Wilshere set for more woe, stuffy Oscars need a Brand new image and the pluck of the Irish - Derek McGovern's Bets of the Day

By Derek McGovern in Betting Blog

Published 23:00 01/03/11

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Teenage star Jack Wilshere admits Arsenal are let down by set-plays at the Emirates, but does point out he’s been given some very nice play-sets.

Arsenal’s odds to qualify at the expense of Leyton Orient tonight (1-33) suggest defeat is out of the question. But, where the Gunners are concerned, the only thing out of the question is a trophy.

Orient will have watched how easily Arsenal conceded from a set-piece against Birmingham on Sunday. And, once they’d finished laughing, will have plotted a similar strategy.

So there’s a lot to like about the 9-2 offered by Bet365 for the underdogs to score from a set-piece at the Emirates tonight, especially if it comes off.

Orient are still trying to hijack West Ham’s move to the Olympic Stadium. And I commend their vision – because in the current climate, hijacking could very soon be an Olympic sport.

Arsenal are still as short as 8-15 not to win a trophy – a sentence that never fails to cheer me up.

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There's talk Russell Brand may front next year’s Oscars after Sunday’s hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco hardly covered themselves in glory.

Brand waited for the post-Oscars party to cover himself in glory. He also covered himself in Cynthia and Charlotte.

Hathaway and Franco were appointed hosts at the traditionally stuffy ceremony to pander to youth but, with her black-eye make-up, Hathaway looked like she was pandering to pandas.

She went through eight different dresses in the same night. To Brand, that’s a quiet evening.

The performances of the two young actors on Academy Awards night played out like a typical Hollywood romantic comedy, only with little comedy. In fact, like a typical Hollywood romantic comedy.

Halfway through the evening, I started yearning for the return of Billy Crystal as host. Only one person has ever been reduced to that before. Billy Crystal.

Hills have made Brand, for some reason a big hit in the US, 8-1 ­favourite to host next year’s show, even though Oscar bigwigs will surely, after Sunday’s debacle, look to appoint a comedian.

Ricky Gervais, who hosted this year’s Golden Globes, is 25-1 to get the gig. Charlie Sheen is 50-1 – and a certainty to win Best Original Score.

Meryl Streep is 12-1 to win Best Actress for her portrayal of Maggie Thatcher.

To better understand her role as the former British PM, Streep this week laid waste to the north.

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What a performance from England's cricketers on Sunday – it shot down my theory that they were only in India to visit our jobs.

The clash against the World Cup hosts may have been tied, but England were the moral victors. We got all their batsmen out but they only managed eight of ours.

Today, all eyes will be on Bangalore, where England face Ireland. If you didn’t realise the Irish could play cricket, you’re in good company – neither did they.

England are 1-20.

Yep, 1-20.

Now I’m hardly a student of cricket, but I’m pretty sure that by bully-off that will have attracted zero support.

The Irish, 8-1 underdogs, are treating this like their cup final – they’re staging an It’s A Knockout contest just before the match.

Boylesports offer 3-1 for fewer than four England players to hit a six today, and that’s the kind of bet you should be having.

I will be having a slice of the 3-1 offered by Hills for Ed Joyce to be Ireland’s leading run-scorer.

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BET OF THE DAY

Any man who's married can appreciate why we name hurricanes after women.

Back Aston Villa at 5-2 to qualify for the next round of the FA Cup at Eastlands tonight.

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