TAMPA, Fla. – Which club is the favorite to claim the 2022 USL Championship title?

Well, it depends on who you ask.

Two-time defending Eastern Conference title-winners the Tampa Bay Rowdies were installed as the oddsmaker’s favorites at +500 by TwinSpires Sportsbook with the start of the regular season 10 days away, closely followed by Phoenix Rising FC (+550) and Louisville City FC (+650). Defending title holders Orange County SC (+800) and San Antonio FC (+800) round out the top five.

For FiveThirtyEight’s prediction model, meanwhile, San Antonio FC begins the season as favorite with a 15% chance to lift the title for the first time in club history. SAFC leads a clear top four that also includes the Rowdies (11%), Rising FC (10%) and LouCity (9%) as the other frontrunners.

The Rowdies enter the campaign with 14 players set to return from the squad that reached the USL Championship Final a season ago before coming up short against Orange County. That continuity from the side that ended the regular season with the third-most points and the best winning percentage (.719 on 23 wins in 32 games) in a campaign will form the backbone of a bid to lift the trophy at the Championship Final for the first time.

For San Antonio, meanwhile, the offseason has seen some continuity, but also some key elements to be replaced after the transfer of two-time Championship Young Player of the Year Jose Gallegos to Danish Superliga club SønderjyskE. SAFC has brought in some high-value players to its squad, and currently sits with the highest overall squad value according to TransferMarkt.us at $6.49 million. Leading the arrivals have been Colombian goalkeeper Cristian Bonilla and left winger Kekuta Manneh as the side looks for its first silverware.