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Odds, best bet for next Premier League managerial firing

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Mauricio Pochettino was 2-1 to be the next Premier League manager sacked by the time he was dismissed as Tottenham boss Tuesday, with his odds shortening from as high as 20-1 earlier in the season.

Spurs wasted no time bringing in his replacement, appointing Jose Mourinho, who was a 3-1 favorite to be named Pochettino's successor.

With the Argentine gone, the market has adjusted to reflect the managers who might be next to face the ax.

Manager Club Odds
Unai Emery Arsenal 5-4
Ralph Hasenhuttl Southampton 4-1
Manuel Pellegrini West Ham 7-1
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Manchester United 8-1
Marco Silva Everton 12-1
Daniel Farke Norwich City 12-1
Quique Sanchez Flores Watford 16-1
Eddie Howe Bournemouth 16-1
Dean Smith Aston Villa 33-1

Unai Emery (5-4)

Emery is the overwhelming favorite to become the Premier League's next managerial casualty, but bettors shouldn't be rushing to put money down. Yes, Arsenal sit in sixth place, winning just four of their opening 12 matches. Defensively, the Gunners have been an unmitigated disaster, as Emery has been unable to make the necessary tactical adjustments.

Despite an obvious deterioration in style and morale, The Athletic's David Ornstein reports that Arsenal's hierarchy remains "100 percent" behind Emery and won't make a decision about his future before the summer.

A string of defeats could change everything, but the Gunners' next four league matches are against Southampton (home), Norwich City (away), Brighton (home), and West Ham (away). Arsenal should claim a minimum of seven points, with nine or 10 more likely, which will be enough to get him through Christmas at the very least.

Ralph Hasenhuttl (4-1)

Working in Hasenhuttl's favor is that Southampton's expectations coming into the season were much lower than those of the other clubs managed by coaches high on this list. Saints are one point ahead of Norwich at the bottom of the table after three successive defeats, but there's reason for optimism at St Mary's.

A 9-0 drubbing at the hands of Leicester was appalling, but Southampton have otherwise been competitive in the league of late. They narrowly lost to Tottenham and Manchester City, and they earned a valuable point away to Wolves. Still, results speak volumes, and Hasenhuttl's rope is wearing thin.

Manuel Pellegrini (7-1)

It remains to be seen whether West Ham are a good club on poor form, or a bad club starting to show its true colors. The Hammers have followed up a six-match league unbeaten run - including three clean sheets - by losing four of their last five contests. None of those defeats came against particularly strong opposition.

Just five points above the relegation zone, the pressure is certainly on Pellegrini to right the ship in a hurry. Back-to-back London derbies against Tottenham and Chelsea offer West Ham the chance to make a statement, but a pair of defeats would leave the Chilean hanging by a thread.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (8-1)

Solskjaer represents a curious case. Managing a club of Manchester United's stature always brings with it a higher degree of pressure and expectation, but is Solskjaer being held to a higher standard than he should be? This United squad is seriously lacking in talent. It pales in comparison to years past and has been without its best player, Paul Pogba, for two months with an ankle injury.

Whether Ed Woodward and the Glazers choose to see it that way is a different story. United remain just a point out of fifth place, and while the top four will be the target, one has to wonder how realistic that is given the quality in the side.

Winning five of the last six matches across all competitions has certainly bought Solskjaer a bit of time, and he has some equally winnable fixtures on the horizon. Don't waste your money wagering on the Norwegian to be sacked next.

Marco Silva (12-1)

The long odds on Silva are surprising and offer great value. Silva has been living on borrowed time for a while now. Everton sit in 15th and patience has to be wearing thin as the club drastically underperforms following a summer spending spree.

What makes Silva such an attractive bet is the extremely difficult run of fixtures beginning next weekend. Everton open December with trips to Leicester City and Liverpool ahead of dates with Chelsea, Manchester United, and Arsenal. If the Toffees lose against the Foxes and Reds, Silva will be under immense pressure to get a result at home against the Blues - assuming he makes it that far.

Best bet: Marco Silva (12-1)

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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