More tips from the Wizard of Odds
I've returned from my hols and the Sorceror of Stakes, Micky Sharp, has kept the balance ticking over nicely by tipping Kevin Pietersen at 3/1 to be England’s top batsman in last week’s fourth Test.
Unfortunately there wasn’t enough money in the hat to go to the West Indies, but just enough for a week in the Isle of Wight.
But I’m glad to be back for the start of the football season and get those holiday funds built up for more far-away shores next summer.
The waiting is over and the Premier League starts and the questions punters are asking this season are the same as before: Can anybody topple the big four? Will Manchester City last the season with the same manager in the hot-seat? And can Tottenham defend? The answer is probably No!
But week one has thrown up some very tasty wagers. Who can forget Fulham pulling off the comeback of all seasons last year to secure Premier League survival. Losing 2-0 at Manchester City with 20 minutes remaining they were down! But a 3-2 comeback victory and two further wins against Birmingham and Portsmouth guranteed survival.
In pre-season Roy Hodgson has been probably the busiest manager in the league with some canny acquisitions. Andy Johnson and Bobby Zamora form a new £16million strike partnership and the arrival of Zoltan Gera and Marc Schwarzer on free transfers have been very savvy arrivals.
They open up at new-boys Hull and at odds of 15/8 outsiders they are serious bet material.
Hull took the Championship by storm last term but the gulf between the divisions is greater than ever. Striker Fraser Campbell has gone and lack of goals in Phil Brown’s team will be their downfall.
The Olympic Games will hit full steam this weekend and the highlight is the men’s 100m final on Super Saturday.
The bookies can hardly split the top three with world record holder Usain Bolt just favourite at 6/4. Bolt has recorded the fastest two times of the year but both were in May and the question is, has the world record holder peaked too soon?
A major question mark hangs over his fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell. Powell was red-hot favourite in Athens but bombed out and his season best time of 9.82 may not be good enough in this field. So the man to be on is reigning Olympic champion, America’s Tyson Gay at 5/2.
Gay is the man in form and is peaking just at the right time. It looks like he is going in the right direction.
In New York in May he ran second to Bolt in 9.85 (when Bolt broke the world record) but in his two races after that ran 9.82 and clocked 9.77 when beating Bolt in Eugene.
RUNNING TOTAL +£195
RECOMMENDED BETS
£25 Fulham to beat Hull @ 15/8
£20 Tyson Gay @ 5/2 to win Olympic 100
Betbrokers is based at 56 Marsh Wall. For more information visit www.betbrokers.com
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