This summer’s transfer window has been especially exciting with the likes of Messi moving to the U.S., the Saudi league splashing the cash on big-name signings, and the top leagues all investing in vital new players.
The English Premier League is by far the top spender so far for the 2023/24 season with teams putting out almost £2 billion. This is more than double that of the Saudi Pro League who are next on the list having spent over £700 million and Serie A, Ligue 1, and the Bundesliga all following with figures ranging from around £600 to £650 million.
Having spent just under £100 million on transfers for the 2023/24 season, the Turkish Süper Lig is down in eleventh place, but this doesn’t tell the whole story.
A lot of the moves this summer have come on free transfers and some big names have joined the league; the new season is looking bright for Süper Lig fans and bettors.
Süper Lig Betting Markets
The UK is a huge market for the football betting industry with around 43% of eligible citizens placing bets on games. When you consider that there are over half a million people of Turkish descent in the UK, the demand for Turkish league betting is relatively high too.
Turkish Süper Lig fans can enjoy an extensive range of betting markets and checking a rank of online bookmakers in UK provides a breakdown of some of the best operators. The markets below are just some of the options available to online betting customers for the Süper Lig’s 2023/24 season.
Outright
Outright betting on the Turkish Süper Lig is a straightforward bet that allows customers to predict the final outcome of the season.
The season has just started and Galatasaray are narrow favourites at around 11/8. Fenerbahce are seen as their closest rival at 2/1 with Besiktas not far behind at 7/2.
Match Betting
Match betting is popular among gamblers who are looking for a regular market to bet on. Users can choose to place bets on different aspects of a match, such as the overall result, statistics like the number of corners or bookings, or the number of goals scored.
The over/under goal scoring market is particularly popular with Turkish football as the average goals scored per game rose from 2.81 in the 2021/22 season, to 3.05 in the 2022/23 season. This makes the over 2.5 goal market a good option for bettors.
European Qualification
Turkey will have four European spots available for teams to compete for in the 2023/24 season. The league winners and runners-up will be entered into the Champions League qualifiers, the third-placed team will enter the Europa League qualifiers, and the fourth-placed team will enter the Europa Conference League qualifiers.
While the smart money will be on Galatasaray, Besiktas, and Fenerbahce, that does leave a final spot where savvy bettors can find some value.
Adana Demirspor, Istanbul Basaksehir Fk, and Trabzonspor should be the teams battling it out for the final European spot and the signing of Krzysztof Piatek by Istanbul Basaksehir could be enough to see them clinch it. He will hope to recover the form that saw him labelled the next Lewandowski and earned him a move to AC Milan.
Relegation
Three teams will be relegated from the Süper Lig this season and the current favourites to go down include Pendikspor, Gaziantep FK, and Istanbulspor. This will change throughout the season based on results and signings, so keeping up to date with the latest news and results will help.
Player Markets
Player markets like top goalscorer of the season or who will score in a particular match are also worth considering when betting on the Süper Lig.
Last season’s top goalscorer was Fenerbahce’s Colombian forward Enner Valencia who scored an incredible 29 goals in just 31 games, averaging 0.94 goals per game.
Despite losing their talismanic striker, they have replaced him with a proven goalscorer in Edin Džeko. Other players that could compete include Galatasaray’s Argentinian forward Mauro Icardi and Vincent Aboubakar of Besiktas.
Süper Lig Teams to Look Out For
Galatasaray are favourites for this season’s Süper Lig and have made a number of good signings, including the permanent signing of Mauro Icardi who was on loan last season. The loss of Nicolò Zaniolo on loan to Aston Villa has largely been forgotten due to the impressive signing of Wilfried Zaha on a free transfer.
Fenerbahce and Besiktas both have strong squads for the coming season. Fenerbahce lost the promising talent of Arda Güler to Real Madrid, but the signings of Dušan Tadić, Ryan Kent, and Edin Dzeko will give fans hope.
Besiktas have welcomed a number of signings from England, including Milot Rashica, Arthur Masuaku, Daniel Amartey, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Süper Lig Players to Look Out For
Galatasaray have a few key players that will stand out this season, including Zaha, Ziyech, and Icardi. This new look forward line could prove to be very exciting both domestically and in Europe.
Dzeko has already hit the ground running with 3 goals in his first two games for Fenerbahce. The speed of Kent on the wing and Tadic’s experience could help Dzeko to the top goalscorer title if this form continues.
While most of Besiktas’ signings have come from England this year, the capture of the versatile forward Ante Rebic on a free transfer from AC Milan could prove to be inspiring.
Conclusion
Turkey has a lot to offer football fans with some top European players plying their trade in the Süper Lig. Signings from all over will help to bring media attention and coverage, making it a more accessible market for the betting industry.
While the top teams have all strengthened this summer, European progression could see them having a more difficult domestic season. With a variety of betting markets available to customers, this could mean there are some good value betting odds to explore.