2010 WORLD CUP PREDICTIONS AND TOP TEN WEIRDEST BETTING MARKETS PART TWO
The final five weirdest betting markets for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa are among some of the most out-there ones I've ever seen. However, with a few shrewd selections, you can cash out some nice profits as some of the prices on offer are excellent. I find the most important aspect of playing football special markets is the ability to expect the unexpected, so to speak.
# 5
First Goal Celebration
There's some really outside bets available at tremendous prices if we get a repeat of a famous goal celebration. Paddy Power has listed odds for the first goal celebration and the favoured selection seems to be the simple badge kiss at a 5/2 price. Should the first world cup goal be followed by somersaults, you're looking at a 4/1 price.
Odds for a player to take his shirt off after scoring pays out at 9/2. I expect that to be a popular selection, but some will obviously want to back a prayer to god at 7/1. I think crossing themselves qualifies there. Should the player pull an Eric Cantona and stand there and nothing, you're getting paid out at 9/1. A Fabrizio Ravanelli-style shirt over the head pays a solid 12/1. The aeroplane pays 22/1 while Bebeto-style baby rocking is at 28/1. A Peter Crouch robot dance pays out at 50/1 and the infamous Robbie Fowler cocaine sniffing off the toucline celebration pays a whopping 150/1.
Personally, I think with the opening match being South Africa vs Mexico that the Mexicans are favoured to score first. With a team certainly full of catholic players, a prayer to god is likely the stand out selection at 7/1. I think you stand a good chance of getting paid out even if a South African scores first. Also, if the first goal is an own goal- the payout will be based on the first World Cup goal that isn't an own goal.
# 4
England vs USA National Anthem Betting
Whenever they play the national anthems at the start of the match, you'll always notice some of the players are singing their lungs out while others either chew gum, adjust their crotch or have their eyes shift back and forth suspiciously. Paddy Power is listing odds on how many England will be shown on ITV singing the national anthem.
The favoured option is between exactly 7 and exactly 9, and that's priced at just over even-money with an 11/10 price. Ten or more England players singing the national anthem pays out at 2/1. Between exactly 4 and exactly 6 pays 5/2 and between exactly 1 and exactly 2 pays a solid 8/1. No players singing the national anthem is sitting at a massive 20/1.
Personally, I think ten or more is the way to go, as they will show both teams in their entirety and the English players are media-savvy enough to know that their every movement will be scrutinized. I also imagine in the first match they will be fired up with even more patriotic flair so I think ten or more England players to be shown on ITV singing the National anthem in the USA Match is probably the way to go.
# 3
Magazine Specials
A few footballing magazines have released predictions for the 2010 World Cup and the venerable Irish bookmaker is offering up odds on a number of these predictions. Some of the highlights include Spain not to qualify from their group at 11/1. Lionel Messi to score more than 7 goals is trading at 18/1.
Odds on Wayne Rooney scoring the winning goal in the World Cup final pays out at 25/1. Rooney to get injured in the first game and not to play again also pays out at 25/1. Xabi Alonso to score from inside his own half is trading at 66/1 while three Italian players to get sent off in the same game is also at 66/1.
Thierry Henry's odds to score a "handball" in the 2010 World Cup are a massive 100/1. Cristiano Ronaldo to win the golden boot and be named player of the tournament is 33/1 (that's plausible as if Portugal do win it he will surely be the key factor). Peter Crouch to score an overhead kick pays out at 33/1 while Fernando Torres to score the last goal in the tournament trades at 16/1.
Lionel Messi's odds to be named player of the tournament are listed at 4/1. North Korea's odds to allow the most goals in the group stage is listed at 6/4.
Personally, I would normally be all over that Thierry Henry handball bet, but I have a sneaking suspicion that he would admit that he scored with his hand and insist that the referee reverse his decsion even if a goal was awarded. I do like Peter Crouch to score an overhead kick though, especially at 33/1. Lionel Messi to score 7 goals or more would be a very nice complimentary bet if you plan on backing Argentina to win the lot.
# 2
Number of Goals Conceded by Teams In Red in the Moses Madhiba Stadium
The teams playing in red in this tournament are Spain, South Korea and Portugal, although you could argue that Portugal play in more of a purple shade- Paddy Power is still calling them red. The over/under is proced at 3.5 with the over option priced at 8/15.
Under 3.5 goals conceded by each of these teams in the Moses Madhiba Stadium is trading at 11/8. Each of the teams plays in this game once during the group stages with South Korea playing Nigeria, Spain playing Switzerland and Portugal playing Brazil. I don't see Switzerland scoring against Spain and I fancy South Korea to beat Nigeria though they will likely concede a goal. What the bet on here is basically for Brazil to run Portugal when the two teams meet up in Durban.
I'm tempted to take the under option here as I think all three of these teams will likely have good tournaments and I think Brazil aren't quite as prolific as they used to be in front of goal.
# 1
First Team to Show a Jesus Christ T-Shirt For a Goal Celebration
This is an interesting market and with the proliferation of cheap store-bought iron-on transfers, many extremely catholic footballers prefer to flash an image of their lord and saviour when they are celebrating a goal.
Brazil is listed at 15/2 and that's a pretty safe bet, while Italy is listed at 9/1. Those are two justifiable favourites and Argentina is also well-priced at 9/1. Spain trades at 12/1 while Greece is listed at 14/1. Mexico play in the first match and they are trading at 16/1.
A North Korean player to show a Jesus Christ shirt as a goal celebration trades at a whopping 1000/1.
I'm of the opinion that the only time a goalscoring player would risk a yellow card (you get carded for revealing shirts with messages on them) would likely be if they were already on their way out of the tournament. Logically, I would want to back a catholic country that isn't particularly favoured to do well. Enter: Honduras at an enticing 50/1 price. Bets will be refunded if no Jesus T-shirts are visible.