The Wizard of Odds admits a mistake
Nigel offers this week's top betting tips
Sometimes in life you just have to put your hands up and admit you got it well and truly wrong.
Last week was one of those occasions, when we opted for Kimi Raikkonen at 13/8 to win the British Grand Prix and dismissed the chances of our very own Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton gave the drive of his life to win an enthralling GP by more than a minute.
Hamilton’s win has given him a great chance of lifting the world championship with bookies slashing his odds from 7/2 to 7/4 to go one better than last year. But better is to back Hamilton at 5/2 to be crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Last year, Hamilton went into the sports personality evening as red-hot 1/50 favourite after finishing second in the championship but again had to settle for runners-up slot, with Joe Calzaghe pulling off the shock of the betting year.
Formula One drivers have won the accolade more times than any other sport, six occasions, with athletes next on five.
The only thing holding me back from making it a maximum selection is the prospect of a hero at the Olympic Games, which start next month.
This week the England cricket team take on South Africa at Lord’s. Michael Vaughan’s side have only lost three of their last 16 Tests and I expect that unbeaten run to continue this week. I think the weather will play a major part and the draw is a must bet at 6/5.
In the last 40 Test matches between the sides 20 have ended in stalemate and in the last four at Lord’s England have failed to win any, with one draw and three South African victories. The weather in London has been atrocious and bookies have already started to run to the covers with the draw slashed from 13/8 to 6/5 but I predict the price to be trading at odds-on on Thursday morning.
It’s just one week before the Open championship and we get our final chance to take a look at the leading candidates with the start of the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond ton Thursday.
If you take a look at the roll of recent winners there aren’t many household names: Gregory Havret (100/1), Johan Edfors (200/1), Tim Clark (66/1) and Thomas Levet (100/1) have won the trophy. This year all the big guns are worth opposing again with them concentrating on their A-game for next week.
At 250/1 Pelle Edberg is a serious each-way chance at Loch Lomond. The Swede finished in a creditable fourth placing in 2007 and has come through qualifying for the Open and last week finished 33rd in the French Open.
RUNNING BALANCE +£187.50
RECOMMENDED BETS
£40 Lewis Hamilton Sports Personality of the Year @ 5/2
£50 England v South Africa 1st Test draw @ 6/5
£5 E/W Pelle Edberg at the Scottish Open Golf @ 250/1
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