Online Betting News from Sky Bet

Toon backed for gloom

Mike Ashley's hopes of selling Newcastle United have been dealt another blow following the withdrawal of interest of potential buyers the Profitable Group and Sky Bet customers have been quick to latch onto the negativity on Tyneside by backing the Magpies to be relegated.

Sky Bet have slashed the odds of the Toon suffering successive relegations to 14/1 (from 33/1) and they have also been popular to finish bottom in the handicap market, prompting Sky Bet to cut their odds to 12/1 (from 18/1).

Sky Bet no longer make Newcastle favourites to win the Championship and they are out to 6/1 (from 9/2) third favourites behind north east rivals Middlesbrough (5/1) and West Brom (11/2). Their odds of achieving a top-half finish have also been eased to 1/3 (from 1/5) following support for them to finish in the bottom half (2/1 from 100/30). Sky Bet have also shifted the line on Newcastle's total season's points from 76.5 to 70.5 and eased them to 2/1 (from 7/4) to beat West Brom (11/10, draw 9/4) in their first match of the season.

Sky Bet's Mike Triffitt said: "With the uncertainty surrounding the management and ownership of the club, coupled with last weekend's embarrassing 6-1 defeat at Orient, punters have been quick to oppose Newcastle in every market and there remain very few positives for the club at present."

Alan Shearer is now 11/10 with Sky Bet to lead Newcastle into the Championship next month, with interim manager Chris Hughton 6/4 still to be in charge on August 8th.

Striker Obafemi Martins is keen to quit Newcastle for Wolfsburg and Sky Bet make him an even money chance to join the German champions this summer and 2/1 to line up at St James' Park.

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Contador for Caisse D'Epargne?

Sky Bet are offering odds on which team Tour de France champion Alberto Contador will ride for in the 2010 Tour and make Spanish outfit Caisee d'Epargne 11/8 favourite.

The Spaniard is set to move teams after hinting he was unhappy with Astana refusing to back him as team leader over Armstrong before the race. It's 4/1 that he has a change of heart and remains with Astana and 20/1 that he races for Team Sky.

Having described his relationship with Lance Armstrong as 'zero', Contador is 66/1 once again to ride with the seven-time Tour champion, who is also leaving Astana to head up a new Radio Shack team next year.

Sky Bet's Chris Kennedy said: "Contador has close links with Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso and it seems certain that he will ride for his team sometime in the future. However, reports suggest that it will probably be 2011 before Alonso has his team ready for the Tour de France and early indications suggest a straight battle between Garmin and Spanish outfit Caisse d'Epargne for Contador's signature."

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Defoe 11/10 to be top Spurs scorer

Harry Redknapp says that he now has four great strikers and Sky Bet make Jermain Defoe 11/10 favourite to be Spurs' top league goalscorer this season. New signing Peter Crouch is 9/4 second favourite, followed by Robbie Keane (3/1) and Roman Pavlyuchenko (7/1).

Keane could find himself down the pecking order following the arrival of Crouch, who is reunited with his old strike partner Defoe and Sky Bet make the Irish international 5/6 to score nine goals or fewer in the Premier League this season.

Spurs are 25/1 to be the top flight's highest scoring team in 2009/10.

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Fergie 14/1 to retire this year

Jose Mourinho has said he would jump at the chance of managing Manchester United once Sir Alex Ferguson retires and Sky Bet offer 14/1 that he gets the opportunity to throw his hat into the ring this year. Ferguson is 8/1 with Sky Bet to retire between January and March next year, 9/4 to go between April and June and 4/7 to remain at Old Trafford beyond June 2010. Mourinho is Sky Bet's 3/1 favourite to succeed Fergie, with Martin O'Neill 5/1 second favourite.

Manchester United take on Boca Juniors in the Audi Cup on Wednesday and are 4/6 to win in Germany. Michael Owen, who has bagged four goals on Manchester United's Far East tour, is 11/8 to find the net against the Argentinian outfit.

Owen has been installed as Sky Bet's 11/8 favourite to be United's top league marksman in 2009/10 ahead of strike partner Wayne Rooney (13/8). Sky Bet make Owen 5/6 to outscore Rooney in the league and the pair are 5/6 to score 30 goals or more between them.

Sky Bet have also cut Owen's odds of playing in next year's World Cup finals to 5/6 (from 11/10) and make him an even money shot to score in South Africa.

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Darren Bent 10/11 To Be Sunderland’s Leading Scorer

Ahead of Darren Bent’s move to Sunderland, Sky Bet are offering a number of specials for the England international including 10/11 he’s crowned Sunderland’s leading scorer in the league in the upcoming season. Bent, who scored a total of 12 goals in the league last season for Tottenham is, 5/6 to score over 11.5 goals in the 2009/10 season (5/6 under 11.5 goals) and it’s 2/1 he scores on his Premiership debut.

Sky Bet’s Tim Reynolds said: “Bent is a proven scorer and if he can link up with Kenwyne Jones, Sunderland will have a very capable partnership up front. If Bent is named in the starting line-up to take on Bolton on the opening day of the new season the 2/1 for Bent to score on his debut could be a value bet.”

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