We are officially at the business end of the Premier League season and Premier League betting odds are on everyone's lips.
One particularly interesting market in this regard is the race to lodge the most assists in the English top flight this season. There are five attacking players pushing to pick up that playmaker award trophy.
Let's take a look at the five players most favoured by the bookies to be named the Premier League's best Playmaker.
Pascal Groß (10)
Brighton's versatile German Pascal Groß has been a key cog in the Seagulls machine once again this season. Utilised across the pitch to best function in Roberto De Zerbi's tactical plans for any particular game, Groß has contributed 10 assists and chipped in with 4 goals.
5 times an international for his country, Groß has been at Brighton for a long time. He is one of the elder statesmen of the club and his contributions both on and off the pitch cannot be understated. His ability to assist his teammates could earn him an award this season.
Mohamed Salah (9)
Mo Salah has actually been quite underwhelming this season when compared to his usual lofty standards. The Egyptian will likely be following boss Jurgen Klopp out the door in the summer to collect a Saudi payday, but he still has a few weeks left in Liverpool to recreate some of the magic that he has been a part of during his time there.
For 9 assists and 17 goals from 26 appearances to be considered disappointing illustrates just how huge Salah has been for Liverpool during his run at the club. He won this award himself with 13 assists two seasons ago, and he is certainly one of the favourites to pick it up again this time around.
Ollie Watkins (10)
A name we may not have expected to see on this list, for a multitude of reasons, at the start of this campaign was Ollie Watkins. Nobody could have seen this Champions League qualifying form out of Aston Villa last August, and for a striker, even in a good team, to be putting up these kinds of creative numbers is astounding.
Despite being a player primarily focused on scoring goals himself, Watkins has managed to lay on 10 assists for his team, while scoring 19 goals himself in the process. Aston Villa are enjoying an outrageously good season, and if that can continue for the final few games, Watkins has every chance of extending his assists streak and ending out on top.
Cole Palmer (9)
Cole Palmer has been a revelation at Chelsea. Nobody could have expected his move from Manchester City to work out so well. At a club so shambolic on and off the pitch, for Palmer to be doing what he's doing is nothing short of fabulous.
His four goals in his side's 6-0 Monday thrashing of Everton took him on to 20 goals, to move level with leading scorer Erling Haaland. That's on top of the 9 assists he's contributed. If he can keep up this kind of form, Palmer could walk away with both the top scorer and top playmaker awards.
Kieran Trippier (10)
Newcastle United full-back Kieran Trippier has also contributed 10 assists, but the factor which is leaving some bookies in doubt is his injury status. The England star could surely have laid on a couple more if he had been able to play.
Trippier hasn’t featured since Newcastle's win over Wolves at the beginning of March. He's been out with a calf injury and is not expected back until the side's clash with Sheffield United on the 27th. He will still be able to play a part in 3 or 4 games before the end of the season but is at a distinct disadvantage to the other players on this list.
