The Sports Bookie Blog

Is there any Betting Action on the Mid Week Internationals?

Midweek International Friendies. Ha! Bookies and fans alike won’t be holding their breath on many of the outcomes of this week’s International friendlies.

Here’s what top Irish bookie PaddyPower.com had to say…

Not Torr-ably Important  –  International Matches
As cases of the 72 hour random muscle strain rise dramatically during international week we’ll have to do without our star players when half watching the midweek internationals.

Unless you’re an England fan, these games aren’t the be all or end all of where your country stands on the international stage, so most people won’t be too bothered by mass withdrawals.

One absence worth noting is Liverpool’s Fernando Torres, as we wanted to see if he could reproduce his club form for Spain. He’s definitely out though, with Benitez citing the right good kicking he got from United’s thugs as the reason, if not in those exact words. Can Italy withdraw from Spain with a friendly win?

Win-Draw-Win
Spain  6 – 5 (2.20)
Draw  2 – 1  (3.00)
Italy  21 – 10 (3.10)

PaddyPower’s latest Money Back Special is on the France v England game (Wed 8pm Live on Sky Sports 1). Called Bent’ It Like Beckham, Paddy Power will refund all losing 1st /last goalscorer, correct score & scorecast singles on that match if David Beckham or David Bentley score at any time in this match. (Max refund per punter is €300/£200 and not surprisngly, own goals don’t count).
 
Win-Draw-Win
France  6 – 5   (2.20)
Draw  11 – 5    (3.20)
England  11 – 5 (3.20)

The team at Ladbrokes sound a little more motivated today: France vs England. England’s clash with France on Wednesday may be a friendly but you can bet the Three Lion’s squad will be treating it as anything but! Fabio Capello’s side are 3.20 (11/5) to come out on top at the Stade de France and 7.00 (6/1) to do it 1-0.

Compare the latest sportsbook odds live here at BookieLabRat.com (scroll down to International,  Friendlies 2008 in the pull down menu). At the time this blog posting was published, Bet365 are offering the best England AWAY WIN at 3.40, and Centrebet and VCBet are both offering the best odds for a French HOME WIN at 2.30. Check it out before you decide where to bet.

Add comment March 24th, 2008

Global Warming a Bugger for the Bookies?

Been taking a punt on the UK weather? If you have, you may have made a profit this Easter with bookies facing losses of around £50,000 after snowfalls across the country left them paying out to punters who gambled correctly on a white Easter.

William Hill, apparently faces a £26,000 loss after Easter snow, with a spokesperson saying “We won a decent sum on Christmas day when snow failed to fall, but we have given it all back today.”

Representatives for Ladbrokes and Paddy Power each said they lost about £10,000 due to the snow.

Ladbroke’s Nick Weinberg, said they have already cut their odds on a snowy Easter for 2009 in anticipation of an upsurge in bets next year. Apparently last year, luckless punters wagered more than £1m on snow falling on Christmas day, according to Ladbrokes.

The weather is fluctuating dramatically across the globe in 2008 – including unseasonally long dry summer in New Zealand, worse-than-usual cyclones, floods and drought in Australia, massive tornadoes, flooding and c-c-c-ccold snowy disasters in the USA and both ‘4-seasons in one day’ weather and dramatic weather-related evacuations in parts of the UK and Europe.

Why do we bet on this stuff? Well done the punters who picked a white Easter!

Add comment March 24th, 2008