World Cup hosts South Africa won’t suffer a group stage exit

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Today’s bet is fairly simple. Back South Africa at 15/8 to get through World Cup Group A - where they are joined by disjointed France, aging Mexico and so-bad-they-were-outclassed-by-Maradona’s-Argentina Uruguay.

The main reason to fancy them is that no World Cup host has ever failed to

Posted: January 21st, 2010 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Spain are favourites to win the Confederations Cup

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Arguably the least prestigious tournament in international football gets going in South Africa this weekend and we still don’t really understand what’s at stake. All the continental champions and the World Cup holders are there but they aren’t fighting to be crowned the best team in the world. In fact, the only country who really stand to benefit are South Africa, who didn’t have to earn their place in the Con Cup and will gain experience of hosting an international tournament ahead of one that actually matters next summer.

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» The Con Cup participants are supposed to be eight of the best teams in the world but the bookmakers clearly don’t see it that way. There is a huge gap between the challengers and the also-rans in the winner’s market betting, with Spain, Brazil and Italy all 7/2 or less while the other five teams - South Africa, Egypt, USA, Iraq and New Zealand - are 20/1 or more.

» The chances of South Africa, Egypt, Iraq and New Zealand are dealt a further blow by the fact that no team from Africa, Asia or Oceania have ever won the tournament. USA won’t be too confident either because the only CONCACAF winners have been Mexico, when they hosted it a decade ago.

Posted: June 12th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Eleven superfacts about the Eurovision Song Contest 2009

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» Favourites Norway were given a good draw - 20th out of 25 - for the final. In six of the last eight years, one of the final eight acts on stage have won.

» Nine of the last ten winners have sung in English, with the only exception being Serbia in 2007.

Click here to check out the full preview we produced for Betfair

» The last eight Eurovision Song Contests have all been won by countries who had never previously tasted victory. This year, Azerbaijan and Bosnia and Herzegovina are the pick of the nations never to have triumphed, although Malta and Iceland could also challenge.

Posted: May 15th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | 2 Comments

Crouch’s goal ratio, Ireland’s San Nicola success and more

Five stats about the midweek World Cup qualifiers

1. Peter Crouch has an incredible goal-to-start ratio for England and has scored thirteen goals in the last thirteen games that he has started.

2. Italy had won all eight of their previous games in Bari before being held to a 1-1 draw by the Republic of Ireland last night at the Stadio San Nicola.

3. Northern Ireland have won eight and drawn one of their last nine competitive matches at Windsor Park, compensating for the fact they have taken just four points from their last seven away games.

Posted: April 2nd, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Slovakia: impressive in qualifying, awful in friendlies

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Photo Credit: Lewis Whyld/PA

The only one of England’s four home games under Fabio Capello that they failed to win came against the Czech Republic, who are below Slovakia in the incredibly tight World Cup Qualifying Group 3. However, Slovakia have a curious habit of performing worse when the pressure is off, putting their feet up in friendlies rather than carrying over their form in competitive matches.

» Slovakia have won four of their last five competitive games - an impressive record for a team who have never qualified for an international tournament.

» However, they have won just one of their last eleven friendlies. That win came at home to Liechtenstein, the team ranked 151st in the world.

» Their two friendly matches so far this year - at home to Ukraine and away to Cyprus - have ended in 3-2 defeats. England are 41.0 on Betfair to win by that scoreline tomorrow.

Posted: March 27th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Spread betting advice for Scotland’s trip to Holland

extrabet.com preview a big weekend for Scottish football fans

Our favourite spread betting firm recently changed their name from IG Sport to extrabet.com but the excitement hasn’t been enough to stop them from providing us with a preview of Scotland’s World Cup qualifier in Holland:

“It’s been a tough old 55 years for Scottish football fans. Since 1954, the Scottish national side have failed to qualify for the World Cup on six occasions - including each of the last two. Even when they’ve qualified they have never progressed beyond the first round, winning just four of their 23 matches! It’s still early days but Scotland currently sit second in World Cup Qualifying Group 9 ahead of their trip to leaders Holland this Saturday so it’s a massive weekend for those who dare to dream.

Posted: March 25th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment