Bookies Blog

Rafael Nadal’s decision to sit out Wimbledon has seen the prices of many players drop significantly, none more so, however, than Andy Murray’s and Roger Federer’s, who will both be hoping to make the most of the absence of last years champion from the tournament.

Federer is currently ¾ favourite to win the tournament, whilst Murray is 11/4 second favourite. The Scot’s price has been dropping ever since his win at Queens two weeks ago and he has been backed in from 6/1 to 7/2 on Betfair.

As usual we’ve tried to hunt down some each way value and as we have two fairly heavy favourites it shouldn’t be too difficult. Djokovic at 16/1 has a fairly easy journey to the semi finals where he would meet Roger Federer. Elsewhere, Marin Cilic, ranked 11th in the world looks pretty big at 150/1 with Sporting Bet. Despite a poor performance in the second round of Queens this year, he might be worth backing with the intention of laying him on Betfair as he progresses through the tournament.

On the opposite side of the draw both Del Potro and Roddick will be fighting it out to meet Andy Murray in the Semi Finals this year. The young Del Potro has had a very good year, reaching the quarter finals of both the U.S and Australian Opens and reaching the Semi Finals at Roland Garos. The greatest challenge to Del Potro will come through Andy Roddick who has an impressive record on grass, having reached two Wimbledon finals and won Queens four times. Both players are 20/1 and potential each way shots for the tournament.

The Women’s singles looks to be a bit more open than the Men’s, Serena and Venus Williams are favourites at 5/2 and 3/1 respectively. Elsewhere Sharapova and Safina are both 12/1 and Kuznetsova at 20/1 could offer some value each way.

As the tournament continues, make sure you keep up to date with the latest odds in all the markets.

Men’s Match Index

Women’s Match Index

Women’s Winner

Men’s Winner

We’re down to the final four teams in the 2009 World Cup Twenty20 and some of the world’s greatest cricketing teams have fallen by the wayside. Most prominently, both India and Australia have failed to achieve anything in the competition, India having exited the competition in the Super Eight and Australia in the first group stage. This has cemented the view that expectations rarely come to fruition in the realm of Twenty20 cricket, much to the joy of the bookmaker.

However, the South Africans are still in the running, as they play Pakistan in the first semi final at Trent Bridge today. South Africa, who are often accused of choking at the semi final stage of tournaments, will be doing everything to beat there demons today and as James Milton jokes in today’s racing post, maybe they’ll even resort to Viagra to help them push on past the semis. They are favourites for the tournament at 13/8 and are heavy favourites to win today at 8/15 whilst Pakistan are 6/4 to win the tie.

The other semi final takes place tomorrow between West Indies and Sri Lanka which should be a far closer run game. Chris Gayle’s team have used their batting might to force their way through the tournament so far but bookies believe that they might find their maker in Sri Lanka and have posted them as 11/8 outsiders to proceed to the final.

However, as we know all too well, any two of these four could end up in the final. Nevertheless, it does seem that South Africa are deserved favourites; they have a well structured team and look as if they understand Twenty20 tactics. They have been composed throughout the tournament and rarely made mistakes with bat, ball or in the field, the same can be said of Sri Lanka who are yet to lose a match.

Sri Lanka, who are 5/2 second favourites have not yet played South Africa and if both teams were to proceed through the semis then it would make for an extremely exciting final. However, Pakistan and The West Indies are both 9/2 to win the tournament outright, which does seem a bit short for two teams who are so obviously inferior to their opponents. It seems that the value is in Sri Lanka, it is unlikely that Pakistan or The West Indies will have the ability to see off both Sri Lanka and South Africa. Meanwhile South Africa are too short at 13/8, so I believe the best available value is with Sri Lanka at 5/2, who have a very realistic chance of winning the competition.

Meanwhile there is still fierce competition in the top bowler and top batsman markets; Gul and Mallinga are battling it out for top bowler at 7/4 and 11/4 respectively. Whilst in the top batsman market Dilashan at 8/15 is odds on favourite, but final flourishes from Jacques Kallis 5/1 or AB de Villiers 7/2 could upset the market.

Click here to see all available betting on the Twenty20 world cup.

The U.S Open hasn’t been hosted at Bethpage for seven years, it is one of the toughest courses in the world, with the widest fairway just measuring an extremely narrow 28 yards. Add in the volatile weather conditions and some incredibly speedy greens, it is not surprising that Woods was the only golfer to score under par back in 2002.

Seven years on the bookies still have Tiger marked up as 2/1 favourite to win the U.S Open. The Bethpage is a tough course, and it is difficult to work out if you should be backing the long or short hitters; will the big hitters push the ball wide of the fairways but then again will short hitters even reach the fairway? In 2002 four of the shortest hitters on the course came in the top seven but the top three consisted of Woods, Mickelson and Garcia all of whom know how to hit the long ball.

Woods obviously has the class to win this but as always, when Tiger is short priced there is always some good each way value to be had. Ben Curtis performs well on tough courses and can drive the ball long and straight whilst his putting strokes show good consistency; at 125/1 each way Hills are offering a better price on both the win and place markets than Betfair. There are plenty of other good value outsiders and William Hill seem to be offering some very attractive prices, Vijay Singh is 70/1 with the next best bookmaker offering just 50/1.

It will be a difficult four days for all golfers involved. However, organisers have promised to bring forward tees if the weather starts playing up and the greens will still be fast, but nowhere near the 15 on the stimpmeter that they were back in 2002.

The final British Grand Prix to be held at Silverstone before the move to Donnington Park fittingly has a Brit in contention to win the race. Jenson Button, having won six out of seven races this season is favourite to win the race at 5/6. Unfortunately, the chances of having two Brits on the podium are slim, Lewis Hamilton is currently a 66/1 outsider for the race.

It is not, however, a fore gone conclusion. Vettel and Weber are both extremely competitive drivers and are keeping Red Bull in the race to keep up with the Brawns. The two Red Bull drivers are far closer together with just one and a half points separating the two. Vettel can be backed at 5/1 and Webber at 11/1 to win the race and you can be sure that both drivers will be relishing the chance to make the most of any mistakes by the Brawns.

Despite being 5/6 for the race, Button is 7/4 for pole, now having won twice from further down the grid. Meanwhile, Vettel is 9/4 for pole, having performed well in previous qualifiers. Therefore, if you fancy Button, it might be worth backing him for pole and if you want to back Vettel, 5/1 for the race seems far more generous than 9/4 for pole.

There are also plenty of other markets to look at, including winner without Button, fastest lap and first car to retire. To look at all the formula one markets click here.

It’s the eve of the Royal Ascot Festival and there’s plenty of excitement surrounding the greatest flat racing meet in the world, with over £3.5 million up for grabs in prize money and even more money up for grabs off the bookies.

Tomorrow kicks off with the Queen Anne stakes. It is measuring up to be an extremely competitive race with Gladiatorus, Paco Boy and Main Aim all very short at 9/4, 7/2 and 9/2 respectively whilst Aqlaam 10/1 and Alexandros 9/1 have both been backed in from 12/1 over the weekend. It’s a tough one to pick and bookies will be receiving wagers on all fronts, the only certainty it seems is that it will be a terrifically exciting start to the weeks racing.

Later in the day the St James’ Palace stakes seem to be a more punter friendly race. It has an odds on favourite in Mastercraftsman who has been backed in from 5/4 to 5/6 over the weekend. However, there will be heavy competition from both Delegator 9/2 and Evasive 11/2 who will both be challenging on the faster ground. In the 2000 Guineas in May Mastercraftsman convincingly beat delegator, however, the faster ground along with the bigger price at Ascot tomorrow is sure to attract a bit of money for the second favourite.

On Day 2 the Royal Hunt sees a huge field and all runners are still not confirmed so make sure you bet No Runner No Bet. As with most big fields there is the potential for some great each way betting. The favourite Forgotten Voice who is presently 9/2 is in great form, racing twice this year and winning both races. However, the fields in these races were far smaller than the one Forgotten Voice now faces and the competition will also be a lot fiercer on Wednesday. As far as favourites go Forgotten Voice is far from a banker and it may be wiser to back some of the bigger priced horses each way. Axiom at 16/1 with Tote and SkyBet is great value; betfair is presently trading him at 14/1. There has been money for a few other horses and it’s worth watching the markets to try and get some value before all the prices drop.

Thursday Brings the Royal Ascot Gold Cup and the feature race of the festival in the form of the Royal Ascot Gold Cup. Yeats is looking to make this his fourth win in a row at the Ascot Gold Cup and at 9/4 favourite the bookies seem to fancy his chances. However, there are some people worrying that he may not quite be the horse he once was. He ran poorly at the Vintage Crop Stakes in April and also failed to place in the Qatar Prix du Cadran in October. He faces some stiff competition in Patkai 3/1 who at four years old is half the age of the great Yeats, whilst both Geordieland 3/1 and Veracity 13/2 will be challenging for the Gold Cup as well.

The Coronation Stakes on the penultimate day looks to be a fight between Ghanaati 11/4 and Elusive Wave 3/1. This will be Ghanaati’s fourth ever race, but she has already begun to build an impressive CV with an emphatic victory at the 1000 Guinneas in May, winning by 1 ½ lengths. Meanwhile three year old Elusive Wave is also in impressive form this season and will be looking to challenge Ghanaati hard. However, as long as the ground stays fast it does seem that at 11/4 Ghanaati will be the horse to beat.

The final day brings the Wokingham Stakes and the Golden Jubilee. The Wokingham handicap can appear to be a bit of a lottery and with a 7/1 favourite that’s no surprise. However, in the last ten years three favourites have won and therefore a bet on either High Standing 7/1 or Jimmy Styles 8/1 might be sensible. The Golden Jubilee sees JJ the Jet Plane as 7/2 favourite. However, once again it is a difficult race to call as the race consists of just a six furlong sprint, which, along with the large field, can often result in shock outsiders victoring over classier horses.

We’re in for quite a week at Ascot this year, so make sure you keep up with the market fluctuations on bookies.com. Market fluctuations can be caused by the weather, by draws and by withdrawals so make sure you keep up to date by regularly checking the latest odds here.

As the world has reeled at the enormous sum of money paid for Christiano Ronaldo by Real Madrid, the betting markets have followed suit. It seems that bookies have been shifting their ante post premiership prices in response to the winger’s transfer all day and if you’re quick, their may still be some value.

Manchester United’s odds for winning the Premier League next season have drifted out to 9/4 on Betfair, having previously been backed as low as 11/8. Their rivals meanwhile have all had their prices slashed, with Chelsea now as short as 2/1 and Liverpool 11/4. Bet 365, however, are still going 10/3 on the Reds bringing the Premier League trophy back to the Kop for the first time.

If you’re looking for an each way bet on the premiership, then Arsenal, who are still available at 9/1 or Manchester City at 33/1 could potentially offer some value. Both these bets would offer better value than and therefore the potential to arbitrage the market is always present.

The Red Devils have not only drifted in the Premiership markets but also markets for the Champions League, where they have drifted to 13/2. Real Madrid, meanwhile, having now spent over £130 million on Kaka and Ronaldo have been backed into 11/2 for the tournament, which has made them second favourites behind Barcelona who are currently 9/2.

However, before you join the hordes of punters laying United, I would first think about what Ferguson is going to do with his newly acquired transfer funds. There has been talk of acquiring players such as Frank Ribery who will bring new strength to the United Squad. So I for one, rather than laying United, will be getting on them before the price drops back down as Fergie starts spending.

Click here to see the Premier League Market.

Click here to see the Champions League Market

The second round of Queens continues today in the build up to the main grass event of the year at Wimbledon. Andy Murray, who is the first British player to be seeded number one at the tournament, is continuing his campaign against Italy’s Andreas Seppi and he is well favoured by the bookies who are offering 1/14 for the Scot to win the tie.

Murray will be hoping to add a championship win at queens to his ever expanding CV but he faces some tough competition in the form of Andy Roddick. Historically Roddick has an impressive record at Queens and has won the tournament four times in the previous six years.

However Murray, who is ranked third in the world, is still favourite to win the tournament at 11/8. Whilst Roddick can be backed at 3/1 with Paddy Power, offering better value than betfair who are currently trading at 13/5 on the outcome.

Elsewhere in the tournament, a few other players preparing for Wimbledon might also offer some value. Lleyton Hewitt and James Blake are 20/1 and 25/1 respectively, they would not meet Murray until the final and therefore might be worth backing each way.

Keep up to date with the latest match odds here and for the winners market click here.

The second Twenty 20 World Cup has begun and the first group stages are coming to a close. Australia suffered a shock knock out from the tournament after poor displays against both Sri Lanka and The West Indies, whilst Ireland, after an emphatic win against Bangladesh, are through to the Super Eight group stages.

South Africa stand as firm favourites at 12/5 with betfair to win the tournament whilst the reigning champions India are a close second at 4/1. Short prices such as these are often dangerous bets to make. Both India and South Africa have been drawn in Group E, the tougher of the two super eight groups, and there is the potential for error. England and West Indies will provide formidable opposition to the two favourites and an upset can’t be ruled out.

Therefore, it seems that the value might be found within the other super eight group, Group F, which is far weaker. Pakistan have looked weak, losing to England and showing a few weaknesses against the Netherlands, whilst Ireland’s inexperienced side are rank outsiders at 100/1. Therefore Sri Lanka and New Zealand look safe bets for the semi final. At 5/1 and 6/1 respectively they have higher odds to win the tournament than the likely top two of Group E.

Both South Africa and India should reach the semi finals and it seems that if they do then they will meet again in the final, which, on the day, could go either way. In that sense I feel that the 4/1 for India is far better value than the 12/5 of South Africa. However, betting on Twenty20 is incredibly tough and a few shock results could see the betting markets thrown into turmoil, so it is worth regularly checking the latest prices.

Betting is also taking place on the tournaments top bowler and top batsmen. At present Chris Gayle can be backed at 8/1 and De Villiers at 7/1 to score the most runs in the tournament, whilst the bookies seem to think Malinga will be crowned as the tournaments top bowler with him currently priced at 5/1.

Check the winners market here.

Check the top bowler market here.

Check the top batsmen market here.

Check the match index here.

When we told you yesterday that we couldn’t see Look Here outside the top three in the Coronation Cup, we were spot on! Unfortunately she finished in third, two noses behind Ask. It was a brilliant effort from the filly on her seasonal debut, she may even be worth an investment in the Arc. Stan James go 33/1.

There haven’t been any significant gambles in the Derby market this week, and surprisingly Rip Van Winkle hasn’t been well supported. Perhaps punters are looking to the other Aiden O’Brien runners for the value - Black Bear Island is into 8s from 9/1 earlier this week.

On that note I genuinely don’t feel that 4/7 for a Ballydoyle winner offers value.

3/1 Sea The Stars should cruise home on Timeform ratings, but I think that Debussy could spring the mother of all shocks. 79/1 is available on Betfair.

Another outsider, South Easter, has been declared a non-runner.

bookies.com is your best bet for comparing Epsom odds:

Epsom Derby Betting

Investec Dash Betting

Derby Favourite Betting

Antepost Arc Betting

The going for today’s Investec Oaks will be good, good to firm in places.

Sariska will be probably be sent off as favourite for Michael Bell - 3/1 is still around with some firms.

4/1 Midday was impressive in the Lingfield Oaks trial, but she didn’t beat much.

Rainbow View has been backed into 3/1, but Blue Square are holding out with 7/2. She should be suited by the ground and was last seen plugging on in the 1000 Guineas.

Jimmy Fortune is 150/1 with Sky Bet to double up with Debussy in the Derby.

5/1 shot Look Here will carry my money again at Epsom, this time in the Coronation Cup. I just can’t see her finishing outside the first three, but Youmzain will be hard to beat.

bookies.com is your best bet for comparing Epsom odds:

Epsom Derby Betting

Epsom Oaks Betting

Coronation Cup Betting

Derby Favourite Betting