Prescription Drugs

A week is a long time in politics and betting, so the proposed 2 points win on Newcastle @ 11/1 with H1lls to be relegated from the Premier League has gone, but even at 8/1 still represents value.

After getting the 2nd best value in the January transfer window by somehow getting £35 for the unproven, injury-prone Andy Carroll, the Geordies on paper have funds to replenish their weak looking squad ahead of the season. But the signs don't look good for them. Joey Barton has been told he can leave, Kevin Nolan isn't having his contract renewed and Jose Enrique is being linked with a move away. Yohan Cabaye is arriving from Lille but any other deals will be at inflated odds and besides, the days when St James Park is an attractive option are in the past. I don't see how they can still be double the price for the drop compared with West Brom for example, similar candidates for 'second season syndrome'. So Newcastle to be relegated from Premier League 1 point win @ 8/1 (H1lls, C0ral)

A better bet though comes 1 league down. Watford to be relegated from the Championship 4 points win @ 5/1 (V.C). Having sold the league's top scorer Danny Graham this week and with Will Buckley also on his way, the main source of their goals last season will disappear. Financial problems are never far from the surface at Vicarage Road so the £4 million or so they will receive is unlikely to be spent on reinforcements and in any case, their form in the final part of last season (1 win, 2 draws and 6 defeats in last 9 league matches) bodes ill for this season.