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I’ve already pinpointed Huddersfield Giants in the Super League this year and I’m prepared to stick with Nathan Brown’s team as the big guns enter the fray in the Challenge Cup. The Giants have made an encouraging start to their Super League campaign and are now as short as 10-1 to top the table in the regular season. Their defence has been particularly impressive, conceding only 40 points in their five outings at the time of writing including a shutout against Hull KR on the road. Facing the same opponents in the next round of the Challenge Cup, Huddersfield will be confident in making progress as they aim to go one better than their heart-breaking defeat by Warrington at Wembley last year and Betfred and William Hill look a bit big at offering 16-1. Bradford Bulls could be interesting as they are a team likely to progress the more they play together. They need to up their work-rate in the opposition’s half but Steve McNamara is steadily getting his team to tick the right boxes and they are also a decent bet at the same price. Holders Warrington Wolves are a best 7-1 (Boylesports, Betfair and Ladbrokes), but it may be worth taking on Leeds (7-2 with Blue Square, 888sport and William Hill) after being pulled out of the hat to face Hull at the KC Stadium. St Helens, winners of the trophy four times in succession in the Noughties (don’t you just detest that word) are the same price with Skybet and Boylesports, while early Super League pace-setters Wigan are quoted at 15-2 by Betfred. The Warriors should be too strong for Sheffield Eagles in round four but it remains to be seen if their defence will be able to maintain its high work rate and discipline beyond the spring. We’ll stick with the Giants again but it wouldn’t surprise me if the Wolves also went close again to retaining the cup.

I must admit, I’m still basking a little in the glory of picking out Jenson Button and Brawn GP for success in last year’s Formula One Championship. Alas, I can’t promise you 9-1 and 8-1 winners in the Drivers’ and Constructors’ title races this season but I still think there’s a bit of value to be had in the ante-post markets ahead of this week’s opening GP in Bahrain. For once, there’s been plenty to capture the imagination during the close season, not least Michael Schumacher’s return to the cockpit. The German rightly demands iconic status having won more Grand Prix and F1 World Championships than any other driver in history. One does have to question, however, how much hunger he still has after three years spent testing motorbikes and acting as an advisior for Ferrari. Considering his close relationship with the Italian giants it is also strange that he’s making his comeback with Mercedes. The fact that the innovative Ross Brawn is now chief designer at Mercedes will have heavily influenced Schumacher’s decision to return but I fear the physical strain of a long GP season may be too much for the 41-year-old and would willingly lay boylesports, extrabet and sportingbet’s 13-2 about him making a fairytale comeback to the Drivers’ Championship. Then, of course, there’s the battle of the Britons at McLaren. If Lewis Hamilton is feeling any signs of insecurity about having the current world champion join him at Woking, he certainly isn’t showing it. For the second year in a row, McLaren will have the number one driver in their ranks but, no matter how much practice he’s undergone, it’s going to take a few hours race time for Jenson Button to get the feel of his new car and that’s where Hamilton may hold the edge over his compatriot. The 2008 champion finished last season with a flourish and can carry that momentum forward to this campaign so bwin’s 9-2 is sure to attract support as oppose to Button’s widely available 14-1 quote for back-to-back titles. As always, of course, Ferrari will be competitive. Fernando Alonso is the ante-post favourite (a best 11-4) to bring home the title in his first season in the famous red car but it remains to be seen how the confidence of Felipe Massa (9-1 with bet365, skybet and sportingbet) has been affected by his horrific crash last year and Ferrari are worth opposing in the Constructors’ Championship (2-1 with Paddy Power and Ladbrokes) on that score. How about a punt on Red Bull in that market? There have been early signs this year that Renault have finally developed an engine to match Ferrari and McLaren and new regulations, which have effectively slowed down the cars, may well play into their hands this season. Australian Mark Webber (20-1 on betfair) broke his duck in F1 in Germany last year and is sure to make his presence felt again this time around but their number one driver looks to be rising star Sebastian Vettel, who pushed Button all the way last year and must surely go close again in 2010 with a stronger start. My money will be on the young German at 5-1 with boylesports. His team are priced at 10-3 with the same firm to win the Constructors’ Championship.

There are some immediate rewards for opening a new account with Boylesports. The initial rewards is up to £20 free when you make you first bet. Just open an account with the online bookmaker, make an initial bet on that account, and Boylesports will match it, up to a value of £20. That is just the welcome handshake to welcome you over the threshold, and once you are inside you will be greeted with more opportunities for bonuses, most notably through Boylesports’ generous cash back specials. It is worth keeping an eye on Boylesports, so that you can take full advantage of their daily and weekly cash back specials.

There are some great cash back specials to jump on ahead of the new sporting week. Firstly, if you get in quickly, there are Even Handicap Odds on England’s Six Nations game against Italy. The price can be taken for Italy (+16) or England (-16), which equates to the same thing. This applies to Match Handicap only and not alternatives. Over in the world of Premier League Darts, if any player checks out on a maximum 170 finish but loses the match, then Boylesports will refund all losing bets on that player. In the Bobsleigh of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, if Ireland finish in the top 10 of the two women event, all losing outright bets on the market will be refunded.

As well as offering guaranteed best prices on their horse racing markets, Boylesports often run cash back races, which generally means that if you horse comes in second, you will get your losing win single stake back. Keep an eye on this excellent bookmaker’s site to capture all of the promotions that pop up on a running basis. Boylesports is an excellent place to stop by for your online sports betting. Their sports book is awash with opportunities, from American Football, all the way down the alphabetical list of sports to the Winter Olympics. A nice solid bet in that field, is Canada Women to win the Ice Hockey at 1/2. This is the Canadian Ice Hockey team which just beat Slovakia 18-0 in their first group game.

The Boylesports site looks great, with a blue theme, and the sports book is organised into three parts. First of all there is great racing section, which brings you everything you will ever need to make a bet on the horses. Their clear listing of races is backed up with easily clickable form guides. The racing section has a Racing Radio, an excellent Racing Form and Racing Results guide, with clearly presented information to cast your eye over when making your selection. There is also virtual horse and greyhound racing to enjoy if you are waiting for the next big race to start.

Live In play betting is one of the important features of an online bookmaking site, and Boylesports certainly doesn’t fall over in that department. It is everything you would need, clear, concise and quick to load and update on prices. Boylesports provide great coverage on their Live In Play betting. All of the major football markets are covered very well too, with plenty of action coming from across the domestic European league. There are plenty of different coupons to chose from, and it is easy enough to get to any country from football market menu down the left hand side, which dominates the sports book when it is expanded. There are usually weekend bonus accumulators to take advantage of, and an interesting Mythical Match Betting selection, in which you decide which of two teams will score the most goals in their respective weekend fixtures (these are teams not playing against each other). There’s also a great soccer stats section as well.

Overall, Boylesports provide a generous welcome bonus, and a pretty good online sports betting experience once inside. It is a full and rewarding online experience, without being over the top or confusing to navigate. There are options of poker, casino, lotteries and skill games to enjoy as well, there different sections running their own special bonuses. But even if its just sports betting that you stick to, it’ll be worth it to take advantage of their welcome offer and enjoy betting with Boylesports over the busy week ahead, which sees the return of the Champions League.

Superbowl XLIV between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints is being billed as the big quarterback showdown between Peyton Manning and Drew Brees but I think the key figure in the tussle in Miami’s Sun Life Stadium could be the Colts‘ running back Pierre Garcon. Rain has been falling persisitently in south Florida since the weekend, threatening to turn the field into a quagmire and making handling conditions difficult, and that could persuade both quarterbacks to limit the number of long plays they target towards their regular wide receivers. So step forward Monsieur Garcon! In his second season with the Colts, the 23-year-old New Yorker has accumulated a return of 11 catches and 151 receiving yards and his ability to run at speed from deep was too much for the Jets‘ defense to handle in the AFC Championship game. The Saints‘ defense will more than likely be doubling up on Colts‘ first-choice receivers Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark so Garcon’s ability to latch on to the short pass could be even more important and he looks a decent bet at a general 12-1 to score the first touchdown of what promises to be a high-scoring game. Peyton Manning’s credentials as the Colts‘ possible match-winner are well-advertised. The NFL’s Most Valuable Player of 2009 did, after all, lead the Colts to victory in Miami three years ago – but what of opposite number Drew Brees? The former Chargers‘ QB is widely regarded as one of the most innovative in his position in the NFL and he’ll acquire legendary status if he manages to steer the Saints to victory in their first-ever appearance in the Superbowl. He’s formed a productive partnership with Marques Colston (10-1 with boylesports, Ladbrokes and William Hill to score the first touchdown) but Brees may have to temper his adventurous nature if the play demands it and one can’t be sure how he’ll react if things start to turn against his team. The Colts have a very mobile defense and Brees will find himself under immense pressure every time he has ball in hand and he looked very nervy in the NFC championship decider against the Vikings. That game exposed the Saints‘ defensive limitations to some degree and Manning is probably a more consistent quarterback than the legendary Brett Favre nowadays so Colts‘ fans will be hopeful their man can enjoy similar success in opening up the opposition’s flanks. I  believe that the Colts will be much too strong for the Superbowl rookies and would recommend backing them to overcome a five-point start for the Saints at Evens with Stan James. I would even suggest they may be capable of racking up a double-figure points margin if grabbing the early initiative so the general 6-1 for a 13-18 winning points margin in favour of the Colts also makes some appeal.

Manchester City have been shortened to general 4-1 second favourites for this season’s FA Cup after another weekend of relative upsets in England’s premier knockout competition. A City second-string cruised past Championship strugglers Scunthorpe in round four but whether the Premier League’s biggest spenders will still have Brazilian striker Robinho among their ranks when they take on Stoke City in the fifth round remains unclear, however. The former Real Madrid star has allegedly already told a Brazilian radio station that he’s joining Santos in his homeland on loan until the end of the season, despite denials by City manager Roberto Mancini. City’s next opponents Stoke were one of those teams responsible for a surprise in the fourth round, knocking out 10-times winners Arsenal. The Potters, who have never reached an FA Cup Final, are now 50-1 chances with Skybet, boylesports and Betfred, to lift the trophy in May. With Manchester United and Liverpool already having already fallen by the wayside and Spurs (8-1 with Blue Square, 888sport and Ladbrokes) being held to a draw by League One  Leeds (80-1 with Betfred and Stan James) Chelsea, the last survivors of the traditional ‘Big Four’ of the Premier League, are now understandably hot favourites to defend their crown, only Ladbrokes putting their head above the parapet by offering odds of 7-4 against the Blues who will face Championship side Cardiif City at Stamford Bridge in round five. Birmingham City may be worth an interest at bet365’s 16-1. Alex McLeish’s side are in teriffic form, underlined by their win at Everton in the last round, and they shouldn’t be unduly worried about a trip to Pride Park to meet an ordinary Derby County (200-1 with boylesports and William Hill) in the last 16. Aston Villa, with one Wembley appearance already booked, are general 7-1 chances having been paired with either Wolves or Crystal Palace while Fulham (general 14-1) will also fancy their chances of further progress with a home tie against either Wigan Athletic (available at 50-1) or League Two Notts County. That’s providing the latter survive another winding-up order this week. South coast near neighbours Southampton (150-1) and Portsmouth (40-1) clash at St Mary’s in perhaps the most attractive of the fifth-round ties.

Here we go again – will 2010 prove to be another year waiting for Andy Murray to finally come of age and land a Grand Slam, or will he prove all of his doubters wrong? I’m going to stick my neck out and say it will the latter because, put quite simply, Murray is simply too good not to make the breakthrough sooner rather than later.  The 22-year-old Scot shows no sign of being under pressure to end a frustrating run of near-misses in the tournaments that really that matter and his patience could well be rewarded in the Australian Open at Melbourne over the next couple of weeks. Hardcourt is undoubtedly Murray’s favoured sphere (five of his six tournament wins on the ATP Tour last year were on the surface) and he looked in pretty good nick in last week’s Hopman Cup, despite a surprise singles defeat in the final to Tommy Robredo. Some might argue that dropping to fifth in the world rankings has done no favours to Murray in Melbourne. Holder Rafael Nadal is now a possible quarter-final opponent with US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro seeded to await the winner of that one in the last four. However, there are big questions marks against those two at present. Del Potro, a general 6-1 chance, pulled out of last week’s AAMI Classic with a wrist injury and has been nursing a sore knee for the past few weeks, while reigning champion Nadal hasn’t won an ATP title for more than eight months. The Spaniard (4-1 with totesport), despite holding a 7-2 career verdict over Murray, clearly doesn’t get around the court as quickly as he did before last year’s serious injury and, though still having all the shots in his arsenal, may be vulnerable against Murray’s mobility. Of course, even if he reaches the final, the Scot (13-2 with betfred, Victor Chandler and Paddy Power) will still have to beat either Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic. Federer (3-1 with boylesports and extrabet) is bidding for an amazing 16th Grand Slam, having bounced back from defeat in an epic final against Nadal in Melbourne 12 months ago to win at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon. He also lost out to Djokovic here in 2008, however, and maybe this tournament comes a little too early in the season for him nowadays. Indeed, I believe Djokovic may be the one to emerge from the top half of the draw. He’s been in cracking shape on the ATP Tour over the last few months, winning in Beijing, Basel and Paris at the latter end of 2009, and betfair’s 8-1 is a cracking bet considering he’ll make the semi-finals at least on all known form. Backing the Serbian and the Scot at either end of the draw seems a sensible policy to me with doubts over their three main rivals.

Hawaii, land of volcanoes and grass skirts, home to the US Pacific Fleet, the world’s top surfers, Magnum PI and Steve McGarrett (if you’re not old enough to remember Hawaii Five-O, ask Mum or Dad). The islands are also home to the first two tournaments on the US PGA Tour and, after the SBS Championship, it’s the turn of the Sony Open at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu this week. There’s a theory that a strong showing in the first can lead to a successful conclusion in the second and that has certainly been the case in the last two years, KJ Choi and Zach Johnson both building on solid performaces in Kapalua to emerge triumphant on Oahu. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, has followed a similar path this time around and it’s no surprise he is prominent in the betting to reprise his 2009 success. Boylesports and extrabet quoting the at 20-1. But Brian Gay, fifth last year, should have conditions to suit again and Stan James (40-1) look to have seriously underestimated his chances. This course, sandwiched between the giant Koko Crater and the Pacific Ocean, hugely favours those with a high percentage strike rate from fairway to green and Gay is among the best of that breed, as wins in the Verizon Heritage and Stanford St Jude Championship last year testify. He’s come on in leaps and bounds recently and, at those kind of odds, punters can afford an each-way bet and still have a win saver on the classy Steve Stricker, who heads the market at a general 12-1. Stricker was fourth here in both 2007 and 2008 and the world number three traditionally comes to hand early in the season. With no Tiger Woods to worry about for the foreseeable future, the man from Wisconsin should be challenging for the Majors this season and is worth keeping on the right side of.

Boylesports welcome the uninitiated to their site, by offering new account holders up to £20 in Free Bets. When you place your first bet (for which the minimum amount must be £10) then Boylesports will match that initial stake. This is a nice offer to start your betting experience with the online bookmaker, and you can play the free bet to try and increase your profits. Welcome offers such as these are an immediate and extra nice bonus for new customers, and are there to be taken advantage of when you find bookmaker that you are happy with.

The layout on Boylesports is cool and concise, with a good listing of the day’s sporting events running down the centre of the page. This allows punters the chance to make quick bets without having to use the left hand navigation menu to go into the individual sections. Top of the list is a good bet on the King George IV Chase which takes place on Boxing Day, with favourite Kauto Star coming in at 1/2. That is of course, as long as the race goes ahead, with all of the bad weather threatening Boxing Day sports across the nation. If that happens, you can always jump to their virtual racing game, where there will never be any danger of the courses getting frozen! Boylesports also offer a great Horse Form section if you want to get into depth studying the all important form. Other Racing services include a Racing Radio and a comprehensive results section, and the chance to watch live racing. Boylesports also offer guaranteed best prices on the horse racing, meaning that if the starting price is greater than an early board price which you took, then they will give you the bigger price.

Boylesports portray a welcoming and friendly atmosphere on their site, and it is very inviting without being overwhelming. Features on the site include a good betting calculator and the option to make your bets while on the move with their mobile betting service. There is plenty on the site to keep you occupied, from Lotteries (various international ones), Casino, Games, Skill and Bingo. Whether you want to Bet2View, Bet & Watch or just follow action on their radio, Boylesports have a lot covered. If you need to keep up to date, then their i-bar is worth a look, as it will sit in your internet browser and keep you informed. Boylesports often run special Cash Back promotions, and their current one is to do with the BDO World Championship Darts which start on January 2nd. Boylesports will refund all losing single bets on the outright market, if current champion Ted Hankey wins the title again.

In the sports book, Boylesports offer some good, ready made multiple bets, especially on the football. There are Weekend Bonus Accumulators, and for Boxing Day there is an Early Banker bet, which comprises of Chelsea, Newcastle and Cardiff at 11/4 and all teams must win. Another good one is their Live Bonus Doubles, and a good selection is Chelsea and Liverpool at Evens (again both teams need to win). They also have a great Soccerstats section if you want to delve a little deeper and help you to decide what selection may be the best option to take. The sports book is great, covering everything from American football to Volleyball, so in all the markets in between, you should be able to find what you want. Going into a sport will lead you to the list of main bets, from where you can then select multiple sub-bets to add to your slip. Check out Boylesports and see for yourself.

My wife dragged me into town to do the Christmas shopping yesterday. And when I say dragged, I mean I left marks all the way to the front door where I tried dig my fingernails into the laminated floorboards! You see, I’ve learned over the years that shopping and me aren’t compatible. I just can’t come up with an intelligent answer when asked if Auntie Edith would like a chunky cardigan or whether Grandad would appreciate a box set of Jackie Chan DVDs. I’ve decided it’s not my fault, it’s simply part of my genetic make-up. The experience did, however, prompt me to consider, on the trudge back to the car through the gathering gloom, that buying gifts for me is like betting on certain events for some people. I freely admit I know nothing of the wool-wearing or martial arts preference of near relations and certainly wouldn’t wager money on being correct in my assumptions why, then, do some folk let common sense fly out the window when it comes to wagering? So, when someone brings darts into the conversation and your first thought is of the Seventies be-bop band who had a hit with ‘Duke of Earl’, or with the pleats of a skirt, you probably shouldn’t be having a bet on the PDC World Darts Championship which gets under way at Alexandra Palace this week. Those of you, of course, who know that, in this case, ‘Barney’ doesn’t refer to Fred Flintstone’s best pal but world number two Raymond Van Barneveld will also know that Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, bidding for his 13th PDC crown, is virtually unbackable at a best 2-5 with boylesports and Stan James, though probably still a better investment than sticking a large wad of cash in a savings account nowadays. More interesting, however, is skybet’s 12-5 about Mervyn King winning his quarter of the draw. King does have to get past 2008 champion John Part in his section of the draw but has an impressive pedigree in televised events and reached the last four of this competition 12 months ago. A finalist in this year’s Premier League, in which he took Taylor’s notable scalp, ‘The King’  is a rather apt choice to do well in this festive event.

Online Bookmaker, Boylesports, offers a great portal into the world of online betting. With a blue and white themed crisp and clean website to navigate around, betting markets are easy to find. One of their latest promotions offers the chance for cashback on the forthcoming PDC World Championship of Darts. If Phil “The Power” Taylor nails a 9 dart finish on his way to winning the tournament, then Boylepsorts will refund all losing single bets which have been made on the “Outight Winner” market for the Champions. Offering cashback for lost bets is a big thing for Boylesports, and it is definitely something to take advantage of.

Along with special Cashback offers for certain events, such as the X-Factor winner, there is also the chance to get your stake back on more regular sports. If your horse comes in second for example, then Boylesports will refund your stake on certain races. The huge betting market of soccer is not ignored eithers, and when it comes to football matches, their most recent payout was refunding lost “goalscorer” bets on the big Liverpool vs. Arsenal showdown. Why? All because Russian genious Andrei Arshavin scored the last goal of the game.

Even with the fun Cashback chances to enhance your betting, Boylesports offer the complete betting experience, from streaming events to betting live-in play on a wealth of events. Adding to their bells and whistles, is a radio channel, a betting diary, a comprehensive form and stats section, and an excellent I-bar to help you keep up to date with their latest news from within your internet browser. All of the usual other services are there, from Poker, Casino, Lotteries, Games, Skill and Bingo too, so wherever your gambling fancies take you, you can be assured to find what your want on the Boyelsports website.

If ever there was more incentive, then their nice welcome package will do the job perfectly for you. When you open a new account and make a bet of £10 or more, Boylesports will match that first bet up to the value of £20. Check out the Boylesports website for full terms and conditions, but this is a generous offer to boost your new account with a free bet. Sign up is a quick and simple process on the website, and you can be live and betting in no time. Consistently providing good prices, along with a detailed list of all sporting action that is available to bet on now, directly on their home page. For a comprehensive online bookmaker service, on a website which is quick to load, and easy to find your way around, check out Boylesports and take advantage of their matched first bet and cashback specials.