EPL 2019: Latest Odds, Expert Predictions for New Premier League Season

A new Premier League season gets underway on Friday and Manchester City remain the team to beat.

A year after becoming the first team in Premier League history to accumulate 100 points in a season, City amassed 98, pipping Liverpool to the title by one point in one of the tightest finishes to the Premier League in years.

Captain and club icon Vincent Kompany has left Manchester to return to Belgium and his absence will be sorely felt both in the locker room and on the field.

Pep Guardiola, however, has strengthened his team in other areas, signing Spanish midfielder Rodri from Atletico Madrid for a club record fee of $76.6 million.

Even without Kompany and with David Silva on his final season, City's depth remains unparalleled in the Premier League. City scored 95 goals in 38 matches last season, an average of exactly 2.5 goals per game and in Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne Guardiola has an array of attacking options at his disposal.

City's biggest challenge will once again come from Liverpool, who came within a point of ending a 29-year-wait for a league title last season.

Despite amassing 97 points—the highest total in English top-flight history for a second-placed team—and holding a seven-point lead at Christmas, Jurgen Klopp's men finished behind City but won the Champions League.

Elsewhere in the Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur spent a club-record fee to sign Tanguy Ndombele from Olympique Lyon, but Mauricio Pochettino has been left frustrated by a lack of further signings.

Spurs look unlikely to challenge the top two, but that could change if they can strengthen their team before Thursday's transfer deadline.

The same applies to Manchester United, who has spent $176 million on three players, including paying $97 million for Harry Maguire to make him the world's most expensive defender.

There is a lot of intrigue surrounding Arsenal and Chelsea, albeit for different reasons.

Despite suggestions Unai Emery would have to make do with a limited budget, the Gunners splashed a club record $87.6 million on Lille's winger Nicolas Pepe, after spending a combined $40.1 million on Saint-Etienne defender William Saliba and Brazilian teenager Gabriel Martinelli.

Emery also completed the loan signing of Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos, which could turn out to be a very shrewd move.

Conversely, new Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has had his hands tied by a transfer ban and has seen star player Eden Hazard leave for Real Madrid.

The Blues did manage to get two signings over the line, however, as they had agreed deals for U.S. winger Christian Pulisic and Mateo Kovacic before the transfer window opened.

Lampard has pledged to give young players a chance this season and has time on his hands, given his stock among Chelsea fans is sky high.

Here's what experts predict from the upcoming season.

Nicholas Mendola—NBC Sports

Mendola believes City remains the team to beat.

"Injuries and a wayward eye from the UEFA Champions League seem the only things that can stop the blue side of Manchester from becoming the first three-time defending champion since United turned the trick in 2006-07, 2007-08, and 2008-09.

Andy Hunter—The Guardian

So far, Liverpool's only signing of the summer is Dutch Sepp van den Berg and Hunter believes improving last season's record could be a step too far for the European champions.

"Liverpool have progressed each season under Klopp but improving on a club record points tally plus the ultimate triumph in Madrid presents a formidable challenge for the manager who has unified Anfield. With no senior additions he is seeking further improvement within a comparatively young but experienced and balanced squad."

Phil McNulty—BBC Sport

Like Hunter, McNulty suggests that having a settled squad will help Liverpool but City might prove too good to catch.

"The Champions League was more than consolation but this season the Premier League will be firmly in the sights of manager Jurgen Klopp and his players," he wrote.

"Liverpool may not have made the big eye-catching purchase as deadline day approaches but all their world-class stars such as Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are secured and this is a team built to last.

"Klopp's team is not going away. It will be a fight to the finish but it may well be that the title will have to wait for another year."

Charlie Eccleshare—The Telegraph

Chelsea has been hit by a transfer ban and lost Eden Hazard, which makes the job of new manager Frank Lampard all the more complicated.

"There are many observers who feel the club's transfer ban could be a blessing in disguise in forcing Chelsea to finally blood some of their talented young players," said Eccleshare.

"Lampard has made all the right noises about wanting to maximise the talent at his disposal, so for the moment at least there is hope that the club's record goalscorer can provide the stability that has been lacking over the past decade or so.​

Much will depend on how Chelsea can absorb the loss of talisman Eden Hazard.​

Rob Dawson—ESPN

Manchester United signed Harry Maguire from Leicester City for $97 million—a new world record fee for a defender—and Dawson believes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has addressed some of the glaring issues in his team.

"Even if no one else comes in, Solskjaer believes Maguire's arrival has taken United's summer spending from adequate to impressive," he wrote.

"After five years of scatter-gun deals, Solskjaer has tried to follow a plan. Three British players—Dan James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Maguire—have come in for around £145m ($176m), all with the idea that they can improve. Just as important, they are signings that alter the dynamic of the dressing room."

Odds

Manchester City is odds on to retain its Premier League title and become the first team in a decade to win the league in three consecutive seasons.

According to Oddschecker, the defending champions are 43/100 favorite (-230 in moneyline terms) to finish top of the table, followed by Liverpool at 13/5.

Tottenham Hotspur is third-favorite at 19/1, while its London rivals, Chelsea and Arsenal, are 25/1 and 40/1 to lift the Premier League trophy this season. Manchester United is also 25/1.