Yaya to set City on way to glory

SPORTS BETTING:

MANCHESTER City go into Saturday’s FA Cup Final as favourites to win for the second time in three years.

City take on a Wigan side reeling from a morale-sapping 3-2 home Premier League defeat by Swansea last night, which makes relegation for the Latics more likely.

The FA Cup has been a welcome distraction for Wigan this season, but if you asked manager Roberto Martinez which he would prefer I have no doubt he would say Premier League survival over cup glory.

City, having virtually secured runner-up spot in the league, has no such distractions and will field their strongest side at Wembley.

They should prove too strong for Wigan, a view the bookies share.

City are 4-11 to win in 90 minutes and 1-5 to win the cup. Wigan are a massive 10-1 to win in 90 minutes, with a draw rated 9-2.

There is little value in any of these odds, but Yaya Toure at 7-1 is a decent price to be first goalscorer.

Toure’s rampaging runs from midfield make him so difficult to keep quiet and he is the choice ahead of Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez (4-1), and Edin Dzeko (5-1).



SO, it’s the end of the road for Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

Already the bookies are betting on the identity of his successor. Everton manager David Moyes, who has been coy over his future plans at Goodison Park in recent months, is the hot favourite to succeed Fergie.

Moyes is a best-priced 4-6 shot to take the Old Trafford hot-seat, with Jose Mourinho – who seems more likely to rejoin Chelsea – at 5-4, and Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp at 8-1.

If you want to take a chance on Ryan Giggs, you will get 20-1 for your money.



GOLF’S unofficial fifth major – the Players Championship at Sawgrass – gets under way tomorrow with, as usual, Tiger Woods the favourite to prevail.

Woods is an 8-1 shot which at first glance looks generous, but this is not his course. Driving accuracy is at a premium and that is the one area where Woods is really vulnerable.

The fairways and greens suit veteran Jim Furyk, who has been playing quite well in recent weeks and looks a little overpriced at 50-1.

Most firms are paying a quarter of the odds for the first six places, which equates to 12.5-1 for Furyk finishing in the top half dozen.

His consistency should put him right in the mix and I marginally prefer him, at the odds, to recent Masters winner Adam Scott (18-1).



RECOMMENDATIONS: Yaya Toure to score first goal in FA Cup final, 7-1 (Bet365); Jim Furyk, e.w., Players Championship, 50-1 (general).