Judd favourite to turn up trumps

Sport Betting special on the major events of 2012

JUDD Trump announced his arrival as world snooker’s most irresistible young force with victory in the recent UK Championship.

And it is not difficult to envisage the youngster, beaten in last year’s World Championship final by John Higgins, going one step better in next year’s tournament, which concludes in May.

Even though the draw has yet to be made, Trump is the 7-1 favourite. Higgins is next-best at 8-1 along with Mark Selby, while the enigmatic Ronnie O’Sullivan is his biggest price for years at 9s and 2009 champion Neil Robertson is 10-1.

There are two huge events in the summer of 2012. Let’s start with the Olympics in London, where hopes are high for much British success.

If your patriotism extends to your betting, you may wish to grab a piece of the 40-1 on offer about our sporting heroes winning more gold medals than any other nation.

But if you are a realist, then the 1-2 about the USA topping the charts or 6-4 on offer about China is more your thing.

Next summer’s other massive event is Euro 2012 for which the bookies, almost laughably, make England 10-1 to win the whole shebang. Not surprisingly, reigning champions and World Cup winners Spain top the betting lists on 5-2, followed by Germany at 7-2 and Holland at 8s.

Italy are 16-1, the same price as France, who outclassed our boys last time the two nations met.

With Laurent Blanc at the helm, the French are a threat and it’s pretty obvious to this observer that they represent far more attractive betting value than England.



OLDHAM RL are hell-bent on promotion from Co-Operative Championship One in 2012, so the 8-1 offered about them winning the title is well worth a second look.

That said, Whitehaven (3-1) and Barrow (100-30) will be strong, as will Workington (11-2). Rochdale and South Wales are the same price as Tony Benson’s Oldham.



TIGER Woods bounced back to winning ways in America recently and it’s not taken the bookies long to cut his odds for victory in the first golf major of next season.

Woods is 5-1 to win the Masters at Augusta, but you have to fancy Rory McIlroy (8-1) after his near miss this year, while the likes of Phil Mickelson (14-1), Lee Westwood (16-1) and Luke Donald (18-1) have strong claims.



NOVAK Djokovic was the best tennis player of 2011 so it’s not surprising to see the Serbian star a best-priced 15-8 to retain his Wimbledon crown.

Rafael Nadal, the man he beat in the final, is next-best at 100-30, then it’s Roger Federer at 5-1 and our own Andy Murray on 7-1.