Relegation betting is here.

Not only can you bet on the top clubs likely to win the Premiership race this season but you can place bets on those who aren’t doing so well.

In recent seasons the battle at the bottom end of the table has often proved tougher and more exciting than the battle for the win with teams just avoiding relegation and others just not avoiding it.

There are two ways to bet on relegation. You can go for the obvious, pick a loser, or some bookies are offering relegation index betting where you gain points for staying up and your points decrease the lower in the relegation zone you are, obviously you get none if you’re in the bottom three.

Now, its become fairly obvious that Derby are going down, will only 9 points in 27 games, but who will join them?? Fulham are fairly likely to be down there but, as this is so obvious, its not worth betting on. From the betting tips I’ve seen, a well-placed bet would be on Bolton to be relegated, currently only 3 points clear of the relegation zone and with the UEFA Cup as a distraction their dismall Premiership form isn’t likely to improve. For other contenders for relegation and a good bet, here’s the best odds for relegation as of 26/02:

Derby - 1/1000 Paddy Power
Fulham - 4/11 Boylesports
Birmingham City - 2/1 Blue Square 
Reading - 9/4 Skybet
Bolton - 7/2 Boylesports
Wigan - 7/2 Boylesports
Sunderland - 9/2 Bet365
Newcastle Utd - 7/1 Coral
Middlesborough - 20/1 Ladbrokes

Just read this article, which seems very interesting, that is if you get fascinated by little legal loopholes that have always existed and made law practice a little harder.

There are these electronic machines, right… They work like slots, look like slots, some of them have spinning cherries and bar icons, but somehow they have been considered “bingo games” and were left legal even after slots were banned.

Well now some lawmakers are keen to get slots back to use the profits for certain social aspect. There is a November referendum lined up, which will reveal the results from votes “for” and “against” slot machines coming back. Some officials feel that the sole existence of so called “bingo games” is going to influence voters’ decision of whether to say yes or no to bringing back slots.

Sen. Thomas “Mac” Middleton is the governor of Southern Maryland, where these machines have spread incredibly and are now present in nearly every single bar and club and other social get-togethers.

Here is how he feels the presence of the machines will influence the November referendum outcome: “Some of us feel it puts the whole [slot machine] referendum in jeopardy. People see the machines cropping up everywhere and will say that they don’t want them anywhere. Others might say, ‘Well, I like slot machines just where they are now, I don’t need to go to any of the tracks, so why should I vote for it?’”

The second reason is the competitiveness of such machines to lottery, meaning the revenue gets split between the two, but instead of the profits going towards infrastructure and social services’ improvement in the lottery case, the profits are going to private owners and operators of these electronic machines.

Here are the words of Miller, one of the officials, who is trying to push the legalization of the slots: “These machines have sprung up almost like a disease. These are counterfeit slots, but the money goes to private entrepreneurs. It doesn’t benefit the state.”

There id nevertheless an opposing side on one hand consisting of owners and operators of tese machines, who obviously do not want to wave goodbye to the profits; on the other hand there are officials who managed to strictly regulate these machines in their starts and use the profits towards education and emergency services. There is also a third party that would stand strongly for having these machines, which is the non-profits organizations that fully or mostly rely on the revenues made from these little electronic gismos..

So here is the dilemma – How would you resolve this issue? Would you vote for or against slots? Would you leave “bingo Games” or get rid of them?

Heather Mills and Sir Paul McCartney have been in all the papers recently arguing over the divorce settlement. Another opportunity for a bet there!

Sir Paul, who has spent millions of pounds assembling the finest law team money can buy is campaigning to ensure his former wife Heather Mills gets no more than she is entitled to. Heather Mills, representing herself in court, is endeavouring for much more than Sir Paul thinks she is entitled to.

McCartney made an offer of £10million in settlement but the case is ongoing and due to divorce law Heather Mills stands to walk away with much more of McCartney’s estimated fortune of over £800million.

In 2005 the average divorce settlement awarded to stay at home wives was 53%, an amount that wuold leave Heather Mills upwards of £400 million. Other fairly recent celebrity divorce settlements saw Colin Montgomery and Chris Tarrant both lose 50% of their wealth.

Odds on pay-off amount from Paul McCartney to Heather Mills, as of Mon 25th Feb 08:

Nothing - 500/1
£10-£20 million - 20/1
£20-£50 million - 1/3
£50-£100 million - 1/1
£100-£350 million - 10/1
£250-500 million - 50/1

Yet another series of a program most people watch to laugh at the people that can’t sing. But, once again, the program can be given that little edge to make it worth watching by putting some money on one of the contestants.

Almost every time Simon Cowell opens his mouth he tells a contestant that they can’t sing. That, instead of just being annoying, becomes quite comical when you’ve got money on another contestant!

Now, the best odds as of February 25th:

David Archuleta 3/1 (Bet365)
Michael Johns 3/1 (Bet365)
Ramiele Malubay 7/1 (Bet365)
Jason Castro 8/1 (Paddy Power)
Carly Smithson 9/1 (Skybet)
Syesha Mercado 9/1 (Skybet)
Asia’h Epperson 12/1 (Skybet)
Kady Malloy 20/1 (Bet365)
Alaina Whitaker 25/1 (Bet365)
Robbie Carrico 25/1 (Paddy Power)
Brooke White 28/1 (Skybet)
Alexandrea Lushington 33/1 (Skybet)

So why not spend some of that well-earned money on a bet so that when you ladyfriend makes you watch American Idol it will be more bearable (if your chosen contestant is any good that is!)

The Oscars are on their way. The program is normally just a small collection of clips but mainly endless dull speeches by people who earn too much. This year though, punters can bet on the winners and give the program that little edge to make it worth watching.

The Best actor category is dominated by Daniel Day Lewis for his performance in There Will Be Blood. Here are today’s odds:

Daniel Day Lewis in “There Will Be Blood”:   1/12 (Totesport)
George Clooney in “Michael Clayton”:   14/1 (Bet365)
Johnny Depp in “Sweeney Todd”:    16/1 (Bet365)
Tommy Lee Jones in “In The Valley of Elah”:   50/1 (Coral)
Viggo Mortenson in “Eastern Promises”:   50/1 (Bet365)

The Best Actress award is a little closer, not much though:

Julie Christie in “Away From Her”: 8/15 (Boylesports)
Marion Cotillard in “La vie en Rose”: 9/4 (Boylesports)
Ellen Page in “Juno”: 9/1 (Sky Bet)
Cate Blanchett in “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”: 40/1 (Boylesports)
Laura Linney in “Savages”: 40/1 (Coral)

Who will win, you can’t decide but you can make some money out of guessing right!

The Carling Cup final kicks off this Sunday at Wembley. Smart money’s on Chelsea but a Tottenham win isn’t completely unlikely.

Chelsea have managed to only lose twice in the last 18 years to Tottenham but that is irrelevent. Chelsea also beat Tottenham only a month ago in mid-january but that also is irrelevent! Okay, so Chelsea are the favourites but both Lampard and Terry are rumoured to be rested for the game so there’s hope. Also, Tottenham are in great form, beating premiership leaders Arsenal 5-1 to get to the final. Unfortunately for Tottenham fans, Chelsea have not lost in 15 games in all competitions and don’t look like their form is dropping.

The bookie’s, quite expectedly, have put Chelsea as favourites with such odds as 21/20 (Centrebet). A look at today’s odds have revealed that the best Tottenham odds are about 12/5 (VC Bet). 

Man Utd are away to Lyon in the Champions League tomorrow with the second leg, at Old Trafford, in early March.

The two sides have only played each other twice, once in a 2-1 win for Man Utd and again in a 2-2 draw. Apart from this Man Utd have a very good record against French opposition having only lost twice in eighteen games. At this exact stage last year they beat Lille in both legs 1-0 although the two years previous to that they were knocked out at this stage.

Lyon have won five out of their last six away games and have only lost twice in their last six Champions league games.

Odds for this game, courtesy of VC Bet, are as follows:
Man Utd win: 11-8
Lyon win: 23-10
Draw: 43-20

The first goalscorer is always a fun bet to make. Despite scoring in four out of their six games, Ronaldo has rarely scored the first goal. He is still the favourite with odds of 6-1 followed closely by Mr Rooney with odds of 13-2. Fifty per cent of Man Utd’s European games this season have seen a defender score the first goal so if you’re feeling lucky Wes Brown is at 66-1 to score first! Man Utd have odds of 11-2 to go all the way now.

Liverpool, following their exit from the FA Cup, courtesy of Barnsley,  are due to play Inter Milan in the Champions League. This could go one of two ways- either they will win, and their form could increase and therefore their results should better. Or, and I believe this is more likely, Inter could win and Liverpool could carry on going downhill ultimately ending in Raphael Benitez’ termination of contract as manager.
Inter Milan have been placed 2-1 to win the game (VC Bet) whereas Liverpool are on 13/8 (Boylesports). A boring draw is at 21-10 (Bet365).

It’s looking good for a Chelsea v Man U final in the FA Cup. The next fixtures, on the 8th March, are Sheffield / Middlesborough v Cardiff, Man Utd v Portsmouth (The winners of those two games play each other in the first of the semi final) and Bristol Rovers v West Brom, Chelsea v Barnsley (The winners of those play in the other semi).
Average bookie odds indicate that most predict the remaining games to go as follows:
Semi 1: Middlesborough v Man Utd
Semi 2: Chelsea v West Brom
Final: Chelsea v Man Utd - Chelsea win

Thoroughly amusing for anyone who is not a Liverpool supporter! To begin with Liverpool didn’t do much wrong with Luke Steele pulling off saves to keep Barnsley in the game on more than one occassion. Liverpool even went 1-0 up for a bit. But then, to the delight of Barnsley fans as well as many neutral fans, it all went donwhill.

After half time, in the 57th minute, Stephen Foster headed in Martin Devaney’s cross. The Liverpool fans then went a bit quiet as it proceeded to get worse for them, all ending in a last minute, injury time winner from Barnsley’s Brian Howard.

Looking forward to the draw for the next round, hopes lie in them beating another big club with Man Utd and Chelsea both still in the tournament along with Bristol Rovers, Cardiff and West Brom. Bookie odds, following this, put Chelsea and Man Utd as obvious favourites to lift the cup with odds of 13/8 and 5/4 and Barnsley at 66/1 (Bet365).