Burnley promoted trio’s best survival hope, Hull the value

There are three sides rated as odds-on chances to be relegated from the Premier League this season. All of them were newly promoted to the division last season.

If the fight for top-flight survival actually took place in a ring, the referee would have stepped in to rescue both QPR and Leicester by now. Their odds of 1/9 and 2/9 respectively make for grim reading.

Burnley stand a better chance of landing a sucker punch, at a less-certain price of 7/10, but it seems the promoted trio are destined to return to the Championship after a brief one-term stay mixing it with the big boys.

Certainly Nigel Pearson’s Foxes, who are eight games without victory, look to be cut adrift at the foot of the table. Scoring three goals away to a top-eight side (Spurs) and still coming away with a loss is indicative of a team short of the required luck and quality to stay up.

According to Chris Ramsey, QPR’s stand-in manager, four wins from the club’s remaining eight games could see them escape the drop. That five of them are on the road, where they’ve collected just three points, says the Hoops will fall short of that target though.

Sean Dyche’s Clarets, who sit three points above QPR and are six better off than Leicester, easily have the best chance of a fairytale survival.

Their run-in is arguably the easiest of the trio, with half of their remaining eight games coming against sides sat in 13th or lower, while they are just one point adrift of Sunderland in 17th.

Of the clubs dangling dangerously close to the trap door the Black Cats are rated as the most likely to be sucked into the second tier, priced as 7/5 chances by Ladbrokes.

Injury ravaged Aston Villa are next in line at 10/3, with Hull perhaps misleadingly long at 7/2 considering they must play six of the current top eight before the season is through.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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