The Sports Bookie Blog

MLB Betting Odds - Los Angeles Dodgers at Philadelphia Phillies (Aug 22-25)

For the best odds on online baseball betting, make sure to visit the Pinnacle Sportsbook before the series between the Phillies and Dodgers gets underway on Friday.

The Los Angeles Dodgers (64-60, -4.13 units) look to continue their dominance of the Philadelphia Phillies (66-58, -4.18 units) when the teams meet this weekend at Citizens Bank Park, and you can get 60% better MLB betting lines at PinnacleSports.com, offering 8 cent moneylines and 10 cent runlines.

The Brewers won 16 of their first 24 games after the All-Star break, and led the NL wild-card race going into this week by three games over their division rival St. Louis Cardinals. Milwaukee is proving itself this season by winning on the road; after going 32-49 away from home last year, the Brewers are 32-28 on the road this season.

The Dodgers swept the Phillies in their four-game set last week at Dodger Stadium, winning 3-1 on August 14 as -117 home favourites at the Pinnacle Sportsbook. Hiroki Kuroda allowed only one run over seven innings to earn the win for Los Angeles, as the game played under the 8.5-run total.

Lefthander Clayton Kershaw (2-3, 3.59 ERA) gets the ball for the Dodgers in Game 1, while the Phillies counter with Kyle Kendrick (10-7, 5.01 ERA). Kershaw is 1-0 with a 2.37 ERA over his last three starts, which bodes well for Los Angeles punters considering Kendrick’s last few outings. The Phillies righthander has a 9.00 ERA in his last three trips to the hill.

The starters have not yet been announced for Saturday’s Game 2, but it’s Kuroda (7-8, 3.68 ERA) against Phillies righty Joe Blanton (6-12, 4.79 ERA) for Sunday’s showdown. Kuroda is undefeated over his last three trips to the hill with a sparkling 1.21 ERA, as Blanton heads into the game with a 1-0 record and stellar 2.37 ERA in the month of August.

Both teams enter the pivotal series with injury trouble. Dodgers’ second baseman Jeff Kent is dealing with a sore left foot, and Andruw Jones is on the 15-day disabled list with patellar tendonitis in his knee. Phillies’ third baseman Pedro Feliz is on the 15-day DL with a bulging disc in his back, while setup man Tom Gordon remains sidelined with inflammation in his right elbow.

The series finale is set for Monday night at 7:05 PM EST. The starting pitchers have not yet been announced.

Check back at Pinnacle Sports betting for updated odds on this and every other MLB series.

Best MLB Betting Odds at PinnacleSports.com (Sorry, no USA residents)
-104 MLB betting on moneylines c.102% and 8 cents runllines give punters up to 60% better online baseball betting odds. PinnacleSports.com offers commission-free fixed odds online sports betting with exchange style pricing, as well as the web’s highest guaranteed liquidity and fastest payouts.

Get a 10% sign-up bonus, 7% cash back on horse bets and the best odds on all major sports. Find the Smarter Way To Bet at PinnacleSports.com.

>>For more on PinnacleSports check out the latest Bookmaker Review of PinnacleSports.com here at BookieLabRat.com.

We thought we’s share the latest blog from the team at Bodog Sport UK on their views on this weeks’ England Captaincy announcement - ah, say what you think guys…don’t hold back. Really!  

And the England captain is…. John Terry. Booooooo!

We should have guessed when all the newspapers this morning reckoned Rio Ferdinand would get the permanent job of captaining England that canny ol’ Fabio Capello would throw a curveball and go for someone completely different. So it’s not Rio, who has barely put a foot out of place in the last two seasons for Man. United, who is easily the best defender England has, who has impressed all and sundry with his mature displays in the centre of defence for club and country.

It’s John flamin’ Terry. Terry, who has been injured on and off for the past two seasons. Terry, whose form has flitted between poor, indifferent and average for those two seasons. Terry, who slipped over when handed the chance to win the Champions League, thus screwing his penalty wide in Moscow.

And Terry, who was captain under Steve McClaren’s miserable tenure and so, has actually proven that when it comes down to the serious business of qualifying for a major tournament, he cannot inspire his teammates to win – or eve draw (remember Croatia at home?) the big games.

John Terry, England captain. Humph. Wrong choice, Fabio.

To bet on football and a whole other raft of sports then check out Bodog Sport. You know it makes sense.

>>Find out more about Bodog Sportsbook check out the latest Bodog Sports Review here at BookieLabRat.com. Punters from around the world are welcome at this popular online gambling site - except Canadians due to licencing restrictions.

With the Premier League barely a couple of days old Fabio Capello faces his first international fixture of the season, and his last friendly outing before next month’s World Cup qualifiers – where he’ll really earn, or waste, his wages.

The hot topic going into the Wembley fixture on Wednesday night surrounds his choice of strikers. Despite a great pre-season for Darren Bent and a big money move for Peter Crouch both have been left out of the side, which many see as an indication of Capello’s first choice for the qualifiers ahead.

It’s Emile Heskey who is the shock inclusion. What he lacks in goalscoring form, he more than makes up for in being there at the right time. Remember, he got himself on the scoresheet against the Germans in that famous 5-1 victory. And in the Euro 2008 qualifiers he hit some form at just the right time. Infact, only injury ruled him out of the important final few games. Who knows, had he played maybe England would’ve had a more interesting summer schedule.

The other topic of discussion is based around the captaincy role. Capello is due to name his permanent leader ahead of the friendly with the Czechs. Those in the know suggest it’s a clear cut contest between John Terry and Rio Ferdinand. It could be argued that Ferdinand has the mental toughness and recent accolades to warrant the role, but does the Italian risk upsetting the cart in what has been a disappointing year for Terry so far?

Back to the task in hand though – Capello will be looking for a win on Wednesday night. He’s done his experimenting, has had a look at the players he deems suitable for the starting eleven and is now raring to go in the build up to World Cup 2010.

Bet on England v Czech Republic at Bodog Sports

Czech Republic should provide good competition, they are ranked eighth in the world after all. There’s no doubting their skill on the pitch, and their threat in front of goal, but Capello will be well aware of their defensive frailties, as highlighted at the Euro championships. Ever-dependable goalkeeper Petr Cech has had a few howlers in recent months, star player Tomas Rosicky is still crocked and main striker Jan Koller has now retired, so an England victory is expected.

Wayne Rooney will be looking to get back on track after only managing five goals in three years for his country, largely due to injury. Who starts alongside him remains unclear. Jermain Defoe has pace but lacks that killer touch at the top level. Theo Walcott has skill but inexperience. Emile Heskey plays best in a supporting role – perhaps too similar to Rooney.

Capello could choose to try the 4-3-3 formation with Walcott and Joe Cole supporting the Man Utd man – it worked very well for Chelsea at the weekend after all. David Bentley will be snapping at his chance to earn a first England goal though, and judging by his pre-season form it’d be foolish to not utilize his ever-improving output.

Prediction: A morale-boosting win for England

Bet on England to win the World Cup 2010 at Bodog Sports

(For more on this popular online sportsbook read the latest Bodog Sportsbook Review at BookieLabRat.com) - Sorry, no USA residents can bet at Bodog.

Online US Open Tennis Betting - Flushing Meadows (Aug 25-Sep 7)

Despite Roger Federer’s momentous defeat by Rafael Nadal in a classic five set Wimbledon, the Swiss master was the early the favourite on many bookies’ US Open tennis betting markets.

Federer’s early exits at the Cincinnati Masters and Beijing Olympics, however, along with Nadal’s gold medal in China and his replacement of Federer as World no.1 (after a record 237 weeks) have prompted a huge swing in the US Open tennis betting toward the Spaniard.

Rafael Nadal is now 2.700 at PinnacleSports [2.63 (13/8) BoyleSports.com] to win the US Open and cap his best ever season with a hat-trick of Grand Slam wins after success at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Despite a hugely impressive record at Flushing Meadows Roger Federer, is now second favourite can be backed to win the US Open at odds of 4.000 at PinnacleSports [3.75 (11/4) at Canbet] prices that would have been unthinkable at the start of the season.

Nadal has enjoyed a break-through away from clay, and winning his first two tournaments on grass, there seems no reason why he can’t improve his record at Flushing Meadows. His best performance on the US Open hard courts is a quarter-final in 2006, but on the evidence of Wimbledon and the Olympics, the King of Clay can continue his metamorphosis from a clay specialist, to an all-rounder, to convince US Open bettors.

Federer: The End of an Era?

Tennis gamblers will have to judge how Roger Federer reacts to his recent collapse in form at a venue where he has been virtually unbeatable. History would point to a Federer win, as he is looking for a fifth straight US Open win, while he has also won 35 hard court events, whereas Nadal has won just six times on the surface. Though magnanimous in defeat, the Federer Express was devastated by the Wimbledon defeat to Nadal on his favourite surface, leaving him without a Grand Slam win this season, while there was no consolation at the Olympics, where his chance of ever winning gold may now have passed.

Though most neutrals would love to see a Federer-Nadal rematch after the drama at Wimbledon and Paris, there are several players capable of breaking that Grand Slam final monopoly. Novak Djokovic pulled up a surprise at the Australian Open in January on the new Plexicushion surface which closely resembles the DecoTurf used at Flushing Meadow, boosting his chances in the US Open betting market.

Djokovic is 4.500* at PinnacleSports.com to succeed [4.25 (13/4) at Canbet]; US Open bettors should bear in mind that the Serb beat Federer in Melbourne in straight sets, though his shock second round exit at Wimbledon is less encouraging for those looking to back Nole in the two way US Open betting at PinnacleSports.com.

Andy Murray has risen to number six in the world on the back of his first Masters win in Cincinnati, but his inconsistency was highlighted by defeat in the first round of the Olympics to a player ranked 77 in the world. Murray can be backed at 12.760 at PinnacleSports [13.00 (12.00) at Canbet] with the field at US Open tennis odds of 51.200* and higher.

*All odds subject to change so check out the best US Open Tennis prices on offer live at the top rated online sportsbooks here at BookieLabRat.com

To coincide with the start of the Premier League season and York’s Ebor meeting, bet365 are offering all new customers the chance to grab £200 in free bets – providing you register before midnight Sunday 24th August. 

To qualify, simply register with bet365 and place your first qualifying bet of £5 or more. You will then be entitled to a free bet to the same stake as your largest qualifying bet up to a maximum of £50. So if you place £50 on a horse running at York, you will get a free £50 bet to place on a sporting market of your choice - the new football season perhaps!

Another free bet up to £50 is available after you’ve placed a further five bets with bet365, while third and fourth free bets are available in much the same way. 

Remember, this offer is only available for this week, so whether you’re a racing punter or a football fanatic (or both), be sure to register with bet365 and land your £200 free bet basket this summer.

Click here to register with bet365 in minutes.

>>Find out more about this popular online sportsbook in the latest detailed Bet365 Bookmaker Review on site at BookieLabRat.com.
>>Want a second opinion? Here’s what the team at GoonersGuide.com think about Bet365 Sportsbook.

(Sorry, no US residents can join bet365 sportsbook)

Here’s a quick round up of the latest sportsbook offers on the first week of EPL football. These offers all give you the option of winning, losing or getting your stake back and so can be considered a king of betting insurance. Last season the bookies ended up paying out some big bucks on their cash backs specials, lets hope it continues in the 2008/08 season!  

[For a detailed daily update comparing all bookmaker cashbacks and specials check out this page on GoonersGuide.com].

T ‘n’ T - An Explosive Start!
Sunderland v Liverpool - Sat 5.30pm Setanta and Man United v Newcastle - Sun 4pm SS1

If Fernando Torres or Carlos Tevez scores the last goal in either of these games, Paddy Power will refund all losing 1st/last goalscorer, correct score & scorecast singles on that match.  Max Refund €300/£200 per customer. [Note: If the Fernando Torres or Carlos Tevez play no part in the games, the special will refer to if the last goal is scored outside the box.]

There’s Only One Keano?
Sunderland v Liverpool, Saturday August 16

Betfred will refund all losing first/last goalscorer, correct score and scorecast win single bets on the Sunderland v Liverpool match on Saturday as a free bet - if Robbie Keane scores the last goal of the game. Maximum refund is £200 (or your currency equivalent) per customer.

Carlos The Tevez-tator!
Man Utd v Newcastle, Sunday 4pm

Betfred will refund all losing first/last goalscorer, correct score and scorecast win single bets on the Man Utd v Newcastle match on Sunday as a free bet - if Carlos Tevez scores the last goal of the game. Maximum refund is £200 (or your currency equivalent) per customer.

Gold Difference!
2008/2009 Season Antepost Cashbacks: English Premier League, Championship League One, League Two, BlueSquare League

If any of these leagues is decided by goal difference, BoyleSports will refund all losing single bets on that particular League. Max refund per bet per customer per League is €300 (or currency equivalent). Applies to existing bets & bets placed up to Aug 31st, 2008

Bore Draw!
Olympics Football, ALL Football! Place a pre-match correct score, double result or scorecast bet on ANY FOOTBALL MATCH and Bet365 will refund losing stakes if the match finishes 0-0.

Football Yankee Free Bet!
Have an Ante-Post Yankee on any four English and Scottish leagues and if you have only ONE WINNER VCBet (Victor Chandler Bookmaker) will refund your stake as a free bet. Max refund £110 (€132) per person. Applies to Yankees placed on Outright market only. Applies to Yankees placed before 31/08/2008.

>>Check out the latest bookmaker reviews on these top online sportsbooks at BookieLabRat.com.

Bundesliga Betting – Matchday 1 Preview & Odds (Aug 15-17)

Bayern Munich are hot favourites in the outright Bundesliga betting at leading online soccer sportsbook, PinnacleSports.com. The Bavarians are priced as short as 1.476* in the outright Bundesliga betting markets at Pinnacle, after being further strengthened by summer arrivals, including Tim Borowski. The German international, is however, one of several key players unlikely to play through injury in the season opener at home to Hamburg.

Klinsmann Putting His Stamp on Bundesliga Champions

After a limited amount of time spent with his new team in pre-season, Jurgen Klinsmann is yet to fully put his mark on defending Bundesliga champions, Bayern Munich. This is Klinsmann’s first club appointment, so may take time for the famous ex-pro to adjust to the rigours of the Bundesliga, but game one is only days away, and HSV Hamburg will provide an early test. Franck Ribery is still recovering from an ankle injury sustained at Euro 2008, while Luca Toni has developed a calf problem which makes him a doubt for the season opener, along with Willy Sagnol, and new signing, Tim Borowski.

Hamburg in common with Bayern Munich, their Bundesliga matchday one opponents, start the new season under different management. Martin Jol – formerly coach of Tottenham Hotpsurs - has taken charge, and his biggest challenge is filling the void left by Rafael Van der Vaart, who joined Real Madrid in the summer. Van de Vaart was HSV’s best player for the past three seasons, so the Dutchman’s departure will certainly be a big blow. These sides shared two 1-1 draws last term, and Bayern Munich haven’t beaten Hamburg at home for three season, but on their Bundesliga betting PinnacleSports.com have the home side favourites, going Bayern Munich 1.806 (-0.5 & -1)* with Hamburg 2.140 (+0.5 & +1)* - a market priced to less than 102%.

Bremen Handed Comfortable Opponents on Matchday 1

Werder Bremen are the closest challenges to Bayern Munich in the outright Bundesliga betting at PinnacleSports.com. Bremen are priced 7.500* on the strength of last season’s second place finish, ten points adrift of the runaway winners. If Thomas Schaaf is to entertain serious hope of winning the league in 2008/09, he cannot afford to give Bayern Munich the head-start they enjoyed last term. Werder should be able to get this campaign off to a positive start, visiting Arminia Bielefeld on matchday one, who finished last season one place above the relegation zone.

DSC have been busy in the off season, with seven new signings, and several players going in the opposite direction. Christopher Katongo joins from Brondby offering several options in forward positions, he replaces the outgoing Christian Eigler. Bielefeld were riding high in the early part of last season, sat in second position having taken 10 points from five games. Their form plummeted after that early burst, spending the remainder of the season struggling against the drop, and PinnacleSports.com make them under-dogs on their Bundesliga betting, for this opener despite home advantage, pricing Arminia Bielefeld 1.962 (+0.5)* and Werder Bremen 1.962 (-0.5)*.

To add even further value betting on the Bundesliga, PinnacleSports.com’s low margin pricing has also been applied to the new live soccer betting markets for the Bundesliga with 1.95/1.95 style live Asian Handicap pricing and in-running Total goals betting.

*All odds subject to change

If you’ve not got an account with PinnacleSports yet you can grab a 10% sign-up bonus, plus 7% cash back on horse bets.

For more on PinnacleSports and other top rating sportsbooks check out the latest online bookmaker reviews and ratings at BookieLabRat.com.

Premiership Online Betting - Matchday One Preview & Odds (Aug 16)

Premiership betting is now just a matter of days away. Matchday one of the 2008/09 Premier League season kicks-off on Saturday August 16th, with a whole host of exciting new players and coaches for Premiership bettors to take into consideration, and same unbeatable Premiership betting odds are available at PinnacleSports.com. Get Premiership Asian Handicaps priced to 1.96/1.96 – that’s just 102% - and Premiership total goals and three-ways (1X2) to just 103%.

United Kick-off Title Defence Without Two R’s

Manchester United kick-off the new Premiership season, seeking a hat-trick of titles, without their two most influential players - Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo. After a summer of speculation, United fans may just be grateful that Ronaldo is still at the club, but won’t be able to play until mid-September following ankle surgery. Rooney’s summer wedding passed without incident, but he picked up a virus on tour in Africa which keeps him sidelined. Coach, Alex Ferguson is also without Anderson – on Olympic duty – and the suspended Nani, leaving him short up front.

The Red Devils kick-off at home to Newcastle, looking to start afresh under Kevin Keegan. King Kev has given bad boy Joey Barton a second chance after a summer behind bars, while Michael Owen has been persuaded to stay on Tyneside. Obafemi Martins may need time to recover from the sudden death of his mother in late July, while fellow striker, Mark Viduka, is known for bloating during the off-season. Man Utd won the two meetings last season by an aggregate of 11-1, but with problems up front, they may struggle for goals. Nevertheless, PinnacleSports.com make United favourites on the Premiership betting, Manchester Utd 2.000 (-1.5)* with Newcastle Utd 1.926 (+1.5)* – a market priced to less than 102%.

Chelsea Have Limited Strike Options For Opener

Much like their arch-rivals Man Utd, Chelsea start the Premiership campaign with limited strike options. New coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, has confirmed Didier Drogba will miss the opener at home to Portsmouth (as well as the second game against Wigan). With Salomon Kalou at the Olympics, and Andriy Shevchenko a peripheral figure, Scolari may be forced to play Nicolas Anelka as a lone striker.

FA Cup winners’ Portsmouth, who narrowly lost out in last weekend’s Community Shield, are the first team to try to break Chelsea’s unbelievable 82 game home record. Crouch and Defoe, the Premiership’s only all-English strike force, will be looking to bring down the Bridge but despite the Blues’ problems in attack PinnacleSports.com make them favourites on their Premiership betting market Chelsea 2.060 (-1.5)* with Portsmouth 1.870 (+1.5)* - Soccer betting odds 60% better than traditional bookmakers.

To add even further excitement to betting on the Premiership, PinnacleSports.com’s low margin pricing has also been applied to the new live soccer betting markets for the Premier League, with 1.95/1.95 style live Asian Handicap pricing and in-running Total goals betting.
*Odds subject to change
About PinnacleSports.com:
1.96/1.96 style Asian Handicap pricing (c.102%) and live-betting on the major European Football Leagues gives gamblers up to 60% better online Premiership betting. PinnacleSports.com offers commission-free fixed odds online sports betting with exchange style pricing, as well as the web’s highest guaranteed liquidity and fastest payouts.

Join up at PinnacleSports.com and get a 10% sign-up bonus, 7% cash back on horse bets and the best odds on all major sports. Sorry, no USA residents.

Read the latest detailed review on PinnacleSports online bookmaker

Ahhhh….good old football, our dearest of friends, returns after a short break this weekend. Despite a full fixture list of Championship, League One and Two and lower league football, all Premier League eyes will be on Wembley come Sunday afternoon.

The traditional Community Shield is seen by most people as the start of the Premier League season. Ok, so it is basically a fancified friendly, but unlike the rest of the pre-season fixtures this is one that managers and players are always determined to win.

In recent years the shield has been competed by two out of the big four in the league, hence why there’s so much interest in it – so this year will be slightly different. On paper Portsmouth don’t have a chance against Man Utd – they’re certainly not a top four side. They may have a very competitive side, but their FA Cup run, which got them to Sunday’s fixture, was a tad underwhelming. That is, in all but one of the fixtures – the quarter final win over, yes you guessed it, Man Utd.

Man Utd’s route to the Community Shield is far more impressive reading – having won the Premier League for the tenth time in May, just days before picking up the Champions League title. But it’s not been a particularly pleasant summer for Sir Alex Ferguson, despite what he may say – the Cristiano Ronaldo transfer saga is surely going to come back and haunt him when the Portuguese star finally returns from injury in a few weeks.

Ronaldo’s absence on Sunday isn’t really a blessing in disguise however, as Fergie finds himself with a squad depleted through injury – Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville are crocked, doubts remain over Owen Hargreaves and Michael Carrick’s fitness, Nani is suspended, while Anderson is off to the Olympics. Add to that no notable new signings to show off.

Harry Redknapp on the other hand is rubbing his hands in delight at the prospect of his new strike partnership of Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch – the two England men will surely provide a formidable partnership, ala Sunderland’s classic Phillips/Quinn combination a few years ago. The sale of Sulley Muntari may be a blow to the Pompey midfield, but hanging on to Niko Krancjar could prove to be a masterstroke for Redknapp this season.

But let’s not go crazy here – Man Utd play games on the big stage for fun nowadays. Pompey’s two visits to Wembley last term affected their football – they were nervous and not particularly inventive. If they play the same again they will be found out by the Red Devils.

Man Utd could give young striker Frazier Campbell a start on Sunday, after an impressive loan season with Hull last year. Can he replicate his form at the top level? If Redknapp can convince his boys it’s just another friendly though, we could be in for a great season opener. Worth a punt on Pompey for the beautiful game!

>>For great Community Shield betting prices check out Bodog Sportsbook (BodogLife.co.uk). 

>>For more on Bodog Sports read the latest review on Bodog Sportsbook here at BookieLabRat.com or at a Bodog Review and Rating at GoonersGuide.com. 

Saturday sees the start of the football season, after a very brief summer interlude. It will take a lot to beat last season’s epic battle for promotion in the Championship, where ten clubs had a realistic chance of making the Premier League as late as April. No-one seemed consistent enough to win the thing but West Brom finally decided to pull their fingers out in the last few games to be crowned champions.

Stoke and Hull joined them in gaining promotion, but those who came close will know the pressure will be on them this season to challenge again and go one better. That could spell bad news for some, most notably Watford who, after a great start to the campaign, basically fell apart, leaving their fans feeling deflated. A number of key players have left this summer (Henderson, Ellington, Stewart, Shittu) and with Jon Harley the only signing of note a promotion challenge seems very doubtful.

Any takers on Watford to win the Championship? Check out the latest odds at Bodog Sports

All three clubs relegated from the Premier League will be looking to go straight back up this season, and the bookies seem pretty confident of that fact. Of the three Derby are outsiders, largely due to the wholesale changes being made at the club the past few months. However their team sheet still looks impressive at this level, which includes new striking options in Rob Hulse, Liam Dickinson and Nathan Ellington, experience in Roy Carroll, Robbie Savage and Alan Stubbs, and their wonderkid Giles Barnes, who still remains with the club despite big-money transfer rumours. Paul Jewell’s men could prove to be the best bet on offer.

Fancy Derby to win the Championship? Check out Bodog

Birmingham are the one sure bet – although it’d take a hefty punt to see some profit return. In Alex McLeish they have a proven motivator, and they have an excellent set of players to depend upon. James McFadden should prove to be one of the stars of the Championship this season as long as he’s not tempted away, and in Marcus Bent and Kevin Phillips they should have two names near the top of the goalscoring charts. A shoe-in, as long as they remember to do the work.

Placing a bet on Birmingham to win the Championship? Visit Bodog online sportsbook.

The same should be said for Reading – ok, Dave Kitson’s move to Stoke and Nicky Shorey’s imminent departure are a blow, but looking at the Thames Valley side’s attacking options they should be confident in climbing out of this league. Kevin Doyle is a Premier League player, while Leroy Lita will be looking to earn his place back into the starting line-up after a disappointing 12 months. Second place beckons.

Fancy a flutter on Reading to win the Championship? Check out the latest prices at Bodog.

Crystal Palace have been given unfavourably low odds considering their team sheet. This has got to be down to Neil Warnock – he nearly repeated Iain Dowie’s impressive feat of taking the club from relegation places to promotion in the space of six months, but his side ran out of steam with a few games to go. With star striker Clinton Morrison having left, Warnock will be even more dependant on his very young, but talented, side to perform above their stations. Chairman Simon Jordan’s threat to leave suggests all may not be well down in south London. Probably best to leave them alone.

Bet on Crystal Palace to win the Championship at Bodog.

Ipswich came from nowhere last season to nearly make the play-offs but couldn’t keep it up until May. Their home form was what got them so close and Jim Magilton will be hoping the addition of Tractor Boys legend Richard Wright and the evergreen Ivan Campo can seal them a place in the play offs come May. If things go right early on, Ipswich coul be a great outside punt for the title.

Backing Ipswich to win the Championship? Visit Bodog Sportsbook for great odds.

QPR have been made joint favourites to win the league this season but that is just barmy. Yes they’ve had a major cash injection, they have the ability to attract European players to London and they have a great, if somewhat flawed, new boss in Iain Dowie, but last season stank of a club getting ahead of themselves. They need a season to put together a decent first team before challenging for honors next season. Saying that, a play off place is certainly achievable this year.

Get your bets on on QPR to win the Championship at Bodog Sports.

Elsewhere, Bristol City will have a lot to do to repeat last year’s great run, although in Nicky Maynard they have a bright young player – yet another Premier League-class act from the Dario Gradi school of Crewe? Wolves and Sheff Utd will be there or there abouts again, but their success will rely heavily on the form of their star strikers Sylvain Ebanks-Blake and James Beattie respectively.

Fancy Sheff Utd to win the Championship? Visit Bodog online sportsbook.

Down the bottom newly promoted Swansea and Nottingham Forest are surprisingly not tipped for the drop by the bookies. Roberto Martinez’ great work at the Welsh side has convinced many that they are more than capable in competing at this level. Colin Calderwood’s Forest side have that weight of history behind them which should kick them into gear having finally made it back into the Championship. Rob Earnshaw’s signing should help too!

Bet on Swansea to win the Championship at Bodog.

Play off winners Doncaster have a lot to do to prove they can survive at the next level – but the bookies seem to prefer the three B’s for relegation - Burnley, Barnsley and Blackpool. After disappointing seasons each side may be feeling the pressure from the stands, but if their respective managers can drill home that there are no points on the board yet then maybe they can prove a few doubters wrong. Meanwhile, Southampton had a dreadful season last time out and with no major signings look set for another unhappy 9 months which could see them drop out of the league.