Sky Bet lift for Liverpool backers
Following Liverpool's exit from the Champions League, Sky Bet have decided to offer a 'hard luck loyalty bonus' to all customers who bet on the 2005/06 champions to lift the title again this year by transferring their bets to the Europa League outright, in which the Merseysiders are 6/1 favourites.
More misery for Benitez as Reds exit Champions League.
This means that any customer who placed a bet on Rafa Benitez's side to win the 2009/10 Champions League will now have their full stake transferred to Liverpool to win the Europa League at 6/1.
Sky Bet's football betting spokeswoman Helen Jacob said: "Liverpool fans are having a torrid time so far his season so we have decided to give them a second crack of the whip by transferring their Champions League outright bets on the Reds to the Europa League, where Liverpool have a great chance of winning some silverware."
With both Liverpool and Everton both representing the Barclays Premier in the Europa Cup, Sky Bet are offering odds on which Merseyside team will progress the furthest and make Rafa Benitez's men the 1/6 favourites (7/2 Everton). It's 50/1 that Liverpool and Everton contest the final in Hamburg.
Liverpool's premature exit from this year's Champions League intensifies pressure on them to qualify for next season's competition and Sky Bet make them 5/6 for a top-four finish and 5/6 to miss out on a 2010/11 Champions League berth.
Pressure is mounting on Reds boss Rafa Benitez and Sky Bet make the Spaniard 7/1 to be the next casualty of the Premier League sack race. It's 5/6 (from 8/11) that Benitez sees out the season at Anfield and Sky Bet make Jose Mourihno 15/8 favourite to succeed him in the Liverpool hot-seat.
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Darren Ferguson 6/4 favourite for Pompey hot-seat
Following news that Paul Hart has parted company with Portsmouth, Sky Bet have opened betting on who his successor will be and make Darren Ferguson 6/4 favourite. Former Hammers boss Alan Curbishley is 3/1 second favourite to take over at Fratton Park, with ex Reading manager Steve Coppell next in the Portsmouth manager betting at 8/1.
Sky Bet's football betting spokeswoman Helen Jacob said: "Initially we installed Avram Grant as short-priced favourite to take over but he is apparently not in the frame, which leaves the next Pompey manager market wide open. With Portsmouth looking to make a quick appointment, free agent Darren Ferguson would seem to be a likely candidate."
Rooted to the bottom of the Premier League Portsmouth have lost ten out of 13 league matches this season and Sky Bet make them 5/4 joint favourites together with Hull City to finish bottom of the pile this season.
The Tigers' manager Phil Brown is Sky Bet's 2/5 favourite to be the next casualty of the Premier League sack race.
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Manchester United 11/10 to progress further than Chelsea
Manchester United and Chelsea take to the Champions League stage tomorrow evening and with both clubs already through to the knock-out stages, Sky Bet are offering 11/10 for the three-time champions United to progress further than Chelsea, who are still waiting for their first Champions League title (4/6 Chelsea).
With Manchester United three points clear at the top of Group B and Chelsea knowing that victory against Porto will guarantee that they win Group D, it's 2/7 for both English sides to top their groups. It's 8/13 for United to keep up their unbeaten record in this year's competition with Chelsea 4/9 to remain unbeaten. These two sides contested the 2007/08 final at the Luzhniki Stadium in Russia and it's 16/1 they meet once gain in the final at the Bernabeu on May 22.
Despite the fact that Manchester United have already qualified, the Red Devils have been very well supported ahead of their clash against Besiktas, who sit bottom of Group B with only one point collected from their first four matches. United were originally 2/5 to overturn the German outfit but due to the weight of the money, Sky Bet have cut their price into 4/11 with Besiktas 9/1 from 8/1 (100/30 Draw).
Chelsea, who won their first meeting against Porto at Stamford Bridge 1-0, courtesy of a Nicolas Anelka goal, are 6/4 to come away from the Dragao Stadium with three points, with Porto 7/4 and the draw 12/5.
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Grant now 1/3 to take over at Fratton Park
Following today's news that Portsmouth's director of football Avram Grant is now in the running for the vacant manager's position, money has flooded in on the former Chelsea manager to take the Helm at Fratton Park forcing Sky Bet to cut his odds from even money to 1/3.
Darren Ferguson, who recently left Peterborough after having led them to promotion in each of his first two full seasons in charge, is 5/1 and former West Ham manager Alan Curbishley is next best at 6/1.
Sky Bet's Tim Reynolds said: "We originally had Grant as the 1/3 favourite to take over at Fratton Park but due to reports yesterday that he was not in the running we removed him from the betting and installed Darren Ferguson as the 6/4 favourite. We have come full circle this morning, with Grant back to 1/3 to take the helm after a steady stream of bets."
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