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Centrebet Capers
CRICKET It hasn't been the best start to a summer of cricket for punters, but at least some did recoup some of their losses with the 'draw' in the fourth test in Sydney. As we have mentioned many times before, our big Indian punters love backing the Aussies, and the test in Sydney was no different. Several big bets, including $30,000 and $28,000, came from the Sub-Continent for Australia before the match started at $1.65. We also found India very easy to sell, including three $5000 bets at $8, with a spattering of support for the draw at $2.85. While all three options were well in commission throughout the game, it was the draw that attracted the most money, including one bet of $25,000 at $1.85 nearing the completion of the first days play. This test was our largest ever betting test played in Australia, mainly due to the fact that it could have gone any way, but also due to the publicity surrounding Steve Waugh. There was interest from people who never bet on cricket, with one of our most popular options being whether Steve Waugh would score a century. Unfortunately he didn't have a fairytale finish to his career, only drawing the match and falling 20 short in his quest for a 'ton'. With the test series over, our Indian friends didn't waste too much time in jumping on Australia to win the One Day Series. After opening at $1.35 to win the series, bets of $40,000, $25,000 and $10,000 have seen that price slashed to $1.28. Strangely, we can find many takers for India at $3.75, and even less for Zimbabwe at the huge odds of $15. The circumstances are identical in the first match due to be played on Friday. We have already taken two $10,000 bets for Australia at $1.40; a very short quote given it is a day/night match. A lot of our smaller Australian punters have taken the $2.85 India, but our big Indian clients are circling like a pack of white pointers, looking to pounce on Australia. Betting will be available throughout the match (while it is competitive), and there will be all the usual exotic bets covered throughout the match. GOLF Golf punters have been starved from action for a few weeks now, but a star studded field will do battle in the Mercedes Championship which gets under way in Hawaii tonight. Ernie Els is $7.50 second favourite to repeat last years win, with Tiger Woods our $3.50 favourite, but punters have ignored the winning chances of either. It has been the next three in the market who have attracted the bulk of support, with a Sydney punter backing Vijay Singh ($8) and Davis Love ($10) to win $50,000, while a Victorian man has backed Jim Furyk ($13) to win the same amount. Chad Campbell has his share of admirers, including one bet of $1000 each way at $21, and there has also been a stack of interest in Retief Goosen at $13. Australia will be represented by Adam Scott ($26) and Stuart Appleby ($34), but both have been hard to lay. In head to head betting, there has been a $7000 wager placed on Mike Weir to beat Darren Clarke, as well as a bet of $5000 for Jim Furyk to beat Davis Love. ENTERTAINMENT It was a beautiful day for Centrebet punters when World Idol presenters Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly announced that hobbit look-alike Kurt Nilsen had outscored Kelly Clarkson and nine other regional champions to win the competition that transfixed television viewers over the Christmas and New Year holiday period. Norway's Lord of the Sings was a favourite with our clients from the moment that we opened our World Idol book on November 20 - the day after Guy Sebastian won the first Australian series - and Nilsen's victory odds dropped from $17 to $4 in the five weeks leading up to Christmas. We took twice as many bets on Nilsen - including a wager of 10,000 Norwegian kroner at $8 - than any other contestant and knew that we were in trouble when one of our own, Australian judge Ian Dickson, commented that the former plumber sang like an angel but looked like a hobbit. More backhanded compliments from two of the United Kingdom music scene's biggest names, Simon Cowell and Pete Waterman, also made headlines and guaranteed that Nilsen was at the forefront of people's minds during the brief voting period. Would Nilsen have won without the judging panel's endorsements? Probably not. The consensus in our office was that Clarkson delivered the competition's most polished performance and that Nilsen, although excellent, benefited from the remarks greatly. But we pay out on official results and Nilsen was a very popular winner. What Will Happen First In 2004? Innovative markets are Centrebet's speciality and, always keen to service our clients with unique betting options; we opened a book that invites punters to predict which, if any, of 12 outcomes occur in the calendar year. For example, we are taking bets at $13 that American swimming sensation Michael Phelps wins seven Olympic Games gold medals in Athens after Kim Clijsters (Australian Open), Philadelphia (Super Bowl XXXVIII), Michael Schumacher (Australian Grand Prix), Tiger Woods (Masters Tournament), Real Madrid (Champions League), Detroit (Stanley Cup) and France (Euro 2004) fail to win their specified events. For those of you for whom swimming is not one of your favourite sports, Phelps will be the focus of much attention in Greece when he attempts to equal Mark Spitz's feat of seven victories at a single Olympic Games. Make a note of his name. You will be hearing it a lot. TENNIS There is a plethora of tennis on this side of the globe at the moment, with the Australian Open just around the corner. The Hopman Cup is never a great betting event, but the Hewitt/Clijsters 'love match' ensured the event got plenty of interest in the media, and that carried over into the betting. Unfortunately the Australia v Belgium tie turned out to be a fizzer when the 'tie' bets had to be refunded due to our rule that says 'at least two matches must be completed in full' after Clijsters couldn't finish her singles match, and the doubles was a walkover. At the time, Belgium had been a heavily backed $2.75 favourite to win the Cup, with Australia now in the box seat. The injury to Clijsters has now made it virtually impossible to frame a market on the women’s Australian Open title. Her injury may keep her out, and there is a doubt over Jennifer Capriati, and of course the Williams sisters. The men’s title is open for business however, and we are beginning to see plenty of activity. Favourite Roger Federer ($4.50) this week had a $3000 wager placed on him, as did Lleyton Hewitt at $8, that taken before he rolled his ankle slightly in Perth. American Andy Roddick is solid in betting at $5, along with perennial Australian Open winner Andre Agassi at $6.50. The punter who backed Argentinian David Nalbandian to win $50,000 at $21 looks to be in trouble as Nalbandian looks like he won’t make the trip due to injury. Veteran Carlos Moya has been backed to win $100,000 at $31 by an Australian client, while Taylor Dent ($41) and Tim Henman ($34) have each been backed to win $30,000. The money for Henman has come from England, where it seems as though the English now think they are going to win everything after winning the Rugby World Cup! Betting will be available on every match (men’s and women’s) in all of the lead-up tournaments, as well as the Open. BASKETBALL Last night's win by Brisbane over Cairns has elevated them to top position on the NBL ladder and has raised the possibility of the Bullets completing the classic rags to riches story of going from wooden-spooners one season to Championship winners the next. The accomplishment is surely a rarity in world sport but there is a recent precedence and basketball is the sport that provides it. The 2003 WNBA Championship winners, Detroit Shock had finished the 2002 season with a league worst record of 9-23. Brisbane's run of six consecutive wins has seen them firm into a $5 third favourite to bring the Championship back to Brisbane for the first time since 1987. Their title hopes received an additional boost this week with the announcement that Wade Helliwell will be rejoining his old club after a stint in Europe. A legitimate 7-footer coming off the bench can't harm their chances and there is also the possibility that veteran Simon Kerle will regain fitness and be able to suit up before season's end. The only reason they are not pressing more strongly for outright favouritism is that a very tough schedule lies ahead of them. With thirteen games remaining, nine of them are on the road and include two visits to Adelaide, Sydney and Perth. Their final game of the season is a home fixture against Sydney and that may well determine who gains number one seeding for the play-offs, even though Wollongong Hawks supporters would argue differently. The Hawks are going along very nicely at present and the reality is that if the play-offs were starting now the current $2.50 favourites, Sydney Kings would be third pick. Sydney are holding their position at the top of the betting more because of the amount of improvement they are expected to make when new import Chris Carrawell fits into the mix rather than their current form. He seems the perfect replacement for the injured Jason Smith as he will bring the scoring impact plus the defensive intensity that the Kings have missed since Smith's season came to an abrupt end. Only Carrawell and Grant Hill have passed the 1000 point barrier for Duke so he could hardly be better credentialed. The Kings will be hoping he has an immediate impact as they travel to Melbourne in an attempt to reverse last week's overtime loss to the Tigers. There was no fluke about Melbourne's win but with Copeland likely to miss with a knee injury and Carrawell's inclusion it should be enough for the Kings to get a narrow victory on the road. This is the FOX Sports game and a must see. In other key Saturday games Brisbane travel to Adelaide and their recent form ensures they will start a warm favourite, a rarity for a team visiting Adelaide. Perth host Wollongong on Sunday in another intriguing match-up; Wollongong's task made all the more difficult as they first have a Friday engagement with the Razorbacks who come into the game with a franchise best five game winning streak. Great match ups such as these will become more frequent as we move into the final third of the season but the most interest revolves around the Sydney v Brisbane series result which may determine top position. The interest that these upcoming matches has generated has led to the opening of an "Exact Series Result" book. Brisbane to sweep the series are priced at $7.70 and Sydney with the advantage of two home games are $4.85 to achieve the 3-0 result. FOOTBALL Are Chelsea 'gone'? On current form the answer is definitely 'yes' following a draw in their FA Cup match last week with Watford, and another loss midweek when they went down 0-1 to Liverpool. Punters have adopted the big spending Chelsea side this season, and the betting on them each game has been as spirited as the likes of Man United and Arsenal, but we can only wonder how many more times that punters can get up off the canvas? Not to be outdone, Chelsea was again the first side backed in the upcoming round when they play away to Leicester. The $1.62 was coupled up in big multiples with Arsenal ($1.30 to beat Middlesbrough) and Man United, who are $1.45 to dispose of Newcastle. On top of that, there are also early bets of $6000 and $4000 for Chelsea to win outright. As a result of recent form, Chelsea have blown out to an unwanted $5.50 to win the Premier League, with things returning to normal at the top of betting - Man United favourites ($1.80) ahead of Arsenal at $2.75. The Scottish title is all but wrapped up following Celtic's 3-0 demolition of Rangers last weekend, and they now find themselves at an unbackable $1.05. There is no Scottish Premier League fixture this week as there are FA Cup matches, but in other parts of Europe, football returns after the Christmas break.
Until next week, good punting. For
further information contact Gerard Daffy at Centrebet on 08 89555800 or
centrebet@centrebet.com.
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