Spread betting challenges your skill, judgement and knowledge of your chosen area. The spread betting bookmaker makes predictions on various aspects of sporting or topical events. You then decide whether that prediction has been pitched too high or too low. Unlike, fixed-odds gambling the more correct you are the more you win on a single bet, however you may lose more than your original stake.

Compared to fixed odds betting, spread betting is more flexible. Not only can you bet before the start of an event, but with spread betting you can also bet on markets during play - known as ‘in-running’.

You may also settle or ‘close’ a bet before the end of play, to take an early win or restrict a loss. With spread betting you don’t just have to bet on something to win. You may choose to go lower on a prediction and in effect back something to lose or do badly.

Ben :: Apr.12.2008 :: Spread Betting :: No Comments »

London, 11th April - After last year’s miserable summer, the British public will be hoping to get the suntan lotion and sunglasses out in abundance this time around. After scouring the stats over the past 20 years, the Sporting Index boffins have cited Monday 11th August as most likely to be the hottest day of the year. Punters can bet higher or lower on the predicted date, as well as going higher or lower on the hottest temperature forecast for the summer which is 35.1 degrees.

“Monday the 11th is the last day of the fourth test match between England and South Africa,” comments Sporting Index spokesman Karl Suntay, “If we’ve got our prediction right, hopefully there will be lots of reasons to celebrate. You may even find me dancing in the Trafalgar Square fountain!”

“Tiger arrives in Augusta in the form of his life,” comments Sporting Index spokesman Karl Suntay, “but he’s been favourite for the last five years and only won on one of those occasions.”

Monday 11th August Scorcher
What day will have the highest recorded temperature in the UK in 2008?
Monday 11th August
Monday 11th August Scorcher
What will be the highest recorded temperature in the UK in 2008? 35.1 degrees

As with all spread bets you can bet higher or lower on the prediction made.

Ben :: Apr.11.2008 :: Spread Betting :: No Comments »

Can you imagine what odds you would have got at the beginning of the season about Barnsley, West Brom, Cardiff and Portsmouth contesting the FA Cup semi-finals? The line up for this weekend’s last four stage really is pretty rare. It is only the second time that only one top flight side is represented at this stage since the inception of the football league back in 1888. Also, the game between Cardiff and Barnsley will be just the 12th occasion that two sides from outside the top flight have met in the semi-finals over the same period.

Portsmouth are clear favourites to win the Cup, but they must see off West Brom first if they are to make the final. Buyers of Pompey supremacy with Sporting Index will be concerned that in their last 10 meetings against the Baggies they have only won three, whilst the West Midlanders have won seven. Sellers will be pleased that history favours the Baggies in this one, as they have won the Cup five times, been runner-up five times and last appeared in the final exactly 40 years ago when they beat Everton 1-0 after extra time. Portsmouth on the other hand have only won the Cup once back in 1934 when they demolished the Baggies’ enemies Wolves 4-1. That was the last time they appeared in the final and had previously been runner-up twice.

Although history is against Pompey in many ways, buyers will be relieved that since the Millennium, four Premier League sides have faced lower league opposition in the semi-finals and all have won (’07, Man Utd v Watford, 4-1; ’03 Arsenal v Sheff Utd, 1-0; ’03, Southampton v Watford, 2-1 and ’01, Liverpool v Wycombe, 2-1). Buyers of total goals will be hoping for a repeat of the Baggies’ game last Saturday when they came from behind to beat Colchester 4-3 at home. Interestingly, in their last 10 games, four have seen 5 or more goals, whilst four of the other ten have had 2 or fewer. However, sellers will be pleased that only two of Pompey’s last 11 games have had more than 2 goals.

Whatever happens in the semi between Cardiff and Barnsley, the two sides will meet again on the last day of the season and one set of fans will have the bragging rights. Cardiff are the marginal favourites in the supremacy market and buyers will take great heart from Barnsley’s away record this season. They have only won one game away from Oakwell in the league all season, but they have also obviously won the two FA Cup games they have played on their travels. Sellers of Cardiff supremacy will be concerned that the Bluebirds have won two and drawn two of the last four meetings between the two sides. However, they have played each other three times in the FA Cup and it is completely even with one win a piece and one draw. They also have a remarkably similar FA Cup history, having both been in two finals, losing once and winning once two years after they had been runners-up.

Sellers will be delighted to hear that the last time two Championship sides faced each other in the semi-finals, the team lower in the league came out on top. That was Millwall who beat Sunderland 1-0 before going on to lose the final to Man United 3-0 in 2004. Sellers of total goals with Sporting Index in this one will be pleased that only one of Cardiff’s last ten games has seen more than 2 goals, whilst five of the Tykes’ past nine games have had 1 or no goals.

Ben :: Apr.05.2008 :: Spread Betting :: No Comments »