Twenty20 Cricket – England v Sri Lanka Betting

England’s Twenty20 squad kick off their new era under skipper Stuart Broad on Saturday when they face Sri Lanka in Bristol. The team will be looking to build on their rain-affected test series win over Sri Lanka with an impressive showing at the County Cricket Ground, and Sky Bet have installed the hosts as 8/11 favourites to win the match, with Sri Lanka priced at 11/10.

If, as expected, Broad recovers from a heel injury he picked up in the third and final Test against Sri Lanka at the Rose Bowl, he will be eager to get his team off to a flying start in his first game in charge since his appointment as captain. The 24-year-old was handed the role after England decided to rather harshly axe their World Cup winning twenty20 skipper Paul Collingwood last month.

The match will give England’s fresh, young squad some valuable experience as they build towards the ICC Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka next year. The all-rounder Samit Patel returns to the squad from the wilderness, where as the explosive opening batsman/wicket-keeper Craig Kieswetter has been given an opportunity to shine.

England Twenty20 Squad v Sri Lanka:

Stuart Broad (captain), Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Craig Kieswetter, Michael Lumb, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Kevin Pietersen, Graeme Swann, Chris Woakes, Luke Wright.

Cheryl Cole Odds On To Reunite With Ashley Before The End Of 2011

It has been a bumpy year for Cheryl Cole so far in 2011, what with her high profile sacking from the US edition of X-Factor but things could be looking up from her point of view with the tabloids speculating she has has reunited with ex-husband Ashley Cole. The Geordie star has been taken to the Nations heart over the past couple of years since her split from her footballer husband, but if rumours to be believed they will soon announce their surprise reconciliation. Paddy Power are sure the pair will be back together before the year is out and are offering odds of just 2/5 about that happening over the next six months.

Cole has established herself as the most famous women in the UK over the past few years and while it may not have worked out for her in America she is still of great interest to the public in her homeland, Ashley Cole meanwhile remains a high profile name in the Chelsea team as well as being a mainstay of the England squad. Should they reunite before the end of the year there is every chance the couple could remarry at some point in the future and Paddy Power are offering odds of 5/2 about Ashley taking Cheryl up the aisle for the second time by the end of 2012.

Cole will be off our screens for a while it seems after she also decided against returning to the UK version of the X Factor but there is no doubt that she will be back at some stage after she has licked her wounds and she may decided that a reunion with Ashley Cole is where her future lies. The more pessimistic and cynical punters out there will wager that should the pair reunite it is unlikely to last long, there were plenty of allegations about his behaviour last time and should he go back to his old ways it could spell heartbreak for Cheryl once again. Paddy Power are not convinced that Ashley and Cheryl are meant to be and should they reunite, the Irish bookmakers are offering punters a price of 12/1 that the pair will have divorced for the second time by the end of 2015.

Cheryl and Ashley Cole Betting Specials with Paddy Power

• 2/5 – Cheryl and Ashley Cole back in a relationship by the end of 2011
• 1/2 – Cherly and Ashley living together by the end of 2011
• 5/2 – Remarried by the end of 2012
• 5/1 – Baby born by the end of 2012
• 12/1 – Divorced again by the end of 2015

All markets supplied by Paddy Power.com

England 11/1 To Win 2011 Rugby World Cup

The 2011 Rugby World Cup is fast approaching and it is now less than three months untill the top teams in the world head to New Zealand in the hope of winning the famous Webb Ellis trophy. The seventh Rugby World Cup should be an absolute cracker and it is due to explode into action on 9th September, with the final being played on 22nd October.

England will be relatively pleased with their draw having avoided the Southern hemisphere teams. Martin Johnson’s men have been placed in Pool B alongside Argentina, Scotland, Georgia and Romania, which shouldn’t cause them too many problems. Although, Argentina can be a very dangerous side and will be England’s major rivals for a top place finish in the group. England have a decent record in recent World Cup’s having been victorious in 2003 and runners up in 2007. Their memorable win eight years was of course in Australasia but, unlike in that tournament, they are not considered among the favourites this time round. Stan James have given England odds of 11/1 to win the 2011 World Cup, which on their recent World Cup form alone is worth a shot.

The hosts New Zealand are unsurprisingly the odds-on favourites due to their abundance of talent and home advantage. Richie McCaw and co are huge 4/6  favourites to win the trophy but, betting on such short odds may be quite a gamble as the All Blacks are vividly plagued by their reputation of choking on the big stage and have not won the competition since its birth in 1987. Their main rivals will be hoping that the All Blacks once again slip up and crumble, because if the home nation do find a way of coping with the immense pressure and expectation, and play anywhere near their peak, then they will win no question.

Australia can currently be found with odds of 9/2 with Stan James. The Wallabies know the conditions well and have a good record in major tournaments. However, if their performances at the 2010 Tri nations is anything to go by – they won just two out of six matches – then they may struggle. Their team may not be as strong as it has been but they still have every opportunity of mounting a  decent challenge, especially considering they have been handed a fairly generous run to the final.

At 6/1 South Africa look like a temping bet as they bid to become the first ever nation to win back-to-back Rugby World Cups. The Springboks had a terrible Tri Nations and a mixed Autumn where they went from the woeful (losing to Scotland) to the majestic (pummelling England). However, on their day – as England found out – South Africa are a resilient outfit that oozes power and class, and they will definitely be one to watch as the tournament reaches the later stages.

The French rugby team are characterised by their unpredictability, you just never know which team is going to show up. Alhough they are yet to get their hands on the Web Ellis trophy, they do have a decent World Cup record; two finals and three semi finals, which will stand them in good stead. They are outsiders at 12/1 but if they can consistently play the high tempo, free flowing rugby they are famed for then they have every chance of going all the way.

Out of the rest of the home nations Ireland have the best chances of causing an upset at 20/1, while Wales are available at 50/1 and Scotland with long odds of 200/1.

Rugby World Cup Winner Betting Odds

• New Zealand – 4/6
• Australia – 9/2
• South Africa – 6/1
• England – 11/1
• France – 12/1
• Ireland – 20/1
• Wales – 50/1
• Argentina – 125/1
• Scotland – 200/1
• Samoa – 500/1
• Fiji – 1000/1
• Italy – 1000/1
• Tonga – 1000/1
• Japan – 2000/1
• Romania – 2000/1
• Canada – 2500/1
• Usa – 2500/1
• Namibia – 5000/1
• Georgia – 5000/1

All odds are supplied by Stan James

Magical Mcilroy 5/1 For The Open Championship After US Success

Rory Mcilroy produced one of the great displays in golfing history to win the US Open Championship at the Congressional Country Club and with it his first Major Championship of what looks set to be a glorious career. The man from Northern Ireland broke any number of records as he blew away the field to win the US Open and all attention now turns to Sandwich with the Open Championship the next Grand Slam on the calendar in July. Paddy Power have been quick out of the blocks and have made Mcilroy the hot favourite to win his first Claret Jug at Royal St Georges and his second Major on the bounce next month.

Mcilroy was simply too good for the field at Congressional and if he reproduces that form at the Open he will be the man to beat once again and that is reflected in his price of just 5/1 with Paddy Power to claim the win, that is a short price for a Golf Major but such was his dominance in Washington that it could prove great value. Mcilroy proved he could win under pressure are his meltdown at the Masters back in April when leading, with the memories of Augusta firmly behind him he looks like the new star of the game. As well as being the hot favourite for the Open, Mcilroy is the man to beat in the betting for the final Major of the year in Augusta, Paddy Power rate him as a 6/1 shot to win the USPGA and continue his fine form.

Punters have been quick to get stuck into Mcilroy since his win at the US Open and there are some nice specials on offer from Paddy Power about the number of majors he will win this season, he is a short price to win the final two Majors in 2011 and make it three in a season with Paddy Power offering punters 22/1 about this happening. At this stage Mcilroy is the man to watch on the tour and it would be no surprise to see him lifting the Claret Jug at Sandwich next month as he looks to continue his sparkling form through the remainder of the season.

Rory Mcilroy Major Betting Specials

• 5/1 – to win the 2011 Open Championship
• 6/1 – to win the 2011 USPGA Championship
• 1/7 – to win exactly one Major in 2011
• 4/1 – to win exactly two Majors in 2011
• 22/1 – to win exactly three Majors in 2011

All markets supplied by Paddy Power.com

Aston Villa 16/1 to get relegated under Alex McLeish

In an extremely controversial move Aston Villa have gone against the wishes of many of their fans by appointing Alex McLeish as Gerard Houllier’s successor at Villa Park. The Scotsman quit Birmingham City by email last Sunday sparking a plethora of rumours that he was being lined up for the Villa vacancy, much to the disgust of a large section of both Birmingham and Villa supporters. Hundreds of Villa fans staged a fiery protest at Villa Park on Wednesday, expressing their anger at the possibility of McLeish taking over. Villa Chairman Randy Lerner appeared to completely ignore the scenes of fury and now the heavy speculation surround McLiesh’s appointment has become a concrete reality that the Villa fans will have to adjust to.

McLeish has been handed a rather forgiving start to his reign as Villa boss, with the club beginning their campaign with an away trip to Fulham before home games against Blackburn Rovers and Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers. Their match at Craven Cottage will be the battle of the new managers, as Martin Jol also begins his first game in charge following his move to Fulham earlier in June.

However, Villa face a much sterner test in December, with matches against Premier League Champions Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea to look forward to. This could therefore be the period where things really start to get tricky for McLeish and Villa, which in hindsight makes Ladbrokes current odds of 16/1 for Villa to be relegated to the Championship look very tempting. Lets not forget that McLeish has already been relegated twice with Birmingham and if Villa fail to hold onto their star players then they could be in a whole world of trouble. Goalkeeper Brad Friedel has already departed to Tottenham and Ashely Young looks to be moving further North to Man Utd. It is now vital that McLeish does everything he can to keep the likes of Stewart Downing at the club, while drawing in a couple of high quality players too.

All odds courtesy of Ladbrokes

England U21 v Czech Republic U21 Match Odds

England Under 21s face a crunch clash against the Czech Republic on Sunday 19^th June after a frustrating goalless draw with Ukraine left them third in Group B with just two points. Stuart Pearce’s men know only a win will see them progress through to the semi-finals. As a result the Three Lions have had their odds lengthened from 7/2 to 7/1 with Victor Chandler to win the tournament in Denmark, while Spain remain the odds-on 8/13 outright favourites.

England were widely expected to be in a stronger position after their first two games, but instead they face a pivotal final Group B match on Sunday against the Czech Republic, which they must win to avoid an early flight home. The Czech side narrowly lost to Spain on Wednesday night but remain a single point above England due to their opening win against the Ukraine. England face a technically gifted team who like to keep possession and pass the ball the ball, something that they themselves have failed to do so far. Pearce’s men have faced criticism for their tactics and for not holding onto the ball, instead seemingly preferring the long ball approach. Pearce will need to conjure up a more effective strategy if his young guns are to have any hope of reaching the latter stages of the competition.

Despite their current position, Victor Chandler have England as the evens favourites to win the match, with a Czech win priced at 23/10 and a draw also available at 23/10. We predict a close, tense affair with only one goal separating the two sides, with England looking good at 6/1 for a 1-0 win or 15/2 to clinch it 2-1.

Match Odds:

Evens – England

23/10 – Czech Republic

23/10 – Draw

First Goal Scorer Odds:

17/4 – Daniel Sturridge

19/4 – Danny Welbeck

13/2 – Nathan Delfouneso

13/2 – Connor Wickham

7/1 – Scott Sinclair

All odds courtesy of Victor Chandler

David Haye v Wladimir Klitschko Odds: Fascinating World Heavyweight Boxing Betting

We now juts a few short weeks away from the biggest World Heavyweight title fight in recent times with David Haye heading over to Germany to face Wladimir Klitschko in Hamburg on July 2nd. The massive unification bout has been on the cards for some time now but finally the talking is over and both men will need to walk the walk if they are to come through what is potentially the toughest fight of both fighters career. Haye of course is the WBA Champion while Wladimir Klitschko currently holds three versions of the World title, the winner of the fight will be able to call themselves the best Heavyweight in the world and the betting markets for the bout are looking fascinating.

There is no doubt that Klitschko is the warm favourite to win the fight by any method with experience, height and discipline on his side, the Ukranian fighter has racked up close to 60 fights and he can be backed at 4/7 with Victor Chandler to beat Haye. It does have to be said though that Klitschko is not the most exciting fighter in the world and much of that is down to the fact he is perceived to have a glass chin after being being knocked down a number of times during his career. Klitschko will try to keep Haye at distance with his excellent jab and that means that the 7/2 about him winning on points with VC Bet looks tempting and could prove plenty of value for punters.

Many believe that David Haye has the superior speed and punch power against Klitschko and that means the Hayemaker is a force to be reckoned with despite being the underdog, he has a massive support base in the UK and they will be quick to back him at 11/8 with VC Bet.com to win the fight. Haye will need to create angles to get past the jab of Klitschko and if he can then he will fancy his chances of knocking out the Ukrainian, punters wanting to back Haye to win by TKO or DQ can get a price of 15/8 with Victor Chandler and that could prove a nice piece of value.

David Haye v Wladimir Klitschko Odds with Victor Chandler

• 4/7 – Wladimir Klitschko
• 11/8 – David Haye
• 33/1 – Draw

Method Of Victory Odds

• 13/10 – Klitschko by TKO or DQ
• 15/8 – Haye by TKO or DQ
• 7/2 – Klitschko by Decision
• 7/1 – Haye by Decision
• 33/1 – Draw

All markets are supplied by VC Bet.com

Victor Chandler Wimbledon Betting Special

Rain delays, Pimm’s, Henman Hill and strawberries and cream. Yes you’ve guessed it, Wimbledon begins next week on Monday 20th June and to celebrate Victor Chandler have a fantastic tennis betting special available. The bookmakers are so confident that neither our own Andy Murray or Danish superstar Caroline Wozniacki will win their respective singles titles that they will refund all your losing tournament Outright Bets as a Free Bet. So if Murray wins Wimbledon then all your Men’s outright bets will be refunded and similarly if Wozniacki wins then all your Women’s outright bets will be refunded.

Click here for the latest Wimbledon Odds

Murray has been seeded fourth for Wimbledon, and after his brilliant win at Queen’s Club last Sunday the expectation for him to win this year’s Wimbledon will shortly be reaching fever pitch. The Scot has an impressive record in 2011 Grand Slams having finished second to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open and reaching the semi-finals at the French Open just under two weeks ago. Murray has reached the semi-finals in his previous two appearances at Wimbledon but, if he is going to reach the final for the first time he will most likely have to get past the World No.1 and defending champion Rafa Nadal, with either the six-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer or the in-form Novak Djokovic awaiting him in the final.

It is common knowledge that Caroline Wozniacki has yet to win a Grand Slam. After a good start to 2011 – she has won five titles – the Women’s World No.1 will be feeling confident she can break this duck and lift her first Grand Slam trophy in a couple of weeks time. However, she doesn’t have the best of records at the All England Lawn Tennis Club – she is yet to progress past the fourth round – and with the Williams sisters back in the draw and Maria Sharapova back on song, the Dane’s chances look slim.

The draw for this year’s Wimbledon will take place on Friday 17th June.

All odds courtesy of Victor Chandler

Rafa Nadal The Slight Favourite In Tight Wimbledon Betting

We are now getting ready to take in the greatest Tennis tournament in the World with a fortnight of action coming up from the All England Club at Wimbledon and the betting is looking extremely tight. At the moment Men’s tennis is in something of a purple patch with Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray all in great form and according to the latest betting in with a chance of lifting the trophy. Nadal looked to be back to his very best at Roland Garros as he won another French Open recently and the defending Wimbledon Champion is the slight favourite with Paddy Power to win on the grass again at SW19.

Over the past two or three years Nadal has proven to be the best player in the world and that is reflected in his Wimbledon price of 2/1 with Paddy Power, he did look a little tired though during the Queens tournament recently and one or two may be looking to take him on. Nadal beat Roger Federer in the final at the French Open and the Swiss arrives in London looking somewhere near his very best, if he can carry that form into Wimbledon then there is no reason why Federer cannot win a remarkable seventh Crown at the All England Club. Paddy Power have recognised this and they have Federer as short as 9/4 to claim a 17th Grand Slam triumph on his favourite surface.

Outside of the top two punters will also want to look at Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic who both have the talent needed to win Wimbledon, Djokovic in particular has been in great form in 2011 and will be hoping to add to his Australian Open success back in January. The Serb only lost for the first time in 2011 in the French Open Semi-Finals and he goes into Wimbledon as a nice looking 10/3 shot with Paddy Power.com, he does not have a great record on the grass but such is his form at the moment he cannot be ruled out. Potentially we are getting ready for a classic Wimbledon this year with at least four genuine potential winners of the tournament and the betting is looking like one of the best markets of the year.

Latest Wimbledon 2011 Men’s Odds with Paddy Power

• 2/1 – Rafa Nadal
• 9/4 – Roger Federer
• 10/3 – Novak Djokovic
• 5/1 – Andy Murray
• 20/1 – JM Del Potro
• 25/1 – JW Tsonga
• 33/1 – R Soderling
• 40/1 – T Berdych
• 50/1 – A Roddick
• 50/1 – J Isner
• Bar

All Odds supplied by Paddy Power.com

Jessica Ennis Early Favourite To Win 2011 Sports Personality Of The Year

Athletics’ golden girl Jessica Ennis is the early 3/1 favourite to win this year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. The heptathlete has had a solid start to the year, most recently demolishing the field in May at the Hypo-Meeting in Austria where she won with a total of 6,790 points, just 33 points below her best ever score. The 25-year-old will be gunning for gold at this summer’s World Championships in Daega (South Korea) where she will also be aiming to eclipse Denise Lewis’ British record of 6831 points.

Boxer David Haye is currently Ennis’ closest challenger at 6/1 with William Hill. The current WBA World Heavyweight Champion faces a mammoth unification fight with Ukraine’s Wladimir Klitschko in July in what is being hyped as one of the biggest bouts in recent years. Scotland’s Andy Murray has odds of 5/1 to win the award after a relatively successful start to 2011. The 24-year-old has so far finished as runner-up in the Australian Open Final, reached the French Open semi-finals a week ago and is due to play in the Queen’s Club final today. With Wimbledon just around the corner, who knows, maybe Murray can finally deliver and win his first Grand Slam on home soil.

Golfer Rory McIlroy is available at 10/1, and after coming agonisingly close to winning his first major at the US Masters in April, he will be more than confident of going a step further and winning one of the remaining majors in 2011, with the US Open at the Congressional Country Club next on the agenda on Thursday 16^th June. Fellow British golfers Lee Westwood at 14/1, and Luke Donald at 16/1 will also be in a shout of winning the award if they are able to win a major in 2011.

The Rugby World Cup is set to burst onto our screens this September when our England boys travel to New Zealand with high hopes of reaching their third consecutive World Cup Final. England showed they can mix it up with the best of them by crushing Australia last autumn, and if they come away with the famous Webb Ellis trophy later this year then Chris Ashton (20/1), Tom Croft (33/1) and Toby Flood (33/1) will all be in with a shot of winning the Sports Personality of the Year award in December.

After a phenomenal Ashes win at the start of the year and with summer tests against Sri Lanka (England are currently leading after two tests) and India, England’s cricket team could end the year as the undisputed World No.1 test team. Alastair Cook (16/1) and Andrew Strauss (40/1) are England’s key performers and will need to be on top of their game if they are to propel England to No.1 in the world. 66/1 outsider Bradley Wiggins is also aiming high for a podium finish at this year’s Tour de France.

Although Ennis is the current favourite it is more realistic that she’ll be given the award next year when interest in athletics will reach fever pitch during the London Olympics. If Murray was to win Wimbledon, Haye to demolish Klitschko, or a British golfer was to win a major or two then it will certainly be a fascinating contest.

William Hill BBC Sports Personality of the Year Outright Odds (correct as of 13/06/2011):

Jessica Ennis – 3/1
David Haye – 6/1
Andy Murray – 7/1
Rory McIlroy – 10/1
Lewis Hamilton – 12/1
Lee Westwood – 14/1
Alastair Cook – 16/1
Luke Donald – 16/1
Chris Ashton – 20/1
Amir Khan – 25/1
Phil Taylor – 25/1
Jenson Button – 25/1
David Beckham – 25/1
Tom Croft – 33/1
Tom Daley – 33/1
Paul Scholes – 33/1
Gareth Bale – 33/1
Tony McCoy – 33/1
Toby Flood – 33/1
Andrew Strauss – 40/1
Mark Cavendish – 40/1
Wayne Rooney – 40/1
Carl Froch – 40/1
Ronnie O’Sullivan – 40/1

All odds courtesy of William Hill

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