Bookies Blog

The new series of Strictly Come Dancing is fast approaching and the bookmakers have come up with their early odds.

Joe Calzaghe and his partner Kristina Rihanoff are the early favourites, priced at 9/2, slashed from the early odds of 16/1 before punters got stuck in. Retired boxer Calzaghe has been preparing for the show in an unusual way, deciding to go on a relaxed holiday instead of embarking on a fitness regime to get himself in shape. Calzaghe, who retired unbeaten after his fight with Roy Jones Jr. also has form in a public vote, winning BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2007.

The second favourite pairing of Hollyoaks actor Ricky Whittle and Natalie Lowe are priced at 6/1 with Coral. And five-time tennis Grand Slam winner Martina Hingis looks good at 9/1. Outsider Phil Tufnell together with partner Katya Virshilas also looks worth a bet at 10/1. Tufnell has pedigree in reality television having won I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here back in 2003.

The third favourite pairing of Jade Johnson and Ian Waite are priced at 7/1 whilst Crimewatch presenter Rav Wilding comes in at 9/1 with his partner Aliona Vilani. Ali Bastian who also acted in Hollyoaks appears at 12/1 while fellow soap-star Natalie Cassidy trades at 18/1. Footballer’s Wives actresses Laila Rouass and Zöe Lucker are at 14/1 and 16/1 respectively. Craig Kelly, former coronation street actor, comes in at 20/1. Sports Journalist and BBC presenter Chris Hollins is another outsider at 22/1. Retired jockey Richard Dunwoody is priced at 25/1, whilst Eastenders actor Ricky Groves is priced at 33/1. The final two contestants are Jo Wood, Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood’s ex-wife, and Loose Women panellist Lynda Bellinham who are priced at 40/1 and 50/1.

Click here for all the betting on Strictly Come Dancing

After crashing out of Wimbledon in the Semi Finals against Andy Roddick, Andy Murray has been performing well on the hard courts and after an impressive display in Cincinnati, beating the up and coming Del Potro in the final, he has overtaken Rafael Nadal to No. 2 in the world rankings.

Murray however, is 10/3 second favourite to win the tournament behind a very short priced Federer, who is 11/10 with most bookmakers. Both of these prices seem pretty short and it seems there may be better value backing some of the outsiders each way. There is value to be had in Nadal who is priced at 8/1, but concerns linger over whether his knee can last the seven matches on the unforgiving courts at Flushing Meadows.

Guccione looks like a banker in his first round match against Cuevas, the Argentinean clay-courter. After a faltering start to the year Guccione has found some form with a win at the Aptos challenger in California, followed by an impressive win over Joe-Wilfried Tsonga at Cincinnati. The odds on the big-serving Australian look fairly short at 4/7 and therefore despite his form there is no real value in backing him. Likewise with Karol Beck who plays Maximo Gonzalez, who has very little experience on hard courts, having only ever played six hard court matches, whilst Beck has played in the US Open three times but 4/9 on Beck still seems too short to have a bet.

In the woman’s draw Serena Williams is the heavy favourite and is priced at 2/1. Her sister Venus comes in at 8/1 and despite her poor form since Wimbledon, she can never be ruled out of the big tournaments and the 8/1 might look friendly once we get into the second week.

Click here for all the betting on the US Open.