Hello and welcome to your weekly blog
where we try to catch the bookies with their pants down and make a few quid.
During the summer we have been looking at how the odds have ebbed and flowed on
players linked to The Arsenal. We will once again revisit a few of these odds.
Asmir
Begovic can be had at 6/1 at the moment to become a Gooner this transfer
window. This is far more favourable than the Evs he is quoted to join Liverpool
who have just spunked £9m on Simon Mignolet. Might be worth a few quid at that
price?
Cesc
Fabregas’ odds have actually lengthened to 4/1 to rejoin Arsenal this summer, I’ve
tipped it all summer and will continue to do so. Stick £25 on at that and you
could be in line for a tasty £125 return which will get you a CAT A ticket and
a sniff of Fish & Chips at a home game…..
Geoffrey
Kondogbia is a player I flagged a good month or so ago at 20/1, those of you
who have seen recent rumours about him interesting Arsenal won’t be surprised
to see his odds have now halved to 10/1. This could be one to keep an eye on
but I`d still expect Arsenal to push for Marouane Fellaini before the young
Frenchman.
Talking of
whom, Mr Fellaini is now as short as 1/4 to be an Arsenal player come end of
the window. He’s actually better odds to join Arsenal than he is to remain at
Everton (9/4).
Gonzalo
Higuain is now 1/8 to join Arsenal. This despite the fact Manchester City have
just sold his fellow countryman Carlos Tevez and are in the market for a
striker (they were mooted to be after him last year for £35m) City can be had
at 10/1 currently, but before Tevez left to join An Old Lady he was 25/1 in
some places. However I was told City’s target is Robert Lewandowski who can be
had at 8/1 to join the Blue Half of Manchester.
Talk of Old
Ladies brings us nicely to Wayne Rooney whose odds haven’t changed since last
week and is still 9/2 to become a Gooner. The bookies seem to think if he does
leave Manchester United then we are favourites to sign him. I’d still be
inclined to have a small wager on this happening.
If you
happen to think The Arsenal is indeed the greatest team the world has ever seen
and you will be putting your annual bet on us to win the league can I remind
you we are best priced at 12/1 to become champions and those odds will shorten
dramatically once we finally dust off the cheque book and actually sign
someone…
Or if you
want to hedge your bets a top two finish is a little over 9/2.
Anyone
wanting a bet on The Arsenal to be relegated can expect odds of 2000/1 and to
lose whatever stake they put on……
Those of you
fairly confident that The Arsenal will complete the signing of Gonzalo Higuain
will be tempted at 16/1 he is the Premier League top goalscorer next year (those
odds will shorten IF or when he does sign) A certain ex-captain heads this
market at 3/1 but the value here could well be Mr Rooney at 16/1 or Daniel
Sturridge at 20/1.
This week
saw the start of Wimbledon and a dream start for Andy Murray who saw his half
of the draw open up. Murray can now be backed at 6/4. A Murray/Djokovic final
is 8/15.
The summer’s
sport hots up this weekend with the start of the Tour De France. With Sir
Bradley Wiggins unable to defend his title his Sky teammate Chris Froome is
odds on at 4/5 with Alberto Contador 11/4. A Froome/Contador Straight Forcast
pays 9/4 or the other way round pays 7/2.
Mark
Cavendish is 1/10 to win a stage and offers little value here.
After last week’s
opening test the British and Irish Lions were indeed roaring (with laughter
after the Aussies woeful kicking probably) and this weekend sees the Lions odds
on at 4/6 to win with The Aussies 17/10. As last week the HT/FT market will
offer that little bit more value.
AUS/LIONS
pays 13/2
LIONS/AUS
pays 10/1
LIONS/LIONS
pays 6/5
George North
is 12/5 to repeat his try-scoring feat of last week or if you fancy him to get
the opening try this week that pays a tasty 11/1.
Sunday sees
The British Grand Prix where if you fancy Theo Walcott, oops sorry I mean Lewis
Hamilton to take the chequered flag you can get 17/2. Sebastian Vettel is 2/1
Fave to win the race. A lively longish outsider is Mark Webber who can be had
at 10s.
This week’s
BFG (Best Friend Gaz) bet is a little bit different as it’s a Horse running on
Sunday. There are no odds available yet and those of you who fancy a cheeky £10
will be delighted to know I will post the name of the Horse on Sunday if you
follow me on Twitter. What a tease eh?
As ever
please only ever bet what you can afford to lose and that no bet is ever 100%
certain to win. Please feel free to say hello and discuss all or any of the
above with me on Twitter.
Andy
Wood
Born in Mining Town of Doncaster in 1973. Supported Arsenal FC thanks to my first footballing hero who was Pat Jennings whom I loved. My first Arsenal Game was an away game at Grimsby Town in January 1986 ( 4-3 win thanks to a Charlie Nicholas Hat-Trick of Free-kicks). I’ve since followed The Arsenal Home, Away & Abroad and my wife still doesn’t know how much I paid for the CL final ticket v Barca!
My All-time Fave’ Arsenal player is probably Dennis Bergkamp although I have soft spots for Tony Adams, Rocky & Steve Williams (!).
I`m a Proud Father of 6 who doesn’t get to as many games as I’d like for financial reasons (6 kids, you do the maths) but lives and breathes The Arsenal.
I write occasional blogs.
Haha. Very enjoyable.