Bookmaker pays out on Chelsea title victory

By Mark Langdon 6:39PM 21 NOV 2014

CHELSEA have played only 11 Premier League matches this season but Paddy Power have already seen enough and the firm have decided to pay out on the leaders winning the title.

Jose Mourinho’s unbeaten side are four points clear of Southampton and 1-6 to be crowned champions with the Blues no better than 1-4 to beat West Brom at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Paddy Power, who were 15-8 about Chelsea ante-post, reported paying out £400,000. The largest bet they took was £16,000 and 44 punters placed bets of at least £1,000. Power claim that more than a third of stakes in the Premier League title betting have been on a Chelsea triumph.

Bet365 opened up at 125-1 for Chelsea to go through the season unbeaten but that is now into 8-1 with all of their perceived challengers falling by the wayside in a poor few months for Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham and Everton.

Liverpool supporters are down in the dumps over Daniel Sturridge’s latest injury but the Merseysiders are only 13-8 with Hills to start 2015 in the top four.

Sturridge is due back around the new year – he is 11-4 to return again in 2014 – and Reds boss Brendan Rodgers said of his main striker: “He’s as down as I’ve ever seen him.”

Liverpool, who sit 11th in a congested table, head to Crystal Palace on Sunday four points off the top four and five points from the bottom three. They are 9-1 to begin 2015 in 13th or lower.

Coral’s Football Jackpot is estimated to be worth £1.2m this weekend. It would be a record pool for the bet after it has rolled for 15 weeks. You must pick the outcome of 15 selected fixtures.