Punters Say Kangaroos Will Bounce The Brits In Tri-nations

Sydney Morning Herald

Friday November 4, 2005

MICHAEL COWLEY

They may be at short odds but that hasn't stopped punters from tumbling into Australia to beat Great Britain in this weekend's Tri-Nations rugby league clash in England. Bookmakers say it would be easier finding a sober patron at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day than a punter willing to back the Brits. Sportsbook.com.au has been inundated with "lots of small punters" wanting to back Australia at odds as short as $1.34. Many are also using the Kangaroos as anchors for multi-bets. Sportsbook.com.au reported one bet of $3000 at $1.90 on Australia giving 9.5 points starts. Judging by the way the Brits played against New Zealand last weekend, that may not be enough start for them. At TAB Sportsbet, the money has also come for Australia, with bets of $9800 and $7000 straight out on the Australians at $1.38.

HOMING IN: Most of the money in betting on the first Test between Australia and the West Indies has been for the home team. Sportsbook.com.au took $10,000 on Australia at $1.30, $5000 at $1.29 and $5000 at $1.28. But the Windies were not friendless. At TAB Sportsbet, one punter had $2000 on the West Indies to win the Test at $10, and another had $5000 on them to win the series at $21.

BIG COMEBACK: What you lose on the merry-go-round, you make up on the swings. Last week, TAB Sportsbet reported a record bet on an NBL game when one NSW punter lost $245,000 when he backed Townsville to beat Wollongong. Less than a week later, he got most of it back when he invested $270,000 at $1.80 on Buffalo with 8.5 points start against New England in the NFL. Buffalo lost despite leading at three-quarter-time, but by only five points, 21-16, giving the punter a win of $216,000.

HIGH SPIRITS: They will accept almost any sort of bet at English bookmaking firm William Hill. This week it took a wager from a "professional ghost hunter" that he could prove the existence of the Amityville Horror ghost by the end of this year. Hills accepted the wager of ##66 ($158) at odds of 666-1 that conclusive proof of the ghost's existence will be delivered to Hill's by December 31. Other weird recent bets include: 10,000-1 about David Beckham becoming British prime minister; 500-1 that conclusive proof of the existence of the Loch Ness Monster will be authenticated by the Natural History Museum on or before December 31, 2006; and 250-1 that the UK prime minister will officially confirm the existence of UFOs of extra-terrestrial origin on or before December 31, 2006. Perhaps the strangest is from a man named John Richardson, who placed ##50 at odds of 10,000-1 that he will father a child in his 100th year.

PICK THE MARGIN: Sportsbook.com.au has introduced a new golf betting option. Punters can now bet on margins in head-to-head contests. For example, punters can back Stuart Appleby against Mark Calcavecchia in the first round of the Tour Championship in Georgia. If the punter likes Appleby, they can take odds of $1.73 about him beating the American in the first round. They can also take odds of $3.50 about Appleby beating him by one or two strokes, or $3 by three shots or more. Of course, they can back Calcavecchia to win by similar margins, or take $9.50 about both players scoring the same in the first round. The interesting head-to-head match-up is Tiger Woods against Vijay Singh. Woods is $1.60 to Singh's $2.34.

UNITED UNWANTED: The big clash in the English Premier League this weekend is the out-of-form Manchester United against Chelsea at Old Trafford. The money has been for Chelsea with one Sportsbook.com.au client investing $5000 at $2.40 on the league leaders. Punters can get $3 about United while the draw is at $3.20.

FRENCH TEST: The Wallabies will be underdogs to end their international losing streak this weekend in Marseilles. Sportsbook.com.au has them at $2.60 to win the first Test against France. The home team is $1.50.