What were the big Winning Bets of the Weekend?

Who are the bookies’ favourites to win the Premier League?

After their impressive 3-0 demolition of Spurs, the odds on Chelsea to win the Premier League have been shortened, and they are into favourites with some bookies. With Spreadex, Manchester City are 17/10 favourites with Chelsea 19/10. On our season long spreads, City are at 84.5-86 points and Chelsea 83-84.5. The two teams meet next weekend.

Tottenham 0-3 Chelsea

Chelsea Total Goal Minutes (settled at 196)

After Tottenham’s 3-0 defeat at Crystal Palace and Chelsea’s 3-0 win against Aston Villa, we should have seen this result coming. Spurs actually started brightly, but after the break the Blues upped their intensity and Tottenham looked a spent force. Goals from defenders Thiago Silva (49^th minute) and Antonio Rudiger (90) either side of a heavily deflected N’Golo Kante shot (57) made sure buyers of Chelsea’s Total Goal Minutes, set at 71-79, had a good day with a profit of 117 times their bet.

How are Brentford doing in their first Premier League season?

The Bees are settling in nicely in their first Premier League season, and Saturday’s 2-0 win at Wolves put them into the top 10.

Cross-Bookings (settled at 2200)

Buyers in the Cross-Bookings market (210-370), which multiplies one team’s booking points by the other, made a huge profit from the early game on Saturday, as Wolves players were shown four yellow cards, and Brentford three plus a second yellow and subsequent red for Shandon Baptiste. Buyers at 370 made 1830 times their wager. Buyers of Multi-Bookings (245-315) also made a big profit, banking 1185 times their bet. Multi-Bookings multiplies total first half bookings points by total second half.

Horse Racing

Who won the Ayr Gold Cup?

Bielsa Performance (settled at 50)

Bielsa took the honours in the big race of the weekend, the Ayr Gold Cup. Ploughing a lone path up the rails, Kevin Stott rode the perfect race with all eyes on the far side, where favourite Great Ambassador looked to be surging to victory. When the finish line came, it was Bielsa who was well in front. Bielsa went off at 15/2, or in our 50-30-20-10 market, awarding points for finishing in the top 4, buyers of the 8-11 spread made 39 times their stake.

Are Saracens back in rugby union’s Gallagher Premiership?

After a season in the Championship, forced upon them thanks to repeated salary cap infringements, Sarries are back in the big time, and kicked off the new season on Friday with victory at last season’s table toppers, Bristol.

Bristol 9-26 Saracens

Tryscorers Shirts (settled at 14)

Saracens ground out an impressive victory in the season opener thanks to the boot of fly-half Alex Lozowski, who kicked seven penalties. Callum Sheedy kept Bristol in the game until half-time with three kicks of his own, and the game remained in the balance until Alex Lewington scored the only try of the game in the 70^th minute. Punters who predicted this attritional action dominated by the kickers made a tidy profit selling Tryscorers Shirts (59-63), banking 45 times their wager. The Kicking Metres market (212-226) sailed over, settling at 460 to make buyers a profit of 234 times their bet. Note, the Kicking Metres market is not traded in-running.

IPL Cricket

Chennai Super Kings v Mumbai Indians

Chennai Super Kings moved joint top of the IPL standings as the delayed tournament, postponed in May, got back underway in the UAE. Reigning champions Mumbai made a great start, and reduced CSK to an effective 24-5, with four early wickets and an injury to Ambati Rayudu, but Ruturaj Gaikwad carried his bat for 88 from 58 balls to drag CSK to 156-6. Mumbai never got with the run rate, closing on 136-8 to lose by 20 runs.

Player Runs

Ruturaj Gaikwad (settled at 88)

While all around were losing their heads (and their wickets) Gaikwad stood brave and guided CSK to a total they could, and did, successfully defend. Buyers of his runs, with the spread at 22-26, made 62 times their bet as the 24-year-old Indian caressed the ball to all parts of the ground on his way to an unbeaten 88.