Guardiola humbly pulled Newcastle into the Premier League title-contender picture earlier this season. That was a huge compliment from the Spaniard who is expected to lead City to their third straight league crown this term.
The fact that Newcastle were still hanging onto the coattails of Arsenal and Manchester City in the title race heading into the World Cup break, certainly points towards bigger, brighter things coming.
The race for a UEFA Champions League spot from this season’s Premier League is fascinating.
More Than A Seventh Wheel
Breaking up the status quo of the perceived big six of the English top flight is huge. It immediately labels a team as a seventh wheel. When Leicester recorded their famous 2016 EPL title, that’s what they were.
Newcastle have already cracked the Big 6 wide open this term. It has created an interesting dynamic. The Magpies look as if they could be a more permanent fixture in the top four than the Foxes proved to be. So much more than a seventh wheel.
Over the course of the first half of the 2022/23 season, Newcastle turned the race for a top-four finish into a seven-horse race. The slipping and sliding of form from the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and particularly Liverpool have been exacerbated for those clubs because of Newcastle’s growth.
Top Four Finish
If the first half of the season is anything to go by, Arsenal and Manchester City are heading for top-four finishes. As for the other two spots, it’s all up for grabs.
Liverpool, Man Utd and Tottenham are all ahead of the Magpies in the Top 4 Finish betting odds. But the Magpies, who are as short as 6/4 at some of the top 5 football betting sites are not far away from them.
Their performances already this season against other top-four contenders prove well enough that the Magpies are in the mix. There’s a potentially huge advantage coming for Newcastle in the top four race as well.
Most of their remaining matches this season against teams that they will be competing against for a Champions League spot, will be on home turf.
Who Can Newcastle Beat In the EPL Standings?
Another potential angle into Newcastle wagers at the top 5 football betting sites is who they can specifically beat in the standings. This is a fascinating market that SkyBet has priced up.
An example is Newcastle being a quote of 15/8 to land a higher finish than Liverpool this season. Or an even-money quote on them to get above Tottenham. The interesting market options though are 10/11 odds on them to finish above Chelsea and Manchester United.
You have to look for advantages in how this may play out. Come the spring, Newcastle won’t have those extra matches in UEFA competition to worry about like their other top-four rivals.
Landing Some Silverware
While dreams of a Premier League or UEFA Champions League title may be on the immediate back burner, they are ambitions for the club to work towards. Targets of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup are more realistic for the Magpies.
The domestic cups are areas in which they could excel. Odds vary from anywhere out at 14/1 to 8/1 on them winning the Caribou Cup for the first time. There’s around a 14/1 on them leading the FA Cup.
As a positive for the Magpies, Manchester City only took a couple of seasons to win the FA Cup after their takeover. The last piece of domestic silverware to get into the doors at St James’ Park was the 1955 FA Cup.
Transfers Markets
Newcastle did a brilliant job in the 2022 January transfer window, bringing in Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimarães notably. The Magpies have had a big injection of money, but they haven’t been heavily linked with blockbuster transfer rumours after the 2022 World Cup like other clubs have been.
The new owners promised a steady rebuild and to not go crazy. That’s what has happened. There was a steady rebuild of £123m spent by the Magpies in the 2022 summer with the likes of Alexander Isak and Sven Botman adding to their ranks.
With the sparkling form of Miguel Almirón, in particular, the Magpies may not need to go big in January 2023. Not with the advantages that playing fewer games than their rivals and having home advantage in big matches could afford them.
Still, it’s fun to speculate. To that end, targets like Watford’s Brazilian forward Joao Pedro could be revisited for a boost, or Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby may be ones to watch in the Newcastle Next Club Transfer market betting.