After their easy 3-0 win at Bournemouth last week Liverpool remain unbeaten in the English Premier League this season.
Right now they are eight points clear of closest pursuer Manchester City and looking sure to top the Premiership at Christmas.
After Saturday they should be even more strongly entrenched as English soccer’s top dogs. They are playing relegation-threatened Watford in a match nobody can see them losing.
The New Jersey betting industry has made them their overwhelming favorites to win this match. Their money line odds vary slightly but are all pretty much the same.
They go from -500 up to -555 on Jurgen Klopp’s highly-geared front-runners as against +1200 on struggling Watford.
This means, of course, that for every dollar you win on Liverpool, you’re going to have to stake at least 50.
The Reds still unbeaten
New Jersey’s sportsbooks have also set up the Reds as the odds-on favorites to win the Premier League for the first time.
Liverpool has been the England Champions 18 times, but this world famous club has still to win the Premier League. Their last triumph came in 1989/90 before the Premier League came into play.
Christmas does not bring the Premier League to its close, but it does stand out as an important marker. Of the last 11 teams that have led the charge on December 25, eight have gone on to win the championship.
Somewhat ironically, on the three occasions this was not the case it is Liverpool who missed out each time.
Last year when they were to go on and win the highly coveted European Cup, they missed out to Manchester City by a single point.
Don’t expect that to happen this time. Not with a world-class line-up that includes stars of the caliber of Mohamed Salah Roberto Firmino, Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi. Not with a manager as astute and as tuned in as Klopp is right now.
Klopp almost did it last year
He almost did it last year. This time, with an eight point lead, he and his fired-up Reds are going to be very difficult to stop.
If the New Jersey sports betting odds on Wednesday meant anything, the state’s Sportsbooks don’t think it’s at all possible.
Most had the Anfield team way out in front with odds of as much as -715. Even next-best Man City, the defending champions were a distant +750 in second place.
The odds read something like this on most New Jersey sports betting apps:
- Liverpool -715
- Man City +750
- Leicester +1400
- Chelsee +2500
- Tottenham +5000
The rest at best were being quoted at +10000 and two or three at +15000.
In the meantime, The Reds latest victory has taken their unbeaten run to 16 this season. It also keeps them undefeated in the Premier League after 33 games in total. Their 2-1 defeat to Man City on January 3 is the last time they were beaten
Arsenal (49 in 2003-2004) and Chelsea (40 in 2004-2005) are the only teams with longer unbeaten runs in the Premier League era.
Can Liverpool stay unbeaten throughout the Premier League as Arsenal did in the 2003-04 season?
On current form it is very possible – but Liverpool face a pressure that could have unknown consequences
Their success in Europe’s top club championship last season means they’ll have the World Club Championship to contend with this month. And that’s something neither Man City nor Arsenal has ever had.
They do have depth though – and a manger who uses it well. If you are a Liverpool fan – and they extend throughout the soccer world – let the bookies odds encourage you.
It’s been a long time since The Reds were better placed heading into Christmas to win England’s No 1 Association football championship.