Online Bookmaker SportingBet are welcoming in the new season of the Champions League, with a prediction game at which you can win up to £10,000 in cash. The SportingBet Champions League predictor is available to SportingBet customers and the whole experience with this popular online bookmaker begins with their welcome sign-up bonus of £25 when you begin betting with them. That is a generous welcome for new customers, and along with that you will gain entry to a very clean looking website which really delivers when it comes to sports betting and pushing football promotions, free bets, cash back offers and more.

SportingBet Champions League Predictor. Punters who hold accounts with SportingBet will automatically become eligible for a shot at the prize money, when a £10 bet is placed on any market in their great sports book. By placing a bet (which needs to be at odds of 1.2 or greater), a free prediction code will be earned. So, the more qualifying bets you make, then the more chances you will get to make your predictions and shoot for the big prize. You will be eligible for one Champions League prediction code per day, leading up to the match day in question. Your bonus code receipt will appear under your betting slip and then all you need to do is click on through from there to go to the SportingBet Champions League predictor. What is the predictor challenge? Well, you have to predict the result of all sixteen Champions League matches for the match day, either choosing a win for either team or a draw. You will have up until kick off on the said match day to get your predictions in. There is nothing more to it than that, and with a prize of £10,000 up for grabs for each match day, then these free chances at winning real cash, not bet credits, is great. Predict all sixteen results correctly on a match day, and you will win the prize. If nobody does get all sixteen right, then the prize money will roll over to the next match day and added to the prize amount.

Champions League Match Day One Fixtures (14th/15th September)
FC Twente v Inter Milan
Werder Bremen v Tottenham Hotspurs   
Benfica v Hapoel Tel Aviv
Lyon v Schalke 04
Bursaspor v Valencia   
Manchester United v Rangers
Barcelona v Panathinaikos
FC Copenhagen v Rubin Kazan
CFR Cluj v Basel
Bayern Munich v Roma
MSK Zilina v Chelsea
Marseille v Spartak Moscow
AC Milan v Auxerre
Real Madrid v Ajax
Arsenal v Sporting Braga
Shakhtar Donetsk v Partizan Belgrade

If you think that you can easily predict the outcome of all those match day one fixtures, then SportingBet is the place to go to in order to make your football knowledge work for you. There looks to be some certain bankers in there such as Real Madrid, Arsenal, Barcelona and Manchester United, but can you pull all sixteen fixtures out of the bag? £10,000 is on the line. The usual suspects will be the main challengers for the biggest prize in European football again this season, with Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid leading the charge. Let’s take a look at the Champions League contenders in a little more detail with Champions League football betting at SportingBet.

Barcelona: 5/2
Well, they didn’t get Cesc Fabregas, but how much of a difference will that really make to their chances of winning the Champions League? They fell short last year, and that hasn’t stopped them gunning for the prize they covet most. Interestingly they were drawn against Russian champions Rubin Kazan as they were last season, and Kazan managed to take five points off the Catalan giants. Will Barcelona be out for big time revenge this season? In a group with Panathinaikos and Copenhagen, they will be clear favourites to progress. Barcelona have moved Zlatan Ibrahimovic on loan to AC Milan, and moved Thierry Henry to the New York Red Bulls. They’ll hardly be missed after Barcelona signed David Villa and Adriano, along with Liverpool’s Javier Mascherano. They look much stronger than last year and are rightly instilled as favourites. They will have learned lessons from last year’s failures.

Real Madrid: 9/2
What can Jose Mourinho do here? He as hired at Inter Milan with the sole purpose of winning the Champions League, and he achieved that last year with a victory in the final over Bayern Munich. Now Mourinho has one of the biggest resources at his disposal and again, Real Madrid want Champions League glory. They will never get a better chance than with Mourinho at the helm, and with such a strong squad including Cristiano Ronaldo, Ricardo Carvalho and Germany World Cup star Mesut Ozil, Mourinho’s Madrid will have to be watched out for. Mourinho is a winner and he will make Madrid a much more economical and efficient outfit. They square off against Auxerre, Ajax and the tough challenge of AC Milan. Mourinho has proven himself time and time again, and can he bring European glory back to the new Galacticos, who have been hungry since 2001/02. Mourinho will make a huge difference to one of Europe’s already powerhouses. Very strong challenger.

Chelsea: 11/2
Boss Carlo Ancelotti will be hoping for more progress on the European front than what they achieved last season. Chelsea were beaten by eventual champions Inter Milan in the first knockout round of the competition last year, and was actually something which probably propelled them on to win the Barclays Premier League. Prolific striker Didier Drogba will get the chance to return to Olympic Marseille to face the club from which Chelsea purchased him, and on the other side of that, it will give Marseille boss Didier Deschamps a return to Stamford Bridge. The Blues will be favourites to win the group ahead of the French side, Spartak Moscow and Zilina, but Chelsea need to be a bit more savvy on the continent than they were last year. There have been changes at Chelsea with players departing, and Brazilian midfielder Ramires coming in, and the London side have blitzed their way to a fierce 100% winning record for the start of the new Premier League. This is the title which the club really want though, having come so close so many times.

Manchester United: 8/1
Alex Ferguson will want more from his men this year too. Last season they threw away a good position against Bayern Munich to crash out. It could really be the last chance for some of United’s aging stars to add more glamour to their trophy cabinets, and United will always be a threat. There is a sense that United and Chelsea are falling some way behind Barcelona and Real Madrid, but United have all the experience needed to go the distance again. Probably not as strong as they have been in past years, but they have a great draw for themselves against Valencia, Rangers and Bursaspor, that they have pretty much already booked their place in the knockout stage. Can they go all the way though? They showed frailties last year, just as Chelsea did, and remain firmly behind the favourites, but still worth a shot nonetheless.

Inter Milan: 12/1
Rafa Benitez took over where Jose Mourinho left off at Inter Milan, but there is just the feeling that there is no way they are going to be able to repeat the success of last year. The managerial difference between Mourinho and Benitez is vast, and that already puts the Italian side behind other challengers. They are back in the Champions League football betting because they haven’t got as good a squad as the teams listed above, and it will be such a tough task for Benitez to emulate Mourinho and win the Champions League for the club again. It is a most unlikely scenario and they will probably be found wanting.

Arsenal: 14/1
A great Champions League side which tries to do everything the right way. But Arsenal are a young side and they probably haven’t quite got the necessary experience to go all of the way. Arsene Wenger has a wonderful crop of young players, but it is unlikely to be enough. They will have some fantastic nights in Europe again this year, and at the Emirates they will always be strong. They were blown away by Barcelona last year in the knock-out stage, and defensively they will have to be much stronger.

AC Milan: 18/1
They picked up striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but as shown when they played Manchester United last year, they looked a yard short of pace and quality to compete with the very best in Europe. They did a good job of turning their season around after a slow start, but can the capture of Manchester City’s Robinho push them on a little further this year. They need an injection of pace and that’s what he will bring alongside Ronaldinho and Andrea Pirlo. They have good parts, but not strong enough of team most likely.

Tottenham: 33/1
Not the easiest of welcomes for Tottenham in the Champions League. Boss Harry Redknapp will be licking his lips at his first taste of Group action. He pulled off quite a coup on the transfer window deadline day by signing Holland World Cup star Rafael Van Der Vaart from Real Madrid. His playmaking skills will add a little experience and quality to the side. They have Inter Milan, FC Twente and Werder Bremen to contend with. For a team making their Champions League debut, that’s not a particularly easy ride. Spurs may well grow in to the role of Champions League participants this year, but they really need to grab this chance with both hands as a return next season is no guarantee with the competitiveness of the Barclays Premier League.

US Open betting for the women’s draw at Flushing Meadows has seen some movement, with big tennis names falling early on. The most shocking exit was that of Victoria Azarenka, who would have been pencilled in as one of the top tips here to win the tournament. The Belarusian, who was coming back into form nicely for the US Open, collapsed in her first round match against Gisela Dulko. Azarenka’s downfall was not only put down to the soaring temperatures in New York, but a fall in which she hit her head during her warm up for the first round match, resulted in a minor concussion that affected her game. She just never looked right, and will be a huge disappointment to one of the strong contenders. The 2010 US Open had already lost Justine Henin and Serena Williams through injury before the tournament even started, but there is plenty of tennis betting to take advantage of, as the tournament starts to wrap up the second round. Britain’s Elena Baltacha missed out on her chance to play Kim Clijsters in the third round, as her battling performance against Kvitova in the second round just wasn’t enough for the Scot. So where are the best bets for the US Open sitting at the moment? Truth be told, the women’s draw is very wide open, just as the WTA season has been all year. Winners have come from nowhere, with very few players stamping any kind of dominance over the season. This was highlighted by Francesca Schiavone winning the French Open against all the odds, so can we expect another surprise winner of a Grand Slam here?

There is of course a hint of it, and your tennis betting for the women’s US Open will be a lot harder to narrow down than the men’s. There are however, some prime candidates who are expected to go all of the way, and they of course will be the ones sitting at the top of the seedings and rankings. He we will cast a betting eye over the main candidates expected to challenge for the title, as well as some of the sleeper bets, who could sneak through and cause another surprise and twist on this wonderful WTA season.

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Caroline Wozniacki – 6/1 at SportingBet
The young Danish star, who was runner up to Clijsters last year, goes as number one seed for the tournament at Flushing Meadows, and that is after coming strongly back into form. Wozniacki won the Olympus US Open Series with some inspired play, that backed up her position in the world rankings of having climbed up to number two. She is probably one of the WTA stars who has found some consistency and turned performances into titles this year, and while at the other Grand Slams she has been easily dismissed after not looking ready to win a major, this time around it is a little bit different. She genuinely has a strong chance, and her path has already been made just a little bit easier. In her quarter of the draw, Li Na and Lucie Safarova have both departed, leaving Maria Sharapova, Maria Kirilenko and the unpredictable Svetlana Kuznetsova awaiting her. Can Wozniacki get the better of them? Yes, of course, but they are all players against whom she has had her problems during her short career. Ahead in tennis betting on Caroline Wozniacki, you have to look at the quarter finals, where Jelena Jankovic, Vera Zvonareva and Agnieszka Radwanska are all fighting for supremacy. Well worth a bet, now she looks ready to overcome everything after winning the last two tournaments she has entered.

Kim Clijsters – 3/1 at Stan James
This time last year, the Belgian tennis star was embarking on one of the greatest comebacks in tennis history. She came out of retirement to win the US Open, and coming back again she can only be stronger for the experience, and at Flushing Meadows she always looks and feels as if she is at home. Clijsters goes as number two seed for the 2010 US Open, and she has a much tougher quarter than Wozniacki. In fact, the fourth quarter, in which she is in, is probably the most interesting as Ana Ivanovic, Sam Stosur and Elena Dementieva are all in there. Anyone of those really could prevail from this quarter of the draw, which means Clijsters needs to find the form that carried her through last year. She has had a pretty good comeback season, picking up three titles this year, most recently in Cincinnati. You can expect a quarter final appearance out of her at the very least, and while it would have been good to see her go against Elena Baltacha, she instead faces an interesting match against Baltacha’s conqueror Petra Kvitova, who reached the semi finals of Wimbledon against the odds a couple of months ago. One of the stronger bets for the two time US Open winner, and you can expect Clijsters to be in the mix come the business end of the tournament.

Elena Dementieva – 18/1 at Boylesports
One of the more experienced players on the WTA Tour and one of the most graceful to watch around the court. She has had a mixed season, but is always up near the top of the world rankings, and that always makes her a threat. She is a big, big match player and this is why she is realistically one of the strong bets to win the US Open out of a very equally match pack. She goes against Daniela Hantuchova in the third round, and the expected fourth round match should see her against number five seed Sam Stosur in what should be a great contest. She is a strong player and will look for a strong finish to the season. Injured hampered her at the French Open and then completely ruled her out of Wimbledon, so she will be hungry and that could be a big factor. Seeing Dementieva go all of the way in a Grand Slam would be a great site to see. She came close in 2004 when she finished runner up at the US Open. She has the talent and the experience without question, the only question is over her consistency to pull it all off when it matters, and hold her concentration to the last.

Jelena Jankovic – 33/1 at Bet365
If she had been fully fit in her build up to the 2010 US Open, betting on her would have probably placed her favourite. However, after retiring from Wimbledon she just hasn’t quite looked the same, and struggled through her first round match at Flushing Meadows a little bit. On her day she can beat the best as she has shown in this season, one of the best of her career. She is a tough player to beat because of her energy levels and she has some of the quickest and best footwork on the WTA. The question here is over her fitness levels and match sharpness, especially in the blistering heat. Unfortunately, she may be sitting more of an outside bet than one of the favourites where she really should be. The draw has been quite kind to her though, if she can battle through and get some momentum going. Still a threat, and if she wins her quarter, then who knows, but as reflected in her odds, her time away from the game over the past month or so could really hurt her. Her best finish at the US Open was runner up in 2008.

Venus Williams 7/1 at BetFred
Has to be counted as a threat, and a big one when it comes to performing at the big events. She is missing a Grand Slam title this year after not being able to go all of the way, and it’s not really been one of the most convincing seasons for her. Her sister is not taking part, so all focus will be on her to perform. She has a tricky quarter of the draw, and then she would bump into the winner of the Clijsters quarter in the semi finals, which isn’t going to be an easy match. Shahar Peer and Flavia Pennetta will go against each other for the right to face Williams in the fourth round, and they are very tricky opponents. Then you have Bondarenko and Pavlyuchenkova in the same quarter, it’s going to be tough going for Venus. But she is a champion and a winner, and is well worth looking at it tennis betting. She is beatable though and probably not quite on top of her game, but she has won the title twice before at Flushing Meadows.

Notable Outsiders
Ana Ivanovic (20/1 at Bet365). She really is getting back to the best of her abilities, the skill sets which took to her world number one during her career. She fell heavily from there, but she is looking really hungry this year, and didn’t mess around knocking out Jie Zheng in the first round. A wild card threat in the Clijsters quarter. Not a great draw for her, but worth taking a peak at. As is Maria Sharapova (9/2 at SportingBet), who is also looking as if she has found a new energy for the game this year. Not seeded, and that will work against her, but could set up a very interesting fourth round match against Caroline Wozniacki. Why Sharapova is second favourite is a bit of a mystery. She is playing well this year, but not at the level to take out all of the higher class opposition in her way. Vera Zvonareva (18/1 at Blue Square) is one of those players who you always look at in tennis betting, hesitate and then move on past. She is in the same quarter as Jankovic and with questions over the Serb’s fitness, Zvonareva could be a threat. Consistency and rising up to the big occasion will be her biggest challenges.

As mentioned, the WTA is wide open in terms of talent at the moment. You have Jankovic and Wozniacki who have probably been the two outstanding performers of the year, but when you draw names from a hat like Sam Stosur (33/1 at Bet365), Elena Dementieva, Ana Ivanovic, Agnieszka Radwanska and more, then you are going to be in for a wild tournament, and more unpredictable than the men’s.

ATP Tennis betting on Andy Murray (11/4 at Totesport) is looking good for the US Open, which is the final Grand Slam of the season. Murray, who recently won the Olympus US Open Series (which is a series of tournaments on the US hard court swing of the season leading up to the US Open) is looking in the best shape of the year. While he put in great performances at the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year, the rest of the rest in between had been looking pretty mediocre for Britain’s great tennis hope. Murray has yet to land a Grand Slam title in his career, but this will be one of his best chances again, if he stays aggressive and focused. What seems to have helped him is the fact that he has ditched his coach, and ever since that happened around a month ago, he has looked renewed and the shackles have come off a bit. Murray, who reached world number two in the ATP rankings this year, breezed through the first round of the US Open against Lukas Lacko in straight sets in under two hours. One of the major factors at Flushing Meadows so far has been the overwhelming heat in New York which has been pushing up to around 100 degrees. Murray’s easy first round match, which didn’t present any scares for the Scot, was just the perfect tonic to set him up for the rest of the tournament. Murray now plays Jamaican Dustin Brown in the second round.

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Further good news which may just influence your tennis betting on Andy Murray with your online bookmaker, is the fact that in his quarter of the draw, the nearest challenger to him in terms of ranking has crashed out. Tomas Berdych, the world number seven, suffered a surprise defeat in the heat, and that means Murray’s potential quarter final opponent won’t be against the guy who knocked him out in in the semi finals at Wimbledon. Murray’s biggest challenge will probably be Sam Querrey who he could meet in the third round. But realistically, Murray should be untroubled through to the semi finals if he stays on top of his game. In the semi finals he will probably face Rafael Nadal though, who is in the same quarter as Fernando Verdasco (8th). But a Murray v Nadal semi final would be the expected path which the first half of the men’s US Open draw will take, and there’s not much reason to bet against it. With Murray beating both Nadal and Roger Federer recently, the tides could just be turning in favour of the Scot as he looks for his first major title.

Andy Murray US Open Betting Special – Stage of Elimination
Semi Final: 8/5 at BetFair
Runner Up: 2/1 at BetFair
Quarter Final: 3/1 at BetFair

But of course, what happens on the day is unpredictable and you cannot discount the threats in the tournament as a whole from the top players. It is true that the men’s draw is nowhere near as open as the women’s draw, and realistically for your tennis betting you are not going to be looking much further than Nadal, Federer or Murray. Novak Djokovic is always a threat in tournament, but he has never quite delivered when in matter most. Aside from those four, there is almost another division level back to the rest of the top ten, where the likes of Robin Soderling and Nikolay Davydenko reside. With Andy Roddick going the same was as Berdych, it just clears the path for more predictability. While they are good players in their own right, watching over the course of the season, you can see a clear divide between the elite few and the rest of the chasing pack in the ATP. This means that US Open betting on the men’s tournament shouldn’t go much further than the top four. As proven at the Grand Slams already this year, the cream really do rise to the top when it comes to the big events, with Roger Federer winning one in Australia, and Rafael Nadal winning the other two Grand Slams in France and at Wimbledon.

Rafael Nadal – 7/2 at SkyBet
He should be first pick as favourite in your tennis betting for the US Open. He has had a far superior season to anyone on the tour, eclipsing the might of Roger Federer with some ease. With the two Grand Slam titles under his belt, he is on the charge to land a remarkable hat trick. He dominated the clay court portion of the season, the surface upon which he is most comfortable, but it doesn’t matter where he plays, it is not often that you won’t see him bring his top game. He really only has Fernando Verdasco to worry about in his quarter of the draw, and as mentioned, a Murray v Nadal semi final is expected. He was pushed quite hard in his first round match, but still came through in straight sets. Nadal holds a 52-7 match record for the season, with a 21-6 record on hard court. This is the only Grand Slam title which the great Spaniard is missing from his collection, his best finishes being semi final appearances in 2008 and 2009. He has won five out of the six finals which he has reached this year. Out of interest, Nadal holds an 8-4 head to head advantage against Murray.

Roger Federer – 6/4 at Bet365
Has not had the domineering season one would expect from the tennis great, and there are signs that he is becoming fallible. After winning the Australian Open right at the start of the year, Federer has not picked up another title anywhere, which is something of a shock for the master. Can he now round out the Grand Slam year as he started. Seriously, tennis betting odds will be against him doing so, with Nadal having the upper hand over him, and having suffered a loss to Andy Murray recently. Unlike Nadal, Federer does have good history at the US Open, having reached six consecutive finals at Flushing Meadows. Of those six finals, Federer has won the title five times, and that goes some way to redress the balance a bit here, if you are thinking of backing the Swiss superstar. Let’s look at his draw. Federer, going as number two seed, has received the easiest draw of the top players. The only other threat in his quarter of the draw is number five seed Robin Soderling (who Federer has a 12-1 head to head record against), and truthfully, if Federer doesn’t make it to the semi finals it will be something of a major shock. That is another thing which is in his favour here at the US Open. Awaiting in the semi finals for him, will likely be Novak Djokovic which should be interesting, as Federer holds a 10-5 head to head against him.

Novak Djokovic – 14/1 at Boylesports
Could be the best wildcard bet of the US Open. He is a very consistent player at getting into the latter stages of tournaments, where he usually falls down. He has maintained his position well in the world top three and the young Serbian really has a lot to offer. It is some surprise that he has not amassed more titles this year, but should be a threat. If someone is going to take out Federer, then it could well be Djokovic in the semi finals.

Pakistan’s decision to omit the three players being questioned in connection with the spot fixing scandal, captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer, is threatening to overshadow England’s axing of Kevin Pietersen for the T20 and one-day series. Indeed, there is that much going behind the scenes that it’s easy to forget there is actually a couple of limited overs series to play before Pakistan depart these shores.

There’s no doubt that it is the tourists who will have been most weakened by the withdrawls, voluntary or otherwise, and slightly surprising therefore that bet365 view a drawn series (1-1) as the likely outcome (6/5). I can’t imagine that morale is exactly sky-high in the Pakistan camp at the moment. There will be on to their third captain of the tour when they take to the field for the first T20 in Cardiff and come into the game on the back of their worst-ever defeat in test cricket. Their bowling has been the only bright spot so far on an otherwise humbling tour and now two of their three best bowlers will be missing. I just can’t see where they are going to get enough runs to trouble England, who have selected a pretty much tried and trusted squad with one or two exciting additions. Let’s not forget, England were only crowned the T20 champions in the spring and have beaten the Australians in a one-day series since their heroics in the Caribbean. For the T20s, only Kevin Pietersen, James Tredwell, Ajmal Shahzad and Michael Lumb are missing from their World Cup-winning squad which will be led again by Paul Collingwood. Craig Kieswetter will again play the role of pinch-hitter at the top of the order but will hand over wicket-keeping duties to Surrey’s Steve Davies, who has been in tremendous run-scoring form in one-day games for his county this summer. Kieswetter is 4/1 with Ladbrokes to be England’s top scorer in the first T20, with Davies quoted at 5/1 by bet365. The pick, the innovative Eoin Morgan, is 9/2 with Paddy Power. Pakistan’s top scorer betting is headed by brothers Kamran Akmal (a general 4/1) and Umar Akmal (9/2 with Paddy Power and William Hill are offering odds of 5/4 that the Pakistani bowlers don’t bowl a single no-ball in Cardiff – now that would be ironic!

• Eoin Morgan to be England top scorer in first T20 @ 9/2 with Paddy Power

England v Bulgaria is the big football betting highlight of the weekend (well, Friday evening) as Fabio Capello looks to shake off the World Cup hangover and guide England to the Euro 2012 Championships. England are in a group along with Switzerland, Bulgaria, Wales and Montenegro, a group which they are strongly expected to win. This is the first competitive test for Capello’s new England, after shaking up the squad following the World Cup.

England to win: 3/10 at Totesport
Draw: 4/1 at Bet365
Bulgaria: 12/1 at BetFred

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It has been about a decade since the two nations went head to head in international competition, and the last two matches between them ended in draws. Bulgaria may just be a little tougher than people are expecting, as they gave Russia some a very hard battle in the World Cup qualification group. They probably aren’t going to go out and threaten to beat the home side too much, but there will be a solid, organised team matching up against England. While that may give England some reasons just to show a little caution, and certainly not be too complacent, the home fans will certainly want to see some strong attacking play, and none of the negative, directionless play that plagued their 2010 World Cup Campaign. This almost feels like a new era which England is beginning under Fabio Capello, and football betting on England will be very interesting over the next couple of matches. After the Bulgaria game, England travel to Switzerland next week for their second group match.

England do have some injury problems which will again chance the face of the starting eleven. Chelsea’s pairing of Frank Lampard and John Terry are both missing from action after picking up injuries on club duty, so there are opportunities for players to come in and make an impressive mark. Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand is still missing because of injury, but it looks as if he will be ready to make a return to action soon after making a showing for United’s reserve team this week. That really leaves the central defensive positions wide open, and to some surprise, Capello has recalled Matthew Upson to the squad. Michael Dawson from Spurs will, more likely than not get one of the places, but there is strong competition to see who would partner him. After calling up Manchester City’s Joleon Lescott, Capello has him as an option, or Phil Jagielka or Gary Cahill. Goalkeeping duties will be resumed by Manchester City’s Joe Hart, after making a very impressive start to the Premier League season. West Brom’s Scott Carson has been drafted into the squad as well, along with Birmingham’s Ben Foster, as he looks to rebuild his career after a disappointing season at Manchester United.

England v Bulgaria History
1962 – England 0, Bulgaria 0
1968 – England 1, Bulgaria 1
1974 – Bulgaria 1, England 0
1979 – Bulgaria 0, England 3
1979 – England 2, Bulgaria 0
1996 – England 1, Bulgaria 0
1998 – England 0, Bulgaria 0
1999 – England 1, Bulgaria 1

Fulham striker Bobby Zamora misses out on a spot because of injury, along with Tottenham’s Peter Crouch, who will also miss international duty after he too picked up an injury to his ribs. There is unlikely to be any replacement drafted in, as Crouch was one of five strikers named in the 24 man squad. With Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe, Carlton Cole and Darren Bent to choose from as well, the forward positions are well covered. United striker Wayne Rooney broke his long goal scoring drought in last weekend’s Premier League match against West Ham. That was his first goal for club or country since March, and Capello will be hoping from a repeat of the dynamic goal scoring feats which Rooney produced in the World Cup qualifiers.

Another surprise in midfield was the selection of Shaun Wright-Phillips, who failed to deliver any quality at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He gets a spot over Aaron Lennon though in a surprise move, but with wingers Adam Johnson, Theo Walcott and Ashley Young, SWP will probably be down the pecking order. After having a largely disappointing season for club and country last term, Manchester United’s Michael Carrick also makes a surprise return to the squad. Having never really stepped up to the plate for his country, he will remain as backup to Manchester City’s Gareth Barry in the defensive holding role. But Lampard’s absence will be the key factor for Capello to address. This is the ideal chance to use Steven Gerrard in his best position for ninety minutes, as the captain is likely to take over the attacking midfield role. Gerrard, who scored both of England’s goals in their 2-1 international friendly victory over Hungary recently, will be looking to drive his country forward. There is no place in the squad though for his new Liverpool team mate Joe Cole.

Goalkeepers: Scott Carson, Ben Foster, Joe Hart.

Defenders: Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Kieran Gibbs, Phil Jagielka, Glen Johnson, Joleon Lescott, Matthew Upson

Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Steven Gerrard, Adam Johnson, James Milner, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Ashley Young

Forwards: Darren Bent, Carlton Cole, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Wayne Rooney.

Euro 2012 Outright Odds
Spain: 4/1 at Bet365
Germany: 6/1 at Ladbrokes
Holland: 8/1 at Victor Chandler
Italy: 11/1 at Boylesports
England: 12/1 at SportingBet
France: 14/1 at Stan James
Portugal: 14/1 at Coral

Britain’s Elena Baltacha, playing in the main draw of the US Open for the first time in her career, blitzed her way into the second round in just over an hour of play. Baltacha, who is ranked 57th in the World and is enjoying a very successful and progressive season, beat Petra Martic, the player who knocked her out of Wimbledon in the first round a couple of months ago. This time around Baltacha looked more comfortable and confident in winning 6-2 6-2 without any trouble whatsoever. Scot Baltacha is the main focus of British women’s tennis and has been carrying the flag all season so very well. She has scored impressive victories over top ten players like Li Na, Jie Zheng and French Open winner Francesca Schiavone. Now Baltacha has a chance to fire her way into the top fifty players in the world, an ambition of the positive and never say die approach she brings to the game. Perhaps the disappointment at Wimbledon has made her just that little bit stronger, and going into the second round where she plays Petra Kvitova. Baltacha will be well worth backing in the match, especially if she brings such a professional and clinical display, and she will have had a day’s extra rest over her opponent.

Baltacha to win: 6/4 at Stan James
Kvitova to win: 4/7 at SkyBet

One of the most noticeable improvements against Martic at Flushing Meadows, was the serving of Baltacha, who only lost two points in the whole match when she got her first serve in. Baltacha has picked up two titles this year, in something of a comeback year for her after suffering with a long injury in 2009. The 27 year old is the brightest spark on the WTA, and the prize for getting past the tough Czech opponent, will be a likely third round encounter against US Open defending champion Kim Clijsters. That would be a marvellous encounter for Baltacha on such a huge stage. Petra Kvitova, ranked 27th in the world will be an enduring test for Baltacha, but the Scot has beaten higher ranked opponents this year already, and is well worth backing in tennis betting for today. Kvitova was a surprise semi finalist at Wimbledon this year, where she fell to Serena Williams, but hasn’t been past the last 32 of a tournament since then.

Check out the US Open Tennis betting coverage at Bet365 where you can keep up to date with live in play betting, and some of the most competitive prices available. Follow Andy Murray and Elena Baltacha as they look to impress at Flushing Meadows with tennis betting at Bet365. The online bookmaker offer a welcome bonus of up to £200 and also provide plenty of live streaming of sporting events through their website, making them one of the most popular and highly recommended betting sites to visit.

England’s women hockey team are in action again and are worth a look at in sports betting odds, as they are contesting the 2010 Hockey World Cup. The English side, which impressed so well recently at the Champions Trophy, where they picked up the Bronze medal after causing some big upsets, have made a strong start to the tournament with two wins from two.

Check out Bwin for the latest odds on the Women’s Hockey World Cup. Bwin provide good betting on field hockey, as well as live video coverage for the major highlights. This popular online bookmaker not only offers a generous welcome bonus of up £27, but you can also enrol yourself in the free rewards program where you earn rewards just for betting. The more you earn the bigger the rewards. Bwin win truly does have an extensive sports book covering all the major sports and sporting events, to the minor sports betting on markets such as water polo, alpine skiing and chess. With a fantastic looking website, excellent live in play services and live streaming, all of your betting needs are very well catered for. Get behind England at the Women’s Hockey World Cup by betting at Bwin.

England women beat Spain 3-2 in their opening match, getting a little confidence under their belt for some tougher challenges ahead. England have been drawn in Group B of the World Cup, and it is a tough quest for them to navigate. In the group they have Argentina, who are one of the best sides in the world, as well as China and South Africa, both of which can be very dangerous. Korea make up the numbers in the group and should be watched as a strong dark horse. Korea got the better of China in the group stages to get their momentum underway. The group should pan out with England and Argentina fighting for top spot, with Korea looking to mix things up. Argentina, especially being in front of their home fans, will take a lot of stopping here, and should be backed as favourites in your sports betting. They opened their account with a 5-2 win over South Africa, and the big group clash will come when they take on England. The Argentineans will be looking for some revenge after England beat them in the group stages of the Champions Trophy recently. England beat Olympic semi finalists China in their second group match, by a score of 1-0, keeping up the pressure on the Argentineans who play Korea. In a tough contest, which saw some fiery tempers, England prevailed thanks to a strong defensive display after opening the scoring in the very first minute. Argentina won their second match also, beating Korea in a tight 1-0 match.

In the other group, you have the strong presence of the Netherlands, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, India and Japan. This should be an even closer contest for the top spots, but if you are looking for favourites, then you should lean towards the Netherlands. The Netherlands, along with Argentina are probably the two biggest class acts in Women’s hockey at the moment and more likely than not a winner will come from one of those two. But when you throw Australia and New Zealand into the mix, both of which have the potential to go deep in tournaments, then the group is wide open. If you are looking for stats, then the Netherlands have won the World Cup six times (which is the record – Rosaria 2010 is the 12th World Cup), and they have been present at all World Cup tournaments. They have an illustrious record at the sport, and don’t be too surprised to see a mighty Netherlands v Argentina clash in the final. But let’s focus on England and their chances. To be honest, if the progression which they showed at the Champions Trophy recently in Nottingham can be built upon, then they have every chance of reaching the semi finals of the World Cup. They are not going to be favourites to win the tournament, as they still look as if they need an extra edge, especially up front. But they showed a tremendous spirit in the Champions Trophy and are worth a look at in individual match betting. Their toughest challenges in the group will be Argentina and Korea, but the battling qualities they have shown so far at the World Cup should put them in pretty good standing.

Thursday, September 2: England v Korea
Saturday, September 4: England v South Africa
Monday, September 6: Argentina v England

Thursday, September 2nd
England: 2.25 at Bwin
Draw: 4.50 at Bwin
Korea Republic: 2.25 at Bwin

England will play Australia in the semi finals of the Women’s Rugby World Cup, after coming through their group stage undefeated. They rounded out the group with a strong 37-10 victory over the United States, sealing a 100% record which shot them straight into the semi finals. England topped their group over Ireland, USA and Kazakhstan, finishing with the maximum of fifteen points. The hosts have looked fairly untroubled through their progress, as expected and finished as top seeds after the group qualification stage. New Zealand were the only other group winners to finish with the maximum points, but England pipped them in the seedings for the knockout stages by virtue of having a better points difference. England are showing a lot of firepower at the tournament, with the team being the highest scorers in the competition ahead of New Zealand. They have also ran in the most tries in the tournament, with Katy McLean second on the points chart for individual scorers. England will be well worth backing in the semi final, as they have the upper hand in experience and overall quality in the women’s game, and should be able to snuff out the threat of the emerging Australians.

Australia finished the group stages as the best runner up, coming in in second place in their group behind New Zealand. This sets up a clash with England. Interestingly given the history between the two countries at the men’s international level, the two sides have never met in a women’s international. England are the most established of the two sides with Australia emerging as one of the newer most promising and exciting talents on the world scene. The Aussies pushed the limits of qualification, needing to beat South Africa in their final group game by a huge 56 points margin. They miraculously did it though, beating the South Africans, who were being touted as one of the other strong dark horses of the competition, by a score of 62-0. Any Australian side, will of course be confident of victory, but there doesn’t appear to be quite enough in the tank to be able to take down the English, certainly not having to play against the home crowd as well. It should be an entertaining affair though, with two attacking sides, but England’s defence will have the edge. The women’s game is a lot more of an open, running game than the men’s. The women keep the ball in hand a lot longer and you won’t see a lot of possession being kicked away.

Twickenham Stoop hosts both of the semi finals, and kick off is at 8.30 pm Wednesday. The first of the two semi finals will be contested between three times defending Champions and tournament favourites New Zealand, as they take on France who needed to beat Canada in their final group match to squeeze through to the knockout round. Canada, who are always a threat in Women’s Rugby, were holding on to one of the semi final spots before the last round of matches, and their loss, coupled with Australia’s unlikely win over the South Africans, knocked them out. France should prove to be stubborn opponents, but New Zealand are the top side in the world and will take some beating, especially in the knockout stages of the World Cup. The Black Ferns have won the tournament three times in a row now, and will take some stopping. England are second favourites to win the 2010 Women’s Rugby World Cup, and their 1-1 tied series in the Autumn against New Zealand, will give them plenty of optimism to focus upon.

England v Australia Odds
England to win: 1/5 at Paddy Power
Draw: 25/1 at Bet365
Australia to win: 9/2 at SportingBet

2010 Women’s Rugby World Cup Betting Outright
New Zealand: 2/7 at Paddy Power
England: 11/4 at Bet365
Australia: 40/1 at Boylesports
France: 125/1 at Totesport

The new rugby union Premiership season gets under way this weekend with the Exeter Chiefs making their first ever appearance in the top echelon of club rugby in England. If the last few years are anything to go by, the west country club could be in for a baptism of fire. Leeds (15/2 with Betfred to finish bottom this season) managed to avoid the drop last term but in previous years teams gaining promotion from the Championship have only had a brief sojourn with the Premiership and bookmakers are expecting Rob Baxter’s side to follow suit. The Chiefs can be backed at a general 500/1 to win the Grand Final and are a best 4/7 with sportingbet to be propping up the rest come the end of the regular season.

Enough of this doom and gloom, however, and let’s concentrate on the top of the table. Bath (5/1 with Victor Chandler, Stan James and Ladbrokes to win the Grand Final) still appear to be heading in the right direction and will almost certainly benefit from having Sir Ian McGeechan on the coaching staff this season, while it’s worth remembering that Northampton actually won more games in the regular season last year than eventual champions Leicester. The Saints seem sure to be in the firing-line again and can be backed at 9/2 with sportingbet, William Hill and extrabet, while I wouldn’t rule out a concerted effort this campaign from London Irish. Grand Finalists in 2008, Irish had a miserable run of luck with injuries last term and never really got out of the blocks. Toby Booth is obviously happy with the bulk of his squad, however, as there will only be three new faces at the Madjeski Stadium this year and Irish could be a decent bet to make the play-offs (5/2 with Ladbrokes). Paddy Power also make them 3/1 to finish as the leading London club.

But back to the Grand Final - can anyone logically oppose Leicester? The Tigers are a general 2/1 to emerge triumphant again at Twickenham next spring and that seems a fair bet to me. It’s impossible to believe that Richard Cockerill’s men won’t be in the play-offs as, quite simply, they still have the strongest squad despite losing England’s Ben Kay and Lewis Moody during the summer. Sure, the Tigers will be weakened by international call-ups during the autumn and spring but so will most of their rivals, many of whom don’t have the resources to gloss over the cracks. The sudden-death format of the play-offs also seems to suit Leicester, chasing a hat-trick of finals, and they are worthy favourites.

• Leicester to win the Grand Final @ a general 2/1
• Exeter Chiefs to finish bottom in the regular season @ 4/7 with sportingbet
• London Irish to finish as leading London club @ 3/1 with Paddy Power

Know the rules of betting in betting shops! Tips & Advice

As we ease into another football season there will undoubtably be occasions when punter and bookmaker will
disagree over the outcome to a bet.
Whilst this is almost inevitable it can with a little bit of thought and effort be minimalised.
Most disagreements between punter and bookie come about mainly because the punter doesn’t read the bookmakers rules. The rules are there to guide both parties to an amicable conclusion should there be a dispute.
The first thing to remember is WRITE YOUR BET CLEARLY. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a bet on football or racing
or whatever. WRITE IT CLEARLY.

If you want TO TAKE A PRICE  tell the cashier, make sure that THEY put the price on the slip and initial it.
When you have your receipt check that it is dated and timed and that the stake is correctly receipted.
Yet another problem that often arises is an incorrectly staked slip. REMEMBER it is YOUR responsibility to
see that the correct stake is taken for the slip. NOT the cashiers. If you overstake, the balance will be returned to you
whether the slip is a winning or losing one. If it is understaked the cash actually receipted on the slip will be invested
proportionately. Exactly how this is done will depend upon the number of bets on the slip. Each bookmaker will have
his own method of dealing with this situation. Contrary to popular belief, the bookmaker will try to arrive at settlement
that is fair to BOTH sides.

TIMING BETS.
One thing that does lead to problems, unnecessarily, is wrongly timed or sometimes, untimed bets.
Any bet written on a slip should be timed. It will stop a lot of queries. Mis-spell a name but TIME IT and the odds are
on you to get due returns.
(RED ROBIN 2.30 W,  SHOULD READ RED ROBERT 2.30W. So long as there is not anything with a similar name you will
 be paid out).
Timing bets really comes into it’s own when backing Dogs.  Almost ALL dog bets are for TRAP NUMBERS. You must get
your times spot-on. A mis-timed trap number will be voided.
Should you write a football bet on a slip, many punters do, it doesn’t hurt to time your selction(s). Just in case.

BONUSES.
This is an area that can be fraught with pitfalls.
Always make certain that the bonus on offer refers to your bet(s).
Many bonuses are for a certain type of bet only.
Lucky 15, 31 etc. are almost always laiden with bonuses of varying degrees. However almost without exception there
 will be restrictions as to which bets it will apply.
Unfortunately football bets seldom qualify for any of these bonuses.
In general only Horse-Racing bets will qualify for 100% of bookies bonuses.

FOOTBALL COUPONS.
There are some lists on the coupons which have restrictions regarding the maximum number of selections allowed
per line. Always remember, these restrictions STILL APPLY if you write your bets on ordinary betting slips.
Another thing to remember. Coupons are usually printed two weeks in advance. So it is not unusual for the bookies
to change the prices of some of the teams in light of more recent performances. Once again, it’s up to you to know about
these changes. So check the screens and ask the cashier.

RULE 4.
Always read the bookies rules on this BLIGHT. If there is a Rule 4 deduction it WILL apply to the Winner and Placed
horses in that particular race.

LIMITS.
These days bookies try to operate without limits on winnings. Unfortunately this doesn’t apply to ALL bets available.
Many of the smaller chains do have limits on what they regard as non-regular bets.
These will include DOG bets at tracks not on the shop commentary system. Also football bets which include sides
 from the LESSER leagues.

Without doubt, most problems can be avoided if just a little thought and common sense is applied.
If in doubt ASK a member of staff. That’s what they are there for.

Fancy making  a few quid before the game even starts.
Why not try "scalping" a few ticks on a correct score. The ideal situation is a home team expected to score a few goals.
The likes of Chelsea, Man.U. and Arsenal spring to mind. Take an early price about, say, 1 – 0 and 2 – 0.  Both will usually
be available at about 7.0 or 7.5. Get on as soon as there is enough liquidity. A drop of 5 or 6 ticks is not unusual before kick-off.
Good Luck.