Bookmakers have reset the market for next season after a dramatic finish to the campaign: William Hill has installed Celtic as favourites for the 2026/27 William Hill Premiership at 8/11 following a final day that saw Celtic come out on top against Hearts.
Lee Phelps of William Hill framed the move in blunt terms. "Following a dramatic final day in the William Hill Premiership, Celtic have been installed as favourites to retain their title next season at 8/11," he said, as the firm opened its outright prices.
The headline numbers leave little doubt where the bookies see the pecking order. Rangers are priced at 7/4 as clear second favourites, while Hearts have been cut to 5/1 for next season — a marked shortening after they went off this year at 22/1. William Hill also listed Bar at 66/1.
Phelps underlined the margin by registering Rangers’ failure to take the title race to the final day. "Rangers fell short in their challenge to take the race to the final day but remain clear second favourites in the betting at 7/4," he said, drawing a line under the closing stages of the current campaign and its impact on the market.
The early pricing is presented as an immediate response to the season’s conclusion. The current William Hill Premiership ended on a dramatic final day with Celtic defeating Hearts, and the bookmaker’s odds reflect that result: Celtic shortened to 8/11, Rangers to 7/4 and Hearts to 5/1, compared with the 22/1 Hearts carried before the campaign began.
That shift was explicitly noted by Phelps, who pointed out how Hearts’ prospects in the market have improved year on year. "Hearts were unable to complete a colossal upset this campaign, though the market suggests they could mount another strong challenge next season, with their odds much shorter at 5/1, compared to the 22/1 they went off at for this year’s title," he said.
The pricing landmarks are clear: Celtic the favourite at 8/11, Rangers the nearest rival at 7/4, Hearts a respected outsider at 5/1, and Bar sitting well back at 66/1. Those figures set the baseline for how the bookmakers and, by extension, many punters will view the early race for the title.
There is an embedded tension between the season’s story and the market’s verdict. William Hill’s pricing treats Celtic’s final-day success as confirmation of form, while Rangers are acknowledged as the second force despite not dragging the contest to the wire. Hearts’ much shorter price for next season rewards their surge this year, even though they fell short on the decisive day.
For fans, clubs and bettors the immediate consequence is practical: the early Premiership table in the betting market now privileges Celtic, keeps Rangers firmly in chase and elevates Hearts to genuine dark-horse status. How these odds move from here will depend on transfers, preseason form and whatever twists the summer brings, but for now the bookmaker’s board has made its assessment clear.
