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SHEP'S WEEKEND TIPPLE |
Betrescue MD Jonathan Shepherd, compares all the odds and analyses where the value lies in the big sporting events each weekend. in association with bet365.com - get up to £100 in free bets , click here
Bank on Wigan at 13/5 to beat Fulham
The bookies now consider the Premiership to be a two horse race following the results of ‘Grand Slam Sunday’. Manchester United are a best priced even money at Stan James to retain the title, VCbet go 2/1 against Arsenal and then there’s a big gap to Chelsea (6/1 William Hill) and Liverpool who are now huge 14/1 outsiders at Sportingbet.com.
At the other end, whilst Derby look certainties for a rapid return to the Championship, any two from fourteenth placed Middlesbrough down could join them. Activities in the January Transfer window will be crucial but I reckon it will be Fulham and Sunderland, priced attractively at 5/2 by Betdaq and Coral respectively.
Wigan can be backed at around even money and with plenty to spend in the new year Steve Bruce should be able to emulate Paul Jewell’s great escape of last season.
Boyd by their 5-3 victory over Blackburn last week, the Latics are a massive price at 13/5 (VCbet) to win at Fulham tomorrow and along with Leeds (2/5 Partybets), Nottingham Forest (4/9 Stan James) Rochdale (9/10 Betdaq) and Alloa (8/15 extrabet) make up this week’s super five which combined in an accumulator at Sportinbet.com will produce a 20/1 profit with a bit of festive fortune.
In other sports there are a few antepost bets worth mentioning ahead of the new year.
Firstly Rugby Union and Gloucester continue to be the team to follow. The European and domestic we highlighted at 12/1 last month has been cut to 10/1 by Coral.co.uk with the Cherry and Whites now even money to win the Guinness Premiership Regular Season and just 9/2 to lift the Heineken Cup. They are within an ace of securing a place in the quarter finals of the Cup following their comprehensive 51-27 win over Bourgoin last weekend and in they can cement to their position at the top of the league with victory at Newcastle tomorrow. With a only a 5 point handicap Gloucester are a bargain 10/11 to prevail.
Amir Khan has been cut to 5/2 from 4/1 by William Hill to land one of the four major world titles (IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO) in 2008 and after his effortless dismantling of Graham Earl in what was his 15th professional contest earlier in December, this still looks a decent price.
Tiger Woods is 2/1 (Sportingbet) to go through the year without winning one of golf’s four majors but given that only three years out of the last ten have seen the world number one fail to capture at least one of the big tournaments, this seems unlikely. Instead bet365’s 5/4 for Woods to bag just one, as he did in 2007, has far greater appeal.
Finally tennis and Andy Murray’s impressive form after injury suggests the young Scot is in for a productive 12 months. However, that’s not to say he’ll force Stan James to pay out at 11/2 by capturing a Grand Slam crown as those events look set, as ever, to be dominated by Roger Federer who is 13/2 with Betfred to land all four majors.
Nevertheless, Murray, 10/11 (Blue Square) to finish in the top 8 of the ATP race, will still be a troublesome opponent for anyone and at 5/2 (Partybets) he looks a cracking bet to reach the last four of a Grand Slam event.
Recommended bets:
Best single: Wigan 13/5 VCbet.com
Best handicap: Gloucester – 5 pts to beat Newcastle Rugby; 10/11 Bet365.com
Best acca: Wigan, Leeds, Forest, Rochdale, Alloa; 20/1 Sportingbet.com
To compare all the weekend's match odds, click here
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