Sports betting: India poised to upset Aussies in first Test

LIVERPOOL’S stunning recovery to beat Manchester City at Middle Eastlands on Sunday has seen them leapfrog Arsenal in the betting to be crowned Premier League champions.

The Scousers (well, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher were born on Merseyside) are down to 7-1 to win the title, in front of 10-1 shots Arsenal, who have slipped up in their last two matches at home to Hull City and away to Sunderland.

Chelsea, so impressive when running rings around Aston Villa at the weekend, remain hot favourites at evens, while Manchester United’s recent improvement has seen them cut to 2-1.


ATHLETIC have drifted from 8-1 to 12-1 to take the League One title following a couple of disappointing results against Huddersfield and Stockport.

But the money continues to pour on leaders Leicester, who are a best-priced 15-8, followed by Leeds on 11-4.

Athletic are 4-7 to beat bottom club Hereford at Boundary Park on Sunday, with the draw an 11-4 shot and the Bulls 6-1.


ENGLAND went from zeroes to heroes by beating Croatia in Zagreb last month and the bookies expect them to crush latest World Cup qualifying rivals Kazakhstan at Wembley on Saturday.

The bad news is that Joe Cole is out injured, but that setback is tempered by the return of the aforementioned Gerrard.

The dilemma facing coach Fabio Capello is where to play the rampaging midfielder, or whether to play him at all, following the success of Frank Lampard and Gareth Barry in England’s last game.

It should not matter against such modest opposition, yet I get the feeling that England’s best player is so outstanding that he is going to be asked to play out of position again (in place of Cole on the left) just because he is capable of doing so.

As for Saturday’s game, England - now as low as 10-1 to win the 2010 World Cup - are 1-16 to pick up maximum points, with the draw 10-1 and the visitors 50s.




CRICKET is back in the spotlight when those infuriating Aussies take on India in the first Test at Bangalore, starting at 5am tomorrow.

I like Australia and I like the people who live there, but their cricketers make my blood boil for a variety of reasons, not least because they are so darned good!

However, I think they are just about ripe for the picking after a string of retirements by key players and expect India to spark their downward spiral in this series.

Get on the Indians to win the first Test at 12-5 as the Aussies rarely play for a draw (a 5-4 shot for this game) and the tourists – without a spinner of any note in their line-up – could well be undercooked after only one warm-up game.

ENGLAND’S squad for the Rugby League World Cup was announced yesterday and Tony Smith’s men are joint second favourites at 7-1 to lift the trophy when the competition reaches its conclusion in Australia next month.

The hosts (surprise, surprise) are hot favourites at 2-7, with New Zealand bracketed alongside England at 7s, and Samoa on 80-1. It’s 200-1 and upwards the other six nations.


WITH only three races left and boasting a seven-point lead, Lewis Hamilton is a 1-3 shot to win the World Formula 1 title.

The latest race takes place in Japan on Sunday, when Hamilton’s main rival Felipe Massa (11-4) will be desperate to close the gap on the Briton.

RICKY Walden is a young snooker player on the way up and his defeat of Ronnie O’Sullivan in last weekend’s Shanghai Masters final has seen most bookmakers take evasive action about his chances in next spring’s 888 World Championship.

Most layers go 66s, but Coral offer 150-1 and that’s got to be worth a pound each way of anyone’s hard-earned.

RECOMMENDATIONS: India to beat Australia in first Test, 12-5 (Boylesports); Ricky Walden, each-way, World Snooker Championship, 150-1 (Coral).