FOOTBALL BETTING: Betrescue.com’s chief sports betting reporter Chris Hutcheon outlines some of the early specials on offer following Friday’s World Cup draw.
Betrescue.com’s chief sports betting reporter Chris Hutcheon outlines some of the early specials on offer following Friday’s World Cup draw.
You can almost see it now, England arriving at a World Cup in another blaze of hype, before toiling their way out of the group stage and then bottling it in a penalty shoot-out in one of the knockout games. It’s a scenario that has been played out so many times before in major tournaments and one that seems so inevitable that you’d expect it to be odds-on.
Instead, defeat from the spot for Fabio Capello’s side in South Africa next summer can actually be backed at a generous 7/2 with Ladbrokes and yet more penalty heartbreak defeat at the hands of their great rivals Germany is quoted by Partybets at 20/1.
The last eight is Betfred’s 11/4 favourite to be the stage at which England eventually bow out of the 2010 finals, while bet365 make them 4/1 to be eliminated in the semi-final, 7/2 is the price on offer with Betfred for the ‘Three Lions’ to catch the plane home after the second round and Boylesports offer 13/2 for them to go all the way.
England, as nobody is allowed to forget, once won the competition and they are subsequently one of the teams Boylesports will have had in mind, alongside the likes of Brazil, Italy, Germany and Argentina when chalking up odds of 8/11 for a previous winner to lift the trophy again.
The tournament meanwhile, is 11/10 at Sportingbet to crown an entirely new champion and punters should ponder that price if they fancy the chances of teams such as Spain, Portugal, Holland or Didier Drogba’s Ivory Coast.
Given its strong representation in South Africa, it’s perhaps not surprising that Europe is the continent deemed most likely to produce the eventual winner; bet365 offering 4/9 that their 9/2 joint favourites, European champions Spain, or indeed one of UEFA’s other representatives comes out on top. Led by Ladbrokes other tournament jolly Brazil (9/2) and Diego Maradona’s Argentina (10/1, Betfred), South America is 2/1 with Boylesports to produce the victor and an African champion is a 16/1 shot at Betfred.
There are no prizes for guessing which players Ladbrokes expect to make an impact in terms of goalscoring. The bookmaker quote Spanish duo David Villa and Liverpool’s Fernando Torres at 10/1, just behind Brazil’s Luis Fabiano (9/1).
Wayne Rooney is a 14/1 shot with Partybets, who also offer generous odds of 28/1 for Chelsea striker Drogba to land the Golden Boot and post 33/1 against exciting Brazilian Nilmar.
Rooney is also 11/4 (Boylesports) to be England’s most prolific player in the competition, an accolade that is 7/1 with Victor Chandler to go to Jermain Defoe and the same price to be landed by Steven Gerrard.
At the other end, Victor Chandler have installed David James as their even money favourite to be selected between the sticks by Capello, for England’s first team. Robert Green is 11/4 to get the nod, ahead of Ben Foster, who the online firm price at 4/1.
