Welcome back to the blog that tries to put a few quid into your pockets. Some of you may or may not know but I used to do a weekly blog for Gunners Town back in the day, but due to family and work commitments I had to forego the pleasure of writing a weekly blog.
However like Michael Corleone just when I thought I was out, they dragged me back in. Hopefully this blog will end up triumphant like Robert De Niro at the end of Godfather II rather than like Fredo face down in a lake….
So what dragged me back? The little matter of The Arsenal and a little game with Hull Tigers or City or whatever they are calling themselves this week.
Cup Finals are always enjoyable and even more enjoyable if The Arsenal win BUT they are even more enjoyable if you manage to make a few bob out of the bookies to fund the evenings celebrations.
I have a decent record in FA Cup Final Bets – 2005 I watched the game at a Sportsman’s lunch, where it has to be said that 90% of the people there were Manchester United fans. Sadly they didn’t see the funny side of me and my pals doing the aeroplane on the stage when Paddy V struck home the winning pen (the cherry on top was the bet we had on Arsenal to win on Pens).
So onto this year’s final and some selections for you.
As biased as I obviously am I just can`t see past an Arsenal win. We are playing well and, quite frankly, Hull have stunk the place out since they won their semi final. We can all remember FA Cup Final upsets where the underdogs beat the teams everyone thought just had to turn up to pick up the famous old trophy.
For every upset like Wimbledon beating at the time a really strong Liverpool there is also a final where the big club does put the smaller one firmly in its place (for example when Coventry City beat the minnows of Tottenham!)
That being said I really fancy us to pick up the Cup and bring the silver polish out of the dusty drawer this year.
Cup Final Odds
Arsenal are odds on favourites at 4/9 with Hull 6/1 and the draw 10/3 these odds are within 90 minutes.
To lift the Cup the odds are-
Arsenal 1/4 with Hull 3/1
None of the above are going to appeal to the average better who likes the odd tenner, so let’s look at some bets where we can get a bit more value.
Arsenal to win in ET is 8/1
Arsenal to win on Pens is 15/1
Hull to win in ET is 25/1
Hull to win on Pens is 14/1
A bit more value there if you think the game will be tight and end up a draw after 90mins
A market people like a flutter on is the First Goalscorer, so let’s have a butcher’s at some odds for that one. (These odds are the same for last Goalscorer too)
Olivier Giroud (in form again) 7/2
Lukas Podolski (Germans love to score at Wembley) 9/2
Mesut Ozil (see above!) 15/2
Per Mertesacker (see above again!) 22/1
Santi Cazorla (Poor return this season, due one or best avoided?) 8/1
Mikel Arteta (Lego Hair man will probably take any pens we get) 12/1
Bacary Sagna (Sign off with a winning goal? Finals often throw up a story) 40/1
Abou Diaby (This would be a fairytale ending for the lad who has missed 99% of the season) 16/1
Or will Yaya Sanogo, AKA Sonogoal, finally break his duck on the biggest stage of all 11/2 (the answer here is doubtful).
BUT let’s be honest, the guy we are all going to back is Arsenal’s player of the season who is the go to man for a goal this year. Aaron Ramsey is at 6/1
I’m not putting any odds up for Hull scorers because quite frankly if you want to back any of them you’re welcome to look up those for yourself.
If you fancy a hat-trick then I must point out there have only been three FA Cup final hat-tricks, the last of which was in Stan Mortensen in The Famous Mathews Final in 1953. However if you are fancying one the following odds may interest you.
Giroud 25/1
Podolski 33/1
Sanogo 40/1
Rambo 50/1
Santi 100/1
The bet I’m having this Saturday is a scorecast whereby you pick a player to score first and correctly predict the score.
Rambo and Arsenal 2-0 is 22/1 and Rambo and 3-0 is 35/1 with Rambo and 4-0 75/1
OG and Arsenal 2-0 is 15/1 OG and Arsenal 1-0 is 13/1 OG and Arsenal 3-2 is 90/1
BFG and Arsenal 2-0 is a massive 80/1
Arteta and Arsenal 3-0 is 70/1
Some Match Specials that will give you a ride for your money-
Rambo to score from outside the 18-yard box 12/1
Arsenal to win from being behind 4/1
Arteta to be sent off 20/1
Jake Livermore to be sent off 22/1
First Player Carded
Mathieu Flamini 9/1
Jack Wilshere 12/1
Arteta 14/1
BFG 30/1
Either Keeper 25/1
Tom Huddlestone 10/1
Livermore 10/1
Curtis Davies 14/1
I hope the above have given you a few pointers-
Personally I’m going for a £20 bet spread on the following:
£10 Rambo 1st Goal and Arsenal win 2-0 @22/1 Returns £230
£5 Rambo 1st Goal and Arsenal win 3-0 @35/1 Returns £180
£5 Rambo to score from outside the 18-yard box @ 12/1 Returns £65
Happy Hunting and remember, please only bet with money you don’t mind losing.
Feel free to look me up on Twitter.
Thanks,
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.
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