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Aussie
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Centrebet Capers
AMERICAN FOOTBALL There were no surprises in the Conference Finals over the weekend. In the NFC Philadelphia were too polished for Atlanta, in a game many were tipping as a probable upset, winning 27-10, while in the AFC New England away to Pittsburgh had too much experience, prevailing 41-27. If the pundits were tipping a possible upset in the NFC final the punters didn't see it that way as the Eagles were backed to the total exclusion of the Falcons. The 5½ point start seemed no obstacle to our clients, with several $10,000 wagers at the $1.90 setting the pattern to what was a poor result. In the AFC final, there was good money for both finalists as $5.000 wagers were the norm, whether it be for the Patriots conceding a 3 point start or the Stealers receiving it. The 41-27 result proved conclusive with the game virtually over at half-time with the Patriots leading 24-3. This will be the Patriots third trip to the Superbowl in four years, a stat which also could prove conclusive in the final result. The Patriots must concede 6½ points to the Eagles and are $1.33 to win their third Superbowl since 2001, while the Eagles are $3.30. Already there has been good money for the Patriots at the start, with several $5,000 wagers. so that could see the start firm into 7 before too long. Centrebet will offer a full range of specials on Superbowl 2005, so stay tuned next week for what will prove to be a betting bonanza and a great spectacle. CRICKET We were left cursing the weather as the Windies had Australia on the ropes in Brisbane before the heavens opened up to call the game off. The West Indies had posted a competitive 263 after an old fashioned one day hundred from opener Wavell Hinds, and when Australia were reeling at 5-30 chasing a revised target of 195 in 28 overs, one of our Sydney punters must have been more than worried that his $40,000 at $1.30 on the Aussies was gone. On to Sydney, were it looked like no chance of play, as storms and rain all morning delayed the start. Ricky Ponting won a the toss of the coin and from there on it was Australia all the way with McGrath bowling in vintage form to claim 2-18 off his 10 overs. Despite Inzamam's gutsy 50 and some lower order fireworks from the one man highlights package, Shahid Afridi, 163 was never enough to worry the Australians. Michael Clarke made sure of the result with his maiden one day hundred, although he tried his hardest not to make it, being dropped on 98. The Australia Day clash between Australia and the West Indies looked like the Australians were going to be beaten for the first time after Pedro Collins had run through the top order to leave Australia 4-38.Those who took the $3.50 on offer the West Indies before play began were looking the goods, but this is the Australian Cricket Team, and impressive knocks from "fill-ins" Katich and Haddin dragged Australia back into the match, before a record 9th wicket Partnership saw Australia to 269. People were more than willing to take $3.25 the West Indies at the innings break with two separate bets of $2000 and $3000. However Brett Lee put paid to their hopes with 2 early wickets to give Australia a convincing 73 run victory. GOLF Tiger Woods returned to the winners circle with a three shot victory in the Buick Invitational. With two wins and a tie for third in the last three PGA tour events he has competed in over the last six weeks, it signals an ominous return to form for the former World number one. The win was hard fought despite the three stroke margin, with both Woods and veteran Tom Lehman, all tied up at 15 under par with two holes to play. However a bogey on seventeen for Lehman followed by another on the final hole which Woods birdied, sealed his fate. Plunge golfers, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh, were never a realistic chance of winning, although Els did open with a seven under par 65 which was followed by consecutive rounds of 71. Woods proved a popular result for punters who were keen to take the $4.75 that he would complete a hat trick of wins at Torrey Pines including one $6,000 wager, while in-form players, Charles Howell, Luke Donald and Tom Lehman, all had to settle for share of second place. The tour remains in California this week for the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, played over four exceptional courses. The event is a little less tension packed than the normal PGA tour event which is always appreciated by the players. It is perhaps this atmosphere which helps Phil Mickelson produce his best, a winner in '02 and '04. the laconic lefty has been installed $8 favourite over consistent Stewart Cink at $14 and David Toms at $16. Both Cink and Toms have been backed to win over $100,000 while Mickelson has been friendless. This could prove a costly lesson for punters who ignore the horses for courses rule. Already defending champion Stuart Appleby and multiple winner at Torrey Pines, Tiger Woods, have been successful in '05 which could prove a good pointer for Mickelson. On the European tour, local player Tim Clark captured his second South African Airways Open with a convincing six shot victory over Frenchman Gregory Havret and up and coming compatriot, Charl Schwartzel. Clark's last victory in this event came in '02, also in Durban, while Englishman Darren Clarke, backed to win $100,000 at $6.50, finished full of running in a tie for fourth. There were four players in a tie for the lead entering the final round, however fellow South Africans, Hendrik Buhmann, Titch Moore and Tjaart van der Walt, all failed to come to grips with the conditions and finished the day over par and out of contention. The European tour heads to Asia this week for the Caltex Singapore Open played at Laguna National. Defending champion is Colin Montgomerie at the savoury quote of $15 behind countryman Lee Westwood, favourite at $10. Also in the betting is Thomas Bjorn at $15, David Howell at $15 and Englishman Graeme McDowell at $17 however best backed has been inform Frenchman Gregory Havret at $26. While Havret has been in great form of late, reminiscent to his start of last season, he has not won since the 2001 Italian Open, his only ever win on tour. Solid support for Westwood, Bjorn and McDowell, all backed to win in excess of $20,000, indicates they are the players for Montgomerie to beat if he is to repeat his win of last year. BASKETBALL The NBL highlight of Round 18 is the historic Perth v Sydney match-up being played in Singapore on Friday night. There is every indication that this will not be a one-off event which is exciting news for NBL fans as it can only do good things for the league. With Sydney and Wollongong entering Round 18 with identical 17-9 records each game these two teams play could prove vital in the quest for top ladder position. They have two games against each other before the season end which will go a long way to determining who has the number one seed in the playoffs but every “W” is vital. If both these teams slip up, Adelaide and to a lesser extent Brisbane could be pushing to take the top mantle. Sydney will be looking to get their first win of the season against Perth having already lost to them in Sydney and Darwin. Perhaps they will find their best form outside Australia. Wollongong journey to Adelaide who are coming off a Wednesday win over Melbourne Tigers which was all the more creditable given that Brett Maher missed that match through injury. The top eight have gained a handy break over Cairns, West Sydney and New Zealand and those three teams will need a lot to go their way to break into the playoff picture. The final round in the WNBL cannot alter the make-up or the finishing order of the final four. Next week will see Dandenong host Bulleen with the winner advancing to the Grand Final whilst the loser will face the winner of the Sydney v Adelaide elimination clash. TENNIS Can anybody beat Roger Federer. Punters don't seem to think so, backed to over $250,000, the brilliant Swiss has now firmed into a prohibitive price of $1.36, with the likes of Andy Roddick, $7.50, Marat Safin and Lleyton Hewitt both $9. There is certainly plenty of value for punters in the other half of the draw. Favourites have been winning with regular monotony in the men’s section of the draw, and punters have been reaping the reward with many large multi bets saluting the judge. Winning multi bets in the first week alone have broken the million dollar barrier and Centrebet will require something special to pull back the deficit. Perhaps a defeat of the unbeatable Federer will get us back in the hunt. A somewhat less the impressive win over Andre Agassi in the quarter final may indicate that the World number one is not at the peak of his game. If that's the case then the last person you would wish to meet in a semi final of a Grand Slam event is the erratic Marat Safin. If he's on his game an up-set could be in the wind. If that the case the $7.50 on offer Andy Roddick could be the value. In the women's draw, games have also been going the way of the seeds, except in the second quarter of the draw where the demise of Russians Anastasia Myskina and Elena Demetieva, has left nineteenth seed, Frenchwomen Nathalie Dechy in the elite company of Davenport, Serena Williams and Sharapova. It’s not likely she will threaten, however it’s been a strong performance to get all the way to the semis. That makes Davenport a good thing to get to the final however whoever wins the other semi, and the betting suggests that could go either way, then Davenport is in for a tough day. Lindsay hasn't won a Grand Slam title since the Australian Open in 2000, so that statistic suggests a win in the other half of the draw is more probable. One thing is certain, Centrebet requires either a loss to Roger Federer or a win to Nathalie Dechy for this Australian Open to turn around. FOOTBALL We have an early front-runner in the race for the unluckiest bet of the year and it is going to take something extraordinary to beat him. A Norwegian man gambled 5,000 kroner on Manchester United beating Aston Villa, Middlesbrough defeating Norwich and the match between Reading and Ipswich ending level. He stood to collect just under 50,000 kroner if the results occurred. United scored twice in 60 seconds midway through the second half of its game against Villa at Old Trafford to secure three English Premiership points and Boro was heading for an identical reward from its game versus the Canaries. Middlesbrough led 4-1 with 10 minutes left on the Carrow Road clock and Norwich kicked off the match with the English elite's second lowest goals-to-games ratio. Surely the Canaries could not score three times in the dying moments. The punter must have started counting his winnings when the Tractor Boys hauled themselves on level terms versus the Royals. After all, United had won 3-1 and Boro were leading 4-2 with only stoppage time remaining. The final whistle sounded at the Madejski Stadium. Ipswich had hung on for a point in its English Championship road game. He could almost taste the 50,000 kroner. It was his so long as Middlesbrough did not concede two late goals against one of the Premiership's worst teams. You can guess what the rest. Norwich players Leon McKenzie and Adam Drury rustled Boro's onion bag in injury time to complete one of the finest comebacks since the Premiership began in 1992 and break the heart of a young Norwegian football fan.
Until next week, good punting. For further
information contact Gerard Daffy at Centrebet on 08 89555800 or
centrebet@centrebet.com.
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