New Year – Special Novelty Betting 2013

No shortage of New Year market to tempt punters

Laura Robson
Laura Robson © GEPA pictures

Happy New Year to all readers and I hope 2013 brings peace and prosperity.

I must admit, 2012 treated me quite well and not having to survive the forecast Armageddon was an added bonus. I will be content to enjoy similar fortune over the next 12 months and bookmakers have come up with several attractive and novel bets to keep up the interest levels. I particularly like Skybet‘s 7/2 about Rory McIlroy winning a Major and Andy Murray a Grand Slam. The former is easily the best golfer on the planet right now and can only get better, while Murray has finally proved he is the equal of both Novak Djorkovic and Roger Federer and will be thereabouts again in Melbourne, Wimbledon and New York, though maybe not Paris.

Fed up with the British weather? William Hill will lay you 5/1 that 2013 proves the wettest year on record but, if you’re an optimist, Ladbrokes are offering 10/1 that this next year proves the hottest in recorded history. Bigger odds (14/1 with Ladbrokes) are available about the UK winning Eurovision or The Queen abdicating (16/1). Both are as unlikely as the Loch Ness monster popping up and staying long enough for the TV cameras to get there (200/1). There might be a bit more interest in whether Gary Barlow is sacked from the X Factor (3/1 with Stan James) or Bruce Forsyth is retired from Strictly Come Dancing (5/4 with the same firm).

With no Olympics, World Cup or European Championships this year, the Ashes and Wimbledon are going to have a pretty clear run in the UK and England‘s cricketers are just 2/1 with Skybet to regain the number one spot in the world Test rankings. British women’s tennis was on the up last year with Heather Watson winning her first WTA Tour event and Laura Robson reaching her first final and winning a silver in the Olympics. The pair still have a way to go to challenge the world’s top 20 but you can get 9/1 with Skybet that either win a Grand Slam in 2013. Andy Murray is a general 3/1 to finally lay to rest his Wimbledon hoodoo.

Wherever you  decide to gamble in 2013, may all your losses be small ones!