What are the odds all the FA Cup quarter-finalists come from the Premier League? Derek McGovern's Bets of the Day
By Derek McGovern in Betting Blog
Published 21:00 17/02/12
A survey recently revealed that 50 per cent of Brits spend less than £10 a month on romance.
There’s a name for people like that – men.
I bring this up because it’s the FA Cup this weekend and punters always associate it with romance – normally because, like romance, it costs them bundles.
It’s at times like this that fans of minnows like Stevenage, Crawley and Everton can start dreaming of a trip to Wembley... to support one of the bigger clubs on Cup Final day.
A good cup run is a way for clubs to boost revenue.
For last year’s winners, Manchester City, cup revenue went nicely with Arab revenue.
For Chelsea, winners in 2009 and 2010, cup revenue dovetailed nicely with Russian oil revenue.
And for Harry Redknapp’s Portsmouth in 2008, cup revenue made a nice change from Inland Revenue.
It’s possible for all eight quarter-finalists this season to be Premier League teams – a 4-1 chance with Hills.
Hills are also betting on the lowest-ranked team to reach the last eight, and I would put no one off backing Blackpool at 18-1... although I’d put everyone off visiting it.
Manchester has no representative left in the FA Cup, but the city’s two clubs look to have found their true level in the Europa League.
After first-leg wins on Thursday, City and United are 12-1 with Hills to meet in the competition's final.
It was a shock to hear City star Carlos Tevez claiming he’d been treated like a dog by manager Roberto Mancini.
The Argentine pitbull has reportedly lost £8million because of a big barney with his boss, something that could so easily have been avoided had he taken out pet insurance.
It’s been suggested that an apology might be enough to heal the rift. Tevez expects one some time this weekend.
The former Manchester United star says he will be ready in two weeks.
That’s not what you expect to hear from an international footballer who has been out of the game for three months.
That’s what you expect to hear from a woman.
Tevez is 7-4 with Hills not to play for City in the Premier League again this season and that’s sitting up and begging to be monstered.
Lowest team to qualify for FA Cup Q/F (Hills): 11-5 Millwall, 9-4 Crawley, 4-1 Bolton, 9-2 Leicester, 8-1 Stevenage, 18-1 Birmingham, Blackpool, 25-1 Brighton.
Europa League: 3-1 City, 4-1 United, 8-1 Valencia, 10-1 Atletico Madrid, 12-1 Schalke, 16-1 bar .
***
BET OF THE DAY
My insomnia's getting worse.
I can't even sleep during office hours now.
Get on Stoke at 11-10 to win at Crawley.
***
MACCA'S ACCA
I went into a record shop yesterday and asked the assistant what he had by The Doors.
He said, 'A mop and a bucket.'
Get on Stoke (11-10), Sunderland (19-10), Leeds (8-13) and Accrington (4-5).
The four-timer with Betvictor pays around 16-1.
***
There's no doubt Dereck Chisora has the tools to beat Vitali Klitschko, although whether he’s allowed to bring them into the ring on Saturday night is another matter entirely.
It’s 22 years since Buster Douglas beat Mike Tyson in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.
It would be a shock of similar proportions if Chisora were to pull off the unimaginable and, in doing so, halve the number of world champions named Klitschko.
Vitali, 40, has been dubbed Doctor Ironfist, partly because he has a PhD and partly because one of his fists is made of iron.
At 28, Del Boy claims he is too young and too fast for the champ, tactics which will work only if he takes flight once the bell goes.
My advice would be to take flight before the bell goes.
The Klitschkos have been criticised for being Eastern European robots who have all the charisma of, well, Eastern European robots.
But the second of the Klitschko brothers will prove they can polish off the best heavyweights Britain can offer.
Sky Bet go a rather generous 5-4 that either man wins in rounds 1-6, especially when the word “either” includes Klitschko.
Hills: 1-16 Klitschko, 7-1 Chisora, 33-1 draw.
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