The Sports Book - Times Online - WBLG

Rovers at 11-10 to rule at home

Doncaster Rovers can book their ticket to Wembley and land odds of 11-10 with Ladbrokes by beating Southend United in the second leg of their Coca-Cola League One play-off semi-final at the Keepmoat Stadium on Friday evening.

Zenit at 5-4 to dash Rangers' hopes

Zenit St Petersburg are fancied to end Rangers’ ambitions of an unprecedented quadruple and land general odds of 5-4 by triumphing in the Uefa Cup final at the City of Manchester Stadium on Wednesday evening.

City can hold out for draw at 9-4

Bristol City can be expected to robustly defend their first-leg lead when Crystal Palace travel to Ashton Gate for the return leg of their Coca-Cola Championship play-off semi-final on Tuesday evening.

Portsmouth can clip Fulham's wings

Portsmouth look overpriced at 5-2 with VC Bet to disprove the assumption that they will provide little resistance to a motivated Fulham side by beating the Londoners in their Premier League fixture at Fratton Park on Sunday.

Cink can clean out layers at 25-1

Stewart Cink should be backed at the generally available odds of 25-1 to claim the victory he’s been threatening all year in the prestigious Players Championship at Sawgrass. The event, regarded as the fifth major, carries a whopping $9 million prize pool and starts on Thursday.

Newcastle to maintain good run

Newcastle United look overpriced at 11-2 with Skybet to end Chelsea’s title ambitions by beating Avram Grant’s side in their Barclays Premier League fixture at St James’ Park on Monday afternoon.

Hammers can stand firm

West Ham United should be backed to escape a mauling when they travel to title-chasing Manchester United in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday lunchtime. Paddy Power offer the Hammers at 11-8 in receipt of a two-goal start and that could be the way to go.

Lewis to come good at 11-10

Adrian Lewis should be backed at the 11-10 offered by Sporting Bet to beat Wayne Mardle in the Whyte & Mackay Premier League on Thursday evening and so extend his hopes of taking the one remaining play-off spot.

Scolari favourite to succeed Sven

Luiz Felipe Scolari is the 3-1 favourite with Ladbrokes to be Manchester City’s next manager after owner Thaksin Shinawatra’s apparent loss of confidence in Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Clarke 6-4 to make Valhalla

Darren Clarke is 6-4 with Paddy Power to make the European Ryder Cup team after his long-awaited win at the BMW Asian Open on Sunday, his first success on the European Tour for five years.

Derby to cash in on start at 11-4

Derby County can provide their suffering fans with a semblance of cheer by avoiding a twenty-seventh Premier League defeat of the campaign when they host Arsenal on Monday evening. Bet365 and Betfred offer the Rams at 11-4 in receipt of a one-goal handicap start and, with the visitors seemingly assured of a third-place finish, that appears fair.

Mardle the bet with handicap start

Wayne Mardle rates an attractive bet at 6-5 with Skybet receiving a four-leg start from Phil Taylor in their Whyte & MacKay Premier League match at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast on Thursday evening.

Points set favourably for United

Punters who missed the boat as regards backing Manchester United to retain the Premier League title have been offered a late opportunity to jump aboard the Old Trafford bandwagon by William Hill. The bookmakers have opened a book on how many points Sir Alex Ferguson’s side will win the league by, and look to have made a rick in offering 3-1 that United prevail by four or more points.

Ryan to have his day at 40-1

Ryan Day should be backed at the generally available odds of 40-1 to claim his first main-tour title in the biggest event of them all, the 888.com World Championship, at the Crucible, starting Saturday.

McDowell is cracking bet in China

Graeme McDowell looks worth an interest at general odds of 14-1 to enhance his prospects of making the European Ryder Cup team by completing a quick Asian double in the Volvo China Open at the Beijing Golf Club, starting late on Wednesday night.

Wednesday set for seventh straight stalemate

Sheffield Wednesday can take the point they need to move out of the drop zone when they host Plymouth Argyle in the Coca-Cola Championship on Monday evening. The match is live on Sky and the draw is available at a top-priced 23-10 with totesport.

Pressure mounts on 4-7 Grant

Avram Grant is a hot favourite at 4-7 with William Hill to be the first of the Big Four bosses to leave his club.

Taylor to confirm recent superiority

Phil Taylor is a confident choice at 4-7 with Boylesports and Blue Square to confirm his recent superiority over Raymond van Barneveld when the world’s top two players go head-to-head before 8,000 fans in the Whyte & Mackay Premier League in Liverpool on Thursday evening.

Singh when he's winning at 20-1

Vijay Singh can dash Tiger Woods’ Glad Slam ambitions at the first hurdle and land punters a 20-1 touch by claiming his second green jacket in the Masters at Augusta, starting Thursday.

Eagles to soar at tasty 3-1

Crystal Palace represent value at odds of 3-1 with Boylesports to keep alive their promotion hopes by winning away to Stoke City in their Coca-Cola Championship fixture at the Britannia Stadium on Monday evening. The match is live on Sky.

Liverpool at 13-5 to seal first-leg lead

Liverpool should be backed at generally available odds of 13-5 to draw on the fine form of Fernando Torres and beat a faltering Arsenal outfit in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final at the Emirates on Wednesday evening.

'Tiger' Chambers 3-1 to earn stripes

Punters will need to be quick out of the blocks to grab the 3-1 that Coral offer about Dwain Chambers playing in a Super League match if Castleford Tigers coach Terry Matterson is to be believed.

Rangers at 5-4 to close in on title

Rangers should be backed at the 5-4 offered by VC Bet to take a big step towards ending Celtic’s two-year reign as Scottish champions by winning the Old Firm derby at Ibrox on Saturday lunchtime.

Beckham is up for the cup at 11-2

David Beckham is 11-2 with Paddy Power to play in the 2010 World Cup after notching his 100th appearance for England in their 1-0 friendly defeat to France in Paris on Wednesday.

Make it Mardle at 6-5

Wayne Mardle should be backed at the general odds of 6-5 to beat Peter Manley in their bottom-of-the-table, Whyte & Mackay Premier League clash in Birmingham on Thursday evening.

Westwood at 10-1 to make successful defence

Lee Westwood rates a strong favourite and should be backed at general odds of 10-1 to successfully defend the Andalucia Open at the Aloha Golf Club on Spain’s south coast, starting Thursday.

Swim with Swans at 7-4

Swansea can enhance their League One title hopes by confirming their recent superiority over Bristol Rovers at the Liberty Stadium on Monday evening. The Swans are a general 8-13 and an attractive 7-4 with Bet365 to win by two or more goals.

West Brom best at 12-5

West Bromwich Albion should be backed at the 12-5 chalked up by VC Bet to boost their hopes of securing automatic promotion by winning away to a faltering Charlton Athletic side in the Coca-Cola Championship at The Valley on Good Friday. The match kicks off at 4.45pm and is live on Sky.

Ogilvy worth each-way bet at 40s

Geoff Ogilvy could reward each-way support at general odds of 40-1 in the WCG-CA Championship at Doral, starting Thursday.

Taylor can extend winning run

A resurgent Phil Taylor should be backed to exact his revenge on James Wade when the pair meet for the second time this season  in the Whyte & Mackay Premier League at the Brighton Centre on Thursday.

Hull at 11-8 to enjoy away success

Hull City should be backed at the 11-8 offered by Bet Direct and Stan James to consolidate their position in the play-off places by winning away to bottom-of-the-table Colchester in their Coca-Cola Championship match at Layer Road on Tuesday evening.

Hamilton races to odds-on favouritism

Lewis Hamilton is now generally odds-on — VC Bet offer a stand-out 11-10 — to win the Formula 1 drivers’ championship after claiming the season-opening Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park.

Ashton 9-1 to be sacked by Sunday

Brian Ashton will need a good result when England conclude their RBS Six Nations campaign against Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday to keep his job according to bookmakers William Hill, who offer 9-1 that he will be out of work by Sunday night.

Barcelona head Champions list

Paddy Power are offering just 13-10 for an all English final after the draw for the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Friday. However, it’s Barcelona that remain at the head of the field as the 11-4 favourites to claim European honours after being paired with Schalke.

Hamilton 9-4 for F1 title

Lewis Hamilton is the 9-4 second favourite with Paddy Power to claim his first drivers’ title as they take to the starting grid for the 2008 F1 season.

Bite on Appleby at tasty 40-1

Stuart Appleby rates a solid, each-way alternative to hot-pot Tiger Woods in this week’s US PGA Tour event, the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The Aussie, an eight-time winner on the tour, is a general 40-1 chance with the layers, with most bookmakers paying one-quarter the odds the first five places.

Grant staring at early departure

Avram Grant is odds-on to have departed Chelsea by the start of next season after his side’s shock defeat by Barnsley in the FA Cup on Saturday.

United can ease to victory

Manchester United rate a solid proposition at evens with Blue Square and Stan James to beat Portsmouth by two or more goals in their FA Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford this Saturday lunchtime. Kick-off is at 12.45pm, with the match live on Sky Sports 1.

Taylor to hit target at 5-4

Phil Taylor should be backed at a top-priced 5-4 (Boylesports and Sporting Bet) to confirm his return to form by beating his arch rival Raymond van Barneveld in the Whyte & Mackay Premier League at the Nottingham Arena on Thursday.

Murray into 9-1 for Wimbledon

Andy Murray has shortened for Wimbledon after his victory over world No.1 Roger Federer in the Dubai Open on Monday.

Charlton to boost promotion hopes

Charlton Athletic should be backed at general odds of 6-5 to enhance their promotion prospects by beating Coca-Cola Championship leaders Bristol City at the Valley on Tuesday evening. The match is one of ten in the second tier being played on the night.

Keegan odds-on to see season out

Kevin Keegan is 2-9 with William Hill to remain as Newcastle manager on the last day of the season after receiving the dreaded vote of confidence from club chairman Chris Mort on Sunday.

Weigh in with Wade at 11-8

James Wade should be backed at a best-priced 11-8 with VC Bet to cement his fine start to the 2008 Whyte & Mackay Premier League by beating world number one Raymond van Barneveld in Bournemouth on Thursday evening. The match is the third on the night and scheduled for 9pm. All the action is on Sky.

Middlesbrough to wear Blades down

Middlesbrough can extend hopes of a Wembley appearance by beating Sheffield United in their FA Cup fifth-round replay at the Riverside on Wednesday evening. The game is live on BBC One.

City at 6-4 to enjoy home rule

Manchester City are worth a bet at the 6-4 offered by VC Bet and Skybet to build on their impressive home form by beating Everton in their Barclays Premier League match at the City of Manchester Stadium on Monday night. The game is live on Setanta.

Jenas can rise to occasion

Jermaine Jenas looks overpriced at 14-1 with totesport to pick up the Man of the Match award in this Sunday’s Carling Cup Final. The winner is as declared by Sky.

Mardle value to open league account

Wayne Mardle can reward an interest at best odds of 11-4 and post his first victory of the Whyte & Mackay Premier League by beating Adrian Lewis at the Ricoh Arena on Thursday. The fourth night of league action is live on Sky.

Mickelson to prove Mountain king

Phil Mickelson should be backed at the generally available odds of 14-1 to follow up his weekend victory at Riviera by winning the Accenture Match Play Championship at Dove Mountain, starting Wednesday.

13-5 Eagles can prey on Robins

Crystal Palace are worthy of support at best odds of 13-5 (Bet365, Boylesports and VC Bet) to resurrect their faltering promotion push by winning away to Bristol City in the Coca-Cola Championship on Monday evening. The match is live on Sky.

Spurs can claim first-leg lead

Tottenham Hotspur should be backed at the 10-11 offered by Boylesports and Paddy Power to win the first leg of their round of 32 Uefa Cup match away to Slavia Prague on Thursday. The match is live on five at 8pm.

Ireland 5-2 to trap running

Punters have responded positively to Giovanni Trapattoni’s appointment as the new manager of Ireland, with bookmakers Paddy Power reporting a flurry of bets at 5-2 that Ireland qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals.

Harry can rise to occasion

Beardys Harry, a longer price now than at the outset of the competition, can get it right on the night that counts by landing the £6,000 Stan James Springbok Final (9.45) at Wimbledon on Tuesday evening. The race is live on Sky.

Ince favourite for Coventry post

Paul Ince is Bet365’s early front-runner to replace Iain Dowie as manager of Coventry City.

Arsenal can advance title claims

Arsenal should be backed to turn the screw on their Barclays Premier League rivals by beating Blackburn Rovers at the Emirates Stadium on Monday night.