Cricket

The Draw was the best tried result in recent days for the Third Test in Tassie this week. It has firmed up to $3.50 to $3.30, with rain predicted on Days 4 and 5 (if it happens to go that long...).

In a dead rubber situation, punters have tended to go for the outsiders, but it seems people have completely written off Pakistan owing to their off-field woes and capitulation in the Second Test.

The visitors went into the game as $6 chances, with Australia $1.72 to make a clean sweep.

THE TWENTY20 Big Bash has proven a smash with punters and it just goes from strength to strength.

$10,000 bets have been the norm, but at this stage, punters would be slightly behind. A few smarties have woken up to the fact these matches are a legitimate flip of the coin contest, but one statistic that stands out is that 80% of the winners have been the teams that batted first. We are now starting to see many punters just wait for the toss and make their investment after that.

South Australia are guaranteed to finish on top and therefore host the final. They are marked at $1.75 to take this year’s crown.

It looks a great contest for second though, with Queensland rated $6 chances after last night’s victory in a match shortened to just nine overs per side. Victoria are $4.50 second elects and WA are rated $5, seemingly coming good at the right time.

Tennis

Punters are really shying away from Roger Federer, who has eased from $3.25 to $3.75. Punters like to see a player’s form before investing and because Federer is going into this year’s Open without an Australian lead-up, he’s been friendless over the past week.

The one they have come for is Nikolay Davydenko. As much as $34 was available six weeks ago, but a consistent stream of money has seen the controversial, but in-form player firm to $12.

Rafael Nadal is the $5 second pick, with Andy Murray and Juan Martin Del Potro sharing the third line at $7.

Lleyton Hewitt also has plenty of admirers, with a lot of smaller bets coming for him at $81.

While punters have been prepared to back outsiders in the Men’s draw, the only players they want are the Top 3 in the Women’s.

Serena Williams is now the outright favourite after being impressive in what we’ve seen this past week. She’s into $3.75, with Kim Clijsters a $4.25 second elect.

Justine Henin performed very well at her comeback tournament last week and is resting up ahead of her return to the Grand Slam circuit. She’s $5.50.

Next in betting is Maria Sharapova at $9, but she has few admirers (from a punting perspective!).

Golf

Steve Stricker heads betting for the Sony Open at $12, with Zach Johnson and Sean OHair on the second line at $17.

Rory Sabbatini is a $21 chance, but the best backed player has been Robert Allenby, a $31 to $23 firmer this week.

In the Joburg Open, Charl Schwartzel is the favourite at $10. Anders Hansen and Richard Sterne are $15 second picks.

NRL

The Brisbane Broncos continue to drift and personally, I think they’re gone even before the 2010 season even begins. They are out to $21 now with Justin Hodges out for six months and nobody wants to touch them – even at that price.

Parramatta remain $5.50 favourites, but the one that keeps attracting support is the Gold Coast. $21 was available in parts when markets first went up, but as other teams have injury and personnel problems, punters have kept chipping away at them and we are now into $11.

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