Perception Of Villa Changing Even With Bookies?

All this talk of the top four got me thinking.... I know, I know, doesn't happen often. Anyway, thought I'd visit Oddschecker, our betting partners, to see how the bookies are rating Villa - which is usually a good sign of the opinion of your side, because we all know bookies don't like losing money! That together with plenty of positive press talk about our chances, not to mention Sir Alex Ferguson being convinced that Villa can break the top four (partly in a dig towards Arsenal perhaps... but nevertheless we'll take it won't we?!)

The odds to WIN the Premiership are:

Chelsea 3/4 with sportingbet or 8/11 with many other bookies through Oddschecker
Man Utd 10/3 with skybet
Liverpool 15/4 with sporting bet
Arsenal 50/1 with stanjames, betfair and several others
Aston Villa 200/1 with boylesports (most others are 150/1 or under)

I'm sure if not for the Stoke, Boro and Newcastle results, those odds for us would have been slashed but lets face it, 200/1 is more than fair, we are some way off but ooooh so close (if you get my drift... ie buy some more quality and things are looking on the up!

Then come the even longer odds with teh likes of Manchester City at up to 400/1, Tottenham Hotspur at up to 750/1 and Everton the same.

What is interesting is when you come to the odds for a top four position. Seems we are now viewed as real contenders and are at similar odds to Arsenal. A real change in perception, even from what odds we'd have seen last year and a nice healthy step in the right direction!

Extrabet through Oddschecker have:

Manchester United at 1/100 (betfair 1/19)
Arsenal are at 4/9 (betfair 4/6) and Aston Villa at 11/4 (betfair 12/5)
That leaves Liverpool 1/33 (betfair 1/16) with Chelsea odds only on betfair at 1/41.

You then get Manchester City at 10/1, Everton 14/1, Spurs 25/1 and Portsmouth 40/1.

Boro, Hull, West Ham, Sunderland and Fulham all come in at 80/1 for the top four leaving Newcastle at 100/1, Blackburn, Wigan and Bolton at 200/1 and a bet only for the very drunkest amongst us (!) Stoke at 500/1 and the Baggies at 1000/1

Best odds you can get for Villa players for the top scorer are 100/1 for John 'apparently he is bigger than me and you' Carew at 100/1 (with extrabet) and Gabby Agbonlahor at 41/1 with betfair.

I can't find any odds for Ronaldo to not dive like Mr Diver from Divesville though, strange that!

For all these odds and more go to: www.oddschecker.com

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