Euro 2012 Live Odds and Match Betting

Euro 2012 is set to kick off in Ukraine and Poland in June of 2012, and it’s predicted to be the greatest competition since the tournament began in 1960. In order to wager during the event, you will need to know the Euro 2012 live odds.  Having the latest odds gives you the best chance of finding value in your wagering. From the overall winner to the winner of each group, and even which player will score the most goals, the wagering choices are extensive. Let’s take a look at the current match betting and individual odds posted on one of the best online betting sites.

Odds to Win Euro 2012

Spain – 3.50

Germany – 4.50

Holland – 8.50

England – 11.00

France – 15.00

Italy – 15.00

Portugal – 21.00

Russia – 23.00

Croatia – 51.00

Ukraine – 51.00

Czech Republic – 67.00

Greece – 67.00

Poland – 67.00

Sweden – 81.00

Denmark – 101.00

Ireland – 101.00 

Odds to Win Group

Group A

Russia – 2.50

Poland – 4.50

Czech Republic – 5.00

Greece – 5.50

Group B

Germany – 2.25

Holland – 2.88

Portugal – 5.00

Denmark – 21.00

Group C

Spain – 1.62

Italy – 4.33

Croatia – 10.00

Ireland – 17.00

Group D

England – 2.75

France – 2.80

Ukraine – 5.50

Sweden – 7.50

Top Goal Scorer in the Tournament

Mario Gomez – 9.00

Robin Van Persie – 11.00

Christiano Ronaldo – 13.00

David Villa – 15.00

Miroslav Klose – 15.00

Fernando Torres – 21.00

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar – 21.00

Mario Balotelli – 21.00

Roberto Soldado – 21.00

Giampaolo Pazzini – 26.00

Karim Benzema – 26.00

Lukas Podolski – 26.00

Thomas Muller – 26.00

Guiseppe Rossi – 29.00

Alberto Gilardino – 34.00

Francesc Fabregas – 34.00

Bafetimbi Gomis – 41.00

Da Silva Liedson – 41.00

Juan Mata – 41.00

Loic Remy – 41.00

Betting Guide to Euro 2012

Euro 2012 is expected to draw interest from fans and bettors from around the globe. Betting isn’t required, but it certainly makes things a bit more interesting. The draw for grouping has been completed and matches will take place this summer in Ukraine and Poland.

When it comes to betting, it’s all about finding value. Euro 2012 betting odds for each team will vary from one bookmaker to another as will the services they provide, like live streaming and expert commentaries, so shopping around can be worthwhile. 

Following the draw, Spain was quickly a favorite. Holland and Germany will figure prominently in the wagering as well, but their placing in the same group will make it difficult for both teams to advance.

Bookmakers have been happy to inflate odds of England winning, especially with John Terry being stripped of his role as captain and Wayne Rooney serving a 2-game suspension to start the tournament.

Euro 2012 Fixtures

Poland gets their quest underway with a June 8 matchup against Greece, while Ireland will play Croatia in their opener on June 10. England faces France in their initial match, a team they have lost to on five consecutive occasions.

Euro 2012 Group Draw

The drawing for group play took place on December 11, 2011. England has been placed in Group D, while Ireland is in Group C with Spain, the defending champion and favorite in Euro 2012 odds. There is always one “death group” and that happens to be Group B this time around. Included in Group B are Denmark, Portugal, Holland and Germany.

Some Current Odds to Win

Spain 3.50

Germany 4.50

Holland 7.00

England 11.00

France 14.00

Italy 15.00

Portugal 21.00

Russia 25.00

Favorites for the Grand National 2012 Horse Race

The four-and-a-half mile Grand National steeplechase marathon is the pinnacle of each sporting year. Millions of people tune in and attend to enjoy the heart-warming storylines and thrilling finishes, as horse and rider work as one to defeat the fences at Aintree.

The John Smith’s Grand National for 2012 will be held on Saturday, April 14^th at Aintree Racecourse. Two previous Grand National winners will be looking for a repeat, including 2009 winner Mon Mome and last year’s victor Ballabriggs.

As of today, there are over 80 pre-entries for the 2012 event, including 31 that are trained right in Ireland, 12 of which are led by the country’s top trainer; Willie Mullins. Among his best runners is one of the current favorites, Prince de Beauchene.

Entrants that have previous victories over the Aintree course are December’s Becher Chase winner West End Rocker, Grand Sefton Handicap Chase winner Stewarts House, and Always Waining, who won both the 2010 and 2011 Topham Chase.

My choice for the Grand National 2012 horse race is:

Prince de Beauchene

Prince won last year’s Handicap Chase at Aintree, a victory worth $34,000 to his connections. Trailed by contenders Great Endeavour and Bensalem, this race turned out to be his last in the Howard Johnson barn, as Johnson has retired from training. Now trained by Willie Mullins, Prince de Beauchene will face only five additional pounds compared to his previous Aintree victories, so the handicapper has been lenient in that respect, despite his recent success. After impressive runs in January’s Navan and February’s Bobbyjo Chase, Prince is currently one of the betting favorites for the 2012 Grand National.

2011 Grand National – Ballabriggs Won!

As always, the race was knuckle whitening, nail biting thrill as the horses had a mad dash around the notoriously difficult a dangerous triangular race track. Living rooms all over the world were tuning in to witness the 2011 Grand National champion past the finishing line, and earn their place in horse racing history.

For Donald McCain, son of Aintree legend Ginger McCain, the trainer of Red Rum, Ballabriggs was an emotional winner of the John Smith's Grand National. Ballabriggs has won the 2011 Aintree Grand National, the 14-1 chance ridden by Jason Maguire, came home ahead of Oscar time with last year’s winner Don’t Push It, putting up a strong race to almost defy the top weight in third. 

However, the day still belonged to Ballabriggs who after being prominent throughout the race appeared to falter near the end before getting a final push with the line in sight. 

Grand National 2011 Champion (Ballabriggs)

The win is great because the most famous race in racing was won by one of the famous training families in racing which McCain’s father the legendary Ginger McCain who trained the equally legendary Red Rum to success. 

State of Play came in fourth with Niche Market fifth while pre race favorite The Midnight Club running home in sixth place. Thats Rhythm was the first horse to fall failing to make it over the first fence while Sir Alex Ferguson’s horse What a Friend pulled up on the 27th fence. A total of 22 horses failed to finish the famous race with Ornais’s and Dooney’s gate falls proving fatal. 

The Top 6 Result:
1st BALLABRIGGS (14-1)
2nd Oscar Time (14-1)
3rd Don’t Push It (9-1)
4th State Of Play (28-1)
5th Niche Market
6th The Midnight Club

Grand National – A Short Preview!

A world famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England is the Grand National, also known simply as the National. The Aintree Racecourse is a handicap steeplechase run over a distance of 4 miles and 856 yards (7,242 m), with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits. Since 1839, the race has been held at Aintree each year, with the exception of during the First World War (1916-1918) when it was held at Gatwick Racecourse, during the Second World War (1941-1945) when it was called off, and in 1993 when the race was declared void owing to a false start. The next Grand National will be held on 14 April 2012.

To understand better about the Grand National, let us preview a short history of it. William Lynn, a syndicate head and proprietor of the Waterloo Hotel, founded the Grand National by on land he leased in Aintree from William Molyneux, 2nd Earl of Sefton. On February 7, 1829, Lynn set out a course, built a grandstand, and Lord Sefton laid the foundation stone. Regarding the first official Grand National, there is much debate, but most leading published historians, including John Pinfold, prefer the idea in this way:

• 1836- First running was in and was won by The Duke.
• 1837- This same horse won again.
• 1838- Sir William was the winner.

Because of the belief that they took place at Maghull and not Aintree, these races have long been disregarded. However, some historians have evidence in recent years that suggest those three races were run over the same course at Aintree and were regarded as having been Grand Nationals up until the mid-1860s. Calls for the Nationals of 1836–1838 to be restored to the record books have been unsuccessful to date.

In 1838 and 1839, three significant events occurred to transform the Liverpool race from a small local affair to a national event.

1. Firstly, the Great St. Albans Chase, which had clashed with the steeplechase at Aintree, was not renewed after 1838, leaving a major hole in the chasing calendar.
2. Secondly, the railway arrived in Liverpool, enabling transport to the course by rail for the first time.
3. Finally, a committee was formed to better organise the event.

In 1839, these factors led to a more highly-publicised race which attracted a larger field of top quality horses and riders, greater press coverage and an increased attendance on race day. The first three runnings of the event were quickly forgotten to secure the 1839 race its place in history as the first official Grand National which was won by rider Jem Mason on 5/1 favourite Lottery.

By the 1840s, Lynn's ill-health blunted his enthusiasm for Aintree. Edward Topham, a respected handicapper and prominent member of Lynn's syndicate, began to exert greater influence over the National. In 1834, he turned the chase into a handicap after it had been

Malaysian Grand Prix 2012 Preview

With one race down out of twenty, the next stop on the calendar for the Formula 1 World Championship is the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.

The Sepang International Circuit will be hosting the 14^th Malaysian Grand Prix in Formula 1 history. This track is considered to be one of the most technical circuits and it is very demanding for car and driver, with various long high-speed corners and conditions that affect the cooling of the car. And with the unpredictable nature of the weather at Malaysia, it will either be a washout or very hot and humid, which will make for an interesting couple of days for the drivers both on and off the track.

Last year, Sebastian Vettel dominated the weekend and took lights to flag victory from pole position. Lewis Hamilton, alongside him on the front row had an eventful race, one which saw him head to the pits four times.

With Jenson Button showing victory in Melbourne at the season opener, will Vettel be able to take another win at the Asian circuit, or will Hamilton find the pace to take the top step?

Sepang International Circuit

TIMETABLE:

Fri 23 March 2012

Practice 1 07:30 - 09:00
Practice 2 11:30 - 13:00


Sat 24 March 2012

Practice 3 10:30 - 11:30
Qualifying 13:30

Sun 25 March 2012
Race 13:30

Hurricane Fly impressive at Leopardstown

Hurricane Fly won the Irish Champion Hurdle | Photo: Skysports

Hurricane Fly impressively won the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle, thrashing four rivals on his much-delayed seasonal reappearance at Leopardstown on Sunday. 

The Willie Mullins-trained 4-5 favorite recorded back to back victories in the Grade One and looked as good as ever in winning.

Thousand Stars did his best to fight off his stable companion in the straight, but Hurricane Fly went by him and pulled clear after the final flight to win by six-and-a-half lengths. Oscars Well rallied to finish second and deny Mullins a one-two, with Unaccompanied finishing fourth, a place behind Thousand Stars.

After an encouraging display, Hurricane Fly will now be preserved ahead of the defence of his Champion Hurdle crown at Cheltenham in March.

Mullins said: “He completely surprised me. It must be as good a performance as he’s ever produced. They went a right good gallop. Ruby said he wasn’t travelling in the ground early on, but when he gave him a squeeze three out he came alive. I was a bit anxious about the ground and I was a bit anxious because he was very quiet beforehand, but maybe he’s just maturing.”

“Normally it takes a couple of lads to lead him round the paddock because he can get a bit tight. We had been a bit worried before Cheltenham last year how he would handle everything, including the parade, but he went round like an old handicapper today.”

“I was a little concerned he would flop as my first two runners disappointed. I was surprised how fit he appeared. We’ll keep a lid on him between now and Cheltenham.”

Hurricane Fly is now best priced evens for the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham Festival online betting odds in March.

Elsworth: Somersby ideal for Ryanair Chase

Jockey Dominic Elsworth feels the Ryanair Chase will be Somersby’s ideal race at the Cheltenham Festival despite winning in the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot last Saturday.

Henrietta Knight’s eight-year-old also has the two-mile Queen Mother Champion Chase as a possible objective at the Festival, but his regular jockey believes the two miles and five furlongs of the Ryanair will be suited best.

"I just feel over two miles he can miss a jump out here and there," said Elsworth, who was securing his first Grade One winner at the weekend.

"It (the Ryanair) would be definitely more up his street. He does stay, and he's got the pace to lay it up to them over two and a half miles."

"He can miss a fence now and again and obviously Ascot being a bigger, longer, galloping track definitely played to his strengths He's as good as anything else in the Ryanair," Elsworth told At The Races.

If you want to know the best odds for the Ryanair Chase, betting at the Cheltenham Festival with William Hill is the surest way to place a bet.

Blazing Tempo aims Ryanair Chase after Fairyhouse win

Blazing Tempo, winner of the Galway Plate in July, proved too strong for Noble Prince, odds-on favorite in the Grade Two Normans Grove Chase at Fairyhouse on Sunday.

Ruby Walsh brought Blazing Tempo (9-4) into the race just before the turn for home and denies Noble Prince by three-quarters of a length.

Blazing Tempo and Ruby Walsh (far side) jump the last fence alongside Noble Prince
(© Healy Racing Photos)

Willie Mullins's mare has been running regularly since her win at Galway in the summer, but her improvement shows little sign of tailing off, and she is now quoted by bookmakers for both the Ryanair Chase and the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival William Hill in March. 

Mullins added: “She is holding her form and that was nice to win, given the ground. We had the choice of coming here or going to the Boylesports Hurdle but rather than take on a handicap with 20 runners, we decided to take our chance today even though the ground might not be as suitable.”

"She's an iron mare and has been on the go since Galway and been doing it in all sorts of ground. She'll get an entry for the Ryanair Chase but I'm not sure if she's good enough."

Sprinter Sacre could run in Game Spirit Chase at Newbury

Nicky Henderson on Wednesday announced that 2012 Arkle Chase favourite Sprinter Sacre could run in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury in February rather than the more obvious route of the Kingmaker Chase at Warwick as part of his preparation for the Cheltenham Festival.

A winner of the Wayward Lad at Kempton on December 27, Sprinter Sacre is as short as 9-4 for the festival race on the back of his 16-length defeat of Peddlers Cross and he is also one of the leading lights for the Cheltenham Festival horse racing betting.

Options at Warwick and Doncaster against fellow novices had been mooted, but Henderson believes he would learn plenty from taking on two horses in the Grade Two event.

Henderson told Racing UK: "It has actually crossed our minds that we could switch Sprinter Sacre from Warwick to the Game Spirit. Experience is what he needs. Going around on his own isn't going to teach him anything."

"The Doncaster race clashes with Cheltenham and the Warwick one we'll be at Newbury that day. It fits in quite well and I like the idea. It was actually Barry's (Geraghty) idea, probably to make sure he could ride him! But when I thought about it, it was a better idea than I'd originally thought."

Lynch drove Jack the Bus to victory at Navan

12-year-old veteran chaser Jack the Bus showed that he still has an appetite for the game when winning the feature race at Navan, the Foxrock Handicap Chase despite giving Andrew Lynch a couple of hairy moments with blunders at the final two fences.

Trained by Dubliner Peter Casey, who enjoyed a significant success last week with promising novice chaser Flemenstar, the 2010 Troytown Chase winner lumped top weight to victory to stamp his class on proceedings.

Ridden by Andrew Lynch, the veteran survived a bad blunder at the second-last fence to come home three lengths clear of Four Chimneys. Jack the Bus (7-2) had finished seventh when trying to retain his Troytown title and will now head for the Thyestes Chase at Gowran on January 26th.

"I was raging over it," Casey said. "The ground was too fast and the lads at the track wanted to withdraw him but they couldn't contact me. He will go for the Thyestes at Gowran now."

Barry Geraghty escaped unscathed from a nasty incident when the 11-4 favourite Kakagh dived out through the wing at the fence in front of the stands on the first circuit.

Oscar Dan Dan (9-1), who is now with Tony Martin, opened his account over fences in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase after Willie Mullins' Bagber (8-11 favourite) made a bad mistake two from home that stopped him in his tracks.

Check out the latest horse racing betting odds and bet online at the Cheltenham Festival with William Hill Sports.

Raikkonen is back on track after crash setback

Kimi Raikkonen's return to fitness can now resume in full in the wake of his snowmobile crash last month. The 2007 World Champion tweaked his left wrist during an event in Austria. 

In the meantime, Kimi Raikkonen will prepare for his Formula One comeback with some laps in a two-year-old Renault race car in Spain this month before official testing starts in February, the Finn’s Lotus team said on Monday.

“We can now confirm that Kimi Raikkonen will be completing some mileage in the team’s R30 car at Valencia on 23rd/24th January,” Lotus, formerly Renault, said on their twitter feed.

Raikkonen, the 2007 World champion with Ferrari, has not driven an F1 car since he left the sport for the world rally championship after the 2009 season-ender in Abu Dhabi.

The first pre-season test of the year will start at the Jerez circuit, in Southern Spain, on February 7 when Lotus will have their new car on track.

Under cost-saving regulations that limit testing, Raikkonen will not be able to drive the latest equipment until Jerez and nor will he be able to use the Pirelli tyres that were introduced last year.

Read about the motor sports betting markets on offer at William Hill Sports.

Murray defeats Dolgopolov for Brisbane International title

Andy Murray achieved his 22^nd ATP World Tour title on Sunday at Brisbane International final by beating third seed Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine 6-1, 6-3 in front of his new coach, former World No. 1 Ivan Lendi.

Andy Murray holds up the Roy Emerson Trophy

“It's been good. I played much better the last three matches. I could have easily lost the second round against [Gilles] Muller, but managed to fight my way through. The doubles [with Marcos Baghdatis] helped me as well. I felt I was moving well towards the end of the week,” he said. “I've just got to get myself rested and get myself 100 per cent for the Aussie.”

“I'm a year wiser, at least, with a year's more experience. I think I've improved a few things in my game, too. I still played pretty good last year in Australia and I can play great tennis again,” he said.

“I need to show up and give 100 per cent every match. If someone plays a great match to beat me, that happens. But if I play well, like I did this week, I give myself a good chance.”

Top seed Murray earned $74,370 in prize money and 250 South African Airways 2012 ATP Ranking points, while No. 15-ranked Dolgopolov was presented a cheque for $39,165 and 150 points.

He will spend the next week in Melbourne preparing for the Australian Open, which starts January 16.

Bet on 2012 Australian Open at William Hill Sports which offers tennis betting online preview and odds.

Image courtesy of  The Guardian.

Top golfers missing on PGA Tour opener

The Hyundai Tournament of Champions held at Kapalua’s Plantation Course in Maui is the first tournament of the 2012 season. With the lush setting, it would seem likely that many of golf’s top players would make their way to the island for the tournament. But, that is not the case.

The tournament is open to all golfers who won a tournament on tour in the previous season. Despite the loose qualifications, several big names are choosing to skip the event to be better prepared for the rest of the season.

Of the 11 players who aren't at Kapalua, most have a valid reason. Major champions from last year Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and Charl Schwartzel are all absent from the field. Big names Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods will not be playing, either. Mickelson hasn't made his way to the tournament since 2001, while Woods has been a no-show since 2005. 

Additionally, top eligible golfers Luke Donald, Adam Scott, Martin Kaymer, Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose, Brandt Snedeker and Fredrik Jacobson will not be in Hawaii this weekend. In all, only about two-thirds of qualified golfers will be on hand for the tournament.

Some of the top golfers who do plan on participating include Steve Stricker, the No. 6 player in the world, and Webb Simpson, ranked No. 10. Other potential favorites will be 2011 FedExCup winner Bill Haas, 2011 PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley, No. 12-ranked Nick Watney and the tournament's 2011 winner, Jonathan Byrd.

For now, there are 28 players who chose to begin their season on Maui which will kick off January 5 to 9. It's not a bad place to start. The winner of the tournament receives $1.12 million and 500 FedEx Cup points. 

Bet on the 2012 PGA Tour by visiting one of the top-rated golf betting online destination, William Hill Sports.