If you think rank outsiders the Southern Kings have any chance of winning the PRO14 then get your cash on quickly because they have been priced at generous odds of 500/1.
The Port Elizabeth team, who could win only one of 21 games last season, are the longest shots to go all the way to the final in Glasgow on May 25.
They were the competition’s worst-performing team, and things are not looking that bright for the new campaign.
The Kings start their campaign on September 1 against fellow outsiders Zebre, who have been priced at 200/1.
This season, the Kings have been plagued by protracted sponsorship talks, which have delayed the contracting of new players.
Kings coach Deon Davids will once again have his back to the wall as he bids to transform his team from whipping boys into a competitive unit.
Twenty-five of the current 29 squad members played for the Kings when they struggled to keep their heads above water last season.
Fijian Meli Rokoua has been named in the squad and although little is known of him, he did receive rave reviews after a stint in Portugal.
The new players who have joined the squad that did duty last year are locks JC Astle and Schalk Oelofse and scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius. Astle and Oelofse were signed from French Pro D2 side Mont-deMarsan, while Pretorius previously played for the Dragons in Wales and the Cheetahs.British bookmakers Ladbrokes are expecting more of the same this season after they installed defending PRO14 champions Leinster as the favourites to win it again.
They are also predicting an all-Ireland final with Munster as favourites to join last season’s European and domestic winners.
Glasgow are joint-third favourites with the Scarlets on 5/1 and a familiar split is apparent throughout the league.
There is then a drop in the odds before four teams, the Cardiff Blues, Edinburgh, Ospreys and Ulster can be found on 20/1.
Connacht and the Cheetahs – on 33/1 and 40/1 respectively – sit above a predictable bottom four of the Dragons, Benetton, Zebre and the Southern Kings.
According to bookies, Glasgow are the most-backed in the league, closely followed by the Scarlets.
As for the opening weekend, bookies are predicting victories for the Ospreys and the Dragons against Edinburgh and Benetton.