Reading FC Bookie Watch - September 30

Down at the bottom

So I think it's fair to say that most Reading fans are looking towards the bottom rather than the top and as such lets take a look at the relegation market.

Premier League Relegation Odds:

So in the bookies eyes we're now a much better bet to be relegated than we were before the season started. At the start of the year a £10 bet would have generated £15 in profit, today the same bet will earn you around half of that, at just £7.27. I can't say I think we're twice as likely to be relegated based on how the season has started. Sure we're without a win and second from bottom but considering the calibre of opposition we've faced I think it's slightly heavy handed by the money men.

If you share my confidence than you may want to look at a bet on Reading's survival, where we're currently EVENS, it might just be worth a cheeky tenner given how we played against Newcastle.

Elsewhere and Southampton and Norwich have also joined us as odds on to be playing Championship football next season. Wigan have drifted in as well but one of the biggest moves has been for Aston Villa who were a best price of 7/1 to go down at the start of the season, only to see their odds tumble to just 3/1. I wrote pre-season that 7/1 odds were 'juicy' and if you got in on that one you might be feeling in luck right now.

Meanwhile at the other end....

Manchester City remain the title favourites at 13/8 with most bookies. Despite a slip-up yesterday Manchester United are at around 9/4. Chelsea follow at 100/30 with Arsenal at 12/1 and then Spurs leading the outsiders at 50/1.

Those mentioned above dominate the top four betting as Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal are all odds on while Tottenham are at 5/2, Everton 5/1 and Liverpool also at 5/1.

If you fancy Reading to still make the top 10 then you can get odds of 25/1 while a top 6 place would pay out 250/1.

Top Goalscorer

Not a market you'd expect us to really make an impact in but if you fancy a Reading player to make a run at the golden boot you can get 80/1 on Pavel Pogrebnyak and 150/1 on Adam Le Fondre. Robin van Persie leads the market at 3/1 with Fernando Torries and Carlos Tevez at 7/1.

The Sack Race

If you think Brian McDermott will be the next Premier League manager out the door the bookies will give you 16/1, some distance behind Nigel Adkins who leads the 'race' at 3/1. While that's still a long price, Brian has come in a touch from the 20/1 mark back in August.

Mark Hughes isn't far behind at 7/2, with Norwich boss Chris Hughton also amongst the favourites at 8/1. Former Reading boss Alan Pardew is 100/1 after his new eight-year contract, with Sir Alex Ferguson also 100/1.

So that's how the money men see it, if you are of age and fancy a flutter please gamble responsibly and head to Gamble Aware for support.

All odds quoted are best prices from Oddschecker.com