What are the odds Suarez's ban is cut? Derek McGovern's Bets of the Day

By Derek McGovern in Betting Blog

Published 22:00 22/12/11

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It looks almost certain Luis Suarez will appeal against his eight-match ban. He’s appealed for everything else this season.

Before I comment further it’s important to stress that no race is better than any other, with the possible exception of the Grand National and any other race in which I’ve backed the winner. Namely the 3.40 at Towcester (November 2006).

Supporters of Suarez point to the fact that he has black ancestry, and that his comments to Patrice Evra were merely a cultural misunderstanding.

It’s never wise to get in to the whys and wherefores in a case like this because by doing so you are guaranteed to offend half your audience when it’s my aim to upset all of the audience – you idiots.

That said, Suarez believes he has good ground for an appeal, ground so good he intends to fall on it and plead for leniency.

Cynics believe the FA may have already factored the probability of a Suarez appeal into the original sentence and will reduce the ban.

Sky Bet offer 4-7 that it is cut to seven games or fewer. They go 5-4 that the Uruguayan is forced to miss eight games or more.

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One thing that struck me while watching last night’s BBC Sports Personality shindig – apart from ‘what’s on the other side?’ - was the small number of women present.

In fact I’ve never seen so few women at a knees-up since my last party.

Yes, there was hardly going to be loads there, but you’d think they’d have given me better excuses than nit-combing their hair.

Women were always going to be in short supply at the BBC do because not a single female appeared on the shortlist. Some were miffed by that and stayed away; others were preoccupied less with the shortlist than the shopping list; and the rest had absolutely nothing to wear.

There’s been such an outcry over the absence of women that bookies suspect the Beeb will try to redress the balance next year, with Hills making Jessica Ennis the 6-1 favourite to win the 2012 prize.

Ennis competes in the heptathlon which is made up of seven events, one of which is naming the other six. I can name only three in the women’s heptathlon – the long jump, the high jump, and the naked-out-of-a-cake jump.

Victor Chandler are betting on the number of females in the 10-strong shortlist next year and make four or more their 8-13 favourite. My favourite is the 6-5 for under four women – I say that’s my favourite every year and have never managed it.

2012 winner (Hills): 6-1 Jessica Ennis, 8-1 Mark Cavendish, Rebecca Adlington, 9-1 Andy Murray, David Beckham, 10-1 bar.

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Bet of the Day
I bought a Christmas Tree yesterday. The assistant asked: “Will you be putting it up yourself.” I said: “No, I’m putting it in my lounge.”

Get on Kevin Painter at 4-5 to beat Mark Walsh in the darts today.

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Manchester City have scored 53 goals in 17 Premier matches which works out more than three a game.

You can call City expensive but you can’t call them unentertaining, mainly because unentertaining isn’t actually a proper word.

Just a few years ago when City wanted a goal they relied on Dickov – today Dickov is their strategy towards Carlos Tevez.

Without the Arab billions, City would be languishing in the Championship and Carlos Tevez’s golf handicap would be several shots higher.

It’s a far cry from last season when Dutch hardman Nigel de Jong was an integral component of Roberto Mancini’s set-up. The uncompromising clogger was deployed to break up opponents’ play or, failing that, whatever fibias and tibias he could connect with.

Mancini has opted for a more attack-minded team this season. Whoever he picks has at one point been attacked by Mario Balotelli.

Wednesday’s 3-0 cruise against Stoke saw Hills cut City’s odds of scoring a record 104 or more Premier League goals to 8-11.

That’s not against West Brom on Boxing Day, it‘s for the season.

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