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Carl Froch certainly isn’t short of confidence ahead of this weekend’s WBA and WBC super-middleweight title unification bout against Andre Ward in Atlantic City.

The 34-year-old from Nottingham believes he is currently Britain’s best pound-for-pound boxer and has the record to match his boast, winning 28 of his 29 fights with 20 of those victories achieved by knockout. Froch is well aware that he is attempting to do what fellow Britons Amir Khan and David Haye could not as he bids to be crowned the world’s top super-middleweight but isn’t concerned by the fact that his opponent is fighting on home soil. That may be a little naive when one considers what happened to Khan in Washington last weekend, though Ward is hardly a native of Atlantic City having grown up on the Pacific coast.

Froch is one of the few who believes Khan deserved to lose a split decision verdict against Lamont Peterson in Washington but has no intention of leaving the verdict of his fight with Ward in the hands of the judges. Froch has already beaten Glen Johnson in Atlantic City, but even then a Japanese judge actually scored the fight as a draw even though it was obvious to everyone there that the Briton had easily won the vast majority of the rounds.

Ward suffered a cut in training shortly before he was due to meet Froch in October but is reportedly fit and well ahead of the rescheduled bout and has been impressing in training. The Californian fighter has won all 24 of his previous match-ups, 13 inside the distance, but Froch is capable of pushing him close though the American would probably be favourite if the contest went the distance. Ward is a best 4/11 to come out on top in Atlantic City, while Froch is 57/20 on betfair. A draw is unlikely but can be backed at a general 28/1. The Briton is a general 8/1 to stop his opponent, while Ward is 17/2 with Paddy Power to knock out the older man.

With a rematch next year already in the pipeline, Skybet go 1/4 that Amir Khan gains revenge on Lamont Peterson with Coral offering 4/1 that the American confirms last week’s controversial verdict.

Paddy Power Gold Cup winner Great Endeavour certainly isn’t being allowed to rest on his laurels and the grey will line up for the Spinal Research The Atlantic 4 Gold Cup at Cheltenham this weekend just two weeks after another brave run in the Hennessy at Newbury.

The grey will no doubt appreciate the drop back in distance as 3m2f clearly taxed his stamina in the Hennessy but he’s gone up a further 6lb in the weights recently and may be worth opposing now at the general 8/1 as there is every chance that both Quantitiveeasing and Divers, second and third in the Paddy Power, can now turn the tables. The pair are old rivals having finished second and first respectively in a valuable novices’ handicap at The Festival in March. Just under three lengths separated them that day and Nicky Henderson’s charge is now 3lb better off. Available at 7/1 with Boylesports, Coral and William Hill, Quantitiveeasing may just be the more progressive and can finally get his head in front over C&D though Divers certainly shouldn’t be ignored at the general 8/1 as Ferdy Murphy‘s stable is beginning to show signs of a revival after a low-key start to the season.

Great Endeavour is undoubtedly David Pipe’s first choice but the Nicholshayne trainer has four entries in total including the consistent I’msingingtheblues (19/1 on betfair), Matuhi (33/1 0n betfair) and Salut Flo. The latter could be a real fly in the ointment as he looked a very smart prospect early last year before being sidelined by injury. Still only a six-year-old, he may well be capable of landing a nice prize off his current mark and Conor O’Farrell’s claim is worth a further 3lb this weekend. Salut Flo is 16/1 with most layers.

Woolcombe Folly (a general 25/1) looks to have too much weight and is better over 2m but stablemate Ghizao (a general 7/1) deserves another chance as he looked as though the outing would do him good when fourth to Medermit (12/1 with betfred, Boylesports and totesport) at Exeter. Paul Nicholls‘ seven-year-old is 4lb better off in this. Sunnyhillboy, one of three running in the colours of JP McManus, could also be a threat as he was third behind Poquelin and Great Endeavour in the race last year. AP McCoy‘s mount (15/2 with sportingbet) is now 12lb better off with the latter so has every chance of turning the tables as he had a pipe-opener over hurdles at Haydock last month. Sandown winner Roudoudou Ville is improving but this represents a big staep up in class for bet365 and Skybet‘s 14/1 chance, while Irish raiders Roberto Goldback and Finger Onthe Pulse (33/1 and 80/1 respectively on betfair) no longer look good enough at this level.

Experience of Aintree‘s Grand National fences should never be underestimated. Winning form at the track is an even bigger plus and that makes last year’s winner Hello Bud a very tempting proposition again in the Betfred Becher Chase, despite his advancing years.

Nigel Twiston-Davies‘ gelding will turn 14 on New Year’s Day and is at an age when most racehorses will be doing nothing more strenuous than nibbling a carrot or acting as the trainer’s hack. But Hello Bud is the exception to the rule and clearly enjoys the test these big fences pose. He’s only 3lb higher than 12 months ago when he had Ballyvesey (a general 20/1) back in fourth and his comeback fifth at Wincanton proves he is no back number. That outing should have blown away any cobwebs and the bold-jumping Hello Bud can light up Aintree again at the general 8/1.

Always Waining is another who rarely disappoints around Aintree and he’s won the Topham Chase for the past two years. Two recent runs over hurdles should have put him spot-on for this and Betfred are probably being a little generous in offering him at 12/1, though there is just a question mark about his stamina over this longer trip. Dessie Hughes has trained the winner of the Becher Chase twice in the last three years and relies on Rare Bob this time. Available at 12/1 with Boylesports, the nine-year-old has won four times over fences and has more chance in this than when reappearing in the Champion Chase at Down Royal last month, though still has his fair share of weight. Ireland may have more chance with Another Palm, who ran a cracker in the Cork Grand National last month having shown himself to be a progressive stayer in the spring. Still only a six-year-old, Noel Meade‘s chrage (a general 8/1) still has some scope though these fences will expose any lack of experience.

Huntingdon winner Max Bygraves (a general 16/1) is a doubtful stayer but Grand National fifth Niche Market (9/1 with most layers) will be staying on when others have cried enough and West End Rocker also has stamina in abundance, though it’s a little worrying that the 16/1 chance with Paddy Power, Stan James and Victor Chandler has failed to complete his last three starts.  Shalimar Fromentro (12/1 with Victor Chandler) and Swing Bill (a general 14/1) are also worth opposing but further rain would bring Bangor second Nicto De Beauchene into the equation at Skybet and sportingbet’s 11/1, though he’s high enough in the weights now.

Barely have the tyres cooled and the pit lane garages been locked up for the winter than bookmakers are already looking ahead to the 2012 Formula One season with Sebastian Vettel a best 11/8 with Betfred, totesport and Victor Chandler to complete a hat-trick of World Drivers’ Championships after running away with the title this year.

The German had the crown in safe keeping with four races to spare in 2011, becoming become the youngest-ever driver to win back-to-back titles, and it appears punters think he will prove a cut above the opposition again next year. Vettel won 11 times during the season and the 24-year-old’s next target will be to surpass Michael Schumacher‘s record of 13 victories in a year. Vettel described his team Red Bull as ‘faultless’ after finishing second to team-mate Mark Webber in the final Grand Prix of the year in Brazil and they are 11/10 to win the Constructors’ Championship next year with Skybet ahead of McLaren (13/8 with William Hill) and Ferrari (6/1 with bet365 and Skybet).

Behind Vettel, McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton is a best 5/1 to win his second world title, with Ferrari‘s Fernando Alonso available at 6/1 with Skybet and Hamilton‘s team-mate Jenson Button 7/1 in several places. Hamilton‘s problem this season has been inability to steer clear of trouble. Some of his fellow drivers believe the Briton is much too aggressive on the track and lets his heart rule his head on occasion. His long-running feud with Felipe Massa certainly did neither driver any favours. Hamilton now has a few months to cool off and there are signs that McLaren are beginning to close the gap on Red Bull, but whether they’ll do that before the new season gets under way again in the spring is questionable given that F1 made a big effort to make the sport a more level playing field just 12 months ago and it’s unlikely there will be any more radical changes to rules over the winter.

Though it hasn’t yet been confirmed, it appears that David Beckham has played his final match for LA Galaxy after finally leading the MLS club to some silverware. It’s taken five years for the former England skipper to bring tangible reward to Los Angeles and opinions remain divided over whether his multi-million dollar contract has proved value for money – the LA Times describing Beckham‘s time at the Galaxy as ‘mostly filled with empty promise’ – but he’s undoubtedly raised the profile of soccer in North America, though his move to the States was regarded as premature by some as he probably had at least another couple of years left in him at the top level when he headed across the Atlantic. Steve McClaren‘s attempt to shorten his international career probably had a major bearing on his decision to take the money and run, albeit at a slower pace in the MLS, but Beckham says that ultimately what happens now depends on his family and where Posh want to do her shopping in the future. No surprise then that AC Milan, where Beckham spent a half-season on loan a couple of years ago, features in the market for his next club at 18/1 with Paddy Power, though the perilous state of the Italian economy might be a barrier to a lucrative deal. France seems to be on a much sounder financial footing which is why current Ligue 1 leaders Paris St Germain are 1/5 with Skybet to get Beck’s signature, though they do offer less options than Paddy Power where he is 4/9.

PSG seem to offer everything the Beckhams are looking for. Chic and stylish, Paris is only three hours away from London by Eurostar and the club are on course to offer the family’s principal money-earner one final season in the Champions League and the possible chance to visit old haunts like the Bernebeu, the San Siro and, of course, Old Trafford. Other less likely destinations for the Beckham roadshow with Paddy Power include Russian billionaires Anzhi Makhachkala (25/1) and Leyton Orient (200/1), but ambitious Malaga (20/1) might make some appeal given the area’s obvious attractions. QPR and Tottenham Hotspur (both 10/1) head the list of Premier League clubs who might be interested.

Martin Johnson has paid the ultimate price for England‘s controversial failure at this year’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. The coach and former skipper of the national side falling on his sword when it became obvious that he’d be forced to become part of a new coaching set-up as a condition of carrying on. Bookmakers have a had a market prepared on who will be his successor but are still largely divided on the respective odds of likely contenders.

Northampton coach Jim Mallinder is among the leading fancies for the vacant role and Paddy Power have him as short as 7/4. However, most other layers have him at 3/1 and 888sport have taken a firm view about Nick Mallet. They have the former Springbok and Italy coach at 9/4 following a glowing recommendation by South Africa‘s World Cup-winning captain John Smit.  Under the current set-up, however, he’d still have to report to performance director Rob Andrew and that wouldn’t go down too well with the forthright Mallet, which probably explains why he’s a 6/1 chance to with sportingbet and Paddy Power to get the job.

Johnson’s decision to quit was clearly unexpected by William Hill, who were offering 11/4  that Johnson would quit before the Six Nations just hours before his resignation but failed to take a single bet of note. They are currently among a number of layers hanging fire on betting on a new coach while the RFU is in a state of flux, but Skybet have nailed their colours to the mast of Graham Henry. He’s just guided New Zealand to World Cup glory and looking for new challenge having allowed his contract with the All Blacks to run down. The English RFU wouldn’t have to pay anyone compensation, therefore, and he’s already expressed a desire to return to the Northern Hemisphere. Henry is 7/4 with Skybet but can still be backed at 13/2 with 888sport and Blue Square.

Shaun Edwards is available at 50/1 with Skybet and Ladbrokes, even though he’s just signed a new contract with Wales and is looking for a way back into club rugby, while others quoted include John Kirwan (16/1 with Blue Square, 888sport and Coral), who has done a good job with Japan, and Ian McGeechan (a general 33/1) but too much water has passed under bridge to take Dean Richards‘ 25/1 quote from Ladbrokes seriously.

Fresh from dominating the final round of the Australian Open the Internationals team, made up of non-European players, are determined to buck the trend and beat Team USA in the Presidents Cup for only the second time in nine attempts.

Since its inception in 1994, the Americans have dominated this Ryder Cup-style competition, enjoying far more luck against their largely Australian and South African counterparts than the Europeans, and team captain Fred Couples again has a strong line-up at his disposal. The likes of Dustin Johnson, Steve Stricker, Phil Mickelson and Webb Simpson will don the Stars and Stripes, while Bill Haas and 14-times major winner Tiger Woods are included as Couples’ wild-card picks. Tiger looked to be coming back to his best in Sydney and will be one of the chief attractions at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club where he is a 7/1 chance with Betfred to be Team USA‘s top points scorer. Likely playing partner Stricker is a general 9/1 to be his team’s top scorer, while the ever-improving Matt Kuchar is rated a 10/1 shot with Skybet, Paddy Power and Stan James.

The betting to be the International team’s top scorer is equally open with in-form Jason Day vying with Adam Scott for favouritism at a general 6/1. The interesting one in this market, however, may be Robert Allenby. One of five Aussies in the International squad, he boasts a terrific record at Royal Melbourne and it would be no surprise to see him come back to life after a largely disappointing 2011 on the US PGA Tour in which he’s only managed four top 10 finishes and seen his FedEx Cup world ranking slip 27 places. This is his local course and he’ll have a vociferous following on the tees and fairways so could be a worth a small interest at the general 12/1, while South African Charles Schwartzel is also a decent bet at Skybet‘s 8/1.

Royal Melbourne saw Team USA’s only Presidents Cup defeat in 1998 and 2011 could see history repeating itself. The Internationals are a best Evens with Ladbrokes and Stan James to notch a rare win, while the USA are 11/10 with bet365 and Victor Chandler to retain the trophy. Most layers are offering 14/1 against the tie. Team USA have six Presidents Cup rookies but nine of their 12 players have Ryder Cup experience so shouldn’t be fazed by the format or pressure but the ‘home’ team may just have their measure on this occasion.

With England’s defensive, 10 man behind the ball victory over Spain on the weekend naturally this is a good opportunity to go and take a look at some England Euro 2012 betting specials. In the outright winner market, England are still nestled back in the chasing pack, out at 12/1 at Bwin. They are firmly behind Spain, Germany and Holland, which is understandable, because all three of those sides play wonderful, fluent, attacking football, and a winner of next summer’s finals will likely come from that trio. While England’s Spanish victory can give fans room for cautious optimism, there are likely going to be better markets for value to explore than getting behind England to win the tournament outright. Online bookmaker SkyBet are worth visiting to  check out England Euro 2012 Stage of Elimination betting. Of course, we don’t know what the group drawing is going to be, but surprisingly, England to go out at the Group Stage is 6/4 favourite in this market. Not a very optimistic outlook, and remember that England will be without Wayne Rooney, so how are England going to fare under competitive circumstances? After boring the world at the 2010 World Cup, has Capello progressed the national team enough to be competent Euro 2012 contenders? There is good value in 9/4 at  SkyBet for England’s elimination to come in the Quarter Finals which seems to be about the right kind of balance in the market. Other options here would be Semi Finals at 7/2 and Runners Up at 8/1. So good options and some genuine value than the one big outside shot of England lifting the trophy at the conclusion of Poland and Ukraine Euro 2012. One other bet along these lines can be found at Unibet, where England are 7/5 with the bookie to make the Semi Finals of Euro 2012.

So let us move on the players. Most of us could sit down and pencil in a squad, but with plenty of time to go until the summer finals, is there going to be a surprise inclusion? Arsenal ‘sAlex-Oxalde Chamberlein is the favourite selection in To Make The Squad betting at SportingBet, trading at 100/30 to muscle his way into the Euro 2012 squad. Or how about a longer shot of Owen Hargreaves, who is out at 7/2 to get back on the international scene next summer? Perhaps though, one of the most popular markets is going to be Top England Goalscorer betting. At least you can really narrow this one down a bit as you look down the coupon, against at SkyBet. Let’s assume Wayne Rooney is going to be missing from all group matches, so that will likely leave Darren Bent spear heading the attack. Bent is favourite at 5/1, with Manchester United winger Ashley Young just behind him at 6/1 with SkyBet. United team mate Danny Welbeck, who looks a genuine long term prospect for the national side, is priced at 8/1, the same price as the old steady hand of Frank Lampard, who continues to be in the right place at the right time. After his winner against Spain, and his recent form for his club Chelsea, he has to be good value. But the most interesting price in this market is Wayne Rooney at 6/1. Even if he misses the group stage, Capello is likely to take him and throw him into action in the knockout stages. Will he be hungry and explode into life with some golden boot magic? Naturally his games, and therefore chances as ending up as top scorer will be limited, but he is still trading well at 6/1 with SkyBet, so interesting considerations there.

So what do England really have to offer in the finals? Only time will tell. Will be worth heading to online bookmaker SkyBet for the markets above, because they have great coverage on alternative markets like this. SkyBet offer a superb sign up bonus as well for new customers registering an account. The bookie will automatically credit new accounts with a free £10 bet upon registration. This is completely free and there is nothing to do to get it, other than sign up. Which will make for the easiest free £10 bet you could possibly get!

Tiger Woods will return to action in the Emirates Australian Open this week ranked 58th in the world. It’s only a year since Tiger lost the number one spot to Lee Westwood but he’s trying to look forward rather than reflect on a traumatic period in his life which has seen his career blighted by controversy and injury. One of the most recent contentious aspects of Woods‘ fall from grace has been the breakdown of his friendship with former caddie Steve Williams, who admitted that remarks he made about the American last week “could be construed as racist”. Williams has since issued an apology but a reconciliation is unlikely in Sydney this week as the New Zealander caddies for local favourite Adam Scott, who is a general 8/1 to win the tournament. Woods is 11/1 with Betfred, totesport and Victor Chandler and has been promised that he won’t be paired with Scott and Williams in the first two rounds, though it will be interesting to see what happens if both are in contention on the final two days.

The Emirates Australian Open is big enough to stand on its own, however, without relying on a possible flare-up to spark interest. It’s being staged at the Lakes Club again this year and has attracted a host of big names from the US PGA Tour including Jason Day (11/1 with bet365 and William Hill), Hunter Mahan (16/1 with bwin and Paddy Power) and Dustin Johnson (a general 16/1). One who deserves a change of luck, however, is Matt Kuchar.  He’s tied for second place in The Memorial and filled the same spot in The Barclays Championship recently so could be a decent bet at the 20/1 with Boylesports, Ladbrokes and Paddy Power in Sydney.

This is a tournament in which the home team have proved almost irresistible in recent years, however. Lee Westwood is the only player from outside the southern hemisphere to have won the Australian Open since 1994 and South African Tim Clark the only non-Australian to have triumphed since 1998, so it may pay to concentrate again on those familiar with local conditions. Holder Geoff Ogilvy is 16/1 with Ladbrokes and Paddy Power, while Aaron Baddeley has won the tournament as both an amateur and a professional and is a general 20/1 this year.  I’ll put up the latter as a viable candidate again this year and he can also be backed at an attractive 15/8 with Skybet to achieve a top 10 finish.

Last year’s Grand Slam Of Darts Final saw one of the greatest comebacks of all time in the sport when Yorkshire’s Scott Waites recovered from an 8-0 deficit to beat James Wade 16-14. This is clearly a special tournament for Waites, a joiner by trade, who had been beaten 16-2 by Phil Taylor in the final 12 months earlier. The Grand Slam Of Darts is one of the few annual tournaments that allows players from the British Darts Organisation to compete with those from the more lucrative Professional Darts Corporation and Waites is 28/1 with totesport and Betfred to repeat his remarkable triumph of 12 years ago though, unsurprisingly, Taylor is a hot favourite again having won the competition three times since its inception in 2007.

‘The Power’ has dispelled any fears that he was losing his touch this year with big tournament successes in Doncaster, Blackpool, Dusseldorf and Dublin and he remains the one to beat at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall at Skybet‘s 11/8, though there are a few who might fancy taking him on. Justin Pipe, for example, has made giant strides on the circuit this year. The 39-year-old from Taunton in Somerset is pushing hard for a place in the world’s top 32 and regular practice partner Gary Anderson (a general 13/2 in the Grand Slam Of Darts) is predicting big things for him over the next 18 month. He’s a general 80/1 in Wolverhampton while Steve Beaton seems to like the event and can be backed at 125/1 with William Hill.

Others worthy of a mention include last year’s beaten finalist James Wade, a general 9/1, who has been in good form in recent weeks while John Part won’t be worried by his 94/1 quote from betfair and is more than capable of making his presence felt if he starts hitting the doubles early enough in the week. Adrian Lewis, a general 10/1, has the class to figure as well but may want to keep his tinder relatively dry for another tilt at next month’s Ladbrokes World Darts Championship where he may be better suited by the longer format.