With a month or four weeks to go, the battle at the bottom of the Premiership table is the tightest it’s been in years. “40″ seems to be the magical safe number, but a glance at the games left leaves you thinking that 38 points will be more than plenty. Even 37 may be enough.

Has Newcastle just about run its race?

Newcastle could’ve done with a win on Monday night at home against Portsmouth. If they weren’t able to snatch three points from that encounter, you wonder where they’ll be able to earn any at all.

* As at 28 April

West Brom

May 02 – Tottenham Hotspur (Away)

May 09 – Wigan Athletic (Home)

May 17 – Liverpool (Home)

May 24 – Blackburn Rovers (Away)

West Brom somehow managed to pull a very big rabbit out of a tiny hat this past weekend with a 3-0 drubbing of Sunderland. But, it’s too little too late for Tony Mowbray’s men. They need maximum points off their remaining games to be safe. You can see them winning only one of their remaining games, and maybe snatching a draw off the final matchup. That would leave them (rather optimistically) on 32 points (and probably at the bottom of the table). Stranger things have happened, but West Brom are 5/1000 to get the drop.

Middlesbrough

May 02 – Manchester United (H)

May 11 – Newcastle United (A)

May 16 – Aston Villa (H)

May 24 – West Ham United (A)

You have to feel sorry for Gareth Southgate’s men. Even with some big wins in the remaining few matches, their inferior goal difference may come into play. Optimistically you could see Middlesbrough scrapping for six or maybe even seven points in the remaining four games. But that’s with rose-tinted spectacles. Realistically, Middlesbrough will be very lucky with a total of three points from four. It all hinges on the Newcastle game. Whoever loses that will join Stoke and Hull City in the Championship next season. Middlesbrough are 2/10 to be relegated.

Newcastle

May 03 – Liverpool (A)

May 11 – Middlesbrough (H)

May 16 – Fulham (H)

May 24 – Aston Villa (A)

Alan Shearer’s men couldn’t even grab points from Portsmouth at home. They’ve got two tough away games in the next four weeks, and Fulham at St James’s Park aren’t going to be pushovers. The Middlesbrough game will be key, the winner will more than likely play Premier League football next in 2009/10. Newcastle are 1/2 to be relegated.

Hull City

May 04 – Aston Villa (A)

May 09 – Stoke City (H)

May 16 – Bolton Wanderers (A)

May 24 – Manchester United (H)

Hull’s spectacular implosion continues. Fact: they won’t get any points off Stoke on the 9^th. Nor off Man Utd on the 24^th. So it’s up to clashes against Villa and Bolton (both away) to get points (any points). If they can get draws off these two games they’ll be in safer territory. Its unlikely though. Recent form of LLLDL with the draw against Portsmouth at home does not bode well. Hull City are 5/4 to get the drop, a price worth taking.

Sunderland

May 03 – Everton (H)

May 09 – Bolton Wanderers (A)

May 18 – Portsmouth (A)

May 24 – Chelsea (H)

You have to think that Sunderland are safe. They could conceivably net two points off the Bolton and Portsmouth games which will move them up to 37, well clear of the bottom three. Ricky Sbragia will be hoping for a win somewhere out of these four games though which will all but confirm their status as a Premier League side in the season to come. Sunderland are 4/1 to be relegated.

Blackburn Rovers

May 02 – Manchester City (A)

May 09 – Portsmouth (H)

May 17 – Chelsea (A)

May 24 – West Bromwich Albion (H)

Big Sam has worked wonders. His injury-hit squad has somehow managed to dodge the relegation bullet. They’re in safe territory right now and the should be able to scrap six points off Portsmouth and West Brom. Even two points from those two games will take them to 39 points. Blackburn are 20/1 to be relegated.

Portsmouth

May 02 – Arsenal (H)

May 09 – Blackburn Rovers (A)

May 18 – Sunderland (H)

May 24 – Wigan Athletic (A)

After Monday’s 0-0 stalemate at St James’s Park, Portsmouth are safe. They would’ve been doubly safe if they won the game, but Newcastle are trying everything to stay alive. Its hard to see Portsmouth taking many points off their last four games, but they don’t really need to. That won’t stop them from fighting. Temporary manager Paul Hart has done well. Portsmouth are 33/1 to be relegated.

Bolton

May 02 – Wigan Athletic (A)

May 09 – Sunderland (H)

May 16 – Hull City (H)

May 24 – Manchester City (A)

Gary Megson must be pleased with a 1-1 draw with Villa over the weekend. The team should also be able to dispose of Hull and perhaps even grab draws off Sunderland and Wigan (maybe just Sunderland!). Still, four points is nothing to sneeze at. Bolton are 66/1 to be relegated.

Stoke City

May 02 – West Ham United (H)

May 09 – Hull City (A)

May 16 – Wigan Athletic (H)

May 24 – Arsenal (A)

Tony Pulis has proved naysayers wrong. Some bookies paid out on Stoke to get relegated on the very first day of the season. But Stoke have managed to turn the Potteries into a fierce battle ground. Only a few of the top four teams have managed to take three points from encounters there. You’ve got to fancy the Potters netting at least another two points from their home games. They may well grab as much as six. That could push them into 11^th place. Stoke City are 66/1 to get the drop, and those bookies must be kicking themselves now.