BACK THE USA TO WIN THE RYDER CUP 5-4 (Betfair)
Couple of weeks early here but we reckon that this price is going to fall over the next couple of weeks. And with good reason. Everyone who plays at the Ryder Cup is a good golfer. What matters is, can they step up to the plate when every single shot matters to every other member of that team. Europe have fostered that team ethic, and have come out on top in recent meetings. So much of this is down to the captains and their ability to instil a 'we're all in this together' mentality. Sam Torrance did it and Bernhard Langer took it one step further, with spectacular results last time out. This year it's Ian Woosnam, and the initial soundings from the camp are not good.
Thomas Bjorn's comments on Woosnam were over the top and emotional, but they can't have fostered too much trust in the captain from those travelling. There's also been talk of a rift between Colin Montgomerie and Jose Maria Olazabal. Factions are likely, a team spirit less so. There's also the small matter of Tiger Woods (right), who has won "ve on the spin and is unlikely to mislay that sort of form on the way from Dublin Airport. There may be American rookies, but Tom Lehman is not Hal Sutton and he'll use them wisely. America are due a win, odds against should be snapped up before it's too late.
BACK ASTON VILLA TO BEAT WEST HAM TODAY 14-5 (Betfair)
Good old hype, always handy to provide a few bargains in betting terms. West Ham now count Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez among their number. Which is nice for them, but they haven't just signed Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee. These lads haven't played a minute of Premiership football and are inevitably going to take time to settle in. Three words, Juan Sebastian Veron.
Alan Pardew's side have been pretty underwhelming so far, only managing a draw at Watford and going down to an uninspired Liverpool. Martin O'Neill is still enjoying his honeymoon, unbeaten so far this season, with a point pilfered from Arsenal and wins over Reading and Newcastle. With the Sky circus surrounding the home side and their new toys, he'll be quietly con"dent of getting a result at Upton Park. Juan Pablo Angel has started the season in scoring form and O'Neill has made a potentially excellent signing himself in Stilian Petrov. Odds of almost 3-1 are simply too much to resist.
Where the money was. . .
BACK NORTHERN IRELAND TO BEAT SPAIN 249-1 (Betfair)
We all saw it coming didn't we? Anyone who invested in a classic bout of Spanish "akiness at Windsor Park and an unlikely win for the home side would have done extremely well out of David Healy's hat-trick. They were 11-1 in the morning, and wandered out to a tasty 249-1 after David Villa put Luis Aragones's side 2-1 up in the second half. The correct score of 3-2 was also backed at 349-1.
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