BBC Sports Personality Of The Year 2011

Today's Bettingzone Market Updates:

0925: Luke Donald has been cut to 20/1 from 66/1 for the Sports Personality of the Year by Bodog following his PGA Tour Money List win.

"The shrewdies jumped straight in and Donald’s gone from 66/1 to 20s after that effort, there might be more bets to come if he can win the Race to Dubai on this side of the Atlantic too," said the firm's Nick Gray.

Donald leads by well over a million Euros in the European Money List and would become the first man to ever win both if adding it to his US title.

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He'll be on the shortlist because the competition is so thin and there are three or four places still left up for grabs. Luke Donald can't win SPotY this year unless the gamble for him overtakes Mark Cavendish.

A cricketer to win is surely out of the question as England are getting thumped over in India.

Today's Bettingzone Market News:

1055: Darren Clarke is currently the narrow 11/8 favourite to be named the BBC Sports Personality Of The Year 2011 but he is in real danger of being caught by Mark Cavendish is coming up on the outside and is into 13/8.

“Punters who backed Cavendish at 25/1 in July are sitting on a cracking bet as the social media campaign behind Cavendish is gaining real momentum,” said Hill’s spokesman Rupert Adams.

BBC Sports Personality Of The Year 2011, Hill's bet: 11/8 Darren Clarke, 13/8 Mark Cavendish, 7/1 Rory Mcllroy, 8/1 Mo Farah, 20/1 Donald, 33/1 Tom Daley, 33/1 Sam Warbuton, 40/1 Dai Greene.

As an aside, considering it's sports journalists and some 'experts' that vote for the shortlist of ten for BBC SPotY, it might be worth paying attention to the Sports Journalists Association Awards. Odds are from the award sponsors, Ladbrokes. The winners are announced on Wednesday 7th December.

http://www.sportsjournalists.co.uk/category/awards-news/

Sportsman of the Year:

Mark Cavendish 11/10
Darren Clarke 3/1
Mo Farah 6/1
Rory McIlroy 6/1
Luke Donald 10/1
Alastair Cook 20/1
Dai Greene 25/1
Andrew Strauss 50/1
Andy Murray 50/1
Alistair Brownlee 100/1
Carl Froch 100/1
Amir Khan 100/1
Liam Tancock 100/1
Sam Waley-Cohen 100/1

The SJAA will probably declare their hand early as to who they want to win BBC SPotY this year. Cavendish is favourite. He might easily be usurped though.

Sportswoman of the Year:

Rebecca Adlington 3/1
Hayley Turner 3/1
Beth Tweddle 4/1
Jessica Ennis 5/1
Helen Jenkins 7/1
Hanna England 12/1
Shelley Rudman 16/1
Keri-Anne Payne 20/1
Sarah Stevenson 25/1

A wide-open field. Hayley Turner here surely? She might even make the shortlist of ten for BBC SPotY in such a so-so year for British female sporting achievement.

Sports Team of the Year:

England Men’s Cricket Team 1/20
Europe Solheim Cup team 12/1
GB and Ireland Walker Cup team 20/1
Matt Langridge, Ric Egington, Alex Gregory and Tom James (rowing) 20/1
Tom Daley and Pete Waterfield (diving) 25/1
Kath Grainger and Anna Watkins (rowing) 50/1
Peter Chambers and Kieren Emery (rowing) 66/1
Wendy Houvenaghel, Dani King and Laura Trott (cycling) 100/1

The trip to India being the only blight for the England men's cricket teamthis year but could the European Solheim Cup team spring a big surprise here!?

The odds movement will be interesting for certain prospective nominees this weekend then. One has to assume that somebody knows who the final 10 already are.

I don't think Phil Taylor will be in this year's final ten even if only as a 'filler nominee' but I didn't think Ryan Giggs would be in the final ten either in the year he won. As an aside, I'd be stunned if any footballer makes it onto this year's list.

Sky Bet think Mark Cavendish is a 'flimsy' favourite.

http://www.bettingzone.co.uk/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=betting/11/11/28/manual_203739.html&BID=67

We'll have to see what the opposing gamble to him is then. I don't think there will be one but there's still time to affect the outcome.

Meh. I don't see what the fuss is about myself. No women really stood out in high profile sport throughout the year. It's as simple as that. It's not to belittle any British female sporting achievements but few people were championing them throughout the year.

Incidentally, Amir Khan beat out Rebecca Adlington by one vote which would have changed the perspective from 'no women on the list' to 'nobody other than white blokes, a token black fella and a token female ever gets nominated'.

http://www.sportsjournalists.co.uk/sja-news/wellington-and-the-women-put-the-boot-in-to-the-bbc/

Blame the sports journalists. All this palaver over Chrissy Wellington and she wasn't even in the shortlist of NINE women in the SJAAs which were won by Mark Cavendish, Rebecca Adlington and the England men's cricket team.

Mark Cavendish plunges into a general 15/8 ON and worse as the gamble continues for him to win this year's BBC SPotY. Darren Clarke is next nearest at 7/2, Rory McIlroy 9/1, Mo Farah 12/1 and Luke Donald 66/1.

Today's Bettingzone Market News:

1550: More now on Luke Donald and William Hill rate the Englishman as a 50/1 outsider for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Despite completing a money list double today, Donald is a long way behind fellow golfers Darren Clarke (3/1) and Rory Mcllroy (9/1) in the betting while Mark Cavendish remains hot favourite at 8/15.

"There can be little doubt that the golf vote is going to be split between the three players in the shortlist but considering what Luke has achieved this year 50/1 is a huge price," said Hill's spokesman Rupert Adams.

As an aside, here are Ladbrokes' odds for RTE Sports Person of the Year with the winner announced on Sunday 18th December:

Rory McIlroy 8/15
Darren Clarke 4/1
Alan Brogan 5/1
Katie Taylor 20/1
Robbie Keane 25/1
Michael Fennelly 28/1
Sean O'Brien 33/1
John Joe Nevin 33/1
Kevin O'Brien 50/1

http://www.rte.ie/sport/other/2011/1208/awards.html

Dai Greene's chances are surely getting closer to nil. Chez Davies wins Welsh Sports Personality of the Year ahead of Helen Jenkins and Nathan Stephens. Dai Greene could only finish fourth!

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/w...ports-personality-of-the-year-91466-29941162/

Meanwhile...this afternoon's Bettingzone Market News:

1230: Coral bookmakers have seen yet more support for Sports Personality favourite, Mark Cavendish, and have trimmed the price of the road race world champion to 1/2 (from 8/15).

Dual money list winner, Luke Donald, has also proved very popular since securing both titles and is now 16/1, having been 50/1 prior to the weekend.

“It’s a one horse race, we just aren’t taking money for anyone else, and with nothing of note left this year, Cavendish is likely to be even shorter,” said Coral spokesman Gary Burton.

Open winner Darren Clarke is the 7/2 second favourite, ahead of Mo Farah and Rory McIlroy at 11/1.
The award takes place on Thursday December 22 in Salford.

Rory McIlroy won RTE's Sports Person of the Year award.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gol...e-year-while-trap-is-top-manager-2967410.html

Today's Bettingzone Market News:

1535: Mark Cavendish is still a red-hot 4/11 favourite to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award and bet365 are also seeing plenty of interest in a Cavendish/Farah one-two at 3/1.

Steve Freeth said: "The money continues to come for Cavendish and punters believe he's well clear of the peloton with plenty of people also putting in Mo Farah for the forecast at bigger prices."

Our Chris Hammer agrees as you can see from his preview which went out last night.

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http://www.bettingzone.co.uk/novelt...=betting/11/12/20/manual_183452.html&BID=3691

I'm not convinced by Mo Farah's chances but any overnight gamble on him will change my mind. If he is to win, it'll be next year when athletics/Olympics fever is more prominent & even then he may not be the 'preferred' winner.

People have won it for less though (Greg Rusedski for reaching the US Open final back in 1998, and David Beckham for scoring a free kick to get England to the World Cup in 2001).

The golfers will split their votes. There has been some sort of gamble on Luke Donald but he's still fifth favourite. It's a unique achievement in topping both the European and US money lists plus the death of his father which hasn't been mentioned that much...all I've read about was the imminent birth of his child.

Mark Cavendish wins barring those who backed him at very nice double figures forgetting to repeat call. Mo Farah will finish in the top three just as a big hint that the BBC has the Olympics next year. Anyone's guess who will complete the top three.

Amir Khan will probably poll the fewest votes ahead of Andy Murray and Andrew Strauss.

OT: I said around this time last year that I would lump on Jessica Ennis for BBC SPotY 2012. I won't. I've gotta be sensible, folks. She may very well win gold in London but she might not be the one pimped by the BBC as the golden one. If Mo Farah can win double gold, he'll be the prominent one....basically whoever wins the most gold medals is almost an automatic shoo-in.

I'm a bit surprised by a 'late gamble' on Darren Clarke but there you go. Today's Bettingzone Market News:

1550: With regard to SPOTY, it's worth pointing out plenty of people have been turned over at short prices before.

Darren Clarke missed out himself one year, whle Rebecca Adlington and Jenson Button have also been losing favourites.

A factor tonight will also be the difference in audience. Usually the ceremony and voting is held on a Sunday night. This year it's a Thursday when the programme will be going up against Tottenham v Chelsea, meaning many sports fans will instead be watching the football.

1530: The BBC Sports Personality of the Year will be crowned this evening and there's a final-day gamble on Open golf champion Darren Clarke.

Several firms have cut the Northern Irishman today with all the 6/1 taken. 11/2 is the best left (Paddy Power and Ladbrokes).
Favourite Mark Cavendish remains heavily odds-on but he's out to 4/11 with totesport, Betfred and Victor Chandler.
Mo Farah is next in the betting at 16s (Sportingbet).

As we told you yesterday, Ladbrokes are already betting on the 2012 award but they've pushed Jessica Ennis out from 4/1 to 9/2 today.

William Hill have also priced up now. They also make Ennis favourite but they offer an improved 6/1.

Havnt got time to watch this as im of out but is there a team award? Hope Leeds Rhino's get in the final lot for it, deffo deserve to be in the top 3 British teams of the year