Rather unfortunately for our over 2.5 goals bet in Lyon (2-0), goalkeeper Hugo Lloris had a stormer. We won’t let that ruin what was otherwise a very profitable weekend’s betting!
Lyon are out to 7/10 to win Ligue 1, and Toulouse are into 33/1 after destroying PSG 4-1 last night, having been as big as 1,500/1 at the start of the season.
Forget Sky, next weekend there’s an outstanding weekend of sport on terrestrial TV. Channel 4 have the William Hill Lincoln Handicap and the Dubai World Cup. The BBC have the Melbourne GP, Anglo-Welsh Cup (Rugby Union) and the Track Cycling World Championships in Poland. ITV are showing the 2009 Boat Race on Sunday (1.20pm).
All of the events will have winners, and where there are winners there is betting.
Last year Oxford won their 3rd Boat Race within 5 years, but Cambridge still leads the series 79-74.
Oxford are best priced at 4/11 with William Hill to win again this Sunday, the shortest ever price offered on weigh-in day. It comes as no surprise to see the bookies ducking Oxford - they have the heaviest crew in the event’s 180 year history.
Oxford University also have an amazing 5 rowers who competed in the Beijing Olympics last year and their President Colin Smith won a silver medal.
Impressive stuff.
5/2 Cambridge have the experience to trouble Oxford, with 5 returning Blues. Their cox, Rebecca Dowbiggin won the race back in 2007, and is eager for another win.
Her experience will certainly help get Cambridge through the perilous 4 1/2 mile course on the Thames. The strong stream demands cool navigation, and punters should factor in Cambridge’s experience.
The dead heat has only ever happened once, and Paddy Power offer 150/1 for that outcome this year.
My punting instinct tells me that Cambridge must be the value call at 5/2, but Oxford’s strength is likely to prevail.
Instead of lumping on Oxford at skinny odds, punters should take a look at the winning margin market.
Ladbrokes go 5/6 for Oxford to win by 3 1/2 lengths or more, which seems reasonable after they won by 6 lengths in 2008.
A new course record is an 8/1 shot, but a new slowest time looks even more unlikely at 33/1. It’s 20/1 that either crew sinks and 100/1 for both crews to sink!
bookies.com is your best bet for comparing rowing odds:
