Nigeria Premier Football League: Where Are the Pre-Season Favourites in the Title Race?

The Unpredictability of the NPFL

The Nigeria Premier Football League is not just one of the most competitive in Africa but across the entire globe. In each of the last five top-flight seasons, we have seen a new champion crowned, and what’s perhaps even more remarkable is that many of the sides that rose to glory were not the favourites at the start of the season. 

This unpredictability, combined with a few security concerns, are among the main reasons that outright and long-term betting relating to the NPFL are often difficult to find, with even the biggest bookmakers in the world like Bet365 and Stake rarely making these markets available once the league is underway. 

Usually, betting markets for the league winner are made available for a limited time before the season starts (pre-season betting) and once we close in on the end of the season, though the latter is also not guaranteed. This season, Enugu Rangers, Rivers United and Enyimba were among the frontrunners, but let’s take a look at their chances of winning the NPFL title after 12 rounds. 

All our experts’ NPFL predictions are made available to you in the lead-up to matches, so be sure to keep an eye out for them!

Remo Stars, Enyimba, Rivers Utd Look Like the Teams to Beat

The ultra-consistent Remo Stars have been at the forefront of the title race this season and ended matchday 12 on top of the league standings with 23 points. The Ikenne-based outfit remained in the top-five in the league table throughout the entire last season as well but two costly defeats in their final four games of the campaign saw them lose the title race on the penultimate day. 

The Sky Blues Stars are away to Katsina United next week and you can check out the latest NPFL odds right here on SportyTrader!

Nigerian powerhouse Rivers United seem to be back in the running for the top spots this season after surprisingly missing out on continental cup qualification last term. Additionally, with Finidi George now at the helm, you can rest assured that the former Super Eagles head coach will be determined to add a second NPFL title to his resume after his success with Enyimba in 2022-23. The Pride of Rivers played out a goalless draw against Remo Stars on Sunday, which left them second in the table with a third of the season now in the rearview mirror. 

Speaking of Enyimba, many expected that they would find it tough to compete for the title this season after the departure of last season’s top-scorer Chijioke Mbaoma, as well as the likes of Chibueke Nwaiwu, Leke Ojo, and Chigozie Chilekwu. However, the 2023 champions replaced the aforementioned with Wasiu Jimoh, Moses Adikwu, and saw the return of Fatai Abdullahi, all of whom have hit the ground running. After drawing 1-1 with Abia Warriors over the weekend, the Peoples' Elephant is now just three points behind the leaders and heading into a favourable run of fixtures. 

The Challengers for the 2024-25 NPFL Title

Last season, we saw Enugu Rangers start the season nowhere near the title discussion, but an outstanding second half of the campaign saw them surge to the top of the table to clinch the title for the first time since 2016, and they did so with a game to spare. Rangers began their title defence fairly slowly, but they now seem to be finding their stride, back up to fourth place and unbeaten in their last five games - just four points off the leaders. 

One team that has certainly caught the eye in recent weeks though is Heartland FC Owerri, who were actually relegated from the NPFL last season when they finished in 19th place. However, owing to Beyond Limits Football Academy pulling out of the league due to sharing the same ownership as Remo Stars, Heartland were awarded the vacant slot and have made the most of their good fortune. Naze Millionaires moved into the top half of the table over the weekend and now have the longest active unbeaten streak in the league.

Heartland FC Owerri will face Enugu Rangers in a top-half battle next weekend and you can keep up to the minute with all the NPFL Liverscores on SportyTrader throughout the 2024-25 season.

Bet on the 2024-25 NPFL