Yearly Archives: 2011
Didier Dogba Golden Boot
Didier Drogba Golden Boot betting
Didier Drogba odds for 2010 World Cup
Chelsea and Ivory Coast forward, Didier Drogba, is seen by the bookmakers as an outsider for the golden boot award. This feeling is reflected in his odds of 40/1 (bwin.com). The 2009 African Footballer of the Year is most certainly the most influential player for the Ivory Coast
Drogba has had another successful goal scoring season for Chelsea and is currently this season’s second highest scorer in the Premier League. He has managed to net 25 goals in only 27 appearances, which by anybody’s standards is a fantastic record. In his last 5 games for Chelsea he has scored 6 goals which suggests his outstanding season is going to continue. His physical power and surprising pace has terrorised Premier League and European defences since his arrival in London in 2004, and he will hope to take this domestic form onto the biggest stage in South Africa.
The 31 year-old has also had a successful international career. He’s managed an impressive 43 goals in 66 games for the Ivorians and now captains the side. Also, with only one World Cup goal to his name, he will be looking to make a big impression in his home continent. The fact that the tournament is taking place in Africa may play into Drogba’s hands as he will be acclimatised to the conditions. However, one thing which may prevent him from taking home the golden boot is the group Ivory Coast were drawn in. They were drawn in this year’s ‘Group of Death’ alongside Brazil and Portugal which may not only make it difficult for him to score in the group stages, but also may result in an early exit from the tournament.
His odds of 40/1 may seem generous considering Drogba’s undoubted talent. But when considering how tough it will be for Ivory Coast to progress past the group stages, it is understandable. His chances of taking home the golden boot all really depend on how the Ivory Coast as a whole can perform. All in all, it may well be worth taking a punt on Drogba because if Ivory Coast do progress late into the competition, it is more than likely that Drogba’s goals will have been vital..
Didier Drogba Golden Boot betting odds
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Spain Betting Preview
Spain World Cup Betting Preview
Spain odds and free bets for 2010 World Cup
Spain go into the World Cup as favourites in most punters eyes and this is reflected in their odds to win the competition, which are at 9/2 with Victor Chandler. These odds seem justified as Spain are the form team in the world, having only lost one match since 2006.
Spain have been drawn in Group H alongside Chile, Switzerland and Honduras. This is seen as a favourable draw, hence their odds to win the group are as low as 4/11 thanks to Paddy Power. The second round could see a potentially explosive clash with near neighbours Portugal, before possibly playing Italy in the Quarter Finals and either Argentina or Germany in the Semi Finals.
Spain enjoyed a perfect qualifying campaign, winning each of their 10 games, finishing with 30 points.
Spain has a lethal strike force containing two of the world’s best strikers in Fernando Torres and David Villa. Whilst Torres has found it difficult to transfer his fantastic club form to the International area, Villa has had none such problem. His record of 36 goals in 54 appearances is nothing short of remarkable and if Spain can keep him fit they have a great chance winning the World Cup. Villa has experience in tournament football as he won the golden boot en route to Spain’s triumphant Euro 2008 and his odds of 11/1 with Bet365 to replicate that feet during this tournament are well worth looking at.
On paper, Spain have the best team in the tournament. At the back, they can look to the experience of Iker Casillas and Carles Puyol, in midfield they possess the creativity of Xavi and Andres Iniesta and in attack they can call on the deadly duo of Fernando Torres and David Villa. As with any tournament football it is vitally important that you keep your best players fit and have a slice of luck and if this is the case I believe Spain will win the World Cup.
Reccomended bets: Spain to win their group at odds of 4/11 with Paddy Power
Fernando Torres to be Top Spanish goalscorer at 7/4 with Blue square .
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David Villa Golden Boot
David Villa Golden Boot betting
David Villa odds for 2010 World Cup
Spaniard, David Villa, is the current favourite to come away from South Africa with the golden boot. The best odds available are 8/1 with Bet 365. His goal scoring credentials at international level are unquestionable and with Spain looking likely to remain in the tournament until the very end, it is easy to see why he is the favourite with many bookmakers.
The 28 year-old has been at his current club, Valencia, since summer 2005 despite constant rumours linking him to a move elsewhere. In this time he has managed to score 129 goals, including 28 so far this season. He is currently on another great run of goals having scored 7 goals in his last 5 games. These stats clearly show that he is more than capable of finding the back of the net on a consistent basis.
He also has a terrific international scoring rate with 36 goals in 52 games, and was top scorer in Euro 2008 as Spain went on to lift the trophy. His scoring rate is seemingly only going to get better as well; he managed 7 goals in 7 games in qualification for the World Cup and has scored 12 goals in 13 internationals since summer 2009. Placing him as favourite for the golden boot award is further justified by the quality of the Spanish team as a whole and the draw they have received. They are in a group with Honduras, Switzerland and Chile. Considering the apparent lack of quality these sides have, it seems fairly likely that Spain will manage to beat each of them fairly comfortably and Villa will be hoping to build up a good goal tally in the group games.
Villa would certainly be my pick if betting on the golden boot winner. His goal scoring record at both club and international level is amongst the best in the world, and playing for probably the best team in the world means he should play more matches than most. I would probably choose him just ahead of teammate Fernando Torres on the basis of fitness, Torres being the more likely to suffer an injury.
David Villa Golden Boot betting odds
Bet 365 offer the best odds of 8/1 on David Villa. New customer get £200 worth of free bets from Bet 365
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Cameroon Betting Preview
Cameroon World Cup Betting Preview
Cameroon odds and free bets for 2010 World Cup
Cameroon are the top ranked African team according to the FIFA world rankings. After a disappointing African Cup of Nations in which at the start they were amongst the favourites however they were knocked out by Egypt at the Quarter Final stage. The disappointing Cup of Nations campaign has caused fans to question whether or not the Cameroonians will make an impact in South Africa.
Despite the disappointments of late; Cameroon are the African team with the most appearances in World Cup finals, five in total. The 1990 finals in Italy saw Cameroon reach the Quarter Finals, this feat has only been achieved by one African team since; Senegal in 2002. However since 1990, the last three finals have seen Cameroon fail to qualify from the group stage and only winning one match. Cameroon have every chance of qualifying for the knockout stages after being placed in Group E along with the Netherlands, Denmark and Japan. Betfair offer the best odds at 5/1 for Cameroon winning the group and 6/5 for group qualification. The shortest odds for a Cameroon triumph are offered by coral at 66/1, Paddy Power offer more attractive odds at 80/1.
Cameroon qualified for South Africa with relative ease despite a slow start to their qualification campaign. After the disappointment of gaining only one point form the opening two matches Cameroon won each of the next four qualifying matches and only conceded two goals.
Cameroon have a strong squad with several very talented and experienced players. Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto’o is known for his prolific form at former club Barcelona, he is priced at 66/1 by Coral to be the tournament’s top goal scorer. If on form when June comes around this is a real possibility (the striker scored nine goals in eleven qualifying matches. )If on form when June comes around this is a real possibility. Other key players include Arsenal’s midfielder Alexandre Song and Tottenham Hotspur’s forward thinking left back Benoit Asso Ekotto who will be looking to get forward whenever possible to assist the attack.
Former Lyon and Rangers coach Paul Le Guen is now in charge of Cameroon. His no nonsense approach has helped the team massively; this includes replacing long term captain Rigobert Song with Samuel Eto’o. With a strong coach at the helm Cameroon have every possibility of matching their 1990 campaign.
Recommended bets: It is unlikely that Cameroon will manage to win the tournament ahead of teams such as Spain and Brazil but it is a good bet that Cameroon will be the African team that gets the furthest. The best odds for this is offered by Bet365 at 6/1.
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Brazil vs Portugal
Brazil vs Portugal betting preview
World Cup odds – Brazil vs Portugal
When Brazil and Portugal lock horns in the final Group G game, it will see arguably the most anticipated match in the entire of the tournament thus far. The Samba stars are currently ranked number one in FIFA’s world rankings but the Portuguese are not lagging far behind in third despite their inconsistent form of late. So this one promises to be a real cracker and potentially decisive in terms of progression through to the last 16.
Best odds for Brazil vs Portugal:
Portugal – 5/4 Willaim Hill
Draw – 23/10 Betfred
Ivory Coast – 13/5 Stan James
The Brazilians kicked off their World Cup campaign with a far from convincing 2-1 win against the unheralded North Koreans. The five-time world champions were frustrated for long periods by the tournaments lowest ranked country and despite their dominance in possession; it was a rather lethargic display from the South Americans. Nevertheless Dunga’s side do sit comfortably at the summit of Group G after the Ivory Coast and Portugal had to settle for a share of the spoils in Tuesday’s other game.
By the time Brazil meet Carlos Queiroz’s Portugal in Durban their passage into the knockout stages could be all but guaranteed providing they overcome the Ivory Coast. But you can bet your bottom dollar Brazil will want to finish as group winners and are available at 2/5 to do so with BlueSquare. As for the Portugal match itself, unsurprisingly Brazil are odds on favourites at 5/6 (Bet365) to claim victory. For Brazil to finish with a maximum of nine group points, SportingBet are offering 7/4 which looks an excellent bet considering Brazil are likely to improve after their sluggish start.
Dunga may have been openly criticised for leaving the likes of Pato, Adriano and Ronaldinho at home but it was Robinho who stepped up to the plate against the Koreans. The Manchester City star has spent time on loan with Santos in his native Brazil, and he looks to have benefited from it, grabbing an assist and generally looking sharp and oozing in confidence. Far from the player we saw at Eastlands who struggled to adapt to the rigours of the Premier League. If qualification isn’t already secured for the Brazilians and Robinho isn’t rested against the Portuguese, he is worth a small stake to grab the opener at ???.
One player who more than made the cut in the Premier League is Cristiano Ronaldo. The world’s most expensive footballer showed glimpses of his star quality against the Ivory Coast and he could be worth a bet to end his international goal drought that stems way back to 2008 against the Brazilians. Ron is ??? to score at anytime at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
This one could be one of the most defining games in the group stages and will almost certainly influence the names that make the last 16 of the 2010 World Cup.
Brazil Vs Portugal betting tips
Ronaldo to score first at best odds 9/2 with Betfred – Get £50 free bet at Betfred
Sabrosa Simao to score first at best odds 10/1 with Blue Square- Get £66 in free bets at Blue Square.
Portugal vs Ivory Coast free bets
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Brazil Betting Preview
Brazil World Cup Betting Preview
Brazil odds and free bets for 2010 World Cup
Five times winners Brazil head into the World Cup as second favourites with the bookmakers – totesport are providing odds of 5/1 that Brazil will lift the trophy come July 11th. The experience that Brazil have in World Cup finals should not be discounted, hence many believe they have a strong chance of winning.
Brazil have been placed in Group G, which is seen as this year’s ‘group of death’. It sees them drawn with Portugal, Ivory Coast and group whipping boys, North Korea. Although Portugal and Ivory Coast will provide Brazil with a stern test, you would still expect them to progress as group winners. Ladbrokes are offering best priced odds of 4/6 that Brazil will top the group. Should they do so, Chile are likely second round opponents, followed by Holland in the quarters and England in the semi finals.
Brazil topped the 10 team South American qualification zone, with Paraguay and Bolivia the only teams to beat them. The highlight of qualification was securing their place in South Africa with a memorable 3-1 victory in Argentina
As you would expect, Brazil have an abundance of attacking flair and since it is doubtful that Ronaldinho will be in the squad for the World Cup, Kaka will need to step up to the plate. Kaka is employed in an attacking midfield role for Brazil and this enables him to influence the game in all areas of the pitch. He has an eye for goal (26 goals in 75 appearances) and can provide a killer pass for the likes of Luis Fabiano in attack. If Brazil are to progress to the latter stages of the competition, they need Kaka to be fit and in top form.
Brazil will be looking to bounce back from a poor 2006 World Cup, which saw them eliminated at the quarter final stage. The cold, winter conditions in South Africa could prove tricky but they should be able to defeat the likes of Holland and England en route to reaching the final. Should Spain go all the way on the other side of the draw I think they will prove too much for Brazil. Boyle Sports are supplying odds of 6/1 that Brazil will finish as runners up at this year’s tournament, which I think is good value.
Reccomended bets: Tim Cahill top Australia goalscorer at 10/3 with Paddy Power – click for free bet
Australia Betting Preview
Australia World Cup Betting Preview
Australia odds and free bets for 2010 World Cup
Australia are rank outsiders to win the World Cup, with Victor Chandler providing best priced odds of 150/1 for victory in the final. Achievement for Australia would be to equal their best finish at a World Cup – a last 16 place, which happened 4 years ago.
It’s highly unlikely that Australia will get to the final of this year’s competition, so I’m going to focus on their group – Group D. They have been pitted against Germany, Serbia and Ghana in what looks like a tough group to escape from. There are no easy games in this group and you would think matches against Serbia and Ghana will shape their destiny. Australia are outsiders to win the group at 17/2 with bwin.com, but perhaps a more interesting market sees them 5/2 with Sky bet just to qualify from the group stages.
Australia received byes in round one and two and were automatically entered into the third round of qualification in the Asian zone. They finished top in their group, before proceeding to finish first in their group in the fourth round of qualification.
The statistics show that Australia’s strikers are not prolific in front of goal, so the onus falls on attacking midfielder Tim Cahill to find the back of the net. Cahill is the master of ghosting into the box unnoticed and is a clinical finisher, especially with his head. He has a record of a goal every other game for his country and is the top goalscorer in the squad. Paddy Power have provided odds of 10/3 for Cahill to be the top Australian goalscorer at the World Cup. These odds look fantastic and worthy of putting some money on.
If Australia had been handed an easier draw, you could definitely see them progressing from the group stages. As it is, I think Germany, Serbia and Ghana will have too much quality for them. Unfortunately, I think the Aussies will be eliminated at the first hurdle and Paddy Power are offering best priced odds of 4/9 for a group stage elimination.
Reccomended bets: Tim Cahill top Australia goalscorer at 10/3 with Paddy Power – click for free bet
Argentina Betting Preview
Argentina World Cup Betting Preview
Argentina odds and free bets for 2010 World Cup
Five times winners Brazil head into the World Cup as second favourites with the bookmakers – totesport are providing odds of 5/1 that Brazil will lift the trophy come July 11th. The experience that Brazil have in World Cup finals should not be discounted, hence many believe they have a strong chance of winning.
Brazil have been placed in Group G, which is seen as this year’s ‘group of death’. It sees them drawn with Portugal, Ivory Coast and group whipping boys, North Korea. Although Portugal and Ivory Coast will provide Brazil with a stern test, you would still expect them to progress as group winners. Ladbrokes are offering best priced odds of 4/6 that Brazil will top the group. Should they do so, Chile are likely second round opponents, followed by Holland in the quarters and England in the semi finals.
Brazil topped the 10 team South American qualification zone, with Paraguay and Bolivia the only teams to beat them. The highlight of qualification was securing their place in South Africa with a memorable 3-1 victory in Argentina
As you would expect, Brazil have an abundance of attacking flair and since it is doubtful that Ronaldinho will be in the squad for the World Cup, Kaka will need to step up to the plate. Kaka is employed in an attacking midfield role for Brazil and this enables him to influence the game in all areas of the pitch. He has an eye for goal (26 goals in 75 appearances) and can provide a killer pass for the likes of Luis Fabiano in attack. If Brazil are to progress to the latter stages of the competition, they need Kaka to be fit and in top form.
Brazil will be looking to bounce back from a poor 2006 World Cup, which saw them eliminated at the quarter final stage. The cold, winter conditions in South Africa could prove tricky but they should be able to defeat the likes of Holland and England en route to reaching the final. Should Spain go all the way on the other side of the draw I think they will prove too much for Brazil. Boyle Sports are supplying odds of 6/1 that Brazil will finish as runners up at this year’s tournament, which I think is good value.
Reccomended bets: Tim Cahill top Australia goalscorer at 10/3 with Paddy Power – click for free bet
FA Cup
Latest FA Cup Betting
Chelsea are 5/2 favourites to win the FA Cup with William Hill after the third round draw paired them at home to League 1 side Huddersfield. For all the latest free bets for the FA Cup, visit our free bets section.
Other ties of interest include Non-League Burton Albion at home to Manachester United, and also pitted giant-killers Tamworth, who have beaten Bournemouth and Hartlepool, against Stoke City. Middlesbrough will play Nuneaton or Histon, who face a replay this month, while holders Arsenal meet Cardiff.
The draw for the FA Cup third round:
- West Bromwich Albion v Reading
- Fulham v Leyton Orient
- Brighton v Coventry
- Wolves v Plymouth
- Port Vale or Bristol Rovers v Doncaster
- Sheffield Wednesday v Charlton
- Torquay v Birmingham
- Manchester City v Scunthorpe
- Newcastle United v Mansfield
- Luton Town v Liverpool
- Preston v Crewe
- Stoke v Tamworth
- Derby v Burnley
- Southampton v MK Dons
- Blackburn v QPR
- Arsenal v Cardiff
- Stockport v Oldham or Brentford
- Norwich v West Ham
- Ipswich v Portsmouth
- Wigan v Leeds
- Sunderland v Woking or Northwich Victoria
- Chelsea v Huddersfield
- Cheltenham Town or Oxford United v Chester City
- Leicester v Tottenham
- Watford v Bolton
- Sheffield United v Colchester United
- Nuneaton Borough or Histon v Middlesbrough
- Hull City v Aston Villa
- Barnsley or Bradford v Walsall
- Burton Albion or Burscough v Manchester United
- Crystal Palace v Stevenage Borough or Northampton Town
- Millwall v Everton
Ties to be played on the weekend of 7/8 January 2006.
The outright betting for the tournamnet is dominated by Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United, which is no surprise when looking at recent winners of the trophy over the last 10 years. The tournament has been won by these three times on 9 of the last 10 occasions.
- 2004-05 Arsenal
- 2003-04 Manchester United
- 2002-03 Arsenal
- 2001-02 Arsenal
- 2000-01 Liverpool
- 1999-2000 Chelsea
- 1998-99 Man Utd
- 1997-98 Arsenal
- 1996-97 Chelsea
- 1995-96 Manchester United
Chelsea 7/2 Betfair
Man Utd 9/2 Total Bet
Arsenal 6/1 William Hill
Liverpool 9/1 Bet 365
Spurs 14/1 Blue Square
Newcastle 25/1 VC Bet
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FA Cup 2nd Round
FA Cup 2nd Round Betting Preview
The FA Cup may not have the critical acclaim it once held back in the 60’s and 70’s golden generation of football but that’s not to say it has lost its magic. The FA Cup has now just been rebranded and allows a way for the teams in the lower leagues to dream, if just for a little, for a piece of glory and maybe even a spot on Match Of The Day! FA Cup betting can definitely be a very profitable form of football betting.
The first pick of the first round replays in the FA Cup is Morecambe v Carlisle, Mark Duffys late goal for League Two struggles Morecambe rescued a draw for his side after going 2-0 down in the first round tie. They will have to show more of the same battling spirit if they want to progress to the next round and they may have to do it without skipper Jim Bentley after the defender suffered a calf injury during the weekend win at Crewe. The only doubt for League One side Carlisle is Marc Bridge-Wilkinson who injured his knee in training on Monday but recent poor results mean this game is close to call and could end in a stalemate after 90 minutes, the best odds for this result can be found over at Bet365 and BetFred at 12/5.
The next game to look at involves one of the last remaining Blue Square Premier teams Stevenage, the team currently sitting just above Kettering in second place will be looking to join their rivals in the next round of the FA Cup by beating League Two side Port Vale. Charlie Griffin earned Stevenage a second bite at the cherry as his injury-time goal secured a draw at Port Vale in their FA Cup first-round game. Stevenage outplayed their League Two opponents for long spells during an entertaining first game tie and Stevenage boss Graham Westley is expected to name an unchanged side. He will be hoping Charlie Griffin continues in the form that saw him hit a hat-trick against Gateshead at the weekend in the 5-3 win. Luke Prosser is now banned adding to Port Vale’s defensive problems after being sent off at against Rotherham on Saturday meaning an upset is on the cards, the best odds on Stevenage to secure a home win can be found over at Skybet.com at 11/10.
Leyton Orient host managerless Tranmere Rovers in a game that both sides will be vying to win. Both teams have had a fruitless campaign thus far in League One with both sides struggling for form. Tranmere have had off field problems after an ill-fated spell with John Barnes at the helm resulted in the ex-Liverpool man being sacked after just 11 games and a form book that read just 2 wins. Leyton Orient have not won in their last four games and on-loan pair Andros Townsend and Luke Summerfield will miss the replay to avoid being Cup-tied. Highly-rated defender Tamika Mkandawire could make a possible return and with the replay being played at Brisbane Road, Leyton look likely to edge a close tie, odds on them to win can be found over at Paddypower.com at 10/11.
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