Posted on 03 Feb 2011 at 15:47 PM by
Big Man with Football
The bookies early predictions about the betting lines proved correct, with 4/6 holding firm as the price about the Green Bay Packers taking the honours next Sunday night in Dallas. Most bookmakers are however reporting a steady stream of bets coming in on the Pack, with the point spread of 2.5 proving popular as well. If that trend continues, expect most bookmakers to be waving terrible towels in offices from Las Vegas to Hong Kong when the game kicks off on Sunday night. The beauty of the Super Bowl is that all aspects of the event can be looked at from a betting angle. For example Bodog are offering betting on how long it takes Christina Aguilera to sing the word "Brave" at the end of the American national anthem. In fact they may have pitched the line marginally too high here, at over/under 6 seconds. 6 seconds was the amount of time it took her at game seven of last year's NBA finals, however she also has some form at going under 6, while she has yet to cross that barrier
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Posted on 01 Feb 2011 at 18:13 PM by
Lone Shark
The countdown is very definitely on for the start of the real action, and now only four days remain before the National Football Leagues kick off in earnest. Some bookmakers have broken with tradition and have posted the odds up before Wednesday, but for now we will content ourselves with a run down of the antepost betting options available out there, before returning to the match betting later in the week. Division One is of course the most competitive of the divisions, and the one division where winning the title results in some level of genuine prestige. In all other divisions, the real prize is promotion whereas the accolade of National Keague champions is of some merit, as it is the second highest national honour on offer. One could make the case for saying that the team in most need of taking this title is the Dubs, and at 6/1 with Bet365, there is a good argument in favour of betting on Pat Gilroy's men. Before their home fixtures were moved out of Croke Park, this was probably
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Posted on 28 Jan 2011 at 13:22 PM by
Formex
One of the most intriguing of the Fourth Round FA Cup ties this weekend is the early Saturday kick-off at Goodison where Everton host Chelsea in a repeat of the 2009 Final. With both teams struggling this season in the league this affords them the ideal opportunity to fight for some silverware and for Chelsea, victorious in three of the last four finals; it’s the chance to prove to all that they still have the desire. The win at Bolton on Monday night will certainly have helped the visitors and it should be an entertaining game with goals very much on the menu. A draw will be favoured by many but the bet simply has to be Chelsea in a competition they believe is theirs for the taking. We have plenty of all Premier League clashes in this round and the Aston Villa Blackburn tie provides a chance for new signing Darren Bent to reinforce the value of his £24m transfer from Sunderland. He scored the winner against Man City last weekend and looks sure to repay that welter fee by keeping
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Posted on 27 Jan 2011 at 19:13 PM by
Lone Shark
Louth's presence at the business end of the O'Byrne Cup is becoming a very regular occurance and the Wee County men are gunning for their second success in this competition in three years when they take on Kildare in Newbridge next Sunday. Louth manager Peter Fitzpatrick has named some quite strong teams this January and that greater level of experience has been sufficient for them to overcome an abysmal challenge from Athlone IT, a hearty but rusty Wicklow team and the students of UCD on successive weekends. Indeed there would have been no injustice if it were UCD who were playing in this final since they looked for all the world like potential winners as last weekend's semi final crept into injury time, but Ronan Carroll's late score saved the home side and now the two commuter counties are left in the running for the first trophy of the season on offer to Leinster counties. Louth backers will be looking at the 11/5 available in William Hill while Kildare supporters and
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Posted on 26 Jan 2011 at 16:28 PM by
Big Man with Football
After getting our season back on track with two winning bets last week, it would be understandable if punters were to continue to show faith in the Green Bay Packers for Sunday week's Super Bowl.After all, following them has been a lucrative hobby for the last while, and even though the Steelers are just as happy to be heading to Dallas, they haven't been as spectacularly successful from the perspective of covering spreads. To win in Chicago with Aaron Rodgers throwing no touchdowns and two interceptions proved to anyone still in doubt that there is a lot more to this Packers team than just a great throwing game. The Packers defense stepped up in no uncertain terms and dominated the Bears, utterly curtailing the Bears wide receivers and reducing them to the simplistic tactic of putting the whole game on the shoulders of Matt Forte. Forte could walk away from the game with his head held high, but the underlying message here for the Steelers is that stopping the packers in Dallas
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Posted on 25 Jan 2011 at 22:16 PM by
Lone Shark
The danger of relying too heavily on challenge match form was highlighted last weekend when Rhode were comprehensively beaten by Kilmacud Crokes is a fixture where plenty of money was bet and lost on the Offaly champions. Rhode prepared for this match with comprehensive wins over Offaly and Nemo Rangers, while Kilmacud Crokes lost their preparation games against Dublin, Kildare juniors and Nemo. With the Rhode attack in flying form, the money came from all sides, and particularly close to home, for an upset win. In the end, Kilmacud's win was comprehensive and they now enjoy favouritism for the All Ireland on all betting markets, despite their upcoming test against Crossmaglen Rangers. Money has also come for Dr Crokes in recent weeks, with many bookies suggesting that there is perhaps only a half point in between the two main protagonists in Munster. News of Colm Cooper sustaining a facial injury has been played down by the Crokes management andthey fully expect their talisman to line
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Posted on 21 Jan 2011 at 17:21 PM by
Formex
The return of King Kenny to the Anfield top job has to date been decidedly underwhelming. Three games played and without a victory show just how far Liverpool has fallen in recent times and the huge job facing Dalglish and his new assistant Steve Clarke. A trip to Molineaux would have been a straightforward game for the Liverpool sides of the past but to the current side it only serves to provide us with a betting opportunity to get with Wolves. The home side have done especially well this season, even though they find themselves one off the bottom, having already beaten Man City and Chelsea at Molineaux and humbling today’s opponents at Anfield in the reverse fixture. At some appealing odds Wolves simply must be backed especially as Torres continues to misfire for the Reds and Gerrard is still suspended. West Ham now seem totally committed to relegation by continuing with manager Avram Grant and a trip to Goodison Park to play an improving Everton side should confirm they remain
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Posted on 20 Jan 2011 at 17:45 PM by
Big Man with Football
The deep love that the American people have for the Green Bay Packers has been in evidence over the past couple of weeks, with the bookmakers running scared of the pack for their games against Atlanta last weekend and now Chicago this Sunday. Certainly one can understand the bookmakers offering conservative lines with Aaron Rodgers in seemingly unstoppable form, however it still takes some getting used to the fact that the Packers are 1/2 or 8/15 favourites on the betting lines for this weekend's game in Soldier Field. They are the away team after all and are 6-8 against Chicago since Lovie Smith came in with his "number one priority is to beat the Packers" philosophy. These odds are all the more surprising when one allows for the fact that the Chicago Bears defense have had some joy in shutting down Aaron Rodgers already this season, while the wintry conditions that are likely to prevail in Chicago at the weekend will create a much more difficult environment for airing the
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Posted on 18 Jan 2011 at 16:23 PM by
Ruck Driver
A lot of smoke cleared from the Heineken Cup betting market at the weekend, with several contending teams falling by the wayside, not least perennial contenders Munster. The odds on offer for the outright winner of the trophy put seven clubs out in front at 12/1 or less, four of which ply their trade in the Top 14. Toulouse head the betting somewhat unsurprisingly, and with a home quarter final all but assured, the 11/4 available with Totesport about the champions winning yet again is the kind of price that should see plenty of support. Guy Noves expressed some unhappiness with the lack of fluidity in his team's display against the Dragons, but when a three try victory is cause for complaint, even at home, then the bar is clearly set nice and high. The standard bearers of European rugby have balanced their two goals very well and are sitting pretty at the head of the Top 14 table, while no French club would be more confident about winning away from home if they were asked to do so in
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Posted on 17 Jan 2011 at 19:52 PM by
Lone Shark
Betting the third level colleges has been a common theme over the past couple of weeks and generally, the policy has paid dividends. County teams look more sluggish than usual for this time of year - it's almost as if many of them have obeyed the training ban, ridiculous and all as that may sound - and the colleges are largely well equipped with talented rosters who have spent some time playing together. Despite all this, all three colleges taking part in the midweek McKenna Cup lineup are heavy underdogs with the bookmakers, as short odds are on offer on Derry, Tyrone and Armagh. In the case of Armagh, it's easy to see why the bookmakers have acted sharply in putting up very one sided betting lines. The Orchard county played very well in racking up 2-15 against Down, scoring consistently throughout the game as opposed to Down who played in fits and starts, while St Marys were a huge disappointment against Antrim, never getting into the game and eventually losing by a dozen. St
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