As we blow the final whistle on the 2023 football calendar, this seems like a good time to consider which teams will win silverware next year.
From the heart-stopping Premier League title race to the Champions League final, the beautiful game will serve up drama on a silver platter.
Read on as we offer several football betting tips for the upcoming year, offering insights to help you navigate the twists and turns of major competitions.
Europa League – Brighton & Hove Albion
The Europa League promises to be fiercely fought this season, with Bayer Leverkusen, Liverpool and AC Milan among the bookmakers’ favourites to lift the trophy.
Many people expect Liverpool to go on and claim the glory, but Brighton could pip them to the title after qualifying for European competition for the first time in their history.
Online sportsbooks rate Brighton as 13.00 shots to win the title at the Dublin Arena in May 2024 and they could be the value bet to get the job done.
Republic of Ireland striker Evan Ferguson will be crucial to their hopes after helping them qualify for the tournament last season.
Punters on the best Irish betting sites will be following Brighton’s progress with keen interest, particularly with Ferguson leading the line for the team.
The 19-year-old is one of the most highly-rated young strikers in Europe, having bagged 17 goals in 50 appearances for the club.
African Cup of Nations – Egypt
The delayed 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) gets underway in Ivory Coast on January 13 and culminates with the final on February 11,
Reigning champions Senegal should make another deep run in the tournament, but 2021 runners-up Egypt could be difficult to beat.
Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah is in the form of his life and will be desperate to lead his nation to glory at the prestigious tournament.
Odds of 10.00 are extremely enticing given the talent in Egypt’s squad and should give punters an extremely good run for their money.
Hosts Ivory Coast and three-time champions Nigeria are also fancied to be competitive, while World Cup semi-finalists Morocco will be hoping for their first AFCON title since 1976.
Premier League – Liverpool
The 2023/24 Premier League campaign is shaping up to be a thriller, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester City leading the charge.
Arsenal are top of the table, but the question lingers about their mental fragility. They collapsed in the final stretch last season, allowing Man City to pip them to the title.
The Gunners are desperate to win the league title that has eluded them since 2004 but could face heartbreak again this year.
With Man City struggling to produce their best form and Villa’s squad lacking the depth of their rivals, Liverpool have what it takes to claim top spot.
Manager Jurgen Klopp knows how to galvanise his team and is fancied to guide them to their second Premier League title at odds of 3.75.
Related: EPL: Man City Eyeing Historic Quintent at FIFA Club World Cup – Guardiola
Champions League – Real Madrid
Manchester City and Bayern Munich head the Champions League betting, but their hopes could be scuppered by Real Madrid.
The 14-time Champions League winners know how to win this competition, and hold plenty of appeal at odds of 6.50 to lift the trophy again.
They are led by four-time winner Carlo Ancelotti, while midfielder Jude Bellingham is in the form of his life following his summer move from Borussia Dortmund.
He has scored 17 goals for Los Blancos – a remarkable tally given that numerous strikers across Europe are yet to hit double figures.
Manc City are also tipped to go far after finishing the group stage with a perfect record, but Madrid have more in their arsenal.
European Championship – France
France their World Cup title with pride at Qatar 2022 by reaching the final, but they eventually came up short against Argentina.
However, they have the individual talent and tactical understanding to make a deep run at the European Championship, hence their odds of 4.50 to win the title.
England are also prominent in the betting, but make zero appeal given manager Gareth Southgate’s overly cautious nature in big games.
Hosts Germany should be competitive, while Portugal and Spain are among the other teams who have been attracting interest in the ante-post market.
They could all have their work cut out to stop France, whose supremely talented squad looks primed to claim more major silverware.
