The Clued Up ‘Specials’ Punter’s First Port Of Call
The two 5-2 winners we recommended for Chris & Ola to bag a first ten and score more than 88pts in the Strictly final, capped a fantastic first year for EntertainmentOdds. And it was great to see Team Cola grab the glitterball in last Saturday’s final – Chris initially tipped up here when he was 28-1.
It’s time to give ourselves an unashamed pat on the back. Since launching in August we have pointed you in the direction of some highly profitable Specials bets. Among a plethora of bookie-busting punts, the blogs to date have included such handy advice as this:
August 23rd, 2009 – Suspect Early X Factor Favourite
She (Stacey) sings ‘What A Wonderful World’ like an angel. Finalist potential. And not the worst early punt at 25-1 with Betfred, with a view to hopefully laying her at shorter odds later on… Last up on the night comes Danyl Johnson, 27… “That was single handedly the best first audition I have ever heard,” says Simon.
A false early favourite if ever there was one (a laughable 6-4 with Boylesports) and potential lay in the outright market once Betfair starts trading.
September 17th, 2009 – Fortuna Favours The Brave
The one female likely to tick most boxes is Ali Bastian… in pure dancing terms Brian and Ali could prove a sizzling combination. As such Bastian holds strong Top Female claims at a best priced 5-1, and 12-1 each-way on the outright market could look big provided she and Brian can navigate their way through the choppy waters of week one.
September 22nd, 2009 – Like Taking Kandy From A Bookie
John and Edward Grimes are a twins act from Ireland with silly Max Headroom haircuts and plenty of Blarney. No doubt their mentor Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell will be at loggerheads over them. Cowell wasn’t impressed during their audition and it’s fair to assume they’ll continue to get up his nose while being a hit with viewers, much like Chico in 2005 (who made it to week 8).
These sort of novelty acts are a crucial part of the X Factor mix, and we can envisage the Grimes Twins putting together a decent run, much to Cowell’s chagrin, before finally winning him over. It’s how the show works. Their current price of 66s will look massive if they make it through to the 12 – and the rumours suggest they have done.
September 24th, 2009 – Her Name Is Rio
When it comes to selecting Olympic host cities, the IOC likes to be contrary and doesn’t like to be told what to do or vote for the perceived front-runner. It seems to delight in choosing a slightly leftfield candidate that may not have the ‘solid’ credentials of Paris (2012) or Chicago but has a bid with vision and a unique selling point. So long as it avoids finishing bottom in the first round with the Spanish vote split, Rio is a must bet at 3/1 with Betfred.
October 22nd, 2009 – Twin Engine Set To Power On
Still available at 50s ew, we wouldn’t put you off going in again because we expect the Grimes to be around for a good while yet… Looking ahead, we feel confident they will negotiate the next three weeks with relative ease. So the bet to have is 4-1 with SkyBet they are eliminated in week 6 or 7, and 9-1 week 8 or 9. That way, come week 6 you can kick back on the sofa safe in the knowledge you have locked down a healthy profit.
November 3rd, 2009 – Team Cola In Contention
There was an alleged Strictly voting leak in the Daily Star last week claiming Chris Hollins is winning the public vote… It’s an intriguing development and if correct has to mean he is a legitimate challenger for the Strictly crown… at 28-1 in the outright betting, Chris is worth an investment, as we can only see his odds shortening over the next few weeks.
November 12th, 2009 – Price To Behold
… the two we like the most are two 8-1 shots in Gino D’Acampo and George Hamilton… Gino strikes us as the sort of endearing character who might end up being the life and soul of the camp.
December 7th, 2009 – Time To Rage Against Cowell’s Machine
RATM are a best-priced 6-4 with Paddy Power, and that has to be an early Christmas present… The way this inspired viral campaign is gathering steam, it’s not impossible it does beat the X Factor single, so it’s also worth a few quid on the outright Xmas No.1 market, and taking the 5-1 with Paddy Power ‘Any Other’.
December 9th, 2009 – Ennis To Shine In Sheffield
… as a cover for your Ennis bet, a better way to proceed is to back her at 7-2 to finish 2nd and 11-4 to finish 3rd with Ladbrokes, as we cannot see her failing to be in the first three.
December 17th, 2009 – Charleston To Seal Series Victory For Team Cola
Regardless of Whittle’s ever shortening odds – and at time of writing he is as low as 4-6 – we remain confident Hollins will see him off in the final… Chris and Ola as a partnership possess that key intangible – chemistry – Chris is the journey contestant in the same sort of mould as Darren Gough – and he ticks all the right boxes for the BBC’s and Strictly’s middle England audience.
We’ll leave you with Chris and Ola’s showdance. Here’s hoping 2010 is even more successful!
Rob Furber