Speaking of Valentines, there may not be a whole lotta love shared down on the South coast when Southampton meet struggling rivals Portsmouth. You can go to PaddyPower.com to bet on the number of red cards in the match and the first player to be sent off. Beyond the FA Cup there is betting on Manchester United’s own goals. With ten own goals in their favour only Wayne Rooney has scored more goals for United this season. Will ‘OG’ outscore the rest of Fergie’s goalshy squad this season? And how many more will United’s opponents score on their behalf this season?
The Champions League also returns this week with the start of the knockout stages. As well as odds to qualify Paddy Power has betting on David Beckham’s first competitive matches against former club Man Utd.
SPL
| Match | Home | Draw | Away |
| Aberdeen v Celtic | 5/1 | 3/1 | 8/15 |
| Hamilton v Motherwell | 7/4 | 12/5 | 11/8 |
| Hearts v Falkirk | 3/4 | 5/2 | 7/2 |
| Kilmarnock v St Johnstone | 11/10 | 12/5 | 9/4 |
| St Mirren v Dundee Utd | 15/8 | 12/5 | 13/10 |
| Rangers v Hibernian | 2/5 | 10/3 | 13/2 |
Predictions
| Aberdeen 1 – 3 Celtic |
(10/1) |
| Hamilton 0 – 1 Motherwell |
(6/1) |
| Hearts 2 – 0 Falkirk |
(13/2) |
| Kilmarnock 2 – 0 St Johnstone |
(9/1) |
| St Mirren 1 – 2 Dundee Utd |
(17/2) |
| Rangers 1 – 1 Hibernian |
(13/2) |
PADDY POWER WEEKEND SPECIALS
Commentary Cliché Shock Result – just four punters were celebrating an outsider coming home in Paddy Power’s John Terry Commentary Cliché result last week when the Sky Sports commentators said “Mr Chelsea” first for a 100/1 result.
English Premier League
5/6 Chelsea
5/4 Man Utd
9/1 Arsenal
80/1 Man City
Old Trafford – The Theatre of Own Goals. With ten own goals in their favour only Wayne Rooney has scored more goals for United this season. Will ‘OG’ outscore the rest of Fergie’s goalshy squad this season?
How many own goals will be scored for United this season?
8/15 10-11
6/4 12-13
14/1 14-15
33/1 16 or more
Beckham v Man Utd Tie Betting
4/1 Beckham to score in first leg
8/1 Betting to score in second leg
40/1 Beckham to score in both legs
100/1 Beckham to score from inside his own half
9/1 Beckham to score direct from a free kick
16/1 Beckham to be sent off
250/1 Beckham to kick a football boot at Fergie
Earlier I said we’d look at the Winter Olympics and with the opening ceremony on Saturday and the competing Nations are preparing to send their finest athletes to slide their way to Olympic glory. Paddy Power has Germany as the 7/5 favourite just ahead of hosts Canada at 5/2 to be the overall medal table winner when the games conclude on the 28th February.
The hosts Canada, following two relatively unsuccessful games previously held in the country, have left no stone unturned in their team’s preparations for the Vancouver 2010 games and are keen to give the nation sporting success. The team has been ruthless in the build up to the point of restricting competitors training time at Olympic venues to make sure their athletes have every possible home advantage.
Team GB are also in the hunt for medals and are sending one of their strongest squads to a winter games. Hopes ride on the Curling Team again with Paddy Power quoting the men’s team at 4/1 and women’s team at 13/1 to pick up gold. Shelley Rudman, silver medalist in 2006, is also a strong prospect for gold in the Skeleton Bob at 7/1 and reigning World Champions, Nicola Minichiello and Gillian Cooke, in the two-women bobsleigh are 10/1.
Sponsored by Paddy Power Kwame Nkrumah- Acheampong, aka the Snow Leopard, is the first Ghanaian to qualify for the Olympic Games, the lack of snow in his home country and the fact he first skied six years ago makes him 500/1 for gold.
Roberto Coladangelo spokesman for Paddy Power said; “We try not to be biased but surely the only person to watch at the games is our very own Snow Leopard. We love an underdog so have paid for his coach, physio and manager to join him and Vancouver and give him everything he needs to compete against the best in the world. Ghana for gold??!!”
Overall Medal Table Winner
7/5 Germany
5/2 Canada
17/4 USA
5/1 Russia
8/1 Austria
8/1 Norway
14/1 Sweden
20/1 Switzerland
25/1 Italy
50/1 Bar
GB Total Gold Medals
8/15 None
7/4 One
10/1 Two
12/1 Three or more
Canada Total Gold Medals
30/1 None
25/1 One
20/1 Two
13/1 Three
8/1 Four
11/2 Five
4/1 Six
7/2 Seven
9/2 Eight
11/2 Nine
6/1 Ten
8/1 Eleven
3/1 Twelve or more
GB Gold Medal Hopefuls
4/1 GB Men’s Curling
7/1 S Rudman Women’s Skeleton
10/1 GB Two Women bobsleigh
13/1 GB Womens Curling
14/1 K Bromley Skeleton Bob
25/1 J Eley, speed skating
50/1 Z Gillings Women’s Snowboarding Cross
75/1 Kerr and Kerr, Mixed Ice Dance
80/1 C Alcott Women’s Super G
100/1 C Alcott Women’s Giant Slalom
Ghana Medal Hopefuls
500/1 Kwame Nkrumah- Acheampong
Mens Ice Hockey
11/10 Canada
9/4 Russia
9/2 Sweden
6/1 USA
14/1 Finland
16/1 Czech Rep
40/1 Bar
Men’s Downhill
3/1 Cuche
7/2 Walchhofer
6/1 Janka
7/1 Osborne-Paradis
15/2 Svindal
9/1 Miller
14/1 Bar
Wednesday was a sobering moment for me as I realised my football career is over. When we made the substitutions I realised that the COMBINED age of our two centre halves was below mine – two players together younger than me! Still it could be worse, I could be this old AND support Rangers!
Hopefully the team can continue to gel and score some goals and then – can you imagine old man Weir chasing Keane about the park?
