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Betting Review
Well, we were right to spot that an X-Factor favourite might bite the dust last Saturday - we just didn’t expect it to be the lovely Lucie. Danyl lives to fight another day…
Three wins, a draw and a defeat on our accumulator wasn’t good enough, and the big guns triumphed in the Shanghai golf. Oh well.
1pt Bryan Habana to be first try scorer for South Africa (v France) at 4/1
The Springboks have had another sensational year winning the Tri-Nations at a canter and racking up a huge number of points in the process. Whilst the boot of Morne Steyn might have kicked many of the South African points on the way to Tri-Nations success, flying winger Bryan Habana remains the Springboks best chance from open play.
With 54 caps and less than half a dozen tries from becoming South Africa’s record try scorer, the twenty six year old number eleven can drive the visitors to victory in Toulouse and edge himself nearer to the Springboks record in the process.
Rugby Union betting
1pt Bosnia and New Zealand to qualify for the World Cup Finals at approx 10/1
It would be fair to say that international football has become a more level playing field over recent years. Gone are the days when the big guns would crush smaller nations before them, and you only have to look at the teams that have already qualified for next summer’s World Cup to see this in action. Serbia, Honduras, Chile, Slovakia and Switzerland have all qualified at the expense of so-called ‘bigger’ opposition and I think this trend can continue this week.
New Zealand have only reached the Finals on one previous occasion and face the surprise package of Bahrain in the second leg of the Asian play-off. The first leg finished 0-0 and the All Whites will be determined to book their tickets to South Africa with victory in the second leg this weekend. With strikers Shane Smeltz and Celtic’s Chris Killen to provide the goals, and captain and organiser Ryan Nelsen in charge of the defence Ricki Herbert’s side will be desperate not to blow their chance.
Portugal only made it into the play-offs on the last day after an awful qualifying campaign saw them struggle against not only Denmark and Sweden but also fail to beat Albania at home. Cristiano Ronaldo is an injury doubt, they look short of goals and in Bosnia they face a talented side with a great team ethic. Bosnia have already eliminated Turkey and Belgium, don’t forget.
The double on two well managed, solid teams eliminating their more illustrious opponents is around 10/1 and I’ll be snapping that up.
World Cup betting
0.5pts e/w Scott Piercy to win the Children’s Miracle Network Classic at 50/1 (e/w ¼ places 1,2,3,4,5)
For those of us who sat up into the late Sunday night a few weeks ago following this 100/1 tip in the JT Shriners for Children Open we couldn’t believe how badly Piercy choked on the final two holes. On the brink of bringing us a terrific 100/1 return, the American double bogeyed the final two holes to finish outside the each-way places, handing the title to Scotsman Martin Laird.
Piercy can offer the mitigating argument that his wife gave birth during the tournament and so with no such distractions I am happy to back him again this time. In the last twelve years, half the winners of this tournament have started at 50/1 or longer and even though he has shot disappointing final rounds in a couple of events this year, Piercy has previously turned winning positions into victories in his career. At 50/1 he looks great value to score a win in the final US PGA event of the year.
Golf betting
1pt Richard Dunne first goalscorer and Republic of Ireland to beat France 1-0 at 100/1
Republic of Ireland face France in their play-off and are terrific value at 11/5 to get past the 1998 champions. Giovanni Trapattoni’s team are unbeaten in qualifying including a 1-1 draw in Bari and coming within a stoppage time equaliser of beating the Azzuri in Dublin. France lost to Austria in qualifying, failed to beat Romania and Serbia and eked out a narrow 1-0 win in the Faroe Islands and after their shambolic showing at Euro 2008 they aren’t the force they once were.
Richard Dunne has scored seven goals in fifty six Ireland appearances including two in the qualifying campaign and the strong defender found the net recently against Manchester City in the Premier League. I expect Ireland to take a slight advantage to Paris for the second leg and who better to provide the inspiration than their defensive rock and talisman?
Ireland v France betting
Performance to date: +9.25 points
