STEVE GILL is the 9/2 favourite to win the final series of Big Brother in the UK with Sky Bet, but the other UK bookmakers are ducking the 40-year-old father of eight by only offering 4s. The former soldier lost both legs when serving for the British Army in Northern Ireland, and patriotic punters were more than happy to get stuck into an opening show of 8/1 about Steve.

The ailing Channel 4 Reality TV show has revolutionised betting in the 21st century, but the latest series of BB has a tough task competing with the World Cup. Punters can follow their picks via a 24 hour live streaming service, and as well as Steve Gill, they have also been backing Corin Forshaw, who is at 7/1 with Stan James. She may have a huge bust, but it remains to be seen whether she is genuinely a bisexual, or whether she is simply trying to pick up a few votes on the side.

Nathan Dunn lives with his grandparents, well at least he did until he entered the Big Brother house, and he is also a 7/1 poke with the bookies. After Nathan in the betting lists comes Josie Gibson, who is 8/1 with Stan James at the moment, but as short at 5/1 with Ladbrokes.

John James, formerly known as ‘Achilles’ until he sensibly decided to change his name back to its original, is also causing confusion in the betting markets. He is 9/1 with Sky Bet to win BB Series 11, but Corals are running scared at 4/1. It may be that Corals have amassed big liabilities on the body-builder, but 4s seems very short indeed.

Mario Mugan had the onerous task of wearing a mole suit upon entry to the Big Brother house, but now that he has become a full house mate, punters can back him to go all the way at 10/1 on Betfair.

Continuing down the pecking order, we have Ben who is at 14/1, and then Caoimhe at 18s with Bet 365. The advantage of betting with Bet 365 is that they offer each-way terms on the win market (1/5 odds, three places), which means that you can assure yourself of a payout if your pick makes it to the final three. Think of it like a Formula One Grand Prix – your house mate just needs to finish on the podium!

In the Top Male betting, Steve is at 11/4 with Corals. Corin is the 2/1 jolly in the Top Female market and lesbian Shabby Eliot-Katchadourian is 4/5 with Paddy Power to be the next to be booted out the house.

bookies.com is your best bet for comparing betting odds on specials markets.

BB Series 11 Winner

BB Series 11 Next Eviction

BB Series 11 Winning Gender

BB Series 11 Top Female

Season 9 of American Idol concludes on Wednesday night with a grand finale, and we already have some clues about which stars will perform on the final show of the year. As far as the betting markets can tell, Lee DeWyze will come into the finale as a hot favourite. 

Kris Allen and Carrie Underwood are both previous winners of the televised competition, and they will be joined for the singing extravaganza by the likes of Christina Aguilera and Enrique Iglesias.

TV viewers can catch the finale at 8pm on Fox in the US, and each contestant will have to sing a total of 3 songs on the night.

Crystal Bowersox spent about 3 months as the bookies’ warm favourite to win season 9 of American Idol, but she has been recently displaced at the head of the betting market by finale-rival Lee DeWyze.

American Idol bettors are fully aware that men have won the previous two editions of the competition, and as a result are more than happy to support DeWyze in the betting at short odds of 4/9 (bet $90 to make $40 profit). 

DeWyze was discounted at the start of the show as a 20/1 outsider, but his odds have only recently started plummeting in the past few weeks. He is a former paint salesman from Illinois, and has serenaded voters with brilliant covers of ‘Hey Jude’ and ‘Hallelujah’.

The favourite has been matched at odds of 64/1 on Betfair, and backers will be praying that voters remember him for his brilliant performances throughout the show if things do not go to plan on the night. Perhaps this will give him a significant edge over his rival, Bowersox, who has been noticeably weak of late and has even been described as ‘boring’ by leading pundits.

Bowersox is best-priced at 13/8 (bet $80 to win $130 profit) with UK bookies such as Stan James and William Hill. She won the coin toss and elected to go second in the finale, but it is not exactly a significant advantage. The underdog has been matched at a low of 1.20 (1/5) on the betting exchanges, but she still cannot be entirely discounted at decimal odds of 3.10.

bookies.com is your best bet for comparing betting odds on American Idol.

2010 American Idol Finale Winner Betting Odds

2010 Eurovision Song Contest Winner Betting Odds

The Eurovision Song Contest is not everyone’s cup of tea, but as far as we are concerned, it offers brilliant betting opportunities. The 2010 final is set to take place on May 29 in Norway, but a total of 34 nations will have a semi-final to negotiate a few days earlier.

The ‘Big Four’ nations are already assured of a place in the final – they include UK, Germany, France and Spain.

Norway, the host country, is also guaranteed its place in the final line-up, and can be backed at odds of 28/1 with Victor Chandler. Norway have won the contest three times before in its history, but it will be a tall order to secure back-to-back wins, just as Ireland did in 1993.

However, as a host nation, it should receive plenty of sympathetic votes, and is 3/1 to finish in the Top 4.

In terms of the betting, Azerbaijan are the hot favourites at 5/2. They finished third in last year’s competition – no mean feat considering they only made their Eurovision debut in 2008. The bookmakers fancy Safura Alizadeh to go even better with ‘Drip Drop’. Safura ‘plays the saxophone brilliantly’ and is a 7/4 chance to win the 2nd Semi Final.

The bookies are reckon that Germany are in with a shout at 4/1. The Germans have only won the competition once since its inception, and that was back in 1982. In recent years they have finished 20th, 23rd, 19th and 14th, but 18 year-old singer Lena Meyer-Landrut is set to put the record straight with ‘Satellite‘. The song ticks all the right boxes, and stormed to number one in the German charts.

Israel can be backed at 8/1 with Sky Bet, but Corals have taken a different view at 5/1. The Israelis have won the competition three times before, and are up against Azerbaijan in their semi final. Singer Harel Skaat is a superstar at home, but it remains to be seen whether he can capture the interest of the European voters.

There has also been a bit of money for Denmark at 8/1. Their entry, ‘In a Moment Like This’, peaked at number two on the Danish Singles Chart. Denmark are 8/11 with Ladbrokes to be the Top Scandinavian Country.

The United Kingdom are given no chance by the layers on Betfair, who are willing to offer odds of 250/1 about an unlikely British victory. Irish bookmakers Boylesports have taken the view that Ireland will finish higher than the Brits, by going 1/4 that Ireland wins the match bet.

Before placing a bet on the Eurovision, note that Bet365, Ladbrokes, Paddy Power, Sky Bet and Stan James are offering generous ‘each way terms’ with four places. The way that works is if you back a nation ‘each way’ and it finishes in the first four, you’ll assure yourself of a decent payout.

I am going to have a bet on Germany at 4/1, but that won’t stop me cheering every vote that the UK picks up on the big night. Can we beat the Irish? I certainly hope so!

bookies.com is your best bet for comparing betting odds on the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest.

2010 Eurovision Song Contest Winner Betting

2010 Eurovision Song Contest Top 4 Betting

2010 Eurovision Song Contest Top 10 Betting

2010 Eurovision Song Contest Top Scandinavian Country Betting

10 million viewers tuned into ITV1 last Saturday to watch the start of the fourth series of Britain’s Got Talent. Many of us will be relieved to see the likes of Simon Cowell, Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden return to our screens after such a prolonged absence, but those who find the talent show tedious (how can you?) could spice things up by having a cheeky wager on a contestant.

Viewers who tuned in last weekend would have seen the Glasgow and Birmingham auditions, but given the shape of the betting market, it is very unlikely that we saw the eventual winner. The winner will be crowned on 5 June, which means that there is still plenty of water to pass under the bridge.

Tobias Mead heads the BGT betting at the moment, and is the 10/1 favourite with betting firms 888 Sport and Blue Square. Tobias had wanted to pursue a footballing career, but seems to have found his niche in breakdancing. Before he appeared on BGT, he appeared on Living TV’s reality show ‘Dirty Dancing The Time Of Your Life’, so he will be accustomed to the pressures of TV and being in the public eye.

Simon and Amanda were both hugely impressed with his routine, but to put his performance in perspective, Susan Boyle (SuBo) was installed as a hot 2/1 favourite after her breathtaking BGT debut. Tobias will probably give you a good run for your money if you take the 10/1, but bear in mind that a dance act won the show last year. Is that a positive or a negative for his chances?

Tina and Chandi are next in the betting, and have been supported into odds of 12/1 with Skybet. Chandi is neither a singer nor a dancer – she is a rescue dog. The duo have appeared on several talent shows before, and won a £10,000 prize after winning a 2007 heat of BBC1’s When Will I Be Famous? They certainly have pedigree – they have also won prizes at Crufts. I don’t see that as a negative, as it may mean that viewers who are familiar with the act will wants to give them votes.

The drummer Kieran Gaffney is rated as a 14/1 chance, and 16/1 young signer Chloe Hickinbottom also made an impressive debut.

It would be unwise to invest too much cash at this stage in the competition, but of those to make it through the first round, I think that Tina and Chandi will go the furthest. Simon Cowell is 1/2 with Paddy Power to buzz the most often during Series 4.

bookies.com is your best bet for comparing betting odds on TV shows.

Britain’s Got Talent Series 4 Winner Betting

Britain’s Got Talent Series 4 Most Series Buzzes Betting

Eurovision Song Contest Betting

Here is what happened when pin-up jockey Hayley Turner teamed up with Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills at Kempton Park for Sport Relief:

Mills broke out slowly from the gates, but Hayley reported that her mount then ‘travelled well’. The paddock pick showed signs of fatigue during the race, but should improve for the outing. Punters will be wondering whether Scott Mills could be seen to greater effect on an artificial surface, but at least he has landed the odds for backers this time.

The 2010 BRIT Awards take place on 16 February and will be screened live on ITV1. As ever, the bookies have priced up the nominees according to their theoretical chances of winning an award.

Duffy made waves in the betting last year as she scooped a total of three awards: British Breakthrough, Best Female Solo and Best British Album. Winning multiple awards on the same night is eminently possible, and has been done by the likes of Coldplay and Oasis in the past.

Therefore it may be a sound betting strategy to support your favourite group or singer across a range of markets.

JLS are the 6/4 favourites to win Best British Single for ‘Beat Again’, but will have to fight off competition from Cheryl Cole’s ‘Fight For This Love’ which is a 15/8 chance with Bet365. 2009 was a good year for genres such as R&B and hip hop, but the likes of Taio Cruz and N-Dubz aren’t given much of a chance at odds of 20/1 each.

JLS could also cap off a great night with the Best Group award, but Kasabian are the hot favourites at 5/6 in that betting market.

Nevertheless many pundits believe that this year’s Brit Awards will be a night dominated by the ladies. Lady GaGa, Florence and the Machine, Pixie Lott and Alexandra Burke all have nominations and solid chances respectively.

Florence and the Machine is strongly fancied in the Best Album market at 2/5 and could also take Best Female Artist at 9/4. Singer Florence Welch won Best Breakthrough Act last year, and has already received plenty of critical acclaim.

Paddy Power are best-priced at 2/7 about Lady GaGa winning Best International Female Artist – in what looks like a one horse race.

bookies.com is your best bet when it comes to comparing odds between the leading bookmakers:

British Male Solo Artist Betting

British Female Solo Artist Betting

Best Group Betting

British Breakthrough Act Betting

British Album Betting

British Single Betting

International Male Solo Artist Betting

International Female Solo Artist Betting

International Album Betting

International Breakthrough Act Betting

NME Awards Betting

Simon Cowell has described the Rage Against The Machine Facebook campaign as ’stupid’, but it still presents a very live threat to Joe McElderry’s divine right to Christmas Number One.

The X Factor winner is usually a banker for Christmas No. 1, but Joe’s cover of the Miley Cyrus single ‘The Climb‘ only has a 50% chance of claiming the prestigious top spot. Betfred are best-priced at evens, about an event that would not normally be a betting opportunity.

The Rage Against The Machine single (Killing In The Name Of) has been all the rage in the betting, and is now the 4/5 favourite from an early show of 6/1 at the beginning of this month.

Paddy Power offer a generous 1/18 that RATM wins in the market without The Climb. Bet £18,000 to win £1,000, and your Christmas will be sorted.

In another popular festive market, William Hill and Ladbrokes have reported decent money for a White Christmas. Snow in London on the 25th is now a 9/4 possibility with Betfred and Stan James. Paddy Power won’t tempt any punters with 66/1 about Big Ben to stop working due to the frost!

Ricky Whittle is favourite to win this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, and can be backed at 8/11.

bookies.com compares specials markets online:

2009 Xmas Number One Betting Odds

Winner without X Factor Betting

Strictly Come Dancing Betting

White Christmas Betting

Ladbrokes go 4/1 that Alistair Darling says ’sorry’ at anytime during tomorrow’s budget speech, but all us cynics know that the real odds ought to be more like 100/1! That said, ’sorry’ has been backed in from 20/1.

The ‘to say anytime’ market is always fun to look at, but this year the bookies are even offering odds on the colour of the Chancellor’s tie.

Red is the 7/4 favourite, but will Darling stay loyal to his Party’s colours? Blue is a 3/1 chance, but I like the prospect of pink at 5/2.

He wore purple last year, which we can safely discount at 6/1. Is Darling’s fashion sense as bad as his grip on the economy? Brown is 33/1 with William Hill! 

The Chancellor is expected to extend the stamp duty holiday on homes below the £175,000 threshold, meaning that 1/6 is an attractive price for him to say ’stamp duty’. ‘Climate change’ is also easy money at 1/5 as Darling will try to justify spending his way out of the recession.

Paddy Power go 4/6 that a rise in income tax is announced and 1/3 for an increase in beer duty.

bookies.com compares political betting odds online:

The Budget 2009 To Say Anytime Betting

The Budget 2009 Tie Colour Betting

The Budget 2009 Length of Speech Betting

We’ve only had one episode of Britain’s Got Talent, but that hasn’t stopped the bookies from ducking a short-priced favourite.

Susan Boyle stunned judges with I Dreamed A Dream on Saturday’s show, and already has her backers. The 47 year old had been available at 4/1 with totesport earlier, but is now best-priced at 9/4 with Boylesports.

No doubt that Boyles will conjure up some imaginative publicity in time - they share the same name!

9/4 is an extremely short price given that we don’t know Susan’s competition, but she created such a tidal wave on Saturday that we could see her go odds-on.

The unemployed virgin will be well supported by Scotland and has an incredible voice.

Normally at Bookies Blog, we like to oppose the short-priced favourites in the specials markets – but time and time again they do the business. For every Ray Quinn (Dancing On Ice) there is a Verne Troyer (CBB 2nd), so punters should tread with caution.

Dance act Flawless are 5/1, but Susan will probably encounter tougher opposition later on in the show.

Paddy Power bet 1/3 that Susan signs a deal with Simon’s record label. Simon will be very keen to cash in on Susan’s image and voice – 2007 BGT winner Paul Potts has already pocketed a cool £6m.

bookies.com is your best bet for comparing odds for specials markets.

Britain’s Got Talent 09 Betting

FHM 100 Sexiest Women Betting

Poet Laureate Betting

Eurovision Betting

BAFTAs Betting

We should be perhaps covering the Champions League this week, but at bookies.com we thought that we’d turn to matters more pressing…

Cheryl ‘Tweedy’ Cole (pictured) is Paddy Power’s 4/6 favourite in the betting for the 2009 FHM Sexiest Poll. She finished 7th in 2008, but we’re not sure that she should be such a short price.

The 25 year old is statistically up against it – only 2 out of the last 10 winners were in her age category. The under 23s have a fair record – 5 wins. Punters should really focus on the candidates between the ages of 20 and 23.

Last year’s laureate Megan Fox is also a short price at 5/4. She is 22 years old and has been tipped up as the next Lara Croft; but she doesn’t like to be acknowledged as a sex symbol.

2001 was the last year that the sexiest woman defended her crown – Jennifer Lopez. This year she is an unconsidered 80/1.

Unfortunately Paddy Power aren’t offering any each way terms, but Olga Kurylenko may still be good value at 10/1.

Ольга Костянтинівна Куриленко is clearly Ukranian, and made her name in the latest Bond film – Quantum of Solace. 

Bond fans may want to check out the market on the Next Bond Girl. Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire) is the 3/1 favourite.  

Finally a gem of a quote from 12/1 Keeley Hazell:

If I’m swimming in a pool and my bikini pops off, I’m not bothered and carry on.

The betting usually gets these polls pretty much spot-on, so any late market moves could prove significant.

bookies.com is your best bet for comparing odds for specials markets.

FHM 100 Sexiest Women Betting

Poet Laureate Betting

Eurovision Betting

BAFTAs Betting