Chelsea short price to win EPL title after Manchester Utd stumble

UK bookmaker Betfred make Chelsea the 8/15 favourites to win this season's Premier League after moving four points clear of nearest challengers Manchester United.

Chelsea won 2-0 at struggling Wolves in their 3pm kick-off - taking full advantage of the Man United's lunchtime defeat at Everton.

United are now at 9/4 at BetFred to retain the title ahead of their home fixture against West Ham on Tuesday night.

Third-place Arsenal moved to 55 points - two points behind United - after a 2-0 win at home to Sunderland. With 11 games left to play the Gunners are now a 13/2 chance at BetFred to win their first league title in six years.

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Super Bowl 1st Touchdown Scorer Market at Centrebet

The New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts will meet at Super Bowl XLIV following near perfect seasons.

The Colts have plenty of experienced players who have tasted Super Bowl success before, and leading them out will be none other than formidable quarterback Peyton Manning.

The New Orleans Saints may be lacking in the experience department but nothing can be taken away from rampant running back Reggie Bush.

Will Peyton lead the Colts to victory or will Reggie provide divine inspiration for the Saints?

Fancy a 1st Touchdown scorer bet on the Super Bowl?

Featured SuperBowl Betting Market

NFL - Super Bowl XLIV
1st Touchdown Scorer at Centrebet
ADDAI, Joseph(Indianapolis) 7.00
CLARK, Dallas (Indianapolis) 8.00
THOMAS, Pierre (New Orleans) 8.00
WAYNE, Reggie (Indianapolis) 8.50

Special Refund Offer :
Place a bet on the Super Bowl 1st Touchdown scorer and if your selection doesn't score first but does score in the first half, your bet is refunded!

Check it out - new UK players also get a £20 Freebet at Centrebet

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Super Bowl - Paddy Power money-back special

Super Bowl
New Orleans Saints v Indianapolis Colts
Sun 11.25pm BBC1 and SS1

Wayne's World - Money-Back Special
Paddy Power will refund all losing First Touchdown Scorer and Winning Margin bets as a free bet if Reggie Wayne scores the Last Touchdown.

Pre-match betting only (ie not in-running bets).

All free bets will be credited to accounts within 24 hours.
Free bet can be used on any market.
Max refund €300/£200 per customer

Check out all the Super Bowl betting odds at Paddy Power now

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Six Nations Rugby Outright Bet - an easy profit

SIX NATIONS RUGBY OUTRIGHT BETTING
France 2.62 at Paddy Power
Ireland 3.50 at Bet365
Wales 6.00
England 6.00
Scotland 21.00

BETTING RECOMMENDATION
Make two outright winning bets on France and Ireland to make a profit.

1) Place 115 units on France at 2.62 at Paddy Power
2) Place 86 units on Ireland at 3.50 at Bet365

That's 201 units placed in total.

On 20th March the final round of games will be played and we should see either France or Ireland claim the title - and you’ll return 301 units for a +100 unit profit.

Not bad for six weeks waiting.
;-)

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Freezey Money : A free tenner to bet on the horses

Get a free tenner if you place 3 or more horse racing bets of £10 or up at VCBet. Valid for UK & non-UK tracks!

Get it now at Victor Chandler

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Mark Hughes initial favourite for vacant Bolton Wanderers managers job

Mark Hughes is the opening favourite with Paddy Power to be the next Bolton manager following Gary Megson’s sacking today.

Hughes is 11/4 for a quick return to management following his recent exit at Manchester City with Alan Curbishley the next name in the frame at 6/1.

Other out of work managers seen as possible contenders include Paul Jewell and Darren Ferguson both at 13/2 with Steve Coppell, Kevin Keegan and Gareth Southgate at 14s, 16s and 20s, respectively. Former Bolton players Gary Speed and Peter Reid are 28/1 and 40/1.

Paddy Power, said: "Hughes is the favourite for a quick return to the Premier League but is it a job that is going to attract him after the millions he had at his disposal at Man City?

It may be that the likes of Alan Curbishley and Gary Speed are picked up by punters as more fitting of the Bolton mould.

One thing is for sure, this market is going to see some ups and downs over the next few days as managers rule themselves in or out."

UPDATE :
Paul Jewell has stormed into favouritism at 11/4 (3.75), with Peter Reid now second at 13/2 (5.50). Mark Hughes is now 3rd favourite at 6/1 (7.00)

Next Permanent Bolton Manager Betting

11/4 Jewell (from 13/2)
13/2 Reid (from 40/1)
6/1 Hughes (from 11/4)
9/1 D Ferguson (from 13/2)
10/1 Curbishley (from 6/1)

(see all the latest Bolton Wanderers Next Manager Betting odds at Paddy Power)

Relegation Latest

2/5 Hull
5/13 Portsmouth
Evs Burnley
11/10 Wolves
13/5 West Ham
3/1 Bolton
9/2 Wigan
7/1 Bar

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GoonersGuide to Gambling now on Facebook too

If you've got a facebook account and want to be informed whenever a new match preview or blog posting comes online then all you need to do is become a "fan" of our Facebook page.

Visit the GoonersGuide to Gambling Facebook Page now.

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Tiger Woods likely to spend Christmas with his mom

The only bird Tiger Woods will be tucking into this Christmas will be a juicy turkey according to bookies Paddy Power who are betting 2/5 that the troubled golfer will spend the holidays with his mother.

According to reports, Tiger's stunning wife Elin is planning to spend the holidays in her native Sweden with everybody except her husband. If those rumours are true it leaves the world Number One with little choice and speculation has already begun as to where he’ll opt to keep the head down.

At home in the US is the most likely destination, particularly if a visit to mom is on the cards, while it's 3/1 that Tiger follows his family to Sweden. There are even reports that Tiger will escape to Ireland for the festive period.

Sharon McHugh, spokesperson for Paddy Power said: "It looks like Tiger is not out of the woods yet and the only bird he'll be stuffing this Christmas will be the turkey at mom's house!"

There are two betting markets for Tiger Woods at Paddy Power ...

Which woman will Tiger spend Christmas with?
2/5 Kultida Woods (his mom)
7/4 Elin Nordegren
18/1 Rachel Uchitel
20/1 Jessica Simpson
20/1 Jamie Grubbs
20/1 Joslyn James
25/1 Jamie Jungers
25/1 Kalika Moquin
33/1 Cori Rist
33/1 Mindy Lawton
33/1 Loredana Jolie
40/1 Holly Sampson
40/1 Julie Postle
50/1 Theresa Rogers
100/1 Oprah

Where will Tiger spend Christmas?
1/4 US
3/1 Sweden
8/1 Dubai
10/1 Ireland
12/1 Belize
14/1 Barbados
18/1 Mexico
20/1 England
50/1 Scotland
100/1 Wales
500/1 North Pole

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Chelsea are Carling Cup favourites after a kind quarter-final draw

Chelsea will travel to Ewood Park to face Blackburn, who they thrashed 5-0 in the Premier League recently.

Chelsea are into 7/4 (3.75) at Bodog, which puts them ahead of Manchester United who are at 4/1 (5.00) at Betfred and Manchester City who are 5/1 (6.00) chances at Ladbrokes after receiving tougher home draws.

Holders Manchester United will take on Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford in a repeat of last season's final which the Red Devils won on penalties, while Manchester City also face north London opposition in the shape of Arsenal.

Arsenal are priced at (6/1) 7.00 at Bet365, while Tottenham are out to 7/1 (8.00) at VCBet as both North London sides lengthened after drawn to away ties.

The remaining Carling Cup quarter-final tie in an all-Premier League draw sees Portsmouth host Aston Villa at Fratton Park and that has Villa priced at 10/1 (11.00) at Bodog and Portsmouth 25/1 (26.000 at VCBet.

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Manchester United defeat at Liverpool shakes up English title odds

Manchester United are out to 5/2 (3.50) with VC Bet for the Premier League title following their 2-0 defeat at Liverpool.

Liverpool produced a top performance to halt their worst run of defeats in the last 22 years. Fernando Torres scored the first before substitute David Ngog added the second in stoppage-time.

In the frantic final minutes, United had Nemanja Vidic sent off, with Liverpool having Javier Mascherano also red-carded.

Chelsea who hammered Blackburn 5-0 on Saturday evening, lead by two at the top from United are into 7/4 (2.75) at Bodog bookmaker.

Arsenal are 11/2 (6.50) third best at PinnacleSports after somehow letting a two-goal lead slip against West Ham as they drew 2-2 at Upton Park.

Liverpool are once again shortening in the betting, with the Reds general 10/1 chances, but as high as 12/1 (13.00) at Bodog after getting back to winning ways.

Manchester City were pegged back to 2-2 by Fulham and Mark Hughes' side are out to 14/1 (15.00) with Bet365.

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Chelsea new Champions League favourites after AC milan stun Real Madrid

Chelsea are as short as 7/2 (4.50) for Champions League glory following their 4-0 mauling of Atletico Madrid replacing previous favourites Real Madrid who slipped to a shock 3-2 defeat at home to AC Milan.

Real Madrid had been voerall favourites after winning their opening two games but they let a 1-0 lead slip against the Italians at the Bernabeu, with young Brazilian striker Pato firing home the winner for AC Milan with two minutes remaining.

Real Madrid are out to 6/1 (7.00) with Betfred while Chelsea have been chopped into 7/2 (4.5) by the same firm after making short work of struggling Atletico.

The Blues maintained their 100% record in Group D thanks to two goals from Salomon Kalou, one from Frank Lampard and a stoppage-time own goal from Luis Perea.

Holders Barcelona remain tied as favourites at a general 7/2 despite the Catalans' shock 2-1 home defeat to Rubin Kazan on Tuesday.

Manchester United are no bigger than 7/1 (8.00) fourth best with bet365 after they edged to a 1-0 victory away to CSKA Moscow.

Antonio Valencia grabbed the vital goal from close range with four minutes remaining to take the Red Devils' tally to nine points from three games.

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Gamebookers offer 100% GBP £25 matched bonus

European sportsbook GAMEBOOKERS are offering a a 100% bonus on your first deposit, up to £25, when you open an account during October.

Here's how to claim your bonus:

1) Open an account
2) Make a deposit of at least £25
3) Start betting!

TERMS AND CONDITIONS :
The deposit amount (up to maximum bonus amount) + the bonus amount must be turned over 3 times in our sports-book on odds 2.0 or above before a withdrawal can be paid out.

So a £25 deposit + bonus would need turnover of £150 before withdrawal.

Also note that player accounts opened or funded using Webmoney or Moneybookers will be excluded from this promotion.

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Ireland drawn against France in World Cup playoff - rated 11/5 outsiders

THE Republic of Ireland are 11/5 to qualify for the World Cup finals after being paired with France in yesterday's (Mon) play-off draw.

Giovanni Trapattoni's side are 1/3 to miss out ahead of their clash with the 1998 winners.

Ladbrokes spokesman, Nick Weinberg, said:

"The Republic of Ireland will go into the game full of confidence following their performance against Italy. They face a France side that has struggled at times in recent campaigns."

"France inevitably are the favourites, but the Irish will fancy their chances of springing a surprise."

LATEST BETTING ODDS AT LADBROKES

To qualify for 2010 World Cup
France 1/3
Rep of Ire 11/5

Portugal 1/6
Bosnia-H 7/2

Ukraine 5/6
Greece 5/6

Russia 1/6
Slovenia 7/2

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Get a £25 FREE football bet at Ladbrokes

Place a bet of £25 or more at Ladbrokes this month and the UK's biggest bookmaker will match it with a FREE bet up to a value of £25.

Take your pick from a wide range of sporting bets.



Create your Ladbrokes account to start betting now!

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Are you a better football tipster than Viv Anderson?

Beat Viv is back this weekend with another free to enter competition at Victor Chandler!

The ex England, Nottingham Forest and Arsenal legend has made his predictions and is now challenging you to do the same. The top tipster prize this week is a signed shirt of one of the world's greatest footballers, Brazilian legend Kaka.

Alongside this great prize, Viv and VCBet will also throw in a £100 free bet if you manage to come out on top.

To be in with a chance to win this excellent first prize, select the correct score of the four fixtures below. If you are the overall tipster with the largest points return you will win the signed shirt and a £100 free bet. If you manage to Beat Viv's total return from his predictions you will receive a £5 free bet!

Viv's Predictions.

Aston Villa v Chelsea 1-1 - Great game to kick-off with this Saturday lunch time. Aston Villa are good at home and Chelsea will be well up for this one. I can't see past a score draw with both Agbonlahor and Drogba getting on the score sheet.

Arsenal v Birmingham 4-0 - My old team Arsenal have far too much going forward and are a joy to watch at the Emirates. Birmingham are hardworking but that won't be enough and I feel the Gunners will win this one comfortably.

Man Utd v Bolton 2-0 - Man Utd will miss Wayne Rooney and all his fire power up front but I can't see them slipping up like they did in their last home game against Sunderland. Easy 2-0 winners for me.

Sunderland v Liverpool 2-1 - Sunderland are looking good at the moment and Steve Bruce has got them playing as a team. I think Bent will continue his scoring form and Liverpool are sure to miss their best player in Steven Gerrard. Sunderland to bag the points in this one - 2-1.

So that's the predictions, it's now over to you to beat them at Victor Chandler.

Good luck to all

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UEFA probe up to 40 suspicious football results

Peter Limacher, UEFA's head of disciplinary services, told a conference in London that the number of matches under investigation by UEFA for suspected match-fixing has reached 40 cases, it has been revealed.

He added that most of the cases were from eastern Europe and involved the early qualifying rounds of the Champions League and UEFA Cup.

A year ago the number of games being investigated was 25, and UEFA announced they were to set up a six-man special investigation unit to look into corruption in their competitions.

Limacher told the World Sports Law Report conference that there were now 40 games where suspicious betting patterns had been identified, 15 of those in the last two years.

Limacher said: "It is mainly clubs from eastern Europe that are being investigated."

In April, the Macedonian club FK Pobeda were banned from European competition for eight years by UEFA after being found guilty of match-fixing against Armenian side FC Pyunik in 2004 - they lost 3-1 at home in a Champions League first qualifying round.

FK Pobeda's president Aleksandar Zabrcanec was banned for life from any football-related activity, as was the player Nikolce Zdraveski.

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Arsenal set the Standard after 3-2 win in Liege

After Arsenal came back from two down to beat Standard Liege in Belgium, they were backed up into 5th favourite to win the Champions League.

The Gunners were 2-0 down inside five minutes but goals from Nicklas Bendtner, Thomas Vermaelen and Eduardo turned the match on its head and sparked wild celebrations from the visiting fans.

Liverpool meanwhile slipped back after battling to an uninspiring 1-0 win over Hungarian side Debrecen, while Inter Milan and Barcelona held their positions after battling to a 0-0 draw in Milan.

Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid are vying for favouritism at a best of 4/1 and 5/1.

But English teams occupy the four of the next places in the betting, with Chelsea shortest at 6/1, Manchester United 15/2, Arsenal 11/1, and both Inter Milan and Liverpool on offer at 12s.

BEST OUTRIGHT ODDS FOR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE :
5.00 FC Barcelona @ Eurobet
6.00 Real Madrid @ Betfred
7.00 Chelsea @ Bet365
8.50 Manchester United FC @ Victor Chandler
12.00 Arsenal @ Betfred
13.00 Internazionale Milano @ Paddy Power
13.00 Liverpool @ BetFred
26.00 AC Milan @ Victor Chandler
29.00 Bayern Munich @ Ladbrokes

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Chelsea still favourites to win English Premier League

Chelsea are the bookmakers title favourites after a late Florent Malouda winner pipped Stoke 2-1 to give the Blues five straight wins to start the season.

Manchester United are second favourites to win the Premier League title following their 3-1 come-from-behind win over Spurs. The Red Devils trailed to an early Jermain Defoe strike but eventually ran out comfortable winners thanks to goals from Ryan Giggs, Anderson and Wayne Rooney.

Liverpool, who saw off Burnley 4-0 at Anfield are third.

It is then Arsenal, Manchester City, and Spurs at a huge 50/1 rounding out the top six.

BEST PRICES TO WIN THE PREMIER LEAGUE
Chelsea 2.50 @ PinnacleSports
Manchester United 4.50 @ PinnacleSports
Liverpool 8.00 @ Eurobet
Arsenal 13.00 @ Ladbrokes
Manchester City 14.00 @ PinnacleSports
Tottenham Hotspur 51.00 @ Eurobet

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Baseball Punters should check out Ladbrokes MLB extra innings offer

MLB Baseball Cash Backs at Ladbrokes

If you place a bet on the moneyline, handicap or run total markets for any fixture during the 2009 MLB season and the game is decided in an extra innings, then you are never a loser at Ladbrokes.

Becasue if a game does go extra innings and your bet does not win then Ladbrokes will match your losing stake with a free bet up to £1000 !!

On average 6 or 7 games each and EVERY week go into extra innings - so surely that sort of insurance is worth having on your side ?!

Check out all baseball markets at Ladbrokes today

(Sorry, no USA based bettors can join or bet at Ladbrokes)

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Arsenal 13/1 to win the Champions League

Arsenal are 13/1 with top Euro Betting site Betsson to win the Champions League after they cruised into the group stages with a comprehensive 5-1 aggregate victory over Celtic on Wednesday night.

Leading 2-0 after the first leg at Parkhead, Arsenal extended their advantage at the Emirates Stadium when Eduardo converted a penalty he had controversially won while Emmanuel Eboue added a second on the night following a crisp move at the start of the second half.

Andrey Arshavin came off the bench to score a clinical third goal but the visitors did at least manage a consolation when Massimo Donati fired home a stunning volley for Celtic in injury time.

TOP PRICES FOR 10 MOST LIKELY WINNERS OF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
5.50 Barcelona at Eurobet
6.00 Real Madrid at Eurobet
7.50 Chelsea at Betsson
9.00 Manchester United at Paddy Power
12.00 Liverpool at Paddy Power
13.00 Inter Milan at Paddy Power
14.00 Arsenal at Betsson
23.00 AC Milan at Bet365
26.00 Juventus at Paddy Power
26.00 Bayern Munich at Bet365

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Liverpool's title hopes sinking already - according to the bookmakers

Liverpool are out to 8/1 with Betfred to win the Premier League title following their 3-1 home defeat to Aston Villa on Monday night.

That makes it two defeats in three games for Rafa Benitez's Reds and leaves them six points off the pace already.

Liverpool are now fourth-favourites for the title, having slipped below in-form Arsenal, 11/2 (6.50) at PinnacleSports.

Chelsea remain favourites following a 2-0 win at London rivals Fulham on Sunday while Manchester United strengthened after bouncing back from defeat at Burnley to beat Wigan 5-0.

Tottenham are on top the table after battling back to win 2-1 against West Ham on Sunday and Spurs are now as short as 25/1 in places while you can still get 45/1 (46.00) at PinnacleSports.

Best online prices to win the Premier League title are :
2.50 Chelsea at PinnacleSports
4.50 Manchester United at PinnacleSports
6.50 Arsenal at PinnacleSports
9.00 Liverpool at Betfred
15.00 Manchester City at Ladbrokes
46.00 Tottenham at PinnacleSports
201.00 Aston Villa at Bet365
501.00 Everton at Bet365

(compilied by BookieLabrat's Online Premier League Betting Odds)

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EXCLUSIVE £200 FREE BETS FOR YORK'S EBOR MEETING

It promises to be some week at York's Ebor meeting with dual Classic winner Sea The Stars just one of a host of equine stars in action, and it's just got even better as bet365 are offering new customers up to £200 free bets when they open an account!

To qualify for this fantastic offer, you simply need to sign up between Saturday 15th August and Sunday 23rd August. What better way to kick-start your bet365 account than having £200 free bets to place on some top-class horse racing!

Click here to sign up with bet365 and claim your £200 free bets.

Furthermore, you can watch all 18 races from York live at bet365. Simply place a qualifying bet of £1 or more, click on the "Live Stream" icon next to the race and enjoy the action.

To cap a great week for punters, bet365 are going best odds guaranteed on every horse race (not just at York), so be sure to take a price as you'll get paid out at the SP if it's bigger.

Click here to enjoy bet365's fantastic horse racing service

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2009/10 English Premier League outright betting after round 1

Liverpool are out to 5/1 (6.00) for the Premier League title after their 2-1 defeat to Tottenham on Sunday.

Liverpool only lost twice in Premier League last season but got off to a losing start to this term, Steven Gerrard's penalty not enough to take anything from White Hart Lane after goals from Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Sebastien Bassong.

Manchester United were not at their best but still recorded a 1-0 win over Birmingham earlier in the day and continue to fight for favouritism with Chelsea, who saw off Hull 2-1 thanks to Didier Drogba's injury-time fluke on Saturday.

Manchester City set down an early marker with a 2-0 success at Blackburn.

Arsenal also made a tremendous start with a 6-1 hammering of Everton and they are into 7/1 from 8/1 - Hills were even more impressed and they go 11/2 from 9/1.

BEST ODDS FOR YOUR TEAM TO WIN THE 2009/10 LEAGUE :
Chelsea 3.00 @ Ladbrokes
Manchester United 3.50 @ Pinnacle
Liverpool 5.50 @ Ladbrokes
Arsenal 9.50 @ Pinnacle
Manchester City 15.00 @ Ladbrokes
Tottenham Hotspur 101.00 @ Pinnacle
Everton 301.00 @ VCBet
Aston Villa 501.00 @ VCBet
West Ham United 751.00 @ Bet365

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Top 10 Bets getting action at EuroBet this weekend

Here is a quick rundown of the top 10 bets seeing the most turnover at top online bookmaker Eurobet this weekend.

Not surprisingly, the opening wekeend of the English Premier League dominates punters thoughts with four games getting in the top 10 so far. But the top betting action choices might surprise you :
PREMIER LEAGUE -- Tottenham v Liverpool ---- Liverpool at 2.30
PREMIER LEAGUE -- Portsmouth v Fulham ---- Draw at 3.30
PREMIER LEAGUE -- Chelsea v Hull City ---- Chelsea at 1.16
PREMIER LEAGUE -- Aston Villa v Wigan ---- Aston Villa at 1.66

There are also two lower league games seeing a bit of action, and in both cases it's the perceived value on the away side that is attracting the money - especially Reading travelling to St James's Park at 4.00 (3/1).
CHAMPIONSHIP --- Newcastle v Reading ----- Reading at 4.00
LEAGUE ONE ------ Stockport v Bristol Rovers - Bristol Rovers at 3.00

In Europe it's the same theme, as punters are taking the attractive odds on offer for top ranked side travellnig to face lower ranked opposition.
HOLLAND --------- RKC Waalwijk v AZ Alkmaar -- AZ Alkmaar at 1.61
BUNDESLIGA ---- Cologne v Wolfsburg -- Wolfsburg at 1.80
BELGIUM --------- Roeselare v Standard Liege -- St. Liege at 1.53
PORTUGAL -------- Nacional v Sporting Lisbon -- Sp. Lisbon @ 2.00

Check out all the odds at Eurobet this weekend.

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Canbet off £25 / €30 joining bonus for new season

Australian and UK licensed bookmaker Canbet are starting the new English Premier League season by offering a matching free bet to all new players who open an account.

Join Canbet and make your first bet of £25 / €30 / USD $35 and they will give you a matching freebet of the same value.

In order to claim this offer simply enter the promotional code BETBONUS when registering an account on the Canbet joining page.

Check it out at Canbet now.

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BetOnline Sportsbook added to list of recommended betting sites

Offshore Sportsbook BetOnline.com has been added to the list of recommended betting sites at GoonersGuide.com.

The Panamanian based sportsbook specializes is servicing Canadian and United States based players accepting VISA cards, Wire Transfer, Bank Wire, and Bank Check - and the sportsbook will cover any / all fees on transfers of more than $300.

BetOnline also offers various bonuses but our suggested option for new BetOnline.com players is to claim a first deposit bonus of 25% to $125 (so deposit $500 if you want the full $125 bonus). A x6 rollover of bonus winnings applies.

BetOnline.com offers live lines plus a range of bets and props on all major sporting events popular in the USA and Canada: Football, Baseball, Basketball, Hockey, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, Boxing, MMA, Auto Racing, Racebook.

Our full review of BetOnline rates the offshore sportsbook as 83% overall, after considering sports coverage, odds juice, bonuses, security and payouts making the overall rating for BetOnline a solid A.

RELATED LINKS :
Full page review of BetOnline.com
Bonus details for BetOnline.com
Comparison of four good offshore sportsbooks for US players

Or visit the BetOnline.com website directly now.

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Early bookmaker odds for 2009/10 Premier League race

Manchester United ended the 2008/09 season as Premier League champions on 90 points after beating Hull 1-0, and they are 11/8 chances to retain their crown next season.

Liverpool finished four points behind United in second. The Reds are 100/30 to win the league next season.

Chelsea are 4/1, Arsenal are 10/1, Manchester City are 50/1 and it's 100/1 bar those five.

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Barcelona favourites for Champions League Final

Barcelona have been installed as favourites to win the Champions League final following their dramatic qualification at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.

Andres Iniesta's injury-time goal - Barca's only shot on target all night - equalised Michael Essien's early effort and sent the Spanish side through on away goals with a 1-1 draw.

Barcelona will now face Manchester United in Rome on May 27 and it's Barca who are the 8/11 favourites with Ladbrokes to lift the trophy they last won in 2006.

Defending champions Manchester United are available at 2.10, with bet365 prepared to go odds-against largely because they have big liabilities on Barca in their outright book.

bet365 spokesman Steve Freeth said: "Bookmakers don't mind draws, but we stopped patting ourselves on the back when we looked at the ante-post liabilities on Barcelona. We'll be more than happy to see Sir Alex retain the trophy."

Boylesports disagree with bet365 and Ladbrokes and and offer both Barca and ManYoo at 10/11 each.

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Paddy Power refunds all losing bets on Cardiff Blues

Paddy Power are refunding all losing bets on Cardiff to beat Leicester following their gut-wrenchingly dramatic defeat in the Heineken Cup final semi-final at the hands of Leicester yesterday.

Martyn Williams sudden death penalty miss left punters feeling sick to the stomach having witnessed an incredible Cardiff comeback to take the game to extra time.

Cardiff were 3/4 favourites before kick off with Paddy Power and the bookie reports heavy support for the Welshmen.

Paddy Power punters who staked just over £80,000 on the Cardiff Blues either to qualify for the final or beat Leicester will have their losing stakes refunded.

The bookie can't split the two sides and have priced up the final with both Leinster and Leicester at 5/6.

Paddy Power said: "That was the least enjoyable penalty shootout ever - even the most ardent Leicester fan must feel for Martyn Williams. Cardiff's comeback was awesome and it was bad enough to see them lose like that without doing your dough as well.

"It doesn't seem right that punters should lose in that fashion so we're giving them their money back. As for the final itself, your guess is as good as mine - it's got to be a toss of a coin and maybe that's how they should have decided the semi-final!"

RELATED LINKS :
Paddy Power Bookmaker Site
Our Paddy Power review

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Bet365 has Arsenal almost certain to finish in top four now

Arsenal's position in the top four was strengthened on Sunday as Aston Villa and Everton fought out a 3-3 draw in the Barclays Premier League.

Arsenal are now nine points ahead of Aston Villa and 10 points clear of Everton having played a game more than both clubs.

The Gunners are 1/16 with bet365 to finish once again with a top-four finish, with Everton 7/4 to finish above Aston Villa.

bet365 spokesman Steve Freeth said: "It was a hugely entertaining 3-3 draw, but a point hardly helps either side in their quest for a top four finish."

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FYR Macedonian club FK Pobeda charged with "manipulation"

UEFA have charged FYR Macedonian club FK Pobeda for "manipulating the outcome of a UEFA match to gain undue advantage for themselves and a third party".

The charge relates to a 2004 Champions League first qualifying round match against FC Pyunik in Skopje, which the Armenian side Pyunik won 3-1.

The charge also implicates the president of FK Pobeda, as well as a player, with UEFA's Control & Disciplinary Body set to deal with the case on April 17.

UEFA revealed in a statement they had brought the charge, almost five years after the game was played, based on reports of irregular betting patterns and declarations from witnesses.

A statement on UEFA's website read: "UEFA has announced today that the Macedonian club FK Pobeda, its president and one player have been charged for being in breach of the principles of integrity and sportsmanship by manipulating the outcome of a UEFA match to gain an undue advantage for themselves and a third party."

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Anelka injury re-opens Premier League golden boot race

The race for the English Premier League golden boot tightened on the weekend as Steven Gerrard grabbed a hat-trick and leading scorer Nicolas Anelka was ruled out for three weeks with injury.

Anelka (15 goals) leads by two from Cristiano Ronaldo (13) and Steven Gerrard (13) with Peter Crouch (11) and Robinho (11) further back in joint 4th spot.

The Frenchman continues to head the Golden Boot betting, but only just as Anelka looks likely to miss Chelsea's next game at Newcastle on April 4th.

LEADING TOP SCORER ODDS :
Anelka - 15 goals - 3.00 at Bet365
Ronaldo - 13 goals - 3.00 at Eurobet
Gerrard - 13 goals - 5.00 at Victor Chandler
Robinho - 11 goals - 21.00 at Betfred
Crouch - 11 goals - 50.00 at BetFair

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Manchester United odds drift in title race after 2nd straight loss

Manchester United have drifted from 1/9 to 2/7 to win the Barclays Premier League with bookmakers following their 2-0 defeat at Fulham on Saturday.

Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney were both sent off at Craven Cottage as a Danny Murphy penalty and late Zoltan Gera strike earned Fulham all three points.

It means Manchester United are now just four points clear of Liverpool, with both teams having played 29 games.

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West Brom, Stoke and Middlesbrough all odds-on to be relegated

While the Premier League title looks done and dusted (despite Liverpool's stunning 4-1 win at Old Trafford on the weekend) the battle at the other end is attracting plenty of betting attention.

Stoke lost 3-1 at Everton and are in 18th spot, Middlesbrough needed a late Marlon King goal to earn a 1-1 home draw against Portsmouth but sit 19th, while the Baggies are away at West Ham on Monday and are rooted at the foot of the table.

As a result Middlesbrough are now 3rd favourites at evens (2.00) at Paddy Power for the drop while Stoke are second favourites for relegation at 10/11 (1.91) at Bet365.

West Brom seem doomed, and the best price is just 1/10 (1.10) at PaddyPower ahead of the Monday night game.

If you are looking at teams outside the bottom three to become entangled in the battle then there are some good prices available.


Newcastle are only clear of relegation by goal difference and are at 15/8 (2.88) at PaddyPower while Portsmouth are in the same situation and are priced at 10/3 (4.33) at VCBet.

Blackburn lost 4-0 at Arsenal on Saturday and have significant injury woes, and are just one point clear, making the 6/1 (7.00) at VCBet quite appealing.

Sunderland are only three points clear of the drop zone after losing to Wigan at the Stadium of Light and are priced at 15/2 (8.50) at PaddyPower

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Sunderland and Tottenham easing clear of relegation worries

The bookmakers reckoned Sunderland and Tottenham both eased their relegation worries with their 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland had taken the lead through Kieran Richardson's third-minute strike, and looked to have eased themselves seven points clear of the drop zone before Robbie Keane rescued Spurs with a last-gasp equaliser

Both clubs are now on 32 points, and are five points clear of the bottom three.

Sunderland are out to 11/1 (12.00) for the drop with Bet365 while Tottenham are 22/1 (23.00) at PaddyPower.

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Madrid and Turin derby matches centre stage this Saturday

Real Madrid are trying to make makes el Derbi Madrileno their 11th successive league win in the Primera this weekend.

Real Madrid host Atletico Madrid, well aware that Atletico devlivered a heavy blow to title rivals Barcelona last weekend, with a 4-3 stunning victory that cut Barca's lead at the top to a mere four points.

The two city rivals meet on Saturday at Santiago Bernabeu.

RELATED LINKS :
Real Madrid 1.79 at Globet, Atletico Madrid 5.10 at PinnacleSports
See all the Live Spanish football betting Odds at Bookielabrat.

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Serie A will share the derby spotlight over the week-end, when Juventus will face historic rivals FC Torino.

The Old Lady will need every win they can get, to close the seven-point gap that separates them from league leaders Inter Milan.

But Torino's run of five matches without defeat may spell trouble for Claudio Ranieri's men, who are also preparing for Chelsea's Champions League visit next week.

Expect plenty of tension at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday evening.

RELATED LINKS :
Torino 3.49 at PinnacleSports, Juventus 2.35 at Centrebet,
See all the Live Italian football betting Odds at Bookielabrat.

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Betting Alert on Serie A - Canbet offer big price on Inter Milan

A potential price alert ... as Aussie bookmaker Canbet have a big price on Serie A Leaders Inter Milan.

Canbet go 2.75 on Inter Milan in thier Saturday afteroon fixture at Genoa this weekend - where most bookmakers are 2.38 to 2.40.

It's true that Inter Milan might decide to field a weak side - due to their upcoming Champions League game at Old Trafford against Manchester United (first leg 0-0).

So either Canbet have news that Inter are going to field a weaker than expected side in advance of everyone else - or they're offering a great price.

My spreadsheet ratings for this game ( Genoa v Inter Milan ) have Inter Milan as 52$ likely to win and so calculates this price as an outstanding 143% of value.

RELATED LINKS :
Canbet Bookmakers
Live Serie A Odds from Bookie Lab Rat.

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Jose Mourinho now favourite to be next Manchester United coach

Jose Mourinho has been cut from 8/1 to 9/4 favourite by William Hill to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as permanent manager of Manchester United following comments from current Red Devils skipper Rio Ferdinand.

"There are very few people who could take over," Ferdinand said in an interview in GQ magazine out this Thursday. "If you're talking about someone with the ego and personality to do it, then Jose Mourinho is the name that jumps out at you."

However Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe said: "Whether Mourinho would want to accept what could be seen as a poisoned chalice, as the successor to Sir Alex would have his work cut out emulating or outdoing his predecessor, remains to be seen."

Martin O'Neill is 7/2 second favourite and it's 9/1 bar.

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Beware the banker bet - Stoke City sting punters at Betfair

The draw was backed at a high of 349/1 (350.00) in-running on Betfair before Stoke salvaged a point against Aston Villa on Sunday.

The Potters struck twice in the final three minutes to snatch a dramatic draw and put a massive dent in the betting accounts of punters who like to lay off "sure things" in order to cash in on "easy money".

Stiliyan Petrov's first Barclays Premier League goal for 11 months and a spectacular effort from John Carew had helped Villa take into a 2-0 lead.

As is usual the price on the draw drifted to stratospheric levels at in-running specialists Betfair, especially as time ticked away with no sign of a recovery.

But Ryan Shawcross reduced the arrears in the 87th minute and substitute Glenn Whelan equalised in injury-time for the visitors.

Job done for Stoke - and someone has a lot of explaining to do to the wife - as trying to hoover up a fiver cost him £1750 inside 3 minutes.

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Hull City slip to another defeat

Hull City are now as short as 11/8 to be relegated from the Premier League following Sunday's defeat by Blackburn Rovers.

The Tigers are still in 13th spot but are winless in their last 11 Premier League games (0-3-8) after their 1-3 home loss against Sam Allardyce's improving Rovers.

Stephen Warnock and Keith Andrews struck within two first-half minutes for Rovers before the Tigers' Dean Marney and Blackburn's Morten Gamst Pedersen were dismissed.

Ian Ashbee scored with a crisp volley late on to give City hope but it was too late to make any difference to the final result.

Hull are now priced at 15/8 (2.63) at Bet365 to make an immediate return to the Championship.

LATEST RELEGATION ODDS :
West Bromwich Albion 1.13 @ [Bet365]
Stoke City 1.62 @ [Bet365]
Hull City 2.63 @ [Bet365]
Middlesbrough 2.88 @ [Paddy Power]
Newcastle United 3.25 @ [Bet365]
Portsmouth 4.33 @ [Bet365]
Blackburn Rovers 5.50 @ [Paddy Power]
Sunderland 11.00 @ [Bet365]
Tottenham Hotspur 15.00 @ [Bet365]

Source : BookieLabrat.com Live Premier League Betting Odds

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Hiddink still favourite to be next Chelsea manager

Guus Hiddink is 8/11 favourite with UK bookmakers to be the Chelsea manager on the first day of the next campaign despite suggesting he will only stay with Chelsea until the last day of this season.

The Russia head coach was announced as Luiz Felipe Scolari's temporary successor at Stamford Bridge last week and he is currently preparing his charges for his first game in charge at Aston Villa on Saturday.

On his future, Hiddink said: "I will help out until the end of the season, and then it will stop. I am certain it will only be until the end of the season."

But the bookmakers don't beleive it making him a strong favourite.

8/11 Hiddink
3/1 Ancelotti
5/1 Rijkaard;
13/2 Zola;
10/1 Mancini;
10/1 Mourinho.

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Spurs lose 0-2 to Shakhtar - 33/1 longshots to progress

Tottenham have now drifted out to 33/1 with Ladbrokes to win the UEFA Cup after they suffered a 2-0 defeat against Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg of their last 32 clash at RSC Olympiyskiy.

The Ukrainian champions' first goal came with 11 minutes remaining, with substitute Yevgen Seleznov glancing home a Jadson free-kick.

Jadson added the second goal two minutes from time, wriggling into the penalty area and finishing low into Gomes' bottom corner and now Sky Bet make Spurs 5/2 to progress to the next round.

VIDEOS OF THE GOALS

Shakhtar 1-0 Tottenham - 78th minute Seleznyov


Shakhtar 2-0 Tottenham - 88th minute Jadson

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Scolari sacked by Chelsea - Guus Hiddink favoured to take over

Guus Hiddink is widely regarded as the favourite for the Chelsea manager's job in the wake of Luiz Felipe Scolari's shock sacking on Monday afternoon.

But Hiddink's price has been drifting after his agent Cees van Nieuwenhuizen said there was "no chance" of him going to Stamford Bridge. "Guus wants to qualify for World Cup for a fourth time in a row and with a fourth different team." he said.

With Chelsea having slipped to fourth in the Premier League - seven points off Manchester United's pace, having played a game more - the decision was taken to axe Luiz Filipe Scolari.

That sparked a frenzy in the betting markets, with Guus Hiddink and Avram Grant almost immediately being linked with managerial roles at the club.

Grant, ditched by the club and replaced by Scolari in the summer, was being touted as director of football with current Russia boss Hiddink in charge of team affairs.

Hiddink, who knows Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich as a result of his spell in charge of the Russian national side, was almost immediately installed asthe bookmakers 1/2 favourite for the manager's job - but that price soon drifted out to a general 3/1 as the markets settled down.

Paddy Power's Darren Haines said: "Hiddink's close relationship with Abramovich in the Russia job have repeatedly linked Guus to the Stamford Bridge post in the past. Now could finally be the time for Chelsea to go Dutch."

Betfred's Jon Wilde added: "Surely now Chelsea will go for someone who knows his onions at club level. Hiddink fits the bill having won the European Cup and with his Russian connections he is a worthy favourite."

Meanwhile, bet365 are prepared to offer 14/1 about Avram Grant returning to the hot seat.

Former Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard is also prominent in the betting at a general 6/1, while Chelsea playing legend Gianfranco Zola, currently in charge of West Ham, is also towards to the top of the markets at a best price of 7/1.

Earlier Zola's lawyer Fulvio Marrucco had said: "At the moment we know nothing about the link between Gianfranco Zola and the vacant position at Chelsea.

"Gianfranco is very happy at West Ham and still thanks them for giving him the opportunity to be a coach in the Premier League. It is very difficult to say if anything will happen, but Chelsea is a special place for Gianfranco Zola."

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Bettingzone take Arsenal to beat Spurs

Tottenham v Arsenal

These two arch rivals meet for the 144th time on Sunday with not only the magnificent 4-4 draw still fresh in the memory from earlier in the season, we also have Robbie Keane and Andrei Arshavin on show after protracted transfer deals were finally thrashed out.

They are on offer at 12/5 and 10/3 respectively to find the target at some stage and I would suspect there will be a few takers come match time.

This is a fixture that has its fair share of goals and Keane and Arshavin aside, one player fancied to get in the thick of them again is Dutchman Robin van Persie.

He looks set to get the nod from Arsene Wenger to return to the starting line-up and has already banged in nine goals from 20 league appearances this season - including against this opposition at the Emirates back in October.

Sharp as a tack in the box, he looks a decent poke at 15/8 to get into double figures in the Premier League.

The total goals tally is set at 2.5 and recent history suggests these two may well blow that out of the water - but I just fancy the Gunners nicking this at 6/4 as the better option and spoil Keane's return to The Lane.

Verdict: Tottenham 1 Arsenal 2

Source : BettingZone

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A US bettors viewpoint ..

I found this post over at the BookieLabRat Blog and it's well worth a read.

I'm still buzzing over Super Bowl XLIII. That might have been the best football game I've ever seen – but I'm biased, because I made some money in the end. Everything looks better when the bankroll is growing.

It started before the coin toss. I couldn't help but to take the over on Jennifer Hudson's version of The Star-Spangled Banner, even at the chalky price of -210.

I personally don't bet every single Super Bowl prop, but I always take the time to see what's on the menu, and the total on the length of the national anthem was 2:01 - exactly how long it took Hudson to sing it at the Democratic National Convention. Of course Sunday's version was going to be longer. It was a more dramatic moment in a much larger venue.

As for the football itself, I was watching at home with the computer in front of me and the game on the big-screen. Most of my friends are either in the sports media or the handicapping business, so we had a UFC 94 party the night before instead - and what a card that was. But I digress.

Sunday was a workday, and I was working the live betting ...

(get the full post at BookieLabRat Sports Blog)

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Relegation battle looms for Pompey

The pressure is building on Portsmouth following their 3-1 defeat at Fulham.

Portsmouth are still a point clear of the drop zone but the bookmakers now offer only 5/2 about Portsmouth being relegated at the end of the season having been 12/5 before the trip to Craven Cottage.
(best prices are at Ladbrokes and Bet365)

Middlesbrough are second bottom after a 0-0 home draw against Blackburn and Boylesports now have Boro at 7/4 for the drop.

In contrast Blackburn Rovers are as big as 6/1 with Ladbrokes to finish in the bottom three.

Tottenham are again being dragged into the relegation dogfight after a 3-2 loss at Bolton and Spurs are 13/2 from 8s to drop into the Championship.

RELATED LINK :
Get all the live betting Premier League odds quoted at Bookielabrat.com

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Liverpool now second favourites for title after beating Chelsea

Liverpool have been cut from 8/1 to 9/2 second favourites for the Premier League title with William Hill after defeating Chelsea 2-0.

Liverpool dumped ten-man Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday to cut Manchester United's lead at the top of the table to two points - and in the process moved them three clear of Chelsea.

The bookmakers makes Chelsea 8/1 following the defeat, with Aston Villa at 33/1 and Arsenal 66/1 after they were both held to goalless draws by Wigan and West Ham respectively on Saturday.

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Roger Federer shortens as favourite to win Australian Open

Roger Federer has been made the bookmakers favourite for the Australian Open Mens Singles title following his impressive three-set defeat of Marat Safin in Melbourne.

To beat Safin so convincingly showed the Swiss ace is at the top of his game whereas you couldn't say the same thus far for Andy Murray or Novak Djokovic. Federer is available at 2.87 at Bet365

Andy Murray remains the second favourite at 4.10 also at PinnacleSports but this has as much to do with patriotic punting from within the UK as it does with estimations of his ability to win his first Grand Slam title here in Melbourne.

We should get a better handle on Rafael Nadal credentials after his match with the unpredicable Tommy Haas tomorrow and Nadal is priced at 4.60 at PinnacleSports right now.

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Pittsburgh Steelers favoured to win Super Bowl

The Pittsburgh Steelers are the overwhelming favourites to beat the Arizona Cardinals in the Super Bowl in Tampa on February 1st.

The Steelers saw off the Baltimore Ravens 23-14 in Pittsburgh while the Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Eagles 32-25 on their home field in Glendale.

But the bookies see only one winner when the pair square up in Tampa, with the Steelers 4/10 (1.40) at European bookmaker Interwetten and the Cardinals on offer at 9/4 (3.25) with Paddy Power.

The early handicap line gives Arizona a 6.5 to 7.0 point start.

RELATED LINKS - SUPERBOWL ODDS :
SuperBowl Odds from European Bookmakers (UK & European Punters)
SuperBowl Odds from 3 Offshore Sportsbooks (US Players)

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Watch UK Racing LIVE !

UK and Irish Customers can now watch EVERY race in the UK and Ireland, live at bet365. You need not miss a second of the action with bet365 - and there's not a subscription fee in sight!

In fact bet365 pay YOU a bonus with your first deposit !

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Interwetten has a €111 bonus for sports punters

Interwetten Sportsbook is serious about expanding it's business and it is now offering new punters a 50% FIRST DEPOSIT BONUS UP TO €111 in order to attract their business.

Interwetten has a long history as an online betting destination, established in 1990 in Vienna as a telephone betting service for soccer & ice hockey bets.

Subsequently Interwetten Sportwetten GmbH (Ltd) became Interwetten AG (plc). The operational side of the betting was transferred to the 100% subsidiary Interwetten Cyprus Ltd - and from March 2005 Interwetten has been Malta based.

But despite it's longevity many UK punters have never tried Interwetten, possibly put off by the lack of a good joining bonus at the website.

Now Interwetten have responded with a 50% first deposit bonus up to €111 (if €222 is deposited) and have also lowered the bonus wagering requirements from a rollover of 5x to 3x.

The minimum deposit is 10 EUR, 15 CHF, 250 CZK, 75 DKK, 2500 HUF, 75 NOK, 6 PDS, 35 PLN, 35 RON, 90 SEK, 20 SGD, 13 USD.

BONUS CONDITIONS :
------------------------------------------------------
- Deposit + Bonus must be wagered at least three times in bets before a payout can be requested
- Only single or combination bets with minimum odds of 2,0 count for the fulfillment of the wagering requirements

RELATED PAGES :
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Check the full interwetten review on our site OR visit the interwetten site directly.

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Liverpool stumble and see odds lengthen on title

Liverpool are as big as 11/4 (3.75) to win the Barclays Premier League title after being held to a goalless draw by Stoke on Saturday.

Rafa Benitez's side are now four points clear at the top of the table but the two points dropped have negatively affected title chances the title. The Reds are 11/4 chances at BoyleSports.

Arsenal needed a late Nicklas Bendtner goal beat Bolton at the Emirates and were trimmed for the title after the 1-0 win. The Gunners are now 25/1 (26.00) at PaddyPower.

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BoyleSports offer Spanish Language site

Irish bookmaker BoyleSport now off a Spanish Language site to cater for a growing number of Spanish speaking sports punters.

It still covers all the football action, and has a GREAT 4 x €50 bonus offer for new players - and is well worth checking out.

As well as sports betting there is casino, poker and lottery action all covered on the one site.

Visit BoyleSports Spanish Language site here

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Globet offers a new correct score cashback.

European bookmaker Globet are sweetening the pot by offering a "correct score cashback" in high scoring games.

CORRECT SCORE CASHBACK
Place a correct score bet on any match in one of the major leagues*.
If there are 6 goals or more in the match and your bet loses, then Globet will refund your stake up to a maximum of 250 Euros.

*Major Leagues include Italian Serie A, English Premier, Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga, Champions League and UEFA Cup matches.

Terms & Conditions
1) Applies to bets placed prior to kick off only
2) Maximum refund 250 Euros per customer
3) Applies to correct score bets only
4) Globetsport football rules apply.

Check it out at Globetsport.com

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Chelsea boss odds cut in the sack race.

Bookmakers have slashed the odds on Chelsea bosss Luiz Felipe Scolari being the next Premier League boss out of a job to 10/1 (from 33/1) following a flurry of bets on him to be sacked.

Chelsea are struggling a little and with Scolari coming under more pressure after Southend forced the Blues to an FA Cup replay, it seems that the 33/1 was too attractive a price for some punters to turn down.

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Bookmakers clean up as snow stays away on Christmas Day

UK gamblers have been tuning in to weather predictions before placing their bets on whether there would be snowfalls on Christmas Day, but as it turned out it was the bookies who got it right this year, with snow staying away.

Bookmakers William Hill took a large number of bets on the possibility of snow on Christmas Day, following heavy snowfalls earlier in December - but, although it was a chilly day, there was no snow.

Rupert Adams, spokesman for William Hill, told the Telegraph newspaper that it was a relief for the bookmakers -- although it may be a disappointment for gamblers.

"Much like the abominable snowman, Britain's favorite festive flutter is in danger of becoming extinct as snowfall becomes increasingly rare in December," said Adams. "But we are not sorry to see no snow as it would have cost us a monster million pound-plus payout."

Christmas Day was cloudy and cold but dry, with a brisk wind blowing in from the east, the newspaper reported.

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Manchester United are title favourites with bookmakers

Manchester United have been shortened from 6/4 to 11/8 favourites (PaddyPower) to win the Premier League title following their hard-fought 1-0 win over Middlesbrough at Old Trafford on Monday night.

United dominated for most of the game and missed a host of chances before Dimitar Berbatov blasted home the winner in the 69th minute. The result means Sir Alex Ferguson's men now trail Liverpool by seven points and Chelsea by four in the race for the title but have two games in hand.

Chelsea are 2/1 second favourites (VCBet)with Liverpool available at 9/4 (BetFred) despite being top. Arsenal are 33/1 (Bet365) shots with Aston Villa 66/1. (Bet365)

RELATED LINK :
Get the latest Premier League Live Odds Quotes at Bookie Lab Rat.

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BettingZone take Arsenal to win at Villa

Popular UK betting website BettingZone.co.uk have picked Arsenal to bat Aston Villa on Boxing Day - despite the loss of captain Cesc Fabregas ...

Villa gained a deserved win at The Emirates in mid-November and will be popular with punters at 13/8 to complete the double.

However, one of the themes of this Premier League season is that the top teams appear to prefer playing away from home where they have more space and can hit teams on the break.

Villa, with six away wins to just four at home, have been part of that trend while a win for Arsenal would mean they've taken just as many points on the road as they have at home.

Villa go into the game three points above the Gunners so Arsene Wenger would feel very anxious if that gap doubled to six as the prospect of Villa gatecrashing the top four would grown even stronger.

Yes, holes can be picked in the Arsenal line-up and the loss of Cesc Fabregas is a blow too. But they remain a talented bunch and it's foolish to write them off.

Arsenal have won four and drawn one of their last five trips to Villa Park and, given their record against the top teams this year, they're more than capable of nicking a victory.

Villa are no world-beaters yet so maybe the 2/1 about Arsenal is the best bet.

BettingZone Pick : Aston Villa 1 Arsenal 2

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AFC and NFC Playoff picture - how does your team stand with two weeks left?

So if the season ended right now - here is how the road to the Superbowl would look in the NFL.

In the NFC the NEW YORK GIANTS and the CAROLINA PANTHERS would clinch first round byes with the best division winning performances.

The MINNESOTA VIKINGS would host the TAMPA BAY BUCCS and the DALLAS COWBOYS would travel to face the ARIZONA CARDINALS.

There are still four other teams in the hunt though (within two games of a playoff spot) including the 9-5 ATLANTA FACLONS.



Meanwhile over in the AFC it's more clearcut with the TENNESSEE TITANS and the PITTSBURGH STEELERS guaranteed first round byes with two weeks to go.

The NEW YORK JETS would get to host the BALTIMORE RAVENS in the first playoff game, while the DENVER BRONCOS would recieve the INDIANAPOLIS COLTS in the other wildcard game.



MIAMI DOLPHINS and NEW ENGLAND PATS will still harbour hopes of challenging the JETS in the AFC EAST, while SAN DIEGO have the slimmest of hopes in the AFC West.

For the rest of the sides, it's time to face facts, it's the dead time at the end of the season, and now sport bettors will be taking a close look at the motivation levels of some teams.

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Barcelona v Real Madrid - Special bets

Real Madrid visit bitter rivals Barcelona on Satueday evening with their new coach Juande Ramos and Betfred have priced up a number of special bets on "El Classico".

Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas has been enduring a torrid time this season and two markets have been opened up for punters who think he might have a tough time :

"Casillas Catastrophe 1" is for Barcelona to score four or more goals, which they have done on an incredible nine occasions already this season, and the Betfred price for that to happen again is 11/2.

"Casillas Catastrophe 2" is for the goalkeeper to commit a foul that results in a penalty and that eventuality is a 7/1 chance at BetFred.

You can also bet on whether Real Madrid will have a player sent off in the match and it's 7/2 that the visitors are reduced to 10 men, as they were against Sevilla last weekend when Arjen Robben’s red card meant he misses this match.

Betfred spokesman Jon Wilde said: "Bernd Schuster's last act as Real coach was to say he didn't think the Galacticos could win in the Nou Camp and it could be a long 90 minutes for Real.

"Casillas is expected to return to the side after seeing his understudy Jerzy Dudek keep a clean sheet against Zenit St Petersburg in the Champions League, but he will need to improve on his poor form in such a big game."

Check out all the options at BetFred Bookmakers.

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NFL Week #15 Spreadsheet

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NFL Picks for Week 14.

I have built FOUR systems over the last two seasons :
- most likely winners
- best value winners
- extreme value winners
- ATS winners.

But due to the BLOWOUT nature of the NFL - where some scores can get huge when compared to European football - I've found that you have to choose which type of system you are going to chase.

I've gone for value winners, which means that the system is focused around win percentages and who will get over the line, rather than whether they will cover the spread.

So the best system is VALUE which is marked in the HVal and Aval columns where I take the green marked teams to win on the MoneyLine.

This system was +14% last season, and is exactly +14% yield this season too.

It has a 41% hit rate (32 winners and 47 losers this season) but the prices obtained are good enough to yield a profit.

This weeks value picks are ...

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 49% @ 2.57
DALLAS COWBOYS 49% @ 2.37
ST. LOUIS RAMS 19% @ 7.50
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 36% @ 4.50
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 46% @ 3.55
CINCINNATI BENGALS 19% @ 6.75
OAKLAND RAIDERS 29% @ 4.60

Note that all SEVEN teams are away sides, and all seven teams are actually underdogs forecast to lose if "average" circumstances happen.

But as we know in the NFL a turnover or poor home performance can result in a big dog winning we will need 2 or 3 winners to show a profit this week.

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Sunderland drop into the bottom three after being thumped by Bolton

Sunderland are now 11/4 (3.75) to be relegated from the Barclays Premier League after Saturday's 1-4 home defeat by Bolton.


The loss sent Sunderland catapulting into the bottom three and Boyle Sports offer 3.75 about them still being there at the end of the season.

West Brom are still favourites for the drop at just 1/4 (1.25) at VCBet with Stoke City also odds on at 4/6 (1.67) at Bet365.

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International Friendlies Wed 19th November

Paddy Power will refund all losing 1st/last goalscorer, correct score & scorecast singles on either of the these two matches matches if the last goal in that match is a header.

Germany v England
Rep of Ireland v Poland

Terms and conditions :
- Applies to singles placed before kick off only
- Max Refund €300/£200 per customer/bet.
- Paddy Power football rules apply.
- Applies to 1st/last goalscorer, correct score & scorecast bets only.
- Own goals do not count.
- Does not apply to customers whose language of registration is Spanish.

RELATED LINK :
Check out top Irish bookmaker Paddy Power now.

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Chelsea bundled out of Carling Cup - United new favourites

There was a Cup shock at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night as Burnley knocked out favourites Chelsea on penalties and that caused a re-order of the betting favourtism.

Burnley held their Premier League rivals 1-1 after extra time and then won a dramatic shootout - and the Clarets can be backed at 40/1 at Centrebet to lift the trophy ahead of the quarter-final draw.

Holders Tottenham marched into the next round of the Carling Cup after defeating Liverpool 4-2 and are now 7/2 chances with Centrebet to hold onto the Cup.

The favourites currently are Manchester United at 2/1 (3.00) at BoyleSports with Arsenal as second favourites at 3.75 at Paddy Power despite their stated intention to keep on "playing the kids".

Blackburn are 8/1 (9.00) at Bet365 after they defeated Sunderland 2-1 while the rest of the market sees Stoke at 20/1 with Derby and Watford at 40s.

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Bet365 asks whether Carling Cup side will start in the League?

How Many Wenger Boys Will Face Wigan In The Premier League?

Arsene Wenger's young guns tore apart Wigan on Tuesday and bet365 are betting on how many of his Carling Cup kids will start when Steve Bruce re-visits The Emirates on December 6th.

bet365 spokesman Steve Freeth says : "It could have been a cricket score if it wasn't for Chris Kirkland and Wenger could be tempted to blood a few youngsters in the Premier League after the way they dismantled Wigan in the Carling Cup."

Arsenal v Wigan - Premier League - 6th December
How Many Of Carling Cup Starting XI v Wigan Will Start?
0 ------ 6/4 (2.50)
1 ------ 7/4 (2.75)
2 ------ 7/2 (4.50)
3 ------ 8/1
4+ ----- 16

Check the markets out at bet365

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Chelsea favourites to win Premier League

Chelsea are the clear favourites to win the Premier League after they reclaimed top spot with a 2-0 victory over Blackburn on Sunday.


Chelsea's superior goal difference sees them ahead of Liverpool, who had a comfortable 3-0 triumph over West Brom.

Chelsea are available at a best priced 4/5 (1.80) at VCBet, while Liverpool are 3rd favourites at 5.00 at Betfred.

Manchester United are eight points behind Liverpool, but are still second favourites and can be backed at 10/3 (4.33) also at Betfred

Arsenal beat Manchester United 2-1 on Saturday, and that's had the bookmakers cut the price on the Gunners from 20s down to 13.00 - again at Betfred.

RELATED LINKS :
Live betting odds for English Premier League at Bookielabrat.com.
Bet365 Bookmakers
Betfred Bookmakers
VCBet
Ladbrokes

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Know the #1 Game for Christmas? Bet on it!

With the continued talk of economic turmoil, the US Election and Russell Brand's nocturnal activities, the Christmas hype machine has been a little slow to kick into gear.

As PaddyPower Bookmakers look forward to the embarrassingly funny Christmas Party and dodgy shenanigans at the photocopier, they're once again speculating what Video Game will be number one at Christmas.

Slapping a picture of Cliff Richard on the front of FIFA 09 may increase sales in the 70+ demographic, but, as a marketing strategy, it'd be doomed to fail.

Instead, EA's best selling franchise has been the subject of a price war and has been cut to £19.99 in some outlets. If you don't back FIFA09 to be the Christmas No 1 Video Game, it could cost you money!

Christmas No.1 Video Game - Odds at Paddy Power*
Call of Duty: World at War 5 - 2
FIFA Soccer 09 4 - 1
Need for Speed Undercover 5 - 1

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Wolves and Reading take over favouritism in Championship race

Birmingham City suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Coventry on Monday night and have lost their position as favourites for the Coca-Cola Championship title.

Clinton Morrison struck for the Sky Blues against his former club, heading home from a corner eight minutes after the half-time break.

But Coventry's man of the match was undoubtedly goalkeeper Keiren Westwood who made several superb saves in the second half to deny Birmingham and leave them four points behind league leaders Wolves.

So now it is Wolves and Reading who now share favouritism for the title at 11/4 (3.75) with bet365, with Birmingham eased to 3/1 by Ladbrokes and Sheffield United at 14/1 at BoyleSports.

The bookies then have teams like Cardiff City, and QPR at 22/1 and 25/1 respectively.

RELATED LINK :
Live betting odds on the English Championship

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Stoke City still favoured for relegation

The relegation market has drastically seen a shake-up after the weeeknd with Tottenham the big movers now at 14/1 to go down with Boylesports, who offered 11/4 (3.75) just one week ago.

Tottenham are now the same price as Portsmouth to go down, as Harry Redknapp's former club suffered a 1-2 loss at home to Wigan.

Stoke are still favourites for the drop, but after beating Arsenal 2-1 at home they are now 8/15 following their 4th home of the season.

RELATED LINK :
Live betting odds for relegation from the English Premier League.

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Chelsea Favourites Again after Liverpool Lose

Chelsea are odds-on favourites for the Barclays Premier League title following Liverpool's 2-1 loss at Spurs on the weekend.

The Blues beat Sunderland 5-0 earlier, but it took Liverpool's 1-2 defeat to Spurs at White Hart Lane to send Chelsea under even money for the title.

Rafa Benitez's side went 1-0 up inside three minutes through Dirk Kuyt and controlled the majority of the game for the next 70 minutes, hitting the bar three times but couldn't find the killer second goal.

And Harry "houdini" Redknapp's charmed life as Spurs new boss continued as a late Jamie Carragher own goal was followed by an injury-time winner from Roman Pavlyuchenko to leave Benitez's side second in the table on goal difference.

Liverpool are now 9/2 for the title, with Manchester United 15/8 second favourites following their narrow 4-3 win over Hull City.

Arsenal are out to 20/1 for the league title after they lost 2-1 at Stoke City.

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Gus Hansen winning millions in online poker

One of the world's best poker players, 34-year-old Gus "The Great Dane" Hansen, has been winning big money online at Full Tilt.com, earning a million dollars in a single day during October.

On Monday night, Hansen won more than $589,000 at Hold 'em, $145,000 in PLO, $152,000 in Omaha Hi/Lo, and $97,000 in a HORSEgame, demonstrating a his skills over a wide range of poker styles. Playing against some of the best players around on Full Tilt, his October 2008 earnings thus far have reached $3.2 million.

Hansen is famous for his loose and aggressive style of play, and started playing poker as a professional in 1997. Before that he was a world-class backgammon player who tried to make a living at the game in New York and abroad but found the pickings too slim.

In his outstanding poker career "The Great Dane" can boast a long record of wins in significant tournaments.

He has won a three World Poker Tour open titles, the 2007 Aussie Millions main event, and was the season one winner of the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament. His official career winnings recently topped $5.8 million dollar, and he describes his approach to the game as: "I play the players, not the cards."

RELATED LINKS :
Check out PokerLabrat for more poker news on Gus Hansen
See our review of Full Tilt Poker or visit FullTilt Poker now.

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Tony Adams to manage Portsmouth?

Legendary Gooner Tony Adams is the man almost every punter wants to back to be next permanent manager of Portsmouth with bookie Paddy Power cutting his odds in the first 36 hours of betting from 9/4 to 1/2.

Sam Allardyce remains second favourite, although his odds have eased from 4/1 to 9/2 whilst almost all other contenders have seen a significant drift in their odds.

The most noticeable exceptions to this that are seeing some levels of interest are Avram Grant, whose Portsmouth connections have seen his odds slashed from 14/1 to 9/2, and Kevin Keegan who came into the betting today after some small interest at 20/1.

Joe Jordan, who many believe may join Harry Redknapp at Spurs, is the biggest faller at 14/1 from an early 5/1 on Sunday morning.

Darren Haines, spokesman for Paddy Power, said: "The speculation may have been about Allardyce so far but the betting is almost exclusively Tony Adams and Avram Grant. It remains to be seen if punters will be enjoying another betting coup regarding the Portsmouth manager."

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